365 days with b1a4
B1A4 is my ot5.
Kpop is very superficial. I think we all know that. We're easily captivated by bright lights and beautiful smiling faces. B1A4 is like that, they're not that different, really. But that energy they had? That honesty and optimism that seemed to leak out from everything they did? That was special and different. That grabbed at me.
You're going to be my 'yes man'?
Okay.
"O.K." was fun, was cute, was quirky. It wasn't much at all, it didn't have a lot of depth, it was simple. Just five boys in love with a girl. Five boys looking for love. But really, the other way of interpreting it would be that they were looking for love from us. They were calling out to everybody, asking us to love them. And who answered? All those fans who gathered on the day of their debut, all those fans who cheered them on every step of the way from their debut. We went nameless, until our leader Jinyoung told us on the 31st of July that we had a name; that we were called 'BANA'. And by then, we had been through a lot, they had run through their follow-up promotions, they had been on a show with Block B. And heck, they were worming their way into our hearts. It kept going, "Beautiful Target" which was probably the most senseless and adorable thing that I had come across in all my time in Kpop. Follow-up promotions for "My Love" and those end of year events? B1A4 did us proud, so incredibly proud.
We ran head-first into 2012 and the delayed comeback was indeed worth the wait. They came back different, not quite boys anymore, but not quite men yet. The transition, as we were told. And Jinyoung, did BANA so proud with "Baby, I'm Sorry". No, every single one of the boys made us proud to be called BANA. Their performances were still flawless, in fact, they were making us feel that we should expect nothing less than perfection from them when they're onstage.
The thing is once you get on the B1A4 train, you can't get off. You just can't.
I stayed with them. I watched just about every appearance they made. I got to know them each. Not just as CNU, Jinyoung, Sandeul, Baro and Gongchan. Not just the shining people onstage. I got to know them as Shin Dongwoo. As Jung Jinyoung. As Lee Junghwan. As Cha Sunwoo. As Gong Chanshik.
I saw Dongwoo, the oldest, the tallest, the hyung who was not the leader. He was the one who had people falling for him left and right. He wasn't conventional, not the sought-after pretty boy, not the outgoing one. But he was special, he was talented. Maybe I didn't pay as much attention to Dongwoo as I should have, but I did notice. I realised how hard-working he was, how dedicated he was to his dream, to B1A4. I saw his gentle and reserved ways, the manner in which he looked after his younger brothers. Dongwoo is our precious Shinbear, the one who is fearless but also protective of his younger brothers. He is hilarious in his own, unique way, and personally, I hope he knows that. More than anything else, Dongwoo never failed to do his very best, from the start, right up to now. I see him, making sure to promote B1A4, making sure to smile, to greet politely. Never failing to stretch, reach, for those notes which are almost completely out of his reach. And he reaches them. Every. Single. Time.
I saw Jinyoung, the one with so much weight on his shoulders. I didn't see it immediately, I always think to myself, should I have? Most leaders are the oldest ones and often work the hardest. The ones with respect bestowed upon them by the basic societal standards. Jinyoung wasn't the leader by age, he was the leader by ability. Jinyoung had musical talent, he put it in use, he worked hard, for his own dream, for those other four boys that he led. He took what ability he had and the trust our boys put in him, and he led them. Earlier on, he was the spokesperson, he was the face and the voice all in one. Today, he is still very much those things, but even more as well. He is charming and awkward. He has poor physical stamina - but don't they all? He is our youthful 'grandpa'. Being the leader is always a challenge, no matter who it is. Jinyoung is no different. We've watched him work until he developed a stye (perhaps from exhaustion), we've watched him lead B1A4 perfectly and he will definitely continue to do so in future. Maybe he's not perfect, he's still learning, but he will never fail to do us BANAs proud. We've fallen for each other, right?
I saw Junghwan, the boy you cannot stop listening to. On the surface, he is completely adorable. His laughter, his smile would never fail to bring joy to those around him. He was unfailing in his unofficial mission to bring warmth to those that came in contact with him. He might not look too special, he's not the prettiest boy out there, and some say he's normal, but still, he's undeniably gorgeous. Even more though, past the smiles, past the dorkiness that he personifies, Junghwan was a boy with a dream. He had the voice, he had a dream and he worked for it. He has always been stepping on stages, his debut with B1A4 was a continuation of his story, the launching of his dream. No fan likes to say, it, but he had to change physically, to get where he is now. The diet, shedding the glasses. Junghwan never stops working hard, he always aims to deliver perfection and he has, every single time. Still, like any fan, I fear the day that he cracks and breaks, sometimes, I watch and I hold my breath, breathe a sigh of relief when he delivers his parts flawlessly. I worry for him when he appears on radio and sings his heart out, even when he's sick. This is our precious Junghwan.
I saw Sunwoo, the one who was different, but essential. He was and is the B for every A. He is B1A4's mood maker, he has so much energy and so much passion for his dream. Sunwoo, who put everything he could into rapping and delivered with brilliance that made him impossible to ignore. Whatever B1A4 did, he made sure not to miss out. He did what he could to contribute to B1A4, be it creating the sprout dance or writing lyrics. He was the one who wasn't afraid to express what he held inside. He was almost shameless on his quest to bring happiness, not only to his fans, but also to his bandmates. Completely eager to take on the role of the 'squirrel princess' (or recently, 'prince'), we will never forget Sunwoo. He wasn't the best singer, but he still tried his very best. More than the others, it's more obvious that he grows, transforms, right before our eyes at an amazing pace. Sunwoo is our rapper who is willing to cast aside any reservations about his ability, and sing. Sunwoo, our hat rack, our favourite troublemaker.
I saw Chanshik, the treasured maknae, my bias. Chanshik is not perfect, nobody is. Maybe this is why he is the one who has stolen my heart. He is not perfect, despite his flawless looks (and even then, he is not perfect - one double eyelid and a scar on his lieft eye). He is not B1A4's singer, he is not B1A4's rapper. Instead, he is their visual and maknae. The one who never fails to take care of his hyungs. The one who loves his fans to fault. He wants to be a part of B1A4, he wants to make music - and really make it - with his precious hyungs. He is a fighter, and I don't believe that he will stop until he reaches his destination. Chanshik is BANA's precious and irreplaceable maknae. The one who cries because he misses his family, the one who tries to hide those tears because he doesn't want to hurt his band mates, doesn't want to hurt BANA. Chanshik shows us, more than anybody else, I think, that human beings are not perfect, but we can always try. If you try, you'll get somewhere beautiful.
These five boys, together, are B1A4. Five boys who are not afraid of aiming high, of trying out new things. The five boys who will always listen to the messages BANA has for them. We've known each other for a year now and like our name, we've fallen for each other. B1A4 is precious to us and we will continue looking at them, and only them. We are the sunflowers and these five boys are our sun.
I've spent 365 days with B1A4. I can almost write essays on these five boys, about their determination and hard work. About their charms and hilarious moments. I can go on and on about why I love these boys, but I won't. Instead, I want to wish them well, along with the rest of BANA who has spent a beautiful 365 days with them. I know that they have a bright future, it isn't going to be easy - it never is, but I know that they will pull through and BANA will always support them.