Explanation of how HYBE tried to bury news about TXT Soobin's...
HYBE censors gay people@mariniste
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Aug 27, 2026
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Explanation of how HYBE tried to bury news about TXT Soobin's actual gay relationship, by using staged scandals, dating rumors and forced trips with other idols. 🧵
This thread covers how:
➤ HYBE forced Soobin to go on his China trip with ZB1's Zhang Hao and ONEUS's Keonhee, in order to distract fans from Soobin's gay dating rumor with Yoojun from BAE173.
➤ HYBE intentionally staged Soobin's trip so that sasaeng fans would mob them for publicity.
➤ This staged trip is part of a pattern of HYBE publicizing Soobin's interactions with other male celebrities like actor Lee Chaemin and ATEEZ's San, in order to distract fans from the person Soobin is actually dating.
➤ The timing of Soobin's China trip was partially connected to Soobin and TXT Yeonjun going to Paris right before.
➤ TXT Huening Kai's staged sasaeng scandal, where he was caught drinking with an unknown girl, was intentionally timed to happen on the same day that Soobin got stalked by sasaengs on his trip.
This thread covers how:
➤ HYBE forced Soobin to go on his China trip with ZB1's Zhang Hao and ONEUS's Keonhee, in order to distract fans from Soobin's gay dating rumor with Yoojun from BAE173.
➤ HYBE intentionally staged Soobin's trip so that sasaeng fans would mob them for publicity.
➤ This staged trip is part of a pattern of HYBE publicizing Soobin's interactions with other male celebrities like actor Lee Chaemin and ATEEZ's San, in order to distract fans from the person Soobin is actually dating.
➤ The timing of Soobin's China trip was partially connected to Soobin and TXT Yeonjun going to Paris right before.
➤ TXT Huening Kai's staged sasaeng scandal, where he was caught drinking with an unknown girl, was intentionally timed to happen on the same day that Soobin got stalked by sasaengs on his trip.
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▶️ Facts About Soobin's China Trip:
On October 7, 2025, Soobin was spotted leaving Incheon airport for a trip to China. He was accompanied by Zhang Hao from ZEROBASEONE, Keonhee from ONEUS, and an unidentified friend.
On the same day that Soobin returned from attending Paris Fashion Week, he immediately set off on this trip to China. It was also near the end of Korean Chuseok holidays (October 6-8, 2025).
On October 7, 2025, Soobin was spotted leaving Incheon airport for a trip to China. He was accompanied by Zhang Hao from ZEROBASEONE, Keonhee from ONEUS, and an unidentified friend.
On the same day that Soobin returned from attending Paris Fashion Week, he immediately set off on this trip to China. It was also near the end of Korean Chuseok holidays (October 6-8, 2025).
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When Soobin, Zhang Hao and Keonhee arrived in Wuxi, China a few hours later, they were mobbed by huge crowds of fans at the airport.
Sasaeng fans stalked the group during their entire trip, including at their hotel. The idols reportedly had little or no security with them at first, though they got some later.
A particular moment went viral when Soobin and Zhang Hao were chased by fans into an elevator. A fan threw her phone in after Soobin, who threw it back. Zhang Hao then seemingly grabbed another phone from one of the fans and threw it into the elevator, which Soobin picked up and threw out again.
Sasaeng fans stalked the group during their entire trip, including at their hotel. The idols reportedly had little or no security with them at first, though they got some later.
A particular moment went viral when Soobin and Zhang Hao were chased by fans into an elevator. A fan threw her phone in after Soobin, who threw it back. Zhang Hao then seemingly grabbed another phone from one of the fans and threw it into the elevator, which Soobin picked up and threw out again.
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It was reported that people were selling information about Soobin's, Zhang Hao's and Keonhee's trip itinerary, such as information about their flights, hotels and activities during their stay.
News of them getting swarmed by fans went viral on Chinese platforms. However, there were signs that the virality may have been partly paid for by HYBE, as the Weibo "hot searches" for all three idols being swarmed at Wuxi airport only mentioned Soobin and Zhang Hao, but not Keonhee.
The overall context of the trip also strongly points to HYBE staging the whole scandal, as I explain below.
News of them getting swarmed by fans went viral on Chinese platforms. However, there were signs that the virality may have been partly paid for by HYBE, as the Weibo "hot searches" for all three idols being swarmed at Wuxi airport only mentioned Soobin and Zhang Hao, but not Keonhee.
The overall context of the trip also strongly points to HYBE staging the whole scandal, as I explain below.
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▶️ At the outset, it is obvious that HYBE staged this scandal as an attempt to distract fans from Soobin's gay dating rumor with Yoojun from BAE173. I explain the reasons below.
If you aren't aware, Soobin's dating rumor with Yoojun is Soobin's only dating rumor with enough direct, publicly-available evidence to convince most people that these two idols were actually dating. Or rather, that Soobin wanted all his fans to think they were dating. It wasn't just a joke rumor or delusional shipper theory. There was actually a lot of evidence presenting Soobin and Yoojun’s relationship in a specifically romantic context, to the point that only heteronormative or irrationally biased people would dismiss this particular dating rumor.
I explained all the evidence for Soobin and Yoojun's dating rumor in this thread:
If you aren't aware, Soobin's dating rumor with Yoojun is Soobin's only dating rumor with enough direct, publicly-available evidence to convince most people that these two idols were actually dating. Or rather, that Soobin wanted all his fans to think they were dating. It wasn't just a joke rumor or delusional shipper theory. There was actually a lot of evidence presenting Soobin and Yoojun’s relationship in a specifically romantic context, to the point that only heteronormative or irrationally biased people would dismiss this particular dating rumor.
I explained all the evidence for Soobin and Yoojun's dating rumor in this thread:
HYBE censors gay people@mariniste
Thread of evidence for TXT Soobin's and BAE173 Yoojun's STAGED and FAKE dating rumor. 🧵
Soobin has actually been dating his bandmate, TXT Yeonjun, for the past 10 years. BAE173 Yoojun is a friend who agreed to help Soobin as part of TXT's complicated long-term conspiracy to eventually reveal Soobin and Yeonjun's relationship to the public.
HYBE contractually prohibited Soobin and TXT Yeonjun from revealing their relationship, going on trips, appearing close off-camera, etc. Soobin staged his fake dating rumor with BAE173 Yoojun because he wanted to pressure HYBE by indirectly coming out of the closet as dating a male idol, so that HYBE could no longer use the argument that "coming out of the closet as dating a male idol is too dangerous and financially ruinous" as a reason to continue censoring Soobin and Yeonjun's relationship.
This is why Soobin and BAE173 Yoojun roleplayed being in a gay relationship and tried to convince all of their fans that Soobin is in a relationship with a male idol whose name sounds like "Yeonjun". They did this very blatantly, by going on public trips/dates and posted all of the evidence for their fake relationship on their official social media and in official TXT content.
Soobin and Yoojun's fake relationship was like a "proof of concept", showing HYBE in practice what it looks like for a TXT member to have a serious gay dating rumor with an idol. It also removed HYBE's leverage to argue that having a gay dating rumor is too dangerous, because all of Soobin's fans already believe that he is gay and dating a male idol. This occurred in late 2025-Jan 2026, when my posts about Soobin's and Yoojun's relationship went viral and got written about by Koreaboo and other media outlets.
The fact that Yoojun's and Yeonjun's names sound so similar—to the point that TikTok and other search engines give you results for Soobin and Yeonjun if you search Soobin and Yoojun—was also intentional. Soobin's intent was to create confusion and make people associate his gay male idol dating rumor with Yeonjun, as set-up for when Soobin and Yeonjun eventually come out directly and everyone understands that Yoojun was just a "stand-in" for Yeonjun in the public record.
Soobin has actually been dating his bandmate, TXT Yeonjun, for the past 10 years. BAE173 Yoojun is a friend who agreed to help Soobin as part of TXT's complicated long-term conspiracy to eventually reveal Soobin and Yeonjun's relationship to the public.
HYBE contractually prohibited Soobin and TXT Yeonjun from revealing their relationship, going on trips, appearing close off-camera, etc. Soobin staged his fake dating rumor with BAE173 Yoojun because he wanted to pressure HYBE by indirectly coming out of the closet as dating a male idol, so that HYBE could no longer use the argument that "coming out of the closet as dating a male idol is too dangerous and financially ruinous" as a reason to continue censoring Soobin and Yeonjun's relationship.
This is why Soobin and BAE173 Yoojun roleplayed being in a gay relationship and tried to convince all of their fans that Soobin is in a relationship with a male idol whose name sounds like "Yeonjun". They did this very blatantly, by going on public trips/dates and posted all of the evidence for their fake relationship on their official social media and in official TXT content.
