The beautiful times of Kim Hyun Joong and me:

[Part 1] The beautiful times of Kim Hyun Joong and me: 〈Things I wished to say〉

Many people asked, what is the most essential requirement for my current job?

Normally my first reply is: 「Keep Calm/Composed」. This is also what I felt most confident of and did very well. But this year’s summer, because of Kim Hyun Joong,  I almost lost my composure.

Maybe it’s because from the first publication of TRENDY (magazine) onwards, began the irrevocable bond with Kim Hyun Joong, thus be it during SS501 days or when they went on solo activities, TRENDY is never standing at the position of 「cover」, but together with fans standing by his side, and unknowingly the time of 5 years had past~

Prior to Kim Hyun Joong’s Taiwan trip in July, despite the multiple hiccups, but I believed that placing Taiwan as the first stop for World Tour before his army enlistment, Taiwan must have spell a special meaning to him!

Frankly speaking before arriving at the concert venue, I felt that I’ve already prepared myself that after this concert it will be a long 「farewell」 for us and Kim Hyun Joong. In each and every song that he prepared with great care and performed at his best, moments of each partnership with Kim Hyun Joong in this 5 years kept flashing in my mind. Despite a few times when tears wet my eyes, I didn’t let the tears flow down, until when he sang this song which was recorded in his latest Korean album 《TIMING》 ─ 〈Say Something〉. That day probably is also the first time he sang this song on stage……

Maybe some might feel that the lyrics of this song is too sorrowful, and it’s also about the parting of a couple? But maybe everyone also noticed that day when Kim Hyun Joong was singing this song, there was Chinese translated lyrics showing on the stage. And it was in traditional Chinese. For a ‘tough man Kim Hyun Joong’ who will cringe when he is showing too much of his feelings, this is probably his best way to express his emotions?! That day~ he put in even more effort to speak Chinese :「I’m really～thankful to you all for coming to see me」、「I will come again next time!」…… This is probably also the one time that we heard him said so much Chinese in these 5 years! I think not just me but everyone had also received his kind thoughts.

Thereafter~ many people asked me, that night was there a few times where Kim Hyun Joong had tears in his eyes? Actually I’ve no means to answer, because the tears that I’ve been holding back for a long while had already blurred my vision.

I received an invitation from the record company today, hoping to share some stories of 「The beautiful times of Kim Hyun Joong and me」 with everyone, and so I started listening to 〈Say Something〉 again……I am reminded of the moment when my eyes turned blurry with tears, in future it will also be like the every moment in the past which will become beautiful moments! As for the stories (that happened) before~will tell you all next time! Till then~ let’s listen to 〈Say Something〉together……

[Part 2] The beautiful times of Kim Hyun Joong and me: 〈Flowerboy’s 4D soul〉

Thinking back about the first encounter at work with Kim Hyun Joong, frankly speaking~ it was a memory of ‘mixed feelings’. Maybe everyone won’t believe it but the first time when I interviewed Kim Hyun Joong, I really had the ‘cold sweat pouring down’ or even ‘soul scattering off’ type of feeling. It’s not because I was too nervous, but it was this gentleman being ‘too involved’ (very involved in the interview)!

That was SS501’s first time to Taiwan, also the first artiste that TRENDY personally interviewed since first publication. In order to play a dutiful host, during the interview we almost moved a fruit stall, drink stall and a whole minimart over. Starting from bubble milk tea, each time I took out something all other members will cheer and fighting to try it out, then they will respond with a very satisfying look and wide smiles and kept saying it’s very delicious. Only Hyun Joong whom just quietly look on and occasionally nod his head slightly, I even suspect the person in front of me actually is not Kim Hyun Joong but [Jihoo sunbae], and is the one who is having bad mood! As I take out more tidbits my cold sweat also rain down profusely, because Jihoo sunbae~ no~ is Hyun Joong still has no expressions, until when I’m left with last two pieces of [treasure] and at the verge of my soul going to leave my body, with no more hope I took out  a packet of cod fish snack, surprisingly at the next moment….[Jihoo sunbae] suddenly ‘left’….and Kim Hyun Joong is back! He suddenly flashed a brilliant smile, took the cod fish snack from my hand, and after keeping quiet for half the time, he finally started talking! Although his first sentence was: “Oh~ I ate this before, it’s very yummy, I like it.” Next up, not only just expressions and smiles, even his [4D soul] is all back! During the interview that day, he acted out a very classic [Sorrowful Backview], causing everyone at the film set roaring with laughter. That’s also my first time personally witnessing his 4D soul.

