#jonghyun signature

[katrinawritesthings]

Jonghyun/Taemin ; number one fan ; PG

Taemin being famous and Jonghyun being not and they're dating and Jonghyun has a Blog where he pretends to be Taemins boyfriend

Taemin thinks it's the funniest thing in the world and his number one favorite thing about being a celebrity. He figures, right now in the closet, it's just funny and harmless, and if he ever decides to actually come out, it'll be absolutely fucking hilarious when he points everyone to the joke blog and tells them that everything on it is 100% factually accurate.

Taemin wakes up the same way he always does: curled up like a shrimp, legs and arms sprawled in front of him, in a puddle of his own drool, and with Jonghyun's arm heavy over his waist. He breathes in deep, inching his head backwards to a dry patch of the pillow. He doesn't try opening his eyes yet. He knows it'll just hurt.

Instead, he tries to remember what he was dreaming about. Something about an orgy? No, it was supposed to be an orgy/movie night/sleepover, but then him and everyone that was there got too invested in the movies and they wound up forgetting to have sex. And then in the morning they woke up at the lake for some reason. Lizzo was there.

Taemin cannot fathom what the fuck his dreams are ever talking about, but at least they're fun. He swallows, then coughs, clearing his throat of morning gunk. He tries opening his eyes; it hurts, but not so bad that he can't blink them hard and get over it. The curtains are only cracked a little bit so it's not too bright in the room. On his dresser, the clock says it's 7:30. Not bad. He yawns, turning into the pillow, then mumbling and grumbling into the pillow because even though his body thought it was time to wake up, that doesn't mean he has to appreciate it.

"Good morning, starshine," Jonghyun sings gently against the back of his head. His arm tightens around Taemin's waist and soon his whole body is pressing up against Taemin’s back. Taemin deflates a little, half sighing, half laughing into the pillow. Good morning starshine indeed. He mumbles back his own greeting in between Jonghyun kissing the back of his neck. "Can I tell all of your lovely fans that you turbo farted for like 20 seconds in your sleep?" Jonghyun asks him, cute and peppy like he's been wide awake for a while.

"Did I fucking really?" Taemin laughs. He worms around until he's facing Jonghyun, blinking at him with crusty eyes. Jonghyun's eyes are round and bright, just like his smile. His pink hair sticks up at odd angles and Taemin reaches up to pat it down.

"Absolutely you did," he confirms. "You woke me up, dude."

"God," Taemin laughs. He believes it, but still. What the fuck. "Sure,” he says. Jonghyun can put that on his blog.

Taemin wouldn't even call it a blog, honestly. More of a performance art piece. All Jonghyun does on it is pretend to be Taemin's boyfriend. Taemin doesn't want to be out to the general public, and he definitely doesn't want the general public knowing about his boyfriend. More for Jonghyun’s safety than his own. But Jonghyun is the type that likes to show off and brag about his boyfriend, so he started the blog as a joke, pretending to be a fan that was a little too attached to his favorite celebrity.

He takes selfies that Taemin has posted to his instagram or fantaken pictures and very badly edits himself into them like they're couple pictures. Sometimes he even takes pictures of Taemin standing with another celebrity and just pastes his head on top of the other person and pretends like it's a real picture of the two of them. He gives out personal details of Taemin's life, but only things like the time he dropped an entire bowl of cereal onto the floor, or that he has an oviposition kink, or when he turbo farts in his sleep.

Originally it was just supposed to be a fun little thing, an inside joke, but then Jonghyun started getting followers. A lot of followers. Followers that get that it's a joke and think it's funny, followers that understand that it's fake but are ravenously angry at him anyway, followers that can't figure out if it's real or not and keep messaging him to ask for clarification, followers that believe it's real and send in their various opinions about it.

Taemin thinks it's the funniest thing in the world and his number one favorite thing about being a celebrity. He figures, right now in the closet, it's just funny and harmless, and if he ever decides to actually come out, it'll be absolutely fucking hilarious when he points everyone to the joke blog and tells them that everything on it is 100% factually accurate.

Taemin had closed his eyes again while he was thinking, but they're drawn open once more by the sound of his phone vibrating on the headboard. Bluh. He reaches up for it, slapping around until he finds it and checking who's calling him. His manager.

"Yeah? Hi," he answers, not bothering to sound like he didn't just wake up. His manager says hello good morning, tells him that he has a reality show to film for soon, and that he'll be there to pick him up in an hour, what does he want from the coffee place? Taemin asks for a little coffee in his milk, a strawberry frappuccino for Jonghyun, reminds his manager to get something for himself too, and flops his phone back up on the headboard when the call is over.

"Busy bee business?" Jonghyun asks, arching one eyebrow behind his phone. Taemin chuckles, sliding his arm over Jonghyun and pushing his face into his chest.

"Just the one show and then dance practice today, I think," he says. Easy day. Fun day. He'll be back home to get snuggles and smooches before he knows it. "What are you going to do today?" He asks. He always likes knowing what his favorite little strawberry is up to.

"Writing, probably," Jonghyun shrugs. "How come you don't like bugs?"

"What?" Taemin asks, baffled, and then, a second later, "oh." Oh, right, the questions from his adoring fans. "I don't know, they're, like, gross," he mumbles. "Like, they're cool, and interesting, and good for the planet, but they're gross. And they fly at you. What's up with that? Mind your own business." He yawns, rolling over to his back. Bluh. If he has to be out in an hour then he better start stretching. He lurches to a sitting position and straightens his legs out under the covers, reaching for his toes. "I used to eat ants, though," he mumbles, remembering suddenly. "When I was little. They had a weird crunch but after that they had a good mouthfeel."

Jonghyun doesn't reply to that; he just laughs, snorting into his palms, and then goes back to typing on his phone. Taemin smiles to himself as he continues his stretching. He likes making Jonghyun laugh.

He finishes his routine, then sits there in the middle of the bed and grumbles about how he doesn't want to get up until Jonghyun ruffles his hair and smooches his cheeks and tells him that he'll do a good job at work today. Then, feeling sufficiently energized and supported, he slouches out of bed and into the bathroom. He finishes all of that business and returns to flop directly on top of Jonghyun and tickle and kiss and drip his wet hair all over him until his manager texts him that he's at the door.

"Come get your coffee," he tells Jonghyun over his loud laughter, grabbing his wrist and tugging him out of bed. Jonghyun follows, nuzzling his shoulder, touching his butt, and striking up a little conversation with Taemin's manager while Taemin rifles around in the kitchen for something to eat in the car.

Armed with a banana and a homemade blueberry muffin that he’ll never tell Jonghyun is kind of dry, Taemin gets one last smooch on the cheek and heads out with his manager. In the car, he listens to what he’s supposed to do today, bothers and teases his manager a little bit, checks the news on his phone, and is bored within 10 minutes.

"I'm going to do a livestream," he says.

"Kay. Don't tell everyone you're working on a new album or I will steal your vocal cords out of your nostrils.”

"I'm going to sing the entire song," Taemin says, grinning when his manager shakes his head. He won't. But he knows that his manager can never be sure if he's joking or not. Something him and Jonghyun have in common, he guesses.

And speaking of Jonghyun, Taemin sees him in his chat a couple minutes after he starts. Saying things like uwu hi babyyyyyy and I forgive you farting on me <3 and can't wait to see you back home later!!!

Taemin barely suppresses the monumental urge to roll his eyes. Jonghyun is so cute and so funny, all the time. He talks to the rest of his fans, reading and appreciating every message Jonghyun sends but not replying to any of them. If there's one thing he thinks is even funnier than Jonghyun's blog, it's pretending to have absolutely no idea about it no matter how many times people send him links and ask him about it.

Which, usually, isn't a problem, but–when Taemin was little, he ate ants n liked it, Jonghyun types. And usually, his comments get lost in the sea of everyone else's, but this time, everyone seems to latch onto that and before Taemin even realizes what's happening, his chat is filled with ant emojis and lmaos and not a single person saying that they disbelieve it for once.

And for the first time, Taemin is grumpy about the blog. He wants so badly to clarify, to say that he didn't like it, they just had a good mouthfeel, but he can't. And Jonghyun knows that. And Taemin knows that Jonghyun knows that Taemin knows that Jonghyun knows.

fucked up. As soon as they arrive at the recording studio and Taemin ends the stream, he sends Jonghyun a single >:( text message. Immediately, Jonghyun sends a single :3c text back.

Taemin can't stay mad at that. He sends back a heart and slots this phone into his pocket. Whatever. It's not like that's even close to the most embarrassing thing Jonghyun has said about him on that blog anyway.

[blingblingisdino90]

Remember When...

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WARNING: This memory is EXTREMELY ICONIC.

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MEMORY #2.

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Remember Jonghyun's famous failed Krump attempt?

Jonghyun's Krump has always been iconic, ever since the snack commercial first came out.

In the commercial, every SHINee member has a signature move, Minho's being "Knee Kick," Taemin's "Poppin'," Onew's being "Stomp," Key's being "Wave," and Jonghyun's being "Krump."

The video was originally a snack commercial, for a limited edition SHINee snack. But it immediately became a hit in the meme world soon after it's release, and especially after this video.

In the video, the SHINee members were joking about the commercial, but they were missing the Krump part. Jonghyun came into the room, when he heard them singing the song. They sang for him and he began, or should I say he began his version, of krumping. At one point he jumps, and slips, which causes him to fall over.

You can see how funny this was to them, since they were laughing really hard.

