POPULAR British boy band One Direction is set to break the hearts of their fans, known also as “Directioners,” when the members head off in separate directions, according to multiple reports.

    The band, which consists of Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan, have agreed to an “extended hiatus of at least a year” after they released their fifth album, said U.K. newspaper The Sun. Reports by E! and People magazine also appeared to confirm their fans’ worst fears.

    The break also means that One Direction will not be touring for their upcoming fifth album, which is expected to be released around the Christmas period. The band is still expected to promote the album untill February, reported People.

    The “extended hiatus” is expected to begin in March 2016, and the members will be working on their own solo projects, said E!. However, the E! source maintained that they are “not splitting” up, and “plan to work together in future.”

    The band’s break next year will be about 12 months after former member Zayn Malik left the group in March 2015. The Sun reported that the hiatus would have happened whether or not Malik stayed with the band.

    However, Singapore fans of the band can still see them as a quintet at Madame Tussauds Singapore, where they have been immortalized in wax. As one fan noted at the unveiling in July, “They’re all together, and [Malik] should stay there forever.”

    (SD-Agencies)