Archive of Our Own

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Thursday, 18 November 2027

Yeosang approached the interview with total calmness.

When Hong Seokcheon’s team requested to interview him, they didn’t have to think about it. Hong Seokcheon was the best suited person for it. He would not twist Yeosang’s words for views, rather, he would be supportive and encouraging.

It was the fastest meeting set up that Yeosang had ever seen. All it took was four days for them to be ready for filming.

“I can’t express how thankful I am you agreed to this,” Seokcheon squeezed Yeosang’s hand as they waited for the rolling cue.

“I’m the one who should be thankful. Thank you for giving me this opportunity,” Yeosang blushed.

“This is a safe environment. We promise,” Lee Sunsea, the sub-MC, reassured him.

“I know,” Yeosang returned his smile. “Sunbaenim’s are the one I trust the most with this.”

“I’ll keep saying it, what you’re doing is very brave,” Seokcheon added. “I’ll always be there supporting you.”

Yeosang nodded. He’ll never forget their heartfelt conversation on Tuesday. The words imparted to him meant more to him than anyone would ever know. He knew he did the right thing for his future.

“And we’re rolling in 5…4…3…2…1”

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Thursday, 2 December 2027 - The You.Ik.Ham Podcast - First Exclusive Interview with Kang Yeosang

“Today’s guest is someone incredible. His bold statements shook parts of the Kpop community. Please welcome, a former member of the top global boy group, Ateez. It’s Kang Yeosang,” Seokcheon introduced.

Yeosang clapped and greeted the camera. “Hello, I’m Kang Yeosang. I’ll be in your care.”

“Last week– maybe longer when fans watch this. But that press conference…it was something,” Seokcheon started. “I was speechless.”

Yeosang hummed in response. “You really left a long-lasting impression,” Sunsea seconded.

“In my whole life, I never witnessed someone come out like that,” Seokcheon emphasized his words. “I thought it was the bravest and most insane way ever.”

Yeosang let out a shy laugh, not used to this praise.

“I thought you timed it carefully, but when we spoke briefly it was purely coincidental,” Sunsea stated.

“Yes,” Yeosang nodded.

“To those who don’t know, last week was the Seoul International PRIDE Film Festival. The closing day coincided with your conference,” Seokcheon explained. “I was busy that day, but what happened is during an interview a reporter asked me if I saw the news. I was of course confused, I didn’t know. Thankfully the director next to me came to my rescue. He said, ‘Seokcheon, an idol from a big group came out as gay in a press conference this morning.’”

Yeosang nodded as the host shared the story. “Someone showed me the clip, and I couldn’t speak because I was that shocked. Later that night, I watched the whole video, and all I could think of is…this friend is insane. He’s built different.”

“You were the highlight of the day,” Sunsea added. “Seokcheon sent me the link saying how incredible it was. We both agreed we need to talk to you. And your team responded fast, which thank you for that.”

“Thank you so much for the kind words,” Yeosang blushed, looking down. 

“You covered many things in your conference. Your career plans. Your company, and you made the two big announcements,” Seokcheon continued. “You are Choi Minseok, the author of the popular and beloved Where the Wind Blows series, and you came out as gay. I’m very curious about how this all happened. No one in the Korean queer community came out like you did. It was a bold statement.”

Yeosang laughed at that. He leaned to the side and covered his face. “I’m feeling overwhelmed,” he fanned his face. “I don’t know where to start.”

“I assume everything was planned,” Sunsea commented.

“Yes,” Yeosang replied, leaning back and crossing his legs, with his hands over his knees. “I spent weeks with my communications team planning it. We were very careful with our words. I wanted to convey my message without accidentally offending someone. I also didn’t want anyone to twist my words or even mistranslate them, so we also took this in account when preparing everything.”

“You dislike being misunderstood,” Sunsea mused.