One thing that made me laugh even harder, was that when Jonghyun fell, there was a staff in the doorway, looking at them in disbelief. And after that, another staff closed their door, probably because they were making too much noise or something. I always laugh at SHINee's staff, because they always seem shocked, but never surprised. I think I would be that way too, if I worked with SHINee for that long.

But if you look deeper, this was probably a very special moment for them. SHINee was very busy at that time, with a bunch of schedules and promoting, so they must have been really tired at the end of every day. It looks like they are in a waiting room at the MNET building, either waiting to go on stage, or coming back from performing. They must have been exhausted. And when they made that memory, it must have made everyone's day. It's always great to have that one person in your life that can always cheer you up, and Jonghyun was that person.

Jonghyun was, and still is, capable of brightening the room, just by walking through the door.

[crazyboredasians]

Qué opináis sobre usar fcs de personas fallecidas?

Voy a abrir viejas heridas (incluída la mía), pero esto me recordó a cuando roleaba en un foro que se llamaba LTEC (Let Them Eat Cake) y llevaba a un pj cuya cara era la de JongHyun, nuestro hermoso ángel de SHINee. Justo lo llevaba en las épocas doradas de su debut solista (la canción signature del pj era Hallelujah), y cuando se nos fue pues... obvio me dolía demasiado, so cambié al pb pero... nunca volvió a ser lo mismo :c

Un saludito al cielo desde donde esté, que su música me sigue curando el alma hasta hoy <3.

De haber estado en tu lugar, habría hecho lo mismo y estoy segura de que muchos más también. Me alegro mucho de que sigas teniendo un sitio seguro en su música 🫂

✰ sloth

[kpopsongrecs]

Comfort Songs from Female Artists:

Heart - Taeyeon Heart is a phenomenal ballad from Taeyeon. The heartbeat-like guitar pulse is a very clever touch, and immerses you into an emotional state of mind immediately. The lovely but simple arrangement allows for Taeyeon’s signature piercing vocals to absolutely soar. The Korean title “품" means hug/embrace, a very apt title for a song that truly feels like a comforting hug. The lyrics are full of warmth and meaning. Especially the lines “You recognize the scar that I wanted to hide the most, give a kiss on it, gently pacify it and make it heal", highlighting the powerful message that the ultimate act of love is recognizing someone's vulnerability and treating it with tenderness.

LMM - Hwasa LMM might have more recognition now, since Hwasa performed it at this year's Blue Dragon Awards to pay respect to the passing of actor Lee Sung Kyun. A very touching song, it made for a very touching tribute (so thoughtfully swapped into the performance lineup by Hwasa herself). Her rich and raspy voice is perfectly soft and haunting in the verses, yet emotional and filled with power in the chorus. Hwasa's signature to her solo work is the deep and contemplative nature of her lyrics. LMM (standing for "Lost My Mind") is a perfect example of this. “Flowers bloom even in the falling rain” is a very poignant way of expressing the message of keeping resilience and strength in the face of dark times.

Breathe - Lee Hi Being one of Jonghyun’s most famous songs that he wrote, Breathe has a certain lingering perception to it. But just as Jonghyun deserves to be fully celebrated for his remarkable artistry, this song deserves full appreciation as the balm of comfort and healing it was written to be. Ultimately, Breathe tells everyone going through burdensome times that you are worthy and have permission to breathe through it all. Lee Hi is the perfect artist to deliver this, as there is a rawness and realness to her vocals, making the impact of this emotional ballad hit that much harder. 정말 수고했어요.

As Time Goes By - Yoon Mirae Yoon Mirae is a music icon in S. Korea, but very regrettably does not earn much widespread recognition for her contributions to the k-music scene from international fans. (A travesty!) Though she's most celebrated for her rapping, there is a reason why her singing voice remains in high demand for Korean OSTs. There is a rare present quality to her voice that makes you feel that she's in the same room as you, and singing to you directly. This album and track was released all the way back in 2001 so it's a rare chance that newer fans are familiar with it, but it's such a wonderful classic R&B number that instantly soothes the soul.

It Hurts (아파) (Slow) - 2NE1 An R&B-flavored ballad delivered by one of the most iconic Kpop girl groups of all time - It Hurts highlights the advantages of ballads sung by groups vs. solo artists, as every member's unique vocal color shines in the trade-off of lines, perfectly demonstrated by 2NE1 (a group so ahead of their time). It Hurts is possibly one of 2NE1’s most underrated B-side tracks and one of the numbers that best showcases their powerful and beautiful vocals (given their otherwise dance music heavy discography).

Star - Jessi Star is less of a crooning ballad and more of a mix of ballad singing with the charismatic rap we associate with Jessi. The absolute vulnerability she portrays in the vocals of this song can take you aback, given Jessi's usual outspoken and boisterous image. Yet she showcases her sensitivity so openly through her singing, which is undeniably beautiful and (no pun intended) the star of the song. The powerful rapping and lyrics in true Jessi fashion, holds nothing back while expressing the challenges of her career and life. The mix comes together in a truly underrated track from her that is equal parts strong and touching, and maybe one of her best.

[jonghyunluvr]

nauuuuuuur taemin forging jonghyun's signature that's literally a man that will scam you with a smile on his face 😭

[married-2-the-music]

K-pop Discography Deep Dives: Taemin

A Disclaimer: I was planning, when I first started Tumblr, to be a lurker, but then I began an office job and needed something to listen to to keep myself occupied. And then, I started going through entire K-pop groups’ repertoires, album by album, and jotting down my thoughts. And then, I stumbled into K-pop tumblr and decided, you know what, there’s at least four people on this hell site who would read in depth rants about these discographies and at least five who wouldn’t read it and then get mad because it’s kind of our job as K-pop fans. My lukewarm takes should be taken with an entire silo of salt and the knowledge that this is completely for fun and occupying my very bored, very neurodivergent brain. All this to say, for the love of god, I’m a sleep-deprived student and I don’t have time for internet hate, so don’t kill me. With that being said, enjoy!

Here are my credentials: If you couldn’t tell by the blog name, I’m a Shawol (I’ve been one for three years or so, and a casual fan longer), and SHINee are my ult group. I love all of the members’ work, and Taemin is tied for my favorite soloist of the five. As much as I make an attempt to remain unbiased in my reviews, I’m kind of going into this knowing that I’m going to love this discography, and any criticisms I’ll have will likely be very nitpicky because it’s hard for me to be objective. So, that being said, please ignore the fangirl squealing and let’s get into it.

Danger starts with that harsh electro beat and vocalizing, and is actually quite fast in terms of the lead-up to the chorus, especially in the “oneul-bam-i, oneul-bam-i, oneul-bam i (tonight, tonight, tonight)” pre-chorus. The distortion in the post is also interesting to me, because all of this together means that Danger has all the right elements to what have become Taemin’s most enduring hits, but the song itself feels a bit unpolished and rushes to declare itself rather than having the patience of his later work. I do still like it though.

From ACE, my hidden gem is Pretty Boy. The opening horns are a bit grating for me so I admit that I almost skipped it until I read the lyrics (and read that Jonghyun was the writer), and I’m so glad that I didn’t. I love the contrast between the slower verses and what feels like genuine anger in Kai and Taemin’s voices in the chorus, and I just love their voices in general. I’m always up for critiquing the stupid rules of traditional masculinity and especially in a space like k-pop that is so often associated with femininity and fluid gender expression. Sometimes we all need a reminder that being a man does not have to go hand in hand with aggression, cruelty, or a certain way of presentation, and Taemin’s work shows us this in spades.

Drip Drop is a pre-release to the Press It album, and to my surprise, my first thought watching it was that he looked (and even sounded) so much like Jonghyun that it scared me. The song itself does too, being a very controlled, polished R & B sound that isn’t quite Taemin’s signature yet. The song pulses with great energy, but I don’t have much to say about it because it’s so minimalistic that it’s really just a vehicle for the dancing, which is, of course, excellent.

Press Your Number starts with deceptively calm vocals and a soft piano in the verses, before spinning out in a much dancier, much more emotive chorus that immediately had me tapping my foot. From there, the energy never stops, and even the moment you think it will in the bridge, it only does for a split-second before spinning out again. This isn’t one of my favorite title tracks from him, but I do like it, especially the way the bridge repeats again as the outro, which is unusual for a pop song.

Press It, truth be told, is one of my favorite k-pop albums, so it was hard to choose a hidden gem but I eventually landed on Sexuality and Soldier. They’re very different; Sexuality is…well, exactly what it sounds like, and sets the template for many a sensual, dancy Taemin song in its stead. It’s breathier and in a way softer than Press Your Number and Danger, but still has its own drive. Soldier, by contrast, is a full on ballad that would become just another b-side in the hands of a lesser artist, and I (always a fan of artists writing their own songs), think that some of that is due to the genuine emotional weight behind it. The lyrics are beautiful, and Soldier’s also the first song to feature the explicitly religious imagery that becomes a hallmark of his later work (which we’ll discuss in a bit).

Despite the popularity he’d seen before as a member of SHINee, it was really with MOVE that Taemin established himself as a soloist. It’s a song that defines him, and for good reason: it’s unique. From the start, it almost slithers forward with the kind of control that would make a samurai flinch. It’s both smooth and then suddenly sharp and cutting, and you never know which part is next. It’s so tense, and yet it almost feels as though it shouldn’t be, like a suspenseful scene in a thriller with no resolution. In this deep dive, I found myself replaying this song so many times because I just couldn’t figure out how it works so well. All I achieved was loving it more each time, so not a complete failure, I suppose.

