Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols-Chapter 164: Side Story. A Certain February 14th

The official closing time for Hanpyeong Industry was 6 PM. Kim Iwol’s dinner appointment was at 6:30 PM.
And the current time was… 7 PM.
“Assistant Manager Kim, aren’t you leaving? I heard it’s your birthday today!”
Supervisor Hwang, also stuck at work, checked on Kim Iwol with a serious expression.
He wished he could. But it wasn’t like this company would ever let someone leave on time just because it was their birthday.
Kim Iwol thought to himself. He didn’t let it show.
A message notification popped up on one of Kim Iwol’s dual monitors.
The preview was locked, so the content wasn’t visible, but the sender’s name alone was enough to tell.
‘Noona must be furious.’
She probably braved the rush hour subway to Gangnam to treat her younger brother to dinner, only to be stood up for an hour. He was guilty of a heinous crime.
Only after reviewing all the data that Team Leader Nam had dumped on him could Kim Iwol finally check his sister’s message.
Noona
[What the hell?]
[I think I’ve been waiting for like 40 minutes in -2 degrees Celsius]
[Don’t tell me this is a new way to piss people off?]
Iwol
[Sorry, I’m not done with work yet.]
[Are you outside?]
[I’ll send you a gift card, so go inside a cafe or something.]
Noona
[Your company is trash]
[I’m busy emptying out the Mine Friends store, so don’t worry about me]
Even so, she didn’t pester him about when he’d be done. She’d heard about his irregular closing times several times.
Iwol
[Leaving now]
After sending a short reply, Kim Iwol grabbed his coat. His steps quickened.
* * *
Wednesday night in Gangnam was incredibly crowded. There were people everywhere, and the streets lined with restaurants and bars were even worse.
Crowded on weekends, crowded on weekdays.
Kim Iwol, pushed along by the crowd, arrived at the store where his sister was waiting.
His sister, who came out after receiving his message, had a white shopping bag in her hand.
“Did you buy a doll?”
“No, this is something else.”
“You said you were going to raid the doll store.”
“My place is too small to put anything else.”
Then she checked her phone. She seemed to be looking at a map app.
They’d agreed on pasta. It was a compromise between Kim Iwol, who liked noodles, and his sister, who liked Western food.
She led him on a 10-minute walk. Just as his face started to feel numb from the cold wind, they arrived at an Italian restaurant with warm yellow lights strung along the wall.
His sister held up her phone to the staff at the front desk, showing the reservation she’d made. After confirming her name, the staff member led them to a table inside.
“You even made a reservation?”
“If it weren’t for the fact that we’re eating in Gangnam, I wouldn’t have gone this far.”
Kim Iwol’s sister had a peculiar way of speaking. She could have simply said, ‘I made a reservation in advance because I thought it would be crowded’. But that was just her way of talking.
While Kim Iwol filled his glass with water and set the knife and fork, his sister took off her scarf and placed it on the seat next to her.
Then she handed him the shopping bag she’d been carrying.
“Here.”
“What is it?”
“Your birthday present.”
Kim Iwol’s eyes widened.
Even before he looked inside, he saw the celebrity printed on the side of the bag.
“Ah…”
“Why the long face before even looking? You think my effort is a joke?”
“No, it’s not that.”
A handsome man was posing, wearing a new sports T-shirt.
Kim Iwol recognized the face.
“I’ve been seeing this guy a lot at work lately. I was just caught off guard.”
“Your company hires models?”
“Not exactly… And he’s an idol.”
Still, it was only polite to show appreciation for a gift. Kim Iwol opened the bag and pulled out the clothing inside, still in its plastic packaging.
It was the same line of clothing as the idol printed on the bag, just a different color.
“You bought me workout clothes?”
“Didn’t you say you were working out at home?”
“I did.”
“Wear it when you exercise.”
She took a long sip of her grapefruit ade. The ice clinked in the glass.
“I thought we were just going to settle things with dinner.”
“It was on sale, so I bought it on a whim.”
“The product the promotional model was wearing was on sale?”
“Ugh, you’re so nitpicky.”
She poked at the ice with her straw. A sign of her displeasure. It was never wise to talk back to her at times like these.
“Thanks. I’ll wear it well.”
“Good.”
There was some time before the food arrived. Kim Iwol and his sister starting talking about their respective companies, but soon stopped. The conversation was only making them more tired.
The topic shifted.
“You’re not into celebrities, noona?”
“Me? I only know a few actors.”
“Really?”
“You probably know more celebrities than I do. You said you knew that guy earlier.”
She pointed at the shopping bag.
“I only know him because our team leader’s daughter likes him.”
“And why do you know that?”
“She sometimes asks me to look up pictures of him and stuff.”
It wasn’t disruptive enough to interfere with his work, so he helped her out when he had time, but it wasn’t exactly enjoyable searching for pictures of male idols he didn’t know.
“What’s his name?”
“Jeho. He’s in a group called Spark.”
“Spark? Isn’t that the group Lee Cheonghyeon is in?”
“Yeah.”
Even his sister, who wasn’t interested in the entertainment industry, knew Lee Cheonghyeon.
“He’s really handsome. Isn’t he the representative visual of male idols right now?”
“He is indeed handsome. I’m sometimes surprised when I look up his pictures.”
His sister took out her phone. She wanted to see who the other members were since they were on the topic.