“Yes, and I always worry I might accidentally hurt someone,” Yeosang admitted. “I’ve been like that my whole life. Be positive. Be kind. You know…. I’m very considerate of others to the point that I do end up being misunderstood and hurt. And since I’m prioritizing myself these days, I’m trying to find a compromise. If I want to get my point across…someone is going to get hurt, and so…it’s best if I try to minimize this hurt.”

“There is a lot to discuss, but first, coming out is a very big decision,” Seokcheon started. “How did it build up to the way it happened?”

Yeosang hummed as he formulated his response. “I said this in the conference but…everything can be linked back to my enlistment. It’s like…a switch flipped. Before the military I thought…I’ll only come out when my career ends. It was…as long as I’m an active idol, I wasn’t going to come out.”

“How did the people closest to you, your friends and family react to it,” Seokcheon followed up.

“The coming out to them or the public announcement?” Yeosang asked, because for him, those were two different questions.

“How about when you realized you were gay and how they took to you coming out to them,” Sunsea clarified.

“That’s…complex,” Yeosang began. “I was fifteen when I knew I wasn’t interested in girls, and I knew…for sure I was gay…when I was seventeen. But…it was slightly…how do I say this…” he chuckled awkwardly. “I was a trainee with a tunnel vision. All I cared about was debuting as an idol. At the time…romance and attraction was the least important thing to me. And the other thing was…I was in a competitive company, and some of the trainees…they never debuted, but they used underhanded tactics against anyone who is performing better than them, so for me it was risky to let them know that I might be gay.”

“You were a Bighit trainee,” Seokcheon commented, his body language warm and comforting. “It must’ve been a very anxious time period for you. Hard to make friends and confide into anyone.”

“Even in that environment, I still had a small circle of close friends,” Yeosang let on. “Wooyoung…we trained at Bighit together and debut in Ateez…he was with me through it all…he was there when I realized that I am gay. We’d talk about it…and he never made me feel different. He was very casual about it.”

“So Wooyoung was the first person you came out to,” Seokcheon summarized. “Did the members or your family follow next?”

“The members,” Yeosang rested his fingers on his chin as he tried to recollect the events. “Before our debut…the previous CEO…he sent us to the US for a month to train. We had a lot of classes and one of them was educating ourselves about the queer community. After that class I started dropping hints…. We got the chance to go to a pride parade…and I was overwhelmed with emotions…and I came out to them in the middle of the parade.”

Seokcheon gasped while Sunsea gave him a soft smile.

“The members…they hugged me and they told me that nothing is going to change,” Yeosang retold. “Um…yeah…I don’t think I could ask for more than that. Just accepting me as I am.”

“Were your parents last to know?” Seokcheon inquired.

“That’s right, your parents were strict in your upbringing. How did they take it?” Sunsea commented. 

“They are strict but not like that,” Yeosang chuckled. “They’re academics and very open minded. And in a sense, they knew before I did. They…. they sort of instilled this belief to be accepting, kind and polite at all times. And they are allies of the community….my dad, he supervises some queer clubs at his university and would help them out…. So, they kind of exposed me to a lot of queer things, especially around the time I came out to them.”

The hosts hummed and looked at him curiously, “There is a funny story,” Yeosang said. “I told them when I was nineteen, twenty. And you know…they were very accepting and loving, but…that didn’t stop them from stressing out more. They weren’t happy that I wanted to be an idol, but now they had to be worried about the additional scrutiny and the other things I’m going to face.”

“So, your parent readily accepted you being gay but not an idol,” Sunsea noted.

 “Yes,” he nodded. “So, after a while, I asked my mother about it…like why they acted like it was a given that I’m gay…and she told me…when I was very young…. she said it was in 2007. My dad was taking his students to a pride event and we tagged along. I was young so I don’t remember it…but she told me…when they were explaining what the event is…I–”

He leaned over and giggled, hiding his face before he looked to the camera. “Sorry…but…apparently I told my parents that when I grow up, I was going to marry Hangyeol from Coffee Prince.” 

