The Idol and The Manager

Jay’s Issue

Jay’s POV

The practice room of ECT Dream was buzzing with energy. The members had gathered, excited to finally get back to work for their long-awaited comeback. The atmosphere was tense with anticipation, but as always, there was an underlying sense of camaraderie. They had worked so hard to get to this point, and now, it was time to push forward.

Jay walked in, giving a quick nod to the guys. The music was already playing faintly in the background as they prepared for rehearsal. Just as he was about to tie his shoes and get into practice mode, Ronjen pulled out his phone, his expression changing as he scrolled through the screen. It was immediately obvious something was wrong.

"Hey, what's going on?" Sung asked, noticing the sudden shift in Ronjen’s demeanor.

Without saying a word, Ronjen held up his phone for everyone to see. The room fell silent as the headline appeared on the screen:

"DispatchErr Reveals ECT DREAM's Jay and WhiteBlue's Lilac Are Dating."

The news hit them like a cold splash of water. Jay blinked, still trying to process what he was seeing. His stomach churned, not from the shock, but from the overwhelming sense of confusion and disbelief. How could this happen?

"Wait—what?" Chonlo exclaimed, breaking the stillness, his tone a mixture of amusement and disbelief. "DispatchErr seriously thinks you and Lilac are dating?"

The laughter that followed wasn’t malicious, but it was loud and filled with a sense of disbelief. They all knew the truth.

"Ha! This is ridiculous," Jay said, shaking his head, a dry chuckle escaping his lips. "Lilac and I were just acting in a short film together. There’s no dating involved."

Ronjen flipped through the article, reading it aloud for the group, but his voice was tinged with laughter. "DispatchErr claims that Jay and Lilac have been dating for nine months now. They said the agencies haven't confirmed or denied the rumor yet."

The group’s laughter grew, the absurdity of the situation sinking in. Jay ran his hand through his hair, exasperated but trying to keep his composure. Nine months? That’s an entire relationship they’ve just fabricated.

The photos accompanying the article only made things worse. The first image was of him and Ronjen, their arms casually draped over each other’s shoulders, a candid shot from a day they were messing around on the street. Jay couldn’t help but laugh.

They think this means we're dating?

The second image was of him and Lilac, but it was clearly taken out of context. They were sitting on a bench, practicing their lines for the movie, and he was helping Lilac adjust her lashes. It was a completely innocent, professional moment—nothing more.

Jay leaned back in his chair, trying to wrap his head around the ridiculousness of it all. But the truth was, this kind of thing wasn’t unusual in their industry. Scandals, rumors, and misunderstandings were part of the territory. Even so, it never made it easier to deal with.

He glanced at his phone again, scrolling past the article, when suddenly, a call from his manager came through. Jay sighed, accepting the call.

“Jay, have you seen the article about you and Lilac?” his manager’s voice was tight, a bit tense.

“Yes,” Jay replied. “And no, we’re not dating.”

“We’re not even dating anyone,” Jen added in the background, his voice playful, but the anxiety in his tone was unmistakable. "It's all nonsense."

"I'm still a baby!" Sung chimed in with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood.

The laughter from the members was contagious, but Jay could sense the tension hanging over them. It was one thing for the fans to believe the rumors, but it was another for their agencies to deal with the aftermath.

When the call ended, Jay couldn’t help but let out a deep breath. "Well, that was fun," he muttered sarcastically.

The Following Day

The next day, their agency issued an official statement denying the dating rumors. The issue began to lose its steam, but it still felt like a sore spot for the members, especially with the fans. A lot of them weren’t as willing to let it go, some even demanding Jay and Lilac publicly apologize for the “betrayal.”

Jay scrolled through his social media feed, reading some of the angry comments. The noise was overwhelming. He knew the fans weren’t to blame—they just wanted the truth, and in this case, the truth had been completely twisted.

Jay knew that an official apology wouldn’t clear things up completely, but he had to do something. He had to address the fans and let them know that there was no ill intention behind any of this. It wasn’t about clearing his name—it was about respecting the fans who had supported him from the start.

He opened his social media app, took a deep breath, and started typing.

Apology Letter (SNLY)

Hello everyone,

This is Jay Lee, and I know the recent news about me and Lilac has caused a lot of confusion and upset. I want to take a moment to address it directly.

As you all know, the rumors about me dating Lilac are completely false. I want to clarify that we are not in a relationship. We were simply colleagues working on a film together, and the photos that were shared were taken out of context.

I understand that many of you were hurt by this news, and for that, I am truly sorry. It was never my intention to cause any distress. Please know that I value the trust and love you’ve given me, and I will continue to do my best to be transparent and loyal to you all.

Thank you for your continued support, and I promise to work hard to earn back your trust.

With love,

Jay Lee

Jay paused for a moment, rereading the message. It felt right—sincere, and honest. He hit send, letting the letter go out into the world, hoping it would calm some of the tension.

The road ahead won’t be easy. There would always be rumors and misunderstandings, but Jay was ready to face them head-on.

For now, he would focus on what really mattered: his fans, his music, and his friends.

The rest would follow.