Chapter 69: Business Etiquette Training (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 69: Business Etiquette Training (2)
Kang Gi-yeon couldn't believe his ears.
The soft voice and warm gaze were strange enough, but the conversation topic Park Ju-woo had chosen was something straight out of a fan sign event.
It was so natural that it seemed as if he had memorized a script, but there was one problem.
Kim I-wol rarely ever wore accessories.
‘Is he going to nag him again for lacking attention to detail…?’
Startled, Kang Gi-yeon hurriedly checked Kim I-wol’s hand.
To his relief, there was indeed a thick silver ring on Kim I-wol’s left ring finger. It was a fashion ring that their manager, Chan-yeong, often wore. It seemed he had borrowed it just for today.
Kim I-wol, maintaining his shamelessly happy energy, replied.
“Oh my gosh, how did you know I bought a new ring?”
“It looks so good on your hand… Did you buy it recently?”
“Yeah, I got it specifically to wear today.”
It was unbelievable.
To think the day would come when he’d hear Park Ju-woo and Kim I-wol talking about silver accessories, saying things like “I wore it for you” or “It suits you well.”
For a brief moment, Kang Gi-yeon worried that today might be the end of the world.
For the next three minutes, timed strictly with a stopwatch, Park Ju-woo and Kim I-wol engaged in a productive conversation.
Eventually, when the timer went off, Kim I-wol stood up and clapped his hands.
“Ju-woo, you don’t need any more practice. You can go home.”
“Really…? Thank you, Hyung.”
“Hyung! What about me? I worked hard too!”
“Lee Cheong-hyeon, you lose points because you didn’t voluntarily bring out the doll hats while Ju-woo was doing his lines.”
Faced with Kim I-wol’s cold attitude, Lee Cheong-hyeon backed down without further protest.
In that moment, every member of Spark except Park Ju-woo had the same thought.
They weren't going to get any sleep in their dorm beds tonight.
Their ominous intuition was spot on.
One moment, Kim I-wol was acting like an angelic fan; the next, he transformed into a demon, hounding the members relentlessly.
The intensity reached its peak when it was Choi Je-ho’s turn.
‘What’s with the silence? Do you not want to talk?’
‘No, wait a second…’
‘Do I look like a joke to you? I came here after coming up with twenty questions just to talk to you, and I even practiced outside the door so I wouldn't stumble over my words. Did you let your guard down because I said Cheong-hyeon was handsome earlier and you thought I was his fan? If I’m not your fan, am I not a fan of Spark either?’
He had been harsh before, but the feedback for Choi Je-ho was particularly vicious.
Choi Je-ho sniped back, implying he was taking it too far, but Kim I-wol didn't budge.
‘Don’t think I don’t know that words like this don't actually hurt you. Besides, others will say much worse. If it’s something you can fix now, improve it before trouble actually starts.’
Choi Je-ho clicked his tongue. It was likely because nothing Kim I-wol said was wrong.
However, logic and feelings are two different things.
Choi Je-ho frowned. It was obvious he was barely holding back a sigh.
Kim I-wol stared at him quietly. When Kim I-wol’s lips parted again, Kang Gi-yeon tensed up.
What was he going to throw at him this time?
Was he going to scold him for frowning again so soon? Or tell him to quit if he hated it that much?
Either way, he couldn't imagine a scenario where the atmosphere in the practice room improved.
However, what came out of Kim I-wol’s mouth was completely unexpected.
‘It’s not like you aren't curious about the fans. Why are you keeping your mouth shut like that?’
Kim I-wol spoke with absolute certainty. It wasn't a guess.
Kang Gi-yeon quickly exchanged glances with the members sitting next to him. None of them understood what was happening.
But Choi Je-ho just stared back at Kim I-wol with a crooked gaze.
After a few seconds, he ruffled his hair roughly and spoke in an irritated tone.
‘No, it’s just… my sister told me not to go around asking people useless things.’
‘Your sister?’
‘She used to come home every day and curse about how she fucking hated people at school or work who pried into every little thing. She nagged me specifically to watch my mouth… Ha, just thinking about it makes me sick.’
Is he really using that as an excuse? Kang Gi-yeon was appalled.
Now, Kim I-wol’s thunderous wrath would surely descend. And they would all be turned into ash, floating through the practice room air…
‘Aha. I see what you mean.’
…?
Kim I-wol, who had been listening quietly, stroked his chin and nodded.
Was he really a generous enough person to accept an explanation like that? That Kim I-wol?
Kang Gi-yeon couldn't fathom the context in which Kim I-wol understood Choi Je-ho’s logic.
That question was answered by the conversation that followed.
‘The annoying people your sister mentioned—she meant creeps hitting on her or seniors and juniors she wasn't interested in, right?’
‘Yeah.’
