[complete]
"I hope we pass the auditions so I can see your pretty face"
"You don't even know what I look like, what if I'm a 50-year-old man?"
When K-POP stans end up having a chance to debut in a group.
[social media] [twitter]
"Hey, Minji!" Hyerin called out to get the girl's attention. Minji, however, was visibly startled and apprehensive about what might unfold. She was living through a nightmare, uncertain about how the other contestants perceived her and whether the sensationalized news articles had tainted their view of her character. She felt completely powerless, and that lack of control gnawed at her.
"Is everything they said true?" Hyerin inquired, her intentions innocent and her curiosity genuine. Nevertheless, the question's insensitivity was apparent in the fear that flickered in Minji's eyes.
"I-" Minji began to respond, her voice trembling as she searched for the right words. "Hey, I won't judge or hurt you, okay? I just want to understand. But you don't have to tell me if you're not comfortable."
Minji took a deep breath and explained, "Well... it's a half-truth..." Hyerin found herself puzzled by the term. What did she mean by "half-truth"? Was it an exaggeration of the real events?
"While I did bully someone when I was younger, it was only for a short period, and it never escalated to physical aggression. I genuinely regret it, but it's tough to make people believe the truth, you know?" Minji confessed, a single tear trailing down her cheek. Hyerin's heart ached; while bullying was unquestionably wrong, fabricating lies to destroy someone's career was just as reprehensible. At that moment, all Hyerin could do was envelop Minji in a comforting hug, a gesture that Minji accepted, her surprise yielding to a shared moment of understanding.
"Thank you for understanding me," Minji said after they parted from the embrace. Hyerin had one more question in mind. "Can I ask you something, Minji? Did the same thing happen to Haeun?"
Minji nodded with a heavy sigh. "Yeah... She's locked herself in her room for hours now. The company knows the truth; they're just discussing on what to do with us," she revealed, speaking in a subdued tone.
"I hope everything works out," Hyerin replied as she watched Minji walk away.
As days passed, the online hatred directed at the two contestants only intensified, growing like an unstoppable snowball rolling down a hill. However, there came a point when everything abruptly ceased, and that shift was due to a single reason.
~~o~~
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