Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols

My past life was solely to accommodate other people.

 

‘How about we have some loach soup for lunch today? If anyone hasn’t tried it, now’s the time.’

 

‘Assistant Manager Kim, wait a minute. Please give me a lift.’

 

‘Assistant Manager Kim, please schedule an interview with that manager.’

 

No matter where I was or what I was doing, there was no room for my opinion.

 

For years, my duty was to do the work I was ordered to without getting on anyone’s bad side.

 

And now, out of the blue, I had to stand out and share trivial stories.

 

‘Assistant Manager Kim, do you know how busy managers are? Why should I waste my precious time listening to you?’

 

Whenever I tried to do something, Manager Nam’s voice echoed vividly in my mind. It was suffocating.

 

But here I was, being told to market myself.

 

My PR score was already abysmal. I couldn’t afford to ignore this any longer.

 

I sighed. With mixed feelings, I started playing my bass again, something I hadn’t picked up in ages.

 

‘Should I play a song I learned in the band club? But what if they ask how I came across this song? …Should I play my high school anthem instead? But wouldn’t that be boring?’

 

After thinking for a while, I came to a conclusion. I had been playing the bass all this time without any real thought behind it.

 

Is it possible for someone to have a sense of self so little? How shameful.

 

What was the appeal of Kim Iwol as a person?

 

Did I even have any appeal in the first place? Someone with no friends like me?

 

The more I thought about it, the more I felt that I had lived my life wrong.

 

This must be why the system sent me back to the past. It told me to live properly this time.

 

If I wasn’t particularly talented, I should at least have something special, But unfortunately, the bass wasn’t exactly an instrument that stood out.

 

I could play fast, sure, but I doubted fans would find that particularly impressive.

 

To everyone who likes Kim Iwol, I’m truly sorry. Your pathetic idol is crying….

 

As my thoughts threatened to spiral out of control, Kang Kiyeon knocked on the practice room door. It was a call from the manager.

 

* * *

 

“A solo variety show?”

 

As soon as Choi Jeho and I entered the meeting room, the manager got excited and started babbling.

 

In short, our group was offered a solo variety show. It seemed to be a chain reaction from the recent broadcast of Challenge Life.

 

“Since it’s a variety show based on MiTube, the shooting time won’t take long and it’s less intense. Do you know that young people these days watch MiTube more than TV? This is a much better opportunity for us!”

 

He was right. Plus, the fact that they hadn’t specified any guests gave us a lot of creative freedom.

 

It was the kind of offer we couldn’t afford to turn down.

 

…If it weren’t for the fact that it was a drinking show.

 

‘I was wondering why they only called me and Choi Jeho.’

 

Since we were the only ones in the group who could legally drink, they didn’t need to request specific guests.

 

Now that I needed content that could make myself known, a solo variety show was a golden opportunity.

 

But the alcohol-based theme left me uneasy.

 

Drinking moderately in a relaxed setting? That was great and all.

 

That was great, but…

 

First, I had doubts about whether a drinking show was the right choice for a group where the majority of the members were minors.

 

Second, as idols with many young fans, it didn’t feel great to promote drinking culture.

 

‘The community’s reaction to Spark mentioning alcohol was pretty positive.l, though.’

 

I could still vividly recall the flaming discussions on online forums when Spark first talked about a team dinner on the radio. That was when I realized just how many nuanced ways there were to express affection in Korean.

 

Still, if they gave me this opportunity, how could I not go? As long as we didn’t actively encourage drinking, it should be fine.

 

The only remaining question was who would go.

 

I glanced at the seat next to me. Choi Jeho couldn’t quite hide his discomfort.

 

I had expected it from the moment I heard about the drinking show.

 

Despite looking like someone who could drink anything on the table, this guy didn’t drink at all. I could only assume it was due to the influence of his father, who was said to have been a heavy drinker.

 

‘One way or another, I have only one choice.’

 

I sighed inwardly at the thought of dirtying my liver that was finally purified.

 

But it couldn’t be helped.

 

Since I’ve decided to support you, I’ll do my best.

 

* * *

 

“Are you good at drinking?”

 

After I voluntarily declared I would appear on the show, Choi Jeho asked as we left the meeting room.

 

“Just fine. Why?”

 

I asked back, but Choi Jeho didn’t answer.

 

This brat. should I just slather soothing gel all over him and let him sit there for five minutes, all nice and moist?

 

It might depend on the company’s culture, but if the Hanpyeong Industry asked me about my drinking capacity, there was only one answer I had to give.

 

Regardless of whether you could hold your liquor or not, you had to downplay it and say, ‘I’m not a strong drinker.’

 

At the Hanpyeong Industry, drinking wasn’t just openly encouraged—it was subtly forced. There was always an underlying attitude of, Let’s see how long you can resist.

 

‘Assistant Manager, you’re coming to the second round, right? Find a place with some nice drinks.’

 

‘I’m not going home tonight! Our department is staying out until the end! Got it?’

 

‘Assistant Manager Kim, your glass is empty. Leaving already, with your boss still here? I didn’t think you’d be so sly.’

 

Forcing people to drink was considered harassment, but the people in the Hanpyeong Industry always acted like they were outside the law.

 

On top of that, there were so many drinking parties. Since the HR team was under the management support department, I wasn’t just dragged to team dinners but also department dinners and even executive dinners.

