Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols-Chapter 201: Counseling Center (2)

We traveled to the filming location by riding in a car driven by the MC.
On the way, we briefly introduced and promoted the drama. The main activity was to enjoy separate content once we arrived.
“I’ve known Ms. Seomyeong for quite a while, you know. I really think this new character suits him perfectly.”
“Really? I’m touched to hear that.”
“I mean it. Everyone said the chemistry was good.”
Since the MC and Ms. Ha Seomyeong were acquainted, the conversation flowed naturally.
“I really enjoyed Mr. Iwol’s performance too. When I first saw you, I was sure you were an actor, but later I found out you were an idol. I was so surprised!”
“Thank you for your kind words. A lot of people have told me they enjoyed it.”
“I saw that comment too, the one that said you looked like a Yeouido office worker.”
Ms. Ha Seomyeong burst out laughing at the MC’s words.
Mr. Gu Jahan was also quite well-behaved. It seemed like he’d had some time for self-reflection, if not a complete change of heart, since filming ended.
“So everyone, where do you think we’re going today?”
“To drink beer? You can’t talk about office workers without mentioning company dinners!”
“It’s the middle of the day. Are you okay with day drinking, Ms. Seomyeong?”
“No problem at all.”
The MC and Ms. Ha Seomyeong continued their banter. Since Mr. Gu Jahan had already given the office worker answer, I, who was unable to give the same response…
“…A lottery ticket hotspot?”
…ended up giving this answer. And I received a promise from the MC that they would buy me a lottery ticket with their own money after filming. I almost cried.
While the others had fun turning me into a lottery-obsessed idol, the car quietly turned into a deserted alley.
Soon, colorful flags came into view.
“Are we going to a shamanistic ritual…?”
Gu Jahan asked with a look of displeasure. For someone like him, a time to pay for his deeds was both necessary and inevitably painful.
The car, carrying the trembling Gu Jahan, came to a stop in front of a run-down house.
“Today’s filming location is! A fortune teller’s house!”
***
Seon Guan was once a lively middle schooler full of dreams.
Her life took a 180-degree turn one day when her father’s face appeared black to her.
Her father, believing her business would continue to flourish, recklessly expanded it, only to have it fail and the family go bankrupt. Driven to despair, her father took her own life.
A black ribbon adorned his father’s portrait.
Family members dressed in black mourning clothes, and mourners dressed in black came to weep.
At that moment, Seon Guan gained a peculiar ability.
She could see the potential of any business venture represented by a ‘color.’
As if mocking her bankrupt father’s greed, this strange ability only manifested itself ‘while working’.
Her sole goal became to diligently work, tenaciously save money, and regain the life she once had.
“Ms. Seon Guan, I don’t work like this.”
A man appeared, blocking Seon Guan’s seemingly smooth path.
.
.
.
…That was the synopsis of ‘In My Office’. The episode where Seon Guan strayed from her goal, swayed by love for Ji Seongin, and consequently lost her ability, recorded the highest viewership of the series.
‘But I never thought they’d actually bring us to a fortune teller’s.’
Presumably, the keywords were connected in the following flow: ‘special ability → mysterious realm → shamanistic beliefs.’
I had never gotten my fortune told or had a saju done before. Sometimes a finance app would show me a daily horoscope, but I had never memorized it throughout the day and later thought, ‘Oh! It was right after all’.
(TL note: Saju = Korean astrology reading.)
Perhaps that was why this place felt like… a realm I couldn’t easily step into.
“Before we go in! Do our guests usually believe in fortune-telling or shamanism?”
The MC stopped us just before we entered, making me even more nervous. My heart pounded like I was on a roller coaster.
“I always get my fortune read at the beginning of the year. How about you, Mr. Jahan? You seem like you wouldn’t believe in that stuff.”
“I haven’t personally gone to see a fortune teller, but my mother often goes to get her fortune read. I went with her once when I was making a career decision.”
“So many of you do…! I’ve never had it done before.”
“Then is today Mr. Iwol’s first fortune reading? Is it really okay for our show to debut such a precious moment?”
It was a cable variety show, so of course it was fine. If it got edited out, I’d diligently share the story on our live stream.
The MC enthusiastically explained how famous this place was. It had been featured on TV several times, and apparently, it took a year just to get an appointment.
The production crew had inquired without much expectation, but miraculously, the previous client had canceled, freeing up a slot.
No wonder there wasn’t a proper signboard. They must be a big shot who didn’t need to advertise to attract clients.
Unlike what I had imagined, the entrance and the waiting room — remodeled from the living room — looked surprisingly modern.
Since there hadn’t been time to set up cameras beforehand, the crew had gone into the fortune-teller’s room first. It was fascinating to experience this after only seeing pre-planned scenes.
“They said they’re ready, so shall we go in?”
At the MC’s words, we got up from the sofa and headed to the room we were directed to.
The fortune teller’s room felt completely separate from reality, with the door as the boundary.
