Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols - Chapter 28
Only Krnovel
| Episode 28. Workplace Bullying (2)
‘Is this how you meticulously eliminate any nitpicking?’
It wasn’t even funny. Then, shouldn’t he just behave properly?
When I obediently handed over my cell phone, Jang Jun-hoo snatched it from me.
‘It’s no use even if you do that.’
All photos of the entrance to the break room had already been deleted before entering the break room.
Because that photo did its job of making me aware of the situation.
I had no intention of using anything that had illegal elements, whether intentional or not, no matter how beneficial it might be.
The system’s intentions were probably the same as mine, because the moment I deleted all the photos, this notification popped up.
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[SYSTEM] Sanctions are exempted as ‘this’ complies with ‘professional ethics’.
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Unlike ‘work’, which provides rewards for completing tasks but no sanctions for failure, ‘work ethics’ seemed to be punished only when they were not followed.
‘I guess it means to not use tricks and to do things properly.’
I think that this rule is useless to me, as I used to feel guilty if I didn’t follow even the ridiculous internal rules of Hanpyeong Industry.
After that, Jang Jun-hoo held onto my cell phone for a long time and looked through it.
“Hey, take it.”
“thank you!”
And when nothing in particular came out, he returned the phone with an uneasy look on his face.
“But, senior.”
But following the rules is following the rules.
“Did Seongbin do something that would make him deserve a big scolding from his senior?”
It’s a different matter to point out a mistake and move on.
Where did a man in his forties tease a kid with a wet head?
Jang Jun-hoo’s eyebrows twitched as if he too found my words unpleasant.
“What do you mean by that?”
“From what I could see from outside, it looked like Seongbin was getting scolded by his senior.”
“Brother, that’s not it… … !”
This time, Jeong Seong-bin, whose face had turned pale, grabbed my arm.
Jang Jun-hoo said with a smile.
“It’s not me. Don’t go around talking nonsense.”
“Senior, you should be careful about how you act wherever you go.”
“what?”
What I meant was that it ‘looked’ like Jeong Seong-bin was being scolded by you.
This means that if Jang Joon-hoo had said, “Did you see it like that? It wasn’t that kind of situation, but I have to be careful,” then it would have been over.
‘You were the one who lost your temper there and made the situation a fait accompli.’
The speed at which my feet were numb was top-notch.
It seemed to me that that person was not a wise person.
It’s funny to expect humanity from someone who behaves like this.
“It wasn’t my intention, but it’s a bit much if other people misunderstand and misinterpret it.”
“Are you teaching me now?”
“No. I was thinking about it seriously.”
I swallowed my laughter as I looked at Jang Jun-hoo, who seemed to be trying to pressure me.
Are you trying to create an atmosphere where I, who was trained by Manager Nam, have no influence at all?
Unfortunately, 10 years is too early.
“Can I be in an agency that snatches the cell phones of passersby and checks them, even though I didn’t get caught trying to scold a trainee?”
Of course, I have no intention of leaving. Rather, if I were told to leave, I would be the one who would have to apologize and admit my mistake.
‘But the current situation is definitely unfavorable to Jang Jun-hoo.’
If I were a trainee who had been at UA for several years like Jeong Seong-bin, I would have had no choice but to be close to Jang Jun-hoo.
First of all, he is a senior in the industry and we are family from the same agency.
The more a person has to lose, the more he or she has no choice but to be cautious around those in power.
But I was a trainee who had just joined the agency and knew nothing.
This means that he is a newbie who is closer to the outside world than the entertainment industry, and has nothing to lose even if Jang Joon-hoo exerts external pressure right now.
‘If you don’t want to become a hot topic like the downfall of a famous singer who was buried in the industry because a trainee blew the whistle on his corruption… …
The whistleblower’s report was constantly questioned for its sincerity and evidence.
And I could have proven with just one contract that I was actually affiliated with UA.
That’s why I could act like a clear-eyed rookie who had lost all sense of humor.
Anyone who would search through the cell phone of someone they just met and destroy evidence would not be completely clueless.
Even the other person was ten years older than me. He was old enough to have seen a few mud fights.
“Ha, F**k… … .”
Jang Jun-hoo muttered, bursting into laughter.
It seemed like he had come to the conclusion that there was nothing good to be gained by beating me here.
Perhaps he anticipated my reaction when I exposed everything after he had taken offense to me for hurting his feelings.
≫ Is it true that UA bullied Yeonsaeng?
└ The facts are correct. Yes, the person who exposed it also did all the verification.
└ But it’s a bit much to say that he was abusive just by reading the text… … For now, I’ll put him in neutral gear
└ Why don’t you just split the X-neutral gear bugs in half and throw them to both sides? If you’re going to keep doing neutral gear, it’d be easier to just split the brain in half in advance.
≫ Who the hell is JJH?
Is there nothing but talk about JJH in the post?
└ There was a singer who rose to fame in the past but then quickly faded awayㅋㅋㅋ
└ I feel bad for the kids who are just preparing to debut, uncle ㅠㅠ
This was also a mild reaction that could have come out if I hadn’t even debuted.
If I had debuted, there would have been a lot of talk like, ‘That’s noise marketing,’ and ‘He was rude to his senior,’ but such assumptions meant nothing to Jang Jun-hoo, who thought he could leave UA at any time.
In the end, Jang Jun-hoo left the break room, leaving only a message telling me to be careful with my words. He slammed the door so hard that I wondered if the sash had broken.
“Brother… …Are you okay?”
Seong Bin Jeong, who was stuck between me and Jang Jun Hoo, asked, looking like a crumpled can.
“What could be wrong with me?”
“That’s good. … … Did the manager call you?”
