Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols

Thanks to Kang Kiyeon’s stellar performance, Spark secured the sixth slot in the lineup.

 

The glasses I ordered looked perfect on Park Joowoo, and Jeong Seongjun’s clothes were of such high quality that they were perfect for styling.

 

‘How on earth do you even secure a beret?’

 

‘You’ll probably need at least twenty bobby pins.’

 

Except for the fact that Jeong Seongbin was forced to wear a beret and almost had his hair ripped out by me, there were no major hiccups.

 

That was a TMI I hadn’t heard before. Spark should have worn hats more often on stage.

 

Yoo Hansoo’s barrage of texts had also subsided, so I was able to prepare in peace.

 

Of course, not everything went smoothly.

 

Lee Cheonghyeon, Spark’s greatest treasure, had lost the usual glow on his face due to fatigue.

 

‘Cheonghyeon, I need twice as much of your talent this time.’

 

‘Why?’

 

‘We’re going to need some sampling.’

 

This performance’s concept revolved around a nerdy scientist entranced by the night sky.

 

The styling was also designed to evoke the image of a research enthusiast captivated by the beauty of galaxies and stars, delving into them obsessively.

 

The problem lay in the characteristic image of a ‘scholar quietly immersed in research.’

 

Unlike lively rookie idols or energetic athletes, this image was closer to a static feeling.

 

Going for a mad scientist would stray too far from the intended concept and our youthful vibe, so I decided to enhance the musical quality to bring the concept to life—

 

‘Sampling? With which song?’

 

‘You can decide on that.’

 

‘Huh?’

 

‘Classical music is your specialty, isn’t it?’

 

—by sampling classical music.

 

The song we chose to cover this time was Hellas’s ‘Starlight’, a ballad about quietly whispering love under the night sky.

 

It wasn’t flashy, but it had a nice melody and decent lyrics, making it a well-known song for a B-side.

 

My goal was to infuse the song with a touch of classical beauty, meticulous precision bordering on obsession, and an ethereal atmosphere. If the sampling worked, we could hit three birds with one stone.

 

Though I knew next to nothing about classical music, Lee Cheonghyeon was a different story. He was once a kid who lived and breathed piano.

 

And it wasn’t as though he had turned to other genres out of a distaste for classical music. So there was even less for him to hesitate about.

 

‘You understand the concept and direction, right? And the song is already chosen. What else do you need?’

 

‘No, I just thought you had already chosen the song for sampling. You hate unexpected variables, hyung.’

 

‘You’re the arranger, so you know best. Your choice will be the best choice.’

 

What did Lee Cheonghyeon say to that? I couldn’t remember.

 

Anyway, Lee Cheonghyeon threw himself into the work with intensity from the beginning of the preparation period.

 

As a result, his face looked absolutely haggard. And after all the nagging I had given him about taking care of that face too.

 

Putting his good look aside, he was a sunshine boy when he was lively and a melancholic man when worn out, but this was neither. What’s the point of having a perfect song and a perfect choreography if his face isn’t?

 

I placed a glucose candy in Lee Cheonghyeon’s hand.

 

And I chanted a magic spell in my heart.

 

Be beautiful…

 

* * *

 

“Oh, Sticky sunbaenims are doing an Eastern-style stage too!”

 

Jeong Seongbin reacted as he watched Sticky’s performance being recorded. On-screen, Sticky opened their intro by elegantly snapping open fans.

 

That made it the third Oriental-themed stage today. The concepts varied from struggles for the throne to martial arts sword dances. Indeed, hanbok seemed to be a staple for survival shows.

 

Parthe’s stage today was also spectacular.

 

They all came out wearing hanbok embroidered with gold thread and showcased synchronized action scenes and group dancing, exuding charisma that made your jaw drop.

 

Han Gawoon’s vocals were perfectly placed too, making it clear he got a solid part in the performance.

 

It was hard to believe he was the same person who had desperately tried to stop Song Minil under the Han River bridge.

 

Besides, the swords were incredibly realistic. The way they reflected the stage lighting was sharp and impressive.

 

Yes, this is how you do a performance.

 

I inwardly admired them but I kept my tone calm on the surface.

 

“Technically, ours is an Oriental-retro concept too.”

 

“I am not sure. Id’s say it’s more like steampunk.”

 

Kang Kiyeon disagreed with me. Well, it was fine as long as everyone looked good.

 

Besides what can we do? We’re civil officials, not military ones.

 

“Sticky sunbaenim’s stage has started?! I want to watch too!”

 

Lee Cheonghyeon, who was getting touch-up makeup at the end of the waiting room, shouted and ran over.

 

His face was shining.

 

Literally, physically shining.

 

“What happened to your face?”

 

Sparkling glitter was scattered like jewels across his pale face.

 

He even wore colored contacts to give off a special impression, turning him into a non-human.  You’ve worked hard, magical glucose candy.

