Over the years, Conference Room B has witnessed many tense meetings, contract negotiations, comeback planning sessions, and post-performance evaluations. Today, the atmosphere reached unprecedented levels of anxiety as the seven C7 members sat around the polished table, facing Director Blake and a group of company executives.
James, the last to be fully briefed on the situation, had barely had time to process the crisis's magnitude before being ushered into the meeting. Now he sat with his head in his hands as PR Director Ms. Lim displayed the damning evidence on the large screen, not just the original blurry photo but dozens of fan-enhanced versions, side-by-side comparisons, and increasingly elaborate timeline reconstructions of his supposed secret relationship.
"So let me get this straight," James groaned. "My brother, who promised to be discreet about his connection to me, was photographed holding hands with Muse, who everyone now thinks is my secret girlfriend?"
"Correct," Director Blake confirmed, his calm voice contradicting the severity of the situation. "The photo has been shared approximately 15,000 times in the past two hours. Entertainment news sites have published speculative articles with 'C7's James In Secret Relationship?' variations as headlines. Our PR team has received hundreds of press inquiries, and your fan sites are currently experiencing what can only be described as emotional meltdowns."
"In my defense," James began weakly, "that's not me in the photo."
"Yet you are pursuing a relationship with Ms. Song," Director Blake observed, making it a statement rather than a question.
James's silence was confirmation enough.
"And you're not the only one," Director Blake continued, his gaze sweeping around the table. "Based on security reports, social media monitoring, and Manager Kando's increasingly concerning text messages at three in the morning, it appears that all seven of you have engaged in... extracurricular social activities during your break."
The members exchanged guilty glances, none willing to deny the accusation.
"I want to be clear," Director Blake said, leaning forward slightly. "The dating ban was officially lifted for members over twenty-five last year. You are all adults with the legal right to pursue personal relationships."
A brief flicker of hope passed through the room, immediately extinguished by his following words.
"But," he continued, "such pursuits were expected to be conducted with absolute discretion and in consultation with the company to ensure appropriate media management. Instead, we have..." he consulted a tablet, "dance studio encounters, museum meetups, cooking class partnerships, midnight studio sessions, fashion show associations, park rendezvous, and kindergarten infiltrations."
Each item on this list caused each member to sink lower in their chair.
Director Blake concluded, "The question now is how do we manage this situation to minimize damage to C7's brand and the company's market position."
The PR director, a formidable woman named Ms. Lim, stepped forward with a presentation remote. "We've prepared several potential response strategies," she announced, clicking to display a slide titled "CRISIS MANAGEMENT: OPERATION C7 ROMANCE CONTAINMENT."
James cringed at seeing their private joke about their dating pact formalized in a corporate presentation, making the situation even more surreal.
"Option one," Ms. Park continued, "Denial. We state that the photographed individual is not James but someone with a similar appearance. We neither confirm nor deny the existence of a twin brother, citing privacy concerns."
"That seems dishonest," Jon commented cautiously. "Especially since Evan is a person with a career who could be affected by this."
"Option two," Ms. Park continued as if Jon had not spoken, "Acknowledgment with minimization. We confirm that James has a twin brother who was photographed, emphasize that no C7 members were involved, and request privacy for non-celebrity family members."
"That protects Evan but throws Muse into the spotlight as potentially dating him instead," James pointed out, looking uncomfortable.
"Option three," Ms. Park pressed on, "Controlled revelation. We acknowledge the dating ban modification, confirm that members may explore personal relationships during their break, and ask for fans' understanding and support during this evolution of C7's journey."
A heavy silence fell over the conference room. Option three essentially meant acknowledging their dating projects, which would fundamentally alter their relationship with fans who had invested years in the fantasy of C7 as exclusively devoted to their music and LEGION.
Just as the tension peaked, the conference room door opened, admitting PD, the company's reclusive musical genius responsible for many of C7's biggest hits.
Director Blake's eyebrows rose fractionally, the only indication of his surprise at this unscheduled interruption. "This is a closed meeting."
"I know," PD replied, assertive for someone who typically avoided corporate confrontations. "But this concerns the creative direction of C7, which is my department."
Director Blake studied him for a long moment, then nodded once, gesturing to an empty chair at the far end of the table. The tension in the room shifted from pure anxiety to a more complex mixture of apprehension and unexpected possibility.
"I have concerns about option three," the marketing director interjected. "Our market research indicates that 78% of C7's core fandom values the members' perceived accessibility. Confirming multiple simultaneous relationships could create significant backlash."
"On the other hand," the digital content director countered, "our youngest demographic segments show increasing support for idol dating. A progressive approach could strengthen our position with Gen Z consumers who value authenticity."
As the executives debated the relative merits of each strategy, the seven members exchanged helpless glances. Once again, their personal lives were analyzed as marketing variables, and their feelings were reduced to considerations of brand positioning.
"If I may," PD interrupted, his quiet voice cutting through the debate. "I've worked with these seven since their debut. I've watched them sacrifice sleep, health, personal development, and any aspect of normal young adult experiences to build C7 into what it is today."
He paused, gathering his thoughts as all eyes turned to him in surprise.
"The music industry talks about 'artist development' but often stunts personal growth in favor of marketable personas. We demand technical perfection while discouraging life experiences that create emotional depth."
The executives shifted uncomfortably at this unusually philosophical assessment from their production-focused colleague.
He finally looked up, meeting Director Blake's gaze directly. "If we want C7 to remain relevant as artists and not just become nostalgic entertainment products, we need to allow them to grow as people. That means supporting their right to regular human experiences, including romantic relationships."