Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols

A while later.

 

A middle-aged woman visited Spark’s dorm.

 

“It’s been a while, everyone. Is this the newcomer, Iwol, that I’ve heard about?”

 

It was none other than Jeong Seongbin’s mother.

 

“Nice to meet you, I am Seongbin’s mom.”

 

She set her luggage down at the entrance and extended her hand to me.

 

I quickly reached out to shake her hand and greeted her.

 

“Yes, hello.”

 

I thought about adding ‘Nice to meet you too’ but I held back.

 

Even though I had never met a friend’s parents before, I could tell from Lee Cheonghyeon’s excited behavior around Seongbin’s parents that such formal language wouldn’t be natural.

 

Sure enough, Seongbin’s mother said to me with a smile.

 

“My goodness, Iwol is much more polite than what I heard from Seongbin.”

 

Already? I’d only bowed halfway.

 

If I had said ‘Nice to meet you too’, she might have thought, ‘This kid is very formal and stiff’.

 

More importantly, I wondered what Seongbin told his mom about me.

 

I was anxious but didn’t really want to know. So instead of interrogating Seongbin, I decided to carry Seongbin’s mother’s luggage.

 

“Let me take your bags, please make yourself comfortable.”

 

“No, no. I’ll put them in the fridge myself.”

 

Seongbin’s mother picked up the large shopping bag she had put down.

 

After a brief back-and-forth, I managed to take the shopping bag and head to the kitchen.

 

The bag was full of sealed containers. There were so many that I wondered if this was why she came dressed so lightly.

 

Seeing this, Seongbin said.

 

“You brought side dishes again? Even though you’re busy with work.”

 

“It’s not like I come here often, so this much is nothing. Kiyeon, Cheonghyeon! Can you guys put these on the veranda?”

 

Following Seongbin’s mother’s instructions, Kang Kiyeon and Lee Cheonghyeon moved quickly.

 

Everyone moved so efficiently, it seemed this wasn’t their first time doing this.

 

Just then, the doorbell rang again at the front door.

 

Seongbin’s mother, who had been focused on unpacking the shopping bag, looked up and said:

 

“Oh. That must be your father.”

 

“Dad’s here too? Isn’t he working today?”

 

“He took a day off. When I said I was coming to see you, he insisted on coming too.”

 

When I heard that it was likely Jeong Seongbin’s father, I hurriedly ran to the front door.

 

When I opened it, sure enough, a man who closely resembled Seongbin was standing there.

 

He was carrying grocery baskets twice the size of what Seongbin’s mother had brought.

 

“Huh? I’ve never seen you before. Are you Iwol?”

 

“Yes, hello!”

 

I had seen many men around Seongbin’s father’s age before.

 

At convenience stores or when doing delivery part-time jobs, etc.

 

Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but feel a strange awkwardness from the fact that the person in front of me was a ‘colleague’s father’.

 

As a result, I had to showcase my ‘answering in a loud voice’ skill that I usually only used in UA.

 

This time, I successfully managed to help carry some of Seongbin’s father’s luggage to the kitchen.

 

At that moment, Seongbin’s mother’s stern voice rang out:

 

“Why are you making the child carry this? I told you it’s heavy because there’s fruit inside!”

 

“Oh, I forgot.”

 

“It’s not heavy at all, it’s fine, ma’am!”

 

Not wanting to get caught in the middle of their argument, I quickly reassured her.

 

When Seongbin and I opened the grocery bag, it was once again filled with colorful plastic containers.

 

“Iwol, is there anything you can’t eat? I tried to pack a variety, but I’m worried there might be something you don’t like.”

 

“Don’t worry, ma’am. I eat just about anything!”

 

“This hyung only eats jjolmyeon, but he does eat all the vegetables in it!”

 

My answer came automatically, influenced by memories from Hanpyeong Industry where I had to drink even hard liquor if the boss offered it… but Cheonghyeon interjected.

 

I really didn’t understand why he was so obsessed with my taste in food.

 

“Do you like jjolmyeon, Iwol?”

 

“Haha, a little bit!”

 

It seemed I would need to have a long talk with Cheonghyeon in our room after the parents left.

 

Look forward to it. I’ll give you a lecture you won’t forget.

 

After we finished sorting out all three large grocery baskets, we were finally able to gather in the living room.

 

While the others chatted with the adults, I decided to make tea.

 

Having years of experience serving guests, it would hurt my pride to just sit there and let someone else do it.

 

‘It feels strange, I feel like I am back in the office pantry.’

 

Before the musty memories could flood back, I quickly placed seven cups of warm Solomon’s seal tea and one cup of lukewarm water for myself on the tray and headed to the living room.

 

Noticing my clear water, Park Joowoo asked,

 

“…Why are you just drinking water, hyung?”

 

“To prevent teeth discoloration.”

 

If I couldn’t do anything about my face, I should at least maintain cleanliness, right?

 

Despite my efforts to contribute to the group’s overall visual appeal, the expressions on their faces as they looked at me were less than impressed.

 

I knew my shortcomings well enough, so I’d appreciate it if they didn’t emphasize them with their eyes.

 

While I was receiving these piercing glances from the members, Seongbin’s parents checked on each member one by one, asking about their well-being.

