Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols Chapter 439: My Beloved Family (4)

heafterglowoftheperformancelingeredforalongti.

heseaParkJuucreatedwastoodeep.venafterthefinalcontestantfinishedsinging,noonehadfullysurfacedfromit.

hevictorynaturallywenttoParkJuu.

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

Withoutaword,thetwoembracedeachothertightly.

Whenoureyest,ParkJuu,whohadbeenpattingJeongSeongbin’sback,walkedtowardthisti.hemontopenedmyarms,heslippedagainst.eatradiatedfromhiminwaves.

heParkJuuofthepasthadultimatelymadehisownchoiceintheend,onlytofail.

Asfor,hadtmyendstaringdeathinthefacewithoutdoinganythingatall.

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

simplyhadnotbeenabletoreadbeyondit.

Andonlytodaydidfinallydiscovertheanswer—onethatperhapswouldhavebeenbetterleftunknown.

fthethingwesharedwaslosingsoonewelovedandbeingleftaloneforalongtiafterward,thenperhapsitwouldhavebeenbetterifwehadneverresembledeachotheratall.

Still,atleastfornow,decidedtoacceptitgladly.

Becausenowcouldunderstandevenalittleofhisloneliness.

houghunlike,whocouldneveracceptseparation,ParkJuuhadalreadyputhisheartinorder.

"...othoughts?"

ParkJuuasked.

almostrepliedbyaskingwhetheritwasevenrighttocritiqueastagelikethat.Butstoppedmyself.fhehadwantedsympathy,hewouldneverhaveperforditinthefirstplace.

knewwhatitfeltliketobelieveyoucouldnevermoveforwardunlessyouconfrontedyourpast.

hethodusuallychosebackthenwasavoidance.

ParkJuufacedithead-on.

Andintheend,heovercait.

isexpressionalonemadethatclear.

earingthessagewithinthesongandrespondingtoit—thatwasmyroleasthelistener.

"twasamazing."

heimageofParkJuushiningdespitebeingdressedheadtotoeinblackremainedvividinmymind.feltlikewouldrembertoday’sstagefortherestofmylife.

owcouldanyoneforgetalifestoryfoughtthroughsofiercely?

"twasreallyamazing."

"..."

"Rockreallyisthebest,huh?"

ParkJuutookastepbackandlookedat.isdamphairandflushedskinmadehimlookvividlyalive.

iseyessparkledbrightly.

"Yeah."

egrinned.

"hisiswhyloverock."

venwithoutthewristbands,ParkJuunolongerscratchedattheskinbeneathhisbracelets.

Probablybecausetheynolongerfeltcoldagainsthim.

fstarsexistedonearth,perhapstheywouldresembleParkJuu.

speciallyinthewaypeoplecheeredwhenevertheysawthemshiningbeforetheireyes.

hestarcalledParkJuushonesobrilliantlythatanyonewhocrossedpathswithhimwouldstopbeneaththatstarlightforatleastamont,evenwithoutbeingasked.

AndthenParkJuuwouldsmileandsingforhisaudience.

Withapureheart.

Justlikethedreamheoncewishedforasachild.

Afterappearingon“AD,”ParkJuubecanoticeablymorecheerful.

eoftenhumdtohimselfwhileorganizingflowerpotsorswayedhisheadaloneinfrontoftherefrigerator.

ealsoreturnedtoreplyingtoBubblePopatthesapaceasbefore.ParkJuusaidnegativereactionsnolongerbotheredhim.

"thinkit’sbecausemademydecisioninmyheart."

Slowlybutclearly,ParkJuuexplainedthathewantedtofocusongroupactivitiescompletelybyhisownwill—notbecauseoutsideinfluencespressuredhimorbecausehehadshrunkbackintohimself.

"decidedthatinsteadoffeelingsorrytowardthembers,shouldfeelgrateful."

eevensaidsothingsurprisinglyadmirable.

toldhimhehadthoughtitthroughwell.

nthebroadcastday,heandeeCheonghyeonalsodidalivestreamtogethertalkingabouttheirexperiencesparticipatingin“AD.”anwhile,JeongSeongbin,Kangiyeon,andsatinthelivingroombitingournailswhilewatchinginrealti.

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

『What’swiththat?exttiyoubettercotofirstnomatterwhat.』

eeCheonghyeongrumbledatParkJuu’shonestconfession.Smilingfaintly,ParkJuugentlysoothedhim.

『Alotofpeopleworriedaboutaftermysituationbecapublic,but’mreallyokay...!Jehohyungeventoldcouldbecohisyoungerbrotherifthingsgotbadenough.』

『Seriously?』

『esaidhavingoneyoungerbrotherortwowouldn’tmakemuchdifference...』

『hatguy’sridiculous,seriously.』

hankstothelivestream,weevengottooverhearconversationsbetweentheroommates.

heworlddeservedtoknowthatChoiJeho—theofficialolderbrotherofParkJuu—hadalreadygonetosleepearly.

almoststartedfuriouslytypingintothelivechat,butrestrainedmyself.

’dletitslidefortodayinrecognitionofhimtakingcareofhisdongsaeng.

『hembersareallfamilyto.』

ParkJuuspoke.

hesentencewasshort,butsincerityfilledeveryword.

『So...wanttostayactivewithourmbersforareallylongti.ongerthannow.』

twasagentleansweraidattheconstanttalkaboutsoloactivities.

herepeatedcomntsinthechatgraduallybegandisappearing.eeCheonghyeonnodded,sayingheunderstoodexactlyhowhefelt.

