I was seeing this and It's crazy to me, both the article and qrts.
He gets hate for talking about his friendships on live, he gets hate for calling his close friends by nicknames, he gets hate for hanging out with his friends.
I don't know that much about Chan's friendships, because I don't know him personally. But I see how he treats Stray Kids members frequently on camera, so I can see a bit more of his dynamics with them than with other friends. And, at the same time he's playful and funny, he treats the boys with so much affection, so much kindness, he's so positive and likes to see and comment the best about them, to make them feel comfortable and appreciated, always helping in what they need. And If he's like that off camera and with his other friends, I can understand why so many people like him.
It's kind of sad, because he's active on twitter, often talk about what is going on there. And I'm pretty sure he sees these things. But at least it doesn't stop him to keep being open and honest about what he wants to be