flutedrum | woosan ✓

19

Hongjoong's jaw clenched as he read the manager's words more carefully. "He's forcing them to block us completely."

San let out a low whistle. "No wonder they've been acting weird and childish. They didn't want to cut us off. They had no choice."

"Childish as in?" Hongjoong raised a brow.
"Wooyoung literally told me they were gonna leave us because they had to prove they were better than us." San responded, unamused

The realization hit them like a freight train. What they had thought was a betrayal was really AURORA's desperate attempt to comply with their manager's oppressive demands. As the anger began to simmer down, it was replaced by something else—pity.

The weight of their discovery sank in, and the fury that had fueled WONDERLAND's confusion slowly morphed into a mix of understanding and sympathy. The room fell silent as the members absorbed what they had just learned.

Yunho leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. "So, they didn't want to ghost us. They've been forced to."

San crossed his arms, his frustration still lingering but now tinged with sadness. "This isn't fair. Why would their manager do that? What's the point of keeping us apart?"

Hongjoong spoke up. "They've been compared to us their whole careers. Maybe their manager thinks it's a rivalry thing, like they need to 'prove' they're better than us. This is ridiculous. They shouldn't be treated like this. We've all gotten along so well, and now their manager wants to sabotage that?"

Yunho nodded in agreement. "It's like he's punishing them for finding genuine friendships. This isn't just about the music industry or competition—it's personal now."

Yeosang, who had been watching the others from behind his laptop, finally closed it with a soft click. "What do we do about it? We can't just sit back and let this happen."

Hongjoong's eyes narrowed, his mind clearly working through the next steps. He wasn't the type to stand by when things went wrong. "We have to talk to them. We need to find a way around their manager. If they're being forced to block us, then we need to find a way to stay in touch without putting them in a worse situation. I fucking miss Seonghwa."

San's gaze flickered with determination. "How though? We can't just ignore the fact that their manager is watching them like a fucking hawk."

There was a long pause as everyone mulled over the situation. Then, unexpectedly, Yeosang spoke again, his voice quiet but filled with a cautious sort of hope. "I may or may not have an idea, but it's risky."

The others looked at him, intrigued.

"Do you guys remember the song we're supposed to work on?" Of course. The collaboration. Everyone's eyes lit in realization. "That's the last time we'll see them physically. But then again, Yunho, San and I will have to leave right after we're done. We need to sneak in somehow. But I haven't decided how exactly yet." Yeosang blurted.

San's eyes sparked at the suggestion. "That's right. We can still talk to them without putting them in danger."

"And we still have to record our song with them. The recording session is when we can see them physically." Hongjoong pointed out.

"You can. We can't. We need to leave after recording for some shit." San said. "I think you can still see Seonghwa hyung properly though." he commented, earning a happy low-smile from Hongjoong.

The atmosphere in the room shifted. Where there had been anger and frustration, now there was a sense of resolve. They were determined to help their friends, no matter what.

"We'll do it," Hongjoong said firmly, standing up and looking around at his members. "We'll protect them in any way we can."

With that, the group silently agreed on their next course of action. They weren't going to let AURORA be cut off from them—not like this. The bonds they had formed were already far too strong to be broken by something as petty as a manager's jealousy.

As they began to brainstorm their plan in earnest, the fire in WONDERLAND's eyes burned brighter than ever. They were ready to fight for their friends.