Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols-Chapter 295: Case Files

I looked at the blank paper and tried to recall what had happened to Spark in the past.
‘Lee Cheonghyeon’s drug issue… since I’m still in the middle of preventing it, should I write it down as ongoing?’
Based on the circumstances so far, the reason Lee Cheonghyeon had been overly reliant on painkillers seemed to be pressure.
His family’s attitude of ‘let’s see if he actually succeeds’, the creaky group life, and the approach of senior teams like All Over that he couldn’t rashly push away must have stressed out a kid who was already burdened with the need to succeed.
However, the current Spark was quite stable internally. Lee Cheonghyeon, though didn’t look completely free, seemed to have felt lighter, as if he had gotten something off his chest after the phone call with his father.
As long as I kept an eye on him keeping a proper distance from the sunbaenims who did drugs, and as long as I made sure his other family members didn’t bother him, Lee Cheonghyeon wouldn’t be chugging down painkillers.
Jeong Seongbin’s vocal cords were also strong. I didn’t know how much the existence of the sub-vocalist Kim Iwol helped, but perhaps because the burden had lessened compared to before, when he had to talk for 50 minutes of a one-hour broadcast by himself, Jeong Seongbin’s vocal cords were fine even after going through year-end stages and entrance exams at the same time.
Jeong Seongbin’s vocal cords must maintain this current condition in the future. When Jeong Seongbin developed vocal nodules, he felt a crushing sense of helplessness and suddenly enlisted in the military.
Perhaps because it was a shock that he, a vocalist, couldn’t contribute with his singing, the Jeong Seongbin of that time enlisted as soon as the promotions ended. It must have been a difficult situation to endure with low self-esteem. Now that I knew the full story, I understood why the Jeong Seongbin of that time had made that choice.
But, Seongbin—do you know? For the 1 year and 6 months you were gone, Spark was living in hell. It’s such a relief that your throat healed well, but in exchange, the Sparkler fandom’s mental health was torn to shreds. I will prevent that from happening, no matter what.
Park Joowoo, who once got chewed out so badly for his halfhearted attitude that people joked he could live off criticism alone, now left no room for such accusations. Though he had a laid-back personality, he had established himself as a character who could land a sharp, witty remark. His image of silently doing everything in the background also received a big plus from the fans.
Kang Kiyeon’s knees and ankles were closely watched by me, Jeong Seongbin, and furthermore, even the managers. Fortunately, the guy had grown up well for a year without any minor injuries. Now, all he needed to do was grow taller. Please, you’re not far from 180cm…
As I wrote down what I remembered, Choi Jeho’s name was written last.
His speech was still brash, but after scrubbing his mouth clean through training, Choi Jeho was now seen as ‘the Mouth of Truth’—a guy who might sound pissed but never said anything wrong.
I had done my fair share of fangirling, but I still didn’t fully understand the way fans analyzed idols.
I tapped the half-filled diary page with the tip of my pen and slowly reviewed Spark’s history.
‘Ah.’
Then, suddenly, something came to mind.
‘Why didn’t I think of this right away?’
One of the incidents that had shaken Spark, so much so that it was strange I hadn’t thought of it sooner.
The Choi Jeho injury issue.
Unlike the others, who was slow in gaining recognition, Choi Jeho had people’s eyes on him from the very start.
Even in the sh*tty concept, Choi Jeho’s presence was solid. People said the company was their biggest anti, but no one ever said they picked the wrong center. When Spark finally started breaking out of obscurity, people were shocked to realize, ‘Wait, Jeho was in this group?’. That was Choi Jeho.
Watching his fancams frame by frame, slowed down to catch a 0.3-second move, even I, who knew nothing about dance, was amazed. Thinking, ‘a human body can move like that,’ and ‘he does stand out.’
Perhaps because of that, Choi Jeho had entered a dance survival program as a participant in the early days of his debut, and later, in the absence of the leader, he performed the feat of being a judge on the same program.
Even the expression ‘remarkable growth’ didn’t suit Choi Jeho. Because Choi Jeho was outstanding from the start.
Because he didn’t know how to sugarcoat compliments, he was criticized as arrogant, but the Choi Jeho on the screen was consistently calm. If needed, he’d even jump on stage mid-judging, perfectly reenact a contestant’s routine, and show them why it was lacking.
Nothing shut people up faster than that, and since a smug genius was bound to heat up the discussion wherever they went to, Choi Jeho was called to be a mentor here and there.
