ryeowook is sooo perfect for variety shows they should really cast him and let him just be himself and also cast him alongside changmin, their banter is so good
๐ค: Winter or summer? One, two, three.
๐ฆ: Winter!
๐ค: Summer!
๐ค: Whoa, thatโs different. You chose winter?
๐ฆ: Yeah, winter.
๐ค: Sweet or savory? One, two, three.
๐ค๐ฆ: Savory!
๐ค: I really donโt like sweet things anyway.
๐ค: Hot pot or grilled meat? One, two, three.
๐ค๐ฆ: Hot pot!
๐ฆ: Ah, our hot pot! We go to places like Haidilao a lot. We really love it. Ah, hot pot is so delicious.
๐ค: Staying up late or waking up early? One, two, three.
๐ค๐ฆ: Staying up late!
๐ฆ: Ah, of course.
๐ค: Eternal youth or being the richest person in the world? One, two, three.
๐ค๐ฆ: Eternal youth!
๐ฆ: If we were still in our twenties, the other option (being the richest person) wouldโve seemed more valuable, but now that weโre in our fortiesโฆ
๐ค: No need for it.
๐ฆ: No need for it. First and foremost, itโs all about health.
๐ค: This present moment or the future? One, two, three.
๐ค๐ฆ: This present moment!
๐ฆ: We answered that without even thinking of a reason, right? They didnโt even ask us to explain, and we still did it.
๐ค: Similarly, when I say one, two, three, please make a hand-heart gesture, but donโt discuss beforehand which heart shape youโll make.
๐ค๐ฆ: Got it.
๐ค: A total of five times.
๐ค๐ฆ: Okay.
๐ค: Think about itโฆ One, two, three.
๐ฆ: Letโs stop this.
๐ค: Yeah, hahaha.
๐ฆ: Donโt release an โ83zโ album.
๐ค: Weโre incompatible, weโre incompatible.
Q: When did you feel, โIโm glad heโs by my sideโ?
๐ค: While preparing this album. In the past, many Super Junior members participated in the recordings, especially K.R.Y members who sang a lot. But this time, it was just the two of us working on it. During recording, I suddenly thought, โIโm really glad Heechul is here.โ If I had been alone, I donโt think I could have done it.
๐ฆ: My voice has always been naturally rough. But now I canโt really use those high, gritty notes anymore. The vocals need to sound clean and beautiful, and Iโm not very good at that. Leeteuk can hit the high notes clearly and effortlessly, so I left all the high parts to him.
๐ค: You kept encouraging me, saying, โYou can do it.โ
๐ฆ: Yes, I did.
โธป
Q: What are the three most important things in your life?
๐ฆ: As Iโve gotten older, I completely understand this now.
๐ค: First: health.
๐ฆ: Health. And of course, the money that supports that health.
๐ค: Money. Same for me.
๐ฆ: Health, money, and friends. Honestly, if I had to choose between love and friendship, Iโd choose friendship. As Iโve gotten older, even romance feels exhausting. Maybe thatโs an old personโs way of thinking. When we were young, weโd get excited sending texts to someone we liked. But at a certain age, you just want peace and comfort. Meeting a friend for a drink or a chat becomes the greatest happiness. So for me: health, money, and friends.
๐ค: Heechul and I share two things.
๐ฆ: Which ones?
๐ค: Health and money. But the last thing that feels most important to me latelyโฆ is our fans.
๐ฆ: Wait, stop. I want to change my answer.
๐ค: Even after 21 years of activities, so many ELFs in China continue to give us love and support. Every performance and every activity makes us feel grateful. If you continue loving us in the future, then my three most important things are: health, money, and ELF.
๐ฆ: I feel the same way.
๐ค: Youโre too late.
๐ฆ: Health, money, and ELF. If ELF didnโt exist, I wouldnโtโฆ
๐ค: Werenโt you talking about friends?
๐ฆ: What friends? Itโs okay even if there are no friends.
Q: If you could go on a trip together right now, where would you want to go?
๐ฆ: One, two, threeโฆ Shanghai! Oh? Whatโs this? Why didnโt you pick it?
๐ค: I meanโฆ I just want to visit China in general.
๐ฆ: Ah.
