The idol life can be rewarding, but no one will deny that it is very challenging. Aside from having daily practices, idols are also expected to balance their other responsibilities. For some that would be their sponsorships, family time and school.
Most idols have successfully managed to walk the fine line. However, former ONER member BuFan (卜凡) aka KATTO seems to be one of the unlucky ones. It was recently announced that he dropped out of the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology (BIFT).
The announcement has left many netizens bewildered. A screenshot of the notice was taken from the university’s site and posted to Weibo on 9th October. However, the notice itself is dated sometime in April 2021. The notice announced the names of three students who would be dropping out and one them was BuFan.
The notice also listed several reasons why they were allowed to drop students. One of them was if the student’s academic performance did not meet their standards. Another was if the student did not manage to complete their studies within the given timeframe, specifically six years from the date of their enrollment. Although they did not list a specific reason for BuFan’s drop out, netizens assume it is one of the two.
The former ONER member supposedly enrolled in BIFTA in 2014. He debuted with ONER in 2018 after joining the show “Idol Producer (偶像练习生)”. However, a year later, he left the group after he supposedly tried to start his own studio. One of the reasons he gave for leaving the group was that the company wouldn’t allow him to complete his studies.
As such, his drop out came as a shock. “Didn’t he go back to studying after fighting with (ONER’s) company?” one netizen wondered. Others had assumed the former idol had already graduated. “It’s so confusing,” a comment read. Some of his fans argued that ONER’s company had prevented BuFan from returning to school to sit for his exams.
The former ONER member has not responded to the matter. However, given the date of his drop out notice, he’s probably gotten used to it already. He could possibly try to graduate again, but as he’s already 25-years-old, he may be considering focusing on his career instead.
