Episode 85. Our Company's All-Purpose Entertainer (4)
I couldn’t sympathize in the slightest with Lee Cheonghyeon, who was suffering from belatedly envying the joy of children.
I don’t know anything about a child’s joy during Family Month either. I never even received Children’s Day gifts in the first place.
It was merely an opinion I gave in the sense of “use it as a reference,” but for Lee Cheonghyeon, sympathizing with the subject of reference seemed quite important. Was this the difference between a creator and a salaryman?
I was about to say, “Should I look up videos of energetic kids on MeTube?” but stopped when I met eyes with Lee Cheonghyeon, whose pretty face was on the verge of death.
This is an emergency. We can’t get first place without that face!
I racked my brains at lightning speed. And with brilliant wit, I found a desperate solution.
“Get up and put on sunscreen.”
“Huh?”
“We’re going out, so put on sunscreen!”
* * *
“……Didn’t you say we were going out because you had something to reference for composing?”
Gang Giyeon, who had been dragged here on the charge of needing a photographer, asked with a puzzled expression.
Suddenly, a column of water burst out behind Gang Giyeon. It was a water show refreshing enough to cool the hearts of those watching.
“That’s right. How is it, Cheonghyeon? Does it feel like inspiration is surging up?”
“The fountain is surging up amazingly, at least!”
The moment Lee Cheonghyeon finished speaking, streams of water shot up from the bare ground.
The place I had led these guys to was Children’s Grand Park, a holy land for children. At least among the places I knew, this one had the most kids.
“I thought I’d never come here again after elementary school…….”
Gang Giyeon muttered.
Well, at least you came when you were in elementary school. I first came to Children’s Grand Park at twenty-six—I hadn’t even come here when I was an elementary school student.
‘And that was only because Hanpyeong Industries said they didn’t have enough manpower to take snap photos of their new product.’
Before I could even immerse myself in the bitter memory, two children on kickboards passed by our side like arrows, accompanied by loud laughter.
Afraid that Lee Cheonghyeon’s shoulders might slump, I took out a composition notebook and a pencil case from the backpack I had carried instead and handed them to him.
“Here. You can’t go back to the dorm until you achieve 60% progress today.”
“This is bad. Do they allow sleeping outdoors here, by any chance?”
“Yeah, they say troublemaker kids like you can sleep outdoors for up to three days.”
While seating Lee Cheonghyeon on an empty chair, Gang Giyeon approached and asked.
“Then what should I do? Do I really just take photos of him?”
“Yeah. Go over there under the natural light and take some selfies too while you’re at it.”
“What are you going to do, hyung?”
“I’m going to film a video.”
As I said that, I pulled out a camcorder from deep inside my backpack. Since it was equipment I had borrowed after getting permission from the filming team, I had brought it along as carefully as handling a sacred vessel.
“Are you uploading this as self-produced content too?”
At Gang Giyeon’s question, Lee Cheonghyeon started in surprise.
“Hyung! Is this going up as content too? I’m kind of embarrassed!”
“It’s not going up. I’m filming it in case of an emergency.”
I had no intention of doing something like “I’m going to show everyone you composing!” to Lee Cheonghyeon, who still found it difficult to show confidence in his own creations.
I simply wanted to prepare for any eventuality.
What if one day UA loses all the photo images collected for photocards, or if all the photos these guys took are out of focus so the pixels break when I try to enlarge them for photocards.
Or if they need to insert footage into a fan song MV but can’t get even 4 minutes and 30 seconds of video. That’s what I’m preparing for.
These guys, who couldn’t read my mind, looked at me as if they had no idea what I was talking about.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to do your respective tasks?”
“Haah…….”
At my words, the two of them sighed with identical expressions.
Hurry up and move. I’m busy too.
* * *
A vast park in early March, bathed in warm spring sunlight.
The sound of leaves shaking as if shattering and bumping into each other whenever the cool wind blew.
The fragrance of flowers constantly wafting from somewhere, children’s laughter, the sound of water jets shooting up, and…….
One rookie idol sitting on a bench with a deathly expression, tearing at his hair in agony over the source of pure joy; another rookie idol diligently taking photos of him from across the way; and even one rejuvenated ajusshi who had crawled out under the blazing sun, crouching down and recording the entire scene with a camcorder.
What a wonderful combination. A splendid sight that wouldn’t be strange to select as the scenery of the year.
Gang Giyeon, who had taken all his photos against the backlight and received about a ten-minute pinpoint lecture from me, was now even sparkling with determination as he worked to capture the best subject.
“Giyeon-ah, how many photos have you taken?”
“I think over 200.”
“Your selfies?”
“Three.”
“Then stop taking photos of Lee Cheonghyeon now and go take your selfies. Stay inside the park, and don’t come back until you’ve taken at least twenty.”
“Yes.”
With that, Gang Giyeon obediently left his spot.
Hoping that he would take incredible selfies, I spoke to Lee Cheonghyeon, who was probably glaring at his notebook behind me.
