#and there are so many things to be excited about like taemin and minho's dramas and of course bts comeback!!!

[tm-trx]

currents.25/2023

selections from my week in media [18-24 june 2023]

Click through for kpop ramblings, underwhelming dramas, entertaining dramas, and way too many parenthetical thoughts.

[anticipating]

SHINee - It’s finally comeback week! Maybe we’ll get a performance in the suits? And I’m excited that Minho & Taemin will be on Amazing Saturday.

[listening]

Bouncy / ATEEZ - It’s an earworm at this point, but I’m not mad about it.

Pentagon - Based on this post, I made up a bunch of playlists and have been working my way through them [standouts so far: Like This, Daisy, Shine, Do or Not, and Critical Beauty]. I like them, although I will say they sound “stereotypically kpop” to my ears right now. I don’t consider this to be a bad thing, it’s just that it’s what I would have expected kpop to sound like before I actually started listening to it. For reference: the first kpop I heard was SHINee thanks to Boys Over Flowers, but BTS is who got me started listening to it. Then I figured out who SHINee were and have mostly stayed there. I tend to like groups with clear-cut ‘leader’ voices* so SHINee is exactly what I love.

But it is still early days, and I have not watched any of Pentagon’s promo content so I have very little idea who the members are or what their voices sound like (that said, there is one guy that is starting to stand out - Kino I think?). In that vein, if you are their fan please feel free to send me links (or tag me). I’ll be looking for guides to watch too, but I’m sure some are better than others.

*What I’m calling groups with one or two people whose voices are distinct enough to stand out without knowing the members (whether that person is the official ‘leader’ or not). SHINee is of course my prime example, with both Jonghyun’s and Onew’s voices clearly standing out. This isn’t a quality or value judgement, my ears are just very good at voice recognition so that’s the thing I focus in on most of the time.

TL;DR: Pentagon is great and I want to keep listening/learning until I know them better. (I wasn’t kidding about the playlists. I think I’m up to six. LOL)

[reading]

An Elegant Solution by giraffeter - MDZS fix-it - reread

[watching]

The First Responders - If I had known it ended on a cliffhanger I would have waited until season two was out (MDL says it’s coming August 2023). It was mostly okay. There was a corruption subplot that wasn’t integrated well at all and felt shoe-horned in. On the flip side, I really liked Dojin, the firefighter of the lead triad. Said triad is a great candidate for ot3-ness (which I loved), even though the show went with the tired old love triangle trope. The cases of the week were all interesting and heart-breaking by turns.

King the Land - This show is still firmly in romcom territory and honestly I’m loving it. I haven’t watched a chaebol kdrama in awhile, so the tropes aren’t old or annoying, but instead cheesy and funny.

Love Tractor - It’s still just okay. It’s a critique cliche, but the two leads feel like they are in different dramas. One is in a light and cute country mouse/city mouse romcom, the other is in a moody finding yourself YA romance. (It will surprise no one who has read anything in my #tmtrx watches drama tag which one I prefer.) The appearance of the boyfriend this week was the highlight of the episode. That final conversation was so so good. I hurt for both of them. It’s a painful truth that high school-to-college relationships rarely work out.

Shigatsu no Tokyo wa (Tokyo in April is) - I think I should have waited on this one. We’re two episodes into an eight episode show of 30-minute episodes and I’m getting the slow drip feeling. The problem is that I love it so I’ll probably keep torturing myself by watching week to week.

SHINee World IV concert - Wow. SHINee is back! It was an incredible concert. They really are live vocal kings.

Step By Step - Fits neatly into my ‘delicious angst’ file. What a great episode.

W Two Worlds - Rewatched the whole series this week. I love it so much. I wish they’d made a tie-in manhwa (or at least printed a collection of the manhwa art), because I love the art style they used for it in the show. I also wish the boxed set wasn’t so ding-dang expensive because apparently it includes a director’s cut?!

previous Currents posts

[kayonennka]

💖!

[dubububbles]

SHINee’s reaction to their s/o asking them about other idols

Requested by anon

- I hope I understood the request correctly. If this isn’t what you had in mind let me know!

Taemin: 

Your boyfriend was friends with many male idols around the same age as him, so you would often ask him about them from time to time. However, it was general questions of their friendship or things related to music. One day, however, you asked if he could get you an autograph. 

“Do you think you could get Jong-in’s signature for me? Actually, I’m a big fan of exo lately and the two of you are close friends…”

Your shy request made him smile fondly. “I can do you better y/n. Since Jong-in has been curious of the girl I am seeing, I can introduce you properly and you can ask for a signature in person.” he told you and you felt shy but excited at the idea. “It doesn’t come for free, though.” He added, which didn’t exactly surprise you, since he was usually mischievous like that. 

Minho:

Minho was supportive of the people close to him and often attended concerts or events of fellow idol and other celebrity friends. It was something you were well aware of, therefore, he wasn’t surprised when you suddenly asked him about them.

“I’ve been listening to BTS a lot recently. Since you are close with Taehyung, you probably met the other members too, no? I wonder what they are like in real life…”

He didn’t mind your curiosity when it was people he was close to but was more reluctant when it came to people he had little to know knowledge of. But even then, he still discussed it with you. It was sweet in your eyes. At one point he even offered to bring you along to an event or concert in the near future. 

Key: 

Your boyfriend was a social butterfly, so you didn’t think it would a problem to ask him about other idols he was acquainted with. However, his reaction wasn’t what you expected. 

“Hmm didn’t you appear in the same musical as Park hyung-shik once? Are you still close? I watched a drama with him recently and realized he’s just as good an actor as he is a singer…”

Shortly after mentioning the fellow idol, your boyfriend would already be jealous. It was evident in his sour expression. He told you he didn’t want you to idolize someone other than him, since he wanted to be the sole person in your heart. The fact that he even doubted that he already filled that spot and that no one else could steal even a fraction of it bewildered you. 

Jonghyun: 

“Jonghyun, there’s something I want to show you…”

You called for your boyfriend to join you on the couch and then showed him a video on your phone. It was a comeback stage of Stray kids, which was a group you were currently getting into. After watching it he raised an eyebrow and gave you a questionable look. 

“Are you cheating on me right now y/n?” 

The playful remark made you roll your eyes and give him a nudge. You then proceeded to ask him if he was familiar with the group or if had interacted with them, since you were curious. He answered your questions but also wrapped you in a protective hug at the same time. 

Onew: 

“You are close with super junior, aren’t you? There is something I was always curious of...”

Onew would be surprised when you suddenly asked him about other idols, since it wasn’t a regular topic between you. However, he would listen and then respond to your questions with a warm smile. 

