Revenant

Title: Revenant
Author: AHLICE
Type: Fan fiction
Rating: PG-13

This intense-shot revolves around the dangerous side of fame and stardom. In just a little over one thousand words, the reader is taken to a psychologist's office, where a young man is having an appointment. The story is told from the psychologist's point of view and the patient is described as a ghost of himself, too far gone, a loose fragment, living every day doped up on medication, surviving on frequent plastic surgery trips, bottles of water, and dancing, deteriorating legs. Still, Taemin comes off as arrogant, like the hardships of life have made him that way. He's one fifth of the one of the most well known and loved Korean boy groups but, despite the fame, money and love he gets from millions of fans, Taemin still feels empty inside.

The narrator gives us shiver-worthy descriptions of the young man as someone who is dead in every way: he seems dead inside and that reflects on his extremely pale, skeletal appearance. Taemin looks, and is, sick and fame has made him that way: the pressure of being trapped, as Taemin himself puts, in a business of torture and misery.

Beautifully written, this story touches the sensitive subject of mental disorders, specifically depression caused by stress. Taemin could be anybody else in the world who keeps getting pressured into perfection, into always being better than he already is, like an electronic device that needs to be constantly updated. Taemin is just the representation of thousands of people in this world who end up losing themselves in this insane search for absolute perfection. In Taemin's specific case, he's afraid to be replaced by younger, more beautiful and more talented people in the voracious entertainment industry. Taemin is afraid of fading, so much that he has drowned in an unhealthy lifestyle that ultimately lead to the death of his old self. He finds himself fixing things that weren't even broken to begin with and he no longer has any strength left in his body.

This is the story of Taemin, but it is easy for any reader to relate with the main character's drama of feeling dead and lost. The word choice makes it extremely realistic and shows a darker side to this boy, that fans aren't so well used to. It is almost scary how relate-able this character can be, even though he's an untouchable pop star. AHLICE makes Taemin seem real with the way she words this story.

An amazing piece of fiction that can and should be appreciated by more than just the K-Pop fandom!

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