Chapter Text
Jungwon isn't too sure why he's here. He pulls at the collar of his shirt that's digging into his neck as he looks to his side to glance at the only other person interviewing for this role. He was much older and cold looking but held himself with a confidence Jungwon certainly didn't have. I mean, he had no experience and barely any qualifications so he felt justified in doubting if he'd get any job, never mind one in his chosen field. He felt young, even though he had been an adult for too long already. He felt like nothing.
If he'd told his younger self that he was going for a job as an idol manager at the age of 25, he's pretty certain that 15 year old Jungwon would have cried on the spot. Because, he was supposed to be the idol, or so he thought. Jungwon had trained for several years, bouncing between companies when it was clear he wasn't going to make the cut. He'd sacrificed his education, his body image, his friendships and general life milestones in hopes of finally hitting that lofty goal of debut. Despite the numerous failures and rejections he'd faced, Jungwon had never truly imagined what it would mean for him to pack up his locker with his handful of belongings for the final time and face the real world. Unfortunately, the real world was hard. He needed a job and the only thing he knew about was idols and how to be one so he figured it was the only job he could really get.
"You have experience?" Asked the older man as they were waiting to be seen by the CEO of the company.
"A little." Jungwon said quietly, trying not to entirely dismiss his personal experience.
"I've done this thing more times than I can count. I've heard Ni-ki is a little shit but I'm sure it's nothing I can't push into place." The man said casually, as if he hadn't implied what he had.
Jungwon schooled his widened eyes narrower. He wasn't foolish. Of course he'd searched extensively on the internet about his potential star. And he knew that maybe 90% of the results from the last few years were scathing criticisms, endless scandals and a never-ending hatetrain of abusive comments. But weren't managers supposed to help that, or support the artist? That was what he'd always hoped for anyway, but perhaps he was still naive.
Ni-ki. Ni-ki was a child star, having rose to the dizzy heights of fame at the age of 8. Pushed into acting by his parents, he'd immediately landed a range of roles across a silly number of films due to his cute face, range of expressions and bubbly personality. Then suddenly, when he hit 17, he announced that he would not be acting again. News outlets began reporting that Ni-ki had cut off his "devoted" parents and sought external management as he began his music career. The headlines turned on him immediately: ungrateful, tone-deaf, spoilt, cold, emotionless and the list goes on. It was as if his image had crumbled overnight and despite a few unpromoted, uncomfortably mature promotions, Ni-ki was firmly an overly hated, under-loved idol whose career seemed unsalvageable. Jungwon doubted he could save it. The company was on the brink and the pay was way less than that offered by other companies but for Jungwon, this showed they were desperate. If they'd take him on, he'd get that much needed experience and then he'd be able to land a decent job, hopefully.
"Yang Jungwon?" A short man called, snapping him from his thoughts.
Jungwon jumped to his feet immediately and gave the man a quick bow, walking briskly to catch up to him as he was led into the man's office. The man made no offer of introductions, leading Jungwon to assume from the name plate on his desk that this was Lee Kwanho, the CEO of the small company Planet2.
"Well, young man, I admire your boldness. You seem to have passed maybe one or two exams, you've never worked a day in your life and you have no credible references to go off. Why on earth would anyone hire you?" Jungwon felt his stomach drop at the bluntness of Kwanho. He felt instantly defensive and angry but tried to manage it swiftly.
"I'm aware of that, Sir. But as you can see, I was a trainee for around eight years. I know what it means to work hard and to make sacrifices for this job. I know that this will help with being a manager but I also think this will help me relate to Ni-ki in a way that other managers can't." Jungwon tried to explain as eloquently as he could, but he knew he sounded rattled.
"Hmm. And what would your priorities be as Ni-ki's manager?" Kwanho asked, sounding only vaguely interested.
"First, I need to understand what image he really wants to go with as I think the sharp transition from boy to man was jarring for his fans. Then, when we're clear on that, we'll work on cleaning up him image. He'll need to have more selective public appearances but if I know his personality, I think we can make it clear who he is again." Jungwon had frankly not given his plan enough thought beforehand. He wasn't sure what to expect from Ni-ki, and the boy's reaction would dictate pretty much everything so there wasn't much point in overly planning his ideas.
"I've always chosen someone like the other candidate. Someone who decides what image an idol should have and will make that work, using whatever methods needed. Ni-ki's always had managers like that and I was always sure that they'd make him successful. But they didn't... I'm taking a chance on you, Jungwon. Know you're his last chance, if you fail then he's over." Kwanho explained. Jungwon had practically seen his thoughts change as his expression transformed from uninterested to intrigued in just seconds.
Jungwon felt his heart pound in his chest. He'd done it! He'd got a job, an idea that seemed so distant and farfetched up until that very moment. But at the same time, he heard alarm bells going off in his mind. He was a completely inexperienced manager and he frankly didn't have a clue what the job would entail on a day to day basis. But now he was responsible for Ni-ki's entire career. The pressure already felt stifling but he was in no position to question it or negotiate.
"Bring Ni-ki." Kwanho said abruptly as he called another employee after Jungwon accepted the job and thanked him wholeheartedly.
Time seemed to pass by extremely slowly as Jungwon waited for Ni-ki to appear through the doorway. Jungwon was Ni-ki's manager; he couldn't believe it. Would Ni-ki take him seriously? Would they be able to get on? Most importantly, would Jungwon be able to help his career even slightly? Jungwon had so many questions race through his mind, he didn't have any time to consider any of them even slightly.
Then the door opened. Ni-ki entered the room. His hair was longer than Jungwon had seen in the somewhat recent pictures (a testament to how few schedules Ni-ki was having) and it hid his eyes. He was dressed entirely in oversized black clothes that hid his body completely. The only thing Jungwon could really see of him was his lips, squeezed together in a tight line as if to stop himself from speaking.
"Ni-ki, this is your new manager Jungwon. You'll be good, won't you?" Kwanho said. His tone was different with Ni-ki. With Jungwon, it felt like he was talking to someone lower than him. But with Ni-ki, it felt like Kwanho was talking to someone he didn't respect. There was a level of condescension that Jungwon found baffling.
Ni-ki simply lowered his head further.
"It's an honour to be working with you." Jungwon said, quickly jumping to his feet again with a light bow. He wanted a good first impression, even if his impression of Ni-ki was barely anything at all. Ni-ki didn't even look up.
"I'm sure. Oh, and Jungwon, if you need to use a firm hand, know the company has no issue with it. Right, off you go." Kwanho said briskly, as if reminding Jungwon that the company had a canteen. Jungwon opened his mouth, namely to simply ask "what?" but found that he was already exiting the door.
He needed this job. He couldn't leave already because of the numerous red flags that indicated how they treated their artists. He needed the experience and then he could jump ship to another company that had some morals. He had to stick it out. But as he looked at Ni-ki, already advancing down the corridor to who knows where in this unknown building, with his arms crossed and his back lightly hunched over, Jungwon felt like it would be a long mountain to climb before he'd be able to cross into another job.