F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, "There are all kinds of love in this world, but never the same love twice," a statement that rings true even in the world of K-pop if you're a multi-stan. Whenever someone learns that I like multiple groups, they usually ask, "But which is your favorite?" But how am I supposed to compare extraordinarily talented individuals who have come to me at varying stages of life to teach me different meanings of joy? I can't.
Then I think about the phrase "ultimate bias." Who is the one idol who makes me feel the most? Who can change my day with a single note or a smile or, God forbid, tears? Whose words weigh on my heart the most? Kim Jonghyun of SHINee, the first Korean voice I ever heard.
So here are some of Jonghyun's quotes that I think about daily.
1. "I think it's okay to feel lost in your life. I think it's okay not to reach that final goal in your life. You may earn things while being lost or could make something out of it through the emotions you feel."
2. "You don't have to make someone else judge the satisfaction of your life."
3. "The most beautiful thing in all the world is right now. This moment. You. Don't ever forget that."
4. "Cry out loud once. Look at the mirror and shake it off. I've cried like that before, and others will have times like that too. Cheer up, you're not alone."
5. "I think time really is a medicine, but, sometimes, it's hard to know how to swallow that medicine."
6. "There is no shortcut to perfection. All it takes is hard work and more hard work."
7. "Destiny is nothing far away. . . You and I, we are destined."
8. "When your tears are falling just let them shed. I wish you'll think of it as if that weight inside your heart is getting out of your body drop by drop like that."
9. "Even though we can't communicate using the same language, we use music instead."
10. "Life is a continuation of meetings and farewells. Because of that process, I believe that we grow. It's unfortunate, disappointing, and we cry when it happens too soon, but we will definitely meet again later."
Thank you, Jonghyun. You did well.
