"There's one move," Taekyung said. Looking at Soorin directly. "You don't confirm anything. You don't deny anything. You live your life. With Haejin. Publicly. Let people see that you're real. That this relationship is real. That's the only thing that actually matters."
Soorin looked at him. Then at Haejin.
Haejin was already looking at her.
"He's right," Haejin said. "We don't play their game. We play ours."
Manager Park's phone rang again.
He answered immediately. "Yes." Listened. His expression shifted. "Understood. When?" More listening. "I'll tell them now."
He hung up. Looked directly at Soorin.
"Our team traced the funding source. It's coming from within the industry. Someone with direct access to production schedules and interview questions."
"Who?" Her voice came out smaller than she meant it to.
"They're narrowing it down. But it's someone with money and connections. This isn't a random netizen. This is calculated. Professional."
Soorin's phone buzzed again.