In the meantime, Jeong Seongbin was discharged from the military. Spark resumed their activities. Choi Jeho, whose recognition had risen to its peak, was literally flying. It was the period when my workload was the heaviest.
Then one day, an incident occurred that brought Spark and my proxy fangirling activities to a halt at the same time.
[Breaking News] Spark’s Jeho, injured due to falling stage equipment
A poorly installed light at an external event stage had fallen on Choi Jeho. To be precise, it was the metal frame with a line of lights.
Spark, to continue promotions as a 4-member group… Jeho’s return date uncertain
[Current Affairs] Are Idols Safe? Analyzing the frequent on-site incidents
[On-site Photo] A staff member is looking around the event venue to determine the cause of the accident (Photo provided by: @lqwkvldn9461358)
Because it was an outdoor performance, the accident video spread in real time. Everyone who saw the pictures of the accident scene said it was a miracle he had survived. That it was a miracle that it ended with only one person getting hurt.
However, the person in question, Choi Jeho, clearly didn’t think of it as a miracle.
And understandably so.
≫ F*ck, our kid is a dancer, and he has to have back surgery?
Jeho, who is only in his 20s?
He has to live with a herniated disc? The main dancer and the center?
Just one injury and a back surgery had changed so much for Choi Jeho.
It was natural that he couldn’t dance as well as before. Because his movements wouldn’t follow.
The problem was the pain. Since getting a herniated disc, Choi Jeho had become noticeably more irritable. His frustration at not being able to do things that he could just a few days ago was exposed on screen. And those things came right back to him.
≫ It seems Jeho doesn’t even think about managing his expression anymore
Not like he ever did before, but was I expecting too much?
└ It’s really unsettling for the viewer… He must know he’s getting a lot of flak right now, so why isn’t he improving? #Jeho_remember_you’re_an_idol
≫ Is he the only idol with a herniated disc?
He looks like he has zero professional spirit… If you’re that sick and tired, just rest. Don’t show your face
└ You’ve never had a herniated disc, have you? It’s not a matter of being able to manage your expression with willpower… You can praise other idols, but it’s not right to curse at a sick person
└ ㅎㅎIdols have it so easy. Working fans have to work without showing they’re sick, but if an idol is sick, their fans come out and shield them
Choi Jeho couldn’t even escape to the military like Jeong Seongbin. Because the guy was exempt from military service.
On the last Spark stage I had seen, Choi Jeho was drenched in sweat, dancing with a stiff but slightly softened expression. At those times, the fans were happy, saying, ‘It seems Jeho is in less pain today.’ And I captured every frame of his face.
To think that was the stage where Choi Jeho’s condition was the best after the accident, and that it was Spark’s last stage.
And…
Even though I remember everything so vividly, I couldn’t, for the life of me, remember what that event of the accident was.
The fact that my memory was blocked this blatantly—it was basically a hint. It meant that before reaching the final KPI, I had to save Choi Jeho at least once.
Knowing my assignment was a relief, but it also made my head pound.
The best thing would be to use the time stop or whatever the system gave as a reward last time and get Choi Jeho and the members away from the equipment right before the accident.
But it was unsettling to rely on just the system. Even more so since the system, while not actively wishing my death, hadn’t completely prevented me from getting injured.
Avoiding the event altogether wasn’t possible. I had no grounds to persuade anyone. It would have been better if Yoo Hansoo had cracked my head open after an event happened. Then at least I could claim trauma as an excuse.
‘For now, I have no choice but to be vigilant at events.’
I’d ask for thorough safety checks and pay extra attention during the performance.
If it really didn’t work, I’d ask Jeong Seongbin for a favor, even if I had to get a nosebleed once. If I told him there was a divine revelation from our ancestors and that Choi Jeho had to be careful this year because of misfortune, Jeong Seongbin would also look after him in his own way.
After that, I jotted down a few more issues. I realized again that the old Spark really hadn’t had it easy.
‘Anyway, they’re truly a handful.’
I was about to sigh, but I held it back. Instead, I checked again to see if there were any accidents I had missed, or if there was a side of the guys I didn’t know.
As I was racking my brain, trying to squeeze out memories, Lee Cheonghyeon ran in.
“Hyung! Hyung! Big news! The complete edition of the Slippery-Slidy Sea Creatures Guide is coming out!”
“That’s some important news. Is it on pre-order?”
“Books have pre-orders…?”
“Go ask Kiyeon. He’ll explain.”
As soon as I finished speaking, Lee Cheonghyeon disappeared out of the room. The dorm became boisterously loud.