Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols-Chapter 251: Boasting About Looks (1)

“Is Spark on a break? Do they only come out at the end of the year?”
“I’m sorry, that’s confidential.”
“Hmph.”
Mr. Gu Jahan scoffed.
You think it’s funny? Looking at the current state of UA, it’s a wonder a music leak hasn’t happened yet.
If a leak happens with Spark, I’m going to sue for damages immediately. I’m not afraid or find it difficult to sue anyone anymore, you see.
While I was mentalling drafting a plan to crush the yet-to-emerge leaker, Mr. Gu Jahan asked.
“Are you always like this during idol activities too?”
“Like what, exactly?”
“Stiff, composed, you know. That kind of thing.”
“Not really. I complain a lot because I struggle to keep up with the other members. I get angry sometimes too.”
“You do, Mr. Iwol?”
Mr. Gu Jahan looked surprised.
To be honest, the only one I ever really got mad at was Hong Unseop. That son of a b****… Just thinking about it again made me furious.
“Do you fight with your members? I heard idols fight amongst themselves a lot.”
“We’re quite close. Unless there’s friction with the agency.”
“Was that why you said things were awkward with your agency?”
“It’s not entirely unrelated.”
“But well, Mr. Iwol must have had a reason to get angry.”
“…You trust me quite a lot, don’t you?”
I was surprised. The distance Mr. Gu Jahan perceived between us seemed much narrower than I had anticipated.
“Of course, I do. But that agency of yours must be senseless. Don’t they know it’s better not to get on Mr. Iwol’s bad side if possible?”
“Do I really come across that unapproachable?”
“It’s not that you’re unapproachable, but Mr. Iwol isn’t the type to say wrong things, yet they kept doing foolish things, so you got pissed… no, you lost your temper, right?”
At least he was perceptive. It was a relief that Mr. Gu Jahan wasn’t going to push any of my buttons. As a bonus, I also confirmed that I didn’t have an image of crossing the line, so that was a win.
“Still, we managed to smooth things over. We’re rookies, after all, so we have to work hard.”
“What scares me most is that you are a rookie. Don’t your group members find you intimidating?”
The members, huh.
One of them planned to stop calling me ‘hyung’ next year once we were no longer tied by seniority, another told me to just sleep at the practice room if I was gonna keep dancing like that, and the last one constantly sat me down to lecture me.
“Not at all. They all have strong personalities.”
No words could describe how surprised I was when I heard from Lee Cheonghyeon that Kang Kiyeon threw the barley latte.
Once upon a time, all I had to worry about was keeping Choi Jeho’s mouth shut. As the members got older, controlling them became difficult. Maybe it would have been better to regress to being the Spark’s maknae.
“And our leader is really scary.”
“Scary?”
“It’s no joke. I get scolded constantly. And they all talk like silver-tongued devils—never lose a single argument.”
Mr. Gu Jahan’s expression became peculiar. He seemed to be imagining something extraordinary.
But only for a brief moment.
Mr. Gu Jahan let out a small laugh.
“This isn’t coming from me, but when I mentioned I was going to consult you about a role, our CEO asked me to ask you this.”
“Yes.”
“He asked if you have any intention of transitioning to acting when your current contract ends.”
Excuse me?
I’m already dying just doing idol work, and now acting?
That agency of theirs, too. What makes them think I can act well enough for them to just casually offer something like that? The only roles I can play are a nagging boss and an employee who has given up on everything. Oh, and I can also act as a self-harming insurance scammers now.
I was about to refuse without a second thought, but Mr. Gu Jahan beat me to it.
“But looking at you, I can already tell—it’s a no-go.”
“Pardon?”
“I don’t think I can persuade you. It’s clear you like your current members too much. For the time being, you don’t seem interested in anything other than idol work.”
Who?
Me?
Those guys?
Nonsense. The reason I refused was because I was bad at acting and my life was mortgaged to the system, not because I wanted to be an idol with those guys for a thousand years.
“Well… there’s no point in asking now anyway. Let’s talk again when your contract’s up. Idol contracts are usually seven years, right?”
I didn’t believe in empty promises thrown around in the job market. So I just nodded noncommittally.
As the conversation was winding down, Mr. Gu Jahan thanked me and handed me a shopping bag. I politely declined.
“I’ve decided not to accept anything more from you, sunbaenim.”
“Come on, I also don’t want to be the kind of boomer senior who calls a junior over to their house for advice and sends them back empty-handed.”
In my head, you’re already that kind of boomer senior.
Grumbling internally, I opened the shopping bag, and this time there was some kind of coat inside.
“The tag…”
“I took it off. Wear it quickly before it gets colder.”
Mr. Gu Jahan sipped his coffee.
I don’t understand. I helped him sincerely, so why is he making things difficult for me?
Even worse, on the way back, I received an even heavier shopping bag from Mr. Gu Jahan’s manager. Apparently, the CEO was very grateful to me.
