Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols - Chapter 170



Only Noblemtl

| Episode 170. Customer Appreciation Event

“Seongbin, when was our deadline for writing lyrics?”

This is already the twenty-seventh time I’ve asked Jeong Seong-bin the same question.

“It’s the day after tomorrow, hyung.”

Jeong Seong-bin answered that question again sincerely. Thanks to him, I feel like the end of the world is approaching day by day.

I wasn’t the only one feeling depressed.

Choi Je-ho, who wrote instructions on how to use self-defense spray himself during the first counterattack, was also in a similar situation.

Rapper Lee Chung-hyun and quasi-rapper Kang Ki-yeon had already submitted their work a long time ago. Jeong Seong-bin was in the process of reviewing it, and Park Joo-woo seemed to be nearing completion.

I picked up a wad of paper that Choi Je-ho had crumpled up and thrown on the floor.

“Can I look at this?”

“Or… … .”

A permission was given that seemed to give up everything. When the crumpled paper was unfolded, traces of agony were revealed, with lines drawn in a ballpoint pen.

[A spark that is lacking and a spark that is lacking and has a long way to go]

You little punk, how much of a jerk are you trying to say about Spark? Your sincerity is seeping out of you.

But it wasn’t the time to badmouth men.

[Because you were there, there could be a spark

Reason for rejection: Too much like an award speech

Spark is always with you

Reason for rejection: Similar to electioneering]

Because it wasn’t really any different from my notes.

The two eldest brothers are the only ones who aren’t of any help to the team. At least in Spark, the saying that there’s no younger brother like an older brother doesn’t seem to apply.

While the two brothers were racking their brains in agony, another roommate, Lee Cheong-hyeon, came into the room.

“Oh, I guess both of you are having a hard time getting through this?”

“‘To some extent’? It hasn’t loosened up at all.”

Lee Cheong-hyeon burst out laughing at my words.

Is it funny? Is other people’s suffering funny?

“But, bro, you know that too.”

Lee Cheong-hyeon said, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

“The important thing in work is deadlines and pressure.”

That’s what I said to Lee Cheong-hyeon when he first started composing.

That karma has now come back to me.

“brother.”

Lee Cheong-hyeon’s eyes, as deep as a blue hole, gave off a mysterious look.

The corners of her mouth were round like a rainbow in the clear sky after rain, and her cheeks were round like organic eggs.

“Do you believe that people can do anything if they are forced to?”

“… … .”

“Let’s start with brainstorming, putting a lot of thought into it!”

Lee Cheong-hyeon’s bright voice became a whip that scratched my back.

Despite coming with an angelic face, Lee Cheong-hyeon helped me and Choi Je-ho quite faithfully.

“It might be more difficult if you think about writing something from scratch.”

“Fans send you fan letters. Imagine writing a reply to them.”

While listening to the first instructor’s words, Choi Je-ho and I wrote the lyrics with all our might.

Fortunately, after receiving help, the feeling of confession was greatly reduced… … .

“No, Jeho hyung. I told you that just writing love ten times doesn’t make it into lyrics.”

… … No. I need to read it again before showing it to Lee Cheong-Hyeon.

* * *

The music video concept for Spark’s first fan song, ‘The Third Letter’, is ‘The boys we loved back then’.

I didn’t misread it. I read it exactly as it was written.

“Are we ‘The Boys We Loved Back Then’?”

I saw Kang Ki-yeon ask with a trembling face.

Yeah, you’re probably weird too. No matter how I look at it, there’s no loveliness in your faces.

“Don’t worry, kids. Your faces are enough to do it!”

The staff member who was rubbing Jeong Seong-bin’s face and making it shine said.

… … I think we would be a good fit for the leadership team that guarded the school gate back then.

There was one person who could feel the ‘ㅅ’ of love. It was Lee Cheong-hyeon.

But that love wasn’t Love.

What Lee Cheong-hyeon’s face expresses is… … .

‘Agape.’

Instead, now the direction of love is in the opposite direction.

Look at that face that received all the love of all things. At that time, not only we, but the playground at that time must have loved Lee Cheong-hyeon.

‘Or should I just go with the drama male lead style like Choi Je-ho?’

Choi Je-ho, who has been sporting various strong styles such as a bang and a half-bang, let his bangs down today. This is the ‘stylish bang Je-ho’ that Sparklers have been wishing for.

Choi Je-ho kept messing up his bangs, feeling awkward because his forehead was completely covered. And then he got scolded by the stylist.

It’s good to be innocent, but you can’t leave out the physical appeal. I boldly suggested it to the stylist.

“Wouldn’t it be better if Choi Je-ho rolled up his sleeves? I think it would be better if his forearms were visible.”

“Is that what you think too, Yiwol?”

Choi Je-ho looked at me with a look on his face that said he had a lot to say, but I ignored him.

You’re going to be bouncing a basketball in the music video anyway. It’s a high crime not to show your tendons while dribbling.

Park Joo-woo took on the role of a senior in the art club. The brown apron and paint stains were in harmony.

“Isn’t it more adorable if there are paint stains on the face?”

“Children’s faces are the most perfect when they are still, so you shouldn’t put anything on them.”