 

It was strange, though. We were both wearing sparkly colored contacts, but mine looked like snake eyes while his looked like the California sunshine.

 

Looking freshly radiant, like a just-picked orange, Lee Cheonghyeon struck a pose with his hands framing his face.

 

“Isn’t the glitter awesome? Today, Cheonghyeon’s face concept is diamond mine!”

 

“Hand over the mining rights. I’ll burn it all down.”

 

“I knew you’d say that, so I’ve set aside exclusive distribution rights for you, hyungnim.”

 

“Good.”

 

Choi Jeho shot us a look from afar that said, They’re at it again. But dressed in suspenders and shorts, that expression had no impact whatsoever.

 

While everyone was showing off their beauty, only Kang Kiyeon remained quiet. He just watched Sticky’s performance with a slightly stiff face.

 

I waited for Sticky’s stage to end before placing my hand on his shoulder. Giving it a gentle squeeze, I felt him flinch slightly.

 

“Don’t worry. We’ve got this.”

 

“…”

 

“As long as I don’t trip and tumble off the stage mid-performance, that is.”

 

“That would be a disaster….”

 

Kang Kiyeon gave a wry chuckle, as if dumbfounded.

 

But I was being serious.

 

Barring a catastrophe of that scale, Spark was bound to take first place. Truly.

 

* * *

 

Lee Cheonghyeon put in a tremendous amount of effort in preparing for the second competition.

 

It was all because of Kim Iwol’s mission, assigned to him right after the concept was finalized.

 

‘We need sampling.’

 

The original song was a ballad, the arrangement direction was a light dance track, the emotion to express was pure academic passion and joy, and the tool of choice was classical music.

 

Everything was clear, but progress was slow.

 

Several potential songs came to mind, but none of them felt right. Every piece felt slightly lacking.

 

He couldn’t grasp how to arrange them either.

 

To Lee Cheonghyeon, ‘interpreting a piece’ meant staying free while adhering to the sheet music.

 

But now, he was breaking a song into measures or even single notes, rearranging them here and there. The process felt less like a challenge and more like destruction.

 

Does this hyung trust me too much? He often thought that.

 

But then, he remembered his family, who hadn’t trusted him at all.

 

They had said that if he liked music so much, he might as well stick to classical—something they’d begrudgingly tolerate.

 

So for a few years, he happily played the piano.

 

He immersed himself, savoring every moment. He was happy.

 

As he grew older and his knowledge broadened, the music Lee Cheonghyeon could access expanded.

 

Beyond classical music, there were other songs—ones neither inferior to nor more addictive than the piano pieces he played.

 

His world continued to expand.

 

To Lee Cheonghyeon, music was like the ocean, endless and mysterious.

 

He simply loved music. All kinds of music.

 

He enjoyed playing instruments, singing, rapping over beats, and just listening.

 

But for his parents, what mattered was what kind of music Lee Cheonghyeon played and in front of whom.

 

At that moment, a fixed course was charted on Lee Cheonghyeon’s ocean.

 

Every day, he steered a luxurious cruise ship hosting elegant soirées, looping the same route alone. Until the illuminated sea was dyed black by darkness.

 

On the day he stepped off that ship, despite much opposition, Lee Cheonghyeon knew it would take a long time before he could return to the sea.

 

Until one day, his roommate—Kim Iwol—casually announced that he was hiring him as a ‘composition machine’.

 

Back then, Kim Iwol had even snatched away the map Lee Cheonghyeon was clinging to like a lingering regret and said,

 

‘Is it wrong to expect great things from a young, talented person?’

 

It was a strange thing to say. His family always asked him how long he would keep making foolish choices.

 

Kim Iwol wasn’t kind like his parents. Lee Cheonghyeon couldn’t ride a luxury cruise ship, nor could he choose only calm waters.

 

All he was given was a rickety raft that seemed ready to sink within ten meters and a crude paddle carved by Kim Iwol himself.

 

Looking at the raft, Lee Cheonghyeon thought:

 

Which sea should I sail to?

 

What am I sailing for?

 

I….

 

And amusingly enough.

 

Whenever he tried to delve into such thoughts,

 

‘Your choice will be the best choice.’

 

Kim Iwol would urge him to set sail, forcing him to head out to sea.

 

Lee Cheonghyeon had no choice but to move forward. In his tiny raft, with his humble paddle.

 

Kim Iwol did nothing but hand him a new ship. Because all Kim Iwol demanded of Lee Cheonghyeon was simply to cross the sea.

 

So Lee Cheonghyeon decided to raise a flag on his humble raft.

 

To define the kind of music he wanted to create.

 

To decide what he wanted his songs to convey.

 

And no matter where his journey took him, to always held onto the answers to those questions.

 

From the speakers, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 began to play.