Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols - Chapter 9



Only Krnovel

| Episode 9. Establishing KPI (2)

For the past few days I’ve been looking for a chance to get outside.

Just to go to a PC room.

Kang Ki-yeon, unaware of my impure intentions, kindly left me a small message of encouragement.

“Don’t overdo it.”

“Okay. See you tomorrow.”

After confirming that Kang Ki-yeon was going up the stairs, I immediately turned my back.

Then I ran out onto the street and caught the first taxi that came.

If it’s a deviation, I hate it. I’m the kind of person who finds it easier to criticize than anyone else.

Anyone who said in a personal interview that they were uncomfortable with non-work-related personal instructions and then got yelled at while standing for four hours would have done the same.

But now there was nothing I could do. There was something I absolutely had to check.

The taxi soon arrived at the entrance to the apartment complex where I lived with my family before becoming independent.

Instead of going inside the apartment, I walked a few minutes toward the commercial district and a familiar PC room appeared.

As soon as I opened the door, the part-timer waved his hand and told me to leave, saying that I didn’t know that minors were not allowed in PC rooms after 10 PM.

If you saw my dark circles in a bright place, you wouldn’t have made that mistake.

I had no choice but to show my ID card proving that I had just turned twenty before I could enter.

I feel relieved that I could go back to when I was just one year younger, and that I wouldn’t have been able to go to PC rooms or karaoke rooms.

The first thing I checked after sitting down was the copy of the register of the apartment I lived in and my resident registration.

There was a lot of personal information that had to be entered, and there was a possibility that search history might be left behind, so these were documents that could not be opened on Lee Cheong-hyeon’s laptop.

And while it wasn’t particularly fun, I found out something surprising.

Around the same time that my residence was moved to Spark’s quarters, the ownership of the apartment was transferred from my father to someone else.

I remember that in the past, I was the one who cut off contact first.

Oddly enough, it seems that the setting is that he has been cut off from both his parents.

It didn’t really matter. It was just that I was distancing myself from my family sooner than before.

It’s a bit pitiful that he was abandoned in front of a celebrity agency at the age of 20.

Next, I started organizing my asset portfolio in Google Sheets based on my total assets of 15 million won.

First, I deducted the emergency fund in case of an emergency, then I calculated the minimum living expenses, and then I checked the basic amount required for a housing subscription again and deducted it from the balance.

‘Since the house has evaporated, subscription is essential. The remaining money… … should be put into stocks.’

In the past, I had no interest in stocks whatsoever.

I guess it’s thanks to this that all I know are stocks that are either famous or will become famous in the future.

It’s like a stock that everyone in the country can’t help but know about because it’s rising by about 300%.

After checking, I could clearly see that some large-cap stocks were staying at low prices.

Since I was going to waste my hard-earned money without even going to college, I planned to pay my older sister back at least this much money.

I came out of the stock discussion room after seeing a post titled ‘Emotional Electronics. Someday. It will rise.’ with the comment ‘I’m going to sleep after wiping the old man’s feet.’

If I had known about stocks that would be delisted, I would have written an article telling everyone to run away.

All I could do, knowing little, was hope that everyone’s investments would be successful.

I left the PC room very tired, hoping that I had made the right choice.

And then, to keep my promise to go to a karaoke room and practice, I sang for about two hours at a karaoke room and then quietly returned to my dorm.

It’s been a long day.

* * *

If there’s one thing I realize every morning, it’s that my physical strength at the age of twenty is incomparable to what it will be nine years later.

No matter how much I danced and slept the night before, I still had the energy to move in the morning.

‘The reason I was able to work part-time in logistics during every vacation was because I was young.’

Every time I feel my youth return like this, I feel complicated.

There were also some changes from the same daily routine.

“Did the practice have any effect?”

Kang Ki-yeon, who used to just bow when we met in the morning, greeted me in his own way for the first time.

“It was a time when I realized that I was not a genius who could learn everything in one day.”

“Did you practice separately again yesterday? Wow, Dude, your dark circles are no joke!”

Lee Cheong-hyeon, who had clearly been following me, stuck his head out in front of me to check my face and started to get excited.

For some reason, the manager who came to the dorm this morning also said something behind my back.

“Whenever he receives a song, he sings it right away.”

“Isn’t that proof that Joo Woo is a genius?”

I immediately appealed to the manager about the member’s greatness.

I thought it was too harsh to be compared to the main vocalist from the morning.

