Kim " K a i " Jongin

"I'd rather bend than break" - Kim Jongin

The dancing machine. 

I'm pretty sure that out of all the EXO Member's, Kai would be the first person that most of you had known. He was the first person in EXO K to be exposed to the public and he appeared in tons of teasers (in which he had choreographed himself).

And boy, is he vital.

When a group performs, our attention doesn't wander to the side or at the back but at the middle--and that's Kim Jongin's spot. The person placed at the centre carries the whole performance and since everyone looks at the one in the middle and since every member relies on the greatest one--we could say that there's been some kind of pressure on Kai's part. 

One wrong step and everyone would get confused, one wrong turn and it'll cause a noticable glitch. Of course, you could say that it's useless for me to talk about the negative things since Kim Jongin is a great performer and a smooth dancer. And that just goes to show how great of a dancer he really is--because the audience couldn't expect anything less than perfection from him. If you think of it that way, it really is scary.

But I think we know for sure that Kim Jongin doesn't look at things that way. That kid is dedicated, passionate, gifted. It's an infamous fact that Kai has took (or still takes, whatever it is) Jazz and Ballet classes. When he was in his fourth year of Elementary school, he saw a group of singers on television and he had asked his father 'what kind of dance is that?' to which his dad had responded. 'The kind of dance that singers dance.'

'I want to learn that.' He said and he did.

It started out as a curiosity and later turned into a hobby and then further developed into passion. His parents had been awfully supportive of him, enrolling him in dance classes and encouraging him all the way. Not everyone gets a chance to do something they love and have family supporting them. This was one of the factors that we would later on know to complete the whole 'Kim Jongin' now. 

At a ripe young age, he went to SMentertainment to become a trainee but had been told to come back after two years when he gets older. Having no choice, Kai left and in the course of two years he didn't stay neutral. He practiced, danced, practiced and then when the two-year mark ended, he went back to the company to train. 

If there was something that we could be proud about Kai, it is his dedication. 

Genius people are born.

However, if they don't use that inborn talent given to them; the hardworkers can zoom past them and simply take what should have been theirs easily. 

Kim Jongin, on the contrary, is a special case. He was already born to dance and he mixed that talent to a bucketful of hard-work, dedication and perserverance, creating something beautiful and intricate. He knew to himself that as long as he had this drive, nothing could stop him from being the best that he can be.

And following the rules of nature; when there's a fire; you can expect moths to get closer and be attracted to it. 

Our Kim JongIn was the fire, and the SMentertainment and the whole world were the moths. If you haven't noticed yet; every person who watched him dance had been awed and amazed by his smooth and sensous movements. We humans are attracted to new and beautiful things that haven't been there before. And that was our Kim Jongin. Something original, something refreshing and something amazing; a treasure. And no one ever lets a treasure slide out of their grasp. Instead, they showcased it and show it off to the world; like what SM did. They placed Kai in a large brotherhood that we now know as EXO.

The term 'EXO' had been derived from exoplanet ( planets that are outside the solar system ). This gave a new 'modern' sci-fi feel to the group and of course, they don't disappoint.

Their music videos were backed up with amazing and well executed visuals and accompanied with sharp and precise choreography. From the metallic-colored costumes, to the painted faces to the planned and well-thought out marketing; EXO shook the earth's crust and decended into the sky; leaving those of us who witnessed their wake with opened jaws and a trail of bewilderment. They were like a sudden success. 

It wasn't only their uniqueness when it comes to visuals that attracted us--but also their catchy and upbeat songs. Soon, heads started to turn and photographers started to shoot pictures of them and in the midst of all this sudden rise of fame--is Kim Jongin. 

Like the human body, each part has its own special functions that only it can do--that's the case with EXO. Each member has different strength, qualities and characteristics and they all blended those differences.

Let's say that Kim Jongin is a body part--he would be a leg alongside EXO-M's Lay.

Let me elaborate. 

The legs are what we use to stand up and move from one place to another. Without it, we would be paralyzed and we'd just lie or sit permanently in one place (unless we use wheelchairs and all but I'm just speaking metamorphically.) 