Since he interacted with numerous people in the same industry on a regular basis, he had an insight that you didn’t. It made you happy that he was willing to share it with you. It didn’t bother him that you looked up to other singers besides him or bringing them up in conversation, since he knew he already had a very special place in your heart.

[inspired-by-the-music]

Missing the shinee universe guys. What kind of place do you think each couple would move into first? Who would wait until they were married or engaged first? Who would live in a condo, apartment, fixer upper home? -SLA

Ahhh, shinee universe! I had every intention of revisiting the shinee universe before I dedicated my whole life to the ever-expanding For You universe, so thank you for this question! feel free to send more!

Once Aimee and I sat down to talk about this, we pumped out our answers pretty quickly. A big chunk of the delay in answering was due to the fact that I re-read the shinee universe to get the answers canonically correct, so you should probably prepare for a novel, SLA! As always, pls feel free to tell me what you think! -Ash

It’s so weird to write these answers out of order, but I decided that it would be best to do this in the order in which the members get married!

Minho

It’s already established that Minho is total husband material, so it’s probably not shocking that he’s the first in this bunch to get married

Minho and his significant other don’t move in together until wedding plans are underway

They move into a house that isn’t technically in the city, but everything is still accessible on the frequent occasion that Minho wants to take his lady out on a date 

Minho encourages his fiancee to make all of the fun decisions about decorations for the wedding and for the house while he deals with what he considers “boring adult stuff”

Although he tries his best not to show it, Minho gets so stressed from all the planning that he decides within himself that he’s NEVER moving again

So he picks a house that has every feature anyone could ever need. He even thinks ahead to make room for any future children. 

All in all, Minho wants to settle into comfortable domestic happiness with the person he loves. Obviously, he’ll still be fun and competitive and exciting, but he doesn’t try to prove that by moving into a new, bigger, fancier house every other year or by making constant home improvements

Plus, he’s a little too busy helping Jinki to start his own projects

Jonghyun

Canonically, Jonghyun and his girlfriend live together in an apartment before they’re married

Although he is the second to get married, he wasn’t in any particular rush to propose until a few years into the relationship when his gf marries off the main characters in her newest best-selling novel

She had never written about a wedding before! Knowing that writing is where she explores her dreams, Jonghyun immediately goes into town to buy a ring after finishing the book. 

(He left in such a hurry, in fact, that he left the book on the park bench. His heart dropped until he found it still sitting where he left it, guarded by a kind old lady who was feeding the birds)

He’s a pretty creative guy himself, so he doesn’t exactly copy the proposal from the novel or from any movies or dramas. 

Very little changes in their daily lives after marriage since they were practically living as a married couple soon after their first hello. 

The wedding rings aren’t the first matching rings Jonghyun and his girl wear to express their love, but there is something special about them that even Jonghyun can’t express in any song-- something that his wife can’t describe in any book

Onew

Jinki is shook because his girlfriend brings up marriage first

His response id delayed not because he’s afraid of commitment but because, “Wow, I didn’t think I’d ever get this far in dating!”

Then, he laughs as he reminds her about their catastrophic iconic first date, and she laughs too, and somehow it’s decided that this is an adequate proposal. 

Jinki still buys her an engagement ring because “She deserves it!” It’s probably blue and beautiful. 

On one of his days off, Jinki gets lost in one of those home renovation marathons on tv, and decides, “I can do that!”

He realizes very quickly that he cannot do that, but he’s already bought a new house that’s in desperate need of renovations so he can’t turn back

Minho and Taemin are the only people who respond to his SOS texts. Place your bets on who steps up to build that house from the ground up!

Onew and Taemin aren’t entirely useless. Onew helps with some heavy lifting, and Taemin. . . well, he makes good playlists, and his awestruck stares fuel Minho’s superhuman strength

Onew has a distorted sense of his contribution to the construction of his house. He brags to everyone, “I built my home with my own to hands!” 

And he also constantly tackles home improvement goals that would never be accomplished without Minho’s help. 

Taemin

While Taemin is one of those “live in the moment” people, he’s also one who believes in destiny. It was never a matter of if he would get married to his girlfriend; it was a matter of when. 

Never truly afraid or embarrassed, Taemin told her outright very early in their relationship, “I’ll marry you one day-- when we’re al grown up!” He meant it, and she knew it. Neither of them is rushing to grow up, though. 

In the meantime, they enjoy each other’s company. They don’t technically live together, but she stays at Taemin’s apartment most of the time because his balcony provides the best sight of the moon and stars she has ever seen

Their favorite pastime is pestering his group members. 

Because Minho is her brother, he is the first target. Uninvited, they invaded his kitchen one morning, knowing well that neither of them knew how to cook to save their lives. Minho would have scolded them then and there when he barrelled down the stairs in his pajamas, expecting to find a burglar, had his wife not smiled so fondly at their effort to play house

Next came Jonghyun, but he wasn’t a satisfying target for any pranky because he always welcomes Taemin and his girlfriend with open arms. He even invites them to spend the night on the pull out sofa in the living room. His hospitality sends them onto the next victim. 

If anything, though, they are Jinki’s victim. When he isn’t insisting on giving them a tour of the house he built with his own two hands-- the house Taemin watched Minho build-- or forcing them to watch home renovation marathons, Jinki asks them with a broad smile, “So, when are you two gonna get married and make me a grandpa?”

Key is the only satisfying target. Taemin and his girl were able to spend an entire weekend in Key’s attic undetected!

“What’s making that noise up there?” Key’s girlfriend asked on the literal day that she moved in.

Key joked, “It’s the demon!”

Determined to prove Key wrong (or right by terrorizing everyone), Taemin stomped on the floor and screamed, “I’m not a demon!”

Suffice it to say that Taemin is lucky to see his wedding day after the beating scolding he received from Key

Key

Key doesn’t really plan to get married. He’s not opposed or anything, but he would only do it after a series of serious conversations with his significant other

He’s not one to judge, but he feels like most people rush in their relationships, and he’s not really about that life. Lowkey thinks Jonghyun is a maniac for moving in with his gf just a month into dating but anyway

His house isn’t a mansion or anything, but it’s obviously too big for just one or two people. He likes to live lavishly. His bathroom is practically a personal spa. 

The first time she visits, his girlfriend thinks he’s kinda weird for living in such a big place without a roommate, but she hides that behind compliments about the interior design or something. 

Key is the least likely to fantasize about living with his significant other. Like, no offense, but his house is his sanctuary. He likes having his own space. Also, he’s kinda particular about his living habits(and he doesn’t really want to share any of his closet space). 