Soobin and Yoojun's fake relationship was like a "proof of concept", showing HYBE in practice what it looks like for a TXT member to have a serious gay dating rumor with an idol. It also removed HYBE's leverage to argue that having a gay dating rumor is too dangerous, because all of Soobin's fans already believe that he is gay and dating a male idol. This occurred in late 2025-Jan 2026, when my posts about Soobin's and Yoojun's relationship went viral and got written about by Koreaboo and other media outlets.
The fact that Yoojun's and Yeonjun's names sound so similar—to the point that TikTok and other search engines give you results for Soobin and Yeonjun if you search Soobin and Yoojun—was also intentional. Soobin's intent was to create confusion and make people associate his gay male idol dating rumor with Yeonjun, as set-up for when Soobin and Yeonjun eventually come out directly and everyone understands that Yoojun was just a "stand-in" for Yeonjun in the public record.
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Briefly, here are the reasons why it's obvious that HYBE staged Soobin's trip with Zhang Hao in response to the Yoojun dating rumor:
➤ First, the timing was too coincidental. Soobin and Yoojun's dating rumor started getting attention from fans after a thread about it was posted on October 2, 2025. Soobin's trip with Zhang Hao happened on October 7, less than a week after the Yoojun dating rumor started spreading.
➤ Second, the Zhang Hao trip was part of a pattern of PR stunts linking Soobin with other male celebrities in an attempt to distract fans from the Yoojun rumor. This pattern included the sudden circulation of old photos of Soobin and Lee Chaemin on October 4, right after the Yoojun thread was posted. Even though Soobin's outing with Chaemin was obviously platonic, the photos were misleadingly framed as evidence of Soobin and Chaemin being more than friends, as if Soobin has gay rumors with every friend he hangs out with.
➤ Third, Soobin and Zhang Hao's trip imitated the existing evidence for Soobin and Yoojun dating beat-for-beat. One of the strongest pieces of evidence for Soobin and Yoojun dating was the fact that Soobin made time in his busy schedule to go on a romantic Korean holiday trip to Taiwan with Yoojun. They got matching couple bracelets that they showed off on social media. Soobin did almost the exact same thing with Zhang Hao—he rushed off to China during a Korean holiday right after finishing a busy schedule, and they showed off matching bracelets they got on the trip.
➤ Fourth, Soobin's trip with Zhang Hao was the best evidence that people had to counter the idea that Soobin was dating Yoojun when the Yoojun rumor went truly viral a few months later. Certain suspicious accounts immediately used the trip with Zhang Hao in an attempt to directly counter the Yoojun evidence, as if the Zhang Hao evidence had been intentionally set up for that purpose.
➤ Fifth, Kai's scandal involving a "sasaeng" following him and filming him drinking with an unknown woman went viral at literally the exact same time, on the same day, that Soobin was harassed by sasaengs on his trip. These two things happening at the exact same time is so unlikely to be a coincidence that it indicates both scandals were planned ahead of time.
Each point is covered in more detail in the following posts.
➤ First, the timing was too coincidental. Soobin and Yoojun's dating rumor started getting attention from fans after a thread about it was posted on October 2, 2025. Soobin's trip with Zhang Hao happened on October 7, less than a week after the Yoojun dating rumor started spreading.
➤ Second, the Zhang Hao trip was part of a pattern of PR stunts linking Soobin with other male celebrities in an attempt to distract fans from the Yoojun rumor. This pattern included the sudden circulation of old photos of Soobin and Lee Chaemin on October 4, right after the Yoojun thread was posted. Even though Soobin's outing with Chaemin was obviously platonic, the photos were misleadingly framed as evidence of Soobin and Chaemin being more than friends, as if Soobin has gay rumors with every friend he hangs out with.
➤ Third, Soobin and Zhang Hao's trip imitated the existing evidence for Soobin and Yoojun dating beat-for-beat. One of the strongest pieces of evidence for Soobin and Yoojun dating was the fact that Soobin made time in his busy schedule to go on a romantic Korean holiday trip to Taiwan with Yoojun. They got matching couple bracelets that they showed off on social media. Soobin did almost the exact same thing with Zhang Hao—he rushed off to China during a Korean holiday right after finishing a busy schedule, and they showed off matching bracelets they got on the trip.
➤ Fourth, Soobin's trip with Zhang Hao was the best evidence that people had to counter the idea that Soobin was dating Yoojun when the Yoojun rumor went truly viral a few months later. Certain suspicious accounts immediately used the trip with Zhang Hao in an attempt to directly counter the Yoojun evidence, as if the Zhang Hao evidence had been intentionally set up for that purpose.
➤ Fifth, Kai's scandal involving a "sasaeng" following him and filming him drinking with an unknown woman went viral at literally the exact same time, on the same day, that Soobin was harassed by sasaengs on his trip. These two things happening at the exact same time is so unlikely to be a coincidence that it indicates both scandals were planned ahead of time.
Each point is covered in more detail in the following posts.
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▶️ Soobin's trip with Zhang Hao occurred immediately after Soobin's dating rumor with Yoojun started spreading, which suggests the trip was staged in response to the rumor.
The idea that Soobin and Yoojun were actually dating only got widespread attention when I posted my initial thread about it on my old account (@atlemise) on October 2, 2025. Soobin and Yoojun's relationship first got some minor attention from fans in May 2025 right after their Taiwan trip. However, most fans dismissed them as being just friends, because most of the evidence was not widely known at the time.
My thread on October 2nd was the first post that collected all the Soobin+Yoojun dating evidence in one place. It was also the first English explanation of the facts that indicated their relationship was supposed to be seen as romantic.
Before my thread, fans had been pushing the idea that the Japanese girl they met at Lotte World was the one who had the white half of the puppy keychains, based on Soobin's supposed "cover story" he told on his April 28, 2025 live (see ). Fans didn't know that Yoojun had the white half of their puppy couple keychains on his bag when returning from Taiwan after their Korean romantic holiday trip in May.
Fans were also unaware that Yoojun had initially posted the attached photo of the white puppy keychain on his bag as part of his Taiwan trip photo dump, then deleted it and reposted everything without the photo showing his keychain. This was evidence not only that Yoojun had the keychain, but also that they were supposedly "trying to hide" their relationship (i.e. they weren't just friends). Fans were also unaware that Yoojun had the same LINE Friends puppy characters on his phone case in his April 25 post. That suggests Soobin may have lied about the Japanese girl choosing the keychains as a gift, since the characters were obviously separately meaningful to them.
The idea that Soobin and Yoojun were dating only started spreading seriously after my first thread pointing out the evidence on October 2, 2025.
This apparently provoked HYBE to try to shut the rumor down.
The idea that Soobin and Yoojun were actually dating only got widespread attention when I posted my initial thread about it on my old account (@atlemise) on October 2, 2025. Soobin and Yoojun's relationship first got some minor attention from fans in May 2025 right after their Taiwan trip. However, most fans dismissed them as being just friends, because most of the evidence was not widely known at the time.
My thread on October 2nd was the first post that collected all the Soobin+Yoojun dating evidence in one place. It was also the first English explanation of the facts that indicated their relationship was supposed to be seen as romantic.
Before my thread, fans had been pushing the idea that the Japanese girl they met at Lotte World was the one who had the white half of the puppy keychains, based on Soobin's supposed "cover story" he told on his April 28, 2025 live (see ). Fans didn't know that Yoojun had the white half of their puppy couple keychains on his bag when returning from Taiwan after their Korean romantic holiday trip in May.
Fans were also unaware that Yoojun had initially posted the attached photo of the white puppy keychain on his bag as part of his Taiwan trip photo dump, then deleted it and reposted everything without the photo showing his keychain. This was evidence not only that Yoojun had the keychain, but also that they were supposedly "trying to hide" their relationship (i.e. they weren't just friends). Fans were also unaware that Yoojun had the same LINE Friends puppy characters on his phone case in his April 25 post. That suggests Soobin may have lied about the Japanese girl choosing the keychains as a gift, since the characters were obviously separately meaningful to them.
The idea that Soobin and Yoojun were dating only started spreading seriously after my first thread pointing out the evidence on October 2, 2025.
This apparently provoked HYBE to try to shut the rumor down.
HYBE censors gay people@mariniste
They also had TWO sets of puppy couple keychains—one set was of brown and white LINE Friends puppies, and the other was of matching Shiba Inu keychains.
On his April 28, 2025 live, Soobin told the story of getting the matching LINE Friends puppy keyrings from the little girl who queued in line with him and Yoojun at Lotte World. Soobin kept the brown puppy and Yoojun took the white puppy from this couple keychain set. Yoojun made sure to be seen with his on their Taiwan trip.