I’ve said before that I’m not a choreo blog, but Taemin’s dancing is on another level, and it’s on full display here. If he’s controlled in Drip Drop, then I have no idea what he is here, because when I watch this, it’s like every muscle in his body is committed and yet he’s barely moving, and besides that, so utterly nonchalant. As one review I read put it, “it looks like he has no bones”. I don’t know what makes it so captivating, whether it's charisma, talent, or something else, but while I can’t explain it, I can absolutely give credit where it’s due. The mix of “feminine” and “masculine” dancing styles works so well here, and I love that his intention was to break down barriers in terms of what constitutes what “gender” of dance.

Before I say my hidden gem from the album, a special shout-out to Heart Stop, because Taemin and Seulgi’s voices work so well together, especially in this kind of elegant, dancy R & B (though perhaps I’m biased as a ReVeLuv). My favorite, though, was absolutely Love. From first listen, it drew me in, for both the excellently conveyed emotion and the vocals too. An old singing teacher of mine liked to describe songs like this as though someone is carving out their heart and slamming it on the ground, which feels apt for this one. It’s as though it’s trying so hard to stay calm and composed and then just can’t keep it in anymore. Perfection. I also liked Rise (a soaring piano!) and Back To You (a chill guitar).

Day and Night surprised me, to be honest, because I’m not used to such a calm, acoustic song with Taemin’s voice. It has what I think are some Latin pop influences and they blend to create a very vibe-y, breathy contrast to a great majority of his work. I think it works pretty well, although it still feels more like a b-side than one of his titles. I don’t have a hidden gem for this album, since it’s only a couple tracks.

I don’t normally do this but I wanted to talk for a little bit about Taemin’s Japanese work because he has such an extensive catalogue of it and he’s bilingual (something I’ve attempted to be and failed at for a very long time, lol). Flame Of Love and Sayonara Hitori are similar, working in some more traditional Japanese balladry and drama which works well with Taemin’s voice. He utilizes a different kind of control here, more elegant and graceful than the sharp and cutting side used in his Korean titles. Both are good songs, but I think that Flame Of Love’s instrumentation makes it just a little more excellent.

Under My Skin would have to be my favorite of his Japanese titles, for its expressed vulnerability in reaching out to someone, the contrast of the quiet openness and the soaring vocals, and of course, that great last chorus that pulls it all together. From the Japanese album, just called Taemin, I also loved Holy Water. Its gospel influences and dramatic production mix well with Taemin’s voice and the desperation with which he begs to be cleansed of sins and the guilt of whatever he’s done, and the song has a power reminiscent of Love and Soldier, albeit more forcefully.

Want is more forward and obvious than MOVE, drawing on a synth base rather than R & B, but still keeps the sense of restraint so ubiquitous in his work. I know I’ve used the word “control” a lot in this review, but I don’t know a better one to explain the very delicate balance of sensuality and power in most of these singles. For me, this song is right in the middle of MOVE and Criminal, and though I love it, it doesn’t distinguish itself in the beginning as much. The ending and last chorus especially are great with the clever use of distortion though, and the religious imagery makes a return in red apples, slithering snakes, gates of hell, and the idea of forbidden temptation.

The album has two hidden gems in Shadow and Monologue. Shadow really leans into a feeling of danger that (despite his debut’s name) none of the titles quite have. The danger in them is always teasing and has some level of playfulness, while here it’s taken dead seriously. It's absolutely real, haunting the guilty speaker’s every moment, and he can’t escape. I could absolutely see this with some kind of horror-inspired music video, and it’s a shame that it wasn’t a single.

Monologue is also about haunting, though in a different way. Its almost sparse violin and piano provide the backdrop for a quite painful song about the genuine grief of losing someone, and it’s no wonder that he doesn’t perform it much with all the backstory behind it. Whenever I listen, I always promise myself I’m not going to cry and then we get to “honjanmalppuniya, kkeudopshi” (I’m talking to myself, there’s no end”) and I start bawling like a baby. Like a lot of k-pop fans, I don’t speak fluent Korean (although I do know a little bit), but even before looking up the lyrics, his voice carries so much pain that I felt it hit me in the chest and I had to sit with it for a moment. Given that it was written less than a year after SHINee’s monumental loss, I can’t help but think of that, but no matter what the intention was, the pain is real. Well. I’m gonna go dry my eyes and then we can continue.

2 Kids is a pre-release for the first part of Never Gonna Dance Again, and, as a good pre-release should, it acts as a balance for the title. It feels a bit like one of his b-sides, in terms of the gentler, more nostalgic sound, the vulnerability and genuine apology, and in general how…young it sounds? It’s one of those songs that in and of itself isn’t groundbreaking but the performance given is what elevates it to great, and Taemin, as always, gives one hell of a performance.

Criminal sparkles with the kind of charisma that can only be achieved after so long performing, and is a little different than his previous tracks for the sole reason that for once, he isn’t the agent of seduction himself but instead the one being seduced and, in a way, corrupted. It’s dark and hypnotic, and while the verses are slight, the chorus is incredibly compelling (especially the key change in the last one). The bridge is good too, and the almost frizzy news reports in the background add an extra layer of sound that brings the song from great to almost perfect.

Never Gonna Dance Again; Part 1, is probably the stronger of the two halves of the album. I loved the expansive string section and the many layers of beautiful vocalizing in Black Rose, the ticking clocks and very segmented intonation in Clockwork, and the surprisingly sweet lyrics and brightly rising instrumentation of Just Me and You (which I think was my favorite).

IDEA begins with an almost ethereal, wistful sound, and explores the idea of heaven and hell that he’s played with for a while the most explicitly of any of his titles. There’s white smoke, pale blue skies, cozy sweaters, and blank rooms full of chess boards versus red forests, black suits, and wooden backdrops lit on fire. The song is a slow burn (no pun intended), as the first chorus is very slight but each one after builds and builds until the final one begins to spin out of control. It’s a bizarre structure for a song, but it honestly works quite well.

From the second part of the Never Gonna Dance Again album, it should be no surprise that I loved Be Your Enemy. Wendy’s voice is one of my absolute favorites in k-pop and while Taemin and Seulgi’s match well for the more R & B focused side of his discography, hers and Taemin’s work beautifully together in such a sweet song. The only thing I would change is to add her in more. It’s a very comforting ballad, and feels like a good friend taking your hands and telling you it’ll be okay. Think Of You is also quite sweet, which wasn’t what I expected from such a harsh title, but it’s a pleasant surprise, and I was happy to find that he wrote it and Pansy himself. I also enjoyed I Think It’s Love.

Advice starts with quite a lovely piano and this contrasts nicely with the distortion (which is cleaner than that in Danger). It then devolves into a more hip-hop sound mixed with light electro, which is tied together through Taemin’s voice. I have to confess that I don’t enjoy this song as much as his other singles, because, while it’s a good song, I don’t think that what makes the rest of his discography great (vocals, R & B, drama, etc) is as present here. I do enjoy the lyrics, especially the connection in the choruses with his tattoo (“destroying the torso you were chasing after”)

From Advice (the album), my hidden gem was definitely Sad Kids. It’s similar in terms of vibe, instrumentation, and even title to 2 Kids, but I definitely like this one more. Where 2 Kids is good but not that distinguishable, Sad Kids taps deeply into that nostalgia with its chirping crickets and quiet vocalizations and connects not just to those who have made a mistake and lost someone they love, but any teenager (or even twenty-something) who has ever felt at heart, like they’re “just sad kids, getting lost.” I also enjoyed hearing Taeyeon and Taemin’s voices together in If I Could Tell You; they make such a lovely combination.

Guilty just came out this morning, to much excitement from both me and other fans whose standards are high after a two-year-long hiatus for mandatory military service. But the moment we get to the creeping falsetto and the atmospheric violins of the beginning of the first verse, my worries were assuaged. Like the best of his work, that control is so evident, but here he it feels like it’s being wrestled from him just a little bit more as the song goes on. I love the creepy chanting under the pre-chorus and that explosion in the bridge and last chorus was perfection and I couldn’t have asked for a better catharsis. That choreography is both so stunning and so unsettling, the way it contorts and mimics puppetry. I can’t decide on which interpretation I agree with; there’s cases to be made for abuse (“make you addicted, you can’t tell pain from love”), military service (“walk like this, talk like this, play like this”), or queerness (“loving you’s a crime”), although I have no idea what the intention was. tried to keep my expectations low but let’s be real, I didn’t. And he totally delivered! The more I listen to this, the more I love it, and it’s honestly one of my favorites of his.

Although I haven’t had time to listen more than a couple times, my hidden gem from the EP is probably either She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not or Blue. The former has a great mix of melodic chanting, some vulnerability (and gasp! even a bit of sing talk), and the latter is so peaceful and dreamy that it feels like floating, and it makes a great album closer.

As always, I’m glad I did this! It didn’t change my mind since I don’t really think I could be a bigger fan of SHINee, but I definitely found some new b-sides to enjoy and I’m having a good time listening to his interviews today. I’d say Taemin’s right up there with Sunmi in terms of my favorite soloists. And I’d also say that after listening to all of that I need to bathe in some holy water, stat.