๐ค: Not just Shanghai. Sorry, but since I enjoy golf, a lot of my friends and acquaintances have gone to places like Hainan Island in China and played golf there. They often tell me, โLeeteuk, letโs go together next time,โ and try to set a date.
๐ฆ: Right, right.
๐ค: Would you go to Shanghai?
๐ฆ: Well, every place is fun, but I especially like Shanghaiโฆ
๐ค: Why? Is there a reason?
๐ฆ: Nothing special. Iโve been to many places, but I once wrote something called Shanghai Romance, so Iโd like to go there and see it for myself. Also, Shanghaiโs night streets are really beautiful.
๐ค: Beautiful, beautiful.
๐ฆ: Yeah, the night scenery is amazing. But honestly, all of China is fun, not just Shanghai.
โธป
Q: What role does each of you take when traveling?
๐ฆ: As for meโฆ I absolutely do not go out until after sunset. Even when we went to Qingdao, I didnโt leave until the sun was almost completely down.
๐ค: Why do you only go out at night?
๐ฆ: Ah, I really hate sunlight.
๐ค: Ahโฆ
๐ฆ: Thatโs why I think Shanghaiโs night streets are so beautiful.
๐ค: When I travel, my MBTI is completely J-type.
๐ฆ: Oh, Iโve never taken the MBTI test.
๐ค: Before traveling, I make a perfect plan. Then on the day itself, I follow the schedule exactly. Doing things randomly or spontaneously makes me anxious.
๐ฆ: Do you know what my style is? People in China know those Chinese vampire movies, right? When I was young, I loved them. Iโm exactly like that. When the sun rises, I stay completely still like this (pretends to sleep). Then when the sun setsโฆ
๐ค: The sun goes down.
๐ฆ: Exactly! At that moment, I open my eyes and wake up. Thatโs when I start wandering around.
Q: What does your ideal life look like?
๐ฆ: Exactly like now.
๐ค: Same for me.
๐ฆ: Being loved. Speaking thoughtfully and sincerely. Jokes aside, during Super Juniorโs 20th anniversary tour last year, we received so much love from our fans again after such a long time. I felt incredibly grateful. Because of that, I get to wear beautiful clothes, do amazing photoshoots, release albums with a great friendโฆ Honestly, without our fans, I couldnโt imagine any of this. Thatโs why we released the 20th anniversary album and the 83z album. I still want to stand on stage and meet fans as much as possible. I want to do more fan sign events too. The life I share with fansโฆ
๐ค: Thatโs right. My current life simply makes me happy. In the past, I worked hard trying to find happiness, but it turns out happiness was right beside us all along. Waking up in the morning, eating delicious food, receiving love from fans, and being able to stand on stageโฆ thatโs true happiness.
๐ฆ: Ah, exactly. Being able to stand on stage is the greatest happiness. We need to stay healthy. If weโre exhausted, we wonโt be able to do it.
๐ค: Right, we wonโt.
โธป
Q: What do you think youโll be doing 30 years from now on a day like this?
๐ฆ: Iโll be 74 years old! In 30 years, Iโll be 74! Seventy-four! Seventy-four!
๐ค: Since nobody can predict life, we might not even be here anymore.
๐ฆ: Right. Thatโs why our ELFs need to stay healthy too, so theyโll still be around in 30 years.
๐ค: What do you think youโll be doing then?
๐ฆ: If I had one wishโฆ even if we canโt dance anymore, Iโd still like to meet fans on stage. That feeling of happiness is just too strong.
๐ค: Specifically, 30 years from now, Iโd like to do a photoshoot with Heechul again using this exact same concept. Even if they told us to recreate a trend from 30 years ago.
๐ฆ: Oh, for that shoot, make him wear these exact clothes again after 30 years. That would be so cool. We should wear the same watches too. Everyone has to stay alive. Weโll save this photo and recreate it exactly.
๐ฆ: One thing Iโm sure about in 30 yearsโฆ I think Leeteuk still wonโt be married.
๐ค: Why? You wonโt be married either. I donโt think youโll be able to get married.
๐ฆ: Iโll get married.
๐ค: No, you wonโt. You wonโt.
๐ฆ: Iโve almost given up.