Chapter 86: Introducing the (Non-)Outstanding Family of the Month
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 86: Introducing the (Non-)Outstanding Family of the Month
Choi Je-ho irritably shoved a staple of two or three pages against my chest.
The title was written in large letters on the front page.
[Spark Original Content (Ep. 21) Planning Proposal—Childhood Reminiscences]
I flipped the page to find a rough outline.
The moment I saw it, only one thought crossed my mind.
He has every right to be mad.
The only thing he’d asked for was not to talk about his family, and here they were, blatantly ignoring that request. It would be weirder if he weren't angry.
I wasn't exactly comfortable with the subject either. My only "Children's Day memories" involved fleeing to a nearby playground to avoid my family members, who were all home because of the public holiday.
Swallowing a sigh, I answered Choi Je-ho, who was glaring at me with fire in his eyes.
"I didn't plan this."
"Then it must be the company."
With that, Choi Je-ho marched toward the practice room door.
He was clearly fuming, so I hurriedly stepped in his way to stop him.
"Where are you going?"
"The office."
"What for? Don't tell me you're going to pick a fight."
"I am. Why?"
Je-ho’s expression was nothing short of ferocious. His eyes looked crazed, as if he truly intended to go up there and raise hell.
I understood how he felt. He had to be furious. Especially when it came to family matters.
I tried my best to restrain him while appearing unfazed.
"Cool your head first."
I chose my words carefully so as not to offend him.
However, Choi Je-ho stormed out of the practice room without a word.
Crap. Nothing good will come of him leaving like that.
Corporate life is full of contradictions.
If you speak politely, people might ignore you; yet, if you show your emotions when something important goes wrong, society tells you the workplace isn't a playground.
In a place like that, even if Choi Je-ho expressed how absurd and indignant he felt, he’d likely just be told not to be so emotional.
To make matters worse, this guy was once the subject of a video titled "The Popular Boy Idol Who Uses His Members as Emotional Garbage Cans."
I chased after him, determined to stop him just this once before he jumped into the fire by saying the wrong thing.
'Are you that blunt at the office, too?'
A few months after I’d joined Hanpyeong Industry, my older sister had asked me that.
'I'm trying my best not to look like I lack social skills. Why?'
'So you actually care about social skills...'
'I have to if I don't want to get fired.'
I’d experienced all sorts of trial and error during my first foray into professional life. Thanks to that, I’d honed the skill of adapting to conversations like a chameleon.
That wasn't all. For an office worker, the attitude with which you listen is also crucial.
Generally, the concerns an HR manager hears are along these lines:
'Assistant Manager, I really want to quit. What should I do?'
'Assistant Manager, how do I apply for a department transfer?'
'Is it true our team isn't getting any new hires this time? Please tell me it's not true... Just kill me instead...'
Active listening is essential for these types of concerns.
It means it's important to hear what made the person want to quit or why they want to transfer departments.
Though for that last question, all I could do was offer my condolences and share a moment of silence.
But right now, I didn't know what kind of stance to take with Choi Je-ho.
My head knew I should take his side. To most people, family holds immense significance.
I knew that, but...
It feels wrong to force myself to act like I empathize when I don't.
I could easily empathize with complaints about Hanpyeong Industry’s malicious behavior. Words like "You've all worked so hard" would flow out of me like a vending machine spitting out change.
On the other hand, this situation was different. While my heart felt Je-ho had a right to be angry, my brain kept trying to hit the brakes, thinking, But it's still work.
At this rate, I’d likely end up just pretending to listen while trying to talk to him.
Damn it, I couldn't exactly make some sociopathic comment like, "This is nothing compared to having your sister's life held hostage to be an idol."
My mind was a mess as I chased after him.
The pursuit ended when I grabbed Choi Je-ho’s elbow just before he finished climbing the stairs to the third floor, where the offices were located.
"Hey."
When I called out, Je-ho turned toward me irritably.
I looked up at him as he stood crookedly one step above me, my hand still on his arm.
"Sorry for grabbing you without permission. But even if you're going to the office, can't you talk to me just once before you do?"
"You said you didn't come up with the idea. Why should I talk to you?"
"If I had checked it midway, I might have been able to filter it out. In that sense, it's partly my responsibility."
I meant it. I’d been feeling the weight of my mistake the whole time I was running up the stairs.
Despite my sincerity, Choi Je-ho let out a scoffing laugh.
"Why would you do that?"
Je-ho spoke with a sneer.
"Do I look that brainless to you? Hey, I know exactly who I should be mad at."
"..."