As one of the legs, Kim Jongin is what the whole of EXO needs to move forward and in directions where they need to go. Not only is this a figurative example, but also a literal one. Kai is a choreographer in his own right and I'm pretty sure that as the main dancer, he just doesn't focus on himself (for what kind of group would it be if only one person does well and the others do a sloppy job) but also on his co-members. He's the one that's in the centre--leading the dance and making sure that it all goes smoothly and that no one gets left behind when it comes to the choregraphy and timing. 

He's the person that the other members would look to when they have trouble understanding and executing some moves. He's the person who everyone relies on to really do a good job. He's the one who's dancing with all eyes on him ------and he's doing all this when he's only seventeen years old.  

We might say that he's still too young to be performing or dancing like that but here never was an age limit when it comes to achieving what you want in life. Kim Jongin is a prime example of not letting his age and youth get in the way of his dreams. Still too young? Do what Kai did-- wait for the time to be right and while waiting, make the most out of every second and prepare yourself. Actually, that's just one of the few things that we can get from him, want to know some more?

-There are different ways to express your gratitude.

Kai's not really famous in the 'fan service department.' Unlike other members, he doesn't feel comfortable making hearts or smiling manically at the fans. In fact, it would be pretty rare to catch him doing things that other idols does for thier fans. People might think he's being rude or ungrateful and if you do think that it's the case: You're wrong.

Not everyone has an open personality, not everyone easily opens up to others. As most of you might not yet know; Kai isn't really a snob nor is he just acting out of SM demands--it. is. just. him. It is just him being Kim Jongin.

The Kim Jongin whose shy. The Kim Jongin who quickly averts his gaze. The Kim Jongin who bites his lips. The Kim Jongin who smiles when its needed but otherwise, remain neutral. It's the Kim Jongin who seems cold and intimidating yet when that Kim Jongin steps on the stage; he dances his heart out--and that's how he expresses his gratitude.

Kai isn't blessed when it comes to expressing his feelings in words. He finds it difficult to tell just how much he's thankful just by saying a simple thank you and since his personality barricades him from being open to his fans, he expresses gratitude in the only way he knows how-- in his dance. When he's dancing, he's not just merely moving his body; he's trying to speak out and scream thank you to everyone. This is how much he's thankful for the support you've given him. He's so thankful that he practices harder and harder and trains longer just to improve himself and give you all a nice performance. Each move, each step in accordance to the beat; signifies feelings that  are too beautiful they can never be deciphered into words.

That's his secret when he's dancing--he expresses.

-Talent without anything can only get you far.

Like I said abut the genius and the hardworkers and Kai, hard work and dedication is important. But in my opinion, the most important aspect when it comes to anything is to have the passion.

If you have the talent but you aren't passionate about it; they I bet on my own life that you would give up halfway and try to look for something else to do.

If you have the passion and the drive to pursue what you want--anything that you try to do and obtain will be yours. It's as simple as that. Just look at Kai and you'll understand.

-Seek to give.

Deciding that they should do something for others, Kai (alongside other EXO members) volunteered to do charity work. Not for fame or for more attention but because they genuinely want to give back whatever love and support that they have recieved from their fans.

I could write about a million more things about Kai but it'd be too much and why should I? You should just look at that kid fueled with hope and a bright future and try to understand him. 

.

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Just a boy. A young boy who started to dance while he was still in the third grade and until now--he's still dancing. Just a boy who dreamt and worked really hard. Just a boy who valued simple things in life like his two dogs, his family, his friends, his co-members. Just a boy who wants to give to others what he has recieved. Just a boy who wanted to share beautiful things in this world to others. Just a boy who wears plain clothing when he's not on a photoshoot or on the stage. Just a normal, laid-back guy who could write you a love story trhough his body. Just a boy who knew what he wanted out of himself. Just a boy who sacrificed his free time, his studies, his sweat, and nearly everything just for us to witness a marvelous performance. Just a boy who liked to hang out on rooftops and bite his lips and read books and take long walks with his friends. Just a boy with eleven amazing brothers.

Just a boy. 

And he is Kim Jongin.

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