Giselle, left, of K-pop girl group aespa and Japanese producer Shintaro Yasuda / Xportsnews, captured from Giselle's social media

Giselle of K-pop girl group aespa posted a photo with producer and songwriter Shintaro Yasuda on Saturday, reviving dating rumors from May.

She shared the photo on social media showing the pair wearing helmets and masks obscuring their faces. Giselle captioned the photo "Hbd" — an acronym for happy birthday — with a black heart emoji.

Yasuda has produced for K-pop acts including STAYC, Yuju and Le Sserafim. He co-wrote and produced Giselle's solo songs "Dopamine" and "Tornado."

Ningning, left, and Giselle of K-pop girlband aespa / Xportsnews

Dating speculation

Similar social media posts fueled speculation in May that the two were dating. Online users pointed to photos of slushies that appeared to be from the same store, as well as cherry blossom pictures uploaded around similar times last spring.

Although the posts provided no confirmation of a romantic relationship, the claims drew mixed reactions online. While some dismissed the speculation as groundless, fellow aespa member Ningning previously drew attention by leaving a laughing-and-crying emoji on a community post discussing the rumors. Online users interpreted the emoji in different ways, noting it is frequently used in absurd situations.

Ningning of aespa leaves an emoji on a post discussing Giselle's dating rumors. Captured from Instagram

This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.