As soon as Wooyoung saw his manager's name flash on his phone screen, he knew he was in trouble.

It wasn't like his manager called him for casual chats or to tell him good job. If they were calling, something big was up, and based on the buzz he'd seen online, he already had an idea of what it was about.

"Wooyoung," his manager started the second he picked up, voice clipped but calm—like they were trying very hard not to yell. "Do you know what's happening online right now?"

Wooyoung winced and let out a nervous laugh. "I might've seen a few things..." That was an understatement. His phone had been blowing up since last night with tags, mentions, and countless clips of him mouthing 'I Love ATEEZ' during the MAMA Awards. Fans had turned it into a meme, an aesthetic edit, a heartfelt tribute—you name it.

"Well, congratulations," his manager said dryly. "You're officially trending worldwide. But do you have any idea what you've just done?"

"I just... I said what I felt," Wooyoung replied, trying to sound casual. "It's not a big deal, right?"

"It is a big deal," they shot back. "Fans are digging up your past as a trainee, and some of them figured out your connection to ATEEZ—especially San. Brands are watching this too, Wooyoung. You have partnerships to think about. If this spirals, it could get messy."

Wooyoung leaned back against the couch, chewing on his lip. He knew his manager wasn't trying to scold him, but the weight of their words still pressed down on him. He hadn't meant for things to get this crazy. All he'd wanted was to express how much he admired ATEEZ for everything they'd achieved.

"Okay, so... what do I do now?" he asked quietly.

"For starters, don't post anything about it," his manager said firmly. "No statements, no cryptic Instagram captions, nothing. Let the buzz die down naturally. The more you interact with it, the more people will talk."

Wooyoung nodded, though it felt like a bitter pill to swallow. He wasn't the type to stay silent when people were making things up or twisting his intentions. But he understood where his manager was coming from. He had to think about the bigger picture, even if it meant holding back for now.

After hanging up, Wooyoung sank into the cushions and picked up his phone. He couldn't help himself. He went straight to Twitter and searched his name, scrolling through endless posts. Some made him laugh, like fans joking that he was a secret ATINY. Others were more emotional, praising him for showing support for the group.

But then there were the ones speculating about him and San. Old trainee stories were resurfacing, along with grainy photos of the two of them from years ago. Wooyoung stared at one of the photos—a candid shot of him and San outside of their school. It stirred up memories he hadn't thought about in years.

He sighed, locking his phone and tossing it onto the table. This wasn't how he'd expected things to turn out, but he couldn't bring himself to regret it. Watching ATEEZ perform last night had filled him with so much pride and admiration that he'd acted on instinct.

"I said what I felt," he muttered to himself. And he meant it. Every word.