NOT THE HUG i'm cryinggg honestly the hug itself, as a singular event, is kind low on my binsung ranking simply because it was straight forward. there was cause for it, it was celebratory and something you would expect in that situation. but the hug's Impact, the Lore, the Meta... so meaningful that changbin would like... see jisung needing comfort and commit to it for SO long on stage just to soothe his precious dongsaeng. then it spawning an entire fundamental dynamic moment -- inspiring how we translate literally all their interactions... it's rare that ships have a singular moment of definition like that. not like the big bang, but like the first creature walking on land -- monumental and propelling us towards more complex arrangements...

like the FIRST thing i think of is that one 210809 live changbin did where he talked about jisung and their skinship -- of course that's inspired by the hug lore! but god he spent SO long how jisung was so cute all the time, and how he treated jisung cutely and would tickle his chin, AND how he actually did do more skinship with jisung, but jisung was the one who got flustered and wouldn't let him. then he realized that he still didn't try skinship with jisung as much as other members and he was like sorry hanie..........

it makes me crazy, especially from the angle of like... the skinship thing was such a set up for jisung just because he wanted to be the center of attention, and he wanted skinship publicly, and he wanted changbin to do it more -- but ultimately jisung wanted skinship because it translated something specific to the fans -- proof he is loved by this person. but when it came down to it changbin was like completely unwilling to do it publicly while jisung begged for it, but he DID do it privately and jisung couldn't handle it!! and like the... shrinking from it privately because it's harder to accept when it's actually just them makes me so fucking crazy. changbin admitting that he did it more so jisung wouldn't be as awkward. years later it's still a hurdle they haven't overcome because it was such a roadblock for so long.... the way their touch cannot be careless or thoughtless, but can be impulsive and impactful is like the CRUX of so much of their physical tension. even when they're trying to do something naturally, they are always weighing how it's been seen and viewed by others but ALSO how it's being interpreted by each other... RAAAAAH crazymaking!!!