It was definitely a noisy morning compared to the usual mornings when I lived alone. Still, I felt like I was getting a little used to mornings with others.

It’s scary how adaptable humans are.

After that, Kang Ki-yeon would occasionally come and go and talk to me.

Jeong Seong-bin, who takes care of everyone, Lee Cheong-hyeon, who is very friendly, and even Park Joo-woo, who comes so quietly that I don’t know when he came and checks my posture and vocals.

The Spark guys took time out of their free time to watch my practice.

All this time, I had to force my fingers to stop myself from pressing shortcuts in the air to correct their facial tones.

Apart from my hard work in learning, these guys needed to know how damaging it was to others’ hearts to suddenly barge in from the side.

Even Choi Je-ho, who rarely talks to other people, said something like this.

“You become friends with kids really quickly.”

I think Choi Je-ho saw me being called out to the members in a circular motion like a subway line.

But to say that we’ve become close is crossing the line. I appreciate the consideration and kindness, though.

“Me? With the kids?”

“uh.”

“Isn’t it because the kids are all good?”

“well.”

Choi Je-ho responded with an ambiguous response. It was obvious to anyone that he was not in a good mood.

Who knows this situation is comfortable?

Give me advice, give me feedback at night, take me home from work.

Considering the kindness the Spark guys show me, the greatest heretic in UA, I should acknowledge their humanity, so I can only be grateful.

I had no desire to become intimate with those guys. I told you to become close with yourselves.

“It seems like Kiyeon and I are more like a strict teacher and a hopeless disciple… … .”

“I know it wasn’t beyond help.”

“Are you going to look at it in the past tense?”

Choi Je-ho smiled faintly at my words.

This smile, the fans… … .

‘Please don’t misunderstand. Our title is hilarious right now. I’m not asking.’

… … It was a laughter that was explained like that.

If I didn’t know, it would have been impossible to discern Choi Je-ho’s smile.

Of course, there were some things that were concerning.

The fact that the members were kind and that I was a free rider were two different issues.

Hanging out of a bus window with a sinister purpose required more than just effort, as long as you had a conscience.

It would be best to prepare your skills right away, but that’s not possible from a common sense perspective.

It seemed difficult to increase one’s ability in an instant, as even the experience points one had relied on were being adjusted.

All that was left was to support and accommodate as best as possible the guys who had staked their future on this.

Anything I can do.

While we were on the subject, I decided to check with Choi Je-ho first.

“I have something to ask you.”

“what.”

“I appreciate you stopping in the middle of group practice, but I feel like it’s too much of a bother to you all.”

“so?”

“What should I improve first so that it causes less harm to you?”

Then I felt four minors looking at me from not far away.

I thought I was used to humiliating myself for my incompetence while working under Manager Nam.

But there was something I overlooked.

It was the first time that I had openly said, ‘Yes, I am a burden to this area.’

It was more fun than I thought. It was an experience that filled me with the motivation to keep practicing.

I remember it well. I need to spend time reflecting on myself while covering myself with a blanket.

Choi Je-ho asked me a question as I was resolutely making up my mind.

“What is the intention behind asking that question?”

Oh, it came out more moderately than I thought.

If the opponent was Choi Je-ho, I thought he would say something like, “If you tell me, I can fix it.”

Because I was very familiar with Choi Je-ho’s raw quotes.

In the idol world where a single word can create an army of tens of millions of anti-fans, Choi Je-ho’s harsh words were perfect for creating issues.

As if he didn’t know it himself, Choi Je-ho’s frequency of opening his mouth on broadcasts noticeably decreased as his years passed.

Unfortunately, it ended up in the usual vicious cycle of an attitude controversy.

He does his part well enough, and he’s the oldest, so it’s understandable that no one within the team would point out anything wrong with him.

In that sense, ‘What is the intention of asking that question?’ was quite good.

However, the expressions on the faces of Kang Ki-yeon and Lee Cheong-hyeon, who were now openly staring at me, were not very good. It seemed as if they thought that Choi Je-ho’s question might sound like a quarrel to me.

‘I think you understood it to mean that I was late in making that statement and was trying to get the point across by picking on me.’

Words are really strange. The same words can be interpreted in a thousand different ways depending on the context or nonverbal expressions.

If I, too, had heard something like that while staying up all night with my mind twisted, I might have rolled my eyes and said, “Are you dissatisfied even though I’m bowing down to apologize?”

