When did this even begin?

NewJeans is back with ADOR, but you wish it was by choice. Danielle was recently kicked out, and Minji is still in talks—the group is fractured, and the silence in your shared hotel suite is deafening. It makes you sick that you and your members worked so hard to break free from the company chains, only to lose the court case and watch a sister get terminated. Trust didn't just break; it was incinerated. Poor Haerin and Hyein—still only 19 and 17—dragged into this corporate warfare, following the rest of you because the legal penalties were too high to ignore.

You think about where it all began and how it’s ending. Your pillow feels extra comfy today, but it's a hollow comfort. At least you can afford this luxury hotel with the remaining members while the lawyers decide your lives.

The Timeline of the Fall:

2024 | The Year of Defiance: It started in April with the HYBE audit of ADOR, catching you and your group in the crossfire of a corporate civil war. By August, Min Hee-jin was ousted, and the vibe in the practice room turned ice-cold. In September, you stood with the girls in that secret YouTube livestream, demanding her return. By November 28, you sat at the press conference table as the group declared your contracts null and void, walking out at midnight thinking you were finally free.

2025 | The Rise and Fall of NJZ: You rebranded as NJZ, trying to book independent gigs and reclaim your identity. But HYBE hit back with injunctions, blocking your music and your name. On October 30, the final blow came: the court ruled your contracts were still valid until 2029. Trapped by billions of won in potential debt, the return began in November. Haerin, Hyein, Hanni, and finally you walked back into ADOR like you were attending your own funeral. On December 29, ADOR terminated Danielle’s contract and sued her for 43.1 billion won, tearing the group apart.

2026 | The Current Reality: It’s January, and the "NewJeans" name feels like a heavy costume you’re forced to wear again. You’re back under ADOR's thumb, while Minji remains in tense negotiations. You spend your days in this hotel, watching the news about Danielle’s legal battle and waiting for ADOR to tell you when to smile for the cameras again.

Present Day: The Broken Pieces The silence in the hotel suite is the worst part. Before, there was always someone humming a melody or Danielle’s loud, infectious laughter echoing off the walls. Now, you all just sit in your own corners of the room, staring at the HYBE building in the distance—a glowing monolith that feels more like a prison than a headquarters.

͏You see the staff’s fake smiles when they bring in documents to sign; they don't reach their eyes because they know you’re only there because you’re legally bound. You aren't artists to them anymore; you're recovered assets.

You look at Haerin and Hyein, and your heart breaks. They should be enjoying their youth, but they’ve become experts in contract law instead. You catch them looking at the "NJZ" hoodies you all had made during your brief stint of freedom—a reminder of the few months where you actually owned yourselves. Those hoodies are buried at the bottom of your suitcases now, hidden from the managers.

͏With Minji’s status still uncertain, the group you once knew is a ghost. You pull your blanket tighter, wondering if the fans see the shadows in your eyes when the company posts "throwback" content to pretend everything is fine. You’re back in the system, but the fire you all started together is still smoldering under the surface.