Chapter 148. 99%
Lee Doha’s fans had a nickname.
“Living Buddha.”
It was as if they resembled their favorite artist in temperament, never getting angry about anything. They never picked fights with other fandoms, and even when other fandoms provoked them, they remained unresponsive.
This characteristic was shaped by various factors, but to put it simply:
– First of all, his skills were unmatched, guaranteeing his debut (Would they really not debut a main rapper who could produce his own music? Lol).
– Even if he didn’t debut here, he could still pursue a solo rapper career (There were even many fans who chanted for his elimination).
– Due to Lee Doha’s personality, he didn’t particularly socialize with other trainees (There was no close fandom alliance that would shield each other).
– His fans knew that Lee Doha couldn’t dance (Rather than drawing attention to themselves and risking getting called out for being awkward, it was better to stay silent until the end of the survival show).
For these reasons, they had become adept at laughing off most situations. Instead of spending time fighting online, they spent money voting. The evidence that they were silently strong became crystal clear during the first elimination ceremony.
Despite the overwhelming lack of mentions compared to other trainees, didn’t Lee Doha still place 6th?
Considering the fact that until the first elimination, the votes were for 7-pick and 2-pick, and that Lee Doha hadn’t received any benefits except for in Round 3, it was indeed an impressive result.
A guaranteed debut if they just kept quiet.
So, the fact that Lee Doha’s fans raised their voices at this point was an extremely rare occurrence, and at the same time, it signified that they had reached a point where they simply could not endure it any longer.
**[Bringing to light the inconsiderate audience behavior during the Miro Maze guerrilla concert]**
It was just before the second elimination ceremony for the final round.
Lee Doha’s fans brought to light the incidents that occurred during the guerrilla concert.
So-called “named” fans took the lead, and the posts uploaded to various communities at the same time spread rapidly. Some questioned the point of making this public when everything was already over, but unlike usual, Lee Doha’s fans demanded an explanation from the fandoms of other trainees in an unusually combative manner.
The reason they were so enraged was singular.
**Park Jangmi ???? @roxeeey**
*”No matter what, they shouldn’t have messed with the stage.”*
It was because the “stage,” which could be said to be the pride and core of Lee Doha fans’ passion, had been ruined.
**[Dope fans were really looking forward to this stage]**
Since the team spoilers were revealed, everyone was sure it would be a rap stage, and they were all truly excited.
We never expected to see a genuine rapper unit stage in Miro Maze, which doesn’t have separate concept evaluations… But before the final, there was this rare chance where the rap position trainees gathered, and all my Dope friends were seriously thrilled. ㅠㅠ
But before it even started, people were jeering the team mission as a joke, shouting that it was a failure, and hurling harsh words at the trainees… I really think the Dope fans had every right to bring this to light.
– “Totally agree… But just because they weren’t rooting for their own trainee, they were being obnoxious, calling the mission a failure… I was there, and it was a total loss of faith in humanity.”
– “Honestly, Dope fans not getting mad until now is a miracle. I’m not even a Dope fan, but every time I saw posts mocking Doha, I was worried.”
**[I’m not on RBY’s team, but this was pretty shocking]**
“Someone shouted at GYH to step down.”
“They said it was to mock GYH with a nickname that other communities use as a slur.”
– “Are they already crazy? They haven’t even debuted yet; no wonder they’re acting like this. Exhausting.”
└ “Probably because they haven’t debuted yet, so they’re even worse.ㅠ”
– “I think this made Wonho mess up his stage too. Now they’re mocking him for that over there.ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ”
– “If it’s true, shouldn’t this be brought to light too?”
└ “No one cares about Kim Wonho because he’s not popular.”
└ “I reported the comment above,ㅇㅇ, and there’s also a mention of YH in the publicization, so get your facts straight.”
As time passed, the issue grew bigger.
Excluding Shin Kyungho, whose dating rumor had spread like wildfire and devastated his domestic fandom, and Jaiden, who had a strong international fan base from the start, the “Ravving You Incident” led by Lee Doha’s fandom and supported by Lee Yugeon’s fandom brought in Kim Wonho’s fans as well.
The more views the Ravving You team’s stage received, the louder the voices surrounding the guerrilla concert incident became. It reached a point where it seemed like there were more non-Destiny fans than Destiny fans weighing in on the issue.
It was complete chaos.
“…What the heck?”
And at the center of this chaos was our protagonist, Kang Hajin.
As he slowly monitored the situation, he came across an unexpected post.
“Why is my reaction so good…?”
Hajin blinked dumbfoundedly at the incomprehensible situation.
* * *
Now, if we backtrack a little.
Before the endless controversy surrounding the Ravving You team erupted, Hajin’s words were quietly causing a subtle ripple with a gentle buildup.
**[[Mapple] Seems like the top pick is self-destructing these days]**
It’s such a critical time, yet he’s openly scolding fans in an official setting… ha.
– “What was the situation?”
– “This post has been popping up since yesterday, is it building up to something?”
– “Hating on HJ?”
**[But what was GHJ’s last comment about?]**
Why did he suddenly say he was proud of his fans?
I watched the video, and he looked dead serious, so was something going on?
