Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols-Chapter 148: Establishing Preventative Measures (1)

Jeong Seongbin was kind.
He never put up walls and was friendly to everyone.
He was affectionate and attentive to every individual, and especially if the person in question was vulnerable, Jeong Seongbin would hover around them, showing concern.
Yet, this morning at breakfast, he was clearly avoiding me. He sat further away than usual and flinched noticeably whenever his mother mentioned me.
After acting like that, he came all the way to my room, so I figured he had something to say and invited him in.
Even after we sat together on the bed, Jeong Seongbin remained silent for a long time.
And when he did speak, all he could manage to say was…
“Please lie down. You must be tired.”
…and that was it.
Somehow, I had ended up lying down while he sat beside me, turning into the most inconsiderate hyung in history. No matter how gentle his tone was, it was hard to ignore our leader when he spoke.
At this rate, my poor pillowcase was going to get soaked. I’d have to secretly wash it again tomorrow.
I slid a towel between my head and the pillow and subtly observed Jeong Seongbin’s expression.
His face looked dark. Maybe I was overanalyzing, but he seemed to be in distress.
“Did someone upset our leader?”
“……”
“Tell me. I’ll show you the epitome of a member’s loyalty to their leader.”
At my joke, he finally turned his head towards me.
I could see his lips trembling beneath his hair.
“Hyung.”
“Yeah.”
Jeong Seongbin lowered his head.
“I’m sorry.”
The bedsheet wrinkled beneath his clenched fists.
“I knew you weren’t the type to do things half-heartedly.”
“Seongbin.”
“I was being unreasonable because I was upset.”
Jeong Seongbin couldn’t lift his head.
He seemed to think that my collapse during the live finale was his fault.
It wasn’t an unreasonable assumption. After all, I had accepted the proposal to sit out, yet Jeong Seongbin had pushed for my participation.
However, it was ultimately my decision to accept. There was no reason for Jeong Seongbin to feel guilty.
If anyone should apologize, it should be me. I was the one who convinced them to compete in the contest, only to leave them alone at the final presentation.
Nevertheless, Jeong Seongbin seemed troubled. He seemed to think that my participation on the final stage and my subsequent collapse were his responsibility.
“It’s not like I had to put you on stage just to prove that you belonged there… I was shortsighted…”
“Okay, stop there.”
I cut Jeong Seongbin off before he could dig himself any deeper.
Since I rarely interrupt others, he widened his eyes and stared at me.
“Sorry for cutting you off. I just wanted to ask something.”
Jeong Seongbin didn’t bother to reply. Instead, he leaned slightly towards me.
“Seongbin.”
“Yes.”
“Putting aside all the apologies and everything, how did it feel to be on stage with all six of us?”
Jeong Seongbin hesitated to answer. His eyes wavered.
He was so transparent. It made me feel like I had to be honest with him too.
“I was happy.”
“……”
“We worked really hard, right? I was glad we were able to finish it properly. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
I wasn’t the only one who had given my all for IDC.
Everyone practiced like crazy and pushed themselves to their limits. We went through that grueling survival program, finishing in second place without any fights or mistakes.
They deserved to feel the joy of their achievement.
“Don’t let a good memory turn into a bad one. That would be a waste.”
“…….”
“So, I’ll ask you again—how was it, performing as six?”
I gave Jeong Seongbin one more chance to answer.
He hesitated for a long moment, struggling to find the words.
Then, as if admitting defeat, he smiled.
“It was the best.”
That was all I needed to hear.
I closed my eyes, saying I was going to take a nap.
Seongbin watched me for a moment before closing the door and leaving.
Beyond the door, I could hear Lee Cheonghyeon anxiously pestering him, asking if the conversation went well, his voice blending into the background like white noise.
***
To celebrate the end of IDC, Spark was given a short break.
It was only a two-day vacation, but each member quickly found ways to keep themselves busy.
First, Jeong Seongbin was preoccupied with communicating with the company. After appearing on IDC, we had received quite a few offers for TV appearances, and now that the schedule had cleared up, the details were finally being passed on to him.
Kang Kiyeon didn’t leave his room, saying he wanted to catch up on some comics. I’d heard reading comics was his hobby, but it seemed he was quite serious about it. He didn’t leave his bed for hours.
Park Joowoo went to buy a second-hand album. Apparently, a rare item, impossible to get even with money, had appeared on Hongdangmu Market. Worried he might get scammed, I sent Choi Jeho with him, but thankfully, it was a legitimate transaction.
And as for me…
“Hyung, have you chosen your spoon yet?”
“No, and why the hell do I have to use a Pororo kids’ spoon set?”
I was being harassed over whether I wanted the red spoon or the blue spoon.
The whole incident started with the dishes.
While I was hospitalized, Spark divided my chores among themselves.
Now that I was discharged, I figured it was time to reclaim my rubber gloves, but some of them strongly opposed it.
I didn’t push them away and yell, ‘Shut up! I’m the dishwasher in this house!’ because they looked genuinely worried.
I’d also held back when they wouldn’t let me do laundry. Sure, my conscience pricked a little for lazing around while they worked, but I couldn’t deny the convenience. If push came to shove, I could find another way to contribute.