“Ah. That’s what I lied about when I was trying to get into the break room.”
“yes?”
“More than that, Seongbin.”
“……yes.”
“Do you think you have something to talk about with us?”
Jeong Seong-bin hesitated at my words and then nodded.
This was the second call-up after the fiery battle between Choi Je-ho and Kang Ki-yeon.
* * *
Even Jeong Seong-bin himself thought that he was not this kind of person from the beginning.
This is because I have had a unique perspective since ancient times on working hard and not giving up.
He was confident that the time he put in would one day become his asset.
So, my life as a trainee for several years wasn’t difficult at all.
Until I met a very difficult senior.
‘Trainee?’
‘That’s true, but she’s been singing for a long time and she’s really good at it. Eun-i also acknowledged it.’
‘Hyung, I don’t have time to receive a song guided by a trainee, do I?’
Was it a problem that someone as inexperienced and rookie as himself was assigned to guide someone who had already debuted?
Or is it because your skills are truly lacking to the point where you’re embarrassed to show them off?
‘Hey. You recorded like this and no one from A&R said anything?’
‘I’ve been listening to your guides for a while now. But your voice doesn’t sound like a popular tone. It gets tiresome after a while.’
‘You said you’d be the main vocalist if you formed a group? If you’re the main, won’t your team be ruined?’
Whatever the reason, and before you even know what it is.
Every time Jeong Seong-bin ran into Jang Jun-hoo in the hallway or lobby, he had to hear criticism disguised as honest advice that industry seniors don’t give to just anyone.
Such words were usually of no help at all. Rather, they only left hurt feelings in the listener.
To Jeong Seong-bin, Jang Jun-hoo’s criticism was no different from a knife.
Unfortunately, Jeong Seong-bin’s ‘attitude of being respectful to his elders, being humble, and not neglecting self-censorship’ only seemed like ‘an easy target’ to Jang Jun-hoo.
It didn’t take long for teasing to turn into mockery, mockery to criticism, and criticism to insults.
Low end-of-month evaluation rankings. Feedback that takes the form of praise but cannot hide regret.
Above all, it was he himself who had not been able to achieve anything for several years, which was proving that Jang Jun-hoo’s words were true.
When the guide was assigned to Jeong Seong-bin, and when Jeong Seong-bin finished recording, it became a given that Jang Jun-hoo would find fault with everything.
Jeong Seong-bin thought that he had become a truly incompetent person.
‘If you just keep doing what you’ve been doing, the day will come when you’ll be recognized. Really.’
That is, until a new, indifferent colleague who had no need for consideration for him told him what he wanted to hear most.
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Silence flowed in the practice room. Only Jeong Seong-bin, with a red nose, occasionally let out a small sigh.
After hearing the whole story, the first feeling I had was regret.
I was happy to gain experience by following Jang Jun-hoo’s song guide without even knowing that he was a piece of human trash.
What came next was anger.
A few years ago, Jeong Seong-bin was only a middle school student.
You took out all your anger and frustration on a kid twenty years younger than you?
It was something that could not be tolerated and there was no need to try to understand it.
At this point, all I could think of were all kinds of vulgar curses.
‘This XXX… … .’
There are things people can do and things they cannot do.
I have to work overtime 20 hours a month because of Spark, and I am going through thick and thin with these guys. Why are you making such a fuss?
I wanted to watch my mouth and all, and just say, “Excuse me. Is Mr. Jang Jun-hoo here?” and then light a fire under the table and ask, “Are you even human?”
Choi Je-ho, who was next to me, was swearing at me.
“Fuck, isn’t that fucking crazy?”
“I get angry too, but let’s not swear in front of the kids.”
It wasn’t Jeong Seong-bin’s fault, but even if the two older brothers got angry, it would only make them watch out for their younger siblings.
I suppressed my anger and asked Jeong Seong-bin.
“Seongbin, how would you like this matter to be resolved?”
If Jeong Seong-bin wanted an apology, I was prepared to post a public opinion article until the person’s photo was mosaic-processed on all news portals. I was confident that I could hang on and on.
But Jeong Seong-bin seemed to want everything to be buried quietly.
“Senior… … I don’t want to talk any further than we are now. Even if it’s for the sake of resolving the issue.”
“Yeah. But I don’t think it’s a good idea to continue doing things with that person. Do you agree with that?”
“……yes.”
“Then at least let’s work in pairs within the company. When we leave school, Kiyeon, please pay a little attention to us.”
“yes.”
“And if you hear any nonsense, tell at least two members. Got it?”
Since then, meetings to discuss measures to separate Jeong Seong-bin and Jang Jun-hoo have continued.
“What if I get another guide offer? I know that I’ve left it up to the trainees so far to handle it comfortably within the company.”
“I’ll practice until my throat bursts and then I’ll go out.”
I raised my hand and volunteered because of Lee Cheong-hyeon’s concerns.
I felt like I’d rather have blood flowing from my neck than drive these guys to their deaths.
After a meeting that lasted a full 30 minutes.
“Lastly, Seongbin, I want you to do just two things.”
“Yes… … Yep.”
“One is to never think that you are inadequate.”
I spoke while looking at Jeong Seong-bin’s face, who still had the youthful energy and seemed unable to speak rudely even if I told him to.
It was a face that I rarely looked straight at for fear that the suppressed sorrow would burst out.
“Later, when you feel better, bring me all the evidence that can be used to prove that person treated you badly.”
You son of a bitch. Are you afraid that we’ll lose a good new employee like this?
We can’t take revenge now because we haven’t accomplished anything.
It shows how petty the hearts of society’s people are when they try to protect promising young sprouts.