Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols

“Is that hyung brewing some sports drink on the way back or something…?”

 

Lee Cheonghyeon muttered.

 

It had been 20 minutes since Kim Iwol left. Considering the location of the convenience store, he should have returned by now.

 

“He’ll be back soon enough.”

 

“Still, though.”

 

At Choi Jeho’s words, Jeong Seongbin glanced at the practice room door.

 

‘He is late.’

 

Given Kim Iwol’s personality, he’d usually sprint to the store and back without breaking a sweat and returned, saying, ‘Considering my efforts for this late-night outing, let’s work harder on the remaining practice. Okay?’

 

It was not that they were worried or something. How many things could threaten a grown man over 180cm tall?

 

It was just unusual for him to be this late.

 

“…Maybe he’s carrying too much stuff? Should we go out and check on him?”

 

“That hyung wouldn’t struggle with a few bottles of drinks. Plus, it’d be worse if we end up missing each other, so we should just wait.”

 

Park Joowoo fidgeted nervously and Kang Kiyeon tried to calm him down. Yet, even Kang Kiyeon hesitated to suggest they continue their practice.

 

Just then, a familiar vibration rang out from somewhere.

 

None of the members were bold enough to carry a cell phone without the company’s knowledge.

 

So, it must be Kim Iwol’s phone. He had gone out to answer a call during practice recently.

 

“Did hyung borrow someone else’s phone to call us?”

 

“Could be.”

 

Lee Cheonghyeon and Jeong Seongbin were the first to approach the source of the sound.

 

The two easily found the phone in the corner of the practice room couch.

 

“Huh?”

 

“Eh. Why is PD Yoo calling at this hour?”

 

As Lee Cheonghyeon said, the words ‘PD Yoo Hansoo’ were displayed on the screen.

 

“Let’s answer. It might be urgent… and hyung might get scolded for not answering.”

 

Jeong Seongbin said.

 

It sounded considerate, but… well.

 

Normally, one wouldn’t answer someone else’s phone without permission.

 

Moreover, Jeong Seongbin and Kim Iwol were known for being the most polite members of the group. There was no way someone like him would disregard such basic etiquette.

 

Maybe Jeong Seongbin didn’t trust Yoo Hansoo and wanted to gauge the atmosphere between them while Iwol was absent. Choi Jeho could only guess.

 

“Give it to me.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Give me the phone. I’ll answer it.”

 

Given what they knew about Yoo Hansoo’s personality, Choi Jeho figured he should be the one to take the call.

 

He took the phone and…

 

“Hello?”

 

─ Put Choi Jeho on.

 

“…Kim Iwol?”

 

…An unexpected voice answered.

 

“It’s me.”

 

─ Are you at the practice room now?

 

“Yeah.”

 

─ Are the other members there too?

 

“Yeah. Why aren’t you back yet? Everyone’s saying we should go look for you…”

 

The other members were giving him worried looks.

 

However, Kim Iwol cut him off.

 

─ Don’t come out.

 

“What? Are you almost here?”

 

“If hyung’s carrying too much stuff, should I head to the entrance?”

 

Jeong Sengbin, who had been listening quietly, chimed in.

 

─ I think the manager will come soon. Until then, no one leaves the practice room. Got it?

 

“Manager Chanyoung left work already.”

 

The agency was close to their dorm, so the manager had been sent home early since they’d planned to all head back together after practice.

 

─ Someone from the company will come. Just wait.

 

“Where are you and what are you doing…?”

 

Choi Jeho was getting annoyed.

 

Why was he acting like this today, when he usually explained everything without being asked?

 

Just then, Park Joowoo cautiously took the phone from Choi Jeho’s hand.

 

“Hyung, why does your voice sound weird…?”

 

Voice?

 

It sounded the same as usual. Why was Park Joowoo asking that all of a sudden?

 

As Choi Jeho and the other members looked at Park Joowoo quizzically, a woman’s scream came from the phone.

 

With that piercing scream, the call ended abruptly.

 

* * *

 

As Kim Iwol had said, their manager came to the practice room right after the call ended, his face pale as a white sheet.