Key only invites his girlfriend to live with him after they’ve been together long enough for him to decide that they can live together in harmony

This is somewhat unrelated, but I imagine that Key hired a housekeeper for a while, but he’s that kind of person who always went through the rooms to reorganize/clean things to his own (admittedly high) standard. So one day he wakes up like “What am I paying this person for?”

Key likes to complain and get under his gf’s skin, so she’s probably not counting the days until she gets to move in either tbh

They definitely 100% bicker the most out of all the couples, but that’s just how they communicate. They make up for their many petty arguments through the week with frequent ‘self-care’ nights wherein they watch dramas while wearing mud masks and sipping wine. 

[jinkisbelly]

Hearth

Pairing: ot5

Rating: pg, minus a blowjob offer

W/c: 3.7k

Warnings: uh food and wine? Kibum gets a bit tipsy but thats it

Summary:  With their busy lives and schoolwork, it's hard to find time altogether, but a game night is exactly what they all needed.

A/n: This was for prompt 31, for summer of shinee pt 2, which was: shinee but they're playing monopoly instead of working on projectsI hope you enjoy this small thing ^_^

AFF    Ao3

          He grimaced as he stared at his reflection in the newly wiped clean mirror. The steam from the shower was still billowing around him, hair dripping water droplets as he pushed it from his forehead, and a towel resting over his shoulders. Staring back was dark circles from too much stress and too little sleep. With a deep sigh, Jinki tugged open the cabinet and effectively cut off the picture of himself as he reached in for his moisturizer. Kibum would never forgive him if he forgot his skincare. ‘You may look dead on your feet, but at least you won’t have wrinkles.’ . Jinki found himself quietly laughing as he patted in the cool liquid into his cheeks at the memory of Kibum’s long fingers pressing some unknown facial cleanser onto his face, having his bottom lip tugged between in concentration as if it was the hardest thing he had focused on. The other man should be home soon with dinner. Taemin had been in charge of ordering it and Jinki was both excited and hesitant to see what the youngest man had chosen.

          There was a reason more often than not on Taemin’s turn at dinner they always ate out, mainly because it gave him certain parameters to pick from. Given free reign, milk was always found where it shouldn’t, like ramen. Jinki shivered a little at the reminder of THAT incident. Jonghyun reacted so badly to the spice and milk combination that he spent the next day making friends with the bathroom. There was always a limit on the things he’d do for the men he loves. Lying through his teeth about how great Taemin’s cooking was, well that was one of them. The youngest’s history with weird food combinations and risky take out orders was the main reason Kibum always was responsible for the night after his. The chef of their little group always made sure to make it all up to them with something tasty.

          Stepping into the room that he and Jonghyun shared, he was surprised to find Minho spread eagle on the bed. Last he knew the man was still at the university working with his group on the social differences between genders in competitive sports. His phone was held close to his face as he scrolled through something, the light of the screen reflecting off of his glasses. The bathroom door hinge squeaked as it was pushed open and Minho’s head snapped up, a huge smile blooming on his face. He scrambled up from his stomach, sitting back on his knees and accepting the soft kiss Jinki presses to his lips with a sigh. “Not that I’m not glad to see you, Love, but why are you here?”

          “Two of the three people didn’t show up. So the two of us that did show up figured we could do our parts at home.” Minho flopped back onto the bed, spreading his legs out in front of him, “Jonghyun and Kibum left for the food, and Taemin is currently trying to teach his hamster how to jump through a hoop, so I came in here to wait for you .”

          Jinki tugged on his sweatpants, tripping a little on his slippers he forgot were there, and tried to imagine how well that was going. “How is Cheese doing on that?”

          “Oh terribly. When I dropped my bag in the room all Cheese was doing was stealing the snack Taemin was holding and running away.” He could have sworn he had a shirt laid out before he headed into the bathroom, now where was the stupid thing? He looked up when Minho cleared his throat, “Are you looking for this?”

          Sure enough, held out was the shirt he was looking for. It was one of Jonghyun’s from high school, it was softened with time and too many washes, the lettering half faded on the chest.  He grabbed it with a sheepish grin before pulling it over his head. “Thanks, Love.”

          As soon as Jinki was on the bed next to him, Minho had his head against his shoulder, finding his hand to play with his fingers, “How was your day?”

          “I taught undergrads today. It was to be as expected.” With their busy schedules, it wasn’t often than Jinki got to see Minho for more than an hour a day it seemed, and most of that was getting ready to be somewhere else or the younger man making sure he remembered to eat something. He was always horrid at remembering to eat, which is why most of the time either Minho or Kibum made sure he had snacks in the front pocket of his backpack. The distant sound of chaos entering their home caused both men to glance toward the closed door. “I think the food’s here.”

          “From the sound of things, I don’t think Kibum approves of what Taemin ordered.” Minho hummed happily when Jinki pressed a kiss to his hair before both men headed toward the door. The sound of voices increased as the door was pulled open, and Jinki shook his head fondly as he followed Minho toward the rest of their little family.

----

          The dining room table was a second-hand piece of furniture Jinki and Kibum had gotten from a yard sale when they decided to move into a bigger place. It once had been a dark cherry wood, but the color had faded and bits were chipped and scratched from all the mayhem that descended upon it over the last two years. Not that anyone could see the table’s surface with the collection of binders, folders, papers, and calculators spread across the surface from where Jonghyun and Minho always set up shop to do their projects. The last time they had used it to eat off was two months ago when Taemin’s family came to visit and Kibum had made them all dinner. That being said, when Jinki and Minho entered the living room from the hall the food was already being spread out on the coffee table in the living room. From the looks of things, he ordered chicken wings. Which didn’t explain Kibum’s loud reaction to the food at all.

          When he spotted the sauce options chosen, that did, however. Blueberry barbeque sauce and garlic pepper, both mixed in together like some sort of strange concoction. Kibum looked one touch away from losing his chef mind, concern so vivid on his pretty features. Jonghyun looked like he was a mixture of amused, worried, and distraught in his own way. As Jinki slipped past the duo, he squeezed Jonghyun’s hip and kissed Kibum’s cheek. “It can’t be that bad, Bommie.”

          Jonghyun, grim as can be, shook his head, “Oh it can be, Baby, oh it can be.”

          Kibum pressed his lips together before turning completely on his heel, disappearing behind them for a moment. There was clanking, and something popping open. When he emerged again there was a bottle of wine in his hand. By his tongue lapping at his lips, he had already taken a swig. “Really?”

          “Let me forget his sins, Old Man.”

          Jinki eyed the bottle even as Jonghyun and Minho got busy pulling out the food from the bags and Taemin could be heard coming down the hall. Before Kibum could react, he gripped the bottle and pulled it, taking a long swig. Oh, gross, it’s red. He handed the bottle back with a grimace. “My day was bad, but not bad enough to willingly drink red wine.”