My Top 5 songs are Move, Under My Skin, Monologue, Pretty Boy, and Criminal, with Shadow and Guilty as honorable mentions. Taemin gets a 9.25 out of 10 from me, no surprise there. I’ve never claimed not to be biased here, so there you go. I had a lot of fun and, as if I haven’t been enough of a sap in my reviews so far, this made me even more grateful that he’s back home. For the next two weeks, we’ll be having another longer one broken into parts with two shorter supplementals, which wasn’t originally the plan but someone’s making a comeback very soon and I got so excited that I decided “screw it, I’ve got to write about this”.

So, I’ll see you next time, for a Leviathan of a girl group. Tschüss!

[orangetaemint]

Shinee Impressions (Part 13)

View (2015)

Onew: He has finally has fun colored hair! That magenta looks so good on him and he fits the chill vibe of this song so much.

Jonghyun: Not only did he sound great and has really made that blonde his signature look, but his lyrics took the song to another level of perfection.

Key: Between his blue parted hair, sweatband, long shorts, and the girl power tank, Key has a total 90s vibe and is rocking it!

Minho: THOSE ARMS. Minho....what are you doing to us?? He finally has lighter colored hair that looks amazing and those sleeveless shirts with those tight pants are showing off all the right things...

Taemin: What a fairy prince. I adore the gradient purple hair and undercut but he looks ethereal just in general. All this confidence looks (and sounds) SO good on him!

Overall impression in 2015: Shinee in the wild! I love that they got to film something outdoors after being stuck in the infamous SM box for so many MVs. This is everything I wanted after my disappointment with Everybody. I get to hear their voices and the song is bright but chill. It's so nice to see them together again after all their solo work.

My thoughts now: What a reset for Shinee. They had a couple releases during Kpop's EDM era when they were following trends but with this song they started setting them again. This was the experimental side of Shinee I had missed and they nailed it with this release.

[peppertaemint]

different anon but i feel like i'll die waiting for a tm x jm collab (yes, i'm dramatic) and lately I've been thinking about kai x jm as well. The three of them have been my fav boys for years and now that jimin is (kind of) free, I can't stop thinking about the possibilities, even though I know I shouldn't get my hopes up, especially because I don't remember the last time we saw a SM artist and a hybe/bighit artist interact 👀 and i'm just speculating, but I find it weird how since bts started to open up a bit, they started mingling publicly with artists under different agencies but not a single one of them from SM, not even invited to the JITB party? ANYWAYS I hope this is just me being paranoid and subconsciously looking for drama, because I need some things to happen and I don't have the time for them to play montagues and capulets

Oh Anon, I do think there is probably at least the undercurrent of legit drama somewhere in all of this, but it’s not quite Montagues and Capulets. It’s BTS being isolationist for the last few years that makes it appear that way.

If you look back at old vids, there was lots of interaction between BTS and SM groups, most notably SHINee IMO. Jonghyun praised them on his radio show, and there are cute vids of baby BTS in their orbit and having cute exchanges. Minho worked with Taehyung, too, and they have some cute moments. One underrated gem is SHINee going HAM over a cover BTS did. SHINee really are those ppl everyone stares at like wtf is wrong with them. BTS are performing an old school Shinwa jam and yeah, they like it too much LOL.

But you want mingling and interaction and collabs. Realistically, unless private social events are shared publicly, we’re only going to see stuff happen at events. I don’t know the full guest list for the JITB party, but I had wondered if Key might be in Jhope’s orbit for a few reasons. The question will be who might be around when Jimin goes on music shows with Taeyang? It would be cool to see Jimin mingling with everyone.

If you want to see recent instances of Hybe artists interacting with SM artists, then look at TXT and Enhypen. They both have shawols as members and there are lots of recent things. I think Nikki reunited with Key just this past year (he was part of a baby SHINee performance as a kid 🥺).

Back to the matter at hand: will we ever see Jimin with Taemin or Kai in public for work or fun again? It really seems unlikely because when was the last time we saw him with that friend group? Obviously he’s still close friends with Ha Sungwoon and he seems to be the person Jimin does the most with. There’s no reason to think they aren’t all still friends.

Remember the dance video of Kai, Ten and Taemin? How cool would it be to have Jimin in something like that? I just see a bit of a problem with this happening. Black Swan was the last artistic dance Jimin or BTS did. It’s been years. And look at the collab choice. This is dance “lite” - I have no idea if Jimin is interested in pursuing a dance heavy solo career. Hybe’s strategy for BTS still sounds very US top 40 to me. The Taeyang collab certainly has some of that. RM’s Indigo was majorly US top 40. And let’s be real. Although SuperM’s sales were fine and they have loads of US fans, their sound so far doesn’t match that. We can argue till the cows come home about how American culture and presence have influenced the Kpop genre as a whole, but I still wouldn’t describe most SM artists as capturing a contemporary US top 40 sound. I think SM has a signature sound (which it deviates from at times) and that they lean toward timeless or classic or even out-of-time with their music. So I don’t know. I can see why artists from labels like YG are a more natural fit for BTS collabs. There’s also a stronger k hip hop influence there.

So will there ever be something of a collaboration? Who can say? Sigh.

[gaykey]

hey i hope you’re well. thank you for being a safe space for me to talk freely about jonghyun. it makes me feel good that there’s people out there that won’t judge me so harshly. i was bullied so badly online during 2021 over him that i felt like ending it all. i felt like all shawols hated me and i was the worst person ever. plus, i was under 20 so people didn’t take me as seriously as any other fan. i really wanted to quit shinee for good, until i’ve met some nice fans along the way. don’t worry, you’re one of them.

i didn’t mean to be sad, i just wanted to say thank you. no need to reply. also if i act “annoying” then it’s actually because you’re literally the only person i could speak to about jonghyun and not start talking about what happened which makes me uncomfortable but instead you talk about his talents and songs which really makes my day.

anywho, thank you for everything noona!

— that jonghyun fan shawol (idk i don’t have a signature lol)

hello anon!

sorry i'm so bad at replying to messages. if you've sent something before, and i haven't responded, it's not that i'm ignoring you, it's just that my inbox gets pretty full sometimes, and there are a ton of messages i miss.

i'm so sorry you had a shitty experience in the past, and that people treated you that way. i hope you're in a better place nkw, and i'm so glad that i could be one if the people that made you feel comfortable in the fandom 💕

no need to thank me either! i just love talking about jonghyun. as i have said before, how he left us is only a small part of him, so why would i spend all my time talking anout that, when there are so many amazing aspects ilof how he was as a person to talk about instead?

you're jot annoying at all anon, and again, no need to thank me, but, you're very welcome. hope you're doing well, anon.

sending my love!

[happydooly]

[TRANS/COMPILATION] 130220 SHINee - Comeback Showcase

#1 【Trans】 130220 DG Showcase : Hyun moo asked how's everyone recently. Minho demnostrated his high jump from "To the Beautiful You". Key recited a line from his musical to Minho - to encourage the female lead in the musical; and sang 2 lines of "Goodbye". Jonghyun expressed that he has always used SNS to communicate to the Shawols at large. Hyunmoo asked why doesnt Jonghyun reply to his private messages. Jonghyun says that he has never looked at retweets as well as private messages. #2 【Trans】 130220 DG Showcase : Taemin was almost dozing off and was woken up/alerted by MC Hyunmoo. Jonghyun "Our Taemin is 21 years old already, a man now!" Taemin then commented "That day, I was reading a news article which said - 'SHINee's Taemin became a man'. Then I realised 'Wasn't I a man before??'" Hyunmoo added "I just realised Taemin's throat/adam's apple is so sexy". Taemin replied "We all use our throat to eat/ We all make a living with our throats" #3 【Trans】 130220 DG Showcase : Hyunmoo mentioned about Onew's recent Radio Show activities. Jonghyun took over to reply in place of Onew, praising many things about him. He even added "Onew-hyung's voice is really nice to listen to, especially at night."

#4 【Trans】 130220 DG Showcase : Hyunmoo "Taemin's hat/cap/beanie looks good right? Why not I try it too?" He then flaunted his signature again, and wrote "SHINee's 6th member, Hyunmoo hyung?" The (latter) part was added by Minho. Then Taemin wore that hat/cap/beanie again and Hyunmoo asked "What kind of style is that beanie?". Taemin replied "This is the first time I have seen it too." Minho praised "Taemin looks cute wearing it; he has always looked cute in short hair" #5 【Trans】 130220 DG Showcase : Eyecontact with fans (segment) Minho has a cute gaze. Jonghyun's one looked charismatic. Key commented Onew's gentle eyes - "How is it gentle!". Minho then added "It looks sinister!". Taemin's manly gaze caused everyone to burst into laughter. Key's sexy gaze was a success!

#6 【Trans】 130220 DG Showcase : MV filming Behind the Scenes - Minho patted the pony and Key turned around and said "Pat me too~" cr: Tscondtional, Trans cr: thepapergangster

[kpopsignatures]

{ SHINee } Kim Jonghyun Lock Screens > > My Baby Boy ♥

[katrinawritesthings]

Jonghyun / Taemin ; they're doing their best; PG

Listen. Listen. you're Taemin. You're a nerd that has a lot of free time the summer after you graduate. You get really good at Pokemon. You make it all the way to the world finals and you are lucky enough that it's being held in your very own city. You make it all the way to the finals of that. You meet your opponent that you've only ever seen online for the first time in person on stage. He is very very cute

And is he fucking blushing? Holy shit. Pink is dusting his cheeks, and Taemin is sure that he can see the heat creeping up in his own face, and now it's just the two of them, standing there, smiling at each other and blushing.