As the number of times I have contact with Kim Hyun Joong increases, slowly I realised that his 4Dness is not nonsensical or that he got a weird character, but coming from his [sincerity]. Because he is very [sincere] towards everything, thus naturally he replies with what comes in mind, without polishing nor beat around the bush. And because of [sincerity] thus very often when he is thinking about something, he will be immersed in his own universe (dazed out) and forgot to come out of it, when he remembers he need to come out of it, everyone has already moved into the next part already!

But it’s also because of his [sincerity] that we can see Kim Hyun Joong transform from [Jihoo sunbae] who had deep affection to become God of Battle [Shin Jung Tae]. His music is also multi-genre and diverse, a very manly 〈Break Down〉, 〈Unbreakable〉 to yuppie style 〈Lucky Guy〉, 〈Beauty Beauty〉 and fast melody 〈KISS KISS〉, 〈Let’s Party〉, 〈Gentleman〉 and even affectionate ones like 〈Please〉, 〈Your Story〉, 〈I’m Your Man〉……

If I’m to pick one genre that’s closest to the real Kim Hyun Joong? My answer is, every genre is the real him. If you think that all these multi-genre styles are enough to satisfy him? Actually not, everyone can listen to his latest mini album’s 〈His Habit〉 which is a collaboration with Lim Kim and Kanto, maybe then you’ll understand what I’ve said.

As for the 4D encounters that I’ve witnessed personally over the years, I’m afraid it would take thousand and one night for me to tell you. But there’s one which I’ve said quite a few times and I can’t make out whether to cry or to laugh, and that is [bubble milk tea]. It was two years after Mr Uzoosin’s first trip to Taiwan, and it was in front of me when he surprisingly discovered that bubble milk tea is not coffee but red tea with milk……only then that he started to fall in love with this Taiwan signature drink. Thereafter in one occasion, as he was drinking bubble milk tea and sharing with me that during the time when he had just finished filming [Boys Over Flowers], it took him a period of time to break away from the character. At that point of time I gave a resentful look~ I really can comprehend and told him that during the first time I interviewed him, how my soul almost flew away and in the end he……burst into laughter!

Ok! Even if he continues to be 4D till age of 80 and become 4D grandpa, I think everyone will still love him!

Touch your left chest and say, isn’t it so?

[Part 3] The beautiful times of Kim Hyun Joong and me: 〈A virile man with Peter Pan staying in his heart〉

Once, a colleague asked me out of curiosity, is the difficulty level high when doing interview with Kim Hyun Joong? Being asked like that, it aroused my curiosity instead. Why such a question? Colleague laughed and said~ because Kim Hyun Joong is well-known for his 「4Dness」, is it difficult to carry on the conversation or unable to understand his replies?

I gave it a serious thought and tried to recollect, it seem I’ve never came across such situation before. But if I must pick a moment when I felt difficult or perplexed when I’m interviewing Kim Hyun Joong~ hmm……I think it’s when many times while we were chatting, and suddenly I had signs of 「age sense capability」confusion.

