Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols

heafterglowoftheperformancelingeredforalongtime.

heseaParkJuucreatedwastoodeep.venafterthefinalcontestantfinishedsinging,noonehadfullysurfacedfromit.

hevictorynaturallywenttoParkJuu.

Wequietlywaitedforhimtoreturn.Afterfinishingthewinner’sspeech,interviews,andgreetingswiththeothercontestants,ParkJuufinallyopenedthedoorandsteppedinside.JeongSeongbinimmediatelysprangtohisfeet.

Withoutaword,thetwoembracedeachothertightly.

Whenoureyesmet,ParkJuu,whohadbeenpattingJeongSeongbin’sback,walkedtowardmethistime.hemomentopenedmyarms,heslippedagainstme.eatradiatedfromhiminwaves.

heParkJuuofthepasthadultimatelymadehisownchoiceintheend,onlytofail.

Asforme,hadmetmyendstaringdeathinthefacewithoutdoinganythingatall.

Aftermyheadcooleddown,realizedtheoverlapbetweenuswasnotsuicide.urpainmayhaveresembledeachother,buteverythingfromtheprocessto#оvеlight#theoutcomehadbeendifferent.

simplyhadnotbeenabletoreadbeyondit.

Andonlytodaydidfinallydiscovertheanswer—onethatperhapswouldhavebeenbetterleftunknown.

fthethingwesharedwaslosingsomeonewelovedandbeingleftaloneforalongtimeafterward,thenperhapsitwouldhavebeenbetterifwehadneverresembledeachotheratall.

Still,atleastfornow,decidedtoacceptitgladly.

Becausenowcouldunderstandevenalittleofhisloneliness.

houghunlikeme,whocouldneveracceptseparation,ParkJuuhadalreadyputhisheartinorder.

"...othoughts?"

ParkJuuasked.

almostrepliedbyaskingwhetheritwasevenrighttocritiqueastagelikethat.Butstoppedmyself.fhehadwantedsympathy,hewouldneverhaveperformeditinthefirstplace.

knewwhatitfeltliketobelieveyoucouldnevermoveforwardunlessyouconfrontedyourpast.

hemethodusuallychosebackthenwasavoidance.

ParkJuufacedithead-on.

Andintheend,heovercameit.

isexpressionalonemadethatclear.

earingthemessagewithinthesongandrespondingtoit—thatwasmyroleasthelistener.

"twasamazing."

heimageofParkJuushiningdespitebeingdressedheadtotoeinblackremainedvividinmymind.feltlikewouldremembertoday’sstagefortherestofmylife.

owcouldanyoneforgetalifestoryfoughtthroughsofiercely?

"twasreallyamazing."

"..."

"Rockreallyisthebest,huh?"

ParkJuutookastepbackandlookedatme.isdamphairandflushedskinmadehimlookvividlyalive.

iseyessparkledbrightly.

"Yeah."

egrinned.

"hisiswhyloverock."

venwithoutthewristbands,ParkJuunolongerscratchedattheskinbeneathhisbracelets.

Probablybecausetheynolongerfeltcoldagainsthim.

fstarsexistedonearth,perhapstheywouldresembleParkJuu.

speciallyinthewaypeoplecheeredwhenevertheysawthemshiningbeforetheireyes.

hestarcalledParkJuushonesobrilliantlythatanyonewhocrossedpathswithhimwouldstopbeneaththatstarlightforatleastamoment,evenwithoutbeingasked.

AndthenParkJuuwouldsmileandsingforhisaudience.

Withapureheart.

Justlikethedreamheoncewishedforasachild.

Afterappearingon“AD,”ParkJuubecamenoticeablymorecheerful.

eoftenhummedtohimselfwhileorganizingflowerpotsorswayedhisheadaloneinfrontoftherefrigerator.

ealsoreturnedtoreplyingtoBubblePopatthesamepaceasbefore.ParkJuusaidnegativereactionsnolongerbotheredhim.

"thinkit’sbecausemademydecisioninmyheart."

Slowlybutclearly,ParkJuuexplainedthathewantedtofocusongroupactivitiescompletelybyhisownwill—notbecauseoutsideinfluencespressuredhimorbecausehehadshrunkbackintohimself.

"decidedthatinsteadoffeelingsorrytowardthemembers,shouldfeelgrateful."

eevensaidsomethingsurprisinglyadmirable.

toldhimhehadthoughtitthroughwell.

nthebroadcastday,heandeeCheonghyeonalsodidalivestreamtogethertalkingabouttheirexperiencesparticipatingin“AD.”Meanwhile,JeongSeongbin,Kangiyeon,andsatinthelivingroombitingournailswhilewatchinginrealtime.

『heatmosphereofthestagewaskindofheavy...socouldn’taskyoutoarrangeit,Cheonghyeon.』

『What’swiththat?exttimeyoubettercometomefirstnomatterwhat.』

eeCheonghyeongrumbledatParkJuu’shonestconfession.Smilingfaintly,ParkJuugentlysoothedhim.