          Kibum stepped closer, wrapping his free hand around to rest on Jinki’s hip and kiss his temple. “There’s whiskey in the kitchen if you want a drink, but let’s eat and you can tell us about it.”

------

          The food had been eaten, and while strange, the sauce combination hadn’t been as bad as Kibum and Jonghyun made it out to be. Then again, Jinki loved chicken so much it was very hard to make him upset while consuming it.  Minho had taken their plates into the kitchen to clean because of it being his night for dishes.  Kibum was sprawled out on the couch, sipping the same bottle of wine he had shared with Jonghyun throughout dinner. The younger man had his fingers moving through Jinki’s hair as he leaned back against the front of the couch, legs under the table. Taemin had taken the opportunity to fall against his left side, hugging his arm loosely as they glanced at the drama that happened to be on the television when they turned it on for background noise.

          Jinki laid his head back against the cushion, eyes closing feeling Kibum’s long fingers scratch against his scalp. He was sure there was something important he needed to finish for school, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was exactly with how good Kibum’s fingers felt. The man’s deep voice was quiet as he spoke, wine and drowsiness making him talk slower. “I’m sorry today was so bad, Baby.”

          “Not your fault undergrads are really stressful.”

          Taemin huffed, his breath fanning out over his shoulder as he shifted his head to look up at him. “Hey!”

          Kibum shifted closer until his head was against the edge of the cushion and the bottle of wine was gently placed on the floor beside Jinki. Before he could be disappointed that the fingers in his hair stopped, Kibum moved them again after adjusting his hand. “You’ll get to rag on undergrads soon, Taemin.”

          “Not soon enough.” The youngest grumbled, grabbing his cup to sip from the straw.

          “I should probably do my paper that’s due.” Kibum deeply sighed, his breath fluttering a bit of Jinki’s fringe hanging over his forehead.

          He turned his head until his right cheek was against the couch, smiling softly when Kibum’s fond grin came into view. “When is it due?”

          “Next Wednesday.”

          The topic of the conversation was momentarily forgotten as he gazed at his lover. While he knew Kibum was always pretty, it was moments like this that reminded Jinki just how beautiful he was. His eyelashes fluttering with his drowsiness, his hair falling in soft dark waves away from his face, and flush in his cheeks from his wine. The black hair was different than the blond Kibum had when they first started dating, but Jinki rather liked how his natural hair looked. Oh right, they were talking about something. “You have time to do it later.”

          Something sparked in Kibum’s dark eyes and his lips quirked up as he spoke, “You just don’t want me to stop playing with your hair.”

          “Guilty as charged.”

          A loud growl from their left had all of them looking in that direction. They found Jonghyun standing by the dining room table, leaning heavily on his hands and his hair falling from the tiny ponytail on top of his head into his eyes. Minho popped his head out from the kitchen, brows furrowed, “You alright?”

          “My research assistant forgot to get consent from the last group! I can’t use any of this data.” He lifted his hand, a stack of papers crumped in his harsh grip. “I have to do this all over and I don’t know if I have time and-”

          Minho swooped in close, tugging Jonghyun away from the tabletop and hugged him close. “Put the papers down. Worry about this tomorrow.”

          “But-”

          It was Taemin who chirped from his comfy spot, “We should play a board game instead.”

          Jinki could see Jonghyun was pushing up on his toes to see over Minho’s shoulder, but his voice carried over the distance. “What kind of board game?”

          Taemin sat up fully and grinned, “Monopoly of course.”

-----

          Jonghyun was sitting on Jinki and Minho more than the couch as Taemin came back into the room with the game. Kibum had moved onto the floor, his bottle of wine sitting on the table before him as he leaned his head on his palm and gazed at his three lovers on the couch. Jinki was whispering something against Jonghyun’s hair, causing the man to slowly smile and rouge to paint across his cheeks. Kibum was too tipsy to focus enough to make out what he was saying, but it still made him smile to see Jonghyun begin to giggle because of the oldest man. Minho was gently patting Jonghyun’s shins, leaning heavily on Jinki’s shoulder, but he grinned when Kibum caught his gaze.

          And then Taemin decided to shatter the soft, serene air by dead dropping the monopoly box onto the table. All eyes fell on the youngest, who grinned widely. “I can’t wait to kick y’all’s asses.”

          “Kibum and Jinki are tied with the most number of wins, Bub.” Minho quipped as he lifted Jonghyun’s legs to slip onto the ground, pulling the game box closer to him. Using the top, he pointed at Taemin as he continued. “You’re in last place.”

          “We’ll see.” Taemin’s tongue was poked out of the side of his mouth as he picked up the dark orange 500 dollar bills and began counting out the correct number of bills. All was good until he hit the 20’s, in which his hands lowered into his lap and he stared up at Jinki on the couch. “How many again?”

          “Six, Tae.” Came Jinki’s soft reply. His eyes were closed, a dazed smile on his face as Jonghyun played with his hair. Jonghyun chuckled, knowing that it was always the twenties Taemin forgot the quantity of. “Do I get a night off from being the banker?”

          As Taemin happily called out, yes, the other three men unanimously agreed. “No.”

          “I can do it.” Somehow Taemin always managed to make his voice carry the fact he was pouting deeply.

          “You say that and then after you have to do the math you push it towards Jinki. It’s alright.” Minho hummed, setting out the correct pieces. The Scottish dog for Jonghyun. The thimble for Jinki.The top hat for Kibum. The running shoe for himself, and finally, the car for Taemin. The other three were put back into the top of the box placed on the floor to his right.

          The money stacks were placed around the table and Kibum smacked his mouth after swallowing another sip of wine. “Alright old men, you have to come down now.”

          As soon as Jonghyun had managed to remove himself from the other’s lap, Jinki leaned forward and cracked his knuckles with a sleepy grin. “Who’s ready to lose?”

------

          It was Jinki, Minho and Taemin left. Kibum and Jonghyun had moved back onto the couch, the two men a tangle of limbs as Kibum snoozed with his cheek squished on Jonghyun’s shoulder. As soon as his little snores and nose whistles had been heard Jinki had looked behind him with a smile. Jonghyun looked like he was very close to following their lover’s footsteps, his eyes fluttering as he fought the pull of sleep. After finishing his turn, Minho pushed off the ground to pull the blanket from the recliner and toss it over the two of them.

          Jonghyun mumbled, “Thanks.”