Among the many Korean artistes I’ve interviewed, I can accurately guess the age of them when I’m looking up the materials before the interviews. So whether they are younger than me or older than me, or if they are like friends with the same age as me, actually I can tell the difference clearly. Even when it’s at the actual interview, usually the difference won’t be very big too. Except Kim Hyun Joong, whom always caused confusion on me. In reality, okies~ I admit I am 「noona」, afterall I am really a few years older than Kim Hyun Joong. It’s just that since the first interview with him, my cognition kept having misconception that he is my 「same age friend」, and how I have this feeling probably is because of his very 「manly side」! Actually even if not having a face to face conversation with him, just from Kim Hyun Joong’s first mini album 《Break Down》onward, it’s not hard to discover the side which he has been wanting to show, and that is the more manly side of him. It’s not saying that he purposely wants to do this, but it’s that it is closer to he himself. Afterall he has always been a 「tough guy who does everything with his might」, be it for his dream as a singer, be it the actor path which he later stepped on, all along Kim Hyun Joong has never once stopped, he tried to his best in each thing that he does. He move forward based on the plans he made, he is also the only artiste among the many that I’ve interviewed who is able to tell what are his plans for the coming six months without hesitation, and then almost without fail he was able to achieve them. And also because Kim Hyun Joong is such a person, thus for people who are still hesitant to achieve their dreams, he said anxiously: 「There’s not much time already! No matter what your dream is, hurry up and take action now! And do it with all your might!」These words he said, to me who was doing the interviewing with him back then, actually it gave me very huge courage and encouragement!

And his 「virile man’s cells」also reflected on how he get along with his friends. I remembered asking him does he go for a cup of coffee or high tea with friends when he got free time? He said he don’t drink coffee and seldom drink tea, so he usually meet up with friends for dinner or a drink, then he asked me: 「With guy friend sitting opposite drinking coffee together, isn’t it weird? And also I don’t drink coffee, if we drink water together, it’s even more weird?」 His puzzled expression with his head slanted to one side has left deep impression in me even till now.

But yet this 「virile man」will keep 「reminding」me ─ that actually he is a big boy. For example, every time after the interview ends and at a 「Timing」 most unexpected, he will let himself go and start practicing his dance choreography. Or during photography session, he’ll suddenly go up the chair handsomely and posed in position of what we’ve wanted him to do so, then looking at us who are in a daze and revealed a smile that is even brighter than the sunlight. Or it could be when he talk about his idol, the eyes shone with brilliancy and innocence……

Although I do suspect that he is an alien that has his own planet, but I’m more convinced that there’s a 「Peter Pan」staying in his heart ─ one that doesn’t wish to grow up. Or else he won’t be saying in his concert:「Everyone had also aged 5 years like me, really so sad.」 A naughty boy who is not even 30 years old, it is 「grown up」5 years，not 「aged」5 years! What are the sisters going to react to your sad words? And also~ asked if he has lose weight? He replied me with a serious face:「It should be because I’ve aged, so the baby fats were gone.」

So I ask for everyone to judge, I am not wrong to say that Kim Hyun Joong is 「a virile man with a Peter Pan in his heart」 right? If you still want to verify this saying, I suggests that everyone can take out Kim Hyun Joong’s albums starting from 《Break Down》 to the latest Korean album 《TIMING》 and listen all over again. From his music you can definitely discover the manliness he wanted to show, and also the Peter Pan that is in his heart. Maybe after you’ve finish listening to the songs, you can tell me which side of Kim Hyun Joong do you like?

Eh?! I think I’ve asked a very difficult question, because I think I……also can’t pick my choice! Haha~ in that case I’ll leave the difficult question to you all!

[Part 4] The beautiful times of Kim Hyun Joong and me: 〈Waiting & Anticipating〉

Believed that everyone were shocked by the recent news on Kim Hyun Joong? Because even if I’m just standing from the point of work, I also can’t deny the impact that was brought upon from this news. Just that, I think I can choose to wait. Wait until the time when I feel I can reckon it, then I’ll judge.

Actually, between the idol that one like, everyone have the beautiful times that belong to them. Thus no matter what thoughts you have, your stand and views, you don’t need agreement from others, afterall it’s a story that belongs to you, you know it will do.

Idol is also a human, of course he got his own personal life. But when he received so much love and support from so many people, in relation there’s responsibilities and obligations that he need to undertake. So if he really did something wrong, no matter what it is, then face it bravely, admit his mistake and take on the responsibilities, learn from bitter experience.

Fans are also human, other than the  infinite indulgence and support on normal days, must also possess the ability to judge the rights and wrongs. Afterall no matter how excusable, the truth is not a pretense by covering the eyes or ears, the right and wrong in this world can be changed.