“Now that Giyeon's gone, tell me.”
“Huh?”
“You have something you want to say to me, don’t you?”
When I turned around, Lee Cheonghyeon’s eyes were wide open.
“How did you know?”
“I’m a mind reader, that’s why.”
Because the only thing I learned at Hanpyeong Industries was reading the room.
Besides, we’d been sharing the same room for over a year and using the same practice room every day. Wouldn’t it be strange if I didn’t know?
Nevertheless, that innocent Lee Cheonghyeon showed no signs of dropping his surprised expression.
Watching the children running around energetically as if playing tag, Lee Cheonghyeon asked.
“Hyung, why are you so good to us?”
“What?”
My resolve not to be flustered by any question Lee Cheonghyeon asked was rendered meaningless by this unexpected attack of a question.
Good to us?
Who? Me?
To you guys?
I can guarantee that no one else has stood in such close proximity to these guys, engraving every profanity into their heart while feeling such anger and sorrow.
‘It’s not like I’ve done anything particularly nice for them.’
Except for situations necessary to complete missions given by the system, I always tried to minimize my intervention in Spark.
The only things I’d done while hanging out with these guys were baking bread, folding laundry, and leaving mood lights on.
Being good to someone should be a bit more…… kind and affectionate, shouldn’t it?
Like asking how they are occasionally, or giving them spending money sometimes.
Lee Cheonghyeon, noticing my expression saying ‘I don’t understand what you mean,’ continued.
“Usually, when someone around you says something isn’t going well, people don’t go this far to help them, do they?”
“What do you mean by ‘this far’? Bringing you to the park?”
“It’s not just that.”
What had I even done for this guy?
No matter how much I thought about it, I had no memory of doing anything that would warrant hearing this.
“Since you brought up the park, let me use that as an example. Ordinary people might empathize or give advice, but they don’t help out to this extent with all their heart and soul, right?”
“That’s because I can’t fully empathize with the pressure you feel, nor can I give you technical advice.”
“What’s amazing is that you don’t just end it with encouragement in a situation like that.”
“If you live long enough, you’ll meet about 150 million people kinder than me. Besides, someone like Jeong Seongbin is living right under the same roof.”
“Come on, you and Seongbin-hyung are, how should I put it…… a different breed.”
“Is that an insult?”
“How did you know?”
Lee Cheonghyeon replied shamelessly and then laughed loudly.
Just then, a commotion was heard from afar.
When I turned my gaze, I saw Gang Giyeon, who had been walking toward us, surrounded by children.
Seeing him take a toy from one of the kids, I assumed he had been asked to open something or other, but…….
“Hyung, he’s shooting bubbles at the kids?”
Finally, Gang Giyeon began treating the children to a bubble show, firing a giant water gun that sent bubbles flying vigorously into the air.
Lee Cheonghyeon grabbed his stomach and giggled, then jumped up from his seat asking to join in.
*They really do everything.*
Thinking that, I neatly organized the notebook and writing supplies that Lee Cheonghyeon had been on the verge of crumpling. Still, I somehow had a feeling that Lee Cheonghyeon would come up with a good melody by tonight.
At that point, I still didn’t know. About the dark future that would befall the group.
* * *
After receiving the new KPI, I had held a retrospective session, asking the members about what each thought went well, what was lacking, and what they wanted from future activities.
It was thanks to my resolution to accommodate their wishes as much as possible until we achieved the final KPI.
And at that gathering, Choi Jeho had said this.
‘I’d prefer not to talk about family-related things if possible.’
In the past too, Spark—and especially Choi Jeho—hadn’t often mentioned family. It became even more so after some years had passed since their debut.
Perhaps thanks to Department Head Nam’s daughter, who had been a die-hard fan of Choi Jeho, I too had unintentionally learned the reason Choi Jeho didn’t want his family circumstances brought up.
≫ My younger sibling is in the same class as His Majesty’s younger sibling, and I heard His Majesty is from a divorced family
Seems like it’s because his old man drank and gambled;;
His Majesty barely drank during the Yoonseul live too, so he probably learned his lesson and won’t drink or gamble. Yeah, don’t worry
└ Can’t we report this bastard?
└ Hey XX, take the post down
└ Don’t worry?? He’s not even some delinquent;;;
‘He said his mother and father had split up.’
These days, many people say divorce isn’t a flaw, and many say it’s better to be torn apart than to live with worthless parents.
But people were bound to have family members who made them sick just by thinking of them. For Choi Jeho, his father seemed to be such a person.
So I answered that while I couldn’t give a definite promise, I would try my best to avoid such questions. There’s no point mentioning how easily family-related questions arise in society—talking about it would only make my mouth hurt.
Still, I had really been planning to try.
“Hey, Kim Iwol.”
Choi Jeho, who was absolutely furious, approached and asked me.
“The next self-produced content—did you plan this too?”
In a low, suppressed voice unlike anything I had heard before.