『Alotofpeopleworriedaboutmeaftermysituationbecamepublic,but’mreallyokay...!Jehohyungeventoldmecouldbecomehisyoungerbrotherifthingsgotbadenough.』

『Seriously?』

『esaidhavingoneyoungerbrotherortwowouldn’tmakemuchdifference...』

『hatguy’sridiculous,seriously.』

hankstothelivestream,weevengottooverhearconversationsbetweentheroommates.

heworlddeservedtoknowthatChoiJeho—theofficialolderbrotherofParkJuu—hadalreadygonetosleepearly.

almoststartedfuriouslytypingintothelivechat,butrestrainedmyself.

’dletitslidefortodayinrecognitionofhimtakingcareofhisdongsaeng.

『hemembersareallfamilytome.』

ParkJuuspoke.

hesentencewasshort,butsincerityfilledeveryword.

『So...wanttostayactivewithourmembersforareallylongtime.ongerthannow.』

twasagentleansweraimedattheconstanttalkaboutsoloactivities.

herepeatedcommentsinthechatgraduallybegandisappearing.eeCheonghyeonnodded,sayingheunderstoodexactlyhowhefelt.

『’llkeepdoingcovers,though.“AD”wasfuntoo.』

『Dowhateveryouwant.Justmakesureyoucomebackintimeforourcomebacks.』

『kay...』

ParkJuuansweredobediently.

Maybebecausehewashappyhearingsomeonetellhimtocomeback,helookedgenuinelycontent.

Afterthelivestream,theobsessivepostsdroppedsharply.Afewpeoplegotangry,accusinghimoftargetingfans,butafterbeingfloodedwithcommentsaskingwhethertheyhadnoshamewhenhehadphrasedthingssogently,theyalldisappeared.

nstead,attentiontowardParkJuuindividuallyincreasedevenmore.

toldhimtogiveupthesemesterevenifitmeantwastingtuitionmoney,becauseitwasobvioushewouldgetdraggedintounnecessaryattention.YetParkJuustillattendedschoolfaithfullyeverysingleday.

ventually,gotsoworriedthatsatJeongSeongbindownthemomenthecamehomefromclass.

"DidpeopleatschoolbotherJuu?"

"heydid.Peopleinourdepartmentwerecareful,butrandomstudentswhodidn’tevenknowhimpersonallykeptapproachinghim..."

JeongSeongbinawkwardlycoveredhisdiscomfortwithasmile.

"ButJuuhandleditreallycalmly.edidn’tseempressuredatall."

"kay,gotit.Andifaprofessoraskshim,‘Aren’tyouconsideringsoloactivities?’whatwashesupposedtosayagain?"

"Professor,youabsolutelycannottakeJuufromus!"

"Whatareyoutwoevendoing...?"

ParkJuuappearedinfrontofuswhilewewereinthemiddleofourrepeatedtrainingexercise.

"We’rerunninganti-ParkJuukidnappingsimulations.t’dbeaproblemifmorepeoplestartedtargetingourmastervocalistchinchilla.Didn’ttellyou?Avisualmainvocalisrarerthananythingelse."

"Wildmountainginseng."

"Seongbinseriouslylooksbrainwashedatthispoint..."

"Juu,ifcrackingonanoteonceisamistake,thentwiceiswhat?"

"Carelessness."

"Andthreetimes?"

"Awarning."

"Andwhy?"

"Becauseafterthefourthtime,shameandalertnessdisappear."

"Andwhat’sacompilationofvoicecracks?"

"heresidueleftbehindbysomeonewhoneglectedself-improvement..."

venParkJuuhimselflookedstartledafteransweringautomaticallyandhurriedlycoveredhismouth.

"onlyaddedonemorething.ParkJuubelongstoSpark.We’renotgivinghimtoanyone.tmaysoundtrivial,butit’sactuallyveryimportant,okay?"

houghParkJuulookedconflicted,hestillnodded.

venifitwasmoreexcessivethanwhathepersonallywanted,onethingwascertain—hefullyunderstoodthatthegrouptreasuredhim.

Forawhileafterward,UA’sphonesnearlyexplodedfromallthelovecallsaskingforParkJuu.

Callingthemlovecallssoundednice,buttheywereclosertodesperatepleas.

twasonlynaturalforParkJuu’sskillstoattractnationwideattention.fsomeonethistalentedatsingingstayedunknownforever,thatwouldhavebeenstranger.

Still,sharprisesinpopularityrequiredcaution.herehadalreadybeencaseswherefakedatingscandalswerespreadtoburydrugcontroversies,andpublicopinionmanipulatedformoney.

Sodespitefeelingrudeaboutit,decidedtoverifyformyselfwhetherParkJuu’sstagehavingthismuchimpactwasactuallynormal.

Andthen...