Best Kept Secret

Our Little Forest

"Should we pretend that name didn't show up in the big screen? And on live broadcast for all the world to see?"

"How? The screen just paused right to it. It was all in caps. Jihyo, you okay?"

The girls just got back to the dorm. Roommates Jeongyeon and Mina drop by the leader's room for a bit before settling to theirs. In front of the vanity table, Jihyo unfastens accessories including the Cartier.

She tells them "No. But for now, I just want to rest."

Jeong and Mina turn to each other with a look of concern for Jihyo.

The leader gazes at them telling "I mean, we've been trying to tell about the truth. And since~ until now people don't get it, does it make a difference if we sleep this one out? Cause honestly, the last time Sana and I tried- we almost lost each other."

"But that's because Sajangnim was relentless in fulfilling the deal with Konnect that he put restrictions on you two. You can go on again now that the bestest boy in Korea has shown his true colors", Jeong says.

"No, no, no, no. I don't wanna risk my sincere intentions again and identify as 'using her'. I'd rather protect the understanding Sana and I have of each other. For months, the result is the same anyway. Something's not clicking."

"So, what now? You- are giving up on people? Jihyo, among those people are Once. Are we just gonna let them remain babo?" Mina asks.

"We've given them everything. Well, almost. We can never give the entire truth, can we?" Smiles weakly and turns to the mirror, "I just want to find out what's keeping the fans that way."

"It's the companies, what else? They have kept enabling this stupid fakeness. Hence, fans have become stupid." Jeong walks away when Jihyo recalls.

"Now that you mention it... Yeah."

While the girls themselves have been trying to extinguish the fire of the dating issues set by the companies, the Info Sales Routes have kept fanning it and feed the stalkerish sasaengs.

As it seems, the companies never wanted the fire to die down. In this day and age, information is power regardless of truthfulness as long as it sells. Heck, even investors throw money on speculative ventures.

Stalkers do the same. Some buy for personal consumption while some for clout. And what's stopping them from reselling these pieces of info?

One of these sasaengs have become underground twitter famous, having a following of 32.8k as of this writing despite being a private account. However, it doesn't act like a lone private person.

Its activity is that of an organized syndicate being able to tweet with just minutes gap spamming its followers of celebrity information from VARIOUS Korean entertainment companies. Yes, not even focused on just one entity.

What's more anomalous is that this certain @saesangs1 tweets in Arabic. Note that this is already a succedent account. It deletes and starts anew when it gets famous enough and of course, busted.

This sasaeng has achieved credibility when it seemed to know everything. Including the exact release date of Dispatch's report. It tweeted about it weeks before August 5.

Funny. According to Dispatch itself, the article was DELAYED. It was ready on July 20 but postponed out of respect for Daniel's debut week.

August 1 was the next bet. The same August 1 that Dispatch reported of them meeting in UN Village while Jihyo was in Genie Awards. But again, postponed out of respect for Daniel's Daegu-Busan fan meeting.

Out of respect FOR DANIEL. Never for Jihyo.

Just like Dispatch who have gained credibility over time, followers believed in this sasaeng's tweet that Jihyo has become calmer nowadays compared to the time she's reported. And that Daniel is supporting her very well.