LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 259
Chapter 259
One night, just before midnight.
Among the posts buried with mediocre view counts, there was one post that quickly soared from hundreds to thousands of views.
[Psychiatric Diagnosis of a Famous Idol Leaked]
The post, with a title that was sure to attract attention, contained nothing but a single attached photo.
It was a photo of a diagnosis from several years ago, taken with a mobile phone camera.
The name and date of birth were clearly visible at the top of the diagnosis, making it easy to identify On Raon as the subject of the document.
The comment section was filled with people buzzing about what it meant.
– ?
– What is this?;
– ????
– Did a sasaeng fan leak this?
– Seems like a fabrication.
– Whether it’s a sasaeng or not, isn’t it illegal to disclose medical information like this?
– Whether it’s real or fake, this post should be taken down;;;
– Guysㅠㅠ Report this postㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
– Why isn’t this post being deleted when it clearly violates entertainment regulations?
– Wow, if this is real, doesn’t it mean On Raon’s condition was much worse than we knew? The diagnosis suggests his mental strength, which is essential for living, was completely worn out.
– Damn True fans…
– (Comment deleted)
– Oh Raonㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
– This seems like a media play ahead of the trial.
┗ By whom?
┗ Who’s playing the media?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
┗ Why can’t you say it??ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
– But… with posts like this about On Raon’s past coming up constantly, it feels like noise marketing.
┗ ?
┗ What…
┗ It’s a fact that On Raon’s recognition skyrocketed because of that incident. And why are you questioning my feelings about it?
┗ Then why don’t you go abroad, get bullied at work, be framed in Savannah, and almost die after being pushed down the stairsㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
┗ If falling down the stairs could make me that famous and rich, I’d definitely do it.. I didn’t even get hurt.
┗ You’re a perfect specimenㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
– ——Ignore——
– It must be tough to be their fan; there’s never a quiet day.
Of course, for most Aeri, this was nothing more than an unnecessary concern.
– Aeri fans, as an outsider, doesn’t it tire you when things like this pop up?
┗ Nope, the kids are so pretty that it’s not tiring at all!!
┗ I just feel proud seeing them grow together.
┗ I’ve never thought it was tough because they didn’t do anything wrong.
┗ Absolutely not.
┗ I find a lot to learn from their hard work, and it comforts me.
┗ Honestly, there were tough times, but it’s not the kids’ fault. Some people might not be able to endure it and leave the fandom, but the harder it got, the more I wanted to support them.
┗ 22
┗ 333 The harder it gets, the more dedicated I become.
The fandom was steadfast, consisting of fans who had been through a lot and were now well-trained. Newcomers were those who, having seen the chaos, were prepared to embrace everything willingly.
Or they were the type attracted to the very danger and instability.
Additionally, it wasn’t a completely new incident hitting them out of nowhere, but an existing one with more details added, so there was no reason to get newly exhausted.
They only felt heartbroken when looking at cute photos or videos of their beloved idol, who deserved to be cherished like a flower in a greenhouse, wondering why such tragedies befell him.
Determined to stay strong, they talked enthusiastically to ensure the fandom’s morale didn’t drop when they needed to be at their peak.
– One of the best things about Orca, no matter how hard things get, is that he never complains to the fans first. He deals with it all on his own and then tells us, “Oh, I was having a hard time back then, but I’m okay now,” and moves on!
– But honestly, I wish they’d tell us when they’re struggling.. I know it’s hard, but I love them that much ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
– Fans always resemble their idols~~ Let’s not lose heart, Aeri.
– I’m so excited to see them again on the music show tomorrow.
– Check if the night streaming is going well~~! Let’s keep streaming diligently.
– (GIF) Seeing Raon get all the opening and ending shots on Music Bank today reassured me once again that our kid is loved wherever he goesㅎㅎ
Moreover, Sun-woo Yoon, who had firmly established himself as the top fan-site master of Orca, publicly targeted the infamous sasaeng fans he had been wary of, providing the fans with a common enemy to vent their negative emotions on.
– Oh, it’s so refreshing to see those Onsenner sasaengs get called out.
– !!Let’s not consume content from sasaeng homes that are on the list. As Onsenner said, continuing to support sasaeng homes only makes things harder for the idols!!
– Isn’t sasaeng content a necessary evil? It helps increase the fanbase and keeps the fandom active. Without sasaengs, the fandom would die out.
┗ I lost 50 followers instantly after posting this tweetㅋㅋㅋㅋ Alright, let’s see how clean and confident our pure-hearted Aeri fans are with their consumption choices^^
┗ Your way of talking was funny, so I followed you, but now I’m unfollowing. Turns out you’re just clueless.
