WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Episode 174 of True Beauty, now available on WEBTOON.
Since Seojun and Jugyeong’s heartbreaking breakup -- the end of a fan-favorite ship -- Seojun has been able to focus mostly on his career as a K-pop artist. In Episode 174, readers get to see the details of his daily life without a filter, from his perspective. From his interactions with fans to how he is treating his body, his every clear action is a hint to explain how he's been holding up. Unfortunately, his seems to be a toxic lifestyle.
His ambitions to pursue an idol career originate from a desire to honor the life of a friend who passed away, elevate his family's rough financial situation and an honest passion for music. For these reasons, and to avoid thinking of Jugyeong, he works impossibly hard to keep all of his fans happy; an impossible feat. The toxicity of his situation stems from how he devotedly and painstakingly livestreams for his fans, rehearses songs and practices dance routines for hours on end, ultimately minimizing his rest and recovery time. Even others in the series notice his unhealthy lifestyle.
Another idol trainee points out that he doesn't have a personal social media account, which could be a place where he could be himself, but he waves off her concerns, saying it would be a disservice to his fans. Also at the company, Seojun's choreographer notes he's getting so good at dancing that he could become a choreographer himself one day. While this is a credit to his hard work, there is notably no mention of prioritizing rest. A fan writes in a letter that he has lost weight, and he is moved by their concern -- only to use it as motivation to work harder. People he knew from his school days praise his success and want autographs, but don't bother inquiring about his well-being any more than a fan would.
His only moment of genuine happiness throughout the day seems to be when he video calls his sister, who sounds worried about him. However, she is also excited about her school -- which she is only able to attend because of the money Seojun provides. She also makes a point to bring up how he'll be going on a world tour soon. In this way, even his family is dependent and focused on his success. Whether they mean to or not, they contribute to the pressure he feels. As he says to his sister, "Seeing you happy makes it all worthwhile," once again disregarding his own well-being.
Seojun's toxic lifestyle is a loop. He depends on his fans and family for motivation, but they are also the sources of his overwork. His lack of time to rest and eat is alarming. Since separating from Jugyeong, Seojun seems to have no one left to vent to. Suho, who has now started dating Jugyeong, was once the only other person Seojun truly confided in, however, now that Suho and Jugyeong are together, Seojun's relationship with them might be more strained than ever.
This also implies there's no one keeping a close eye on him -- except for the people who would directly benefit from his continued, backbreaking success. The Webtoon has already proven it won't shy away from the adverse effects fame can have on a person, as Seojun's friend who passed away died directly because of his K-pop career. Thus, as difficult as it is to imagine, the trio of Suho, Jugyeon and Seojun reuniting might be the only thing that could save him from a horrible fate. Hopefully, Seojun will soon realize that the only way he'd truly fail his fans and family is if his health fails for lack of self care.