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

『Dowhateveryouwant.Justmakesureyoucobackintiforourcobacks.』

『kay...』

ParkJuuansweredobediently.

Maybebecausehewashappyhearingsoonetellhimtocoback,helookedgenuinelycontent.

Afterthelivestream,theobsessivepostsdroppedsharply.Afewpeoplegotangry,accusinghimoftargetingfans,butafterbeingfloodedwithcomntsaskingwhethertheyhadnoshawhenhehadphrasedthingssogently,theyalldisappeared.

nstead,attentiontowardParkJuuindividuallyincreasedevenmore.

toldhimtogiveupthesesterevenifitantwastingtuitionmoney,becauseitwasobvioushewouldgetdraggedintounnecessaryattention.YetParkJuustillattendedschoolfaithfullyeverysingleday.

ventually,gotsoworriedthatsatJeongSeongbindownthemonthecahofromclass.

"DidpeopleatschoolbotherJuu?"

"heydid.Peopleinourdepartntwerecareful,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."

"Andthreetis?"

"Awarning."

"Andwhy?"

"Becauseafterthefourthti,shaandalertnessdisappear."

"Andwhat’sacompilationofvoicecracks?"

"heresidueleftbehindbysoonewhoneglectedself-improvent..."

venParkJuuhimselflookedstartledafteransweringautomaticallyandhurriedlycoveredhismouth.

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

houghParkJuulookedconflicted,hestillnodded.

venifitwasmoreexcessivethanwhathepersonallywanted,onethingwascertain—hefullyunderstoodthatthegrouptreasuredhim.

Forawhileafterward,UA’sphonesnearlyexplodedfromallthelovecallsaskingforParkJuu.

Callingthemlovecallssoundednice,buttheywereclosertodesperatepleas.

twasonlynaturalforParkJuu’sskillstoattractnationwideattention.fsoonethistalentedatsingingstayedunknownforever,thatwouldhavebeenstranger.

Still,sharprisesinpopularityrequiredcaution.herehadalreadybeencaseswherefakedatingscandalswerespreadtoburydrugcontroversies,andpublicopinionmanipulatedformoney.

Sodespitefeelingrudeaboutit,decidedtoverifyformyselfwhetherParkJuu’sstagehavingthismuchimpactwasactuallynormal.

Andthen...

[Spark’sternalocalist]ParkJuu

ParkJuu(21)

Careeristory

─RookieAwardWinneratMusicrandFestival

─Winnerof“MySinger’senreDeviation”

Performancevaluation

─ocalProficiency:21/

─DanceProficiency:14/20

─SelfPR:4/20

─AttendanceManagent:10/20

─rganizationalAdaptability:8/20

...realizedhadbeenoperatingunderamassivemisunderstanding.

Atfirst,thoughtthevocalproficiencyscorehadbeenenteredincorrectly.

Butunliketheothercategories,vocalproficiencyhadnoupperlimit.AndunlikemineorJeongSeongbin’sprofiles,therewasno“(100)”nexttotheevaluationscoresindicatingamaximumvalue.

Whichanttherewasnoerror.

hiswasbeyond“soonewhodeservedsuccessfinallybecomingsuccessful.”

hiswasacaseofsoonewhoshouldhavebecohugelongagosohowremainingunnoticeduntilnow.

‘ereallyworkedhard.’

ookingathisorganizationaladaptabilityscore—doublehisself-PRscore—leftwithcomplicatedfeelings.

UnlikeKP,proficiencyvalueschangedquickly.ParkJuu’sself-PRscorelikelyalreadyreflectedtheeffectsof“AD.”

Andyetitstillhadnotevenreachedfivepoints.

hataloneshowedhowpassiveParkJuuremainedwhenitcatoexposinghimselftotheoutsideworld.

Atthesati,thefactthatsoonewhowrappedhimselfupsotightlyhadstillworkedthishardtofitintoagroupofpeerswasvisibleinhisorganizationaladaptabilityscore.

Atthispoint,hadnochoicebuttocare.

nadditiontothemonthlyeaderDay,weclearlyneededaquarterlyarmonyPromotionDay.otgarbagelikegroupjumpropeorforcedbondingretreats,butanactuallyeffectiveprogramaidatimprovingntalhealthandstrengtheningbelonging—

"yung,areyoubusy?"

"Yeah.Why?"

"Youdon’tevenbotherlyinganymore..."

ParkJuu,whohadcotomyroom,spokewithaconflictedexpression.

"stillhavetitotalk.Wanttosit?"

ParkJuuobedientlysatattheedgeofthebed.closedmyplannerandturnedmychairsofacedhimdirectly.

"Whatareyoudoingtomorrowmorning?"

ParkJuuasked.

owthatpromotionswereover,unlessanewscheduleappeared,allreallyhadleftweremonitoring,workouts,practice,andpreparationsforthenextalbum.

"’llprobablygotothegymifnonewschedulescoup."

"...Workingoutisimportant."

henhetrailedoff.

Anyonecouldtellhehadsothinghewantedtosay.

"Whatdidyouwanttodowithtomorrowmorning?"

"uh?"

"ell.canworkoutintheafternoon."

ParkJuuhesitatedforalongtibeforecautiouslyspeaking.

"’mgoingtovisitmymomanddadtomorrow..."

hen,whilecarefullywatchingmyreaction,hequietlyasked:

"...Willyoucowith?"