Soobin and Yoojun were also spotted with the pair of matching Shiba Inu keychains on other occasions.
On his April 28, 2025 live, Soobin told the story of getting the matching LINE Friends puppy keyrings from the little girl who queued in line with him and Yoojun at Lotte World. Soobin kept the brown puppy and Yoojun took the white puppy from this couple keychain set. Yoojun made sure to be seen with his on their Taiwan trip.
Soobin and Yoojun were also spotted with the pair of matching Shiba Inu keychains on other occasions.
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▶️ The release of Soobin's photos with Lee Chaemin were part of a pattern of HYBE trying to distract fans from the Yoojun rumor:
Immediately after my Soobin and Yoojun thread started getting views, old photos from 2024 of Soobin hanging out with his actor friend, Lee Chaemin, were circulated by fan accounts. The photos had a caption insinuating that Soobin and Chaemin were on some sort of date:
"Why don't I remember seeing this before hello?! They look like they're caught doing something they shouldn't 🫢"
As I pointed out at the time, Soobin and Chaemin just looked like two friends hanging out, not like it was evidence of anything romantic.
However, since the photos were suddenly circulated within 2 days after my Yoojun thread went up, it looked like HYBE was doing astroturfing to try to undermine the impact of my thread. The posts created the false impression that fans typically overreact and call harmless photos of Soobin hanging out with friends as evidence of "dating." This would condition fans to dismiss the Yoojun evidence as similarly meaningless.
Immediately after my Soobin and Yoojun thread started getting views, old photos from 2024 of Soobin hanging out with his actor friend, Lee Chaemin, were circulated by fan accounts. The photos had a caption insinuating that Soobin and Chaemin were on some sort of date:
"Why don't I remember seeing this before hello?! They look like they're caught doing something they shouldn't 🫢"
As I pointed out at the time, Soobin and Chaemin just looked like two friends hanging out, not like it was evidence of anything romantic.
However, since the photos were suddenly circulated within 2 days after my Yoojun thread went up, it looked like HYBE was doing astroturfing to try to undermine the impact of my thread. The posts created the false impression that fans typically overreact and call harmless photos of Soobin hanging out with friends as evidence of "dating." This would condition fans to dismiss the Yoojun evidence as similarly meaningless.
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HYBE's method of pushing Soobin's pseudo-romantic connections with other men (including THE BOYZ's Q and ATEEZ's San) is a PR rumor suppression strategy.
The company amplifies ambiguous, fanservice-friendly "flirting" with other male celebrities in order to camouflage Soobin's more credible gay dating rumor and dilute the strength of its evidence.
➤ HYBE also previously used Soobin's connection with Lee Chaemin to sponsor a PR narrative of Soobin and Chaemin "flirting" with each other in February 2023, when there were stories written about Chaemin gushing about Soobin on a music show: "I don't usually fall for men, but I think that you made my heart flutter."
➤ Soobin also had a staged fake "dating rumor" with Changmin (aka Q) from THE BOYZ in late 2020 to early 2021, which also resurfaced heavily in January 2023.
The "QSoob" dating rumor started in late 2020 during TXT's 'Blue Hour' promotions, which was the period when YeonBin's popularity as a ship and couple-like interactions were at their peak. Soobin supposedly breaking up with Q was also the fandom explanation given for Soobin's emotional relationship-themed posts on social media in March 2021. The QSoob dating rumor received a lot of attention from fans and was pushed heavily by various fandom accounts on both the Korean and international side.
As I explained in my other thread (x.com/mariniste/stat…), Soobin's March 2021 posts were actually about Yeonjun. We can know this because Soobin's posts at the very start and end of March 2021 do not align with a "QSoob breakup" timeline, but they do align perfectly with the YeonBin timeline evidence and company censorship in 2021.
The QSoob narrative also resurfaced in January 2023 when Soobin wrote something semi-romantic about Q in a documentary, saying he is someone "who is kind, cute, cool and I can't help but love." Media articles were published about their dating rumor and the semi-romantic things they supposedly did together. The MusicMundial headline even said "TXT's Soobin and THE BOYZ's Q in rumors of secret courtship."
🔹 NOTE: The reason that both the Chaemin and Q dating rumors were pushed in January-February 2023 was likely because TXT's 'TEMPTATION' album came out then, and the album was heavily queer in terms of themes (as I mentioned here ). The promotional content for this album also showed notable couple-like YeonBin interactions, so it seems HYBE was "balancing out" the queerness of the album and the increased YeonBin content with other rumors at the time to distract fans. Notably, January 2023 is also when Yeonjun's dating rumor with Yunjin from LE SSERAFIM was first pushed.
The company amplifies ambiguous, fanservice-friendly "flirting" with other male celebrities in order to camouflage Soobin's more credible gay dating rumor and dilute the strength of its evidence.
➤ HYBE also previously used Soobin's connection with Lee Chaemin to sponsor a PR narrative of Soobin and Chaemin "flirting" with each other in February 2023, when there were stories written about Chaemin gushing about Soobin on a music show: "I don't usually fall for men, but I think that you made my heart flutter."
➤ Soobin also had a staged fake "dating rumor" with Changmin (aka Q) from THE BOYZ in late 2020 to early 2021, which also resurfaced heavily in January 2023.
The "QSoob" dating rumor started in late 2020 during TXT's 'Blue Hour' promotions, which was the period when YeonBin's popularity as a ship and couple-like interactions were at their peak. Soobin supposedly breaking up with Q was also the fandom explanation given for Soobin's emotional relationship-themed posts on social media in March 2021. The QSoob dating rumor received a lot of attention from fans and was pushed heavily by various fandom accounts on both the Korean and international side.
As I explained in my other thread (x.com/mariniste/stat…), Soobin's March 2021 posts were actually about Yeonjun. We can know this because Soobin's posts at the very start and end of March 2021 do not align with a "QSoob breakup" timeline, but they do align perfectly with the YeonBin timeline evidence and company censorship in 2021.
The QSoob narrative also resurfaced in January 2023 when Soobin wrote something semi-romantic about Q in a documentary, saying he is someone "who is kind, cute, cool and I can't help but love." Media articles were published about their dating rumor and the semi-romantic things they supposedly did together. The MusicMundial headline even said "TXT's Soobin and THE BOYZ's Q in rumors of secret courtship."
🔹 NOTE: The reason that both the Chaemin and Q dating rumors were pushed in January-February 2023 was likely because TXT's 'TEMPTATION' album came out then, and the album was heavily queer in terms of themes (as I mentioned here ). The promotional content for this album also showed notable couple-like YeonBin interactions, so it seems HYBE was "balancing out" the queerness of the album and the increased YeonBin content with other rumors at the time to distract fans. Notably, January 2023 is also when Yeonjun's dating rumor with Yunjin from LE SSERAFIM was first pushed.
HYBE censors gay people@mariniste
Similar themes of temptation and craving a forbidden love appear in the lyrics of songs like 'Poppin' Star' on the 'Dream Chapter: MAGIC' album. This song talks about "popping star" candy as a metaphor for the thrill of first love.
'Sugar Rush Ride' and 'Devil by the Window' on the 'Name Chapter: TEMPTATION' album also reference the "devil" tempting the speaker to indulge in forbidden love more explicitly. The "devil" is explicitly referred to with male pronouns in 'Devil by the Window':
🎵 "I met the devil by the window, traded my life / Temptation touched my tongue, spread the wings of desire / He's whispering, 'Give up, don't you put up a fight.'"
🎵 "A wolf in sheep's clothes, his disguise."
The choreography for 'Sugar Rush Ride' is also pretty suggestive as to what kind of temptation the lyrics in this album are talking about.
Both 'Poppin' Star' and 'Sugar Rush Ride' also use the same metaphor equating the speaker's indulgence in the temptation to eating sugar candy. Both songs also describe the crossing of forbidden boundaries to indulge in this temptation as involving "opening (my) locked door." This metaphor has a particularly suggestive sexual connotation in the context of a same-sex male couple.
'Sugar Rush Ride' makes the gay sexual interpretation of that line basically explicit in context, due to the erotic sounding gasps that follow, the surrounding lyrics and the sensual imagery in the MV:
🎵 "You skillfully open my locked door / Oh my, I can see the stars / The devil said / Ha, ha / Gimme, gimme more / Gimme, gimme more / Ha, ha / Come over here more, let's play together more / Sugar rush-ush, sugar rush-ush-uh, ah…"
______
'Poppin' Star' Lyrics (Translation):
Electrifying static, you're a popping star
My love that feels good, making my head fuzzy
...
Guys, on a dizzying rollercoaster
You know that feeling one second before you drop?
(We know that feeling)
Sometimes it's okay if it's a little dangerous
Try opening the lock when Mom's not looking
What we did yesterday is already boring
I need a popping that's stronger, more more more
...
