Not sure Layne how many more albums the boys owe Sony/Syco (thinking 2?), but if they were able to fulfill that requirement by the time OTRA was finished in April, would they be able to just go on hiatus for the rest of the year and simply "wait it out" until the contract with Modest expired?
The album deal holds no bearing on what management requires from the boys in terms of promotion, marketing, etc.
Modest doesn’t manage the boys’ recording contract - they manage THE BOYS. All the ridiculous merchandise, the craptastic interviews (or lack thereof), and promotional campaigns are management’s domain, and if they want to trot the boys out like trick ponies right up until the clock strikes midnight on the expiration date of their contract, they can.