‘And it was disgusting because they approached her with ulterior motives and kept pestering her even when she made it clear she wasn't interested.’
‘Exactly.’
To summarize: Choi Je-ho’s sister, fed up with being approached repeatedly, had given Choi Je-ho a special mission: “Don’t live like that. Your mouth is especially dangerous, so keep it shut.” And Choi Je-ho was diligently trying to follow that order.
‘It’s not like I was just sitting there with an empty head. It just took a long time because I was worrying about whether the question was appropriate or not.’
‘I like that part, at least. But the reason your sister said that was because those guys had hidden agendas and were crossing the line. Are you a bastard with hidden agendas toward your fans? Or are you planning to just blurt out whatever nonsense comes to mind without reading the room? Do you want a piece of me?’
‘How does it even jump to that?!’
‘If not, then show some gratitude and talk to them with sincerity and interest. If I think you’re crossing the line, I’ll keep you in check.’
With that, the two of them casually resumed the fan sign rehearsal. And with a very serious attitude, at that.
Kang Gi-yeon thought the oldest members were out of their minds. But he was relieved that a fight hadn't broken out, and he was grateful to see that Choi Je-ho was actually capable of asking questions in a calm and steady manner.
I was standing in the middle of a familiar campus.
Students busily passing by, the scorching sunlight, the distant sound of boisterous laughter. I could even feel the pleasant weight of a bag on one shoulder.
As I walked into the Student Union Building out of habit, I saw the club room where I spent the most time after the lecture halls.
Beyond the door, the loud chatter of my seniors leaked out, just as it always did.
When I opened the door and entered, the seniors gestured for me to come in, just like any other day.
Even though it was a band club, there was a lot of talking. They spent as much time chatting as they did playing instruments.
And everyone was very interested in the youngest member, who lacked any sort of cuteness.
‘I-wol, what kind of work did you want to do that brought you to the Business Department?’
I had made it to university, but I wasn't exactly a hard worker. I spent my days tutoring or working at convenience stores.
Aside from that, I just spent my time in the club room relentlessly playing the communal bass guitar. To others, I must have looked quite strange.
But I had never thought deeply about the future. People who are overwhelmed just trying to survive the present tend to become nearsighted.
I replied as I opened the bass case.
‘I’ll probably just apply anywhere that hires our major, right?’
‘No plans to take the civil service exam?’
A senior asked again.
News of people in the department struggling to prepare for the civil service exam reached my ears every single day.
I didn't have the time or the living expenses to prepare for months or years, and I was usually too busy collapsing into bed as soon as I got home. It wasn't a position I could afford to covet.
So, I just gave an awkward smile and replied.
‘The civil service exam isn't for just anyone.’
‘Hey, don’t go putting ideas in the kid’s head. He needs to go on one of those audition shows on Mnet and become a singer.’
‘Aren't you the one putting ideas in his head?’
Even though the vocalists weren't even in the club room, the seniors surrounded me and egged me on.
They passionately debated how many rounds I’d last if I went on an audition program and what songs I should pick to have the highest chance of winning.
After chatting like that for a long while, the seniors always reached roughly the same conclusion.
‘Whatever, forget it. I-wol just needs to show up. There’s nothing to worry about.’
‘I-wol, you can’t forget me even after you debut later, okay?’
‘Because of you, if I-wol becomes a top star, he’ll probably say in interviews that he grew musically by overcoming the oppressive discipline of his seniors.’
‘What are you talking about? That’s totally because of you.’
There wasn't much for me to say in the midst of all that.
The only thing I could do was perfectly set up the bass guitar left behind by a senior who had graduated during the "cosmos" off-season.
Just as I finished preparing for the ensemble as usual and was about to suggest we start practicing…
An alarm went off by my head. At the same time, my eyes snapped open.
The wooden ceiling right in front of me told me that what had just happened was a dream.
It’s funny. The memory is so vivid it appeared in a dream, yet the current me can’t even step foot in that club room.
‘Though the funniest thing is that I actually ended up debuting.’
I might not become a top star, but the long-awaited debut day had finally dawned.
Instead of the oppressive discipline of seniors, I was growing through the soul-sucking, unfair contracts of the System.
As if it knew today was the contract expiration date, the System appeared at the crack of dawn.
+
[SYSTEM] A work order from the ‘Person in Charge’ has arrived.
▶ Assistant Manager Kim, you know today is the deadline for performance reviews, right? Don’t feel too pressured. If you’ve done well so far, your review will be good. If not… well, you’ll just have to take the long way around. I hope it goes well. Don’t forget that I’m always rooting for you, Assistant Manager Kim.
+
Did you think saying it like that would make me angry again?
Sorry to disappoint, but you’re wrong.
I’ve been running a deathly routine of title track practice, fan sign practice, and fan meeting practice until just yesterday. Now, I’m actually looking forward to the debut.
Come then, sweet debut.