A woman in a simple hanbok sat amidst colorful paintings and decorations.
The woman, her hair tied back tightly, looked at us and then asked the PD,
“You said four people were coming, but you only gave me birthdates for three. I wondered if you were testing me, but turns out you brought a ghost pretending to be alive.”
I knew without looking. The camera lenses zoomed in on each of our four faces, one by one. Maybe it wasn’t just the shaman being tested — maybe we were, too.
“No, who’s the ghost?”
The MC asked as they sat on a cushion.
At that moment, the tip of the fortune teller’s fan pointed towards me.
“Who else? It’s that one.”
***
Perhaps for dramatic effect, the PD requested that my fortune-telling be last. Thanks to that, the order was set as the MC, Ms. Ha Seomyeong, Mr. Gu Jahan, and then me.
The atmosphere for the others was quite good.
I didn’t mean the atmosphere on set was lively and cheerful. Rather, everyone seemed genuinely surprised by the fortune teller’s words.
“What’s the point of being nice to others if you’re going to suffer yourself?”
“…Wait a minute, I think I’m going to cry.”
“Don’t give too much of yourself. The people who are meant to stay will stay even if you don’t go that far. Living like this is like cutting off your own flesh to feed others.”
“Oh, whoa… hold on. Can we pause filming for a moment? I’m really sorry. Truly.”
Sure, actors like Ha Seomyeong and Gu Jahan could fake it. But it didn’t make sense for the MC to be crying like that.
At least based on my research, the MC had no acting background. I even considered the worst-case scenario, a hidden camera prank that only I was unaware of, but that seemed too far-fetched. It would be disrespectful to the MC.
Ms. Ha Seomyeong received what could be considered praise, or at least positive words. The fortune teller said that a rose meant to bloom from soil had sprouted from the mud and struggled, but had remarkably crawled out to the surface. Now, all that remained was for it to bloom in the right soil.
This probably meant her acting career would flourish. Ms. Ha Seomyeong seemed pleased to hear those words.
Up to this point, it was just interesting. What truly shocked me was during Gu Jahan’s turn.
“Oh dear.”
“What’s wrong?”
“This gentleman is just starting to grow up.”
Fortune teller!
Have you perhaps visited our filming set before?!
The fact that Mr. Gu Jahan was just starting to mature was a top secret that even the variety show writers didn’t know!
Mr. Gu Jahan gave an awkward laugh. It looked like she had hit the bullseye.
The fortune teller skillfully soothed him.
“It’s alright. There are plenty of people who don’t mature even at 50. Have you heard of ‘knowing the Decree of Heaven at fifty’? It means that by the age of 50, one is supposed to gain enlightenment. But you’re still young.”
The topic instantly shifted to ‘Is Mr. Gu Jahan immature in real life?’. A variety show couldn’t just focus solely on fortune-telling.
“Mr. Jahan’s first impression was that of a truly immature young master. His image has changed a lot while filming the drama. We became really close by the last episode, right?”
Ms. Ha Seomyeong spoke lightly, yet pointedly.
“You’re destined to live a self-centered life. But recently, you’ve met someone precious, huh?”
“Oh? Isn’t that exactly just like Ji Seongin’s character from ‘In My Office’?”
The MC chimed in. Their ability to analyze the guest’s recent filmography and weave it into the conversation was remarkable.
“That’s right, that’s right. Wait, then am I Mr. Gu Jahan’s benefactor?”
“You’re not. I told you earlier that you’re someone who will find your own ground, right? You’re smart, so you wouldn’t even glance at barren land.”
“Then are you saying
I’m
barren land…?”
“Before you met your benefactor, you treated people’s sincerity like stones. I can see you had no water source in your life. You were parched.”
The fortune teller’s pointed remarks continued. Mr. Gu Jahan covered his face with both hands. Laughter erupted from all sides at this new side of the handsome male lead.
Mr. Gu Jahan’s fans might not like this portrayal, so I wondered if this scene would be edited out. It would be a shame.
“But somehow, a bamboo shoot sprang up in that rocky soil. That’s why water finally started to gather.”
“…….”
“If you continue living like this, you’ll become a spring. And you know what a spring does? All the animals gather around it in winter. It’s a stroke of luck that a new opportunity has come to this rocky pit, meaning people might gather around you again.”
The fortune teller earnestly advised Mr. Gu Jahan that this was a crucial time for him, urging him to behave properly and conduct himself well.
Mr. Gu Jahan, after receiving a lengthy lecture, glanced at me. Even if you look at me like that, I won’t go to you to borrow water in the winter. I have no intention of dragging down the group by making strange connections in odd places. Don’t worry about me stealing your hard-earned spring water.
Finally, it was my turn.
The fortune teller, who had avoided eye contact with me, looked at my face and then shook her head as if she had a headache.
After a long pause, she uttered a single sentence.
“Goodness. Your face is so pitch-black, how could I possibly see anything?”