Maybe this is the only thing this country allowed
that we've kept as a secret just between us.
Look, it's not something permitted to just anybody;
Let it burst, filling up your mouth
______
'Sugar Rush Ride' Lyrics (Translation):
My thoughts stopped breathing the moment you got back
My resolutions are unraveled in an instant by you
"Come a little closer," you whisper
"Swallow it down, the sugar rush"
A feast in the night sky, sweet desire
The liar by my bedside, taking me into a dream
I can feel it, I can't resist it
That sweet devilish smile
You skillfully open my locked door
Oh my, I can see the stars (The devil said)
Gimme, gimme more
Come over here more, let's play together more
Sugar rush-ush, sugar rush-ush-uh
Sugar rush-ush, sugar rush-ush, ah
Come over here more, let's have fun more
You're so addictive, my veins are full of sweets
The boundaries of the forbidden are blurring out of focus
This anemia-like daze, I actually prefer it that way
Every cell under my skin becomes more sensitive
...
You're bad, you liar
What did you do to me, sugar
I'm the bad one, I know
This wicked desire, sugar
______
'Devil by the Window' Lyrics:
Lie, lie, lie, lie down, go rest your eyes
Just fall asleep, sweet dreams
You can't get off the ride
A wolf in sheep's clothes, his disguise
In the night you'll be hiding inside
Oh, what 'ya doing? You got some time today?
Oh, what a nuisance, come out to play
High, so high, the crimson sky
It's way too sweet to turn down
I scream and shout, but no one's around
There's no way to escape it
I met the devil by the window, traded my life
Temptation touched my tongue, spread the wings of desire
He's whispering, "Give up, don't you put up a fight"
Said the devil by the window, "Dream on, dream on, good night"
Waste, waste away in the gutter with me
No, I can't tell what is fake in my reality
I see the waves wash over me
Stay, you can stay when you're tempted to leave
Oh, I met the devil
Come here, good night
High, I feel my body drifting into the sky
I won't come down, I'll fly
Weightless without a worry into the night
He said, "Dream on, dream on, dream on"
'Sugar Rush Ride' and 'Devil by the Window' on the 'Name Chapter: TEMPTATION' album also reference the "devil" tempting the speaker to indulge in forbidden love more explicitly. The "devil" is explicitly referred to with male pronouns in 'Devil by the Window':
🎵 "I met the devil by the window, traded my life / Temptation touched my tongue, spread the wings of desire / He's whispering, 'Give up, don't you put up a fight.'"
🎵 "A wolf in sheep's clothes, his disguise."
The choreography for 'Sugar Rush Ride' is also pretty suggestive as to what kind of temptation the lyrics in this album are talking about.
Both 'Poppin' Star' and 'Sugar Rush Ride' also use the same metaphor equating the speaker's indulgence in the temptation to eating sugar candy. Both songs also describe the crossing of forbidden boundaries to indulge in this temptation as involving "opening (my) locked door." This metaphor has a particularly suggestive sexual connotation in the context of a same-sex male couple.
'Sugar Rush Ride' makes the gay sexual interpretation of that line basically explicit in context, due to the erotic sounding gasps that follow, the surrounding lyrics and the sensual imagery in the MV:
🎵 "You skillfully open my locked door / Oh my, I can see the stars / The devil said / Ha, ha / Gimme, gimme more / Gimme, gimme more / Ha, ha / Come over here more, let's play together more / Sugar rush-ush, sugar rush-ush-uh, ah…"
______
'Poppin' Star' Lyrics (Translation):
Electrifying static, you're a popping star
My love that feels good, making my head fuzzy
...
Guys, on a dizzying rollercoaster
You know that feeling one second before you drop?
(We know that feeling)
Sometimes it's okay if it's a little dangerous
Try opening the lock when Mom's not looking
What we did yesterday is already boring
I need a popping that's stronger, more more more
...
Maybe this is the only thing this country allowed
that we've kept as a secret just between us.
Look, it's not something permitted to just anybody;
Let it burst, filling up your mouth
______
'Sugar Rush Ride' Lyrics (Translation):
My thoughts stopped breathing the moment you got back
My resolutions are unraveled in an instant by you
"Come a little closer," you whisper
"Swallow it down, the sugar rush"
A feast in the night sky, sweet desire
The liar by my bedside, taking me into a dream
I can feel it, I can't resist it
That sweet devilish smile
You skillfully open my locked door
Oh my, I can see the stars (The devil said)
Gimme, gimme more
Come over here more, let's play together more
Sugar rush-ush, sugar rush-ush-uh
Sugar rush-ush, sugar rush-ush, ah
Come over here more, let's have fun more
You're so addictive, my veins are full of sweets
The boundaries of the forbidden are blurring out of focus
This anemia-like daze, I actually prefer it that way
Every cell under my skin becomes more sensitive
...
You're bad, you liar
What did you do to me, sugar
I'm the bad one, I know
This wicked desire, sugar
______
'Devil by the Window' Lyrics:
Lie, lie, lie, lie down, go rest your eyes
Just fall asleep, sweet dreams
You can't get off the ride
A wolf in sheep's clothes, his disguise
In the night you'll be hiding inside
Oh, what 'ya doing? You got some time today?
Oh, what a nuisance, come out to play
High, so high, the crimson sky
It's way too sweet to turn down
I scream and shout, but no one's around
There's no way to escape it
I met the devil by the window, traded my life
Temptation touched my tongue, spread the wings of desire
He's whispering, "Give up, don't you put up a fight"
Said the devil by the window, "Dream on, dream on, good night"
Waste, waste away in the gutter with me
No, I can't tell what is fake in my reality
I see the waves wash over me
Stay, you can stay when you're tempted to leave
Oh, I met the devil
Come here, good night
High, I feel my body drifting into the sky
I won't come down, I'll fly
Weightless without a worry into the night
He said, "Dream on, dream on, dream on"
10
➤ Soobin's flirtatious interactions with San from ATEEZ were also played up to try to distract fans from his Yoojun dating rumor.
The Yoojun rumor went viral on TikTok with millions of views on December 25-31, 2025. During MBC Gayo Daejejeon on December 31, TXT and ATEEZ members playfully jumped around in a circle on stage. It seems that HYBE likely paid ATEEZ's label for joint staged PR, so that San would give fodder for a semi-romantic rumor with Soobin right after the Yoojun evidence had gone viral on TikTok.
On January 2, San did a live and gushed in a homoerotic way about Soobin:
👤 "During the circle dance, I made eye contact with Soobin and his eyes were really pretty… At that moment, everything felt like it went into slow motion. I started hearing 'Hyung… hyung… hyung…' and I could see the sparkle in Soobin's eyes as he put out his hand towards me.
👤 I got lured in by that… his gaze pulled me in. I couldn't not join after seeing him put out his hand. He's looking at me like that, so how could I not go? So I went in. But the way I see it… as soon as it started, it was already over for me.
👤 I realized this time that I'm weak to handsome people… handsome people are my weakness. The fact that he made me see things in slow motion… seeing him go 'hyung, hyung, hyung…' in slow motion amidst the fast circle dance… I was like, 'It's true, huh? I like handsome people.'"
______
The very next day on January 3, Soobin did a live where basically the only notable topic was him responding to San's comments. And of course, Soobin made sure to mention San's revealing clothes and his amazing muscular body:
🐰 "Ah, San-hyung too, he spoke in such a gentle way. He was looking straight into my eyes, so I had no choice but to include him. He said such kind things, and when I saw that, I thought: 'Yeah, that makes sense.'
🐰 One thing I remember about San-hyung is that, at that moment, he was wearing really revealing clothes, right?
🐰 He has an amazing physique too, super muscular, but his smile is so beautiful. Especially his eye smile, it's wonderful. So he was wearing that bold and stylish outfit, and the moment he smiled, it was just… he was so cute! I remember thinking: 'Wow, he's really charming.'
🐰 Anyway, we were all doing it together, but San hyung was the only one not joining in, and… that feels kinda lonely, right? When you're the only one not doing it! So I looked at him like: 'Come on, join us!', but he was hesitating, all shy. I thought maybe he wanted to join but was embarrassed to jump in, so I just grabbed his hand and pulled him inside. Later I found out he wasn't that eager to participate, but well… once he was in, it seemed like he had fun!"
______
Soobin and San's borderline homoerotic comments about each other were heavily publicized by fandom accounts. The obvious effect was to make fans think that Soobin has a lot of "gay" interactions with his friends, even though he is clearly not dating all of his friends. Again, it was intended to make fans dismiss evidence for the gay dating rumor that actually had irrefutable objective evidence (Soobin's dating rumor with Yoojun).