“Don’t you know that a little bit of emptiness makes people crazier? Just two brush strokes on the cheek, no more, no less.”

The person in question, Park Joo-woo, was peaceful, but the makeup artists around him were burning with passion.

I also thought, ‘Spark face, it’s the most beautiful when left alone… ‘ but I have no knowledge of first love, so I kept silent.

At that moment, the epitome of first love came walking from afar, making a thumping sound.

“Brother, are you ready?”

A warm smile. A neat school uniform. Even a wrist covered in an analog watch, a rare sight in this day and age when everyone wears a smartwatch.

He was the only man born in spring in Spark. As expected, Jeong Seong-bin, you are the one who does all the affectionate things in this team.

On the other hand, I… … won’t necessarily look into myself. I know it’s not easy to become someone’s first love.

Kang Ki-yeon’s situation wasn’t much different from mine.

He came wearing small earrings on his ears (Kang Ki-yeon didn’t have pierced ears, so he couldn’t wear piercings) with the money he earned from selling his ties. He also put bands on some of his fingers.

Yet, the guy was holding a pair of wired earphones and an mp3 player in one hand.

“What was your concept?”

Even though I know the answer, I still ask.

Kang Ki-yeon also answered without resistance.

“That guy in the back corner of the silent classroom.”

“The research is excellent.”

Kang Ki-yeon’s expression became hazy as he received compliments.

I am looking forward to seeing how much beauty will explode in the music video.

* * *

As for work, it can only be reduced, not eliminated, and around the time the fan song was finished, the fan club issue came up.

If it were a normal idol, the fandom name and cheering stick would have been revealed when the fan club was created.

But UA had a huge barrier called finite numbers.

Since they had already revealed their fandom name at the same time as their debut to prevent it from being installed, the only thing left to do was to create an official fan club kit and cheering stick.

In fact, the fan club kit wasn’t easy. The ID card and rolling paper were good, but other than that, it was obvious that the cost-effectiveness was too high.

‘I think the proportion of tributary goods is too high. If this is the case, the unit price will definitely be discussed, but I don’t think we should hear talk about cost-effective operation from the mouths of those who joined the fan club because they like Spark and not other things.’

That’s why I held everything. I tossed it to Jeong Seong-bin, who knows more about idol culture than I do, so Jeong Seong-bin will take the initiative in improving the composition.

Additionally, UA, which does not have much experience in releasing official goods, has decided to release official Spark goods.

When I first saw the lineup and the blueprint, I was speechless. UA is famous for not being able to produce goodies.

Maybe because they have a dedicated team, the goods I used to buy on their behalf were a bit better than the ones I used to buy on their behalf.

But that doesn’t mean it’s ‘pretty goods’.

‘I agree with what they say about Cheong-Hyeon’s face, which looks like a jewel even when she just walks around.’

‘Yeah, but?’

‘I don’t think fans would want to put a large Cheong-Hyeon face keychain on their school bags.’

Since ancient times, the key to idol goods has been how much fun it is and whether it is possible to do it on the spot.

You just take a picture and sell it as goods? You’ll definitely get criticized all night long in the community for eating it raw.

In the end, I sold the medicine and came out, saying, ‘I have a good idea.’

Fortunately, the dedicated team quickly got the hang of it, so starting with the second lineup, a list of names that wouldn’t be criticized began to emerge.

So far so good.

The problem is that UA was trying to do something atrocious by selling limited quantities.

‘First come, first served, with the total quantity not disclosed?’

I almost fell behind without lying. How angry the Sparklers were about this behavior of UA in the past.

≫ Even though I said I wanted to buy XX goods, they wouldn’t sell them and it’s XX

≫ I have money, so why can’t I buy it…? Please empty my wallet…

≫ Is this a head decoration? It always sells out in 30 minutes, so why do you put up an apology notice every time it sells out? Even a goldfish has better learning ability than you guys XX

≫ It’s so annoying that they’re only releasing a limited quantity because they don’t want to have any leftover stock. Please trust your idols. I understand how you hate taking even a single loss. Please increase the quantity, XXXs.

These gentlemen don’t know how much public outrage is caused by the fact that official goods are sold in limited quantities.

I know the company doesn’t want to lose money, but what good does it do if it hurts the fans’ feelings?

So I came here and lay down on the UA floor and protested.

‘There is a good method in the world called pre-order, Team Leader.’

‘But Yiwol, if this is in stock… … .’

‘I know a cheap place for a logistics warehouse. I’ll reserve everything. So please, at least for the limited edition!’

‘You don’t have to make a reservation, so just get up! Why are you just lying on the floor!’

‘Spark does all the work, the fans do all the hard work, but the salespeople make all the money! Who are these goods for?’

I understand that you can’t just hastily mass-produce them since you don’t have enough fandom to run a factory, but shouldn’t you at least make it possible for anyone who wants to buy them to do so? If you’re an entertainment business that deals with fans, that’s the case.

After going through this series of events, I had a lot of thoughts.

I thought about it while sitting on the edge of my bed, and I thought about it while sitting at the kitchen table.

And then a sad conclusion was reached.

I just think I should keep working from now on… …