[series] 116 Reasons to Love Byung Hee – #12 Insta-Romance

Reason 12 Insta-Romance

After an exceptionally long hiatus from social media, it came as a huge shock and delightful surprise to see G.O added Instagram to his list of social media outlets. Joining mid-December 2015, it was the perfect holiday gift to give his fans. Call me crazy (I know you already do), but I am finding that his initial posts teem with a gentle aura of romance which, added to the simple fact that he now is on Instagram, is enough for me to declare yet another reason to love Byung Hee.

Perhaps it is because I have just finished watching the scene of Joe Wright’s 2005 interpretation of Pride & Prejudice where Mr. Darcy is walking through the early dawn mist towards Elizabeth Bennett ready to once again declare his love, that I am feeling all romantical and whimsical. My thoughts all of the sudden turned to G.O, and specifically, his Instagram posts. I thought, “what is it about his posts that seem so romantic to me?” Apart from a couple of pictures from the set of his latest project, Daddy’s Daughter, his posts have been consistently of himself at a cafe or restaurant. Could it be that I simply find anything that G.O does romantic? Possibly. But let’s start from the beginning and you can determine if I am simply bias-glazed or if he is romancing us like I think he is!

December 15, 2015

G.O joins Instagram with a picture of himself at age 2, his tiny hands gently clasped while fast asleep, lips softly pursed. This had to be the sweetest way to inaugurate an Instagram account that I have seen to date and without question readily melted the hearts of every single one of his fans in…well, an instant.

The romantic pull for me in this picture operates on a couple of levels. First of all, sharing a picture with this kind of adorable factor immediately hits one at the core of her romance motherboard: the heart. Next, as he nears age 30, G.O sharing this picture could indicate that he has been introspectively reflecting on his youth, his family, life in general, and of course the future. There is always something inherently romantic about reminiscing, isn’t there?

What about the hoodie?!! For me, G.O in a hoodie has always been akin to warm, soft, comforting and yes, romantic. Posting a picture of himself at age two in a hoodie was deliciously well-played and set the tone for his Instagram posts yet to come!

December 20, 2015

This picture of G.O with his sister and baby niece warms my crusty old heart and melts it into sticky fangirl goo. Yes, I find a man’s closeness to family heartwarming and romantic. I don’t know the man personally, but I have felt for some time since discovering him that family is extremely important. Although he lives far from them physically, you can still sense a closeness he maintains with them. He was, at this time, still in contention to take the crown on King of Masked Singer, yet he carved out the time to be in attendance to celebrate his new baby niece’s 1st birthday, sharing two pictures from the party.

He also had the opportunity to check in on his pet alligator, Akdoli.

Not feeling the romance with this one? Come on….work with me!! How about those hearts he added to the picture? Hearts are romantic.

It was also around this time when he posted the above picture and made a few hearts flutter thinking he was perhaps on a date! Two glasses of beer. Two forks. Two little condiment containers, a box of eats….AND the sweeping Busan cityscape as a back drop. Indeed, the romance feels are firing on all cylinders with this one.

I like that scenario, however, in a chat G.O had with fans in MBLAQ’s fan cafe subsequent to the posting of this picture, he alluded to having drinks with MBLAQ leader, Seung Ho. The eatery in question here is a fish & chips restaurant called Fingers & Chat, located in Busan. Seung Ho has been in Busan filming his debut movie, 로큰롤할배 [Rock N Roll Grandpa]. And as referenced above, G.O was in the neighborhood attending his niece’s first birthday party.

Forget the backstory….let me just have my romance feels from the picture, k?^^

December 31, 2015

Give me a second and I will find something romantic about this one. Okay, how about: It is a picture of G.O in a hoodie having fun and enjoying himself. 😜

January 1, 2016

On New Year’s Day, G.O updated his Instagram with the above and a message that read: Happy New Year, Be Healthy, I Love You. We stumble upon him illuminated by the soft sunlight while he is quietly engaged and focused on his phone [a theme we will begin to see in his Instagram offerings]. The warm hug of his hoodie envelopes him, his hands gently cradle his phone and the sleepy, soft look in his eyes all tug subtly at the heartstrings. Were that he were texting you to join him that day to talk about a new song he wrote, and grab a bite to eat. Sigh……yes, my mind can imagine the romance in  just about anything!