The timing of this story with ATEEZ's San being pushed within a few days of the Yoojun rumor going viral on TikTok is evidence for the exact same pattern as the Zhang Hao trip happening within a few days of the Yoojun thread first spreading on Twitter.
It's a consistent HYBE PR disinformation strategy.
The Yoojun rumor went viral on TikTok with millions of views on December 25-31, 2025. During MBC Gayo Daejejeon on December 31, TXT and ATEEZ members playfully jumped around in a circle on stage. It seems that HYBE likely paid ATEEZ's label for joint staged PR, so that San would give fodder for a semi-romantic rumor with Soobin right after the Yoojun evidence had gone viral on TikTok.
On January 2, San did a live and gushed in a homoerotic way about Soobin:
👤 "During the circle dance, I made eye contact with Soobin and his eyes were really pretty… At that moment, everything felt like it went into slow motion. I started hearing 'Hyung… hyung… hyung…' and I could see the sparkle in Soobin's eyes as he put out his hand towards me.
👤 I got lured in by that… his gaze pulled me in. I couldn't not join after seeing him put out his hand. He's looking at me like that, so how could I not go? So I went in. But the way I see it… as soon as it started, it was already over for me.
👤 I realized this time that I'm weak to handsome people… handsome people are my weakness. The fact that he made me see things in slow motion… seeing him go 'hyung, hyung, hyung…' in slow motion amidst the fast circle dance… I was like, 'It's true, huh? I like handsome people.'"
______
The very next day on January 3, Soobin did a live where basically the only notable topic was him responding to San's comments. And of course, Soobin made sure to mention San's revealing clothes and his amazing muscular body:
🐰 "Ah, San-hyung too, he spoke in such a gentle way. He was looking straight into my eyes, so I had no choice but to include him. He said such kind things, and when I saw that, I thought: 'Yeah, that makes sense.'
🐰 One thing I remember about San-hyung is that, at that moment, he was wearing really revealing clothes, right?
🐰 He has an amazing physique too, super muscular, but his smile is so beautiful. Especially his eye smile, it's wonderful. So he was wearing that bold and stylish outfit, and the moment he smiled, it was just… he was so cute! I remember thinking: 'Wow, he's really charming.'
🐰 Anyway, we were all doing it together, but San hyung was the only one not joining in, and… that feels kinda lonely, right? When you're the only one not doing it! So I looked at him like: 'Come on, join us!', but he was hesitating, all shy. I thought maybe he wanted to join but was embarrassed to jump in, so I just grabbed his hand and pulled him inside. Later I found out he wasn't that eager to participate, but well… once he was in, it seemed like he had fun!"
______
Soobin and San's borderline homoerotic comments about each other were heavily publicized by fandom accounts. The obvious effect was to make fans think that Soobin has a lot of "gay" interactions with his friends, even though he is clearly not dating all of his friends. Again, it was intended to make fans dismiss evidence for the gay dating rumor that actually had irrefutable objective evidence (Soobin's dating rumor with Yoojun).
The timing of this story with ATEEZ's San being pushed within a few days of the Yoojun rumor going viral on TikTok is evidence for the exact same pattern as the Zhang Hao trip happening within a few days of the Yoojun thread first spreading on Twitter.
It's a consistent HYBE PR disinformation strategy.
11
▶️ As mentioned, Soobin's trip with Zhang Hao was clearly staged by HYBE to intentionally undermine the Yoojun rumor evidence.
One of the strongest pieces of evidence for Soobin and Yoojun’s dating rumor was the trip they took to Taiwan in May 2025 (see attached post: ).
➤ In my first Soobin+Yoojun evidence thread posted on October 2, I highlighted the following aspects of their Taiwan trip which indicated their relationship was meant to be seen as romantic:
1. Soobin squeezed in three days in the middle of his busy tour schedule to spend time with Yoojun. Right after TXT's Macau concert ended, Soobin flew back to Korea on May 12 and the next day he was seen in Taiwan with Yoojun, where they spent 3 days before Soobin had to fly to Japan on May 16.
2. Soobin and Yoojun took their trip during a Korean holiday (Rose Day, which is a romantic holiday similar to Valentine's Day).
3. They posted selfies from their trip posing in the same places.
4. They got matching bracelets on their trip and revealed them on their social media. Soobin sent photos of his bracelet over Weverse DMs and posed as if showing it off.
One of the strongest pieces of evidence for Soobin and Yoojun’s dating rumor was the trip they took to Taiwan in May 2025 (see attached post: ).
➤ In my first Soobin+Yoojun evidence thread posted on October 2, I highlighted the following aspects of their Taiwan trip which indicated their relationship was meant to be seen as romantic:
1. Soobin squeezed in three days in the middle of his busy tour schedule to spend time with Yoojun. Right after TXT's Macau concert ended, Soobin flew back to Korea on May 12 and the next day he was seen in Taiwan with Yoojun, where they spent 3 days before Soobin had to fly to Japan on May 16.
2. Soobin and Yoojun took their trip during a Korean holiday (Rose Day, which is a romantic holiday similar to Valentine's Day).
3. They posted selfies from their trip posing in the same places.
4. They got matching bracelets on their trip and revealed them on their social media. Soobin sent photos of his bracelet over Weverse DMs and posed as if showing it off.
HYBE censors gay people@mariniste
Soobin and Yoojun got matching couple bracelets on their Taiwan trip, with brown and white puppy charms. The way Soobin posed in his WeVerse DM photos looked intentional to show his bracelet to his fans.
Their Taiwan trip lovestagrams were also peak Korean relationship goals... Couple's POV pics of their food dates, touristy sightseeing, sharing the same hat, etc.
Their Taiwan trip lovestagrams were also peak Korean relationship goals... Couple's POV pics of their food dates, touristy sightseeing, sharing the same hat, etc.
12
➤ For his trip to China with Zhang Hao, Soobin imitated his trip with Yoojun detail-for-detail:
1. Soobin finished a busy schedule, getting back from Paris on October 7, and flew on the same day with Zhang Hao to mainland China.
(Furthermore, the PRC sees Taiwan as part of China, so from Chinese mainlanders' perspectives, Soobin's trips with Yoojun and Zhang Hao were both to parts of China.)
2. Soobin went on his trip with Zhang Hao during a Korean holiday (Chuseok, which is like Korean Thanksgiving).
3. Soobin and Zhang Hao posted selfies in front of their hotel window, and Zhang Hao posted duo selfies of himself and Soobin from the trip.
4. They got matching bracelets on their trip and revealed them on social media. Zhang Hao showed off his in an Oct 26 live. Soobin sent photos of his bracelet over Weverse DMs and posed as if showing it off, exactly like he did with his Yoojun bracelet.
______
The only major difference between the two trips was that two friends accompanied Soobin and Zhang Hao, whereas Soobin and Yoojun went by themselves.
It seems likely that HYBE instructed Soobin to go on the trip specifically with Zhang Hao (which is why the Weibo "hot searches" that HYBE likely paid for only mentioned Soobin and Zhang Hao, and left out ONEUS's Keonhee). However, Soobin may have intentionally invited his two other friends on the trip in order to maintain the differences between his trip with Zhang Hao versus his much more romantic trip with Yoojun.
Ultimately, Soobin's trip with Zhang Hao imitating the above details so closely is proof the trip was intentionally staged to make Soobin's trip with Yoojun look like it wasn't special. This is affirmed by Soobin's trip with Zhang Hao occurring just 5 days after I pointed out all the above details about his Yoojun trip for the first time to a widespread audience.
The timing and overlapping trip details simply look too coincidental to not have been staged.
1. Soobin finished a busy schedule, getting back from Paris on October 7, and flew on the same day with Zhang Hao to mainland China.
(Furthermore, the PRC sees Taiwan as part of China, so from Chinese mainlanders' perspectives, Soobin's trips with Yoojun and Zhang Hao were both to parts of China.)
2. Soobin went on his trip with Zhang Hao during a Korean holiday (Chuseok, which is like Korean Thanksgiving).
3. Soobin and Zhang Hao posted selfies in front of their hotel window, and Zhang Hao posted duo selfies of himself and Soobin from the trip.
4. They got matching bracelets on their trip and revealed them on social media. Zhang Hao showed off his in an Oct 26 live. Soobin sent photos of his bracelet over Weverse DMs and posed as if showing it off, exactly like he did with his Yoojun bracelet.
______
The only major difference between the two trips was that two friends accompanied Soobin and Zhang Hao, whereas Soobin and Yoojun went by themselves.