 

He didn’t answer their questions. He just hurriedly ushered them into the van and drove away from the company building.

 

Everyone was bewildered—until they saw the police tape, the patrol cars, and the crowd gathered nearby.

 

Chaos erupted in the van. They couldn’t even remember how they had calmed down Choi Jeho, who was shouting to turn the car around.

 

After dropping the members off at the dorm, the manager left again.

 

It was only then that the members learned what had happened.

 

[Breaking News] Idol Spark’s Kim Iwol Attacked Near Agency; Hospitalized

 

UA Entertainment Assault Incident: Perpetrator Revealed as In-House Producer

 

[Live Coverage] Police Lines Surround UA; Tight Police Lines

 

Producer Attacks Idol With Weapon; Victim Identified as Spark Member Kim Iwol

 

Articles poured out from every media outlet. Perhaps due to the unique nature of the incident, news about Kim Iwol started appearing in the general news section.

 

Stories about Yoo Hansoo, who was immediately taken custody, continued to surface.

 

Perpetrator of Idol Assault Case Complains of Unexplained Headache… Investigation Faces Difficulties

 

[Exclusive] Perpetrator Producer Arrested at the Scene

 

Police Investigation Launched… Focus on Whether Arrest Warrant Will Be Issued

 

Everywhere was in an uproar. SNS, fan cafes, even the dorm phone – everything was buzzing.

 

Whether it was people genuinely worried about Kim Iwol, or those who enjoyed gossip.

 

Everyone was waiting for a clear explanation. After all, a producer assaulting an idol was an unprecedented event.

 

≫ What the f*ck is going on?

 

≫ No, Iwol, what happened? He was fine filming just yesterday, why is this happening all of a sudden?

 

≫ No matter the conflict, this kind of violence is wrong… It would have been nice if they had resolved it through dialogue… I hope the victim is okay.

 

≫ So is our baby okay or not? XX I’m so confused right now

 

≫ A company employee hits an idol with a blunt weapon?? Did I understand that correctly???

 

└ The world has seriously gone mad…

 

≫ Isn’t this the kid who had that personality controversy before?

 

If you look at this, maybe the insubordination rumors were true after all.

 

└ Shut the f*ck up, can’t you read the room?

 

└ But I also thought that… There’s no smoke without fire

 

└ A person is down after being assaulted and you’re here spouting nonsense? You’ll all get sued and then you’ll learn your lesson

 

UA hadn’t released any statement, even though the ‘we want follow-up article’ post likes reached three digits.

 

More accurately, they couldn’t. This was the first time such a major incident had occurred at UA.

 

However, that couldn’t be used as an excuse. Incompetence wasn’t something to be proud of.

 

Besides, hadn’t UA already experienced this once? A situation where their artist was at the center of controversy.

 

Of course, UA hadn’t done anything special back then.

 

Jeong Seongbin remembered Kim Iwol, who had resolved the entire situation on his own.

 

‘Wouldn’t it be better to let the company handle this?’

 

To his question, Kim Iwol hesitated before replying.

 

‘No, I think I’d feel better handling it myself.’

 

To be honest, Jeong Seongbin thought his hyung tended to worry too much.

 

The people at UA that he had seen so far weren’t the type to ignore their artists’ struggles.  They had even told Kim Iwol to leave it to the company.

 

But Kim Iwol hadn’t. Instead, he quelled all the controversy by himself.

 

And now, faced with this situation without Kim Iwol, UA was struggling, neglecting both the fans and the members.

 

It made sense: it was late at night, so the company was slow to respond, and his hyung’s safety was the top priority.

 

Though Jeong Seongbin knew this logically, a sense of frustration welled up in his chest.

 

With such provocative news, rumors spread like wildfire.

 

While the other members unplugged their phones and waited for updates from the company, rumors that even the people involved were unaware of spread like wildfire.

 

≫ There’s talk about this being a mutual fight. What’s the truth?

 

I heard the idol overreacted too.

 

└ There’s no clear news yet, so stop spreading false information….

 

└ I’m not spreading false information; I’m asking a question. Can’t I even ask?