– “No idea, no one even brought it up, but he blew up on his own.”
– “Typical bravado.”
– “That jerk barely clung to 9th place, yet he’s always got so much to say, thanks to the fans who saved his ass.”
└ “Exactlyㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ the guy who would’ve been eliminated ages ago if it weren’t for his fans, scolding them like some teacher.”
– “But he was mostly popular with the public, no real core fans, so he probably won’t debut anyway. It’d be funny if he screwed up his debut because of that big show.”
**Kim Makhwi @kimmakhiii**
“Trainee trying to have a power struggle with fans before debutingㄷㄷ.”
(Video of Hajin’s final comments, only a snippet).
(Captured text of Hajin’s comments).
(Photo of Hajin squinting in the sunlight).
(Captured image of Hajin looking serious).
Shared 281 times, Quoted 437 times.
The related search term #KangHajinHate slowly began to gain traction.
But the impact wasn’t that significant.
This was because Hajin’s comments walked a fine line.
**[Eh, I just watched the GHJ video, and why?]**
“Just asking his fans to be proud of themselves… Why… what’s the problem?”
– “Anyone feeling guilty?”
– “People say it’s about him having a power struggle with fans, but honestly, I’m not sure. Maybe they haven’t seen real fan hate before.”
– “Why is GHJ’s fandom always so dramatic… I’m exhausted.”
└ “Looks like there are a lot of trolls writing these posts. There’s barely any reaction in places where GHJ’s notable fans and supporters gather.”
**StrongJin @strongjin**
“What do I think?
To become a proud KangPro (Kang Hajin fan),
I’ll vote for Hajin once a day,
Play Miro Maze’s music in the café I work at,
Finish my assignments on time,
And when Hajin debuts, I’ll go to a fan sign event
And boast that I’ve gotten a job,
Becoming an awesome adult.”
**Captainㅠㅜ**
What do you think about the controversy over Hajin’s final comments this time? Honestly, I think it was a reckless statement… I don’t know what Hajin was thinking, saying something like that. Why would he? Especially when fans’ spirits were already low…
Quoted 45 times.
As the prominent fans skillfully managed the atmosphere and the public didn’t sympathize, the posts criticizing Hajin’s comments gradually got pushed further down the scroll.
But that didn’t mean there were no problems. The issue wasn’t so much with Hajin’s comments as it was with the atmosphere within the fandom.
After being beaten down so much that it shattered into pieces, Hajin’s fandom barely managed to regroup thanks to his tearful speech after Round 3. Yet, when Hajin only managed to secure a poor 9th place, the fans went into overdrive, pouring all their efforts into voting and promoting, worrying about his debut even more than Hajin himself.
In such a situation, the ambiguous words from their favorite were enough to irritate some people.
The tightly knit unity they had managed to hold together began to crack.
**[Will anyone stop KangPro from leaving?]**
If you’ve never been a fan, you won’t understand…
These people endure getting bashed and criticized everywhere, holding on purely with their love as fans, but
when their favorite says something like that, it’s enough to bring them back to reality.
As someone who has left a fandom because of this, I can tell you that Hajin definitely said the wrong thing. He should be bowing to his fans right now, not criticizing them.
– “Go vote instead of writing, kiddo.”
– “What ‘reality check’ㅋㅋㅋㅋ. Did he tell you not to live like that? What nonsense.”
– “I’m a KangPro too, and I’m really disgusted. Seriously, if anyone wants to leave, just go. We don’t need fans who just talk about loving Hajin but don’t even vote for him.”
– “I’m not against people leaving, but why do you keep trying to make us leave too?”
A division within the fandom right before the second elimination ceremony could be fatal.
At this point, where a unifying factor was desperately needed, the “Ravving You Incident” broke out.
As people’s attention shifted to the Ravving You team, Hajin’s fandom, finding a brief moment to catch their breath, seized the opportunity to organize and strengthen their unity.
The hashtags #KangHajinHate and #RavvingYouIncident, though similar in nature, were still considered separate incidents.
That was, until one exposé post was uploaded.
**RavvingYouExpose @ravvingyouogon**
**@knggirir**
**@xioxio**
**@wltanftod**
**@xree_jin**
**@llioppop**
#Gobalt
At the Miro Maze guerrilla concert,
They shouted at GYH to step down,
Instigated the mission failure of RBY’s team,
And claimed that their stage was boring.
(Video)
(Video)
Shared 619 times, Quoted 6,888 times.
Someone exposed the “perpetrators.”
The rage of the victimized trainees’ fandoms, which had nowhere to go, converged in one place.
As videos of those who had criticized and mocked the trainees while hiding behind the title of “audience” surfaced, people began to explode in fury.
But the exposé didn’t stop there.
**RavvingYouExpose @ravvingyouogon**
#Gobalt
Received additional reports, posting now.
Using the STAH badge as a shield,
They harassed Dope and GunPro fans via DMs,
Apparently holding a GHJ slogan at the scene,
And presumed to be a KangPro.
(Captured messages from a private account)
(Captured conversations from an open chat)
Shared 2,320 times, Quoted 4,725 times.
The “not-so-proud” face of the fandom had been revealed.