Chapter 148: 99%
148. 99%
Lee Doha's fans had a nickname.
'Saint Buddha.'
Whether their personalities naturally mirrored their favorite idol or not, they never got angry over anything. They never picked fights with other fandoms, and even when other fandoms provoked them, they maintained complete silence.
This temperament resulted from a complex mix of factors, but to simplify:
For these reasons, they had mastered the art of laughing things off. Rather than wasting time arguing online, they spent their energy voting. Their silent strength was proven during the first elimination ceremony.
Despite having significantly less online presence compared to other trainees, hadn't Doha still ranked 6th?
Considering votes were limited to 7-pick and 2-pick before the first elimination, and that Doha had only received benefits in Round 3, this was astonishing.
Just by staying quiet, half his debut was guaranteed.
So the fact that Doha's fans were raising their voices now meant two things: this was truly unprecedented, and they had reached their absolute limit.
[Public Statement on the Disrespectful Audience Behavior at Miro Maze's Guerrilla Concert]
Just before the second elimination ceremony determining the final lineup.
Doha's fans brought attention to what had happened at the guerrilla concert.
Leading fans took charge, and posts uploaded simultaneously across multiple communities spread rapidly. Some questioned why they were making a fuss after everything was over, but Doha's fans—uncharacteristically combative—demanded responses from other trainees' fandoms.
There was only one reason they had snapped:
Park Jangmi 🔒 @roxeeey
"They could've messed with anything else, but not the stage."
Their pride as fans, the very foundation of their devotion—the stage—had been ruined.
[How much were Dope fans looking forward to this performance?]
Ever since the team spoiler dropped, everyone went wild thinking this would be a pure rap stage.
Miro Maze doesn't do separate concept evaluations, so we never expected to see a proper rap unit performance... Then right before finals, we heard rap-position trainees were grouped together, and Dope fans were beyond excited T_T
But before it even started, some audience members kept shouting "Mission failed!" as a joke without even watching properly, hurling insults during individual ments... Honestly, Dope fans were justified in speaking up.
[Not related to Loving You team, but this was shocking too]
Someone yelled at Kyoungho to "get down here"—a phrase antis use to mock him along with derogatory nicknames.
└ They're doing it because it's pre-debut TT
└ Kim Wonho isn't popular enough for anyone to care.
└ Reported ^^ And FYI, Wonho is mentioned in the statement, so get your facts straight.
The situation escalated rapidly.
With dating rumors having already decimated Shin Kyoungho's domestic fandom (leaving only his international fans) and Jaden primarily supported overseas, Doha's fandom took the lead in the "Loving You incident," backed by Yu-geon's fans—soon joined by Kim Wonho's fandom.
As views for Loving You's performance skyrocketed, so did public outrage over the guerrilla concert. At this point, non-Desty fans discussing the issue outnumbered actual Desty members.
Pure chaos.
"...What?"
And at the center of this K-pop maelstrom stood our protagonist, Kang Hajin.
While monitoring the situation, he stumbled upon an unexpected post:
<HOT! ‖ Miro Maze's Kang Hajin's Statement Now Being Re-evaluated.jpg (1,748)>
<HOT! ‖ Aren't Hajin Antis Embarrassed? LOL (431)>
<HOT! ‖ Statement from Kang Hajin's Fandom Released (2,001)>
"Why... are reactions positive now...?"
Hajin blinked dumbfoundedly at the inexplicable shift.
Let's rewind a bit.
Before the Loving You controversy erupted, Hajin's statement had been creating subtle ripples with a quiet buildup.
[[Marple] Did Your Bias Just Hate Their Fans?]
Of all times to scold fans publicly during such a crucial period... sigh.
[What was Hajin's last statement about?]
Why did he suddenly start talking about being proud of his fans??
Watched the video—he looked dead serious. What happened?
└ Exactly lololololol. This bastard would've been eliminated ages ago without fan support, yet he's out here lecturing them. Acting like some moral authority.
Kim Makhwi @kimmakhiii
A trainee picking fights with fans pre-debut... wild.
(Cropped clip of Hajin's speech)
(Text version of speech)
(Hajin squinting in sunlight)
(Freeze-frame making him look stern)
Shares: 281 | Quotes: 437
The hashtag #KangHajinAntiFan trended quietly.
But backlash remained limited because Hajin's statement walked a fine line.
[Wait, just watched Hajin's video—what's the issue?]
He just said he wants proud fans... why is this... a problem?
└ Most comments are from trolls. Actual Hajin fans aren't reacting much.
Captain Kang @strongjin
My thoughts?
To become a proud KangPr,
I'll vote for Hajin daily,
play only Miro Maze songs at my part-time job,
stay on top of assignments,
and when Hajin debuts,
I'll attend fansigns
as a successful adult
who can proudly say,
"I got hired."
Tears
Q: Captain, what do you think about Hajin's speech controversy? Honestly, it did seem reckless... What was he thinking? With fan morale already low...
Quotes: 45
Seasoned fans controlled the narrative, and as public interest waned, critical posts about Hajin's statement gradually disappeared.
But problems lingered—not with the statement itself, but within the fandom.
After being battered to near disintegration, Hajin's fandom had barely regrouped following his tearful Round 3 speech. Now, with Hajin ranking a dismal 9th, fans were more anxious about his debut than he was—diverting all energy to voting and promotion.
At this critical juncture, their bias's ambiguous words struck a nerve.
Cracks formed in their hard-won unity.
[KangPrs on the verge of quitting]
Non-fans won't get this...
We endure endless hate from all sides, clinging to devotion—only for our bias to say that. Of course it triggers existential crises.
As someone who quit fandom over similar reasons, Hajin was wrong. He owes his fans everything right now.
This pre-elimination fandom rift could be fatal.
Just when they needed a unifying force, the Loving You incident erupted.
As public attention shifted, Hajin's fandom seized the chance to regroup, enforcing discipline and solidarity.
#KangHajinAntiFan and #LovingYouPublicStatement shared undertones but remained separate.
Until an exposé dropped.
LovingYouStatement @ravvingyouogon
@knggirir
@xioxio
@wltanftod
@xree_jin
@llioppop
#Expose
The group shouting at Kyoungho to "get down," sabotaging Loving You's mission, and calling their stage "boring" at the guerrilla concert.
(Video evidence)
(Video evidence)
Shares: 619 | Quotes: 6,888
Someone had identified the "culprits."
The rage of victimized fandoms found a target.
With video proof of audience members hiding behind "spectator" labels to mock trainees, public outrage exploded.
But the exposé didn't stop there.
LovingYouStatement @ravvingyouogon
#Expose
Additional evidence:
Used Seo Taehyun's fanmark as shield while harassing Dope/GunPr fans via DMs.
Reportedly carried Hajin slogans on-site.
Likely actual KangPr.
(Alt account DMs)
(Open chat logs)
Shares: 2,320 | Quotes: 4,725
The face of these far-from-proud fans had been revealed.