Hm... I’ve actually always kind of seen it the other way around! I don’t think sb is telling a white lie just to protect bg’s confidence. Whenever sb says he prefers bg with short hair, I believe he genuinely means it. On the other hand, I’ve gotten the impression that bg favors or feels more attached to his long hair, whether it's due to personal preference or because he thinks fans like it better on him. While this isn’t entirely true—many fans (including myself) love his short hair—bg might not realize this since his long hair has become such an iconic look that garnered a lot of attention from the public.

What stands out to me is how sb handles this. He clearly prefers bg’s short hair, but he’s very cautious about bringing this up to make sure bg doesn’t feel insecure about his long hair. For example, when sb once asked the other members which hairstyle they preferred on bg, all said long hair, so sb held back from sharing his own opinion since it was in the minority. He doesn’t want bg to feel like his long hair is unappreciated, especially if bg himself likes it. It’s like when someone gets a new hairstyle, like bangs, and they’re excited to show it to their partner. If their partner says, 'It looks good, but I liked you better before,’ it can feel disheartening. It might make them think, 'Why can’t you just say it looks good without comparing it to the old style?'

Sb is socially aware and wouldn’t ever want bg to feel bad about his preference for long hair, so he avoids making any negative ccomparisons and is careful not to impose his opinion, especially when bg has long hair. He doesn't tell bg to cut his hair first, but he fully supports him when bg expresses a desire to cut it. For instance, every time bg says, “I want to cut my hair,” sb encourages him, saying, “Then cut it!” He’s careful not to pressure bg into cutting it if he doesn’t want to, making sure it’s bg’s own decision. Once, after sb gave his usual support when bg said he wanted to cut his hair, yj chimed in, saying, “But I think you look good with long hair.” bg then turned to sb and said, “See? He says I look good with long hair.” sb had to explain, “I only told you to cut it because you said you wanted to,” emphasizing that his priority is to support bg’s decisions, not push his own preference.

bg might be a bit sensitive to this because he knows sb prefers his short hair, but sb is careful not to express that preference when bg has long hair, to avoid making him feel uncomfortable. Instead, sb only shares his preference when it’s appropriate—like when bg does cut his hair short—and during those times, sb doesn't hold back, showering him with compliments to reassure him that his short hair is just as appreciated.