Overnight the news went viral.
It seems like even before the reporter could publish the article. The people who visited the festival and saw what happened took videos.
People could not contain their excitement when they saw the news.
The first piece of news about the newly debuted idol, with her famous debut song superstar of tomorrow.
"Holy...is that really her?"
"Pictures can be photoshopped."
"Dofus, there are videos."
The netizens were in a frenzy; they couldn't believe it. But seeing her aside.
"She has a new boyfriend already?"
Many people pointed this out and expressed their dissatisfaction.
"Who is it?"
"T--Terashima Yuhi?!!!"
This single comment caused an uproar. It seemed like when people first saw the news; they did not recognize Yuhi. That made sense, while Yuhi is a public figure, he is also a master of disguise. It would be easy for him to blend in with a normal crowd.
"I was just about to criticize her. But do I dare? It's Terashima Yuhi of all people… If it were somebody else, then we could call her out for being fickle. But everybody knows how serious the man is about relationships."
"Is the poster above stupid? Who cares who it is? Isn't she supposed to be grieving? Yet look at her."
"Arent you the stupid one? There were eye witness accounts seeing her have a mental break down after the accident?"
"Who knows if that was faked or not?"
This argument went back and forth until somebody posted several videos.
There were even some hospital admission clips.
This single anonymous user shut people up in just seconds.
"Poor Sumire-sama."
"She already went through something terrible. What is wrong with her finding happiness now?"
"Right, right. Terashima seems to be different than the rumors too. But then again, there are rumors about him being serious when it comes to relationships."
"They look sweet together, but is this for real? Terashima Yuhi is no normal guy. He is the youngest person to debut, and from that very young age, he earned the title of a musical genius. Singing, composing, dancing, you name it. But his talent isn't limited to alone. He is a prominent figure in the business world and art world too."
"Holy-- now that you mention that, how did these two get together? How did they meet?"
Many people started to speculate how Sumire and Yuhi met one another. Some commented that they met through some gatherings or maybe during a concert. Nobody would have guessed the real story, that they knew each other since they were children.
"I've silently listened to all these comments. But are we going to ignore the fact that she looks okay now? Why isn't she returning to work? I was one of the people who stood up for her when others said she was faking her trauma. But I have to say, is this not unprofessional of her? If she is well enough to participate in a festival, should she not be okay to return to the stage?
I would understand if she is retiring and no longer wants to go back. But if that were the case, then could we please have a reasonable explanation? Her silence does not look good on her at all. Please explain to your fans your decision. We were all worried sick about you.
If you decide in your heart that you can no longer sing, that is fine. We will support you, no matter what. But please say something, say anything."
Normally when somebody sees a large piece of text on a forum or online board, it would get ignored and buried away quickly. People were commenting rather quickly too, and yet this comment slowly became the top liked.
"I agree, please Sumire-sama say something about this."
"We will wait for you."
"What trauma? All of your fans are so blind. That was acting, and anyone can fake records. The real story is simple; she went on hiatus to find herself a rich man. She probably had a dispute with her poor boyfriend that led to the accident so she could hook up with Yuhi-sama."
…..
While the netizens were in a frenzy, a particular entertainment company was receiving many phone calls. Since Sumire did not contact her agency, their side did not understand the situation either. Hino just finished speaking to the president and sighed.
Damn Yuhi…
I knew I should have gone to the festival too.
Unfortunately, he did not have the luxury to attend due to his schedule. Who would have thought something like this would have happened? This brat, right after they had a conversation about this. The issue with Sumire is a tricky one. If she were any other artist, they could hold a simple press conference. But she isn't an average artist.
Hino sighed deeply as he dialed Yuhis number.
To his surprise, he hears a female voice. "Sumire?"
"Ah, sorry, Hino-san, but Yuhi is sleeping now."
"...did you see the news?"
Sumire laughed. "The netizens are as impatient as ever."
"This situation, what do you want to do?" Hino initially wanted to hear Yuhi's opinion on this. But from what he learned from Sumire before. The girl would not have allowed that reporter to take a picture. She must have approved of it.
"I will come out with a statement and explain. A conference, I am still not sure about. But could we post the statement on your site?"𝐟𝘳𝐞ℯ𝚠e𝑏𝒏𝑜𝙫𝘦𝙡. c𝑜𝐦
Hino nodded. "That sounds good for now. Besides, the reaction is only like this now because nobody has seen the article yet; once they have, I am sure the public opinion would reverse." He paused before taking a deep breath. "Sumire, do you remember what I said before about joining my company?"
"Mm, I remember."
"I know you never terminated your contract with Star company. But I think you should start looking at other options."
"Are you worried about me?"
Hino almost dropped the phone in his hands once he heard that. He did not understand why he was behaving so strangely.
"Thank you for worrying. But I will be fine. I have Yuhi."
Is that her way of indirectly refusing his help? Hino understood from the very start that Sumire is not the type of person who trusted people easily. But he felt a bit hurt that she did not trust him despite everything that has happened between them.