“It Wasn’t About the Pokémon Cards: It Was About Chaewon Opening the Pack”

 “It Wasn’t About the Pokémon Cards: It Was About Chaewon Opening the Pack”

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

There has been a video circulating of LE SSERAFIM’s Chaewon opening a Pokémon card pack for a fan.

Interestingly, the clip has generated quite a bit of discussion because Chaewon herself appears to be, well, completely uninterested in the pack opening.

Some people have argued that the fan was forcing something on Chaewon and that perhaps the fan should have chosen something that would interest the idol more.

But honestly, that isn't what I saw.

What I saw was a fan who wanted Chaewon to open a pack of Pokémon cards for them.

Maybe that doesn't sound particularly significant to everyone else. But I can understand exactly why it might be meaningful to that fan.

Because sometimes, it isn't about the hobby.

It's about bringing two things you love into the same moment.

Here is an idol that I love, and here is this game or hobby that I love. Somehow, for a few minutes, those two worlds came together.

And that's enough.

Chaewon doesn't need to be a Pokémon enthusiast. She doesn't need to know the cards, understand the game, or even be particularly excited about opening the pack.

She was doing something that mattered to a fan.

And I completely understand that.

I do the same thing with my wife and my daughter.

There have been plenty of times when I ask Hanie or Aven to choose a Magic: The Gathering pack for me. Sometimes I even ask them to open it.

They don't necessarily care about the cards.

Most of the time, they really don't.

But they do it anyway.

Not because they suddenly became Magic players, but because they know that I care about it.

And sometimes that's what love looks like when you don't share someone's hobby.

You don't have to understand why they're excited.

You just participate for a little while because you know that it makes them happy.

I have no idea what that fan eventually pulled from that Pokémon pack. Maybe it was a great card. Maybe it wasn't.

But I do know one thing.

Those cards probably mean a little more to that person now.

Because Chaewon opened them.

And she didn't just open them privately. She opened them in front of cameras, and that moment now exists for that fan to remember.

For someone else, it was just an idol looking somewhat bored while opening a pack of Pokémon cards.

For that fan, it was probably something much more personal.

And I think that's the part people are missing.

It wasn't about the Pokémon.

It was about Chaewon opening the pack.