Mad Summer

Fanfiction
Title:	미친 여름 上 (michin yeoleum sang), English title: "Mad Summer"
Author(s):	키리에 (Kyrie)
Date(s):	2019
Length:
Genre(s):
Fandom(s):	TomorrowXTogether
Relationship(s):	Beomgyu/Yeonjun
External Links:	Archived Link: https://archive.ph/2023.09.25-172002/https://hardboiled.postype.com/post/3474013%23responses#selection-329.61-329.68
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"Mad Summer" (or, occasionally, "Crazy Summer") is the English-language title for the popular Korean language-fanfiction 미친 여름 上 (romanization: michin yeoleum sang) in the TommorrowXTogether (TXT) fandom. It was originally posted on the Korean platform PostType in 2019.

The fanfic was published as an original book with names changed and has been read even outside the fandom. The containment breach of this fanfic is so significant that fans speculated it directly inspired the band's 2021 song “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)." An internal document leak from Hybe (TXT"s entertainment company) in 2024 provided concrete evidence in support of this theory.

Reception

The story is very widely read in the Korean-speaking fandom, even reaching beyond Moas (fans of TXT) into other fourth-generation k-pop fandoms.

Threads user pik4ichu described the story as "basically the bible of fanfics in Korea." One Twitter user described the fanfic's relevance as akin to the Mauraders fanfiction All The Young Dudes.

Responding to the popularity, the author published a book version with the serial numbers filed off. Since publishing the novel, Kyrie has locked the fanfic and seldom allowed fans to access it. Typically, this has been done on an annual basis for a period of days.

0X1=LOVESONG Theory

The Theory

The fanfic gained a new surge of popularity in 2023, during which fans began to draw comparisons between it and TXT's 2021 release “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)." Fans pointed out both thematic and linguistic similarities between the text and the song's lyrics and accompanying music video. Some of these similarities are as follows:

• Both the story and song use the rare word 무저갱 (mujeogaeng) instead of its common synonym 심연 (shimyeon). Both words can be translated into English as "bottomless pit" or "abyss."
• In the fanfic, Yeonjun is a fan of the 1996 film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. The song's music video directly references the famous fish tank scene from the movie.
• The lyrics "say you love me, say you love me" are notably similar to a famous passage from the fic that can be translated as: "Yeonjun suddenly looked back at Beomgyu. Beomgyu answers [redacted]. ‘Love me, love me, say that you love me.’ Yeonjun follows Beomgyu’s humming and continues, ‘go on and fool me.‘”
• Both feature themes of drug use. In the fanfic, Yeonjun is a drug dealer and Beomgyu dies due to drug use. The song contains a lyric that translates to "Please use me like a drug."
• Both feature themes related to heaven and redemption. A line from the song translates to English as “I probably can’t go to heaven. It doesn’t suit me. There’s no place for me in heaven.”

Apparent Confirmation

On 26 October 2024, an internal report from HYBE was leaked as part of an audit. While no direct statement was given, this report contains language that many fans believe confirms their suspicions. Certainly, it demonstrates that individuals in the company were knowledgeable about the fanfic and its impact, providing grounds to believe it could have factored into content the actual band released.

Mad Summer: a fanfiction that was released around early days of debut. Not sure if the writer is just being sneaky, but they only release the fanfiction for viewing occasionally so as to self-manage any issues that arise. Perhaps that’s why it became a total hit amongst the 4th generation fandoms. Last week, it began trending on X that they made it public again for the first time in a long while and [redacted]. … Thanks to the fanfiction, in the early days, fantasies about the Yeonjun X Beomgyu OTP grew too big. But the two bicker a lot in real life, and the members also have the vibe of cousins who spend the whole summer vacation together, so it wasn’t a good environment for OTP stans to be active. … Currently, 4th generation fandoms are not active on PostType, but the fanfiction is almost weirdly popular. We feel that it is as it seems to be linked to how it reminds of the past-generation fangirl vibes.

Excerpt from a HYBE Report (translated into English) https://www.koreaboo.com/news/hybe-internal-documents-seemingly-confirm-fans-suspicion-txt-0x1lovesong-written-based-yeonjun-x-beomgyu-fanfiction/

Ethics

If the fan theory is accurate, it is unclear if Kyrie gave permission for their fanfiction to be used in this way or if they received compensation for their work. This type of containment breech certainly raises ethical concerns. Most published authors, for instance, will not read fanfics as it could influence their work. In this case, this typical standard may not have been respected by HYBE and the song's creators as Kyrie's ideas may have been taken with no compensation.

According to the website, Seoul Crush, this revelation represents a significant development in fandom.

The revelation has created significant waves in the K-pop community, demonstrating the growing influence of fan-created content in mainstream K-pop production. HYBE’s acknowledgment of the fanfiction’s existence in their internal documents marks a significant moment in the evolving relationship between entertainment companies and fan communities. This situation highlights how fan creativity can potentially influence official content, blurring the traditional lines between fan-created works and professional productions. It also showcases the sophisticated level of engagement between K-pop companies and their fan communities.

Seoul Crush, 26 October 2024  https://seoulcrush.com/news/txt-lovesong-fanfiction-connection-revealed-in-hybe-documents/