#lending/not returning of the physical books. it's not something I've heard about though

[999-roses]

it's actually really annoying to find out your card is expired after you no longer have proof of residence (like a utility bill or rental agreement; some kind of official document that has both a date and an address on it because library membership is free for the city/municipality it serves, otherwise you have to pay per year for membership/active card), so your library won't renew your card unless you re-apply as out-of-city and you have to pay per month or year of membership. but you know, who cares if you're technically homeless/living out of your car/friend's couches

[cloudminhyun]

Before NU'EST's Comeback...

I felt it was important to address certain things that have been happening lately in the fandom. Minhyun's fancafe letter has pushed me to write this just like how some people's behaviour pushed Minhyun to write that letter. For those unable to access fancafe, to summarise, Minhyun tried to once again convey his love and loyalty towards NU'EST and the fans and apologised for not making this clear and concise beforehand.

As someone who has been a fan since the very beginning of NU'EST's debut, I have never once doubted Minhyun's loyalty but I completely understand how older and newer fans might've felt uneasy when Minhyun resumed activities with NU'EST. He never verbally said very much about his intentions during the transition phase from Wanna One back to NU'EST, nor has he said much whilst being back with NU'EST. Everyone dabbled with the idea of him going solo and worried about a variety of things, such as the impact on the fanbase etc.

Something I want to remind everyone of is that Minhyun is a man of action. You don't simply wait for him to say something but rather observe his actions in order to understand his intentions. He returned to NU'EST, he has released music with NU'EST, he has done live streams with NU'EST, he has performed at a concert with NU'EST, and he's done all of this with a smile on his face. Why? Because he is a member of NU'EST. That is something that shouldn't even be questioned. You can simply see from his activities how hard he's tried to integrate back with the members and to reconnect with the fanbase. He wants to be NU'EST's Minhyun again and this is something the majority of the fanbase has accepted and is happy with.

Obviously, the problem is the people who only support Minhyun and are completely against NU'EST. There's nothing wrong with being a solo stan so long as you're respectful towards everyone else. If you are however throwing hateful, negative, toxic comments and abuse targeted at the other members of NU'EST then you are in fact being problematic. Feel free to support Minhyun, but if you're doing so by hating his fellow members, then you are in fact hurting Minhyun. It's as simple as that.

Since Minhyun has returned to NU'EST, he has tried time and time again to prove his love and loyalty to his members. He has tried to show us all just how much he loves the fans. He's constantly trying to prove himself and the truth of the matter is that he shouldn't even have to. From the very beginning, Minhyun made it very clear that he wanted to stay a member of NU'EST. We should trust him and we should know.

Love conquers hate, it's a quote we've mostly all heard, but in this instance, we are losing the battle because we are fighting hate with more hate. NU'EST have led by example by constantly showing us fans their love and appreciation, for example Ren's surprise fanmeet and book. Even after everything that's happened the past few months, from the sticky-note protests at Pledis's building to the rampant hate online, NU'EST have only ever responded by showing us their smiling faces and by giving us more than we probably deserve. Because they show us a bright, cheery side, we probably all forget and take for granted that NU'EST are in fact the one's hurting the most. Of all the members, who do you think is feeling the brunt of the responsibility for the hate? Even though he's not done anything to cause any of what's happened, other than exist and work as a member of Wanna One and NU'EST, Minhyun is feeling the impact of all the drama and hate the most out of everyone.

It's hard to ignore the hate and it's difficult to not feel anything when you see it. I'm not asking anyone to stop reacting towards it because I'm not in control of anyone's actions. All I want to say is that next time you see someone hating any of NU'EST, please take a moment to step back and think, "If I was NU'EST and I read this or saw this, how would I react?" Most of all, I'd really like if everyone took the time to think, "If I was Minhyun, how would I be feeling if I read this?"

We can't control what people put on the internet. What we can do is control how we react towards it and how much we expose ourselves to it. It's very easy to get sucked in and to want to read everything, to know exactly who's saying what and sometimes you may feel it necessary to reply and confront the hate comments, but let me ask-does it make you feel good when you read hate comments? Does it make you feel good when you're reacting to the hate with more hate? I'd imagine the answer is 'no'. So the simple solution is: don't read or look for the hate comments and if you see them, don't respond negatively. If they appear on your timeline, simply block that person and move on. If you feel compelled to comment, don't be passive aggressive, but try and be compassionate. You may feel like those people don't deserve any compassion after everything they've done to NU'EST, but remember: NU'EST would show them compassion and kindness and we fans are an extension of NU'EST. We represent them as a fanbase. ㄴㅇㅅㅌ by name and by nature, always.

The point of this very long post is this: NU'EST are about to release their first album as 5 for the first time in 3 years. It's their first album since they went on PD101. The boys have put a lot on the line for this album so they really need us to focus and to do our best to support them. That doesn't just mean by buying the album digitally or physically, nor does it just mean streaming the songs and music video tirelessly, it also means bringing a positive attitude to the social networking platforms you use and by promoting them in a positive way. So rather than focussing on the hate, we need to be focussed on NU'EST.

By promoting what you love, by showing people how great NU'EST are, you are more likely to entice potential new fans. However by promoting the hate and focussing on how they bring the fandom down, you're going to scare away potential new fans. NU'EST need loving fans, not toxic people. Haters come and go. The more attention you give them, the longer they persist. As soon as you stop giving them focus, they'll get bored and they'll move on. I've been a KPop fan for a decade now so trust me when I say that. It may seem difficult to ignore, but let's try our best.

After everything NU'EST has been through, they deserve the recognition for their art and their hard work. So let's make sure we do our best to focus and support them well. And ultimately, please, please, let's help ease Minhyun's troubled mind by cheering him and the rest of the members during this comeback. Let's show Minhyun that we respect his decision to be with NU'EST and how we support NU'EST with all our hearts.

Thank you for reading. Good luck during the comeback. Don't forget to rest and look after yourselves whilst helping support NU'EST. If anyone ever needs to talk about anything fandom related, I'm always here to listen and lend a shoulder. Hwaiting everyone!

- Harj