what was your first impression of soobin?

I have a secret name for each of the TXT members (okay, they're not THAT secret, I've posted them on Twitter before). They were first impression names that I gave each of the boys when I saw CROWN for the first time. Soobin's is really special to me, because it's what made me stan the band. I mean, originally, I was like, yeah I'm going to watch this because it's the same company as BTS and therefore I probably won't get triggered, but it could have gone so badly. TXT could have been anything but soft and fluffy and amazing, but they were, and it was exactly what I needed. And right in the middle was a tall boy with a baseball cap who sang masurisuri and made it click for me. Now, I've watched lots of boy band videos over the years, but I've only had lightning strike twice where I've looked at someone, they've opened their mouth, and I've instantly stanned them. I can no longer tell the first occurrence of this phenomenon, but Soobin is the second. By the time the video was done, I had to watch it again, and then again. So Soobin is, "I Don't Know Your Name, But You Are Beautiful."

what is your impression now of soobin?

K-Pop has always been loud and in your face entertainment. It's filled with stars that proclaim, "I Am The Best," going on and on about their apartments in Gangnam. Even BTS can sometimes be guilty of this, talking about how much sweat they've put into their work, that whole Baepsae mindset. TXT just...isn't like that. Fans know this. But what's remarkable about it is that so much of that comes from their leader, who was voted into the position. If Yeonjun had been the leader, TXT would be TOTALLY different. It's because introverted, sweet, soft, loves bread Choi Soobin is the leader that TXT is what it is, and I'm able to call it home.

how do you write soobin?

Soobin is an introvert, 120%, but he's also surrounded by extroverts ALL OF THE TIME. This can mean he sticks out like a sore thumb, but it can also mean he learns from them and is outgoing in his own way. A very good example of this is in NeoNara, where Soobin is notably more outgoing than his real life counterpart. This is due to two AU-specific parameters: Neo-Soobin has lived in New York City for two years, and NYC waits for no introvert; and Neo-Soobin is best friends with Daniel Choi, Gayest Man At Baruch College, and Beomgyu Choi, Lead Singer of Waeng. So some of their extrovertedness wears off on him:

"There you are," Beomgyu calls out. He is in his own deconstructed t-shirt, white in color with the New York City subway map on it, and torn up black jeans. A spiked choker that Tatiana probably bought for him sits around his neck. "There's too many fans from the city here. They're all gonna need their passports stamped."

"Yeah, can I introduce you guys?"

"Sure." Beomgyu hands Soobin a boom mic. "Go for it, dude. Just don't get too close to the monitors again."

"Oh, I know, I know." Soobin lets go of Taehyun's hand and suddenly feels empty as he ascends the stairs. The first few times he had introduced Waeng, he had stammered through his speech, and he still needs to think about what he's going to say. But Beomgyu had helped with that, kind of. All he has to do is announce them, and tell them where to find him to stamp passports.

"Hey guys," he says as the foley music dies down, and it's just him and the crowd, who start cheering. "Uh, what's up, so, my name is Soobin and I am the promoter for...this great band named Waeng! Give it up for them!"

The audience cheers. "You're doing great, Soobinnie!" Soobin hears Cici scream over the crowd.

In Dream On, Cinderella, Soobin has a dream of traveling the world, but his mother (the wicked stepmother) keeps ignoring his desires. It's not until he goes to the ball and meets Prince Kai that he starts to get somewhere:

"Your Majesty, is there something I can assist you with?"

"Oh, I was just watching you sit along the wall. You've been up there for the entire evening. Is there a reason you haven't filled out your dance card?"

Soobin felt embarrassed. "I'm too shy to talk to girls. Or boys. And, I don't know, it doesn't really interest me. But I want to dance."

"Well, my dance card has already been filled out, courtesy of my sister Lea," the Prince said. "But perhaps we can dance here, together, in the shadows?" He held out his hand.

Soobin bowed. "That - that would be amazing, Your Majesty!"

He giggled, light, high-pitched. "Please. Call me Kai. May I have this dance, um...?"

"Soobin," he said, giving a silly bunny smile. And so, they danced in myriads of ways, away from everybody else who might be watching.

It's because Soobin relies on those around him that he's able to get where he is today. He will ignore the haters, of course. That's just how Soobin is. But once you're a friend of Soobin's, you're a friend for life.

what would you like to say to soobin on his birthday?

There are so many people who have already said wondering and amazing things to Soobin on his birthday. So I would just like him to know: I'm glad he exists. I'm glad this old dog can learn a few new tricks from him. And I'm able to believe that I can actually really meet him someday. When I do, I promise I'll be a responsible fan. I'm usually not that big into meeting your heroes, because things never turn out the way you expect them to. But I think in the context of a fan meet where I only get X amount of time to talk to him, and he's gotta perform anyway, I think I would like to sit across from him and say, "I'm so glad I got to meet you."