Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols-Chapter 184: Office Open (1) (2)

Spark’s chaotic dorm story continued.
『Jeho: Where should we look first?』
『Kiyeon: Let’s start with our room.』
Kang Kiyeon threw open the door. The room they showed during their wake-up scene reappeared.
Even just looking at the bedding showed their individual personalities. Park Joowoo’s bed, the only one on the top bunk, was entirely white. Next to his pillow was a neatly placed, white, somewhat pathetic-looking ghost doll, probably from a claw machine.
『Seongbin: Joowoo used to have glow-in-the-dark stars stuck on the ceiling.』
『Joowoo: Right. I took them all down when we organized our things after debuting…』
『Kiyeon: Really? Why didn’t I see them?』
『Joowoo: Maybe because I only put up one or two.』
The image of Park Joowoo lying in bed, quietly sticking glow-in-the-dark stars to the ceiling. To think that the same person who could shatter a music show’s roof with his high notes had such an adorable side.
She wanted to immediately send Park Joowoo the link to the ‘Milky Way-style night light (indirect lighting) / Cost-effective item, good for housewarming gift’ ranked in the top 10 gifts for Park Joowoo.
『Seongbin: And the bed under Joowoo is mine.』
Jeong Seongbin guided the camera to his spot, which featured a cozy-looking blanket.
Although it was an ordinary blanket you could find in any home, imagining Jeong Seongbin sleeping under it made even the brown-toned blanket seem to exude an autumnal vibe.
『Jeho: Compared to Park Joowoo, you sure have a lot of stuff?』
Like Choi Jeho said, Jeong Seongbin’s bed had a lot of knick-knacks. It was a good thing Jeong Seongbin’s face was only the size of a fist; otherwise, he might have had to sleep with his head propped up due to the lack of space.
『Seongbin: I use the tablet a lot to read the news, and I keep a neck heating pad here in case of large temperature differences between day and night.』
A humidifier was also placed on the shelf by his head. In the corner of the screen, Kim Iwol was looking at Jeong Seongbin with a pleased expression.
≫ Did Spark’s Kim Iwol give birth to him?
└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㄹㅇ Seriously, why does he look so proud?
≫ I want to say he looks like a queen who gave birth to a daughter,
but there are five broad-shouldered princes in the dorm, so I can’t use that analogy
More than anything, Kim Iwol doesn’t have the look of a queen. He has the face of someone who fiercely survived a palace power struggleㅇㅇ
└ Iwol’s more like the guy who throws his kids off a cliff to see who climbs back up
└ Not just throwing them off, but making them compete while at it?ㅋㅋㅋ
≫ Guys, let’s not judge Iwol by his face too much
Sure, our Iwol has a sharper look than the UA Entertainment CEO
And when his dark circles were bad, even the younger members didn’t dare go near him
And Joowoo couldn’t even eat properly the first day he met Iwol
But our Iwol is a top idol with a lovely smile
└ You’re the one judging him the most
SNS was in chaos. Everyone was thinking the same thing.
Kang Kiyeon’s bed was immaculate. Everything, from the blanket to the pillow cover, was perfectly aligned. Even the dark navy bedding set seemed to reflect Kang Kiyeon’s personality.
But one thing stood out—his bedside was covered in fan slogan banners. Judging by the variety, they were likely gifts from fans.
‘He looks so indifferent, yet he kept all the things fans gave him… At this rate, Kang Kiyeon, you’ll only become a top-tier idol…’
Baek Haewon wept in her heart. She felt like ordering 100 more Kang Kiyeon slogans and sending them to the UA building.
Another thing was peculiar. Kang Kiyeon’s bed was the only one with a small bookshelf next to it.
It was filled with colorful comic books.
『Seongbin: Kiyeon, can we film this? Your comic book collection.』
『Kiyeon: Yes, it’s okay.』
『Cheonghyeon: Why didn’t you bring that one? ‘Kingdom Cafeteria ~Another~’. That’s your favorite.』
『Kiyeon: There wasn’t enough space. I want to get another bookshelf.』
Kang Kiyeon looked genuinely regretful. He was mirroring the exact expression Baek Haewon made when she realized she had no more room for albums.
『Iwol: What’s the atmosphere like in here at night?』
『Kiyeon: Well… we chat sometimes, but it’s usually quiet, right?』
『Seongbin: Because Joowoo goes to sleep early.』
『Joowoo: …Have you been holding back your conversations because of me all this time?』
Jeong Seongbin and Kang Kiyeon scrambled to reassure Park Joowoo, who seemed genuinely shocked.
『Joowoo: If you have anything to talk about next time, don’t worry and just talk…』
Park Joowoo hugged his kind(?) roommates tightly. Kim Iwol was still watching the members from afar with a satisfied expression. At this point, Baek Haewon was starting to wonder if that Iwol was even real or computer-generated.
* * *
Next up was Iwol’s room. The setup was the same, with one bunk bed and one regular bed, but perhaps due to the size difference, this room had a large wardrobe that the other didn’t.
『Kiyeon: I don’t really care about anything else, but I’m envious of this wardrobe.』
『Cheonghyeon: Then use it. The bottom shelf is a empty.』
『Kiyeon: Why would I come all the way to this room just to get my clothes…?』
Passing by the exasperated Kang Kiyeon, the camera headed towards the single bed.
『Jeho: Uh… this is my spot.』
『Cheonghyeon: Why don’t any of your bedding pieces match?』
『Jeho: That’s just how it ended up.』
A grey single sheet, a black mattress pad, and a mint-colored pillow were preserved exactly as they were when he woke up. Our Jeho really lives just as he is.