– There are plenty of photos to see without sasaengs. Don’t become someone who cries later because the pretty photo was taken by a sasaeng home master. Let’s increase clean home content nowㅠㅠㅠ
– I want to smash sasaengs’ heads, but I know I shouldn’t say that…
– Let’s not be lenient with sasaengs.
There’s no such thing as a helpful sasaeng; it’s tough for idols regardless.
With the overall atmosphere in the fandom set this way, even fans who had lighter feelings about the matter found themselves not wanting to leave.
Instead, they held hands and united to overcome the unreasonable hardships and trials they faced together.
Meanwhile, On Raon, Orca members, Gwak Sang-hyun, and Ban Ga-eul, unaware of the ongoing internet drama, were reviewing the apartment’s CCTV footage with the police during the time the dorm was empty.
* * *
“Ah, please stop here.”
At Gwak Sang-hyun’s request, the management stopped the CCTV footage.
“These are the culprits, right?”
“Judging by the time and their outfits, it’s certain these four broke into the dorm.”
“But you can’t see their faces at all because of the masks and hats. The one in the white jumper is the most visible, but still…”
“Huh, usually they’d call the police and make a scene, but this time they were actually scared of getting caught. It’s hot out, yet they’re all bundled up.”
The police were frustrated.
“This is going to be difficult.”
“We’ll see if we can get any fingerprints from the cameras we collected and check nearby CCTV footage once the sun rises.”
The police officer who said this looked at us and asked,
“Do any of you recognize these sasaengs?”
The members, who had insisted on seeing for themselves, focused intently on the CCTV footage but eventually shook their heads.
The video quality wasn’t great, and the masks and hats made it hard to see their faces.
Kang Ji-woo spoke on behalf of the group.
“We’re not sure either.”
Ban Ga-eul, who had brought us sweet and warm chocolate canned drinks on the way, was fuming.
“If only we knew who they were, we’d sue them immediately!”
A way to identify them…
“!”
I remembered a feature I had completely forgotten about.
The one where names appear above people’s heads, like in a game.
‘Name Display Feature!’
[Would you like to turn on the name display? (Current setting: Name Display OFF)]
[Y/N]
After glancing around, I discreetly pressed Y with a slight finger movement.
[Name display is now ON.]
Just like a year ago, the names of the people around me appeared above their heads.
‘It’s still fascinating to see this after so long.’
Now it was time to check the CCTV footage.
“Can I take another look at that footage?”
“Did you notice something?”
“I have a hunch.”
The manager kindly played the footage again without any sign of annoyance.
But…
‘Nothing.’
The sasaengs’ names didn’t appear above their heads in the video.
‘Come to think of it, doesn’t it only show names if you see them in person?’
Just as I was about to feel disappointed, thinking turning on the name display was a good idea,
“!”
Names suddenly appeared above the sasaengs’ heads in the footage, sparkling into view.
[This special service was provided by the automated system on the other side.]
“……”
Dumbfounded, I watched the system window flicker away playfully like it was winking.
Maybe Larry left part of his soul in the automated system.
‘Anyway, you’re more competent than Larry.’
[Although that’s true, if you say things like that, I’ll be disposed of the moment that temperamental manager returns, so please be cautious.]
I’m sorry about that.
Larry talked a lot of trash about his boss, but he turned out to be a trashy boss himself, didn’t he?
Anyway, we managed to find out the sasaengs’ names.
The problem now is how to convey this information to others without arousing suspicion since it was obtained in such an unconventional way.
After pondering for a moment, I called over Ban Ga-eul, who was busy questioning the police about various things.
“Um, Director.”
I decided to use my well-honed acting skills.
“I think I know who this person is.”
“Who? Which one?”
“This one.”
I pointed to the sasaeng whose face was the most visible.
“I ran into them once at the convenience store in the complex, and I think they were wearing this jumper.”
“Really?”
“Yes. They seem to be about the same height too.”
“Do you know any specific details about their appearance or their name?”
“I’m not certain, but…”
I cautiously mentioned the name I had discovered.
“Oh, that person?”
Fortunately, no one found it strange.
Now that they knew the name, the members nodded, convinced that it was indeed the right person.
But why is the name not showing for that one sasaeng?
There were four sasaengs in total. Names appeared above three of them, including the one I had just pointed out, but the name above the head of the remaining one still didn’t show.
‘Is it a system error?’
[Name display is not possible for individuals not registered in the Administration’s registry!]
‘Huh?’
As I frowned slightly at the suspicious notification, several messages arrived in quick succession.
It was from Go Kyung-yoon.
[Ga] Are you awake?
[Ga] (photo)
[Ga] Just wondering if you knew about this.
He had sent a screenshot of a post from an online community.
‘Why is he sending this at this hour…?’
[Psychiatric Diagnosis of a Famous Idol Leaked]
In an instant.
I heard a snapping sound in my head, as if something had just broken.