Chapter 10: The Disaster After the Fan Sign

Chapter 10. The Disaster After the Fan Sign

K-Pop Multi-Stan @k-popmangryeong

WTF Jung Woohyung, what is wrong with this guy?

A rookie who debuted literally last week has the most insane fan-hatred I’ve ever seen LMAO

I paid my own money for this, so why do I feel like absolute garbage?

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FriendFriend @snsfriend

Why? What happened?

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K-Pop Multi-Stan @k-popmangryeong

Only 20 fans showed up to the fan sign, and he treated every single one like trash, so I don’t even know what to say.

At least he’s uselessly fair about it Lol

K-Pop Multi-Stan @k-popmangryeong

Now I totally see why he debuted in a garbage nugu agency Lol

It makes it so much worse because the other members were actually great with fans.

Especially Yu Jemin? His fan service was solid, so it’s a total waste that he’s stuck in the same group as Jung Woohyung.

Get It Together Woohyung @heywoohyungfucking

A thread of Jung Woohyung’s fan-hatred at the 4ever fan sign

Retweets 4,310 | Quotes 8,762 | Likes 31

Accounts of 4ever’s fan sign spread like wildfire across K-pop fandoms in an instant.

Rather than Jung Woohyung himself or 4ever as a group, his atrocious fan sign behavior became famous overnight.

Repent Idol @bbahyeomidolout

Sigh… An idol who hates their own fans?

This is a cardinal sin.

In South Korea, there is an unwritten rule about things an idol must never do.

Beyond committing actual crimes that land them on the front page of the news, there are specific things an idol should never do as an idol.

Hearing this, everyone would naturally think of dating scandals.

Dating scandals were a one-shot, instant reality check for every fan who fueled their fandom through parasocial romance, fan fiction, parasocial parenting, or emotional support.

‘With someone else… and not me…?’

‘Weren’t you dating what’s-his-name from your group?’

‘Our baby is still just a baby, though…?’

‘Are you really satisfied with just this level of success? Do you not want to make it big?’

Fierce waves of backlash like these would crash over the fandom, and after a month or two, those who were leaving would leave, while those staying behind would settle back in.

However, even in cases like that, if the idol handled it properly, fans could turn a blind eye, rationalize it, or react with genuine human-to-human empathy: “Well, it happens,” “They’re great at their main job,” or “As long as they treat fans well, that’s enough.”

So, while the blow was certainly massive, it wasn’t necessarily absolute doom.

If that was the case, what could possibly be worse than a dating scandal?

“Honestly, if it were any other member, I wouldn’t have cared, but I never expected him to do that.”

Let’s listen to the story of Ms. Park Sun-hee, who left her fandom just last week.

Ms. Park Sun-hee recently brought her two-and-a-half-year journey as a devoted fan to a complete end.

She even posted an item on a secondhand marketplace app: [Selling all photo cards of So-and-So as a set].

Unfortunately, not a single buyer showed up.

In stark contrast to the days when those photo cards commanded tens of thousands of won, So-and-So’s photo cards were now being used as hotteok spatulas in household kitchens across the country.

“I defended him when he was dating, and I defended him when he sucked at singing and dancing, but after hearing that audio, I just couldn’t bring myself to like him anymore.”

Ms. Park Sun-hee wasn’t a casual fan who just dipped her toes in; she was a truly pure-hearted, dedicated fan.

It used to be her daily routine to like every single news article featuring So-and-So, clear out hate comments, and clean up associated search terms.

Who was it that brought about such a drastic change in her?

Shockingly, it was Mr. So-and-So himself.

It all started when Mr. So-and-So started a live stream while heavily intoxicated.

[So-and-So~ You’re really drunk. Hurry up and go to sleep~]

It was anxiety disguised as worry.

Ms. Park Sun-hee was on edge, terrified that So-and-So would spout more nonsense and set the online communities on fire again.

‘But even so, his flushed cheeks are so cute.’

Although he used a few profanities here and there, it seemed like the live stream was going to end without any major incident.

That was when it happened.

“f*ck, catering to their bullshit is so f*cking exhausting.”

So-and-So, thinking he had already ended the live stream, began mouthing off off-the-record.

Sun-hee cried as she typed into the chat box: [So-and-So, please Turn off the stream!]

However, since So-and-So wasn’t looking at the screen, there was no way he could have known.

She even tried calling the agency, but uncommon for an entertainment company, they strictly adhered to a five-day workweek, so nobody picked up the phone.

“Ah, there’s a fan sign tomorrow. I seriously don’t f*cking wanna go. For real.”

Most of his other chatter was quiet and hard to hear, but those specific words came through crystal clear.

At the news of So-and-So’s live stream accident, trolls flooded in, instantly turning the chat room into absolute chaos.

“Fans, my ass. They’re just my wallets. Brainless bastards.”

Ms. Park Sun-hee wanted to demand reimbursement from So-and-So for her lost two and a half years right then and there.

All the past memories that should have remained precious shifted into pure agony.

Without looking back, she wiped her phone gallery completely clean.

Yet even after that, the pain continued endlessly.

Her friends, fully aware of how passionate a fan she had been, kept sending insensitive texts: [Sun-hee, are you okay?]

Deceiving the fans.

That was the ultimate express route to fandom collapse, causing a mass exodus of even the most hardcore fans.

It was a monstrous, unforgivable act—both as an idol and as a human being.