          Taemin was still blowing on the dice, eyeing Jinki’s hotels on park place and boardwalk, when Minho returned to his spot. They all knew if he landed on either of those he was done for. Five or seven would be his doom. He had an 80 percent chance of getting around it safely, but as he finally let go of his dice, one quickly landed on a four while the other kept rolling until it fell off the board onto the table in front of Minho. Face up was a three. “Fuck!”

          “That’ll be two grand, please.”

          “Don’t sound so smug,” Jonghyun rumbled, hand falling from his tummy to pat Jinki in the back of the head.

          Taemin slowly went through flipping over his leftover properties and adding up their worths. Next were his few remaining houses and his one hotel. He had his little bit of cash gripped between both of his hands when he whipped his head up and asked, almost desperately. “If I blow you can I get a ‘get off boardwalk’ free card?”

          Minho choked on the bit of leftover wine in Kibum’s discarded bottle he was attempting to swallow as Jinki snorted. “While I’d love for you to suck my cock, I’m going to have to decline.”

          “Awh! Come on Babe, cut me some slack.”

          “We’ve been playing for two hours, Taemin.” Jinki ran his fingers through his hair to get it from his eyes, tired smile on his face. “I want to end this quickly so we can sleep.”

          Taemin sighed before pushing everything of his over to Jinki with a frown. “I guess I’ll admit defeat for that.”

          Jinki gathered his payment in a neat little pile before gathering the dice and rolling. Minho wasn’t as bad off as Taemin had been, and causing him to go bankrupt would require more than just a single boardwalk landing. Moving three had him visiting in jail. Finishing his turn, he pushed the dice over towards Minho before focusing on organizing his newly acquired items. Out of the corner of his eye, he was aware of the man moving his piece the correct amount of spaces on the dice, managing to bypass Jinki’s dark green properties and landing right before Park Place. Taemin hissed out, “Lucky bastard.”

          “I’m not safe yet, Bub.” Minho handed over the dice into Jinki’s palm with a grimace. “Remind me to never let Jinki get Boardwalk ever again.”

          “You make it seem like you had a choice.” Jinki grinned as he began to shake the dice in his fist. “I’ll make you a bet, Baby.”

          Minho’s eyebrow rose, intrigue shifting on his face. “Oh praytell.”

          “Name a number, any number 2 through 12. If I roll it, you win without exceptions.”

          “Just like that?”

          “Just like that.”

          “And if you don’t roll it?”

          “We keep playing.”

          With narrowed eyes, Minho agreed, holding out his hand to take Jinki’s to shake. “Agreed. The number is 12.”

          After a few more shakes, Jinki let his fist open and the dice clattered across the board before slowly rolling to a stop. Two sixes were clear as day facing up, and Minho whooped startling both men on the couch. Kibum whined, glaring harshly as his nostrils flared with his quick breathing. Jinki sighed with a fond smile as he leaned over to kiss Minho on the cheek after rising to his knees. “Congratulations, Baby.”

-----

          The water could be heard running through the open door of the bathroom. As well as the telltale sounds of Jonghyun brushing his teeth when the door hinge of the bedroom door squeaked. Coming through was Taemin, boxers low on his hips and hair a shaggy mess on his head. Jinki closed his book and pushed it on the bedside table with a smile. “Can I sleep with you two tonight?”

          “Of course. Climb on in, Love.” Taemin beamed and half face planted into the middle of the mattress. Jinki shook his head even as he reached over to fix the younger man’s hair. “That is not what I meant.”

          “It’s so fun to do it now.” He commented as he flopped onto his back and wiggled under the covers. “Thanks for not being in each other’s throats like the other two.”

          With a snort, Jinki asked, “Oh, is that why you graced us with your presence?”

          “Only half.” His cheeks were slightly pink with the admitted answers. “I also missed you two.”

          "Kibum was half asleep when Minho helped him to bed, how'd that turn into sex?"

          "Well they were bickering about Minho startling him awake at the end there and you know..." Taemin trailed off, but Jinki did know very well. Minho and Kibum arguing usually led to them having sex on the nearest surface, even the kitchen more times than Jinki wanted to admit he walked in on.

          In the dim light of the bedside lamp and the open bathroom door, Taemin’s chest scars were visible. They were light pink as he was on the far end of his healing journey, but it still brought a smile to Jinki’s face to see the man so comfortable without his shirt on. Settling down beside him, Jinki rested his fingertips barely on the scars.“They’re healing very nicely.”

          “Oh, yeah.” The warmth of his smile almost knocks the wind out of Jinki’s chest it’s so beautiful and free. It reminds him of just how far Taemin has come since they met almost four years before. Taemin snuggles closer, cheek squished with how close he moved into Jinki and trapping the older man’s hand between them. After removing it, Jinki wraps his arm around Taemin to keep him close. His voice is quiet and fluttery, as he relaxes in Jinki’s embrace. “You smell good.”

          “Thank you.” Taemin’s breathing was slowing and by a quick glance down, it was obvious he was beginning to fall asleep. Jinki kissed his forehead softly, lingering for a few moments before barely moving away to whisper, “Goodnight, Baby.”

          A few minutes later, Jonghyun shuffled out of the bathroom. He hooked up his phone to his charger and carefully sat on his side of the bed. He wiggled closer to Taemin, throwing an arm around his narrow waist and resting his chin on the younger man’s shoulder to gaze at Jinki. Pushing up slightly, he managed to catch Jinki’s lips softly. “Goodnight, Love.”

          “Sweet dreams, beautiful.”

          As they curled up, Jonghyun’s nose in the back of Taemin’s hair, Jinki’s chin resting on the top of Taemin’s head, and their legs a mess of limbs as they tried to find a comfortable spot, Jinki reached above him to turn the bedside lamp off by the switch on the headboard. He fell asleep with his arm over two of his lovers, smiling slightly as Jonghyun’s fingers tried to curl a little against his side. Sure, tomorrow they all had important things to finish, but right then none of that mattered. Jinki felt like he was finally home, wrapped up in the embrace of one of his lovers. A part of him wishes the other two were there too, but he would enjoy what he had, for it was more than enough.

[deer-tokki]

Seek magazine vol.14 All About Minho

t/n: It compares Minho’s answers for Q&A between Vol.14 and Vol.4. There are no comparison of answers for the last 9 questions because they are different questions from Vol.4)

We asked a lot of things at the fan meeting, but also we've heard many things about being naked! These are the se questions of vol. 4 as of September 2014. Has he changed? Minho himself was also curious. Let's compare and enjoy!

-What's your favorite movie? Minho: Action movies. I like movies like 'Aquaman'. (vol 4 [Minho: Iron Man & The Sweet Life])

-What sports do you like? Minho: Soccer, basketball, golf. (vol 4 [Minho: Soccer and basketball!])