The two hosts gasped at the confession. “And that there were always signs…like I’d look at the drama male leads more than female leads. So, they…. they kind of…they let me come to them at my own pace. They didn’t want to pressure me to come out. But the older I got, the more vocal they were in their support, which, looking back….it explained why there was an increase of queer media in our house.”

“That is very sweet of them,” Seokcheon commented. “Thank you, Yeosang’s parents. It’s really admirable, the effort they made and not freaking out when you told them you wanted to marry a man.”

Yeosang hummed. “It’s the fact that they knew I was gay before I realized it, and they normalized it, so I won’t hate myself…. I think that’s the best thing a parent can do.”

“I think it’s wonderful, you had a supportive family, group and even your company was supportive,” Sunsea summarized.

“Not everyone in the company,” Yeosang corrected. He was going to be very careful, but he wasn’t going to give some of the homophobes at KQ any protection. 

“By nature, I’m a reserved and private person. I don’t share details about myself openly.” He continued. “I knew the risks of having this information leak. So, I kept it on the need-to-know basis. The main managers and the CEO knew, and they were okay with it. The biggest thing is that I can’t let it affect the group.”

“You had to think of your members as well,” Seokcheon mused. “But with you going solo, it’s a different matter.”

“Yes,” Yeosang agreed. “This is going to sound selfish to say, but leaving Ateez opened a new opportunity for me…I always knew that every action I make will risk everyone’s careers. So back then…I had no choice but to live my life in hiding, even if it killed me.”

The hosts expressions faltered for a second before they schooled themselves. “If this was an alternative reality, I’d have Ateez. I’d be out. I’d have it all. But it’s not…and I can’t risk their livelihood and throw away all of their life efforts.”

“So where does the military come in all of this,” Sunsea asked, shifting the topic.

“Yes…my time there…small pieces started to fall into place,” Yeosang explained. “Before I enlisted…I didn’t think very highly of myself. There was some negativity in my life…that made me feel like I’m an afterthought and that I’m not enough. That this was my lot in life and I have to endure it in silence.”

Seokcheon frowned.

“Before I enlisted…my friends…they all told me the same thing,” Yeosang continued. “That the military is mentally taxing and there’s a lot of hardship. Um…my experience was the opposite. I don’t know how I lucked out…but I’ll always be grateful. When the people you least expect…the prejudiced people…when the people who hate you are the ones who are lifting you up, telling you that you did an excellent job…and just say, you’re enough as you are…when they’re the ones who say it instead of your allies and supporters…it kind of rewires your brain.”

The hosts blinked, trying to process what Yeosang admitted. 

“The military…the place that is supposed to break you…it held me together while every other aspect of my life was on fire,” he added. “So, I took a step back….and I reevaluated how I see myself and I…I started realizing my actual self-worth. Like…why was I breaking my back for someone who would never acknowledge me when the people I disagree with are acknowledging me just fine. And that kind of kickstarted my healing journey.”

He leaned back on his chair and looked at the empathic gaze of the hosts. “And I realized I’m not the old Yeosang that everyone knows…. I was never him. He was an armor I created to survive in this harsh industry. But after experiencing the real harshness, I kind of…let go of that armor and I just…I want to be seen for who I really am.”

“That must’ve been a very tough thing to learn,” Seokcheon said.

“It was my light bulb moment,” Yeosang nodded. “Me…not being a part of Ateez…it was the freedom I needed. I no longer have to overthink every small thing or break myself into pieces. My decisions are mine alone. And you know…being away from them created the distance that is allowing me to come out.”

“Did you ever mull on it?” Sunsea asked. “Coming out…that is.”

“For a while, I did,” Yeosang answered. “But…when I won my legal case against some stalkers…when I was leaving the court. I knew I was done hiding. That’s it…I’m not going to let anything hold me back…I made that decision and I never looked back.”

“Now that you’re publicly out, how does it feel?” Seokcheon smiled at him proudly.