The moment is broken when Jonghyun's pretty friend with the eyebrow scar comes up and tugs on his elbow. He says something in Korean that has Jonghyun starting and fumbling to hurry and finish gathering up his stuff. Jonghyun says something back quickly with a nod in Taemin's direction; Taemin stands there awkwardly as his friend glances at him, then rolls his eyes and says something in an admonishing tone. Jonghyun replies with a whine and a stomp of his foot, and then his friend sighs and actually turns to face Taemin.

"He wants to ask if you want to come grab lunch with us after the interview," he says.

Taemin knows that he is screwed as soon as he steps up onto the stage with Jonghyun.

Not because he's worried about how he'll do, or anything; he's very confident in his strategy. He's been refining his pokemon team for weeks, perfecting it between tournaments, and keeping himself up to date on all of the new breakthroughs and developments in the metas. His team is different, unique; everyone else mostly uses the same tried-and-true pokemon of the generation, legendaries and pseudos guaranteed to win battles, so he's purposefully using different ones, different moves, different items, different abilities. It makes his team a little weaker, on paper, but the unpredictability gives him back his edge.

He's been keeping an eye on Jonghyun, too, ever since he learned that Jonghyun would be coming all the way here to America from Korea to participate in the grand masters finals this year. Jonghyun has the same idea as him: his team is completely different from anything Taemin has ever seen, and he made his way quickly through the ranks, all the way up to here, walking up the steps on the other side of the stage from Taemin.

But that's not what worries Taemin. That excites him, actually; that for once he's going to be facing a unique team, one that he's only had a few videos to study from and try to work against. Win or lose, he knows he's going to have a great time.

No, Taemin knows that he's screwed because Jonghyun is so much cuter in person.

Taemin thought he was okay before, looking at his selfies on twitter and glancing at him during the videos of his other pokemon battles online. But now? Here? Walking up to him, taking in his tan skin, his big brown eyes, his spiky black hair, his thick, wide smile, his absolutely fucking adorable nose? The little baby pink Shellos plushie he has clipped to his shoulder, that he lifts a hand to and wiggles while he waves at the crowd so it can wave with him? Taemin is so so so fucking screwed. For the first time ever in one of these competitions, Taemin wipes his sweaty palms on his jeans as he sits down at the table across from Jonghyun.

When they both reach across the table and shake each other's hands, Taemin almost melts out of his chair right there. Jonghyun's hand is small, square, and warm, and his fingers brush Taemin's palm when they let go. He has another pokemon accessory, a big beaded bracelet that's actually made up out of a Falinks, each one with a different little smiley face. It's that, the reminder of one of Jonghyun's toughest signature pokemon, that gets Taemin back to his senses. Enough, at least, to smile and say, "good luck."

Jonghyun says, "thank you, you too," in the softest, nicest voice and Taemin melts all over again.

He forces himself to just look at his switch and focus on that. Focus on the battle, on his pokemon, and all of his strategies. That, at least, he can do. Once he gets himself back in the zone, he's able to get his game face back on. It only slips once or twice between the three battles, when he has to look up and shake Jonghyun's hand again.

By the end of it, though, that's not what makes him lose. It was actually supremely close, all three battles, but Jonghyun won the two of them fair and square. Taemin doesn't even feel too dejected as he unplugs his switch and listens to the crowd roaring for Jonghyun. He legitimately had a super fun time. And there's always next year.

Once Jonghyun finishes thanking the crowd and bowing and soaking up all of the praise, he also turns to grab his switch from the table. The cameras are off of them, instead on the commentators for the event as they talk about their battle, so Taemin takes his chance. Standing up, wiping his hands on his jeans again, he says, "Hey, um."

Jonghyun almost takes him out when he looks up, eyes round, mouth open, the softest little noise of question coming from his throat. One good thing, though, is that during the few seconds where Taemin's brain is restarting, he remembers that Jonghyun doesn't actually speak English. During the pre-match interview, it was all him speaking in Korean while his pretty friend with the eyebrow scar and the half shaved head translated for him.

Even more nervous, suddenly, because now he's embarrassed, Taemin tries his best to remember what little he knows from family reunions and says in Korean, "Good job. You played really well. I had a lot of fun."

Instantly, Jonghyun brightens, smile splitting open his face. "Oh!" he exclaims, a loud bark of a noise. "You speak Korean?" he asks in Korean. He moves like he's going to say more, eager and fast, so Taemin quickly shakes his head, rubbing his nose sheepishly.

"Uh," he says. "Just a little bit." He's honestly not even sure that he pronounced that correctly. He holds up his finger and thumb very close together, in case he didn't.

"Oh," Jonghyun says, drooping. Then, before Taemin can panic about how he's already blown it before they've even said more than five sentences to each other, Jonghyun smiles again. "Well, that's okay," he says in Korean, and then in English, "I only speak a little English."

And is he fucking blushing? Holy shit. Pink is dusting his cheeks, and Taemin is sure that he can see the heat creeping up in his own face, and now it's just the two of them, standing there, smiling at each other and blushing.

The moment is broken when Jonghyun's pretty friend with the eyebrow scar comes up and tugs on his elbow. He says something in Korean that has Jonghyun starting and fumbling to hurry and finish gathering up his stuff. Jonghyun says something back quickly with a nod in Taemin's direction; Taemin stands there awkwardly as his friend glances at him, then rolls his eyes and says something in an admonishing tone. Jonghyun replies with a whine and a stomp of his foot, and then his friend sighs and actually turns to face Taemin.

"He wants to ask if you want to come grab lunch with us after the interview," he says.

Taemin takes a moment to process that, and then to blush even darker. Jonghyun is blushing too, though. He's still shoving his switch into his bag, but he looks up at Taemin through his lashes, smile small and shy. Taemin cannot believe it. He cannot believe his fucking luck. He cannot believe Jonghyun thinks he's cute too. He cannot believe he cannot get words out of his mouth right now.

“Taem?" A jiggle of his shoulder; Taemin looks to his right and finds his big brother Jinki there, smiling at him. He must have come up from the crowd. "Good job, loser boy," he says. "It was really close." He turns to Jonghyun and his pretty friend, smiling politely. "Hi," he adds.

"Yes we want to go to lunch with you two," Taemin says loudly. It all blurts out of him in a rush, like Jinki popped the words out of his mouth when he patted him on the shoulder.

"We what?" Jinki asks.

"Great," Jonghyun's pretty friend smiles, all sugary insincerity, and he turns Jonghyun and marches him away without another word.

Jonghyun turns and waves at Taemin, and Taemin doesn't even care if he seems too eager as he waves back. At least, not until Jinki shakes him again, harder than the first time.

"Excuse me?" he asks when Taemin turns to him.

"Come on," Taemin wines, already pleading. "Did you see him? Did you see how cute he is? And he thinks I'm cute too, I could tell. Come on." He rolls his shoulder away from Jinki, then grabs his arm and pulls him off of his side of the stage. "Consolation prize or whatever. I lost. It'll make me feel better."

"God," Jinki says, rolling his eyes. "Fine," he says. He lets Taemin pull him over towards one of the big screens so they can watch the winner’s interview. Jonghyun and his pretty friend are up there already, Jonghyun bright and bouncy as he speaks and his pretty friend putting a valiant effort into not looking bored as he translates. After a minute of watching, Jinki grins and nudges Taemin with his elbow. "I guess I should be there to chaperone baby's first date," he teases.

"I've been on dates before," Taemin says defensively. "I have," he insists when Jinki raises his eyebrows silently. Just because he can't say who with or where they went or when they were doesn't mean they never happened. To Jinki, anyway. He doesn't have proof that they didn't happen. "Dickhead," Taemin adds for good measure.

“Whatever," Jinki scoffs. "See if I ever drive you anywhere again."

"Oh, fuck you, you like pokemon too," Taemin snaps back.

They bicker all the way up until the interview is over, and then, as Jonghyun and his pretty friend step off the stage and head towards them, Taemin switches back to begging his brother not to embarrass him. Jinki makes no promises, and Taemin sweats the entire walk out of the convention center and to the cafe down the street.

His only sense of reassurance comes from the fact that Jonghyun is blushing harder than ever. Jinki and Jonghyun's pretty friend–Key, he says, but Jonghyun keeps calling him Kibummie–walk between them, introducing themselves and making friendly small talk, and Taemin and Jonghyun just smile at each other and blush and look away from each other over and over.

When they get to the cafe, they get a booth table, and Jonghyun and Taemin sit on the inside, near the window. Key and Jinki slide in next to them, on their respective sides. The two of them have hit it off apparently, because they’re talking and laughing like they've been friends for years.

Taemin blushes at his hands until Jinki asks what everyone wants to eat and then gets up and orders for them. While he's gone, Key looks at his phone and Jonghyun copies Taemin. Once, Jonghyun looks up and says, "I like your hair."

Taemin doesn't say thank you in reply so much as just stammers out a bunch of little half words, tugging on his little red ponytail nervously, until Jinki returns with all of their drinks and saves him.

Their food gets brought to them by a server a little bit later, and all Jonghyun and Taemin do in that time is sit there and not talk. Some fucking date. The other two are the ones doing all the talking, and half of it is in completely fluent Korean. Taemin didn't even know Jinki was that good. He has no idea where he fucking learned at all, either, because it wasn't at home.