-What is your favorite number? Minho: 10 (vol 4 [Minho: 10! When I was a child, I was given the number 10 for the first time when I played soccer. I was so happy with it, and my favorite number is 10.])

-What color do you like? Minho: Black and white. (vol 4 [Minho: Black and white. I like simplicity.])

-What is your favorite animal? Minho: Puppy. (vol 4 [Minho: Puppy.])

-What is your favorite book? Minho: I don't have one these days. (vol 4 [Minho: I like self-help books and read them occasionally.])

-What is your favorite season? Minho: Summer. It's so cold in winter that you can't play sports but in summer you can do a lot of things. (vol 4 [Minho: Summer! I feel better with the sun or the sea!])

-What is your favorite food? Minho: Kimchi jjigae.* I recently learned how to make it from my mom. Of course, I can make it as I learned well! (vol 4 [Minho: Ramen and Yugaejang*]) (*Kimchi jjigae: Kimchi stew) (*Yukgaejang: Spicy beef soup with vegetables)

-What is your favorite word? Minho: "Maybe". Is it the same answer as in the past? (vol 4 [Minho: "The Best" and "Good Job". I like to say "Good job!" to everyone at the end of work.])

-What is your favorite scent? Minho: I like the scent of the profound atmosphere. It's not floral re refreshing but I can't explain it well... (laughs). I liked perfume that feels heavy. (vol 4 [Minho: The smell of flower.])

-What is your charming point? Minho: My eyes. (vol 4 [Minho: My eyes are said to be big and round.])

-Please tell us your weakness? Minho: I'm weak to tickling. (vol 4 [Minho: I often lose my cool over smack tings (laughs).])

-What kind of clothes do you sleep on? Minho: A T-shirt and shorts all year round. By the way, I grab my pillow and sleep (laughs). (vol 4 [Minho: I sleep with the minimum necessary items (laughs).])

-What do you do first when you wake up in the morning? Minho: I check my phone. Then I brush my teeth. (vol 4 [Minho: I check the time, I want to check the messages so I always have my phone.])

-What is a treasure for you? Minho: My phone. (vol 4 [Minho: A bracelet I wear all the time.])

-When did you feel the most excited recently? Minho: When the filming was finished safely. (vol 4 [Minho: Recently, the weather was nice and I felt very good when I got on a bicycle. I like active things. For me, it's better to move my body than to rest.])

-What can you be proud of? Minho: I feel like I could remember it... I'm not confident in memory these days (laughs). Ag, I can get up in the morning on my own! (vol 4 [Minho: I have confidence in my memory.])

-What do you always put in your bag when you go out? Minho: Charger, lipbalm and wallet. (vol 4 [Minho: MP3 player, earphones and wallet.])

-What do you often buy at convenience stores? Minho: Drinks. Tea or something alcoholic. And banana. (vol 4 [Minho: Gum and drinks.])

-What do you do in your room? Minho: When I have free time, I watch movies and dramas on Netflix. (vol 4 [Minho: I surf the net on my pc or sleep.])

-What is your favorite item you bought recently? Minho: A scarf. It had a soft material with a comfortable touch. (vol 4 [Minho: Cap and soccer shoes. I wanted it the moment I saw because the design was beautiful.])

-What have you been into recently? Minho: The soccer game "Winning Eleven"! Play online with my friends. (vol 4 [Minho:Soccer and basketball! I've been playing "sometimes" until now, but recently, I've been playing "everyday". I'm on a soccer tv show in Korean, so I'm practicing to improve.])

-What did you eat last night? Minho: Samgyeopsal*. (vol 4 [Minho: I ate Sabu-shabu* with my friends~. It was delicious!]) (*Samgyeopsal: grilled pork belly) (*Shabu-shabu: Japanese hot pot dish made of slice meat and vegetables boiled in water.)

-What words told by a girl would make you happy? Minho: "You are the best!" (vol 4 [Minho: It it's a word she thought about, then I'm happy with any words.])

-What type of girl do you like? Minho: A pure and smart woman. (vol 4 [Minho: A kind and pure/innocent girl.])

-What Korean food do you want to recommend to Japanese fans? Minho: Jimdak. Chicken seasoned with soy sauce and potatoes, leek, porridge and noodles. A taste that sometimes reminds me that "I want to eat". (vol 4 [Minho: Gajang gejang*. I recommend it because it's really delicious.]) (*Gajang gejang: Raw crabs marinated in soy sauce.)

-What is the recommended SHINee song to listen to when somemone feels sad and wants to be well? Minho: Downtown Baby. (vol 4 [Minho: Lucky Star.])

-What kind of dish would you like your girlfriend to cook? Minho: Anything is fine. (vol 4 [Minho: If she wants to cook it, I would be happy with any dish. Any dish is fine.])

-If you invite a girl you like to a date, how would you ask her out? Minho: "Would you like to go watch a movie?" (vol 4 [Minho: I guess I would invite her like "Let's ho for a drive and watch a movie together".])

-Which hairstyle do you like (in a girl): short, bob, semi-long or long? Minho: Long! (vol 4 [Minho: Long hair!])

-Among the members, in what do you think you're the most OO? Minho: I'm the tallest.

-How do the members call you? Minho: Since I don't have a nickname, they call me by my name "Minho". Taemin calls me "Minho-hyung".

-What is your source of energy? Minho: Sleep.

-What is your favorite sweets? Minho: "Kanchyo". It's like "Pakkunchyo" in Japan.*

-What feminine gesture makes your heart skip a beat? Minho: The gesture of tying hair.

-What do you remember when the members say that Minho is OO? Minho: They would tell me "You can't get up in the morning". But I've been able to get up these days. It seems that it doesn't make much sense to me to sleep early. I get that the feeling of "getting up" is important (laughs). So when I decide to "get up on my own!", I'm able to do it.

-If you're gonna cook for your girlfriend, what food would you cook? Minho: Tomato pasta. I started cooking little by little these days.

-What word would define your personality? Minho:"Not bad".