"Coming up with ideas, planning album concepts, writing articles, tracking album sales... Is that even your job to begin with? Why are you doing all that and then trying to take the fall for someone else's mistake on top of it?"
"That's because..."
Because that was the norm at Hanpyeong Industry.
I did it there because I was getting a salary, and here...
"The company gave me an opportunity even though I'm lacking. I'm just trying to do more."
"..."
"...If it looked like I was overstepping, I'm sorry."
"No, that's not what I meant."
Choi Je-ho ruffled his hair aggressively.
"Ugh, whatever. Anyway, I'm not letting this slide."
"You're fearless. You just debuted; aren't you scared of the company?"
"I believe the person who did something wrong should take responsibility. And what did I do wrong?"
You didn't do anything wrong. Like you said, the company did.
But still...
No, never mind.
He wasn't wrong, so what was the point in arguing?
My goal from the start was to calm him down even a little. As long as I achieved that, it didn't matter what he said.
Choi Je-ho and I sat side by side on the emergency exit stairs. An awkward silence filled the space.
"Aren't you going to ask why I made such a fuss?"
Choi Je-ho wasn't one to be deterred by a quiet atmosphere. Yeah, your personality is something else.
Feeling somewhat sheepish, I scratched my face and answered.
"It's because there's something you don't want to tell others. Why would I ask about that?"
"Then why did you follow me?"
"Because I was worried you'd say something weird instead of what you need to say because you're angry."
"What?"
Choi Je-ho asked, knitting his brows.
This guy... I told him not to scowl because it gives him wrinkles, but he never listens.
I told him to smooth out his forehead, stood up to check if anyone was around the emergency exit, and then sat back down on the stairs.
"How do you think you would've acted if you'd gone straight to the office?"
"Huh?"
"I'm asking how you would've treated the staff if you'd gone in that state."
Choi Je-ho faltered at my words.
It was obvious. He would have said all sorts of things.
"Most people judge the attitude more than the content of the words. Even if you're right, if they think your behavior is rude, they'll get defensive first."
"..."
Choi Je-ho rested his chin on his hand in silence.
Even if it feels like a lecture, bear with it. If you get through this now, you'll face a lot less criticism during your career.
I watched Choi Je-ho, who was lost in deep thought, and wondered how I could settle this ruffian down.
Would giving him some responsibility cool his head?
This guy wasn't the type to feel pressured by most things.
So, with a "do or die" mindset, I spoke up.
"Go and try to explain it as best as you can. Say something like, 'Iwol is also uncomfortable with that topic, so if you could just leave this out, the two of us will work really hard on the other parts!'"
"What are you talking about?"
"What do you mean? I'm saying I didn't want to talk about my family either."
Choi Je-ho looked at me with a dazed expression.
"What? Did I look like someone who grew up in a wealthy, happy home?"
I asked jokingly on purpose. Choi Je-ho replied.
"No, it's not that."
This guy...
"I just thought you'd do whatever you were told, even if you hated it."
"I mean, I would. But I really have nothing to say about my family, so I'd have to squeeze something out."
Even so, telling the fans something like, "My mom and dad gave me the opportunity to learn that it's okay to eat ramen seven months past its expiration date," wouldn't exactly be appropriate.
"So, cool your head a bit, then go talk to them. If you go and raise hell only to get scolded, I'll have to start wringing out some sob stories immediately."
"Ugh, seriously."
Choi Je-ho ruffled his hair irritably again and stood up. Still, unlike before, the venom was clearly gone from his eyes.
I was about to head down to the practice room after seeing him off when he called out to me.
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
I turned around to see him looking down at me from a few steps up.
Choi Je-ho stood with his arm hooked over the stair railing and asked.
"...If it's uncomfortable, should I ask them to leave your story out too?"
For a moment, I couldn't hold back a laugh.
How could someone be this naive? He really is twenty-one.
I looked up at Choi Je-ho, who practically had "I'm trying to be considerate" written on his forehead, and answered.
"I don't care either way, so do whatever you want."
The family history issue was settled amicably after that.
I didn't pry into the details of how it ended, but seeing him return calmly, it was easy enough to guess that the adults at UA had handled it maturely.
Thanks to that, the atmosphere at the dorm was peaceful as could be.
Lee Cheong-hyeon, who had recently dragged all the members out for a spring outing, was even humming while working on songs. It was such a bizarre sight that I wondered if the melodies wouldn't get mixed up.
The song he finished was very upbeat and good.
It had a fresh image that suited the transition from spring to summer, continuing the "refreshing" concept once again.
Everything was exactly as I wanted. Except for one thing.
"Cheong-hyeon."
"Yes?"
"Why is this note so high...?"