An obsessive fan, whom others would likely label a sasaeng nutcase, has responded to the news of Chen’s looming marriage with disappointment, claiming that it destroyed the image of EXO they long had in mind.
Earlier this week, Chen announced his plan to marry his girlfriend, a non-celebrity who now happens to be pregnant.
“I have a girlfriend who I want to spend the rest of my life with,” the 27-year-old wrote in a handwritten letter to fans.
“Chen has met someone precious to him and will be getting married. The bride is a non-celebrity, and the wedding will be held privately with only their families in attendance,” his management label, SM Entertainment, said in a subsequent statement. “We ask you to send Chen lots of blessings and messages of celebration.”
The news easily shocked the K-pop world, where labels typically enforce dating bans to keep idols focused on work.
Nevertheless, swarms of EXO-Ls, EXO’s official fandom, rejoiced over it and congratulated Chen for his upcoming family.
Unfortunately, not everyone is thrilled at the thought of Chen tying the knot.
One particular fan responded with disappointment, saying that the idol had been “too selfish” and that his actions left them “crying for so many hours.”
“You take responsibility over the person that you love, but I’m sad that you’re not taking responsibility over the person who loves you,” the fan wrote in Korean. “I regret trying to grab onto what I should’ve let go.”
EXO is a group that will forever be my youth, but because of Jongdae, this image is gone.
Were we only a business relationship? You didn’t make a promise to us forever?
I thought that if we had to set priorities, we should’ve followed those priorities and made so we understand each other, but right now, your actions are just showing that fans and you were just a business. That’s why I’m so disappointed and my heart hurts even more Jongdae-yah.
You were the ‘trustful Chen’ and now your labels changed to ‘premarital pregnancy’ and ‘kid’s dad’ etc. my heart just hurts so much, it just hurts.
The road that we still have to walk together is still long, I don’t want us to stop now, and you either. Did you want to walk on the way that the fans paved for you? You’re too selfish Jongdae-yah. I knew you didn’t want to do SNS. And you probably don’t look at the comments on YouTube either. So there’s not much ways we can communicate but I still tried to write something… The letter that you threw away. I’ve been crying for so many hours being confused, I was pitying myself.
I loved you, but I think that I will love you in the future too. That’s why Jongdae-yah just say ‘I’m sorry’ once. I think this should be taking each other into consideration.
I received an alarm and I was so happy thinking that it could’ve been the news of your solo concert but my hands started to tremble and my tears started to fall out as I dropped my phone. You probably didn’t know how I felt right?
Happy (t/n: no pronoun). Still be happy.
The fan’s post has received more than 173,000 views and 1,091 likes over 139 dislikes as of this writing.
It’s unclear whether the author of the response is a genuine EXO-L, but if anything, such language is typical of sasaeng fans — obsessive supporters who would go as far as following their idols into their residences and even to their travel itineraries.
Feature Images via @weareone.exo / SM Entertainment (left and right)