(*The sweets Minho mentioned.)

translation: DiamondTaem

[keytv]

SHINEE FOR CECI MAG APRIL 2012

FULL INTERVIEW: 

『 Taemin, who has been regarded as the nation’s representative maknae, is welcoming his 20 years old this year. Now we can’t call them teenagers and instead, we should address them as ‘Youths’ SHINee. Although it is a fan’s life to keep watch of their idol’s development, but you can’t help it when talking about SHINee, the group that awakened the ‘crazy fan’ side of the whole nation’s Noonas. We met the group, SHINee, that has returned with SHERLOCK after 1 years and 6 months of break. They are no longer the beautiful young men that seems to shine under sunlight, they has transcended into men that creates ripples in your hearts. On set, they are energetic, aesthetic, like young men of their same age. 』 ONEW Songs that made SHINee grow ♡ Among JULIETTE, NOONA IS SO PRETTY_REPLAY and LOVE LIKE OXYGEN, SHINee has started to show their distinctive colours in JULIETTE. Our looks are also slowly changing, towards the 20s generation. (laughs) With this song as our turning point, we seem to have found the performance that matches our ages. As a SHINee that is constantly working hard with all our strength, we just hope that people wouldn’t look upon us with confused thoughts. 20s generation SHINee ♡ (because he was doing make-up then, he blabbered) My eyebrows are getting thicker and darker~! Because we have stood on many different stages in the past 1 year and 6 months, we have accumulated experience while performing our concert, so this promotion would be more interesting. There is an obvious difference than when we were still in our 10s. Paris and London ♡ I purely liked their music back then, and never thought they would like us too. You can say it’s like a feeling of reversal.. ‘Actually K-pop can also be so deeply loved at such a distant place! Actually we could also present our performances at such places!’ I seemed to have gained such responsibility. But in fact, i don’t have a good personality. (laughs) I am the kind who likes serenity. I am the kind who would get angry when someone beside me is very noisy when i’m trying to concentrate. At other times, I wouldn’t care that much, but i’m most sensitive when i’m singing. Dream Stage ♡ The Circus Maximus (an ancient Rome chariot racing arena). I wonder how it feels to sing at a place where fencing competitions are held? JONGHYUN SHERLOCK’s Stage ♡ I think a response like ‘daebak’ would appear first. Because other than the song, the dance also fills up the whole stage, and it would be really interesting. Japan Debut ♡ We released our regular album in Japan not long ago. It was very exciting re-recording songs we sang 4 years ago in Japanese. I hope everyone can listen to the songs, START and TO YOUR HEART that are only released in the Japanese Regular Album. The music itself is very upbeat and you would feel very refreshed. News of SHINee in 2011 ♡ We had a lot of overseas schedules. We went to Europe, Asia, America, and Russia. The most memorable for me was the performance held at England’s Abbey Studios. I’m v happy that we could sing at such a prestigious place for popular culture music, and the fact we used this platform to promote our debut in Japan was really extraordinary. Although it was such a pity that i fell sick then. The setbacks of growing older ♡ Whenever it comes to the dance for our new album, during our performance practices, i would always have this feeling, ‘Can i do this? For real?’ It was like this for me during LUCIFER and also during JULIETTE too. We slowly develop and grow by pushing forward with the things that may seem impossible. This time too, we carry such confidence when we started the practice for this song, as the song itself requires us to too. KEY A Shocking Transformation ♡ To create more anticipation for our future albums, we still have things that we didn’t bear to use this time round~! SHERLOCK really seems to have the ‘One daring try’ feel. About Popular Culture (T/N: ‘Popular’ here does not refer to the fame but the widespread likeness and acceptance by society of the subject mentioned.) ♡ I believe that songs created by Popular Artistes are Popular Music. So sayings like ‘Why is that singer not Popular?’ doesn’t make any sense. On the contrary, sayings like ‘It is quite popular’ would then make people think that those ‘quite popular’ songs/singers are very similar in nature. The current Gayo (Music) industry seems to be a big battlefield where everyone fights for higher sales whilst promoting the same product. Everyone scrambles to find the best composer, the best stylist to collaborate with, and the best salon to style at. Compared to aimlessly gaining popularity without your own personality, I want more to show our special talents and approach success one step at a time. Taemin being 20 yrs old ♡ He doesn’t give off that familiar feeling anymore. We used to hold on to our image of him from our first encounter, but people around us kept emphasizing that he was already 20 years old. We all met when Taemin was in Primary 6, and when i was still in Secondary 2. It isn’t such an easy feat watching each other grow up. SHINee being in the 20s ♡ If only we could get over this time like Peter Pan. I wish to live diligently in this moment, because we are supposed to be studying in our 10s but our order seems to have be switched. We started working in the society in our 10s, so now we would roughly have an idea of what to do and what not to do. What’s left next should be enjoyment! Comeback ♡ I wish to meet my friends in, like KARA or BEAST, but now when we go to television broadcast stations, it seems like only the hoobaes are left. What to do? I’m not quite comfortable with hoobaes greeting me (laughs). The current Me ♡ I’m doing well. Living happily, and working hard. I’m not talking about my different experience with others, but i’m really thankful for being able to accomplish what i want to do. I never regretted my own choice. MINHO SHERLOCK ♡ Our title song SHERLOCK is a hybrid remix created by amalgamating 2 different songs, this is a very modern approach. Of course the two original song will be included in the album. This album will be a very special album that includes this style of very unique and interesting approach. Extent of practices ♡ To the point where i will experience extreme fatigue after performing twice. Actually we are filming the MV tomorrow, which i’m very worried about. Because we have to dance continuously for a few hours. Even if it’s very tiring, we have to do it well. Salamander Guru and the Shadows ♡ Oh Da-su, Lee Bing-jun sunbaenims, as my life in the drama is as long as the life i’ve spent, i’m able to learn a lot by collaborating with them. They will guide me along. After filming with Oh Da-su sunbaenim, if i feel a little pity towards the scene, he would request for a second filming immediately from the Director. I’m really thankful towards them! 4 Years ♡ In my impression, I was still a little fearful of the reactions towards my speech and behaviour. But now i am becoming more familiar with the stage through performances and programs. Things have become more natural to me recently, and i feel that i show more of my original character now. TAEMIN 20 Years Old ♡ I had the thought that i need to start taking good care of myself from now onwards. Hoobaes are increasing in numbers too, so i need to be a role model. I feel very refreshing when i meet hoobaes in broadcasting stations. For the 10s Singers ♡ When i was young, i also had the thought that ‘Am i unable to prepare for debut on my own?’ Do not remain in that current status of yourself, you need to stand out and present yourself. I hope that everyone can earnestly reflect on that. Immortal Songs 2 ♡ It’s burdening, and very nervous. Because it already had so many great singers performing. But because it is a good chance for me to present a new side of me to the public, i happily joined it despite knowing it was going to be tough. If i were to choose my best performance, it would be my performance of Kim Gun Mo’s Wrongful Meeting. 20s SHINee ♡ Reaching 20 years old, and i feel that i have become closer to my hyungs. Even though it may only be 3 years of difference, but there is the generational gap between the 10s and the 20s. So since i’m in the 20s now, we are now able to exchange ideas more comfortably and freely. Fantasies of being in the 20s ♡ I want to do the things i couldn’t do when i was underaged. Although i have already planned to learn drinking with the hyungs, but we havn’t started yet. In Taemin’s Perspective ♡ Key-hyung always has plans ahead. He always has a fully packed schedule the next day. Onew-hyung always sleeps in the day. Minho-hyung always exercises and is very energetic. Jonghyun-hyung is obsessed with the gym recently/ Jonghyun-hyung is always at the gym lately. Me? For myself, i’m still very lost. (laughs) 

*[Source: Oddness/Weirdness]

[smoldinopup]

Thank u for all the fancams(^∇^)!! I loved reading your fanaccount. I am surprised that u said that jjong is the least pop in JP:/. Have u seen "Channel IAYB 140924" it feat a jjong fan caller that is the most excited^^. I did know that tae was very pop in JP, but I thought the others weren't far behind. From all the fancams I have seen everyone gets a lot of screams. His merch doesn't always sell out the fastest. But u r saying 60% is prob tae biased0_o. Really??

