"What do you mean by this?!" Tiffany stood up in the middle of the conference room. All members of Girls' Generation were present, including Lee Soo Man and two lawyers, one from SM, and another from Jessica's side.

"First, you don't tell us the reason for your departure, and now, you think you can say you're leaving tomorrow even though you promised us to stay?! Do you think this is a playground, Jessica?" Sunny yelled across the table.

Jessica stayed mute, and only listened out what the members have in their minds. She did not expect this, she thought everyone would be able to understand and sympathise with her. Perhaps it was all a wrong decision to discuss with them and the company. She felt stabbed in the heart by a thousand knives and so hurt by their words that no tears flowed out. Out of a corner of her eye, she noticed Taeyeon fidgeting, trying to say something and became quiet again. She saw in the twinkle of her eyes that she was trying to protect her, but her personality isn't tuned for scenarios like this.

"Have you even thought about the consequences, Jessica?!" Yuri frowned, directing the question at Jessica.

"Yes, I have. It's going to cause a huge commotion for the company, the media, and more so for our fans..." She trailed off, and looked at Lee Soo Man.

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The room suddenly fell to a dead silence, all waiting for Lee Soo Man to have his say in the issue.

"Has this got to do with how we treat you, Jessica?"

Jessica shook her head and said, "No. SM may have been very harsh on me during my trainee period, but I enjoyed it very much and that's what has built my success in the career today."

"We are very lucky to have you as well. Is someone from another company trying to recruit you or offering you better conditions than us?"

Out of nowhere, Taeyeon being Taeyeon chuckled a bit and said, "We're Girls' Generation, everyone is trying to." She realised she spoke and covered in a hurry.

"Teacher, I'm not moving to another company, I just have matters to deal with at the moment."

"Well then, given your current circumstances, it's very hard for us to let you back in after this. Besides, for your own betterment, I would recommend you to go solo after this. After all, you may have always been overshadowed within the group, even though you have put in a lot of effort. Perhaps this is a good chance for you to stand in the spotlight if you ever decide to come back into the music industry."

"Why can't I come back any more?!" Jessica panicked, all this while she wanted to return, but now Lee Soo Man's words are all the final say.

"You have been in our company for a long time Jessica, something different can nurture you into something more. Since you're going to leave, why not try a different company that would give you more freedom and thrives you in a different direction? I'm preventing you from returning for your own good sake, Jessica. If even till then you decided to come back, feel free to return. SM is your home and you're always welcomed."

Jessica was touched by Lee Soo Man's words. The rest of the girls seemed to calm down a bit but still deeply affected by the notice of departure.

The two lawyers then was into discussion to sort out the contract resolving privately, including all the endorsements Jessica had been doing, the current Japanese album (Catch Me If You Can) as well as Korean album (LionHeart) they had been preparing and planning for, and all other financial and reputation assets to deal with. Lee Soo Man participated in it as well, trying to be as lenient as possible with the terms, and as for the lawyer on Jessica's side, she couldn't trust any other man better than her own father.

Her father has always been by her side and has taken care of not just the contract of when she entered the company but now also of the departure. She felt lucky that her father was here and get to participate in all these decisions that she couldn't care more besides her own rights, but she also felt shameful to have her father witness the weak side in front of Lee Soo Man and the other members as well.

All the Girls' Generation members quietly waited for the process to end, with also some of the earnings that Jessica had going to be split among them as part of the compensation. Also, the possibility of future works with Krystal was discussed as well. Someone from the finance team was called in to do an audit and did the actuarial calculations behind it, and when the numbers was finally evaluated, there was a slight smile on Jessica's father face, he was glad that her two daughters did not have to part ways even if they are not in the same company.

With that, the discussion ended and all the members of Girls' Generation baded each other farewell. Lee Soo Man also let them know that a special media team would tell them what to do after discussing and strategising on how to minimise the harm on both sides. He then left with a gentle smile on his face as usual, closing the doors behind him and letting the girls settle their own matters with Jessica.