Actually, it might have been. Taemin vaguely remembers his parents offering to teach him more, a few times, but he never had the patience for it, when no one at school spoke it. God, and now he's getting distracted with diaspora discourse in his own head. He sighs, rubbing his hands over his face and poking at his cute little pikachu cupcake.

Across the table, Key pushes Jonghyun's shoulder gently but firmly. He scolds something in Korean. While Jonghyun pouts back at his friend, Jinki pushes Taemin the same way.

"He's right, you know," he says, nodding across the table at Key. "If you want me to translate for you, you have to say something first." Taemin pouts at him much the same way as Jonghyun. He doesn't want his big brother to translate flirting for him. He doesn't know how the fuck he's supposed to do this otherwise, though. Homophobic, he thinks.

"Why don't you pokemon fight or whatever?" Key asks in English. When Taemin looks over, he's looking right at him. "You two can talk about that at least, right?"

"Yeah," Jinki says. In Korean, he asks Jonghyun, "where’s your switch? Play with Taemin."

Taemin and Jonghyun look at each other; they both smile sheepishly and shrug. That is at least something that both of them can do. Taemin digs in his bag for his switch, Jonghyun doing the same, and when they find them Key takes it one step further. He grabs both consoles, and before Taemin can even shout and grab his back, swaps them. Taemin looks down at Jonghyun's switch in his hands, already turned on, Hangul looking back at him.

"I know you know how to read Korean," Jinki says to him. "Talk about the language differences."

Jonghyun had his game open to the campground area; his Gastrodon, the squishy pink slug that caused Taemin the second battle, slimes her way up to the front of the screen.

"Tri–tritodon?”Taemin reads hesitantly, glancing up at Jonghyun. "Like, King Triton? From –”

"The Little Mermaid, yeah," Jonghyun smiles shyly. Taemin smiles back.

"There you go," Key mutters. It's an eye roll in a sentence, but Taemin doesn't mind. He's just noticed that Jonghyun's gastrodon is nicknamed gooey marshmallow. He's pretty sure that's what it says, and he's definitely sure that that is so cute that he might just spontaneously combust right here.

He holds himself together enough to not, though, and they have a halting conversation instead. By the time they finish laughing and marveling at all of the different Pokemon names and actually start up a battle, they're both considerably more comfortable, Taemin thinks. He's better at Korean than he thought, and Jonghyun is better at English than he thought, and neither of them are so nervous about their speaking anymore.

What Taemin is nervous about now is that Jonghyun is back to being bright and peppy, with that wide, confident smile. It is so much to look at, so handsome and pretty and gorgeous, that Taemin almost feels like he's going to give Jonghyun's switch water damage, his palms are so sweaty.

Thankfully, like before, once they get into a battle, Taemin can focus. It's less difficult to decipher all of the Korean–even when he can't figure out a word, he can usually tell what the move is by the typing and how much damage it does, or he can ask Jinki–and it's actually harder to figure out strategy with a team that isn't his.

He knows how the team works; he was there when it kicked his ass an hour ago. Twice. But here, holding it in his hands, he knows that he cannot work it with the same finesse that Jonghyun did. On the other side of the table, Jonghyun seems to be having the same problem, scratching his head and biting his thumb as he tries to figure out his next move.

In the end, Jonghyun beats him, again. It stings a little, to be beaten by his own team, but also, in a way, he's proud of them. He knew they could do it. He says that, too: "Hey, our teams are even now. 2-2," and then tries his best to say the same thing in Korean. He's absolutely certain that he doesn't do it right, but Jonghyun seems to get it anyway, because he instantly gasps and then scrunches his face. Mouth all small, nose all crinkled, eyebrows all furrowed.

He thrusts Taemin's switch back across the table, holding out a grabby hand for his. "Rematch," he grumps.

Laughing, Taemin trades easily. Quickly, even quicker than when they were on stage, Jonghyun practically eviscerates his team. He exploits all of Taemin's pokemons weaknesses that he didn't know before; Taemin guesses that he checked their stats when he had the chance. Taemin didn't even think about that. He guesses that's why Jonghyun is the one that's champion and not him.

Pouting–or trying to pout, at least, through his smile–Taemin asks him, "Do you play Animal Crossing?”Jonghyun drops his cocky smug look and replaces it with a confused tilt of the head. Taemin figures that the game must have a very different name in Korean. He just closes out of the pokemon game and scrolls to Animal Crossing on his dashboard, showing Jonghyun that way. When he does, Jonghyun smiles bright and nods eagerly. He hurries to switch games on his own console.

After the tour of his island, and halfway through the tour of Jonghyun's island, Jinki jiggles his shoulder gently. Taemin looks up reluctantly. Jonghyun's island is an organized mess and he loves it.

"You'll be okay on your own, right?" Jinki asks him, which makes Taemin give him his full attention. He’s gathering up all of his trash and standing up, Key doing the same on the other side of the table. "Bummie and I are going to, uh." He glances over at Key and his smile hooks up at one corner. He licks his lips, then turns back to Taemin and grins, "go hang out together."

Taemin squints at his brother, suspicious. On the other side of the table, Key is speaking in Korean with a smile much the same as Jinki's and pink blushing over his nose. Jonghyun is looking at him very indignantly, and then he snaps something at him, gesturing at himself and then at Key. Key blushes even darker, replying defensively, and Taemin gasps dramatically. He whips back to Jinki.

"You cannot ditch me to go have sex," he hisses. Instantly Jinki is on the defensive too, mouth working silently for a moment before he shoots back, "Why do you understand the sex words?”

"I don't understand the sex words," Taemin snaps. "I can just tell, looking at both of you. What the fuck?" He does not believe this. Jinki cannot leave him here on his own with Jonghyun. He is baby and he cannot talk to a cute boy without help.

Jinki tries to come back with something, but yet again, no words come out of him until he says, "Okay, well, anyway. We're leaving. Text me if you need me. You're doing great!" He grabs Key around the waist and guides him away mid argument with Jonghyun. Both of them, before they even throw their garbage away, are already giggling, laughing with each other.

"Fucker,” Taemin calls after him, betrayed. "I'm going to piss in your dresser when we get home!" He would almost feel bad, yelling that in a public cafe, if Jonghyun weren't cursing Key even louder. Taemin doesn't understand any of the words but he can just tell, from the feeling behind them, the borderline growl in his voice, that they're worse than his.

Jinki and Key leave without a look back, even when they walk right past the cafe window and Taemin loudly flips them off through it.

Then he slumps back in his seat, extremely grumpy, glaring at the table. Awful. Looking up at Jonghyun, who's doing the same thing, he demands, "Can you believe them?"

Jonghyun replies with a long sentence in Korean, and he doesn't seem to mind that Taemin doesn't understand. And he's right. Taemin replies with his own rant, "He's supposed to stick with me, mom literally told him to stay with me, and he thinks he can just? Hello?"

And then it's just the both of them, talking back and forth, over each other sometimes, absolutely, one hundred percent agreeing with the other one just on principle. And then it's the two of them laughing, suddenly, snorting and cackling together at the ridiculousness of the entire situation. And then it's Taemin, chuckling, staring at his switch screen without actually seeing it. Maybe Jinki was right. They're getting along fine. Maybe now's his chance to try again without fucking it up this time.

"Hey," he says. Jonghyun, still chuckling, looks up, curious. Taemin wiggles his switch, takes a deep, big boy breath, and in his very best Korean asks, "After this, do you want to go back to the convention?" Then he thinks for a moment, comes up with a blank, and adds in sheepish English, "We can look at all of the merch booths. Buy stuff."

"Oh!" Jonghyun exclaims. "Buy stuff! Yeah," he agrees, tapping his fingers on the table in his excitement. "I’d like that."

"Fuck yeah," Taemin grins.

"Fuck yeah!" Jonghyun repeats, slapping his hands on the table.

Taemin beams, giddy and lovestruck and proud of himself all at once. Nailed it.

[blingblingisdino90]

Remember when...

. MEMORY #1

.

Remember Jonghyun's interaction with Listerine?

"K-pop idol group SHINee’s Jonghyun gave a publicity boost to antiseptic mouthwash brand Listerine.

The star posted a photo of himself dressed head to toe in neon blue on Jan. 18, commenting that he considers the look pretty, regardless of the fact that it makes him resemble the signature blue bottle of Listerine’s mouthwash.

He didn’t stop at the blue, but delved into the many uncanny look-alikes between him and the brand’s products, pairing photos of himself in eye-catching purple, orange and pink suits, with each of Listerine’s colored mouthwash bottles."

-KpopHerald.com

"And about a month after he posted the photos, Listerine sent the 24-year-old star boxfuls of their products, along with an elaborate three-tiered cake decorated with neon blue bows and a sugar doll of Jonghyun in a blue suit. The cake had a congratulatory note for the singer’s coming in first place on major music charts with his new soloist release, “Deja-Boo.”

-KpopHerald.com

Even mouthwash brands love him! >

[cha080525]

[ultrakdramamama]

do you have any pictures of hearts jonghyun has drawn? Like at a fansign or something like that? maybe a smiley face too?

Here’s some autographs with hearts

But I couldn’t find any smiley faces. I wish I had pics or screen shots of all the drawings he’s done on talk/variety shows. They do them a lot on the Japanese talk shows, like when they drew each other’s brains...lol. Could have sworn I had those saved, but couldn’t find them. Anyone else have any of Jjong’s doodles? I know there are a tiny bit on his hand written lyrics that are in the SM Museum, and of course, his picture for the Misconceptions of Us, but I’m not sure what else there is out there. Feel free to add to this or submit to me anything you have guys!