“Strangely enough, I’m relieved,” Yeosang replied truthfully. “I don’t have to look over my shoulder or second guess everything.” He hated that he used to second guess if someone was queer, an ally or a foe.

“I saw some of the responses,” Sunsea stated. “How are you dealing with it?”

“I anticipated everything,” Yeosang shrugged. “I told my team…when I will come out, this, this, and this will happen. And it did!” He chuckled. “I also lost a bet for how long it will take for the funeral wreaths to appear.”

“I have to say…. your response to those wreaths was not what I expected,” Seokcheon said. “I tend to observe public figures that come out…You were very nonchalant about it, and it really proved that you are different. You’re fearless.”

“Oh…thank you,” he blushed. “I thought it was funny and very mild. I expected something scathing, but it was a total let down. All these high expectations…. but what we’ve observed so far…the domestic response is more favorable than the international response which is the opposite of what many acts observed. I’m not sure why but it could explain it.”

“You thought those comments were mild?” Sunsea raised a brow.

“Yes. It’s the usual stuff. And…demanding that I leave my company is unoriginal and it doesn’t make sense,” Yeosang responded with indifference. “I’ve been receiving a lot of harsh comments my entire career that I just…developed immunity.”

Sunsea looked at him flabbergasted. “I’m sorry, I’m trying to wrap my head around this,” he gestured vaguely around him. “What kind of comments would make you immune to such extreme levels of hate?”

Seokcheon shot Sunsea a look. This was not part of the script.

 “There was a lot,” Yeosang shrugged, a slight expression of resignation on his face. “The worst ones were the comments that invalidated my entire being.”

The hosts eyes widened in alarm. They couldn’t get a read on Yeosang, especially with how casually he talked about all the hate.

“They were born from the BL fan service,” he elaborated. He knew that this would amplify the hate, but he decided, if he’s going to be out as queer, he needs to show the worst thing this industry did to queer people just so that no other idol would go through the same thing.

“What do you mean?” Seokcheon furrowed his brows.

“I never engaged with this type of fan service because of obvious reasons,” he pointed to himself and chuckled. “Because sometimes the lines get blurred. It can be too real, too believable and the fan behavior over that couple is…there is no nice way to put it. I could never interact with any member who is enacting that fan service without being called every name under the sun. I received a lot of death threats. I was harassed. I was called a home wrecker. Homophobic. Everything imaginable.”

Seokcheon blinked, taken aback by the anger in Yeosang’s tone.

“I was twenty when it first started,” Yeosang’s voice strained a bit. “I let them get to me. I just…I couldn’t understand how I’m a homophobe. It was…I’m the gay member, so why are they attacking me over a fake couple? Why can’t I hang out with my friends in a platonic manner? Why am I the member who is not allowed to be queer?”

Yeosang made a shaky exhale, his eyes burning. “They won. I put a wall between myself and the members. I withdrew from everything. Umm…I got trauma from it…I used to like skin ship but now…I feel like my skin is on fire. If it’s not on my terms, then I hate it. And it didn’t matter who I was interacting with, the outcome was always the same.”

The anger and frustration displayed bubbled over and Yeosang’s voice cracked. “And it starts to sink in…I was being crucified over for being gay without having to come out…and if I ever come out…I’ll never be allowed to talk to anyone ever, because in their eyes, I’m the homophobic home wrecker that will come between the couple. And that fear is still there…I don’t know if I can mention my friends without receiving mass hate.”

Sunsea grabbed a tissue from the staff and handed it to Yeosang. Horrified, Seokcheon grabbed Yeosang’s hand to comfort him.

“Thank you,” Yeosang took the tissues and wiped his tears. “I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to cry…but I get so angry and frustrated. I never should’ve gone through that…I never should’ve let them win.”

“I’m the one who is sorry that you had to go through that,” Seokcheon comforted him.

