Chapter 328: The Leader is the Parent of the Group
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 328: The Leader is the Parent of the Group
“A chronic illness of modern society: death from overwork. Now is truly the time for a solution. The incidence of heart disease and the mortality rate among workers due to high-intensity labor are showing a steep upward trend. Accordingly, experts are speaking with one voice, stating that institutional mechanisms are needed to protect workers and…”
The news Jeong Seong-bin chose was nothing short of terrifying. His voice, as he read it aloud, was practically dripping with ice.
Listening to such stories while tucked under a plush duvet made me feel more than a little uncomfortable.
Seeing as he picked this specific news, it seemed the kid was determined to see this through to the very end. I had a lot to say, but I held it in out of respect for Seong-bin’s sincerity.
Seong-bin’s news-reading service continued after that. It mostly consisted of a cycle of articles praising Spark’s performance, the dangers of overwork, summaries of my highlights on variety shows, and columns emphasizing the importance of a good night’s sleep.
Hearing nothing but the kind of stuff you’d find in a non-fiction reading comprehension test, I felt like I might actually drift off. As I blinked slowly, Seong-bin looked surprised. He leaned in toward me, covered the microphone with his hand, and whispered.
“Hyung.”
“Yeah?”
His form of address had switched from ‘Young Master’ back to ‘Hyung.’
I wondered if he’d decided to drop the concept since it was past midnight, but then—
“Hyung, you didn’t take a single headache pill today.”
Seong-bin smiled happily. It wasn’t just a bright smile; it was a look of pure, visible satisfaction.
His orange hair swayed gently, like a field of reeds catching the sunlight.
“…You’re right.”
I really hadn’t noticed. Not thinking about work—or rather, being unable to—must have helped.
You’re in trouble, kid. How are you going to survive this harsh world when you’re this sweet to everyone?
Despite his ‘criminal’ behavior, Seong-bin remained nonchalant. He was busy trying to create the ultimate sleeping environment, playing ‘Crackling Campfire ASMR’ and turning on the air purifier. When I told him to stop and go to sleep himself, he simply covered my eyes with a heated eye mask.
Warm eyes, a soft bed, and the sound of logs crackling in my ears. I was experiencing a truly bizarre level of luxury.
“Seong-bin.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Are you not going to turn off the camera until I fall asleep?”
“Of course not.”
Seong-bin was adamant. I had underestimated his stubbornness. Right, I have been getting soft on you guys lately.
“And you’re not going to sleep until I do, right?”
“Naturally.”
“Cut back on how much you contact Mr. Jeong Seong-jun.”
“Ahaha!”
Seong-bin let out a laugh. Even without looking, his laughing face was as vivid as a drawing in my mind.
“And…”
“Yes, Hyung.”
“Thanks for looking out for me…”
Perhaps because my vision was blocked, sleep began to crawl in even though it wasn't quite bedtime yet. I thought I heard Seong-bin’s voice telling me to have a good night.
≫ This self-produced content is the best ever
Member welfare served up by a kind and gentle leader? This literally cannot fail.
Well, half of it was served by his brother, but still.
└ Is it because they’re identical twins? Seong-jun’s voice sounds exactly like my husband’s.
└ Is OP trying to get a torchlight protest sent to their house? Watch yourself, I bought two lightsticks.
≫ Kim I-wol until now: A mom figure taking care of the kids, telling them to eat their anchovy rice balls and take their vitamins.
Kim I-wol today: A young teenager entering puberty, whining, “Mom, I don’t need this!” but lacking the resistance to stop her, so he ends up leaving the house wearing exactly what his mom put on him.
└ Even though Seong-bin didn’t actually touch his clothes.
└ Seong-bin Mom’s pressure was too strong to resist;;; hahaha Look at Kim I-wol lying down so obediently.
≫ At this point, Spark needs to do a Ro-Pan concept next.
I mean, the kids are serving up a Ro-Pan AU themselves.
└ The Ro-Pan we imagined: An extension of the Potluck Party, a beauty succession ceremony between the Emperor and the Crown Prince, a fake playboy young master seeking penance at the Great Temple.
The Ro-Pan the kids brought: Chef, butler, servant, street musician.
└ Seong-bin, I’m sorry, but let’s give the planning to I-wol… no, to UA… no…
└ hahahahahaha Sparklers have so much they want to say but can’t bring themselves to say it.
≫ Since when has Choi Je-ho been learning the drums????
I was going to scream that he has to wear sleeveless shirts while drumming because of some law or another, but he already came out wearing one.
As expected of Spark, they fulfill everything without even being told.
└ Band-Park is coming.
└ Then is Gi-yeon learning an instrument too? Guys, is your day 48 hours long?
└ I can say for certain that Spark is the busiest idol group ever…
≫ Our I-wol is finally sleeping in front of the camera.
It was Noona’s wish to see you sleep.
My baby looks scary even when he’s sleeping. Even ghosts would run away. I’m glad it looks like he won’t get sleep paralysis. I love you.
└ What the heck does that even mean? hahahahaha
└ What do you mean he looks scary when he sleeps? Our I-wol looks like a total angel when he’s asleep.
└└ Wow, this is true love.