 

└ Fans are already anxious about every little thing, so please don’t make things worse. Do you seriously lack social awareness or what?

 

└ ‘Producer Yoo claims that the other party also assaulted him, insisting it was mutual fault’ That’s what the article says, so why are you only treating your oppa as the victim? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

 

└ So where exactly is Mr. Yoo hurt?ㅋㅋㅋ The idol has a head injury and is unconscious, but the guy who’s supposedly hurt is screaming in front of cameras for attention?

 

≫ UA you m*therf*ckers, please say something, I’m going to die from the stress… I’m going crazy

 

≫ I don’t need anything else, just tell me if Iwol is okay… It’s a head injury, for goodness’ sake. Please….

 

└ ㅠㅠ I know you’re worried, but let’s wait a little longer! We’ll get an update soon ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

 

And then…

 

≫ @NEW_Re:

 

Who helped you when you were about to be kicked out of the team for incompetence and almost ruined someone else’s work?

 

There’s a limit to repaying kindness with animosity

 

No one covered for you as much as Iwol did

 

If it weren’t for him, I would have sued you before you caused that accident

 

I hope I never see you again in this industry

 

And for those who keep provoking me with comments or DMs,

 

Don’t say behind my back what you can’t say to my face ^^

 

Iwol is a hoobae who helped me a lot

 

And everyone at the company adores him

 

Think logically,

 

Is it normal to do such a thing to someone almost twenty years younger than you?

 

≫ ㄱ. Your Seongchan

 

[As you can see in the 3rd competition meeting cut broadcast]

 

[Honestly, Iwol hyung took care of us a lot]

 

[What’s shown on screen wasn’t even half of itㅠ He’s really genuine, he takes care of people a lot]

 

[He’s not the kind of person to mistreat anyone]

 

[You’ll know if you talk to him for just 3 minutes, people are so strange]

 

[Will I get scolded by the company for saying this, you ask?]

 

[Don’t worry, our company likes Iwol hyung too]

 

[But he’s on another level—different from CEO Moon. He has a unique charm.]

 

[Heerang is also talking about Iwol hyung right now, too?]

 

[See? I told you, hyung is like a human catnip]

 

≫ @Pollo_q

 

The Iwol I know puts his all into even the smallest tasks,

 

He’s always diligent and takes good care of his members.

 

But overnight, he’s turned into a troublemaker who clashed with a company employee and caused an accident.

 

I’ve seen and heard a lot over the years, but this really crosses the line.

 

The moment unexpected figures pulled the trigger, the fandom, which hadn’t been able to relax for a second, fearing bad news, exploded.

 

≫ Summary of why Sparklers are furious (warning: long thread)

       

This is just what’s on the surface, how much worse must it have been behind the scenes?

 

Even during the personality controversy, Kim Iwol personally clarified things on a broadcast

 

At that time, we just thought it was neat and great, but now it’s chilling

 

I wonder how little he must have trusted the company to do that….

 

≫ The members make their own content, they do their own producing, what does the agency even do? Is it right to leave the aftermath to the artist after bringing in a useless PD? #UAExplain

 

≫ DoesUAneedIwoltomanagetheiremployeesandwriteapologyletters #UAExplain

 

Idon’texpectanythingelsedjustmanageyourartists’mentalhealthproperly #UA_Protect_Your_Artists

 

Morethansixcharacterswithnospaces

 

≫ For a fellow labelmate to speak like that, you can imagine just how much Iwol must have been through…

 

And from the way it sounds, it seems like the perpetrator went around causing a mess while Iwol cleaned it all up

 

If that’s true, UA’s entire executive team should be bowing their heads in shame.

 

≫ So to summarize,

 

A forty-year-old man did a shitty job, got fired, and took it out on a twenty-one-year-old kid.

Does this make sense? Does this sound right to you???

 

≫ We need to look at why Iwol had to shoulder everything in the first place

 

The company is useless, the PD they hired is incompetent…

 

This incident shows how structurally flawed UA is as a company

 

If this is how they operate, then what’s the point of having a company or employees at all?

 

≫ Please, at least earn your salaries

 

You guys get paid to work, but my kid hasn’t even been paid yet, why are you treating him like a dog?  On top of that, he got his head smashed in the process?

