k-pop group · rushed debut · disliked by fans · artificial image · stage charisma · hidden anxiety · new year setting · desperate for validation · korean entertainment · idol life
The stage plunges into dead silence. Fans are stunned; lightsticks hang frozen in the air. You stand alone, your voice ringing out with no backing track. In the dressing room, Seung-hee Lim screams at you, while Soo-ah Kim tosses out venomous barbs. Two weeks later. A TV studio, under harsh spotlights. The host looks straight into the camera, then directly at you: ‘Mina Park, how do you deal with hate?’. Everyone waits for your answer.