It seems likely that HYBE instructed Soobin to go on the trip specifically with Zhang Hao (which is why the Weibo "hot searches" that HYBE likely paid for only mentioned Soobin and Zhang Hao, and left out ONEUS's Keonhee). However, Soobin may have intentionally invited his two other friends on the trip in order to maintain the differences between his trip with Zhang Hao versus his much more romantic trip with Yoojun.
Ultimately, Soobin's trip with Zhang Hao imitating the above details so closely is proof the trip was intentionally staged to make Soobin's trip with Yoojun look like it wasn't special. This is affirmed by Soobin's trip with Zhang Hao occurring just 5 days after I pointed out all the above details about his Yoojun trip for the first time to a widespread audience.
The timing and overlapping trip details simply look too coincidental to not have been staged.
13
▶️ There is additional proof that HYBE staged Soobin's trip with Zhang Hao to intentionally counter the Yoojun dating evidence:
1. When the Yoojun rumor went viral on TikTok in December 2025, the Zhang Hao trip was by far the strongest evidence that people had to counter the idea that Soobin was dating Yoojun. (See attached screenshots.)
2. Certain suspicious accounts (like "rioter321") that looked like HYBE propaganda accounts immediately used Soobin's trip with Zhang Hao to directly counter the Yoojun evidence.
Both of these points indicate that the Zhang Hao trip had been intentionally set up for this purpose.
______
For context, the first proof video to go viral on TikTok was the attached video captioned "Proof that Soobin from TXT is dating Yoojun from BAE173 (watch all the way through, pause to read)."
➤ The suspicious TikTok account "rioter321" was created and posted its first video on December 25, which is right after the Yoojun dating proof first started getting views.
This account's first video criticized Cortis, a group signed to HYBE, which seems to have been intentional deception to make the account seem like it wasn't a HYBE-controlled account.
1. When the Yoojun rumor went viral on TikTok in December 2025, the Zhang Hao trip was by far the strongest evidence that people had to counter the idea that Soobin was dating Yoojun. (See attached screenshots.)
2. Certain suspicious accounts (like "rioter321") that looked like HYBE propaganda accounts immediately used Soobin's trip with Zhang Hao to directly counter the Yoojun evidence.
Both of these points indicate that the Zhang Hao trip had been intentionally set up for this purpose.
______
For context, the first proof video to go viral on TikTok was the attached video captioned "Proof that Soobin from TXT is dating Yoojun from BAE173 (watch all the way through, pause to read)."
➤ The suspicious TikTok account "rioter321" was created and posted its first video on December 25, which is right after the Yoojun dating proof first started getting views.
This account's first video criticized Cortis, a group signed to HYBE, which seems to have been intentional deception to make the account seem like it wasn't a HYBE-controlled account.
14
The only other two videos that the "rioter321" account posted were clearly HYBE-sponsored propaganda videos meant to discredit the Soobin+Yoojun dating proof. The videos were done in exactly the same format as the Yoojun video, with the same background music.
The caption on their first Soobin+Zhang Hao video was also an obvious attempt at manipulating fans to dismiss the Yoojun rumor:
💬 "y'all were so busy watching yoojun that you didn’t see zhang hao homewrecking in real time… since we’re 'speculating.' Also Sunny (SNSD) famously said: 'If you want to date in secret, never meet one-on-one. Always meet in a group so it just looks like you’re all friends.' #dispatch #soobin #zhanghao #yoojun #sinceallweneedissomeshittyreceiptstobelieveoutingppllol"
The video claimed that "fans only found out [about their trip] because they got spotted at the airport." This is a lie of omission. Given all the evidence I've pointed out, it's obvious that HYBE staged the trip and sought to publicize it. Thus, it's highly likely the "fan" who photographed them at the airport was specifically instructed to be there and to post their whereabouts before they landed in Wuxi.
______
Additionally, the account's second Soobin+Zhang Hao video included them getting stalked on their trip. The caption claimed:
💬 "no one knew about their chuseok trip they just got spotted then the news spread."
However, them getting spotted and stalked on their trip was guaranteed, because information was being sold about their location (as I posted above: ).
The suspicious, set-up nature of the "rioter321" account and similar accounts that acted in an organized manner to discredit the Yoojun rumor via videos and comments just demonstrates how pervasive HYBE's astroturfing campaigns are.
The caption on their first Soobin+Zhang Hao video was also an obvious attempt at manipulating fans to dismiss the Yoojun rumor:
💬 "y'all were so busy watching yoojun that you didn’t see zhang hao homewrecking in real time… since we’re 'speculating.' Also Sunny (SNSD) famously said: 'If you want to date in secret, never meet one-on-one. Always meet in a group so it just looks like you’re all friends.' #dispatch #soobin #zhanghao #yoojun #sinceallweneedissomeshittyreceiptstobelieveoutingppllol"
The video claimed that "fans only found out [about their trip] because they got spotted at the airport." This is a lie of omission. Given all the evidence I've pointed out, it's obvious that HYBE staged the trip and sought to publicize it. Thus, it's highly likely the "fan" who photographed them at the airport was specifically instructed to be there and to post their whereabouts before they landed in Wuxi.
______
Additionally, the account's second Soobin+Zhang Hao video included them getting stalked on their trip. The caption claimed:
💬 "no one knew about their chuseok trip they just got spotted then the news spread."
However, them getting spotted and stalked on their trip was guaranteed, because information was being sold about their location (as I posted above: ).
The suspicious, set-up nature of the "rioter321" account and similar accounts that acted in an organized manner to discredit the Yoojun rumor via videos and comments just demonstrates how pervasive HYBE's astroturfing campaigns are.
HYBE censors gay people@mariniste
It was reported that people were selling information about Soobin's, Zhang Hao's and Keonhee's trip itinerary, such as information about their flights, hotels and activities during their stay.
News of them getting swarmed by fans went viral on Chinese platforms. However, there were signs that the virality may have been partly paid for by HYBE, as the Weibo "hot searches" for all three idols being swarmed at Wuxi airport only mentioned Soobin and Zhang Hao, but not Keonhee.
The overall context of the trip also strongly points to HYBE staging the whole scandal, as I explain below.
News of them getting swarmed by fans went viral on Chinese platforms. However, there were signs that the virality may have been partly paid for by HYBE, as the Weibo "hot searches" for all three idols being swarmed at Wuxi airport only mentioned Soobin and Zhang Hao, but not Keonhee.
The overall context of the trip also strongly points to HYBE staging the whole scandal, as I explain below.
15
▶️ The definitive proof that HYBE staged Soobin's trip with Zhang Hao is the fact that Kai's own viral scandal involving a sasaeng happened at literally the exact same time. This proves that Soobin getting swarmed by sasaengs was planned ahead of time. Otherwise, there would have been no way to coordinate the timing of Kai's scandal to match Soobin's scandal.
➤ The videos of Soobin, Zhang Hao and Keonhee getting swarmed by sasaengs at Wuxi airport first came out around 11pm KST on Oct 7.
➤ The first post by the "sasaeng" who revealed Kai drinking with a woman the previous night (during the early hours of Oct 6) was posted at 11:11pm KST on Oct 7.
‼️ These two sasaeng scandals involving TXT members started going viral on the same day, within the SAME HOUR.
Logically speaking, this is so unlikely to be a coincidence that it indicates both scandals were planned ahead of time.
This is especially true since Kai going drinking and being photographed by this "sasaeng" happened the day before, and so had to be pre-planned, meaning the people who staged it already knew that Soobin would go on a trip and get mobbed by sasaengs the next day.
NOTE: Even though the Kai scandal account claimed they weren't a sasaeng, their defense didn't make much sense, and fans characterized both scandals as "sasaeng" scandals at the time.
➤ The videos of Soobin, Zhang Hao and Keonhee getting swarmed by sasaengs at Wuxi airport first came out around 11pm KST on Oct 7.
➤ The first post by the "sasaeng" who revealed Kai drinking with a woman the previous night (during the early hours of Oct 6) was posted at 11:11pm KST on Oct 7.
‼️ These two sasaeng scandals involving TXT members started going viral on the same day, within the SAME HOUR.
Logically speaking, this is so unlikely to be a coincidence that it indicates both scandals were planned ahead of time.
This is especially true since Kai going drinking and being photographed by this "sasaeng" happened the day before, and so had to be pre-planned, meaning the people who staged it already knew that Soobin would go on a trip and get mobbed by sasaengs the next day.
NOTE: Even though the Kai scandal account claimed they weren't a sasaeng, their defense didn't make much sense, and fans characterized both scandals as "sasaeng" scandals at the time.
16
▶️ Soobin's trip with Zhang Hao had a secondary purpose for HYBE, which was to make YeonBin appear distant and to create the illusion that Soobin values spending time with his other friends more than with Yeonjun.
HYBE achieved this by keeping YeonBin physically apart while they were in Paris, and then making Soobin leave Paris early specifically to go on his China trip with Zhang Hao.
