Ok general disclaimer(s). First, I truly got this as an ask and wasn’t inbox stuffing. Second, all the things I’m about to complain about, I am extremely guilty of at times. Finally, I am a liar and a dramatic, so I will come at you and say “I have the most controversial take ever” and its really just mid. So there’s that. Like actually reading through my Jeongbin take and it’s pretty much in alignment with every other Jeongbin take out there…oop.

Obligatory explication–I view Itabin and Jeongbin as like two sides of the same coin or like, some sun and moon shit. Like very similar but the devil is in the details and the details are important.

To me, Itabin is, at the core is very much an, “against all odds, I am here with you. I have seen the more human parts of you, and it’s made me feel more comfortable with the human parts of myself.” It’s very companionate, and it kind of exists in the white space even if they’re placing themselves front and center.

My crux for all of this IS absolutely Hanbin: calling out Ciipher by name, saying his impression of Keita was “like a celebrity” and mentioning knowing him via YGTB. Through BP, Hanbin basically saw a remarkably hardworking, talented person, who made the most of second/third chances continue to get knocked down. It would be easy, as an insanely talented trainee, who went to multiple companies, who never quite got his flowers on BP, to feel wildly uncomfortable through all those parallels.

From Keita’s side we also have Hanbin’s purposeful switch into Switch, actively pursuing something he did not want for himself. Hanbin’s Law team winning over Zoom and getting the MCountdown bump…Like its a weird tradeoff where Keita was continually in the top without bennies. Hanbin “got” certain levels of recognition but never scraped the top. Hanbin has a toothiness (literal and metaphorical) that Keita outwardly doesn’t really show, but definitely has. As it’s clear that he played the game. To end up in the same place must have been a bit jarring.

I think it also should be noted how much Keita did for other people during BP. Nobody brought clothes. He dressed everyone. Like everyone in the valentines day photos is wearing Keita’s fuzzy black shirt. He generated about a billion viral phrases for other people.

But here we are a year later. The idea of Hanbin as a Spartan Leader type is pretty much gone by the wayside. I’m not saying he doesn’t help, take on leadership roles, etc. Its just that image is pretty much gone from the general Evnne dynamic script, with Keita taking on the leader role. At the same time, we get little subtle things like Hanbin being the main uploader of itabin content, pushing a few ship names itabin and also loveydoveyz, and basically running fanservice PR for his very offline fated person.

So for me personally, the kind of off the shelf “shippy” moments we get (e.g. this morning’s idol radio smooch) don’t really do anything for me. For me, this is not a “get a room” or “they’re so in love” ship. Like I said, I am guilty of writing this way for the sake of torturing Yunseo. But, LBR the main ship aggregator account takes a lot of liberties with what is a ‘moment’ with these two. And that’s ok.

For me personally, the devil is in the details. The looks, the casual drink sharing, the one off comments, “yeah, that guy clings to me like a burr.” I think it’s just more of a, ‘the mask comes down when it’s safe’ kind of thing. As a ship they’re quiet (in a way that neither of them like, actually are, if that makes sense). Now that doesn’t mean we can’t write about them having wild passionate sex.

Now Jeongbin to me are very, “despite the fact that we tried so hard for things to be different, I’m here in this space (not just in a consolation group, but also like in the awkward liminal emotional space) with you. Through you, I’ve seen the more human parts of myself, and it’s made me deeply uncomfortable.”

It’s also a ship that’s in the details (but im annoying and every ship is in the details). I care so much about you..But we’re so fundamentally different as people, I don’t really know what to do with you. I empathize with you broadly, but nothing you do really makes sense to me. How could they when neither of them made the final group, when they saw their company letting go of the people they trained with every day for years? How can you help someone when you’re kind of drowning too?

Very much, the mask comes on, but you’ve already seen everything–good and bad. But they keep putting the walls up / mask on.

It’s kind of like when you’re like “oh i cant stand that person” and another person is like “oh, you’re really similar.” and it just incenses you more. (DISCLAIMER: I DONT THINK THEY HAVE ACTIVE BEEF WITH EACH OTHER–IF ANYTHING, I THINK THEY’RE BOTH TRYING TO FIX SOMETHING THAT ISN’T EVEN THAT BROKEN TO BEGIN WITH AND DOING BADLY). Very hedgehog’s dilemma.

I think the thing that I overtly don’t love (again I am guilty of this too. Like, I’ve done it at least in 2 fics) is the idea that Jeongbin eventually “loses out” to another ship. Or is a stopgap ship. Even when jeongbin are in the spotlight, it feels like they’re not. A series of bad choices/coping post messy breakup with Taerae, or something that happens beore itabin. Now, you don’t have this ship without the lore, but it can feel off kilter at times (and there are great jeongbin fics in this fandom that I adore)

Yeah, a somewhat functional Jeongbin would require a lot of effort, reflection, etc, that is unlikely for 22 year old boys to handle. That’s okay, they could and likely would stay messy. BUT I would love to see the script flipped where leejeong gets his man (after a lot of fraughtness and borderline psychological torture). Situations where Jeongbin actively choose each other, instead of just letting inertia keep smashing them into each other until they’re bruised would be great.

Like I’d love to see a situation where when confronted with two ostensibly straight boys (itajeong) he rolls with Leejeong (that’s his past, present and future yall). Or like, ‘when it comes to two potential partners that I have to really take care of and do a lot of emotional heavy lifting with (jeongrae), I’m going to go with Leejeong.

These are my thoughts.