January 4, 2016

Phone and hoodie redux ~ but this time his attention is on the photographer. The caption that accompanied this Instagram update simply read: “아멜익칸오” [Americano] – referring to his beverage of choice that evening. What captures me most in this picture are G.O’s eyes. G.O possesses soft, warm and expressive eyes. I have often felt when he is singing that his eyes are telling as much of the story of the song as his voice. Even static, in pictures wherein he makes eye contact with the camera’s lens, there is still a sense of heavy thought behind the gaze, a story to the stare, a purpose to the peer.

January 7, 2016

Mysteriously, G.O posted this picture from what we later learned to be the movie set of 아빠는 딸 [Daddy’s Daughter], and set hearts afire with excitement over the project he most assuredly was working on, but failed to divulge. In a sharp suit and tie, complete with a dreamy look in his eyes, G.O effortlessly and gently teases us with anticipation over what we can expect from his new project.

January 9, 2016

He added more fuel to the mystery fires by posting a selca with actor, Yoon Jae Moon. Fans eagerly and persistently flooded his Twitter feed pleading for information. He kept silent. However, a tweet from his manager Kevin, confirmed that it was not going to be a drama and that news would be coming soon.

To torture us further, he posted the above. Part of G.O’s charm lies in the unmistakable way in which he gently flirts with the camera, and ultimately, with us. In a caption that read “Too difficult. Too difficult,” I think he was perhaps referring to his work on the film being a challenge. Personally, I am finding it too difficult to look at this picture for a prolonged period of time without needing a defibrillator. The floral tie with the crisp white shirt. His gorgeous hair coiffed up above his furrowed brow. His eyes. His eyes. HIS EYES!

January 11, 2016

G.O in a hoodie (again), on his phone (again) in a cafe….again. Looking quite luminous and warm, when he initially posted this picture on Instagram, the caption teased that perhaps he was soon to get a tattoo. For some reason he removed that caption shortly after posting the picture. I noticed in many of the comments left, fans were almost berating the guy about potentially getting some body art.  All I have to say in response to that is simply this: G.O is a grown man!

This was his third Instagram picture in a cafe and clearly not taken by him. We have no clue who his trusty photographer is but whoever it is continues to capture his charm quite sweetly. In all three he looks at ease, introspective, soft and yes, romantic!! And, he did not stop. The romance kept coming.

January 21, 2016

Let me try to remove the hearts from my eyes to continue typing…….><!

His head softly tilted, his eyes gently caressing the screen as he reads. True, the bright lights of the TWG Tea Salon & Boutique could arguably retract from the overall romantic feel of the room, however, the hushed moment he shares here overflows with romantic warmth. This kind of warmth is the kind that I have often felt is akin to who he is. The soft wool cap and jacket. The warm knit sweater. A spot of tea, and the way he gingerly cradles his phone. G.O wears warmth so effortlessly, doesn’t he?

This has to be one of my most favorite pictures of him to date.

January 22, 2016

A man satiated. Content and deep in thought. In a busy restaurant, G.O seems to have found tranquility. His soft eyes fixated on something beyond what he sees. Perhaps it is because I look at G.O through adoration glasses that I feel pictures such as these show much more than what would seem to be evident: G.O is in a restaurant dining with someone and he appears to have just finished dinner. No, I see more. I feel more.

January 23, 2016

When isn’t a picture of a beach romantic?

Hoodied, masked and once again focused on his phone, G.O shared a second photo from the beach in Busan and added a cheeky caption about another picture of him touching his phone. A man with a quick wit and playful sense of humor is always swoon worthy. And anything that makes a girl swoon is inherently romantic, right?

Well, let’s at least agree that a beach in and of itself is a romantic place. The water, waves, golden sand, blue skies, wispy clouds and sun all add to the feel and appeal. Drop your favorite vocalist actor artist man onto that beach and the romance quotient increases exponentially (even if he is completely covered and virtually unrecognizable)!

While it is true that an artist uses social media to connect with fans and is yet another means of providing fan service, G.O came to the Instagram playground much later than Seung Ho and Mir. However, his joining at the time he did was pivotal in that it was a confirmation (at least to me) that he was healing, happy and ready to begin reconnecting with his fans. And, okay, not all of the pictures were romantic in nature, but I think you have to concur that his joining Instagram came as a sweet surprise, thrilled his fans, and gave us another worthy reason to love Byung Hee.♥

You can follow the playful and romantic G.O on Instagram at jung_g_o.

[Image cr.  as tagged and jung_g_o]