______
For background context: Soobin and Yeonjun were in Paris for Fashion Week in October. Soobin attended Valentino's show on Oct 5 and Yeonjun attended Miu Miu on Oct 6.
🎞️ They flew in together, but were seen separately in Paris during the day on October 4, 2025.
______
🎞️ They were also put in different hotels: Yeonjun at Le Bristol Paris and Soobin at the Park Hyatt Paris.
A few "fans" claimed they were in different hotels because Valentino and Miu Miu had a specific hotel for all their guests, and it was impossible to put YeonBin in the same hotel.
However, from my research and from videos of other celebrities during that PFW, neither Yeonjun's nor Soobin's hotel was exclusively used by a specific brand.
My understanding is that YeonBin could have been booked into the same hotel if HYBE had put in the request to one of the brands. Fashion brands regularly accommodate requests from celebrities that are far more outlandish than booking a specific hotel. Yet HYBE neither requested this nor did they allow YeonBin to physically interact in Paris, even though their hotels were close by.
This defies basic common sense, because any normal kpop company would have ensured their group's most popular duo would get seen together in Paris when they were the only group members in the city together for Paris Fashion Week. It would have generated considerably more PR and fan engagement.
HYBE's failure to make YeonBin be seen together in Paris is commercially nonsensical and can only be plausibly explained by the company intentionally trying to make them look like they weren't close.
HYBE achieved this by keeping YeonBin physically apart while they were in Paris, and then making Soobin leave Paris early specifically to go on his China trip with Zhang Hao.
______
For background context: Soobin and Yeonjun were in Paris for Fashion Week in October. Soobin attended Valentino's show on Oct 5 and Yeonjun attended Miu Miu on Oct 6.
🎞️ They flew in together, but were seen separately in Paris during the day on October 4, 2025.
______
🎞️ They were also put in different hotels: Yeonjun at Le Bristol Paris and Soobin at the Park Hyatt Paris.
A few "fans" claimed they were in different hotels because Valentino and Miu Miu had a specific hotel for all their guests, and it was impossible to put YeonBin in the same hotel.
However, from my research and from videos of other celebrities during that PFW, neither Yeonjun's nor Soobin's hotel was exclusively used by a specific brand.
My understanding is that YeonBin could have been booked into the same hotel if HYBE had put in the request to one of the brands. Fashion brands regularly accommodate requests from celebrities that are far more outlandish than booking a specific hotel. Yet HYBE neither requested this nor did they allow YeonBin to physically interact in Paris, even though their hotels were close by.
This defies basic common sense, because any normal kpop company would have ensured their group's most popular duo would get seen together in Paris when they were the only group members in the city together for Paris Fashion Week. It would have generated considerably more PR and fan engagement.
HYBE's failure to make YeonBin be seen together in Paris is commercially nonsensical and can only be plausibly explained by the company intentionally trying to make them look like they weren't close.
17
🎞️ Additionally, YeonBin had no schedules in Paris on Oct 4. During the day, Yeonjun was seen running on the street. Soobin was spotted getting into a car in front of his hotel and also simply walking around and even signing for fans.
They were both active and outside doing non-schedule activities. And yet Soobin and Yeonjun did not meet up on Oct 4, even though the distance between their hotels was only 5 minutes apart by car or 20 minutes walking, and Soobin had been driven in a car.
Soobin even hinted at how nonsensical this situation was during his live the next day.
They were both active and outside doing non-schedule activities. And yet Soobin and Yeonjun did not meet up on Oct 4, even though the distance between their hotels was only 5 minutes apart by car or 20 minutes walking, and Soobin had been driven in a car.
Soobin even hinted at how nonsensical this situation was during his live the next day.
18
🎞️ After attending the Valentino show on Oct 5, Soobin did a live around 5:30pm CEST (Paris local time). In this live, he explained the supposed reason that he and Yeonjun had not appeared together the day before:
🐰 Yeonjun-hyung is somewhere else. Our hotels are different, too. Since the shows are different to begin with, we parted at the airport and came out separately.
🐰 Each brand... How should I say this? That... what is that called? Escort? There are specific people in charge who come to pick you up and guide you. After landing and getting off the plane, we each went our separate ways with our respective staff members.
🐰 And as for dinner yesterday, Yeonjun-hyung's and my team were going to meet around 7:30pm and eat dinner together. But since around 2 or 3 pm yesterday I felt like I was going to die from exhaustion. I was so sleepy; I couldn’t hold back the sleepiness at all and I wanted to sleep quickly.
🐰 I thought I wouldn't be able to wait until 7:30pm, so I just went to a restaurant right near the hotel that was maybe a 10-minute walk away, ate around 6pm, came back, and slept right away.
Note that Soobin said that his and Yeonjun's teams were supposed to have dinner at 7:30pm, but that because he was supposedly too tired, he walked to a restaurant 10 minutes away "around 6pm."
______
Later in the live, Soobin made it obvious that him being "too tired to meet Yeonjun for dinner yesterday" was a lie and a cover story likely forced on him by the company:
🐰 I think the weather in Paris is a little weird. It rains briefly for one, two minutes and stops. In that split second, it rains quite a lot. It pours then stops.
🐰 Yeonjun-hyung, did you go out at night in Paris here?
🐰 Last night... after I had dinner, around 7pm? 7:30pm? I was headed back to the hotel around then. I walked back, and I seriously almost went crazy because it was so cold. I even wore a cardigan just in case it was cold but it was still so cold.
🦊💬 "I ran in the rain yesterday"
🐰 Yeah I heard, that you went running yesterday.
Soobin said that he was walking back from eating dinner around 7-7:30pm. So he left to eat around 6pm and was walking back around 7-7:30pm, implying that he spent over an hour eating at the restaurant that was a 10-minute walk away.
______
Soobin also intentionally mentioned that he had experienced walking in the rain in Paris. On Oct 4, 2025, the Paris weather report said it only rained during two periods: in the morning and between 7 and 8pm (see attached screenshot). It also only got colder around 7pm. This means that Soobin was definitely walking back from eating his dinner around or after 7pm.
Even though Soobin claimed that around 2-3pm he got so sleepy he didn't think he could make it to dinner with Yeonjun's team at 7:30pm, Soobin ate dinner by himself from approximately 6-7:30pm. Not only that, but he chose to WALK in the cold instead of asking his staff to drive him or get food for him.
The restaurant he went to was also already half the distance to Yeonjun's own hotel (which was a 20-minute walk away). They could have easily met halfway or planned to have dinner slightly earlier, since neither of them apparently had schedules on Oct 4.
The company forcing Soobin to tell a cover story for why he couldn't meet Yeonjun is supported by Soobin specifically mentioning all these details. It's as if he wanted to establish the timeline and draw fans' attention to how strange his story of being "too tired to wait to have dinner at 7:30" was.
______
Yeonjun did leave comments on Soobin's live. This seems to have been the company's compromise, to pacify fans and reduce their suspicions.
Since fans were eagerly anticipating YeonBin interactions during PFW, it would have been too suspicious for them to not interact at all. Thus it seems the company allowed Yeonjun to leave the homoerotic/flirty comment "Soobin-oppa, your chest is sexy" on Soobin's live, which fans got excited about.
🦊💬 "You looked like a prince today"
🦊💬 "Little Prince style"
🐰 Oh! Hi Yeonjun! You saw?
🦊💬 "Yup, I saw it hahaha"
🦊💬 "It suits you well"
🐰 What did I wear today? The ribbon, right. That was cute, right? They prepared a formal, yet cute outfit.
🐰 I feel like it's been so long since Yeonjun-hyung has been in my LIVE. Did you eat?
🦊💬 "I didn't eat yet. I should go eat soon"
🐰 Okay, then I'll make sure to look at yours tomorrow too. Oh, will I be on a plane at that time tomorrow? Ah, I won't, I won't... *thinking* Right, right, right.
🐰 I have a shoot tomorrow while Yeonjun-hyung's show is going on. I think I'll be busy with a shoot. I'll check it afterward.
🐰 Hyung, did you sleep well? I almost went crazy from sleepiness today. I woke up around
four, five times yesterday.
🦊💬 "I think you'll be on a plane?"
🐰 My flight is later than expected, hyung. Because I have a shoot tomorrow.
[Taehyun makes some comments on Soobin's live.]
🐰 Cat cafe is open~
🦊💬 "Hahaha 'cat cafe'"
🦊💬 "Fur is flying everywhere"
🐰 Do cats also shed a lot?
🦊💬 "Soobin-oppa, your chest is sexy"
🐰 [Starts buttoning up]
🦊💬 "Look at him quietly closing it"
🐰 Yes, thank you. I'll cover it up.
