Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols

The next day, Jeong Seongbin really showed up with an enormous trash bag full of white and beige dress shirts.

 

Looking at the blue bag on the verge of bursting, I wondered if he had raided his entire family’s closets.

 

“Does Jeong Seongjun aspire to be a wholesaler or something?”

 

“He doesn’t even have to wait. He could open a shopping mall right now.”

 

Jeong Seongbin shrugged.

 

Usually, Jeong Seongbin spoke in a softer tone compared to his peers.

 

But when it came to his younger brother, he showed no mercy  He even sighed, saying, ‘How can he have so many clothes with the tags still on…?’.

 

At least he still had a shred of decency; Jeong Seongbin clarified that he had borrowed the clothes with his brother’s permission, making it clear this was a loan, not a looting operation.

 

Thanks to him, I was able to prepare all the costumes and props without any additional expenses.

 

+

 

[SYSTEM] Work instructions from the ‘Superior’ have arrived.

 

▶ Wow, Assistant Manager Kim is so competent. Other people must have no work left to do. I don’t know how this company would function without you.

 

+

 

Perhaps the system found this particularly distasteful, as it made some XX remarks.

 

But I didn’t care about the system’s sarcasm. If it wasn’t going to help, it could just buzz off.

 

***

 

The additional filming for IDC didn’t end with the meeting scene.

 

“A surprise mission?”

 

“Yeah. They’re deciding the performance order for the second competition with a random play dance.”

 

I was absolutely dumbfounded by the sudden news brought by the manager.

 

I already knew that IDC had soared to popularity due to the controversies surrounding other audition programs, but I hadn’t expected them to pull such an arbitrary stunt just to pad out the runtime.

 

If it was a mid-point mission, they should give us enough time so it didn’t interfere with stage preparations.

 

If they were going to decide the performance order, they should coordinate the schedules and film it right before the second competition!

 

My stomach churned at the thought of getting dragged into this nonsense when we were already pressed for time preparing for the stage

 

If they announced a second season of IDC, I’d write on the viewer forums demanding they plan the format better in advance.

 

Besides, not just anyone could pull off a ‘random play dance.’  With so much K-Pop out there, who could learn all those choreographies?

 

But this was South Korea, a place where the incompetent didn’t survive.

 

Thinking about the dance proficiency I diligently raised during my OJT period, I clenched my fist.

 

To survive in this highly competitive industry, I needed to strengthen my resolve.  I even took special training from Kang Kiyeon during my vacation to prepare for this.

 

And, as if to mock my firm resolve, I surrendered after only two songs. It seemed using a cheat key to raise my proficiency had resulted in watered-down stats.

 

Worried about my fatigue increasing again, I flopped down on the floor.

 

“My head feels like it’s about to explode.”

 

“Maybe you’re trying to dance too much with your head.”

 

Kang Kiyeon said, looking down at me with his arms crossed.

 

“If I don’t understand it, my body won’t move. It’s always like this—if your body is weak, your mind suffers.”

 

“Your body isn’t weak. Your sense is.”

 

“You’re the worst.”

 

Despite his jab, Kang Kiyeon helped me wholeheartedly for the random play dance filming.

 

However, this method was inefficient.

 

If they were going to gather all the participants for a random play dance to decide the order, wouldn’t the standard way be to let the final winner choose their preferred slot first?

 

In Spark, we had a dream team: me, quick to analyze the variety shows IDC likely referenced; Jeong Seongbin, who could list the songs I looked for in real-time; and Kang Kiyeon, the practice fanatic who had probably danced to all those songs at least once.

 

With this team, we could ensure someone from our team was the last one standing. With a very high probability.

 

But I couldn’t be satisfied with just that. Winning a music show wasn’t easy, after all.

 

I looked up at Kang Kiyeon while still lying down.

 

“Kiyeon.”

 

“What?”

 

“I just received an incredible revelation.”

 

“Get up if you’re going to say something weird.”

 

He was not falling for it. Jeong Seongbin would’ve played along by now.

 

Still, since he insisted, I got up. Even if I was still going to say something weird anyway.

 

I placed my hands on Kang Kiyeon’s shoulders and declared.

 

“If we secure the final slot this time, we’ll win again.”

 

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

 

“I’m saying we absolutely need to win first place in the random play dance and claim the sixth performance slot.”

 

“…?”

 

“And I believe you can make it happen.”

 

After all, our Kang Kiyeon is an amazing dancer, right?

 

Let’s carry this heavy responsibility and sweep the stage.

 

* * *

 

Immediately after their debut, Spark’s popularity was largely divided between Choi Jeho and Lee Cheonghyeon.

 

Choi Jeho, who had debuted first through that jerk Jang Junhoo’s music video and had an overwhelming presence as the center, and Lee Cheonghyeon, whose face alone caused a stir on the first music show.

 

Most conversations related to Spark began with these two.

 

Next to the rise was Park Joowoo.

 

Park Joowoo’s vocals always drew attention.

 

Tone, technique, high notes, stability—everything. It was natural for him, who debuted with such polished vocals, to get the highlight parts, and videos of him performing them live circulated online with titles like ‘Typical Rookie Boy Group Skills’.

 

Jeong Seongbin, being the leader, had plenty of chances to speak at official events.

 

As for me, I made an impression on the radio show with my shocking fashion choices or by showing off my drunk hippo act.

 

So, what about Kang Kiyeon?

 

He was the team’s main dancer, but his impact didn’t quite match Choi Jeho’s dance breaks, and his rap only came in during doubles with Lee Cheonghyeon.