“The damage is done,” Yeosang sighed in defeat. “When I came out, people would rather focus on hypotheticals rather than what’s out there. And I…it was never my intention to create this much trouble for other idols out there.”

“But you are more resilient than people think,” Seokcheon remarked. “Rather than focusing on the hate messages, you showed them that you are unfazed and that you look at more positive things, which is supporting and loving each other.”

Yeosang smiled and nodded. “People thought I was sad and crying about it, but I was having a fun time. And the universe has its way to create a balance. I was working on a few things and then suddenly I’m receiving all those beautiful flowers and letters from different queer figures. It was a very sweet thing because I’m someone they never heard off, and they took the time to write down these very personal letter and notes…and I’m forever grateful.”

“There was also something I thought was interesting,” Sunsea chimed in. “When you came out, you prefaced it by admitting that you have dated. Were you not worried about how fans will react to that?”

“That…” Yeosang smiled. “It’s one of the things I foresaw. A sasaeng would most likely have photos and they would use it to retaliate when I come out…so I thought to myself, I should rip the band aid myself. I thought my fans would rather hear it from me than someone who will make up lies. And it did work in my favor. These photos are leaking but my fans are saying…stop sharing this, it’s in the past.”

“Did you not worry about an ex sharing private photos?” Sunsea asked.

“They won’t get anything out of it,” Yeosang shrugged. “It’s all mundane photos and the risk of outing themselves is not worth it.”

“To be completely honest, there is some concern that you had a partner that is pushing you to do this,” Seokcheon commented.

“You’re not the only person who said this to me,” Yeosang laughed. “I guess it’s because I did something out of the norm and my comfort zone…but I’m not in a relationship. I’m not interested in pursuing anything at all. I’m actually in a self-discovery journey. It’s something I discussed with my therapist…. I don’t have the healthiest coping mechanisms…and I’m not kind to myself at all, especially in relationships…so it takes time to know oneself and heal, and adding a relationship right now isn’t to my benefit.”

“That is a smart thing to do,” Sunsea commented.

“Yeah…I always read a lot of self-improvement books, and I did try therapy when I was younger,” Yeosang smiled. “But now, I found a therapist that is helping me reconstruct my own system. I’m someone who avoids things, I bury myself with work and I have this tunnel vision. And I would accidentally hurt myself….so I need to work on that first before I introduce anything or anyone new into my life.”

“It’s wonderful that you have such support system,” Seokcheon smiled. “Now I want to talk about the next big thing you did. It’s another type of coming out…you are a 2-million-selling author!”

“Choi Minseok,” Yeosang’s smile grew.

“Can I add something,” Sunsea chimed in. “I’m actually one of your readers.” Yeosang covered his mouth as he gasped in shock. “I found the series when Tilted came out and I’ve been a fan ever since.”

“What a wonderful surprise!” Yeosang exclaimed.

“Why reveal that you are Choi Minseok now, why not before or later?” Seokcheon inquired.

“I wanted to be fully honest and truthful about who I am…and that included Choi Minseok,” Yeosang admitted. “It also came at the perfect time…things behind the scenes were…to put it simply, this is my work. I achieved this success because of the effort I put into the craft. No one else. So, when external factors are starting to aggressively push and prod…and Minumsa Publishing have always gone above and beyond with everything…it was time for me to step up and protect my work.”

The hosts hummed and were going to follow up with another question, but Yeosang wasn’t done. “Also, the series is coming to an end in the next two years. I should be involved with fans while it’s still being serialized. No one wants to talk to an author decades after their biggest work is done. They’ll think, ‘when will he move on, it’s been years.’ At least, this way, people will fondly remember me as the guy who wrote Where the Wind Blows.”

“Balancing an idol career and being an author at the same time must’ve been extremely stressful,” Sunsea commented.

“Yes, I added unnecessary pressure on myself,” Yeosang agreed. “But the thing is…I started writing online in secret…I started with fan fiction before moving to writing my own stuff.” He already knew the consequences of admitting this on a recorded interview.

