"I TOLD YOU GUYS TO BE CAREFUL!" Their manager screamed.

All 9 girls sitting around the meeting table hung their heads low, averting his gaze. Jessica was especially bothered and felt guilty every time a member gave her a disappointed look.

Taeyeon in particular, had not said a word.

After seeing that scandalous picture, Kim Young Min demanded a meeting where he reprimanded all 9 girls to be careful about their personal lives. To make it worse, there was another picture sent in from Dispatch demanding money to prevent another couple from being revealed: Tiffany and Nichkhun.

"But I'm not even dating him!" Jessica had reasoned. "It was just a meeting between friends-"

"Friends or not, it's not like you don't know how the entertainment industry works." Kim Young Min had muttered. "Even if you're not dating, the reporters will make it seem like you are."

It was even worse for Tiffany since it was a fact that Nichkhun and her were together. She couldn't deny it even if she tried.

"Taeyeon, you stay back." Kim Young Min said. "The rest, back to the dorm. Don't you dare to meet anyone outside for this week."

The 8 girls went back to the dorm with a heavy heart. Being in the entertainment industry was exactly the same as standing on an edge of a cliff - you'd fall with a slightest push.

"Yes?" Taeyeon swallowed. She knew what was coming. She knew this would happen the day they debuted. It was just a matter of time. In fact, when Tiffany and Yoona announced that they were dating, she had braced herself for this.

"Taeyeon. You are aware that you are responsible for the group, yes?"

She nodded.

"You knew that they were dating?"

"Tiffany or Jessica?"

"Jessica, of course." Young Min folded his arms and stared at her. "Tiffany already admitted to it, didn't she?"

Taeyeon nodded again. She didn't know what to do. If this was Lee Soo Man, she would have felt a lot more comfortable, but Kim Young Min - he was a very difficult character. Taeyeon felt like he was a lion hiding in a den, ready to pounce out and bite at the slightest movement.

"So?" He stared at her. She felt like his eyeballs were like lasers - she felt very uncomfortable."Is she dating him, or not?"

"No." She looked back at him. "They're just friends."

"Are you sure?" He snorted.

"A man and a woman meeting alone automatically means that they're dating?" Taeyeon snapped. She couldn't stand his cocky attitude any longer, as if he knew it all. In fact, he didnt know anything but acted like he knew everything.

"What?" He looked at her in shock, surprised at her outburst.

"What about the time you were alone with Miss Lee at the company's cafe?" Taeyeon continued. Miss Lee was the head secretary in their company. "There's no way that you were talking about work - we saw both of you laughing your heads off."

"We were...we were just chatting as old friends, that's all." Kim Young Min said, but his face turned a slight shade of red.

"Exactly. Taecyeon and Jessica were just chatting as old friends, too." Taeyeon smiled.

Realising his defeat, he lowered his face to Taeyeon's, and said, "Fine, but if I catch any of you again -" Kim Young Min smiled menancingly, "I'll hold you responsible. In the meanest way possible."

Taeyeon shuffled around in the kitchen, looking for some honey. She desperately needed something sweet to simmer down.

She stood around, wondering if her defending Jessica was worth it. Kim Young Min clearly disliked her already - and it wasn't exactly nice for the CEO to dislike you. In fact, it was the last thing you'd wish for.

Taeyeon kept telling herself that it was worth it, but she had some slight doubt in her heart.

Just then, someone entered the kitchen, and she immediately recognised her by the scent.

“I swear I didn’t want this to happen.” Jessica said quietly.

“Nobody wanted this to happen.”

“Are you angry with me?” Jessica snapped. “It’s not like it’s my fault. The stupid reporters twisted all the facts and stuff. You should know better than anyone else.”

Taeyeon remained silent, causing Jessica to shift about uncomfortably.

“Say something, would you? The silence isn’t helping.”

Taeyeon took a deep breath and folded her arms. “I’m disappointed in you, Sica. You should’ve been more careful.”

“Why are you only blaming me? Fany got caught too.”

“Let’s save this argument for another time, shall we?” Taeyeon muttered and stalked off.

Jessica glared, and tried to cool down, but rage was rising within her.  She felt so wronged and misunderstood. Couldn’t anyone tell that it wasn’t her fault? It was just her luck.

Screw the media and their lies, she thought. These things make me want to leave the entertainment industry.

But the sad truth was, once you stepped in, there’s no going back.