Perhaps because he had not yet become a leader, Jeong Seong-bin was also visibly cautious with his words.

This damn seniority system needs to be completely destroyed soon.

But if you’re going to be an idol, it wouldn’t hurt to pay attention to your language skills.

So I decided to rephrase Choi Je-ho’s question in the way he ‘probably’ wanted to say.

“Are you saying there is a reason why you think I am a stumbling block?”

“……? uh.”

As expected. This guy didn’t seem like a bad guy, even though he spoke badly.

In the brief silence, Choi Je-ho raised his head and looked at me. It seemed like he had just now noticed that the atmosphere around him was strange.

“Rather than saying there’s a reason… I just thought about it on my own after hearing about the monthly evaluation.”

“… … .”

“You’ve all been preparing longer than me, and you probably want to do well, but you always have to stop practicing to teach me. I think that’s a nuisance to you all.”

“It’s natural to make mistakes all the time. How long have you been a trainee?”

“But it’s still a nuisance.”

“If your form breaks down after a few breaks in practice, that’s the problem of the person who broke down.”

It was really a cold and useless affectionate feedback.

As things went on like this, the other members were unable to speak out even if they were dissatisfied.

There’s nothing I can do.

I decided to once again neatly package the words of the genius Choi Je-ho, who pretends that it doesn’t matter to him whether others fall down or break their noses in order to take care of his own condition.

“I understand your opinion. Thank you for being honest with me.”

Then Choi Je-ho stopped.

It was a face that said, “Oh no.” Fortunately, he was perceptive.

Choi Je-ho frowned slightly, thought about it for a while, and then finally opened his mouth.

“… … For now, that’s what I think.”

There was a subtle emphasis on ‘my’, indicating that there was no intention to dismiss other people’s opinions or point fingers at anyone.

I turned my head slightly and saw Lee Cheong-hyeon silently moving his mouth in admiration.

Unlike Choi Je-ho, Lee Cheong-hyeon was a very perceptive person.

Just in case, I sent a signal to him to take over the baton, and Lee Cheong-hyeon approached me with a cheeky smile.

“Do you think Jeho hyung meant anything bad by what he said? I didn’t feel anything like that!”

I really get it. I appreciate your wit at this moment.

“I am so grateful that you shared a room with me, Jeho. If not, I would have been the only one wetting my pillow every night in that Siberian-like room.”

“Isn’t that my fault?”

“Hey. You know you can’t say anything if you really have something piled up, right, Jeho hyung?”

Then Lee Cheong-hyeon made a hand heart to Choi Je-ho. It was a gesture that was more than enough for an idol.

Lee Cheong-hyeon continued speaking, putting his arm around Kang Ki-yeon’s shoulder.

“If there was something bothering him in the first place, he would have done it first. Our Kiyeon is a total disciplinary leader. Isn’t he?”

“Put your arms down.”

“Isn’t the class president Seongbin? Seongbin always checks during break time.”

“Seongbin hyung is more of a baby angel squad leader than a military disciplinary squad leader.”

That’s right. Jeong Seong-bin is a kind person.

“But still, everyone is doing so well, so I’m a bit worried because I’m suddenly joining in.”

“Are there only a few people who become trainees through street casting? If I worry about each and every one of them, I won’t be able to finish my practice.”

“What Cheong-Hyeon said is somewhat correct, hyung. You don’t have to worry too much.”

“If it’s not uncomfortable, then that’s good.”

Now the only one on my mind was Park Joo-woo, who had never participated in the conversation.

I also carefully asked for the opinion of the future main vocalist who will contribute his voice to the team for the rest of his life.

“Are you picking up?”

“……yes?”

“Are you uncomfortable because of me?”

I’m sorry, Park Joo-woo.

I know you don’t really like talking to strangers, but I would like your cooperation for your pleasant practice life and smooth debut…

“Never.”

“okay?”

“Yes. And everyone knows that my brother works hard… … .”

“Uh… … . Thank you for saying that.”

A society that is so generous to others. It’s so unfamiliar.

‘He said he doesn’t plan on making a big deal out of it as long as it doesn’t ruin the practice atmosphere or anything.’

The management policy of the agency, which focuses on autonomous practice, is also like that.

The people here seemed to have no intention of giving them a hard time, as long as they didn’t become too lazy and lethargic.

Do I just have to roll backwards?

Rather, it is welcome.