“And having that start…it kind of becomes like second nature to balance a career and writing in secret. Many people do that,” he elaborated. “And to be fair…admitting that I wrote online was far scarier and felt more shameful than anything I’ve ever done.”

“What!” Sunsea regarded Yeosang in disbelief.

“It doesn’t make sense to the public, but writers know what I mean,” Yeosang laughed and waved his hands. “People would be fine with you being gay, but they will ridicule you over writing online. I had classmates find my work and make fun of it…I was never ever going to admit that I wrote fan fiction.”

“I’m very curious as to how this transition from writing fan fiction to writing an original story works,” Seokcheon mused. “Were there any writing influences that carried over?”

Yeosang thought about his answer for a moment. “I started writing fan fiction as a fun past time…but, when I started to experiment and write queer stories, it became a restricting medium,” he explained. “So, I moved to writing original short format stories. I wrote different topics, tropes and stories…but my BL stories were the most popular ones. And Where the Wind Blows started as a queer exploration but slowly moved into a slice of life but with monsters and fantasy elements. I had a very loose plot. Somehow it was popular and I ended up getting scouted for it. They offered me a development and publishing deal.”

“I see,” Sunsea hummed.

“I had to change the way I wrote,” Yeosang added. “My editor helped me remove those online writing influences. And I took every review and criticism to improve my writing.”

“How did the people around you react to you being Choi Minseok?” Sunsea asked. “You said that it was your biggest secret.”

Yeosang nodded, glad that he no longer has to talk about writing online. “I accidentally created a mess,” he laughed. “When I got the deal, I only and briefly consulted my parents. They know nothing else. It was only a handful of people from Minumsa and my legal representative that knew the truth.”

The hosts nodded. “I had to clear and settle a few things before I could make a public announcement. I got the green light the day before the conference. I was still hesitant, but I told my communication team about it,” he added. “Everyone else was blindsided. And I know this hurt a lot of my friends, and fans too…and for that I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean for it to happen like that…I had many reasons to keep it a secret.”

“Usually post-enlistment, idols tend to be very careful,” Seokcheon stated. “But you pressed forward in a completely different direction, making what many would call risky career moves. Did your current team push back against your decisions or expressed their concerns for your career.”

“They always knew the plan was to come out,” Yeosang replied. “But they would’ve liked it if I came out by posting a letter or a video. They were worried that journalists who were present would be very mean and horrible to me. But I wanted to do something for me, and I wanted to come out at the press conference.”

“Oh! We were very concerned about the public reactions that we failed to ask what your close friends and family thought of the conference,” Seokcheon gasped.

“It was mixed,” Yeosang laughed. “I was purposefully dodging conversations about signing with a company and I kept putting them off until after the conference,” he rubbed the back of his neck. “I knew that if they knew I was going to come out, they will try to talk me out of it.”

“You stood your ground,” Sunsea noted.

“Yes…and I sort of had an idea about their reactions…I told my parents about my plans and it…. powww!!” he mimicked an explosion. “I got into a fight with my dad. I was angry and beyond unreasonable that I didn’t want to talk to him, so I left the house and stayed at a hotel for a week. And my dad was like, what are you doing? Why are you being so dramatic?…I hate to say that he is right, that I was over dramatic and a petulant teenager.” 

He could see the way the hosts did not believe he could be like that. “Instead of sitting and talking about it, I ran away and made things awkward and tense,” Yeosang recollected. “My mother tried to be the middle ground. She told me that he watched the conference…and I thought that I should make amends…we talked and he wants me to succeed. But he’d rather I established myself before I came out. And I was like…dad, stop thinking of me as a child. I’m an adult now.”

“You’re still having those moments with your parents at this age,” Sunsea laughed, turning it into a lighthearted moment.

