Soorin's throat dried up.
Her lips parted. Nothing came out.
The fluorescent lights hummed too loudly. Glaring down like a spotlight waiting to catch her in a lie.
Her hands dug into her kit strap. Knuckles pale.
Manager Park's voice sliced through the silence.
"What the hell am I looking at?"
The photo on the phone screen burned into her retinas.
Her slumped against Haejin. His head tilted near hers.
Shadows disguising details but not enough to hide the truth.
Her truth.
★☆★☆★☆
The internet was already on fire.
Online: Gleams at War
[Hael oppa would NEVER date in secret. This is clearly staged.]
[Mystery woman = blonde confirmed. Is there some lady that has been seen around him lately?]
[Self centered bitches always ruin everything. Show your face since you had the balls to hire someone to take a picture.]
[She's pretty just from the little we've gotten. Kinda looks like my type ngl.]
[OMG what if they're actually in love?? K-drama moment.]
Hashtags trended: #ProtectHael. #MysteryLady. #HaelScandal.
"I—" she started.
But Haejin's voice cut over hers.
"It's nothing."
Cold. Flat. Icy.
Soorin whipped her head toward him.
His arms crossed. Face unreadable. Like the photo was nothing more than a smudge on a mirror.
Manager Park's fist slammed against the desk.
"Nothing?! Do you have any idea what fans will do with this? Do you know what sponsors will think?" His voice thundered. "A leader with a mystery woman in the rehearsal room? Are you trying to burn this group alive, Hael?"
Soorin winced.
The sound vibrated through the table. Sharp against her bones.
Haejin's lips curved into a humorless smile.
"You think I'd be stupid enough to get caught that easily?"
"Then explain!" Manager Park's fury snapped like a whip.
He swung his gaze to Soorin.
"You. Stylist. Was this you? Who let you into rehearsal after hours?"
Her mouth opened before her brain could stop it.
"I didn't sneak in. I was summoned!"
The word hung there. Heavy.
Manager Park's brows shot up.
"Summoned?"
Soorin fumbled with her phone. Pulled up the message.
Her voice cracked under the weight of panic.
"I received this. From Jiwon's number. Fifteen minutes, urgent touch-ups. I wouldn't have come otherwise."
Manager Park snatched the phone. Scanned the text.
His jaw clenched.
Slowly, his gaze slid toward Jiwon. She stood stiff near the corner. Lips pressed into a thin line.
Haejin cut across her.
"I trust you can clean up your mess."
Soorin's breath caught.
Slowly, she turned toward him.
His eyes were blades. His posture effortless.
But every syllable felt designed to slice her to pieces.
"My mess?" Her tone trembled between disbelief and fury.
"I didn't send that message. I didn't fake a power outage. I didn't set up some cheap photo Op. You think I wanted this?"
His lips curved faintly. A dangerous smirk that never touched his eyes.
"Intentional or not, you're in the picture. Which makes you the liability."
Something in her chest cracked.
'Fucking bastard!!! We were together for fucks sake!!!'
She wanted to scream. To throw the truth in his face until he drowned in it.
But Park's stare pinned her down. Cold. Ruthless.
"Enough," Manager Park barked.
His voice cracked like a whip.
Even Doyun's mischievous grin faltered.
"I don't care who's to blame yet. What I care about is this article already climbing the trending chart. Jiwon!"
The PA looked up. False surprise painted across her face.
"Yes, Manager Park?"
"Why the hell wasn't I told your phone was stolen yesterday?"
His tone was sharp enough to cut glass.
Jiwon's lips pressed thin.
"It was during the concert chaos. I reported it late because I assumed the IT team could track it. I didn't think—"
"You didn't think?" Park's voice thundered.
"You 'never' assume in this job. Hell! That phone is company property, full of confidential contacts. You should've warned me immediately. Instead, you let this happen."
Jiwon's lashes lowered. Expression softening into practiced contrition.
"I'm sorry, sir. It won't happen again."
Soorin's jaw clenched so hard her teeth hurt.
'Sorry? That's not the woman who spat venom at me a few minutes ago. No, that's hypocrisy wrapped in sugar.'