 

Actually, it’s you UA who should be working themselves to the bone and getting beaten up

 

Stop staying quiet and do something, damn it

 

At that point, UA finally realized what they had been neglecting.

 

Frantically rushing between the police station and the hospital, UA hurriedly drafted and posted an apology statement.

 

≫ Hello, this is UA Entertainment.

 

This evening, an incident occurred where one of our artists was injured by a company employee.

 

Currently, the artist is receiving medical treatment and the employee has been handed over to the investigative authorities.

 

We ask for your understanding that we couldn’t deliver the news quickly as we prioritized the artist’s safety.

 

We will take full responsibility and manage our artists properly to prevent such incidents from happening again.

 

Once again, we apologize for causing distress with this unfortunate incident.

 

The moment Jeong Seongbin saw UA’s apology, he felt a dull headache creeping in.

 

It became painfully clear why Kim Iwol had chosen to take everything into his own hands.

 

And just how wise that decision had been.

 

As Jeong Seongbin predicted, fans were further enraged by the statement that only listed the facts rather than taking true accountability.

 

When writing an apology in the workplace, it would have been enough to explain why something happened, what mistakes were made and what resulted from them, how much damage was caused to the company, and what countermeasures and preventive measures will be taken. But the entertainment industry was different, wasn’t it?

 

≫ Is this seriously what you call an apology?

 

Rewrite it, damn it

 

≫ What should be in an apology:

 

Forget everything else, just admit what you did wrong and beg for forgiveness

 

This isn’t some accident—it’s a buildup of neglect finally exploding. Shouldn’t the apology start with admitting you failed to prevent something that could’ve been avoided???

 

≫ You drove everyone to the edge, then handed us this pitiful excuse for an apology?

 

When Iwol was dragged into that mess at the IDC show, you didn’t even write an apology—just made him do a live explanation instead. Thanks a lot for that, jerks. No wonder he has to do everything himself

 

≫ Yeah, okay, just quit the entertainment business altogether

 

You guys are running things haphazardly like this and still call yourselves an entertainment company

 

What kind of entertainment company lets their own idol end up with a cracked skull?

 

How badly did you screw up to let things get to this point?

 

Have you all collectively lost your minds?

 

Eventually, UA wrote and posted a new apology.

 

This time, they acknowledged the allegations of the idol’s excessive workload, explained the background of how Yoo Hansoo came to work with the artist and the conflicts they had, and made it clear that the artist was the victim.

 

They also included that they would take legal action against any further spread of false rumors about Kim Iwol’s bullying, insubordination, or mutual fault in the incident.

 

The second apology concluded with a statement that they would take legal action and seek compensation from Yoo Hansoo and provide full support for Kim Iwol’s recovery.

 

“Ha…”

 

Jeong Seongbin let out a deep sigh after confirming that the atmosphere had finally calmed down.

 

“…Are you okay?”

 

Park Joowoo patted Jeong Seongbin’s shoulder, his face filled with worry.

 

The dorm felt like a funeral home. It was Choi Jeho who broke the icy silence.

 

“Seriously, why can’t we go?”

 

Choi Jeho’s voice was heated as he argued with someone over the phone. Kang Kiyeon was trying to calm him down and keep his voice from escalating further.

 

“Seriously, why should we just sit around here doing nothing while reporters are already at the hospital? He’s getting surgery right now. Shouldn’t the members see that the surgery goes well?”

 

Just as a curse word was about to slip out, Jeong Seongbin covered Choi Jeho’s mouth and took the phone. He could hear the noisy background behind the manager’s voice.

 

“Hyung, it’s Seongbin.”

 

― Yes, Seongbin. I know It’s tough, but please persuade Jeho…

 

“No, hyung.”

 

Jeong Seongbin’s voice dropped.

 

It wasn’t just about wanting to defy the company that had told them nothing while they anxiously scoured every news update.

 

“I think it’s the right thing for us to be there. Please.”

 

All of them wanted, more than anything, to see Kim Iwol right now.

I might have shed a tear or two while translating this chapter ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