Peninsula: Starting with the nation's first love, the white moonlight

The rumors surrounding IU circulated for a full thirty-six hours.

The internet has almost become a playground for haters, and some haters have even started planning offline meetups to expand their ranks.

Just as this wave of voices reached its peak.

It was exactly 10:00 AM.

LOEN Entertainment's official social media accounts have finally released their first formal clarification statement.

Regarding the recent false reports circulating online about IU's romantic relationship, our company hereby solemnly declares the following: The woman in the photos is indeed our artist, IU. However, it was not a late-night date as rumored online. It was actually a group dinner after filming wrapped up. Because the dinner location was close to the artist's residence, for safety reasons, a male colleague from the company who was with her offered to escort her home. We urge netizens to stop spreading false rumors.

The statement initially improved public opinion online, but criticism quickly returned in droves.

"A colleague drove you home? You're kidding me!"

"What ordinary colleague walks around in such an ambiguous atmosphere? A man and a woman alone together in the middle of the night, do they think everyone's blind?"

"Is this all LOEN's PR department is capable of? They can't even come up with such a perfunctory excuse!"

Just as the haters were preparing to launch another attack, LOEN Entertainment's official account dropped a bombshell without warning!

[The clock ticks on, a reunion across time. IU's second full-length album's pre-release single, "You and I," is about to be released! IU herself participated in writing, composing, and conceptualizing this title track. Look forward to a brand new transformation from singer-songwriter IU!]

Then, a 30-second high-definition music video trailer was released.

The entire internet, from casual viewers to media outlets and even haters, all clicked on that video.

"Tick-tock, tick-tock..."

With the sound of clock hands ticking, the giant gear began to turn slowly.

The next second, Lee Ji-eun appeared in the center of the camera wearing a retro black dress.

Her eyes were clear, her face filled with a young girl's expectation, as she softly sang:

Please call my name.

In the future I peeked at,

You and I are together!

Her singing voice is ethereal yet incredibly powerful!

The trailer, though only thirty seconds long, is visually stunning, with every frame boasting a cinematic quality.

The final frame shows Lee Ji-eun's tearful smile and the back of a man gently embracing her.

The trailer caused a sensation online.

Netizens who were just fixated on the scandal were now captivated by the dreamlike music video.

"OMG! My ears are pregnant! The melody, the high notes—the last song, 'Good Days,' was already so amazing, but this one is heavenly!"

"Wait a minute! The announcement just said that IU wrote and composed this song herself? Oh my god, she's only nineteen! Has she gone straight from an idol singer to a singer-songwriter?"

"This music video is amazing! It's movie-quality. I declare, anyone who criticizes Ji-eun again, I'll fight them to the death!"

Fans were so excited they were moved to tears. Seeing their idol not only avoid a career collapse but also deliver an amazing performance filled them with immense pride.

Just when everyone was enthusiastically praising the new song.

Finally, some sharp-eyed netizens noticed a detail: they captured the last second of the MV trailer and posted it on the forum.

[Case solved! Doesn't the male lead's silhouette at the end of the music video look familiar?]

He made a detailed comparison between the paparazzi photos and the male lead's silhouette in the music video.

Their height, back view, and even their profile are exactly the same!

"Holy crap! Isn't that the mysterious boyfriend in the paparazzi's leaked photos?"

"So that's how it is! They really are actors from the film crew!"

"Paparazzi love to take things out of context, go to hell!"

Just as the tide began to turn, LOEN's official account released nine photos of the wrap party for the film crew.

In the photo, dozens of people, including the director, photographer, and lighting technician, are sitting together.

Lee Ji-eun smiled as she held up her water glass; a man dressed in black sat next to her.

The caption was also very simple:

[The music video for "You and I" has successfully wrapped filming! Thank you to all the staff, both in front of and behind the camera, for their hard work!]

At this point, the evidence is irrefutable!

This romantic scandal, which shook the entire entertainment industry for thirty-six hours, has finally taken a dramatic turn.

Those netizens who were initially the most vocal critics have now turned their guns on the paparazzi, launching a barrage of verbal attacks.

"Trashy paparazzi! They start with one picture, and the rest is all made up!"

"You guys can even turn a wrap party for a film crew into a late-night rendezvous. Why don't you go write novels?"

"Apologize to IU immediately! Apologize to the crew!"

The fans who had been waiting outside LOEN's company building embraced each other and wept after seeing the clarification news and the teaser for the new song.

Talented and morally upright, all the waiting and trust have been rewarded in the best way.

At noon, Naver's trending topics list underwent a complete overhaul.

Of the top ten entries, Lee Ji-eun alone occupied six.

#1 [IU's new song You and I]

#2 [IU's Transformation into a Singer-Songwriter]

#3 [Dispatch Paparazzi Apologizes]

#4 [IU MV: Fantasy Fairy Tale]

#5 [LOEN's Textbook-Level Public Relations]

The biggest winners of this scandal are undoubtedly IU and LEON's company. They not only clarified the rumors, but also gained an amazing amount of traffic and pushed the popularity of their new album to an unimaginable height.

Among these trending search terms, one term quietly climbed to eighth place on the trending list.

#8 [IU MV Male Lead's Back View]

Clicking into this entry reveals an unusually high level of discussion.

"Even though her face wasn't shown, that back view was absolutely stunning. The way she wore that coat gave off such a reassuring feeling!"

"Judging from his profile, he's absolutely a super handsome guy! Where did LOEN find such a top-notch ordinary person?"

"One minute! I need all the information on this man!"

"Does anyone know who he is? Why doesn't he show his face? It's such a shame!"

The netizens on the peninsula have an innate sensitivity to handsome men and beautiful women.

Although Li Luran didn't even show his face in the MV, his aloof and cold temperament won the hearts of many fans.

Inside the planning department office of LOEN Company.

Li Luran was also looking at the trending topics, especially the one about himself.

Although he had long anticipated that after the release of the new song trailer, he, as the male lead, would definitely receive a lot of attention.

However, he underestimated the curiosity of netizens on the Korean Peninsula.

The less he showed his face, the more curious these people became.

"It seems that life won't be as leisurely as before from now on," he sighed softly, leaning back in his chair.

Just then, the office door was pushed open.

Old Park strode in, beaming, waving a data report in his hand. His voice trembled with excitement: "Maknae! You're amazing! The trailer has already surpassed ten million views! The anticipation across the entire internet is off the charts!"

"Right now, the senior executives are in the conference room, grinning from ear to ear. The department head said that once the new album is officially released, they'll definitely give you a huge credit!"

Li Luran replied calmly, "It's because Zhi En's song is well-written. I was just going with the flow."

"Lu Ran".

A crisp voice came from behind Lao Pu.

Lee Ji-eun appeared at the doorway at some point, and just as Lee Lu-ran looked over, Ji-eun's face lit up with an incredibly bright smile.

Her small mouth was slightly open, but no sound came out. Judging from her lip movements... she seemed to be saying:

"Thanks."