Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols

The story I heard from my manager over the brief phone call went like this:

 

The group Hellas, which DJ Polo was a part of on Midnight Talk last time, was going on an overseas tour.

 

So, the broadcasting station had been making calls to find a replacement for Polo during his absence. Apparently, Polo himself selected all the candidates, as he was very attached to his radio show.

 

However, there was one problem.

 

Hellas was such a global sensation that their overseas tour got extended for too long, leaving too many vacant slots.

 

Thanks to that, even though Polo’s acquaintances were all mobilized, one spot was left empty…

 

― Mr. Polo recommended you.

 

Apparently, Polo put me in that spot. I didn’t think Polo was like that, but it seemed he really had no discerning eye.

 

I didn’t have time for radio shows. I was busy.

 

In the morning, I had to toast bread; by mid-morning, I had to sing until my voice gave out; at lunchtime, I had to pick up and deliver salads; in the afternoon, I had to dance like my body was falling apart; in the evening, I had to prepare low-sodium meals; and at night, I had to wrestle with the system, figuring out how to sneakily grab first place on a music show…

 

Even if I had six heads, I wouldn’t be able to keep up with all this. My makeup artist even begged me to get plenty of rest during this break. At this rate, I’d just get scolded again when I return for the comeback.

 

― Plus, the group that’s coming out as a guest that day is Parthe. The ratings won’t be low!

 

The manager said in an excited voice. This must be the best opportunity for an idol who had no solid gig.

 

But unlike him, my mood fell to rock bottom.

 

Taking over Polo’s spot when there were so many other idols from MYTH?

 

And the youngest group that MYTH was supposed to be pushing hard for was coming out as a guest on that episode?

 

If you were a Parthe fan, you’d find this situation very strange. I didn’t even need to guess to know what people would say.

 

Just a glance at the radio’s guest list and Parthe’s schedule would stir up the online community…

 

≫ It seems the guests and DJ seats should be switched^^; ㅋㅋ;;

 

└ Exactly… Our main dancers do the work of 10 people every time they’re on the radio… ㅋ큐ㅠㅠㅠ

 

≫ Seriously, MYTH.

 

Do you even know who you should be promoting right now? ^^^^^^^^

 

…It would be like that. My head was spinning.

 

The fact that Parthe, who finished their activities before us, was appearing in full was already giving a significant benefit to their fellow labelmates.

 

But still, giving the solo DJ spot to a complete outsider like me didn’t feel right. If I were Parthe I’d feel upset too.

 

However, as the weak link in a rookie idol group that debuted only five weeks ago, I had no right to refuse such an opportunity.

 

If anything, I should be on my knees, thanking them for giving me this chance to promote the team.

 

So I enthusiastically shouted into the phone, hoping my energy would reach my manager on the other side.

 

“I’m truly honored! I’ll do my best!”

 

Hang in there, Kim Iwol. Think of this as a stepping stone toward that first place.

 

Honestly, I was already starting to miss my small and precious studio apartment, where I’d be alone nine years from now.

 

* * *

 

The day of the showdown came faster than I thought.

 

It was probably because I had been incredibly busy.

 

Even with the additional labor support service I received, I almost asked if they could give me a loan. Was this really supposed to be the inactive period?

 

“Iwol, are you sure that outfit will be okay?”

 

The manager glanced at me during a red light, taking a moment to ask.

 

The ‘outfit’ in question was my top, which had a black base with deep red geometric patterns all over it.

 

“Of course.”

 

I had spent hours scouring the underground shopping mall just to find this.

 

The black base and deep red patterns were Parthe’s official colors.

 

Though the pattern wasn’t exactly the same, after days of running around, I managed to find something that would look quite similar on screen.

 

“You’re going to wear that bracelet too…?”

 

This time, the manager glanced at my wrist.

 

It was the temporary bracelet made of fake thorn bushes that I had wrapped around my wrist this morning, with a little help from Jeong Seongbin. I had bought fake roses from a dollar store, ripped off the flowers, and used the remaining parts to create it.

 

“Of course!”

 

I said with a bright smile. If I wanted to recreate the gloominess of the Parthe music video, I had to do this much.

 

Considering I was already stepping in as a radio host over seniors who had debuted months before me, there was nothing good about getting on their bad side.

 

So, my goal for today was to promote Parthe as much as I could and sneak in a Spark song during a commercial break.

 

Members, just you wait.

 

I’ll definitely play 『Flowering』 on the radio.

 

* * *

 

My fashion, which completely gave up on sophistication, gave the radio writers a good laugh.

 

‘Mr. Iwol, is that really your personal outfit?’

 

‘It’s a custom outfit designed out of respect for the guest!’

 

When they asked where I got such clothes, I told them that I bought them for 12,000 won at an underground shopping mall, which made them laugh even more. From today on, I was officially the happy virus of this place.

 

In the middle of this friendly atmosphere, as one of the writers was giving me a brief rundown, the studio door opened.

 

When Spark was the guest, we always arrived early in the waiting room to greet everyone and get briefed.

 

But this time, since Parthe arrived almost right on time, we ended up hurriedly greeting each other in the recording booth. Not that the location of the greetings really mattered.

 

“Hello! I am Spark’s Kim Iwol. Please take care of me today!”

 

“Ahaha. Sure.”

 

Parthe’s leader patted my shoulder with a friendly smile.

 

Was it just me or did his laugh give off major boomer vibes?

 

My energetic boomer radar was telling me that this guy was strong too, but I decided not to care about it for now.  I needed to focus on doing my job well first.

 

Then, I heard a faint snicker from behind. It was Song Minil.

 

The guy looked at my outfit and muttered under his breath.

 

“Trying hard to stand out, aren’t you?”

