jongdae is hilariously one of the members i think i have the least in common with? i share much more with sukaibaek, i think. i’m not even necessarily sure jongdae and i would even like each other if we met irl LMAO.

in many ways i am drawn to jongdae because of how different we are? i idolise him in the same way baekhyun does—from a place of perceived lacking and subsequent wonderment—which is a crucial part of why i’m so drawn to writing baekchen in his pov. but after some reflection, there are SOME aspects we’re similar in??

(warning for tmi to the max LOL): silent achievers, even if it is to our own detriment; preference for being the youngest in the group and almost exclusively attracted to older people LOL (but less superficially, what challenges/evades us); very strict in compartmentalising work/friends/family/fandom/etc. personas and interactions; extremely narrow, specialised skillset owing to our tunnel vision and specific perceived “purpose”; downright awful at keeping in contact, especially through socmed; comfort in being perceived as “boring” if it means evading personal questions; generally distant but… intense when it comes to the teeny tiny circle of people we ARE close with, making us circle back to general distance (see: “i don’t even mind”); lawful/principled/self-righteous LOL to a fault; actively striving to be “good” even if we do not think we are in essence (which is probably rooted in our catholic upbringings); undergoing a process of mellowing out as we age that includes gradually learning to accept help from others and express vulnerability.

caveat that of course a lot of this is perceived instead of actual, and is probably projection to some degree yada-yada. additionally, much of this can still be attributed to other members instead, especially baekhyun—baekchen get along because they are twins in a lot of aspects, in addition to their complementary differences. but i hope that answered the question LOL.