[woozten-x]

#. 𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐃𝐚𝐲 | 𝐉𝐚𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧

‹3 gif originally posted by ohoshi

[ ; M.List including other Neos! ]

─ Synopsis: You and your boyfriend always have days where the two of you are busy and tired, but everything seems to be worth it once the day ends.

At the end of each day, you are always returning back to Na Jaemin with all worries laid to rest.

─ Pairing: Barista!Na Jaemin x Gender-Neutral Reader

─ Genre: Fluff/Wholesome, Humorous Moments w. Dreamies, One-Shot, Comfort 

─ Concepts: Domestic AU!, Barista!Jaemin, established relationship, yall have a pet samoyed aka jaemin’s daughter named Riceball jeno is riceball’s brother, NCT Dream Cafe are sassy to their customers (especially haechan), mark got bean boozled, lowk jealous jaemin towards the end

─ Count of Words: 3.7k

─ Inspiration of the work: End of a Day by Jonghyun + literally jaemin with a dog 

ෆ

“What do you think you are doing, hm?~ You don’t want me to trip on you while I cook for Y/N~”

Cooing at the white puppy near his feet with occupied hands of steaming, freshly cooked food; he carefully treads around the kitchen to avoid the excited furball. He lets out a low hum with a tilt of his head, a smile expressing from his pink lips - regardless of the possible dangers of the little canine jumping on her hind legs onto his legs, he continues to adore her without any irritation whatsoever.

To Na Jaemin, his furbaby has always been a bright little creature with lots of energy. If anything the little Samoyed is a walking fluffy cloud, purely white as though it belongs to the blue sky of a clear day; the energy of the puppy’s helps him relieve stress and simply forget his worries.

However, he is unsure if that was the case with you. Unfortunately, you’ve been arriving home late into the day due to your new job and haven’t been able to join Jaemin or Riceball - which Jaemin personally gave to the Samoyed - for any quality time to bond and relax. Even if you were to try and grab a few days off, the opportunity seems too far to grasp due to being a new employee; thankfully enough, Jaemin understood to stay at home for the first few days until your schedule becomes more flexible.

After all, little Riceball needs to grow familiar with her new environment!

Quietly cooking dinner, Riceball whines for attention at the male’s feet, the head tilted upwards with her cute beady eyes nearly resembling a stuffed animal. Jaemin pays no mind, stirring the sauce over the cooked rice cakes inside the pan before glancing down at the canine - “Don’t worry~ I am not cooking your family.” The playful comment leaves his lips, the puppy whining despite his light-hearted attempt to give her attention.

Suddenly, across the home the door unlocks and instantly the puppy scrambles off to the front door and Jaemin quickly turns the knob to lower the heat. “Is that my beloved Y/N?~” He sings out, following after the puppy yapping away at the door being pushed open to reveal you. Jaemin meets your eyes, instantly giving his signature bright smile with his pretty eyes glowering back with delight; it seems like his own excitement is similar to the puppy jumping on your legs in greeting.

Although, the tiredness of working without much rest with your boyfriend and newly adopted puppy, you felt your own lips lift up into a small smile. Shamelessly, his eyes trail along your figure and he instantly notices the tension within your posture, the wary smile enough proof of your own drainage; he approaches you and takes your bag while you shrug off your coat, a hand ghosting over your lower back when closing and locking the door behind you.

“How was work, darling?” He softly asks, guiding you into the home after placing down the bag elsewhere. You look towards him, a sigh leaving you upon the mention of your new job - “Same as yesterday. Don’t worry about me, I’ll get used to the routine.” You assure him, knowing your boyfriend is the type to worry about your well-being; surely, you will get used to the longer hours of your new job. “I know you will. You are my darling, after all~” he says with fondness twinkling in his eyes, the very stars brightly glowing back at you. 

Despite the dullness revolving your day, Jaemin’s very presence is enough to glow like those stars pasted on a night sky - to him, you are the moon he is willing to accompany throughout.

“How was your day? Was she okay?” You ask, Jaemin pulling a chair for you to sit at the table and you give him a smile of gratitude before settling down. You watch your boyfriend move towards the stove, intensifying the heat with a twist and stirring once again - “It’s going well, Riceball is finally learning not to potty inside the home. I am cooking some Tteokbokki with boiled eggs and rice.” He tells you, your eyes landing on the puppy hopping up onto your legs with a wagging tail.

You let out a small laugh at Riceball, hands reaching down to pick her up and place the canine onto your lap. Fingers run through the soft fur, occasionally you would entangle your fingers with the strands by accident; you always apologize whenever it occurs, not wanting to hurt her. “You’re a good girl, Rice! You are learning from your bad potty habits,” you chuckle out with Jaemin smiling at your words. The two of you are definitely proud parents for your furbaby.

Distracted with the puppy on your lap, her tongue meeting your skin and laughter escapes from you; momentarily, you’ve forgotten about the stress weighing you down for the day. White noise of Jaemin’s cooking and your puppy’s bright personality is what you needed after a long day. Setting up the table and placing down the cooked dishes, Jaemin walks to your side and leans down to kiss near your lips; the familiar touch bringing you to ease.

“I want a kiss on my lips,” you pout while looking up at your boyfriend and Jaemin gives a smug smile while tilting his head. “Do you?” he teases, you roll your eyes and reach up to grab him by the shirt and pull him down to reach his lips; though his physical affection is a remedy regardless of the actions, you always favored his lips much more - it was a cure for you, no matter the occasion. “Enjoy your dinner, my darling.” He mumbles against your lips, kissing you once more.

Suddenly, Riceball jumps up against your chest and licks at your face, both of you laughing at her interference. “Is my daughter jealous? I give you kisses all day and that isn’t enough, hm?” Jaemin leans down to Riceball’s eye level, murmuring at the puppy in a childish tone with his hands reaching up to squish her face in his hands. You look between the two, grinning and adoring the sight in front of you; you always cherish where your boyfriend is being incredibly soft for cute things.

Sometimes, he can go overboard but the smile plastered on his face with eyes shimmering is a sight you will never forget nor avoid the opportunity to witness it.

Jaemin looks towards you and leans forward, pecking the tip of your nose before moving away to sit down across from you. His touch lingers warmly on your skin, a small pink dusting over your cheeks at the giddiness of your boyfriend’s affection; you thank him for the food after placing Riceball onto the floor, reaching out to fill your plate with a longing for his cooking. Across from you, Jaemin lovingly watches with a gentle smile, watching how you glow with excitement ready to eat his cooking.

Taking the first bite, you sigh in relief - “You never disappoint, love.” The pet name causing Jaemin’s heart to flutter, the title of being your lover is something he could never let go of - it is his pride and one he wholeheartedly devotes to.

“Grab some! I might eat all of it,” you exclaim while pointing at the dishes with your chopsticks. You always remind him to eat after taking the first bite, a habit you grew to once dating Jaemin; for some odd reason, he is always waiting for you to eat first before taking a bite himself. He nods his head, “That’s right. It would be gone in a blink of an eye,” he chuckles. Finally, he gathers his own share of the food and begins to eat his dinner with you.

In a comfortable silence, the two of you ate and Jaemin would spare glances to you. His never ending adoration for you always distracting him, no matter how busy he is - it was something he couldn’t exactly ignore, an urge to take a look at his beloved as though you held a spotlight above your head and his eyes could never look away from. You are the moon of his own world, the celestial he could look forward to no matter the time of the day.

Jaemin pauses, a thought ringing in his head and he swallows before speaking up - “I have work tomorrow. Since, no one will watch Riceball, I was thinking about bringing her to work.” He said. You look up confused, “What? We can probably drop her off at some doggy daycare or have someone watch her. I think she’ll be fine,” You suggest. Knowingly, your boyfriend is a barista, how the hell would a puppy be appropriate at a cafe?

“I can bring her, I already let Mark know.” He adds, ignoring the other suggestions that could avoid possible problems in the cafe. Uncertainty expresses from your face, pursing your lips in consideration and instinctively sparing a glance at Riceball; the puppy chewing on her toy, small grunts leaving her when she tugs at the tough material of the toy. “Are you sure…? She might be too hyper to be handled in such a place,” You say with doubt weighing your words.

Jaemin observes your expression, “The others want to meet her. She is not really a handful to care for…” he trails off, taking notice of the lack of trust to bring your puppy to such a busy place. “I can probably look for a daycare tomorrow, if you aren’t comfortable with it.” He reasons, seeming to find a middle ground; after all, he understood your worries. You shook your head, “Are you sure you discussed it with Mark?” you question, emphasizing how this is a decision accepted by his coworkers also.

Smiling, Jaemin nods his head - “Yes, I am sure of it~ You can visit me and Riceball at the cafe too!” He said. The thought of seeing your barista boyfriend, cute puppy and having a cup of coffee or tea does seem like a good idea; in fact, you can go straight to the cafe after work and pick them both up and go straight home. It seems like an easy plan! You sigh and release the buzzing thought of hesitation, nodding your head in agreement. “Okay, well we do get off work at the same time so…I’ll pick you up, okay?” You tell him while he gets up to place his empty plate into the sink.

“Of course, darling. Don’t worry about us~” He says, placing the plate inside the sink before walking up to you and kissing the top of your head. Jaemin places his hands on your shoulders, the touch causing you to relax, his hands lightly squeezing and fingers massaging into the skin - “You trust me, right?” Jaemin hums, looking down at you with a lopsided grin and you look up at him. Reaching up, your hand meets his cheek and fingers caress the skin, against your touch he melts.