 

“Kiyeon, I heard you hurt your ankle last time. Is it all better now?”

 

“Yes, it’s fine now.”

 

“Jeho, you’ve grown so much since I last saw you. How do you keep getting taller?”

 

From what the two of them said, it seemed they had been watching over the trainees for a long time.

 

At the same time, for some reason, all I could think of was a scene from a soap opera weekend drama.

 

You know, the one where the future mother-in-law said to the female protagonist, ‘How tacky. You’re not good enough to be with my son!’.

 

‘It’s understandable to think that way when an unknown small fry joins the group their son has been preparing for as a trainee for years.’

 

The side dishes they brought might as well have been a real-life version of ‘I packed this so you wouldn’t feel left out’.

 

If it were me, I’d be deeply troubled too if a son like Seongbin had to spend 7 years in the same boat with some guy who came out of nowhere.

 

After they finished checking in with everyone else, it was finally my turn.

 

“Iwol…”

 

I quickly tried to predict what would come next.

 

‘What made you think you could become an idol?’

 

Or…

 

‘Are you really planning to stay at UA until debut?’

 

If not then.

 

‘Do you often get told that you’re not very tactful?’

 

At this point, I desperately wanted to run away.

 

This was more nerve-wracking than the stressful interviews I faced at Hanpyeong Industry.

 

I shouldn’t be so quick to doubt someone else’s, especially an elder’s, intentions.

 

Yet, it felt as if my head was using all the energy in my body to think negative thoughts.

 

After what felt like an eternity, Seongbin’s mother finally spoke.

 

“Isn’t it tough being a trainee?”

 

“Sorry?”

 

I was flustered. Her question was something I hadn’t anticipated at all.

 

Everyone in the world had their own struggles.

 

Though the conditions to debut as an idol were ridiculous, I was lucky to even get this chance to save my sister.

 

Besides, my fellow trainees, while they caused a bit of trouble, were undeniably talented.

 

Complaining about difficulties in this situation would be a luxury.

 

I answered with a smile.

 

“Yes, I’m working hard!”

 

…And I meant it, honestly.

 

* * *

 

Jeong Seongbin’s parents stayed for about an hour before leaving.

 

I asked if they would at least have dinner before leaving, but they both stubbornly refused. They said they didn’t want to interrupt the kids’ rest.

 

When I asked Jeong Seongbin if they had any plans after this, he surprisingly told me they were heading straight home.

 

In my house, once the adults left the house, they wouldn’t return for about three days.

 

Now that I thought about it, as I grew older and heard more from others, it seemed that in most households, the family gathered at home by nighttime.

 

As we divided up the tasks to clean the living room where the guests had been, Jeong Seongbin approached me with an empty cup.

 

I had taken on the task of washing the dishes, wanting to ensure that the members’ hands, which their fans loved so much, wouldn’t get wrinkled from cold water.

 

“Is that a cup that needs washing? Just leave it there.”

 

“No, uh, hyung. I’m sorry about today…”

 

“What for? Did you spit in the cup on the way here?”

 

Manager Nam used to spit near my shoes whenever he was in a bad mood. That was why I hated people who spit on the street.

 

However, what Jeong Seongbin confessed was not something unpleasant like that.

 

“Were you uncomfortable because my mom and dad came over?”

 

“Huh?”

 

Jeong Seongbin fidgeted with the handle of the cup as he struggled to continue.

 

“I know you’re not the type to be shy around new people, but you seemed a bit nervous today.”

 

Nervous? Not just flustered?

 

‘It’s just… I was a little overwhelmed because it was the first time I encountered such a situation.’

 

Looking back, my judgment was also wrong.

 

If I were the type to not adapt to new environments, I would have messed up my college entrance exams or blown my interview at Hanpyeong Industry.

 

However, I didn’t fail the CSAT, and unfortunately, I didn’t blow my interview at Hanpyeong Industry either.

 

I wondered if I had been flustered because of an unconscious need to make a good impression. After all, there had been countless people I had to impress in my life.

 

‘There were about twenty people I had to impress in college alone.’

 

It made me realize that there was no reason to be nervous about making a good impression anymore.

 

So the conclusion was simple.

 

‘I was nervous because I didn’t want to make a bad impression on a colleague’s parents.’

 

As embarrassing as it was, this explanation made sense.

 

No, it wouldn’t make sense otherwise.

 

If I had met someone else’s family before, I wouldn’t have been this awkward. Instead, I ended up getting worked up all by myself.

 

This went beyond just worrying about making a mistake in front of adults.

 

I cleared my throat, trying to cover up my embarrassment, and said,

 

“I didn’t have much experience talking to people my parents’ age.  I was just not used to it, I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah. Both of them took good care of us. So don’t feel bad about it.”

 

I gently reassured Seongbin, who looked like he had ‘I’m sorry’ written across his forehead.

 

In the first place, there was nothing for Jeong Seongbin to apologize for. Apologies were only necessary when people like those from my family showed up.

 

I briefly imagined such a situation, and then realized it was a mistake.

 

It felt so terrible that I almost dropped one of the few glass cups we had in the dorm’s sink.

 

As I was trying to clear my head, a thought occurred to me.

 

How did Jeong Seongbin notice my subtle discomfort?