However no matter what the outcome is in the end, he has already owed an explanation to all the fans who love him, care for him and supported him. However no matter in the end fans decide to stay or leave, I believe everyone will make a decision from their heart.

~ The End~

Article Courtesy by Warner Taiwan + (eng trans) kelemama.wordpress.com

Repost with full credits

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[Partea 1] : The beautiful times of Kim Hyun Joong and me〈Lucrurile pe care am vrut sa le spun〉

Multi oameni au intrebat, care este cerinta cea mai importanta pentru slujba mea actuala?

In mod normal, primul meu raspuns este: 「Pastrati-va calmul / Compus」. Aceasta este, de asemenea, ceea ce am simtit cel mai sigur de si am facut foarte bine. Dar in vara acestui an, din cauza lui Kim Hyun Joong, aproape ca mi-am pierdut calmul.

Poate pentru ca de la prima publicare a TRENDY (revista) , a inceput legatura irevocabila cu Kim Hyun Joong, , sa fie din timpul SS501  sau de  cand  au avut activitati solo.

Am crezut ca prima oprire pt World Tour ,in  Taiwan ,inainte de inrolarea lui armata,s-a datorat faptului ca acesta tara trebuie sa aiba o semnificatie speciala pentru el!

Sincer vorbind ,inainte de a ajunge la locul desfasurarii concertului, am simtit ca m-am am pregatit deja ca dupa acest concert va fi un 「ramas bun」pentru noi si Kim Hyun Joong. In fiecare melodie pe care a pregatit o cu mare grija  si cantata din tot sufletul, momentele fiecarui parteneriat cu Kim Hyun Joong , acesti 5 ani mi-au venit in minte. In ciuda unor momente cand mi-au dat lacrimile nu am pana, pana cand a cantat această melodie care a fost inregistrata ca cel mai recent album coreean 《TIMING》 ─ 〈Say Something〉 In acea zi, probabil, este, de asemenea, prima data cand a cantat aceasta melodie pe scena ...

Poate unii au simtit ca versurile acestei piese sunt prea dureroase, si este, de asemenea, despre despartirea de un cuplu? Dar poate ca  toata lumea a observat, de asemenea, ca in ziua in care Kim Hyun Joong  cantat acest cantec, au  versurile au fost traduse in chineza si aratate fanilor. Si au fost in chineza traditionala. Pentru un "om dur Kim Hyun Joong",probabil,acesta este  cel mai bun mod de a-si exprima emotiile ?! In acea zi ~ a depus chiar mai mult efort pentru a vorbi in chineza: 「Sunt foarte recunoscator ~ pentru ca ati venit toti sa ma vedeti」, 「voi veni din nou data viitoare!」.

Multi oameni m-au intrebat daca in acea noapte a fost momente in care Kim Hyun Joong avea lacrimi in ochi.Nu pot raspunde pt ca in vizunea mea lacrimile tinute in tot acest timp m-au facut confuza.

Astazi am primit o invitatie de la compania de inregistrari, in speranta de a impartasi cateva povesti 「Momentele mele frumoase cu Kim Hyun Joong」 cu toata lumea,si asa am inceput sa ascult〈Say Something〉din nou ...... Imi amintesc de momentul in care ochii mi s au umplut cu lacrimi.

[Partea a2a] The beautiful times of Kim Hyun Joong and me: 〈Sufletul 4D〉

Gandindu-ma la prima intalnire la locul de munca cu Kim Hyun Joong, sincer vorbind ~ a fost o memorie cu "sentimente amestecate". Cand  l-am intervievat pe Kim Hyun Joong pt prima data am fost emotionata ,deoarce  acest domn era "prea implicat" (foarte implicat intr-un interviu)!

