While the girls reached their office and went to their department, they began working. After a few minutes, their head called out, "Nian and Xuanye, come out." The girls looked confused as they stood up and walked toward the door. Their colleagues glanced at them and murmured quietly.
As the girls came out, Nian asked, "Ma'am, what happened? Why did you call us?"
Their head said, "Nian, some rumours about you two and Seventeen are circulating. Our chief asked me to bring you both in for clarification."
The girls froze, blinking in surprise.
As they reached the chief's office, they knocked on the door and stepped inside.
Their head said, "Chief, they've arrived."
The chief looked up and saw them. The girls bowed and greeted him politely.
He said, "Huh~ raise your heads. Do you know why you're here?"
Nian and Xuanye looked at him and replied in unison, "Yes, Chief. Our head informed us."
He nodded and handed over his tablet. "Explain this."
The girls grew nervous, and Xuanye asked, "Chief, may we look into it?"
He nodded. Xuanye took the tablet, and they saw a video showing them and the boys—specifically the moment when the boys helped them stand and exchanged words.
The girls looked at each other. First, they were relieved it wasn't a private photo. Second, they were confused as to how it had been captured, considering they'd been surrounded by bodyguards.
Nian looked at the chief and said, "Chief~ there's nothing between us and them."
Xuanye nodded and added, "Yes, Chief. When we were taking photos, the media pushed us. We lost our balance and accidentally fell on them. The members just helped us up and asked if we were hurt."
Nian continued, "Yes, Chief. We told them we were fine, and then they left." The girls paused and looked at the chief anxiously.
He asked, "Are you sure there's nothing between you two?"
They nodded firmly.
The chief said, "Then write a post about the picture that was released by the media and explain what you just told me."
The girls nodded eagerly, while their head chuckled beside them.
The chief looked at her. "Why are you laughing? Did I say something funny?"
She shook her head, and the girls giggled quietly.
He looked back at them and said, "You two were the ones who went to the airport and took the photos, right?"
Their head nodded, and the girls said proudly, "Yes."
The chief smiled. "Good job. You've done very well. Your photos are going viral."
The girls beamed with pride.
He continued, "I've been keeping an eye on your work. You're both hardworking. So, to motivate you, I asked your head to give you a raise. And if you keep this up, you'll be eligible for a promotion soon."
Nian and Xuanye's eyes sparkled. They held each other's hands and looked at their head, who nodded proudly.
He added, "Girls, I've seen many employees, but very few work with the passion and dedication you two have. It's impressive that as newcomers, you're already matching the pace of professionals."
The girls quickly bowed and said, "Chief, we won't let you down. Thank you for your appreciation."
He smiled. "Just don't forget to post that letter about the rumours."
The girls nodded happily and left.
As Nian, Xuanye, and their head exited the office, they sighed in unison. Then, without hesitation, the girls hugged their head tightly and jumped with joy. Their head smiled and patted their backs.
"Girls, you're really impressive. I'm proud you've received recognition as newbies. Just like the chief said, you're hardworking—so don't let us down, okay?"
The girls nodded and hugged her again, giggling.
After going through so much, this small appreciation made them work even harder. The problems they had faced hadn't gone to waste.
---
Meanwhile, the boys arrived at the hotel. They stepped out of the van, grabbed their luggage, and walked inside—mouths wide open in awe.
Wonwoo said, "This place is even bigger than our company, guys~"
The boys chuckled and nodded.
Zheng stood in front of them, handing out room cards. "Boys, here are your room keys. Don't lose them. And once you're in your rooms, don't shout. There are guests here—keep your voices down."
The boys looked at him, and Hoshi dramatically whispered, "Zheng, is this okay? This won't disturb them, right?"
The boys laughed, and Zheng looked emotionally destroyed.
"Hoshi, I can't even hear you—but I know what you said. Just don't cause chaos, okay?"
The boys chuckled again and headed toward their rooms. Each had a separate room, and they placed their luggage inside.
Soon, the rest of the members gathered at Scoups' room. As they knocked, Scoups, who was unpacking, opened the door and saw them standing outside.
He asked, "What are you guys doing here?"
They grinned and barged in with their phones.
Scoups looked shocked. "Yah~ each of you has your own room. Why aren't you resting there?"
The boys sat down comfortably like it was their dorm. Jeonghan laughed, "Scoups, we thought you'd be lonely, so we came here."
Scoups went from "aww" to "what?" and said, "Jeonghan, are you mocking me?" But he laughed and patted the floor for him to sit.
He sighed and asked, "Why did you guys come here?"
Hoshi shrugged, "We don't know—we just felt like it."
DK said, "Guys, can we call Nian and let her know we arrived?"
The boys' faces lit up. Joshua added, "It's been a while since we talked to them."
As DK took out his phone, a message popped up. He clicked it and saw that the girls had posted a letter with the airport image. It read:
"This is Nian and Xuanye, the girls in the photo. Regarding the rumours—it's not true. The members helped us because we fell. They simply showed concern. Please don't judge based on a single photo. And if anyone tries to drag Seventeen into this, we won't just sit by. Thank you."
DK was filled with pride—and shock that they even knew about it.
His eyes widened as he showed the message to the members.
"Guys, look at this! The girls posted a letter on the website!"
Scoups took DK's phone and the rest peeked at the screen, reading silently.
Jun said, "Zheng told us the photo was taken down, so how did they even get this?" He grinned.
Woozi added, "Probably their company saw it and asked them to write this."
When they read the line—"If someone wants to drag Seventeen into this, we won't sit idle and watch it"—they were speechless.
The boys were proud.
Vernon said, "That's not a letter. That's a hidden message—like a hero protecting her people."
The boys smiled in admiration.
Minghao added, "And look closely—they didn't even say, 'We aren't related.' But they made it clear... we're united as one."