Note that the way Soobin talked about not being able to watch Yeonjun's appearance at the Miu Miu show seemed to be him also drawing attention to HYBE purposely scheduling things to reduce YeonBin's potential interactions.
______
Although Yeonjun could comment on Soobin's live, it's still a nonsensical approach by the company. Because there's absolutely no reason that YeonBin couldn't do a joint live from their respective hotel rooms.
This is a function on Weverse that Soobin specifically demonstrated using in the two lives he did right before their Paris trip:
🎞️ On Kai's Sept 26 live, Soobin requested to join the live and Kai accepted it, showing off just how easy it is for TXT members to appear on each others' lives.
🎞️ On Oct 2, they even did a three-way live with Soobin, Kai and Beomgyu. Beomgyu joined briefly and then dropped off.
It's as if the members were trying to show fans leading up to YeonBin's Paris trip that this Weverse feature is available, they all know how to use it, and it can be used very easily.
Therefore, the fact that Yeonjun didn't do a joint live with Soobin from his own hotel room is incredibly suspicious and nonsensical. Fans would have been much happier seeing them both on screen, rather than Yeonjun only leaving comments. Yeonjun also left comments for an extended period on Soobin's live, so there's no reason he couldn't have joined briefly to appear on screen.
From a business standpoint, it makes no sense for YeonBin not to appear together during Paris Fashion Week. All the possible "justifications" for why they couldn't appear together were either very flimsy or outright lies.
The only plausible explanation that remains, which is consistent with the rest of the evidence we have, is that the company purposely separated YeonBin as part of its censorship strategy to make their relationship seem less close.
______
What drives the point home is Soobin leaving Paris early during Chuseok holidays without even seeing his own family before jetting off on his clearly staged trip with Zhang Hao.
Conclusion: HYBE set both the Paris and China trips up as part of the company's PR strategies to suppress Soobin's fake gay dating rumor with Yoojun and his actual romantic relationship with Yeonjun.
🐰 Yeonjun-hyung is somewhere else. Our hotels are different, too. Since the shows are different to begin with, we parted at the airport and came out separately.
🐰 Each brand... How should I say this? That... what is that called? Escort? There are specific people in charge who come to pick you up and guide you. After landing and getting off the plane, we each went our separate ways with our respective staff members.
🐰 And as for dinner yesterday, Yeonjun-hyung's and my team were going to meet around 7:30pm and eat dinner together. But since around 2 or 3 pm yesterday I felt like I was going to die from exhaustion. I was so sleepy; I couldn’t hold back the sleepiness at all and I wanted to sleep quickly.
🐰 I thought I wouldn't be able to wait until 7:30pm, so I just went to a restaurant right near the hotel that was maybe a 10-minute walk away, ate around 6pm, came back, and slept right away.
Note that Soobin said that his and Yeonjun's teams were supposed to have dinner at 7:30pm, but that because he was supposedly too tired, he walked to a restaurant 10 minutes away "around 6pm."
______
Later in the live, Soobin made it obvious that him being "too tired to meet Yeonjun for dinner yesterday" was a lie and a cover story likely forced on him by the company:
🐰 I think the weather in Paris is a little weird. It rains briefly for one, two minutes and stops. In that split second, it rains quite a lot. It pours then stops.
🐰 Yeonjun-hyung, did you go out at night in Paris here?
🐰 Last night... after I had dinner, around 7pm? 7:30pm? I was headed back to the hotel around then. I walked back, and I seriously almost went crazy because it was so cold. I even wore a cardigan just in case it was cold but it was still so cold.
🦊💬 "I ran in the rain yesterday"
🐰 Yeah I heard, that you went running yesterday.
Soobin said that he was walking back from eating dinner around 7-7:30pm. So he left to eat around 6pm and was walking back around 7-7:30pm, implying that he spent over an hour eating at the restaurant that was a 10-minute walk away.
______
Soobin also intentionally mentioned that he had experienced walking in the rain in Paris. On Oct 4, 2025, the Paris weather report said it only rained during two periods: in the morning and between 7 and 8pm (see attached screenshot). It also only got colder around 7pm. This means that Soobin was definitely walking back from eating his dinner around or after 7pm.
Even though Soobin claimed that around 2-3pm he got so sleepy he didn't think he could make it to dinner with Yeonjun's team at 7:30pm, Soobin ate dinner by himself from approximately 6-7:30pm. Not only that, but he chose to WALK in the cold instead of asking his staff to drive him or get food for him.
The restaurant he went to was also already half the distance to Yeonjun's own hotel (which was a 20-minute walk away). They could have easily met halfway or planned to have dinner slightly earlier, since neither of them apparently had schedules on Oct 4.
The company forcing Soobin to tell a cover story for why he couldn't meet Yeonjun is supported by Soobin specifically mentioning all these details. It's as if he wanted to establish the timeline and draw fans' attention to how strange his story of being "too tired to wait to have dinner at 7:30" was.
______
Yeonjun did leave comments on Soobin's live. This seems to have been the company's compromise, to pacify fans and reduce their suspicions.
Since fans were eagerly anticipating YeonBin interactions during PFW, it would have been too suspicious for them to not interact at all. Thus it seems the company allowed Yeonjun to leave the homoerotic/flirty comment "Soobin-oppa, your chest is sexy" on Soobin's live, which fans got excited about.
🦊💬 "You looked like a prince today"
🦊💬 "Little Prince style"
🐰 Oh! Hi Yeonjun! You saw?
🦊💬 "Yup, I saw it hahaha"
🦊💬 "It suits you well"
🐰 What did I wear today? The ribbon, right. That was cute, right? They prepared a formal, yet cute outfit.
🐰 I feel like it's been so long since Yeonjun-hyung has been in my LIVE. Did you eat?
🦊💬 "I didn't eat yet. I should go eat soon"
🐰 Okay, then I'll make sure to look at yours tomorrow too. Oh, will I be on a plane at that time tomorrow? Ah, I won't, I won't... *thinking* Right, right, right.
🐰 I have a shoot tomorrow while Yeonjun-hyung's show is going on. I think I'll be busy with a shoot. I'll check it afterward.
🐰 Hyung, did you sleep well? I almost went crazy from sleepiness today. I woke up around
four, five times yesterday.
🦊💬 "I think you'll be on a plane?"
🐰 My flight is later than expected, hyung. Because I have a shoot tomorrow.
[Taehyun makes some comments on Soobin's live.]
🐰 Cat cafe is open~
🦊💬 "Hahaha 'cat cafe'"
🦊💬 "Fur is flying everywhere"
🐰 Do cats also shed a lot?
🦊💬 "Soobin-oppa, your chest is sexy"
🐰 [Starts buttoning up]
🦊💬 "Look at him quietly closing it"
🐰 Yes, thank you. I'll cover it up.
Note that the way Soobin talked about not being able to watch Yeonjun's appearance at the Miu Miu show seemed to be him also drawing attention to HYBE purposely scheduling things to reduce YeonBin's potential interactions.
______
Although Yeonjun could comment on Soobin's live, it's still a nonsensical approach by the company. Because there's absolutely no reason that YeonBin couldn't do a joint live from their respective hotel rooms.
This is a function on Weverse that Soobin specifically demonstrated using in the two lives he did right before their Paris trip:
🎞️ On Kai's Sept 26 live, Soobin requested to join the live and Kai accepted it, showing off just how easy it is for TXT members to appear on each others' lives.
🎞️ On Oct 2, they even did a three-way live with Soobin, Kai and Beomgyu. Beomgyu joined briefly and then dropped off.
It's as if the members were trying to show fans leading up to YeonBin's Paris trip that this Weverse feature is available, they all know how to use it, and it can be used very easily.
Therefore, the fact that Yeonjun didn't do a joint live with Soobin from his own hotel room is incredibly suspicious and nonsensical. Fans would have been much happier seeing them both on screen, rather than Yeonjun only leaving comments. Yeonjun also left comments for an extended period on Soobin's live, so there's no reason he couldn't have joined briefly to appear on screen.
From a business standpoint, it makes no sense for YeonBin not to appear together during Paris Fashion Week. All the possible "justifications" for why they couldn't appear together were either very flimsy or outright lies.
The only plausible explanation that remains, which is consistent with the rest of the evidence we have, is that the company purposely separated YeonBin as part of its censorship strategy to make their relationship seem less close.
______
What drives the point home is Soobin leaving Paris early during Chuseok holidays without even seeing his own family before jetting off on his clearly staged trip with Zhang Hao.
Conclusion: HYBE set both the Paris and China trips up as part of the company's PR strategies to suppress Soobin's fake gay dating rumor with Yoojun and his actual romantic relationship with Yeonjun.