You smile up at him, “I trust you with all my heart, Jaemin.”

. . .

“Jaemin…Why do you have a puppy in your hands?”

Standing in the middle of the Dream Cafe with the wriggling puppy in his arms, Jaemin smugly smiles at his surprised coworkers. Among all of them, the pale blue haired male - Mark Lee - stood with bewilderment, seeming to not understand how this was anything they'd discussed. Even if Mark asked for more clarification, Jaemin had left him on seen; though this does deem inappropriate, maybe Mark should have insisted on details.

Jaemin bounces her a bit in his arms, treating her like some sort of baby - “What do you mean? This is my daughter, Riceball.”

The members looked at one another, specifically towards Mark the manager of the cafe. Unsure on how to react to the unexpected guest, a light haired brunette speaks up - “We thought you actually had a kid!” Lee Donghyuck exclaims. Zhong Chenle smirks, “I was right! It wasn’t some kid he was bringing.” He said loudly, turning to a blonde - “Pay up, Park Jisung!” he lets out a hand for the male to pay for the shared bet between the two of them. For a few moments, Jisung stares at the older with the puppy before turning to Chenle.

“Isn’t Hyung going to get fired?” Jisung asks, his eyes moving towards Mark after seeing Chenle shrug. A heavy sigh leaves the stressed Mark, seeming to be too late to scold Jaemin since it was almost opening time - the unexpectedness of the situation is one to be ignored of consequences until the cafe closes. “Will she behave?” Mark asks, motioning a hand towards the puppy and Jaemin nods. “Of course~ I promised my Y/N that I will look after her,” he replies back with a nod.

Clapping his hands, “Okaaay! Let's get ready guys. Make sure she’s on a leash, Jaemin.” Mark said towards Jaemin while Chenle and Donghyuck approached him, hands reaching out to pet the cute puppy in his arms. Jaemin places down Riceball on the floor, attaching the leash onto her harness with a click, the two members captivated by her already; Mark sighs, “Guys we have to get to work!” he calls out to Chenle and Donghyuck, the pair playing with Riceball with wide smiles on their faces.

Huang Renjun appears from the backroom with ingredients in hand, not seeming to be aware of the situation and he jumps once the puppy jumps on his legs after running up towards him. “Oh gosh, who is this?” Renjun laughs, regaining his composure and placing the ingredients down for the small cakes the cafe specially sells. “He probably thought it was a big rat that’s why he got scared,” Donghyuck teases the poor Chinese male. Renjun scoffs, “I never thought that! It’s obviously a puppy.”

“Hyung I can take care of her when you get too busy,” Chenle offers once calling for Riceball with Jaemin standing with the excited canine jumping onto Chenle. Jaemin hums in acknowledgement to the proposal, handing the younger the leash and Chenle enthusiastically takes it with a grin - “I am your uncle, Chenle!” He introduces himself to the puppy and Donghyuck joins the younger in babying the puppy. Mark looks towards Riceball, smiling a bit at the cute canine hopping around.

Maybe it wasn’t a bad idea for the puppy to join them for today.

Within a few hours into their shift after opening, the cafe collected more attention than usual due to Riceball’s popularity. Working excessively, especially with Jaemin working alongside Lee Jeno with drinks, Jaemin had trusted Chenle to look after his puppy - the young Chinese male advertising the customers to take photos of the special guest. Occasionally, an awkward Jisung would join them and had instances of mishandling Riceball and Chenle would scold him while taking her away from him.

“Who dropped chocolate here?!” Donghyuck exclaims, nearly stepping on the fresh stool on the floor. Jisung places down a few drinks for seated customers before following the light haired brunette’s gaze, he scrunches up his nose in disgust - “Hyung, clean it up before someone else steps on it or slips on it.” He said, Donghyuck scurrying off to grab a few paper towels. “Riceball is such a good worker for making the customers leave right away~” Donghyuck praises.

After some time, the bustling cafe calms down with only a few customers entering and a majority leaving with Donghyuck and Renjun’s persistence. Finally, for Jaemin, he could see his furbaby and settle down with a Iced Americano - or Namericano, as the cafe calls it; he sits down at a table with Riceball laying next to his feet, Chenle busy with cleaning up a few tables alongside Jisung. Jaemin looks down at Riceball, “Is my daughter hungry?~ Do you want a treat?” he coos while picking up the bag on the table, holding the canine’s essentials.

Riceball doesn’t seem to react, seeming to be tired as her owner and Jaemin laughs lightly at her while taking out a few treats and dry food into a bowl. Placing down the bowl, Riceball is up on her feet to fill her belly, Jaemin watching her with such endearment - he decided to take a photo and send it to you without any text message attached. After all, the photo is enough to stop you from worrying for these past hours. “You did so well today,” He praises the canine with a hand petting her.

Soon enough, closing time comes much closer. Jaemin finishes up a drink and places it for Donghyuck to serve, the male picking it up and handing it to the last customer - “Thank you, please never come again!” he says, bowing his head and the customer laughing before moving away with their drink. Jeno is sitting with Riceball, petting her and giving his signature eyesmile towards her; in a way, the two have similar facial expressions - as Jaemin noticed. Chenle seems to notice also, “Jeno looks like her brother.”

“Oh! I can see it,” Jisung agrees with a nod and Renjun places the leftover baked sweets on the counter. He looks towards Jaemin, “Do you want to bring these home? I am sure Y/N will like them a lot.” Renjun suggests and Jaemin nods his head, grabbing a few boxes to pack away the sweets. Surely, you would never reject these treats as you’ve been one to eat dessert after dinner; upon packing up, he decided on cooking some ramen for dinner tonight, a quick and easy meal for the two of you.

The bell rings above the door and Donghyuck groans, “Sorry we are closed. We just haven’t flipped the sign yet!” He calls out, turning his head to the door. “Yah!” Jaemin yells out, glaring at Donghyuck once taking notice of the arrival - it was you. You laugh and wave a hand, “Sorry but I wanted to grab a coffee late.” You jokingly say, Donghyuck instantly leaving the counter and going down on his knees in front of you to bow in apology. “Sorry! Sorry! My mistake~” He says, pressing his hands together.

Mark rolls his eyes and grabs Donghyuck’s shirt from behind to pull him up onto his feet, “Welcome Y/N! Did you get off work also?” he asks with an innocent smile. Riceball runs up to greet you also, her tail wagging quickly with renewed energy upon seeing her other owner - “Yep! I am here to pick up Jaemin and this little girl~” you sang out in reply, picking her up and securing her into your arms. You kiss her head, “How was she? She wasn’t a distraction right?” You ask while stroking her head.

Mark shakes his head, “Nope! We actually got a lot more customers. We might actually hire her.” He jokingly replies back and you laugh at his words. Jeno perks up once hearing the possibility, “Can we? She can be our mascot!” He said rather excitedly and you found it cute to see the raven-head gleaming like a child begging their parents for an item from a store. “I don’t know about that…Jaemin just came up with a dog in his arms, he didn’t really specify what his daughter is…” Mark tells.

You narrow your eyes at Mark before looking at Jaemin behind the counter, quietly packing away the sweets in boxes to take home. “You said you told him, Jaemin!” you scold and Jaemin looks up, “What do you mean? I did tell him. I said I was bringing my daughter.” He reasons and Mark looks between the two of you. “No it’s alright! We didn’t expect a dog that’s all,” he chuckles, not wanting to make it a huge deal than it seems - even so, Riceball did bring in lots of attention for the cafe’s business.

“I really do hope she wasn’t a problem while you guys worked,” You say looking towards Mark and bowing in apology. He lightly laughs and shakes his head, defensively bringing up his hands - “No worries! Really, it’s not bad. She did great today!” he said and you mentally sigh in relief. Sitting down at one of the few clean tables with Riceball running around with Jeno, you spoke with the other members. On the other hand, Jaemin collects his belongings and takes off his apron, silently listening in while making a warm cup of chocolate milk for you. Walking up to you, he quietly gives you the mug and you smile at him, taking it in your hands.

Warmth engulfs in the palms of your hands, blowing at the rising steam from the drink and Jaemin had sat down beside you. He watches you converse with his close friends, your expression laughing and smiling as you invest into the conversations, he pouts a bit with the lack of attention - weren’t you here to see him? You weren’t here for his friends. Jaemin leans over to rest his head on your shoulder, glancing at your empty hand sitting on your lap and he reaches out to hold it and intertwines his fingers with yours.

Mindlessly, he listens to your voice and lets his thumb massage the skin of your hand, rubbing small circles repeatedly, and he would swing both your hands occasionally in hopes of getting your attention. After some time, you finish speaking with Renjun and look at Jaemin - “It sounds like a very busy day, love. I heard you and Riceball did great,” you softly compliment with fingers brushing a few strands of hair from his forehead; you plant a chaste kiss on the exposed skin and he smiles at the contact.

“It was very busy, but I am glad to see you at the end of the day.” Jaemin gently confesses, love weighing his words and his eyes holding the familiar starlight. You smile and let your fingers brush against his cheek, caressing the soft skin with a loving touch - “I am also happy to see you at the end of the day also.”

Jaemin leans further into your touch, nuzzling his cheek against your hand - “I love you.”

“I love you too, Jaemin.”

At the end of each day, Na Jaemin is always seeking solace in the presence of the moonlight welcoming him back home.