“On the conference day, I didn’t want to talk to anyone, so I turned my phone off,” Yeosang tried his best not to laugh. “My mother was angry about it. And my friends were panicking because they couldn’t reach me. It was just angry messages about being kept in the dark, dropping the news and then vanishing. For them, their number one priority was knowing that I was okay. Once they knew that I’m fine, they were supportive.”

“I would panic too,” Sunsea empathized with everyone. “I’d probably assume the worst.”

“Yeah…” Seokcheon nodded. “Now at the center of it all is the company you created,” Yeosang nodded. “Was it founded by yourself and the CEO?”

“Not just us,” Yeosang shook his head. “There’s a few of us, but I’m funding everything.”

“Usually, idols are the CEOs of their own companies,” Sunsea remarked.

“My co-founders and I agreed that CEO Hwang is the most suitable person for the role,” Yeosang answered. “He has the necessary background and was part of a big operation. There is no one more capable.”

“You spoke about the idol union and placed some policies that are more favorable towards idols and artists,” Seokcheon pointed out.

“The idol union is our benchmark,” Yeosang explained. “These policies are things that have been bugging me for a while or things I wanted in my contract. Usually there are constraints with every contract, so if I want to be as creative as possible, then I should remove them, and create a place that rewards creativity.”

“Do you think this is going to be beneficial for your career?” Sunsea asked.

“This time…I’m involved in the production room. I’m not producing…yet. But telling my producer about the things I want to try…writing the lyrics myself, I think it’s the best way to express myself. It’s going to be me all over those songs, so people can truly see me,” Yeosang replied with a smile. “We’ve been trying a few things for a while now. I’m starting to get a sense of what I want to do. There’s also a topic that I loved writing about…it’s a very popular story trope that I’d like to try writing a song about. And…coming out…I can now write and sing about men without worry.”

“How soon can we expect this album?” Seokcheon smiled.

“I don’t have any release date, but I have a deadline for when I want to release it,” Yeosang informed him. “I want to know what I can do to create an album that I’m very proud of. To make music that I like and have it resonate with my fans and then perform those songs. At the end of the day, I’m someone who wants to sing and dance, and that’s all that matters. I’ll never stray away from that mindset.”

“With your novels, people might criticize you and say it’s taking your focus,” Sunsea mentioned.

“Balance is the key,” Yeosang replied. “Right now, we’re trying different ways to achieve that balance. Which days are music or book focused. In the past I wrote at the end of my days or during my days off. It feels weird having to put writing in my daily schedule.”

“Creating this balance and having a good support system is very challenging,” Seokcheon commented. “But I’m glad that you are finding a balance.”

“If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out to us,” Sunsea added.

“Thank you,” Yeosang laughed. “I’m slowly making my way back to the public. I will make sure to reach out if I ever need any advice or help.”

“We do look forward for your solo debut,” Seokcheon stated. “When you will promote your album, make sure to pass by on Jewel box…if we are still on.”

“I wanted to talk about your series, but we ran out of time on this podcast,” Sunsea complained.

“I’m going crazy with the next one,” Yeosang laughed.

“We reached the end of our talk. You have an exciting year ahead of you. And we are rooting for you,” Seokcheon said. “One final thing, is there anything you’d like to say to your fans?”

“I want to thank everyone who supported me in this journey,” Yeosang gave the camera a soft smile. “But most importantly, thank you Hong Seokcheon-sunbaenim. Without you and your efforts, there would be no queer representation in the media. And you made it so that many others and I are comfortable and brave enough to come out. To my fans, my Yeodoongies, thank you continuously supporting me. I promise to work hard and prepare a good album, so please wait for me. I promise I’m going to be okay so don’t worry…and take care of your health and eat your vitamins. And I hope you give this content and sunbaenim’s a lot of love. Thank you.”

“Thank you for your kind words,” Seokcheon concluded the podcast. “I hope everyone will watch Kang Yeosang with interest, and to support him as he makes his solo debut. I know I’ll be there for him. Don’t forget to press like and subscribe.”

“Bye~” they all waved to the camera.

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