『Iwol: You should replace your charger.』
『Jeho: Why?』
『Iwol: Look at the charger’s neck. Don’t you feel sorry for it?』
As he glanced around, Kim Iwol grabbed the frayed end of Choi Jeho’s charger and gave it a shake. The dangling cord looked miserable.
『Jeho: I think there’s electrical tape in Kang Kiyeon’s room.』
『Iwool: You shouldn’t leave exposed wires like that. Just replace it.』
Even after that, Kim Iwol nagged him at least thirty more times. Choi Jeho mostly ignored him, demonstrating his mastery of selective hearing. Lee Cheonghyeon seemed used to this whole situation.
『Kiyeon: Is there always this much friction in this room?』
『Cheonghyeon: Basically, we respect each other’s freedom, but if cleanliness, safety, or our duties as idols are not upheld, then disciplinary action is taken.』
『Jeho: This is my glasses case.』
『Iwol: Is that all you have to show?』
『Jeho: …The receipt from the sports drink I bought yesterday?』
『Iwol: Just throw that away.』
As if he came empty-handed and would leave empty-handed, there was nothing at Choi Jeho’s spot. Kim Iwol facepalmed. He must have been deeply impressed by his same-aged friend’s lifestyle.
Next up was Kim Iwol’s bed. The members peeked and poked their heads in from all directions.
『Joowoo: I’m curious about your spot, hyung.』
『Kiyeon: Oh, me too.』
『Iwol: What’s there to be curious about?』
『Cheonghyeon: It’s that, ‘Does this guy actually just sleep in his bed?’ kind of curiosity.』
『Kiyeon: More accurately, ‘Does he even sleep?’』
Kim Iwol’s bedding was a matching grey, as if it had been set up in a model home.
There was a black faux leather journal planner next to his pillow, and on top of the journal were two stacks of palm-sized sticky notes.
『Joowoo: …Why do you have sticky notes there?』
『Iwol: So I can jot things down if something comes to mind when I lie down.』
『Cheonghyeon: That’s why you can’t sleep early, hyung.』
Lee Cheonghyeon gave him a sharp rebuke.
Between the beds, there was also a large suitcase.
『Seongbin: That suitcase is yours too, hyung, right? The one you brought when you first came here.』
『Iwol: Uh, yeah.』
『Cheonghyeon: But hyung, what’s in the suitcase?』
At Lee Cheonghyeon’s question, Kim Iwol looked at him as if asking why he would even ask such a thing.
『Cheonghyeon: Well, you put most of your belongings in the wardrobe or drawers. Wouldn’t it be better to move the suitcase and make more space?』
『Iwol: It has my entire fortune, why would I do that?』
『Jeho: Weren’t you the one who said we shouldn’t carelessly convert our assets into cash lest we get caught up in tax evasion allegations?』
『Iwol: Because of you, if I don’t open the bag, I’ll look like a tax-evading idol.』
Then, Kim Iwol pulled out the suitcase. It seemed light, as if there wasn’t much inside.
When he opened the suitcase, a few clothes, a document folder, and an old-fashioned cell phone were visible.
『Iwol: This is the cell phone I used until high school.』
Kim Iwol brought the brick-like phone up close to the camera lens.
≫ So you have to use a phone like that to get into S University?
I’m literally watching your video on a smartphone right now
Reading the post that had just appeared on SNS, Baek Haewon looked alternately at the video, her phone, and the SNS post. She tucked away the rising guilt.
『Iwol: These are my personal documents… and this is Spark’s early debut plan.』
『Cheonghyeon: You actually filed all of this?』
『Iwol: It’s a habit.』
Inside the opened file were stacks of papers divided by index tabs. As Kim Iwol flipped through the pages, the papers made a rustling sound.
Among the quickly passing pages, she thought she saw something like ‘Absolutely Opposed to Winter Boy’ written in red. She made a mental note to pause and rewatch that scene later.
While Kim Iwol put away his suitcase, Jeong Seongbin, who had been lingering nearby, spoke up.
『Seongbin: Maybe it’s because you came in last? You have very little luggage.』
『Kiyeon: That’s not it, hyung didn’t bring much luggage when he first came either.』
『Cheonghyeon: He really just came with this one suitcase.』
『Iwol: It’s because I’m a minimalist.』
Kim Iwol replied with a chuckle. That smile was also screenshot-worthy. She would definitely capture it in high definition.
Meanwhile, above the striving minimalist was a thriving maximalist.
『Jeho: Can you even sleep here?』
『Cheonghyeon: I sleep soundly every night.』
Laptops, chargers, tablets, and a bunch of gadgets Baek Haewon couldn’t even identify cluttered the bedside.
The captions helpfully listed their names. Apparently, they were equipment used for music production.
『Iwol: Are you keeping it clean? Dusting regularly?』
『Cheonghyeon: Of course. I sweep and dust diligently so our Iwol hyung’s spot doesn’t get covered in dust.』
In addition to the devices, scattered across the bed were also books, workbooks, and notebooks.
There was even a notebook with a torn cover, as if he’d slept on it.
『Joowoo: Cheonghyeon…』
『Cheonghyeon: Well, that’s… because I was waiting for inspiration to strike!』
『Seongbin: You need to sleep well. You don’t have to take after Iwol hyung in this.』
『Iwol: Seongbin?』
Kim Iwol looked at his dongsaeng with a strange expression.
But Jeong Seongbin didn’t seem to care. She felt a certain… strength of a leader in that attitude.
Then, the screen shifted back to the wall clock.
『Current time 2:00 PM』
『Half a day in Spark’s life passes by like this…』
‘It’s still… only 2 PM…?’
Spark’s dorm life was as packed as their muscles!
Baek Haewon was moved to tears. Then, determined to capture screenshots before part 2 came out, she quickly opened her screen capture program.