 

How many bottles of alcohol had I downed? I didn’t know for sure, but if I weren’t someone with decent alcohol tolerance, my liver would have been destroyed by now.

 

‘Thank goodness my drinking capacity was somewhat sufficient.’

 

After all those years at Hanpyeong Industry, the only things I gained were anger toward the world, the ability to let people’s words go in one ear and out the other, and the useless TMI that I was not a lightweight when it came to drinking.

 

Since that was all I’d gained, I couldn’t help it. I should make good use of this.

 

“Don’t worry.”

 

At my words, Choi Jeho, who was walking beside me, glanced over.

 

“I won’t mess up because of drinking.”

 

I even showed a reassuring smile, but the guy just had an unimpressed look on his face and went back to the practice room.

 

* * *

 

The entertainment show ‘Drinkers’ was filmed in a studio designed to look like a street food stall concept.

 

Until the moment I stepped into the studio, I was showered with concern from everyone at UA.

 

‘Iwol, don’t let your guard down just because you feel fine at first—don’t keep drinking too much.’

 

‘Stand up and walk to the bathroom every now and then. That way, you’ll know if you’re getting dizzy.’

 

‘It’s better to hear people say, ‘Why did you even show up if you can’t drink?’ than to get drunk and make a mess. Got it?’

 

Normally, they trusted me almost excessively, but in situations like this, they treated me like a child. Still, compared to my time in the Hanpyeong Industry, this felt like a luxury.

 

Following the program’s rules, I shouted, ‘Are you open today?’ from outside the door, and a voice answered from within, ‘Yes, come on in!’.

 

As I stepped into the studio, the MC of Drinkers greeted me warmly.

 

“Oh, what’s this? Another handsome male guest? Didn’t I say I won’t accept any more handsome guests? Now I’ll be compared in the thumbnails again!”

 

“Aw, come on, sunbaenim. Please just make me the last one!”

 

“Wow, look at this guy—already trying to take out the competition?”

 

As expected from a comedian skilled at hosting talk shows, the MC effortlessly broke through the initial awkwardness of meeting someone for the first time. Taking advantage of the moment, I chimed in naturally.

 

“I’ve wanted to be on Drinkers for so long. If you’ll allow it just this once, I’ll consider it a dream come true and give it my all.”

 

“Geez, how hard are you planning to try? Okay, let’s sit down and talk! Our camera directors are already waving for us to take our seats!”

 

I smiled awkwardly and bowed my head slightly to the camera directors as I was about to sit down, but then I saw a familiar face among the directors.

 

“Huh?”

 

“That’s right, Mr. Iwol. There’s someone here who’s met Mr. Iwol before!”

 

At the MC’s remark, the director who made eye contact with me gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.

 

It was none other than the director I had met at the Jang Junhoo’s music video shoot.

 

“Isn’t that Director Han? It’s been a while!”

 

“Wow, Mr. Iwol, you have a good memory! Director, didn’t you say that it was about half a year ago that you met Mr. Iwol?”

 

“I met him before his debut. I didn’t expect to run into him again like this…!”

 

I’d heard of scriptwriters transitioning from dramas to variety shows or directors moving from films to documentaries, but I hadn’t expected to witness it firsthand.

 

“Hey, don’t leave me out while you two go off into your little world. I’m going to sulk.”

 

The MC made a witty comment and laughed.

 

The world was small, but I didn’t know it could be this small.

 

I laughed along with the MC, silently resolving to be extra diligent about keeping Spark members tight-lipped once I got back to the dorm.

 

The format of Drinkers followed a generally established routine.

 

First, the guest would introduce themselves and share a brief update about their recent activities.

 

Then, the MC would bring up pre-researched tidbits to spark conversation while serving a drink as an appetizer.

 

Next, the guest would order their favorite snack, and the production team would serve a prearranged dish.

 

During this segment, the conversation mainly focuses on drinking preferences, drinking capacity, and drinking habits, etc. related to alcohol.

 

Everything flowed smoothly up until the point where I had to talk about recent activities.

 

In the first place, what else could an idol talk about other than their comeback?

 

‘By the way, Mr. Iwol, how did Mr. Iwol end up as Spark’s gentleman rascal?’

 

‘It’s a false accusation. We’re going to hold a hearing soon to find out the truth.’

 

‘I was surprised because the nickname was so contradictory. You don’t look the type, but it made me wonder if your true personality is something else entirely.’

 

‘That can’t be true!’

 

Some tidbits were a little embarrassing. I was worried that if this continued, I’d end up with a nickname like ‘Kim Iwol, the Strongest Rascal’. Once I went back, I wouldn’t let Kang Kiyeon off the hook.

 

I almost spit out some alcohol, but like an idol, I safely recovered. Then, the snacks were served.

 

To be honest, choosing the snack probably took the most time while preparing for this shoot.

 

The reason was simple. I’d never really chosen the snack on my own.

 

I usually stuck eating the pork rinds that Manager Nam suggested, or the menus that my department or club seniors chose. Stuff like incredibly expensive scrambled eggs.

 

Oh, when I drank with my sister, we’d sometimes snack on a bag of jelly. Our noona had a really unique taste.

 

I didn’t drink alone often either, so choosing the snack wasn’t easy.

 

Making up something random just for show felt like a betrayal to the fans who genuinely cared about every word I said.

 

In the end, after much deliberation, this was the snack I chose.