You are welcome. ^^

I know popularity is always a sensitive topic in every fandom, that’s why I’m a little reluctant to talk about it in the first place, because no matter who you might like a little more, at the end of the day OT5 is still the best. 

First of all, fan accounts should always be read with a grain of salt, because one single person can’t talk for everyone. Everyone pays attention to different things, experiences a concert differently, and might witness things differently compared to the person sitting right next to them. That being said I didn’t conduct a survey in the beginning of each concert and asked every single attendee who there favorite was, my thoughts are therefore solely based on the observations I’ve made in my tiny little cosmos. ^^

There has to be a reason why the solo fancams of Jonghyun during the complete tour were mostly made by K-Shawols attending concerts in Japan. Before I went to the concerts I was quite sure that Onew and Jonghyun are equally popular in Japan, but then I stumbled upon all these Onew noona fans and my eyes were opened to a whole new world. 

Onew being popular with the elderly ladies, it’s really a thing…and it’s beautiful to watch. This doesn’t mean he doesn’t have younger fans as well, though. On Friday there was a woman in her twenties sitting in front of me who squealed at everything he said and had Onew shaped inflatable rubber thingies in her hands throughout the concert. She was cute and very excited. ^^

When I say that Jonghyun seems to be less popular in Japan it doesn’t mean that there are only five Jonghyun fans sitting in the audience, he still has a lot of fans in Japan (there were over 30.000 people who attended the concert in Saitama for example), they are usually just less noticable than the fans of the other members it seems. So, don’t get me wrong here…He’s still loved and appreciated in Japan. Well, how can he be not. When I went to Korea for his solo concert in December, the majority of fans who bought the global package were also from Japan, so he’s loved. Don’t worry.

                               Attention…personal opinion ahead…                                                         read with caution dear users on tumblr…

I talked with @gone-with-the-bling about possible reasons why Jonghyun may not be as popular in Japan as he is in South Korea. However, those are just my thoughts and theories, and can’t be taken as the only truth existing on this planet. The beauty standard in both countries is a little different to start with. Just check out a Japanese drama and a Korean one and you will know what I’m talking about. A lot of Japanese fans (once again…not all, but a lot) seem to like the lanky, very slim, less muscular type, while in Korea there seems to be a general trend for the more defined a body is the better (once again…this doesn’t apply for everyone of course). Also many girls in Japan just like it cute. ‘Kawaii culture’ is not a thing that is entirely made up by the media, but actually exists. Cute and innocent looking, something that emits purity, pretty things, soft features…wait…does this sound like Taemin??? *le gasp* So Taemin does fit the whole trending beauty standard that a lot of people go for. This also applies to Key in a way…less innocent looking, but the lanky, slim frame and the soft features. Many girls love that… Minho is popular for the same reason he’s popular in every country; He’s tall and looks like a model. Do I have to say more? Onew also seems to have a very ‘pure’ image in Japan, all smiles and cute talking gibberish in Japanese. It’s adorable, I can’t blame anyone who falls for it, because just look at that face with this beautiful smile, trying to speak in Japanese with all his might? They constantly called Onew “kawaiiiiiiii during concerts”. Calling a 27 year old man kawaii…is well…cute…On the other hand, Jonghyun still has that ‘sexy/manly’ image going on in Japan. That’s probably also the reason why that fan next to me directly called him sexy, and a lot of fan signs said something along the lines of him being sexy. He also doesn’t quite fit the popular beauty standard here, so solely based on his looks he’s more something for people with a different taste than the majority? This does sound weird, I’m sorry for it, but it is what it is. Also, he’s rather reserved on stage in Japan. He doesn’t try to act cute on purpose like other members do. I mean, there was a reason why the members made it a running gag in the past few weeks of calling him out for trying to be all cool on stage, but turning into a little puppy backstage. The thing with Taemin; I know it does sound like the cheers are around the same volume in fancams, but I was really sitting like this O____O in the beginning of my first concert in Nagoya, because the whole hall lost it when Taemin appeared on stage. No joke…they went complete nuts. A friend of mine (not a Shawol, but occasionally likes listening to their music) attended one of the concerts with me and I asked him out of fun to judge the popularity of members based on the cheers in the beginning of the concert. After they entered the stage in Saitama he directly turned towards me and way like “It’s Taemin, isn’t it?” so yeah, the love of J-Shawols for Taemin is a real existing thing. For some reason I also believe he wouldn’t have a problem with filling out Tokyo Dome with his solo concert. But that’s only my personal opinion. About the merch thing. I’m honestly wondering if they even have equal quantity of merch for all the members in Japan. I always wanted to do a research on it, but at least for me it seems quite possible that the quantity for Taemin merch is just higher in general. To me it would make sense from a business point of view. 

Random side note: Do whatever you want to do with that information. When I visited Tokyo this weekend, I also went to Korea town in Shin-Okubo. There are a lot of Kpop stores there, which sell a lot of unlicensed merchandise (everything from postcards, towels, stickers, cups, pencils, picture frames…etc. basically everything you can put a Kpop idol on) and the majority of SHINee merch had also Taemin’s face on it. In Nagoya I stumbled upon a store, which sold Kpop goods and in the shopping window were huge posters of BTS, TVXQ, BIG BANG, EXO, and Taemin…yes, Taemin…not SHINee (a 2m² photo of Taemin in 2011). So, there is that. Of course, this doesn’t need to mean anything, but it’s just something I’ve noticed and made mental notes from. So, those are my two cents on the topic. But like I stated right in the beginning, this is just my personal opinion, and other people might have a different take on this matter, which is perfectly fine and also perfectly normal, because everyone is different. In the end it doesn’t matter who the most popular or the least popular member is, because they perform as a five member group called SHINee, and that’s what we love them for. ^_^