 

His vocal skills were decent, but unfortunately, with the addition of the mid Kim Iwol, his share of the spotlight was reduced.

 

In short, Kang Kiyeon currently held the most ambiguous position within Spark.

 

Those who recognized his potential became fans quickly, but his overall audience growth was slow. Even in the past, Kang Kiyeon wasn’t one to gain recognition quickly.

 

Furthermore, Kang Kiyeon still struggled with stage fright.

 

He pretended otherwise, but ever since a vocal slip-up during a music show rehearsal, he’d become a bit more sensitive.

 

Given this situation, appearing on a survival program was obviously taking a toll on his mental state.

 

Focusing the spotlight on Kang Kiyeon now to open the door for new fans could be like poison instead.

 

But when it came to dancing, it might be a different story.

 

‘If Seongbin hyung is a music jukebox, Kang Kiyeon is a dance vending machine.’

 

‘Right. Doesn’t Kiyeon know the choreography to almost every title track?’

 

‘He learns new choreography practically every day. If it’s been performed on a music show, he can probably dance to it.’

 

‘You could probably wake him up with music playing, and he’d start dancing.’

 

‘That’s right.’

 

If what they had said jokingly in the past about Kang Kiyeon was true—

 

‘Things learned with the body are rarely forgotten.’

 

Even if his mind went blank from nerves, his practice would instinctively help him.

 

Hoping that his efforts would be rewarded, I devised a crash course called ‘Master Random Play Dance with These Key Tips!’ with Jeong Seongbin, and relentlessly drilled Kang Kiyeon.

 

It ended up being meaningless since Kang Kiyeon already knew all the choreography, but he said he understood his hyungs’ sincerity and promised to do his best.

 

* * *

 

On the day of the additional filming, we all wore matching thin sweatshirts and pants.  

 

These were from a brand that had appeared only once in Spark’s choreography practice video and received an explosive response from fans.

 

‘Why does it have to be this brand?’

 

‘This brand’s clothes make us look good when we dance.’

 

The members never wore those clothes again after that.

 

But dear Sparklers, rejoice. I have fulfilled your wishes.

 

‘Hyung, you look better in formal wear than casual… Wouldn’t you find this a waste?’

 

Park Joowoo did raise an objection before I checked out the items. But I ignored it.

 

“Mr. Iwol, you’re out!”

 

I’d already predicted that I’d get eliminated from the first song. Even though I had reviewed the choreography during our ‘Master Random Play Dance with These Key Tips!’ prep, I danced it backward, so I was the only one eliminated.

 

Since I was going to be eliminated quickly anyway, what was the point of wearing clothes that suited me? It was enough that the talented dancers looked great.

 

Mr. Yur interviewed me after my swift elimination. I waved cheerfully, saying I trusted my team members, and shouted words of encouragement to them.

 

As if to mock my lightning-fast elimination, the remaining participants showcased incredible skills.

 

Thanks to the challenge trend, everyone knew most of the songs. Groups specializing in performance even managed to form proper formations for some songs.

 

Except for a few people like me who had unusually short trainee periods, eliminations didn’t come easily.

 

All five members of Spark admirably survived. As expected, you shine the brightest as a five-member team.

 

As I earnestly prayed for the revival of the five-member group Spark and for some social distancing, Mr. Yur stepped in again.

 

Since eliminations weren’t happening and the progress was slow, they decided to drastically increase the difficulty.

 

From this point on, participants started dropping like flies.

 

As the release dates of the songs broadened to include older tracks, the younger idols began to fall one by one. Among them, only Kang Kiyeon, who had received special lectures from the veteran Jeong Seongbin, survived.

 

As the number of people dwindled, Kang Kiyeon’s true value began to shine.

 

He, who had been dancing in the back row amidst the crowd, gradually moved forward as those in front of him were eliminated.

 

There was no need to wait for him to reach the very front. For Kang Kiyeon, just a step or two forward was enough.

 

“Kiyeon-nim is a really good dancer.”

 

Whether he was surrounded by people or stationed at the end of the formation

 

Once Kang Kiyeon caught your eye, his skill kept your attention.

 

While Choi Jeho’s strength was his dance lines, Kang Kiyeon’s was his control over dynamics.

 

Such a wonderful strength wasn’t easily captured on music shows. The cameras didn’t focus solely on Kang Kiyeon long enough to capture the varying intensity of his movements.

 

Instead, Kang Kiyeon’s true worth was revealed in fancams.

 

As you followed him with your eyes, you could see how accurately he executed the moves, where he emphasized the power, and how sharply he hit the beats.

 

In a situation like this, where everyone was watching for accuracy to identify those who made mistakes, no one could surpass Kang Kiyeon.

 

Even as the people around him dwindled, and the number of people watching him increased…

 

Just like when he practiced alone in an empty practice room, all he had to do was dance to the music, letting his body express what he’d ingrained within it.

 

“Kiyeon is doing well.”

 

I muttered, watching Kang Kiyeon face off against a member of Berion for the last spot.

 

Choi Jeho, the freshly eliminated contestant sitting next to me, replied,

 

“That’s just how he is.”

 

Right. What else is there to say about your maknae’s skills?

 

Kang Kiyeon, backed by Choi Jeho’s confidence, truly took first place.

 

Standing in front of the order chart, he called out with a calm expression, but unable to hide his slightly flushed ears, ‘Hyung! I can choose the sixth slot, right?’

 

I smiled and nodded.