Asta a fost prima data cand SS501 erau in Taiwan, de asemenea, primul artist pe care TRENDY l-a intervievat personal de la prima publicare. Cu scopul de a fi o gazda respectuasa, in timpul interviului mai  ca am mutat aproape un stand de fructe, un stand cu bautura si un intreg minimart. Pornind de la ceai -lapte cu bule, de fiecare data cand am luat ceva toti ceilalti ridicau moralul si sa incerce, raspuzand  cu un aspect foarte satisfacator si zambete largi spunand ca e foarte delicios. Numai Hyun Joong se uita in liniste  si din cand in cand din cap, chiar banuiam ca persoana din fata mea, de fapt nu este Kim Hyun Joong ,ci [Jihoo sunbae], si acesta avand o stare de spirit proasta! Transpirand ,pentru ca Jihoo sunbae ~ nu~ este Hyun Joong ,inca nu avea nici o expresie, si ramanand  cu ultimele doua bucati de „comoara”, sufletul parasindu-mi corpul, fara speranta am scos un pachet cu gustare ,de peste.In mod surprinzator in momentul urmator .... [Jihoo sunbae] brusc "stanga" ... si Kim Hyun Joong este inapoi! Deodata ,cuun zambet stralucitor, a luat gustarea de peste din mana mea, si dupa un moment de tacere,incepe in cele din urma sa vorbesca! Desi prima sa propozitie a fost: "Oh ~ Am mai  mancat asta, e foarte gustos, imi place." Apoi,nu numai doar expresia si zambetul, dar chiar si”sufletul 4D” s-au intors. In timpul interviului din acea zi, el a actionat  foarte clasic provocand  pe toata lumea de pe platoul de filmare sa rada in hohote. Acesta este, de asemenea, prima data cand am fost martora sufletului 4D.

Pe masura ce numarul de contact cu KHJ a crscut,incet mi- am dat seama ca 4D sau nu este lipsit de sens sau el e un personaj ciudat, ci provine din sinceritatea lui. Pentru că el este foarte sincer fata de tot ceea ce, prin urmare,in mod natural el raspunde cu ceea ce ii vine in minte, fara sa se gandesca. Si datorita sinceritatii, de foarte multe ori, atunci cand el se gandeste la ceva, el este cufundat in propiul univers uitand sa iasa din el, si atunci cand isi aminteste ca  trebuie sa iasa din el, deja toata lumea a trecut la cealalta etapa!

Dar este, de asemenea, din cauza sinceritatii sale, putem vedea transformarea lui  Kim Hyun Joong de la Jihoo sunbae,la luptatorul Shin Jung Tae. Muzica sa este, de asemenea, diversa ca gen, si foarte masculina〈Break Down〉, 〈Unbreakable〉 to yuppie style 〈Lucky Guy〉, 〈Beauty Beauty〉 and fast melody 〈KISS KISS〉, 〈Let’s Party〉, 〈Gentleman〉 and even affectionate ones like 〈Please〉, 〈Your Story〉, 〈I’m Your Man〉.

Daca ar fi sa aleg  un gen care e cel mai apropiat de realul, Kim Hyun Joong?

 Raspunsul meu este, fiecare gen este realul KHJ. Dar credeti ca toate aceste stiluri ,genuri sunt suficiente pentru a-l satisface? De fapt nu, oricine poate asculta ultimul sau mini album 〈His Habit〉care este o colaborare cu Lim Kim si Kanto, poate atunci vei intelege ce am spus.

In ceea ce priveste intalnirea cu 4D pe care l-am asistat personal de-a lungul anilor, mi-e teama ca-mi  lua 1001 nopti ca sa va spun. Dar este unul pe  care l-am spus de cateva ori si nu-mi pot da seama daca sa rad sau sa plang, si acela este [ceaiul–lapte cu bule]. Au fost doi ani de la prima calatorie a domnului Uzoosin in Taiwan, si a fost in fata mea atunci cand a descoperit cu surprindere ca ceaiul- lapte cu bule nu este cafea, ci este ceai rosu cu lapte ...... doar atunci el a inceput sa se indragosteasca de cu aceasta bautura din Taiwan.

Ok! Chiar dacă el continua sa fie 4D pana la varsta de 80 si devine bunicul 4D, cred ca toata lumea il va iubi in continuare!