“Jeho is the oldest. Wait, he’s the same age as you?”
“Yeah. Doesn’t he look older?”
“I am not sure.”
She gave a noncommittal response and tapped on Choi Jeho’s profile.
The face of the handsome man with strong features, whom Kim Iwol had seen just yesterday, filled the screen.
“He’s handsome. His position… Center? He’s 187cm tall? No wonder he’s the center.”
“He looks really tall in fancams.”
“You even watch his fancams?”
“…It just happened.”
“You’re basically a fan now.”
“Don’t say that; I feel like crying.”
Even as he protested, Kim Iwol hoped his task of gathering information on Choi Jeho would end soon.
“The oldest isn’t the leader? That’s unusual. This one has a cute face.”
“He’s actually quite responsible. He’s a good speaker, too.”
“He looks like it. A total class president type.”
His sister nodded.
“But with Jeho above him, can this younger one even shine?”
She seemed genuinely worried about Jeong Seongbin’s heavy responsibility. Her attitude was completely different from when she praised Choi Jeho’s visuals.
Just as they were about to look at Park Joowoo’s profile, their pasta arrived. Cream risotto for his sister, basil pasta for Kim Iwol.
Seeing a thin-crust pizza arrive as well, Kim Iwol asked,
“Why did you order so much?”
“This is a normal amount of food.”
“Let’s split the bill half and half, then.”
“Who talks about splitting the bill before even eating? You’re ruining my appetite.”
Enjoying her Spark research, she continued browsing their profiles while eating her risotto.
“Joowoo…? I’ve never heard of him. He’s the main vocalist, so I guess he sings well. But wasn’t that Seongbin guy also a main vocalist?”
“Their vocal tones are different. Joowoo’s is sharper.”
“No matter how I look at it, Cheonghyeon is the most handsome. Why isn’t he the center?”
“But when you watch their performances, Jeho stands out.”
“Kiyeon has a strong presence, too. He has a total maknae-on-top vibe.”
“He looks that way, but he’s respectful to the other members. He seems like a good kid.”
Kim Iwol continued to comment on each member. He didn’t know why he was playing along with this idol conversation.
‘I never thought I’d be chatting about this kind of stuff with noona.’
Kim Iwol recalled his sister’s birthday last year.
He had been in his final year of university then. His sister had looked haggard. That summer, it felt like the scorching sun beat down only on her.
‘If circumstances were different, I would’ve told you to take a gap year.’
She had said with a vacant expression.
She had said it felt like she’d never have a day off, that she never thought her university breaks would be the last rest of her life.
It was a lament, a plea for sympathy. She said it because she knew what kind of life awaited him, dreaming of graduating and getting a job right away.
‘It’s my turn to do my part now.’
It was only natural. And Kim Iwol kept his promise.
While his classmates prepared for difficult exams to get into large corporations or become civil servants, Kim Iwol joined a decent company that didn’t demand much of him, earning enough money to get by.
And now, six months later, he and his sister had a little more breathing room. That alone was enough for Kim Iwol.
Perhaps that was why he pretended to be interested in the idol conversation, even though the mere sight of them reminded him of his team leader.
Dinner was delicious. The restaurant was warm, and pleasant classical music played in the background.
By the time Kim Iwol finished his pasta and picked up his coat and bag, his sister was already at the counter with the bill.
A sharp wind blew outside.
“I told you we should split it.”
“You buy me dinner on my birthday. Omakase.”
(Tl note: The term omakase translates to “I leave it up to you,” which reflects the diner’s willingness to relinquish control over their meal to the chef. Typically served at a sushi bar, the chef’s choice meal is based on the freshest and highest quality ingredients available.)
“I’m going off the grid starting in July, so just keep that in mind.”
It was a weeknight. They both had to go home and prepare for work the next day.
It was time to part ways.
“Hey.”
His sister stopped him.
“If they ask you to do anything weird at work, just quit. Don’t stubbornly stick around.”
“I should work there for at least two years before changing jobs, shouldn’t I?”
“You think putting up with crap for two years will get you anywhere other than another crap company?”
His sister was unusually serious. Kim Iwol smiled faintly.
“It’s not that bad yet. I’ll think about it after I’ve gained some experience.”
“Suit yourself.”
She scoffed. It meant, ‘Yeah, right’. Kim Iwol’s sister sometimes doubted his judgment, like now.
“Don’t make things harder for yourself. Okay?”
As soon as she finished speaking, she disappeared.
He didn’t know whether she went down to the subway turnstiles, got into a taxi, or went into a bus stop.
Kim Iwol was left alone in the bustling city.
And then he woke up.
It was from a long time ago.
Kim Iwol was in an unfamiliar dorm room.
If he turned his head, Choi Jeho, the one from the shopping bag, was next to him, and above him, Lee Cheonghyeon popped up, greeting him good morning.
“…What day is it today?”
Kim Iwol asked. Perhaps because it was winter, his throat was dry.
Lee Cheonghyeon thought for a moment before answering.
“It’s the 14th. Oh, it’s Valentine’s Day!”
Now, there was no one left who remembered that February 14th was Kim Iwol’s birthday.
He had never felt bitter about it before, but today, he felt unusually cold.
‘I have to go to practice.’
Kim Iwol, who had been sitting on the edge of his bed, got up.
It was time to get to work.