So news came out today that SHINee’s Kim Jonghyun is in a relationship with Korean actress, Shin Se Kyung.  Hmm.  I don’t know… but as a Shawol (what SHINee fans are called), I feel compelled to write an entry about it — not to bash them but to DEFEND THEM! 😉

The lovebirds: Kim Jonghyun and Shin Se Kyung

You see, here’s the truth: being a fangirl is hard.  But being a fangirl from a different country is much harder.  Trust me, I’m one myself.  But seriously?  When we become fans (and this applies to ALL FANS, K-pop or not),  we should already know the difference between fantasy and reality.  Yeah sure, dreaming of being in a relationship with one of our idols is fantastic but that’s where it’ll always be: IN.  OUR.  DREAMS!  Not to crush our hopes but that’s life and nobody said it’s fair.  I know this is a cliche now but we have to respect our idols’ private lives just like we like being respected on our own.  It’s normal to feel disappointed, and to some extent even jealous, but in the end, we should ALWAYS keep in mind the main reason why we became fans in the first place: our love for their MUSIC and TALENT!  I know this because for most international fans (like me) that do not understand Korean, their “music” is the only language we speak, which in an awesome way the one thing that also unites us — and that should be more than enough!  So, to bashers and haters, back off — or better yet, change your perspective for the better.

Thus, I just want to say that I’m really happy that Jonghyun finally has a girlfriend!  I bet just like anyone of us, he’d been waiting for “The One” to come along and it just so happened that she finally arrived.  Of course, for the other four members (Onew, my Key, my Minho, and Taemin), them having girlfriends in the future is inevitable so at this early point in time, let’s already BRACE OURSELVES!  Love, indeed, is a many splendored thing so let’s just keep it alive in all its forms, whether it’s love for our special someone, our family and friends, and yes, OUR IDOLS.  Who doesn’t want to be in love when we all know it’s such a great human emotion?  Plus, it really does make the world go round. 😉

Having said that, I have to admit that I’m already preparing myself if the same happens to my Key (or my Minho — what can I do?  I’m torn! Haha!)  But whatever happens, I’ll continue on loving SHINee and supporting their music, projects, and whatnot.

And since I’m already talking about Key, let me be a little off-topic here. 😉  If the same does happen to him, I’ll only have these words to say (or sing) to the one who holds the “key” to my heart *fangirl mode*:

♪♫ and when he smiles
the whole world stops and stares for awhile
’cause KEY is amazing just the way he is ♪♫ *

SHINee’s Key’s megawatt smile ❤

So to all my fellow Shawols out there, here’s my message for you — quoted (and paraphrased) from my friend and fellow Shawol, Camille Merza:

“We have too much ‘OBSESSION’ for SHINee.  However, not all fans experience ‘LOVE PAIN’ so let’s just say ‘HELLO’ to them and to one another.”

SHINee, FIGHTING!

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Disclaimer: I do not own the photos.
*inspired by Bruno Mars’“Just the Way You Are”😀