A K-pop Idol 75

A few days later...

Kim Hana woke up hearing several screams in her room. 

"Hey, what's going on?" She asked frightened, seeing Choi Hyun and Song Yeon. 

"This is something that you have to tell us" Choi Hyun stated, handing her phone. 

Kim Hana rubbed her eyes, and then looked at it. 

"Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed. "This photo... How did you get this?" 

"This is everywhere" Song Yeon said. "A gossip site published it and everyone is sharing the news." 

"I can't believe it! H-how… when…"

"Who is this guy, Kim Hana?" Choi Hyun asked seriously. 

"He is..." before she could finish, her phone rang. It was the Sweet Dolls' manager, and he was furious. After screaming for a few minutes, he said a car was going to get the girls. They needed to talk right away. 

When they arrived at the label's headquarters, Kim Hana realized how serious the situation was when she saw that not only the manager but also some of company’s directors and even the CEO were there. They then demanded her to explain who that man was and why she had been photographed with him.  

The headlines related to the subject were the worst possible, and some articles even categorically stated that Kim Hana was having an affair with that guy. 

"This is not true" she said, crying. "This is Sergeant Lee Si-won. I was at his house because of his sister. "

She told them everything – How she had met the sergeant, and his request for her to visit his sick sister who was a big fan of the "Sweet Dolls". And that was the reason why she was going there often since then. 

"That day" she continued. "I was hugging him because I was feeling very sad… and he was supporting me. But that's all! Nothing else happened... And I don't even know how someone took pictures of us!" 

"If this story is true..." one of the directors started.

"Of course it's true... sir!" Kim Hana said indignantly, but trying to sound respectful. 

"Did any of the other girls know you were going there?" 

After an awkward moment of silence, Choi Hyun said: "Well, maybe she has mentioned that..." 

"No, unnie" Kim Hana said. “You don't have to lie to protect me. None of them knew, sir.”

"Why not?" asked another man. 

“I don't know... So much has happened… I guess I just didn't get a chance to talk about it…” Kim Hana said, realizing how lame it sounded. 

"It doesn't matter now" said the record label's CEO. "If this little girl really exists as Kim Hana says, maybe we can contain the damage. Maybe we can convince her mother to allow her talk in public and..." 

"No!" Kim Hana said, unable to stop herself. "I don't want to expose Ye-rin like that. She doesn't deserve it!"

"I don't think you understand what's going on here, girl! People are convinced that you betrayed Byun Sehun. They won't forgive this. If nothing is done, this is the end of the Sweet Dolls!" 

"But that's not fair! I didn't betray anyone. It was Byun Sehun who did that!" 

"Again, it doesn't matter! The only important thing now is the public opinion, and people are against you now. I really didn’t expect this from you, Kim Hana. We'll figure out what to do. Until then, you'll be moved to another apartment; a more reserved place. And you're forbidden to speak to anyone who isn't in this room, do you understand me?!”