i-dle's Shuhua appears to have posted a photo showing Soojin's hand.
On the morning of September 29 KST, Shuhua updated her personal Instagram with a series of images as a casual life update. What shocked fans and netizens was the very last image in the post, which featured a table with a barbecue pan and someone’s hand grilling pork belly.
According to fans and netizens, the hand belongs to Soojin, the former member of i-dle (previously known as (G)I-DLE before her departure). Seeing this image, many were surprised to learn that Shuhua and the ex-member are still meeting up and spending time together.
Although it remains unconfirmed whether the photo was taken recently or before Soojin’s exit, netizens expressed surprise since this is the first time an existing i-dle member has directly shared an image possibly pointing to Soojin’s presence.
Fans are almost certain the hand is hers, citing a tattoo and signature nail style identical to Soojin’s in other photos.
Some believe the photo was taken around September 3, after Soojin’s first music program broadcast of "BATTITUDE," due to the red nails. Others argue it could have been taken earlier or later, since Soojin is well-known for frequently painting her nails red.
Meanwhile, Shuhua’s Instagram is filled with curious and supportive comments, with many wondering what prompted her to post the photo. At the same time, several acknowledged that there is 'no reason why former bandmates should have beef with one another,' adding that it is 'normal for them to get together for a meal.'
More reactions include:
"Shuhua is the type who never holds back anyway... she probably doesn’t care what other people think"
"I mean, I can understand why it’s hard to cut ties, why someone wouldn’t, or why someone would... If it were me, and I had relied on someone a lot since trainee days, I’d probably just keep meeting them."
"It’s not easy for a foreign member with no family in another country to cut ties with someone they grew close to... there’s a special circumstance here."
"I heard Soojin really took care of Shuhua during trainee days, so it must be hard to cut ties. Kind of off-topic, but wasn’t it basically confirmed that the bullying accusations against Soojin were mostly lies? There was no evidence, the celebrity who exposed it kept changing their story, and in the end, it was just that she hung out with that group."
"But if it was just an everyday photo dump, maybe it just got uploaded along with the others? Looking at it, it’s just a hand photo, so it’s not that obvious. I doubt they suddenly thought, ‘Now’s the time to openly show our friendship’ and posted it."
"Either way, it doesn’t change the fact that Soojin left due to a scandal."
"Maybe she uploaded several photos together without realizing it was Soojin’s hand."
"Yeah, it really does feel unnecessary."
"Of course, you can’t expect someone to completely cut off years of friendship in an instant. Whether they stay close or not is none of my business, but I just wish they wouldn’t make it obvious... My old bias group also kept openly hanging out with a scandal-quit member and it was so annoying lol."
"But doesn’t their group's leader always emphasize ‘five’? Even in the lyrics?"
"Honestly, it feels unnecessary... if I were a fan, I’d really think it’s unnecessary."
"I hate that just being connected like this becomes gossip material."
"They probably posted it because it was a recent photo, right?"
"Exactly;; Who’s saying they can’t stay friends? Stay close if they want, I don’t care, just don’t make it obvious... it just gives people excuses to stir things up."
"What I meant was that the nails in the pork belly photo might not actually be from this September... she used that same nail color and body shape often even during i-dle's activities. The color tone of the photo doesn’t match current trends either, so it could be an older photo."
"But it really does seem like they met in September..?"
"Ah, but Soojin often had red nails, so it’s hard to judge the date based on that... like others said, it could just be an older photo."
"The vibe of the photo doesn’t feel recent."
"Fans wouldn’t really complain about them being friends since everyone knows they were close. But since she didn’t leave on good terms, whether it’s an old or recent photo, posting pictures with a quit member will just stir up the fandom."
"If they’re still friends with a member who left, it’s better not to show it openly."
"The color tone of the photo feels like something from the past lol."
"Yeah lol it looks like an old iPhone brightness style."
"But that’s true, it’s different from a random sighting—it’s actually being posted on Instagram."
"You can’t just cut off a friend in an instant... I can’t really criticize them for this."
"Huh, especially since lately they’ve been emphasizing the 5-member lineup so strongly, as a group fan this might feel uncomfortable."
"They were once members together, it’s not like they’re forbidden from meeting."
"I used to really like the two of themㅜㅜ"
"Yeah, I doubt the members completely cut her off."
"Maybe they just had a meal together?"
"They were super close, so I’m not surprised..."
"It’s just surprising because this is the first time they’ve openly shown meeting Soojin after she left."
"I used to really like those two together."
"Omg."
What are your thoughts?
SEE ALSO: i-dle drops the first MV teaser for 'Where Do We Go'
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