Back when I first got the job, I was so happy that I never stopped to think about it.
Why would they hire someone like me… a teacher and a videographer… to manage a boy band? Why choose me over people with stronger degrees, better experience, and more obvious qualifications?
I did have a degree… but I wasn't the best.
There were many candidates who made more sense than I did. And yet, somehow, they chose me.
Those questions never crossed my mind back then. I was too excited. Too grateful. Too desperate for something good to happen in my life.
I didn't look deeper.
And that was my biggest mistake.
(Flashback)
The next day came, and Kim Seokjin was getting ready for work. Of course, he was going to meet his idol, so all he wanted was to look his best. Kim Seokjin was not very handsome, but if he tried, he could look good. None of his clothes felt right, so he chose one of his lucky suits instead.
He smiled all the way to the office. Nothing bad could touch him. He was in a great mood… until he walked into the studio building. Then he began to panic. His hands started sweating. His heart was racing. He felt like he was losing his mind, so all he could do was try to stay calm.
He entered the elevator and smiled when he realized it was the same one where he had met Rider before. He stayed lost in his thoughts, smiling to himself, almost forgetting where he was.
He met with the director.
They told him everything he needed to do and gave him the band's schedule. He was nervous because he knew nothing about managing a big K-pop group, but he still believed he could do his best. He also needed the money, so he could not give up.
He cleaned his desk, straightened the files, and asked another manager when Rider would return. They told him the boys were on a modeling job and would not be back for two days. When he heard that, he felt relieved. At least he had time to calm down.
While organizing his desk and checking the schedules, his phone rang. It was about his grandmother.
She was in the hospital. Kim Seokjin was a good boy. Even though his family called him weird, his grandmother loved him. She had dementia and did not always remember people. She called him "Snuggles" because she could not remember his real name.
The nurse said she would not calm down unless she saw him. He promised to come later, even though he had just started a new job. The nurse understood.
Some of his coworkers did not like him. He was new, yet he was already Riser's manager. So they made things hard for him. They asked him to rewrite notes and change small things that did not matter. But he swallowed it all. He was used to being bullied.
He was socially awkward. He did not know how to deal with people. But he kept working, even when the day became long and heavy, so tiring that he almost broke.
At some point, someone told him, "You just started this job and you're already lazy."
Kim Seokjin finally spoke up.
"Just because you are older does not mean you can treat me this way. I am a manager, not a clerk. If you keep doing this, I will report you to HR."
Everyone was shocked. They started thinking he was cold and strict. But he wasn't. He just wanted people to stop hurting him.
Later, his mother called and told him not to miss visiting his grandmother. No matter what he said, she always made him feel small. She always favored his other siblings.
Tired and frustrated, Kim Seokjin went to eat near the shining studio building. There, he met a strange man wearing sunglasses and a mask. They talked because their drinks got mixed up. Talking to a stranger made him feel lighter.
He did not know the man was the leader of Rider.
After that, he went to visit his grandmother. She hugged him and called him Mr. Snuggles. For a moment, he felt normal.
Later, he was scrolling on Instagram when he saw his idol's post. The man was wearing the same hoodie as the stranger he had talked to. His heart started racing.
He realized the truth.
Even though the day was hard, he felt happy that night. Something inside him warned him that happiness could disappear in one moment.
But right now… everything felt okay.