NINGNING, a member of the popular K-pop girl group aespa, recently shared her feelings of sadness about not having enough time and energy to enjoy drinks with her fellow group members anymore.

This candid revelation came during her guest appearance on the May 29 episode of "Level Up," a YouTube show hosted by Hyoyeon from Girls' Generation.

At the start of the video, Hyoyeon asked NINGNING about her recent activities, inquiring if she had been socializing much.

NINGNING responded with a bittersweet smile, "Well, the members of aespa and I used to frequently go out for meals and drinks, but I don't have the time and energy for it anymore. So, I don't really drink these days."

Hyoyeon expressed surprise at this revelation and probed further, "Really? You know, as trainees, we always dream of our lives after debut. I'm sure you did too. Is your current life anything like you imagined it would be?"

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Reflecting on her journey, NINGNING replied, "I always try to imagine myself perfectly, so I keep striving to become that in real life. Maybe I'm at 70% of how I pictured myself before debut? I don't know. But even now, I think I'm continually growing. I definitely want to grow even more in the future though. I have a lot of ambition and many things I want to do. I really enjoy continuously improving myself."

Discussing her stress management, NINGNING added, "I used to get really stressed out, but over time I've gotten used to it. Since it's the path I chose, I realized there's no point in getting stressed about it. There are more and more people who like me, and I feel like I need to do better for them. If I get too tired and stressed out now, and show it, it feels too irresponsible."

Hyoyeon, impressed by NINGNING's maturity, responded, "You sound very mature anofed prssional!"

Recently, aespa's NingNing faced criticism after a Chinese fan revealed their reason for leaving the fandom. The fan, who had participated in 12 fan calls with NingNing, expressed disappointment that she failed to recognize them despite the repeated interactions.

This incident sparked debate in online communities, with some defending NingNing, citing possible eyesight issues and the challenge of remembering numerous fans.

Others sympathized with the fan, highlighting the financial and emotional investment fans make. The controversy divided opinions, with some emphasizing the importance of idols acknowledging dedicated fans.

You can watch the full video here.

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Written by Cassidy Jones.