Now, why bring up this story?

Because ever since the fan sign incident, people had started calling Jung Woohyung the “Second So-and-So,” “Rookie So-and-So,” and “So-and-So Junior.”

As the situation steadily deteriorated, Jemin gnawed at his fingernails.

“Do you actually feel embarrassed doing stuff like this? Do you just hate dealing with fans?”

Jemin pressed his phone against Woohyung’s face, displaying a photo of him rejecting the headband.

Woohyung frowned slightly, as if he couldn’t stand even seeing himself captured in the same frame as the rabbit headband.

“It’s not like that.”

“Then what is it?”

“…It’s just embarrassing for a grown man to do things like that.”

Then do you think I wasn’t embarrassed to wear a cat headband with a bell choker and meow around as a twenty-four-year-old man?!

Jemin wanted to snap at Woohyung, but he took a calm breath and forced himself to speak.

“Instead of acting like this, why don’t you post an apology?”

“No.”

What on earth was he supposed to do with this guy suffering from artist syndrome?

Jemin almost wanted to force Woohyung to sit down and read hate comments.

Except in this case, they weren’t even hate comments; they were completely justified criticisms.

Jemin wished Woohyung would take a mountain of heat so he would finally wake up and treat this like a proper job.

“If you really can’t write it, I’ll write it for you…”

“No.”

An incredulous laugh escaped Jemin’s lips at Woohyung’s immediate, unhesitating refusal.

What right did he have to be so confident when he was the one in the wrong?

Flabbergasted, Jemin grabbed Woohyung and demanded an explanation.

“Why not? If you’re too lazy to write it, just stay still. I’ll fix everything for you.”

“It’s not about that.”

“Then what? Is apologizing too uncool for you? Does it hurt your pride?”

Woohyung tried to say something, but seeing that Jemin was in no mood to listen, he simply gave up.

Woohyung had his own reasons too.

To him, it felt completely natural to express that he disliked something when he genuinely disliked it.

On top of that, he found it bizarre for men in their twenties to drape themselves in accessories meant for kindergarteners.

“Those people are our fans. They came all this way because they like you, so of course you should treat them well and give them what they want.”

“Ha… I said I’ll handle it.”

He sounded just like an immature high school son caught on his phone in a dark room at 3:30 AM by his mother, whining, “Ah, alright! Mom, I was literally just about to sleep. Yeah. I got it.”

Or like a boyfriend standing in front of his girlfriend who had her arms crossed after a fight, trying to brush it off with a half-hearted hug while saying, “Alright, fine, I’m entirely in the wrong.”

In short, there was zero sincerity in his tone—just a desperate attempt to gloss over the moment.

“Hey, you’ve never liked another human being in your entire life, have you?”

In a sudden surge of irritation, Jemin blurted out a provocative question.

However, looking at Woohyung’s utterly unbothered expression, it seemed that attempt was a total failure as well.

“If you had at least liked someone before…”

“So what? Are you telling me to go date someone?”

Woohyung replied with an annoyed look on his face.

Unable to contain his fury at Woohyung’s absurd leap in logic, Jemin snapped.

“No! I’m not telling you to date anyone!”

The only saving grace was that Woohyung had zero female drama.

Despite his words, he didn’t seem like the type who would wreck his own fandom over a romantic relationship.

For starters, he wasn’t someone who would fall in love easily.

Jemin knew that if Woohyung were to secretly date someone on top of all this, 4ever would disband on the spot.

That guy wouldn’t even bother hiding it, which would be a complete catastrophe.

“It’s not entirely wrong, though. I genuinely don’t understand the concept of liking someone like that.”

To Woohyung, it was a completely different matter from buying an album or a song because the track was good.

Even if the target wasn’t a celebrity, it was an emotion Woohyung simply couldn’t relate to.

Why would anyone show such devoted love to another person?

It was a question stemming from his own philosophical perspective on the origin of love.

Jemin wasn’t a mind reader, so he couldn’t possibly grasp the intricate details of Woohyung’s inner thoughts.

Naturally, Jemin reached a much simpler conclusion:

‘This is bad. Is this bastard a psychopath?’

He knew Woohyung was a rude jerk, but he hadn’t realized his empathy was this completely non-existent.

Jemin realized that if the socially impaired Woohyung continued his idol life like this, it wouldn’t just end with the group disbanding—he would get permanently kicked out of the entertainment industry altogether.

And not just Woohyung, but Jemin himself, who was dragged along in the same group.

“I-I’ll help you!”

Determined to prevent that outcome at all costs, Jemin shouted out frantically.

Jemin had no intention of retiring here and prepping for corporate job interviews.

If he retired now, everything he had polished over the years would only ever be used as a talent show trick at a new employee orientation training camp.

He hadn’t practiced dancing and singing for years just for that.

“I’m not really sure if you can be of any help.”

Woohyung looked at Jemin with a deeply skeptical gaze.

“If you come to understand those feelings, it’ll help your fan service, and it’ll widen your perspective when you write lyrics too…”

“No, I meant I’m not sure if you specifically are capable of helping me.”

“Judging by the way you talk, you definitely need to learn.”

Jemin resolved then and there that he would cultivate Woohyung’s dried-up emotional capacity no matter what it took.

Only after understanding love could he expand that into love for his fans.

I feel so sorry for Jung Woohyung, who doesn’t know the beauty of love!

Jemin screamed internally.