At their earnest request to accept it, I returned to the dorm with my hands full, only to find out they were a bundle full of high-quality hanwoo beef.
“Hyung, this is…”
“Don’t forget we’re filming a commercial tomorrow. Only eat it if you’re sure your face won’t get puffy.”
At my words, Lee Cheonghyeon immediately put all the hanwoo into the refrigerator. It had been a tiring outing.
* * *
To a muggle, an idol’s commercial shoot looked simple: get makeup, take some photos, review the shots, and film a few interview cuts. That was all.
But the actual set was different. This place was hell.
“We’ll proceed with Cheonghyeon’s makeup as is!”
“Yes! Oh my. Cheonghyeon, you’re the MVP today.”
I misspoke. Let me revise that. This place was hell where an angel had descended.
And I was Icarus, blinded by the light, flying towards the sun, oblivious to the work that awaited me. Damn it.
Honestly, shouldn’t Lee Cheonghyeon not be doing this commercial? That guy’s skin was a creation of cosmic energy, genetic blessings, the touch of an aesthetic shop director, consistent care, and years of beauty management.
There was no way this could be achieved with just one face pack from Indenia. Indenia would have no excuse if they got slapped with a false advertising label.
We were scheduled to shoot one pictorial for a skincare product version and another for a tinted lipstick version.
The former wasn’t difficult. Spark, having dedicated their lives to their skin for a full two years, showcased Silk Road-level skin that was flawless even in close-up shots with high-definition cameras.
When they filmed a slow-motion shot of toner falling on Park Joowoo’s face, all that came out was admiration.
He wasn’t nicknamed ‘Human of Dawn Mountain Fog’ for nothing. His face radiated coolness and moisture.
Perhaps because the kid avoided strong foods, his skin tone was like white porcelain. It was a face that made me vow to fill the dorm refrigerator with white milk, even if it meant having to do a hundred trips to the convenience store.
“I was a bit worried since Mr. Jeho and Mr. Kiyeon look like they do a lot of outdoor sports, but their skin condition is really good.”
“We’re not lying—we really use Indenia products a lot. That might be why…”
Then, Kang Kiyeon opened his pouch and showed a few small-sized lotions. It was a good comment, as it also served as an appeal for the upcoming ‘What’s In My Bag’ content.
For any celebrity shooting a commercial, photo editing was almost essential. As humans, minor blemishes and baby hairs were inevitable.
Spark was an idol group specialized in minimizing the hassle of such editing. Naturally, that meant less post-production work. Honestly, Spark should have gotten a sunscreen PPL instead of a cosmetics commercial.
When the honey-infused oil was sprayed onto Choi Jeho’s cheek, gasps of admiration erupted from all sides.
The sight of the viscous oil dripping onto Spark’s standard tanned skin must have been quite aesthetic. To me, it just looked like someone reversed a video of sap being tapped from a tree.
Jeong Seongbin and Lee Cheonghyeon also took vibrant, fresh-looking photos.
The photos were so moist that if you cut an aloe vera in half and looked at the cross-section, it would seem like Jeong Seongbin was flowing from one side and Lee Cheonghyeon from the other.
And as usual, the problem was me. I was not even tired of it anymore.
“When did your broken capillaries get this bad?”
A staff member asked worriedly, looking at the veins that had risen up to my jawline, tinged blue. My lips had been restored from purple to their original color, but it seemed that part hadn’t been fixed yet.
Another staff member said in a concerned voice, gently stroking my chin.
“It’s because he lost weight. His skin’s already translucent, and now he’s lost weight on top of that.”
“If we tone it down, only the top of his face will stand out too much, but if we cover it with the usual tone, I don’t think it will cover the veins…”
Everyone focused on me. Such attention was too much for me to bear.
While people came and went, debating what to do, someone entered the waiting room. It was the filming director.
For a moment, I remembered what the lighting director had said during the ‘In My Office’ shoot.
‘You gotta look at least somewhat human to look good on camera. What are you, not even a corpse.’
System, isn’t there some way to lower the synchronization rate?
My mental state is fine, but if swear words fly around on set, it will affect the atmosphere later.
However, the system was silent. Instead, the director asked.
“Mr. Iwol, can I take a look at your face for a moment?”
“Yes, of course.”
The director gently tilted my chin up.
Then, tilting his head slightly side to side, he carefully examined my face from different angles.
“How about we just go with the current tone?”
“Won’t that make his face too bright?”
“We’ve got that water curtain shoot, right? Let’s blend his face into that background. His features will pop.”
“Ah, like in draft number 2?”
“Yeah. Looking at it now, I think that will suit him much better.”
As soon as the director finished speaking, the staff members started rummaging through their makeup boxes. Something was clearly starting—something I didn’t know about.
What… where are they going to blend it?
I couldn’t quite imagine it. It just sounded scary.
“Iwol.”
“Yes?”
“Today, noona will make you Snow White.”
A princess, huh. Kim Iwol, you’ve come a long way from being a servant at the Hanpyeong Industry.