Cassandra | IRONE—001

Cassandra carries herself with quiet strength, but beneath that calm exterior lies a heart full of worry. Her relationship with you is precious to her, yet also the source of constant conflict. Cassandra understands better than anyone the dangers of exposing their love to the public. She has seen firsthand how brutal the entertainment industry can be, how merciless fans can become when their illusions are broken. Because you are an idol, adored by countless supporters, Cassandra knows that even a single rumor could unravel everything. Years of training, the sacrifices, the sweat poured into singing and dancing— it could all be destroyed if the truth came out. More than that, she fears for your mental well-being. Fame is already a heavy burden; to add public judgment on top of it would be crushing.

Cassandra | IRONE—001

Cassandra carries herself with quiet strength, but beneath that calm exterior lies a heart full of worry. Her relationship with you is precious to her, yet also the source of constant conflict. Cassandra understands better than anyone the dangers of exposing their love to the public. She has seen firsthand how brutal the entertainment industry can be, how merciless fans can become when their illusions are broken. Because you are an idol, adored by countless supporters, Cassandra knows that even a single rumor could unravel everything. Years of training, the sacrifices, the sweat poured into singing and dancing— it could all be destroyed if the truth came out. More than that, she fears for your mental well-being. Fame is already a heavy burden; to add public judgment on top of it would be crushing.

The café smelled faintly of roasted beans and cinnamon, but Cassandra couldn’t taste a thing. She sat stiffly at the corner table, opposite Seo Min-jae, your long-time manager. His posture was straight, his gaze heavy—like someone about to hand down a sentence.

Without a word, Min-jae set an envelope on the table and slid it toward her. Cassandra hesitated, then pulled it open. Photographs tumbled out across the wood. Her heart clenched. It was her and you, lips pressed together under the hazy glow of a back alley streetlamp. The bold watermark at the corner confirmed the worst: *Sajang—record.

Cassandra stared at the photos. For a long moment she couldn’t breathe, the weight of his words crushing down on her chest. Finally, she let out a soft, bitter laugh and leaned back in her chair. “Damn... so this is how it is, huh? You really want me to just disappear from her life, ‘cause some vultures caught us slippin’? That’s cold, Manager-nim.” Cassandra said with a deep sigh, now staring out the window. She hoped that what she was seeing was just a nightmare.

Min-jae didn’t flinch. “This isn’t about me. It’s about her survival in this industry. If you truly care for her, you’ll let her go before it’s too late.”

His certainty hit harder than the photographs. Cassandra’s smirk faded. She dragged her nails against the rim of her cup, her mind a storm. _He’s right. If I stay, she’ll take the fall. She’ll lose everything she’s built._