As Park raged on, Jiwon's gaze drifted.
Not at him.
But at Haejin.
And for the briefest heartbeat, her lips curled into something vicious.
A grin sharp enough to be called demonic.
Soorin's stomach lurched.
'Did no one else see it?'
When Jiwon turned her head, her expression shifted instantly.
Sweet. Innocent.
She met Soorin's eyes. Tilted her head. Smiled like a saint.
Soorin's blood ran cold.
Her fingers trembled at her side.
'What the hell was that?'
Park's voice dragged her back.
"You'll do damage control immediately. Issue a notice about your phone, prep IT to trace the sender, and compile every contact who had access to your accounts." He stabbed the air with his finger. "If I find out this came from internal negligence, Jiwon, your job won't survive the week."
Jiwon bowed low. Murmuring, "Yes, sir. Of course."
But Soorin could still feel that grin seared into her mind.
Park exhaled heavily. Pinching the bridge of his nose.
He turned his wrath next to Haejin.
"And you. Do you understand what this means? One article like this, one whisper of you dating like some fuckboy, instead of working on your new song. Mind you, half our deals vanish. Sponsors don't pay for scandal, they pay for perfection. You're not a man, you're an image—and images can't afford shadows."
Haejin bowed his head stiffly.
"I understand."
The obedience in his voice was automatic. Rehearsed.
And yet his eyes flicked toward Soorin once more. Hard. Unrelenting.
She wanted to tell him to look at himself. To tell him she wasn't his damn scapegoat.
But Park's fury was still scorching the room.
Doyun broke the silence first. His grin wickedly timed.
"Wow. One blurry picture and the whole empire trembles. Imagine what'd happen if it was a clear one."
"Doyun," Minjae hissed. Elbowing him sharply.
"What? I'm just saying—"
"Don't," Minjae's voice was quiet but firm.
His gaze softened as it turned to Soorin.
"You don't have to panic. These things happen. We'll figure it out."
She swallowed. Throat tight.
His kindness was like a rope thrown into quicksand.
But it didn't pull her free.
Not when everyone else in the room seemed content to let her drown.
Taekyung finally lifted his eyes from his phone. One brow arched in quiet amusement.
"Looks like the stylist finally got her debut. Congratulations, Soorin. Trending before your first paycheck clears."
Her cheeks flamed.
"Could you kindly shut up, Kyn."
Jisoo—innocent as ever—tilted his head.
"Noona… so you really were leaning on Hael's shoulder? That's kind of… romantic, I'm sorry this makes you sad."
His cheeks pinked. He pouted like a kid watching a devastating drama.
Her voice cracked as she shouted, "It wasn't romantic! I fell asleep! It wasn't even—ugh!"
Silence!
Manager Park slammed his hand on the desk again.
"Enough! I don't care what excuses you all have. This stops now. Jiwon, draft a preliminary denial for the press. Haejin, keep your head down. And Soorin…"
Her heart stuttered.
"Yes, Manager?"
His glare speared her straight through.
"One more slip-up like this, and you're gone. I don't care whose fault it is—you're disposable. Don't forget it."
Her stomach hollowed.
Her palms went damp.
She bit back the angry words screaming at her throat.
'Disposable. That's all I am to them.'
She lowered her head instead. Forced out the lie.
"Understood, sir."
Manager Park's phone buzzed on the desk.
The vibration rattled the silence.
He snatched it up impatiently—then froze.
His brows furrowed. His face darkened.
Soorin's gut clenched.
"What is it?"
Slowly, Manager Park turned the phone toward them all.
The screen glowed with another post.
Anonymous. Untraceable. Already spreading like wildfire.
Another photo.
This one sharper. Clearer.
Her silhouette unmistakable.
But her face was still blurred out.
Manager Park's voice dropped. Cold as death.
"They're playing with us."
Soorin's pulse thundered in her ears.
Because beneath the photo was a caption in bold text:
[Want to see her face? Stay tuned. The real reveal is coming soon.]
Her knees went weak.
Leaning on the nearest wall for support.
Someone wasn't just leaking photos.
They were building a story.
And she was the target.
'Fuck my life!! But why me?'