gonna get my horny thought out of the way so i can get to my full thoughts on their emotional dynamic; godddd… seungchan are soso ripe for that older/younger dynamic, especially because of how obsessed Seungmin is with calling Chan old. I genuinely think Seungmin likes the age gap a lot,,he inflates it on purpose, harping on it constantly because the thought turns him on and because he loves making people mad enough to toss him around anyway hahahahaaaaaaa

As for their emotional dynamic; you're so right about their quieter love and companionship. Seungmin, being such a good listener and this sort of firm and grounded pillar to lean against feels really well suited to the kind of emotional support that i see Chan as actually capable of receiving. If that makes any sense. 2kr has basically taught us that Chan is bad at allowing himself to be forgiven or emotionally supported, (duh) and with that infamous chanlix comment about being an emotional punching bag… i think that’s exactly what Chan looks for when he’s finally ready to emotionally unload. I don’t think he wants to hurt people at all, but I do think he views His Personal emotional unloading as something taxing for others, something that “requires energy,” and honestly he’s not all the way wrong in that regard because the truth is that being someone’s emotional support isn’t always easy for a multitude of reasons, be it that they have so much going on that you feel like there's nothing you can say, or because it's hard to get them to open up in the first place, etc etc.

the way i understand chan is that when he’s struggling is that he isn’t rlly looking for softness or coddling, he kinda just wants a place where he can feel all the feelings he usually denies himself. And when it comes to seungchan and their infamously teary meal, it’s so clear that Seungmin is someone he feels genuinely safe with. i dont think that Seungmin is prime for this sort of thing because he’s not warm or emotional--i think he is both of those things--but i think seungmin operates on his own schedule emotionally in a way that is similar to chan. And he’s known for being a good listener not only because he keeps his composure but because he can look at other people’s issues objectively and offer a more logical, analytical perspective. That’s super comforting for members who tend to be more immediately emotional (like Hyunjin). In this sense, he’s perfect for Chan. Chan hates feeling coddled or catered to, so being able to share a meal and suddenly burst into tears without fear of judgment or making Seungmin worry too much… that’s incredibly valuable. That’s rare.

What makes them so interesting is how emotionally mature Seungmin is in some ways while also clearly having these huge emotional revelations in these 2krs. like he has literal teary outbursts despite his best efforts, and moments where he’s shocked to hear about distance in certain relationships (like with seungjin 2kr). and it's bc of this i think he’s similar to Chan in struggling to connect with himself emotionally. It’s not the same as Chan’s tight emotional grip, but seungmin being more logically oriented means he can kinda talk himself through difficult times or just put aside his emotions until... well basically to the point that he doesn't fully know how he’s doing until it hits him like a truck.

On one hand, this is part of what makes him a consistent, safe, and “strong” space for others. On the other, it means it takes a lot for him to feel what he needs to. I think that’s part of why he got hit so hard in that first 2kr with Chan. it wasn't just because he was emotional about their relationship, but i think also because he might subconsciously associate himself with Chan. Feeling Seen/Reflected in Chan’s way of navigating feelings may have rattled him. and even then, he says he doesn’t understand why he suddenly felt so emotional, and then when he opened up about feeling sad over something that had happened years ago, and then that he hadnt said anything about it because he didn’t want to burden Chan, who already had a lot on his plate. “It’s been forever since I cried.” :< our poor baby.

I also wonder how much fear of being emotional plays into moments like this. not that he doesn’t feel safe crying in front of chan, but i wonder if seungmin Knows others come to him because he’s so good at remaining composed. being emotional can feel like failing, like he’s adding another weight onto someone else, especially onto chan in that moment. And, just to be clear, I don’t think people like this (chan included) are genuinely trying to burden others when they open up, and I don’t think either of them see others leaning on them as burdensome. It’s more that they’re deeply independent people who dislike relying on others and feel more fulfilled being the support rather than being supported.

Either way, this emotional deep dive is all to say that I think they’re actually quite similar, enough to identify deeply with each other, and that’s why I’m so glad they have each other, even if they aren’t the type of friends who hang out constantly. Beyond the emotional parallels, they admire each other creatively so much… i would love to see them work as a unit. They're so ripe with potential in all the ways. I feel like i learn more about them all the time and there are always more and more layers to their chemistry and understanding that float by us so subtly ... gahhhh. they're really cute.