The fans thoroughly enjoyed watching me being rendered helpless by Jeong Seong-bin and the other members. I muted the video and only looked at the comments.
“These dark circles won’t go away even after a full night’s rest.”
“You shouldn’t underestimate hyperpigmentation. This is the accumulated result of my sleep patterns.”
“Should we have filmed the self-produced content for a whole week?”
I kept my mouth shut at Seong-bin’s question. Living as a ‘Young Master’ for a week? I wouldn’t have the mental strength to survive that.
Regardless, there was a result. All the ‘Patience Marks’ next to my name had disappeared!
In the spirit of easing Seong-bin’s worries from now on, I decided to reduce my ‘Deep thoughts about the future’ time to ten minutes. As the elder, I couldn't keep being a burden to others forever.
After going through so many schedules, broadcasts, and activities…
“Spark, please stand by for recording!”
…The day of the final broadcast for Spark’s first regular album promotions arrived.
During promotion periods, there are usually restrictions on outfits. This is because they need to bring out the song’s concept while not significantly hindering the choreography.
We also had to be careful not to get too overly immersed ourselves and make it inaccessible to the viewers. Excessive concepts are often hard for the public to swallow.
However, the final broadcast is free from such unwritten rules. Spark had already shown enough of the performances we needed to show. All that was left was to finish strong and show a sincere conclusion.
Perhaps that was why Park Ju-woo and Lee Cheong-hyeon loved the unique atmosphere of the final broadcast. While it was sad that it was the end, they said they liked the free atmosphere where they could add plenty of ad-libs, and even if they suddenly went out wearing ribbon pins in their hair, people would just accept it with a single comment: “It’s their final broadcast.”
And there were people who had been waiting for the final broadcast just as much as we had.
“Guys, let’s slay the stage today.”
“I think the clothes racks are going to slay before the stage does…!”
It was the stylists. So many racks of clothes were being rolled in that I thought someone else’s luggage had been brought in by mistake.
For On A High Note, we decided to wear arranged baseball uniforms with thin blue stripes for everyone.
First, Choi Je-ho was given sports goggles. It was an item we had been putting off because the ones without tinting looked like regular glasses, and the ones with heavy tinting looked too much like dragonflies. Fortunately, before the final broadcast, they managed to find a product that didn't look like it was from the future but was appropriately stylish with the sharp angles of sports goggles.
Jeong Seong-bin unbuttoned his collar and wore a light blue turtleneck inner. I was worried it might not match his personal color, but perhaps because he had dyed his hair a bright orange, it suited him well, bringing out an overall refreshing vibe.
Park Ju-woo was given white half-gloves. He seemed busy repeatedly clenching and unclenching his fists, clearly liking the gloves. Worried he might be bored with just gloves, they also provided knee pads. Lee Cheong-hyeon had drawn stars on them.
As for Lee Cheong-hyeon… it was exhausting just stopping him from yapping in the car since morning.
‘What do you mean, eye patches!’
‘But it makes me look like a real player!’
‘Absolutely not. Not a chance.’
‘Do you even deserve the nickname of a seeker of reality after this, Hyung?’
‘The nickname of Spark’s greatest aesthetician is enough for me.’
So, that fellow was currently very dissatisfied with me. Did you think I’d let you paint your face just because it’s the final broadcast? If you want to stick something on your skin, bring an allergy test result first.
Instead of eye patches, we wrapped a pretty headband around Lee Cheong-hyeon’s head. Fearing a colorful, bright headband might look out of place on his black hair, small holographic hairpieces were cut and attached to his hair. Thanks to that, a hairstyle resembling a rainbow over a wavy night sea was completed.
For Kang Gi-yeon, we put on a ball cap backward, the symbol of a mischievous kid. Normally, I would never have allowed anything that would flatten his hair, but considering the destructive power of the ‘cool guy’ smile Kang Gi-yeon showed in On A High Note, I decided to make a special exception.
Everyone’s faces shone even brighter thanks to the wonderful makeup. I was momentarily confused, wondering if baseball was a sport played with one’s face.
“Are we going out with the same makeup for End?”
Since the outfits would change, the makeup should change too, but the current makeup was so full of soul that I asked just to check.
The answer that came back was as grim as a radio transmission from the last survivor of the world in End, facing the apocalypse.
“Of course we have to wipe it all off and start fresh.”
Everyone was truly serious about the final broadcast. I could only think about how grateful I was for their best efforts. Since Hong Un-seop, I’ve been keenly realizing how thankful it is to have someone do work in a field I can’t handle as sincerely as if it were their own.
“What do you think about doing a huddle when we start recording today? I looked it up, and players do it often.”
“Then we need a chant. Do we have to do something like ‘Burn it up, Spark’?”
“The chant is a bit scary…”
Somehow, led by Jeong Seong-bin, an idea meeting was held in the short time remaining.
“How about this? Let’s set it on fire, Spark!”
“It sounds like you’re going to set the stadium grass on fire. Rejected.”
“Don’t just reject it, Kang Gyeon, you give an opinion too.”
The waiting room became noisy. It was all well and good, but I hoped they wouldn’t forget that Spark is a refreshing-concept idol group.