 

He had his hand over his mouth, but I could tell—this b*tch was definitely mocking me.

 

But think about it, Minil.

 

If I really wanted to stand out, I would’ve shown up in a golden crown. Do you think I would’ve bothered wearing the thorn bush that was in your music video for two whole minutes?

 

Instead of picking on me, maybe take a look at your members’ faces behind you. They look so shocked their souls have practically left their bodies.

 

I wanted to say, ‘I came here thinking of your team, so why are you picking on me?’ but seeing the other members shriveled up like boiled ferns behind him made me hold back out of pity.

 

Just as I was wondering how long Minil would keep running his mouth, the leader stepped in.

 

“Minil, don’t say stuff like that. You’ll make our hubaenim feel discouraged.”

 

Kim Iwol, who debuted about half a year later than Parthe, was moved to tears by his senior’s consideration. I wondered if that could be considered as stopping him, though.

 

“When you’re nervous, you might end up making mistakes even with things you usually do well, so just stay relaxed and do your best.”

 

Parthe’s leader said.

 

He seemed to be trying to hide his true feelings and act nice, but I could see right through him. What he really meant was, ‘Keep your head straight and don’t make any mistakes.’

 

‘I don’t mind if you make mistakes, but let’s avoid that.’

 

During my time in university as a business major, I gave presentations more times than I could count. At the Hanpyeong Industry, I did (utterly useless) PowerPoint presentations countless times too.

 

And I’d listened to Spark radio shows countless times to gather notes.

 

Not to mention I monitored Polo’s broadcasts to prepare for today’s guest DJ role.

 

I’m sorry, but you guys better don’t underestimate me.

 

I’ve come fully prepared.

 

* * *

 

After the last performance in Hong Kong.

 

In the van where the members who had finished the after-party were sitting exhausted, Polo, the main rapper of Hellas, took out his cell phone.

 

Noticing Polo took out his Bluetooth earphones, Yur, the leader of Hellas, turned around in the passenger seat and looked at Polo.

 

Yur glanced at the phone in Polo’s hand and then at Polo himself, and he asked.

 

“Are you monitoring the radio?”

 

“Yeah. The latest episode should be up by now.”

 

Hearing this, the other members chimed in with concern, asking if he wasn’t tired, or telling him to take a break since they had just finished the concert. These were the kinds of words that could only come from those who had shared an exhausting schedule.

 

In response to their worries, Polo answered energetically,

 

“You guys still don’t know my stamina? I’m still going strong!”

 

“Yeah, you’re amazing…”

 

At the resigned remark of one member, everyone burst into laughter.

 

“Chae Jun is really attached to Midnight Talk. Plus, since this break is unusually long, it’s natural for him to be worried.”

 

It was always Yur who stood up for Polo’s position in moments like these. Polo appreciated his leader’s kindness.

 

“Jun, go ahead and listen to the radio. As for the rest of you, it’d be best to get some sleep until we reach the dorm.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

As soon as the leader finished speaking, the van quickly became quiet.

 

It was only natural. After just one overseas tour, it wasn’t uncommon to lose several kilos.

 

But Polo’s affection for his radio show surpassed the exhaustion. He had been the DJ for years, after all.

 

When even the agency had said, ‘Only idol fans would listen to a broadcast hosted by an idol,’ Polo had thought to himself, 

 

‘Aren’t idol fans listeners, too?’

 

That very day, Polo set a goal.

 

He was determined to make a show that anyone interested in idols or celebrities would tune in to, no matter who the guest was!

 

In a world where listener ratings fluctuated depending on the guest, Polo’s resolve seemed almost meaningless. It was obvious to everyone that a broadcast’s success hinged on whether it could invite big-name guests.

 

But Polo worked extremely hard nonetheless.

 

His efforts paid off, and his show became a long-running program that escaped the stigma of relying solely on ‘big guests’.

 

After going through many twists and turns, Polo couldn’t help but become attached to the radio.

 

That was why whenever he had to leave for an unavoidable reason, Polo would always carefully select a replacement and even invite them before leaving.

 

In that sense, the new DJ taking over for this episode—a member of a rookie group—was an unprecedented lineup.

 

When his leader first saw the list of DJ candidates…

 

‘You contacted someone who just debuted?’

 

‘Yeah. I hope they accept!’

 

‘They probably will. But it’s unexpected.’

 

….He even said that.

 

Polo knew that the leader’s words were about to end with ‘I thought you wouldn’t recommend someone unless they had a certain amount of experience.’

 

As Yur said, Polo’s choice was unprecedented. The radio writers who worked with him were all surprised.

 

But unlike Yur, who hadn’t listened to Spark’s radio show, the writers who were present at the time quickly became intrigued by Polo’s choice.

 

‘Polo, you felt it too, huh? There’s something sharp about their image, right? And they spoke really well.’

 

‘They picked up the interview script super early. There wasn’t a single error, and it seemed like those kids had prepared a lot.’

 

‘For rookies, they didn’t overlap on the audio either.’

 

Leaving this kind of impression on writers who worked with different idols every week was not due to luck—it was talent. That was what Polo thought.

 

So he gave it a try.

 

In the group of six, this member stood out the most with his excellent speaking skills.

 

A rookie with a bold heart, unafraid even in his first radio appearance: Spark’s eldest member, Kim Iwol.

 

As Polo hit play on the episode’s replay, the empty studio came into view during a commercial break. He put in his earbuds, turning up the volume.

 

‘I wonder if he wore that funny headband again today.’

 

If he was going to wear something like that, it would be better to have the group’s name, Parthe, on it, especially since he was coming as the DJ this time.

 

While thinking about such useless thoughts, Polo couldn’t help but feel shocked when he saw Kim Iwol enter with his upper body covered in a flashy printed T-shirt and holding a script.