Work Text:
@sodapup94
hey guys and gals. it’s me. ya edit-obsessed twink.
now, i was making a Baby edit for TikTok, as ya do,
and maybe it’s the #LetSajaSpeak catching up on me but like,,,,
the Soda Pop MV got me tweaking 😭
i swear i’ve watched this thing 50+ times but this??
this NEVER hit before
a thread because i’m actually losing it
like GUYS,,,, what is THIS on his hat
now i know what you all are thinking “pup it’s just the soda stains on everyone’s clothes”
and YES. i hear you. i do. but listen.
i color-graded the footage to tone down the neon and you guys
IT. DOESN’T. MATCH
it’s not pink or syrupy like the set splashes
it’s deep red and the edges are brown
that’s not soda.
I SWEAR TO GOD I’M CRASHING OUT
[attached: slowed clip, color-graded comparison of the hat stain vs. the "soda" on others]
@crypthound
Thanks for the DMs guys. I hate it here.
okay. side-by-side from 2:04 in the MV:
Baby’s hat stain vs. Romance’s shirt splash
when I isolate the red channel.
Baby’s is thicker
soda’s semi-translucent. Baby’s? it’s oxidizing.
that’s blood. on cotton. probably an hour or so old.
@babyblue (med student, bio: “if it bleeds i’ll diagnose it 😌🩸”)
this is a scalp wound. 100%.
- high vascularity = lots of bleeding
- hard to stop unless you apply pressure
and someone with a better computer should confirm, but look at his hand. holding the soda bottle prop.
his grip’s weird.
like he’s not holding it for show. he’s hiding something.
i’m betting blood. from pressing to his own head.
someone run that frame?
@crypthound
say less
2:06 mark. slowed. color-graded.
the fingers aren’t wrapped fully around the bottle. his palm is flat against it.
and yeah there’s some kind of discoloration there.
darker. matte.
[attached: clip replay, slowed + brightened, red smear on bottle + angle of Baby’s grip]
@juniverse_1998
bro i just rewatched the hand-off moment
his left hand flexes
not in sync with choreo
like he's reacting to pain
also? he doesn’t pass the prop like the others do.
he keeps it. whole chorus.
never puts it down.
[screenshot: Baby mid-choreo, clutching the bottle with tension in his fingers]
@sodapup94
i feel SICK
y’all are telling me he got hit in the head
tried to stop the bleeding
his hand got covered in blood
they gave him a bottle to cover the hand
a hat to cover the wound
and rolled camera like it was just another Tuesday??
@stagefitarchives
this is worse than we thought
confirmed:
- hat = last-minute costume addition. he wasn’t wearing a hat in the teaser.
- pins moved to draw focus away from stain
- stain size + placement = consistent with scalp wound
- left hand never seen open in frame
this was deliberate misdirection.
someone knew.
@romancekissed
and we clowned around calling it “aesthetic grunge” or “sloppy cute”
while he was literally holding pressure on an injury
and dancing through it
what the ACTUAL hell
@babyblue (med student, bio: “if it bleeds i’ll diagnose it 😌🩸”)
yep. this checks out.
scalp bleeds like crazy, but injuries can look “minor” once pressure’s applied
hence:
- the soaked hat
- the red-streaked hand
- the weird grip
- the stiffness in his movements
Baby was hurt and compensating through choreo.
@sodapup94
i swear to god.
i started this wanting to make a sparkle-core edit of his wink
and now i’m sitting here realizing
he was injured.
he was bleeding.
he tried to stop it himself
and they just,,,,
dressed it in pastels and hit record
@snailfail
Not to make things even worse. But I think I know exactly what happened.
Someone pushed him.
2:36. Behind Romance. Look at the tiling.
That’s a spatter on the corner.
Like he hit the wall hard enough to bleed.
That’s a bucket and shovel prop placed on top of it to try and cover the rest.
@sappykjight
WHAT THE FUCK
NO
NO
SNAIL WHY
@Leviiiiii🖤
Aha. Okay.
So… you’re telling me that, instead of pausing to get someone medical attention for a head injury. They covered it up and continued to film?
Am I seeing this right or am I fucking high.
@sodapup94
FUCK
@babyblue (med student, bio: “if it bleeds i’ll diagnose it 😌🩸”)
This kind of trauma + no immediate care = risk of concussion, infection, worse
The fact they covered it up instead of stopping? Negligence on a whole new level.
@juniverse_1998
I can’t unsee the way he keeps clutching that bottle like it’s a lifeline
and his movements? stiff like he’s trying not to lose it
no wonder this MV always made me uncomfortable
he’s smiling through the pain
@crypthound
This is exactly why #LetSajaSpeak matters
Because behind the scenes, things are not okay
And fans deserve to know the real story, not just the staged bs
@romancekissed
The cherry on top is that everyone else keeps dancing and smiling like nothing’s wrong
but Baby is visibly hurt, hiding it with whatever they’re handing him
this whole MV is abuse in broad daylight
@stagefitarchives
I’ll keep digging for more production notes or leaks
Theres got to be a reason they scrambled to hide everything at once
@sodapup94
thanks for riding this rollercoaster with me, fam
keep your eyes peeled
we owe it to Baby and all of them to keep asking questions
#LetSajaSpeak
✦ ✦ ✦
A niche YouTube breakdown video hits 1.2 million views overnight.
“Why Baby’s Bottle Isn’t Just a Prop: A Frame-by-Frame Analysis.”
Buzzfeed Korea drops a headline that spreads like wildfire:
"Was the Soda Pop MV a Crime Scene?"
Comment threads explode. TikToks flood the For You page.
A Reddit post hits the front page, under r/IdolIndustryExposed.
From a self-identified K-pop stagehand:
“You don’t keep rolling unless someone told you not to stop. And that someone is usually rich, powerful, and terrifying.”
The music video is replayed, analyzed, and devoured.
A new hashtag goes trending: #SodaPopWasntSweet
And within twenty-four hours, the official Soda Pop MV, uploaded by GM Entertainment’s channel, becomes one of the most disliked videos on YouTube.
Not just in K-pop.
In the platform’s entire history.
✦ ✦ ✦
It's quiet again.
The kind of quiet that settles after something breaks.
The MV is a battlefield. The comments are ashes. GM Entertainment has gone radio silent. SSStudios says nothing.
Until now.
Not in a press release.
In a photo.
Blurry, low-lit image, posted to Twitter.
No watermark. No hashtags. Just a caption:
"Saw some idols at the express bus terminal? Looked familiar. Hope they’re okay lol."
One photo. One moment.
Five figures in nondescript clothing, caps, sunglasses, and medical masks.
And everything erupts again.
✦ ✦ ✦
@juniverse_1998
WAIT. WAIT. IS THAT ABBY?
THE HAIR. THE BAG. THAT’S HIM.
OH MY GOD ARE THEY OKAY??
@snailfail
They’ve got security with them. Undercover.
@crypthound
why the fuck are they all carrying duffle bags?????
@sodapup94
i think they’re moving???? like moving out. not a schedule thing.
@romancekissed
Makes sense. After the transfer they probably can’t stay at the old place anymore, but why cover up this hard?
@babyblue (med student, bio: “if it bleeds i’ll diagnose it 😌🩸”)
Look closely. That’s not just fashion.
Medical masks, sunglasses, hats.
They’re covering more than faces.
probably bruises, swelling, or exhaustion.
@sodapup94
guys, this looks like an extraction.
like,,, someone is getting them out fast and quiet.
@snailfail
From the way they’re holding themselves? They’re not okay.
They're still scared.
✦ ✦ ✦