However…
“We have perfectly good spoons and chopsticks. Why are you trying to buy new ones? Especially these?”
“Our dorm cutlery is old and heavy. To focus on recovery, you need to avoid wasting energy on unnecessary things. Plastic is light and perfect!”
…This was a different story. No, it wasn’t just different—this was too much.
I stared blankly at the screen as Lee Cheonghyeon scrolled through it.
A 5,690 won ‘Pororo Children’s 3D Handle Cutlery Set’ in various colors flashed before my eyes.
“You’re kidding, right?”
“I even got a discount coupon.”
Lee Cheonghyeon was dead serious.
I looked around, but everyone avoided my gaze. Did this mean everyone in the dorm agreed with me using Pororo cutlery? Unbelievable.
In the end, Lee Cheonghyeon—with Choi Jeho’s help—successfully placed an order for a sky-blue spoon set. He even got a discount on the shipping fee and looked ridiculously pleased about it.
I had so much I wanted to say, but I held back. Right now, I was too weak against Spark. I couldn’t scold them in this weakened state.
“Sigh…”
I took a deep breath and escaped to my room. Then I turned on my laptop and snuggled under the covers.
If I used the laptop in the living room, someone might interrupt me again, so I shouldn’t leave here for at least 30 minutes…
『spArk’s Treasure Chest
Please enter the password.』
….
Who the hell?
Who set a password on the shared laptop without any notice?!
***
“Hyung, are you mad…?”
“No.”
“You seem mad, though…”
“No way. I’m just amazed by your passion.”
Next to Park Joowoo, who was busy gauging my reaction, I numbly squeezed and ate some red ginseng. It was the second batch of health supplements Jeong Seongbin’s mother had left.
Even after the laptop incident, I continued to suffer various hardships. They kept pestering me from all directions.
At some point, I couldn’t even tell if I was exhausted from my injury or just drained from dealing with these guys.
Honestly, I had to admit it. These guys were so thorough, it was as if they had spent the entire time I was asleep scheming up nonsense.
And that just made it all the more frustrating. If they were this good at working together, why the hell were they so desperate to be at each other’s throats before?
‘Hyung, we’re going to practice.’
‘Then I’ll also…’
‘Please rest. Contact us if you need anything!’
‘No, I’ll just sit and watch…’
‘We’re off!’
They even left me behind to go to practice. Jeong Seongbin was so quick to ignore me and run off.
In the end, I had no choice but to lean against my bed and listen to the hard rock albums Park Joowoo had scavenged.
I wished someone would steal a bass from UA for me. So I could practice my hands while stuck doing nothing.
Oh, I also took the chance to do a full system check. It was not often I got a guilt-free moment to stare into empty space.
For what felt like the first time in a million years, I checked my résumé.
I had been neglecting it since my stats didn’t seem to be improving, but surprisingly, there had been some changes.
+
Performance Evaluation (100)
– Vocal Proficiency: 11(▲)/20
– Dance Proficiency: 9/20
– Self-PR: 17(▲)/20
– Attendance Management: 18/20
– Organizational Adaptability: 15(▲)/20
– Total Fatigue: 10%
+
The increase in vocal proficiency made sense. I’d been singing diligently.
But what about the increase in Self-PR and Organizational Adaptability?
‘Self-PR went up just from that drunk clip spreading around, so it probably rose because of the Yoo Hansoo situation… But Organizational Adaptability?’
As I was pondering, the system appeared.
+
[SYSTEM] Work Instructions from the ‘Superior’ have arrived.
▶ Assistant Manager Kim’s team seems to have a good atmosphere these days? It would be great if that teamwork translated into results. You know what I mean, right?
+
So it meant I was getting along with Spark.
And apparently… quite a lot…
Other than that, nothing much had changed. Before I became an idol, it was desperate to grill me, but now it seemed to neglect me, knowing I couldn’t deviate from their plan.
How much further until I reached my KPI of winning first place on a music show?
What would the next KPI be after that?
Holding a fan meeting? What if they told me to hold a concert? Could I handle all of that?
I thought about it for a while before deciding to stop. The fact remained that I’d have to do it when the time came.
Instead, I decided to think positive thoughts. Like what I’d do when I finally met my sister.
‘Should I suggest we go on a trip abroad? I think Mrs. Song mentioned some good places.’
I also recalled the one-day workshops we had considered for team-building. There were ones for making accessories like bracelets, and others for pottery or candle-making.
My sister… she always said she wanted to burn everything down, so maybe it would be good to send her to a candle-making class once a week.
Or maybe I could suggest her playing golf; I vaguely remembered one of her friends played it.
‘I heard it’s expensive. I should have asked people how much it costs.’
My sister always preferred things that were cost-effective. Things like winter fish-shaped buns, short bets at outdoor batting cages, and seasonal visits to arboretums.
I didn’t dislike finding happiness in small things, but if every aspect of life consisted only of those things, wouldn’t it feel tedious?
Shouldn’t she have at least one thing she truly loved?
Something she could enjoy freely, without worrying about time or money.
I took out my journal and wrote a small goal on the last page.
Make sure my sister gets to do at least one thing she genuinely wants.
I felt a sense of accomplishment just from setting this goal.
For the first time ever, when thinking about my sister, I felt more anticipation than guilt.