[TRANS] Cassiopeia - The Journey Never Ends

>> MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2010

This turned out quite different from the original only because I wanted to convey the full meaning as opposed to simply giving a literal translation.

These are the sentiments of international fans. You might not ever see this but don't ever forget that we're here.

December 26th. That night the five of you stepped on stage for the first time, you took our breath away with the presence of the Rising Gods of the East.

Barely 18, yet astonishingly graceful.

And from then on we knew. We knew you'd conquer the world with your beautiful red ocean.

He's that boy who fills your heart with an overwhelming warmth. That boy with the face of an angel and a strange air of mystery.

Behind that cold exterior, there's a heart burning with passion. He'll cover his mouth when he's chuckling, yet at the same time, he's not afraid to throw his head back and laugh like there's no tomorrow. Sometimes he can look distant, but more often than not, he's like ray of sunshine on a cold winter day. He's that ray of sunshine who'll warm you up from within, from within the very depths of your soul.

Jaejoong is the boy who'll try his very best to smile for us because we know what he's been through. We know how much he suffered and we realize that it's the reason he's become the person he is.

14 years old. Leaving home, traveling to Seoul alone and working to support himself. It was an endless struggle to put himself through school whilst holding on to his dream to become a singer, an artist.

16 years old. Finally in SM as a trainee after taking part in a competition. From your everyday teenager to a true artist with one of the most beautiful voices.

18 years old. Dong Bang Shin Ki debuts. Pressure like he's never know before. Slightly less popular than the 4 other members and caught up in a drink-driving case. The fear of being removed from the group haunting him incessantly.

But he didn't give up, he moved us with his talent and his sincerity. Thousands of fans gathered to voice their oath - Only five, forever five.

Jaejoong remained, Dong Bang Shin Ki survived unscathed.

In 2006, he found himself stuck in a custody battle. More pressure, more injuries, more suffering. He's endured more than one could ever imagine and he's proven time and time that nothing can get in his way of living his dream.

Thanks Jaejoong, thank you for everything you've done for us.

The most skilled dancer with a permanent expression of determination and strength fixed on his face, our leader, Jung Yunho. The core of Dong Bang Shin Ki.

He keeps us all transfixed with his hard hitting dance moves and his irresistible charisma. In every move, he exudes an unbearably strong sense of power and stage presence.

Off stage, in what we would know as normality, he could be the same as the rest of us. Despite the persona he adopts on stage, he is, after all, only human.

He's the leader who'll put both hands in the centre to make up for Yoochun's absence. He's the boy who never forgets anybody, who always remembers that Dong Bang Shin Ki consists of 5.

He's always the first to wake up in the morning and the last to get to bed. Even if it means only one hour of sleep, he'll take on the responsibility to wake up every other member in the morning and to make sure they're all fast asleep at night. Despite the exhaustion, there has never been a single word of complaint.

Yunho is the boy who'll request to have his canines removed just so that they wont' get in the way of singing. He's willing to withstand that degree of pain for us, Cassiopeia. He is the boy who'll bear with a searing stomach ache just so that he won't get in the way of filming. And it wasn't just filming either, because he remained after to thank and bow to every member of staff. Every single one of them. 18 times, the fans counted.

When he was poisoned by an anti-fan, fragile and weak as he was, he appeared before us and said 'Dong Bang Shin Ki has antis because we have our weaknesses. Please don't send her to the police, don't blame it a young high school student for her maturity because I have a sister just like her.' At that moment, I was certain there were others around me shedding tears the same way I was, not just out of sadness, but pride, too. Yunho is the leader we can can all be proud of, for his kind, forgiving heart. Some say he seems fake, but for me, there wasn't a moment of doubt in my mind as I watched him plead forgiveness on behalf of the girl who poisoned him through pale, cracked lips.

Yunho, you are God's gift to Cassiopeia. You are our miracle. Don't ever forget that.

Yoochun, our adorable prince with the dazzling smile. He allows for the coexistence of sunshine and rain. He forced himself to grow up for his brother, Yoohwan. He's kind and affectionate towards his fans, and he makes us cry rivers with his piano solos.

He is one in a million, there are no words that could possibly do this boy justice for the person he is.

Yoochun, he ignites flames in our hearts and pains us to the core with his tears.

1998, he moved to the US with his family. To the country where dreams were meant to come true. They didn't. He was broken and left with some of the most painful memories of his life.

The separation of his parents left him vulnerable, that's why he cries the way he does. He cries when he and his brothers walk on stage to accept awards. He cries so hard, his nose runs and he has to stop talking to pull himself together. And yes, he cries when he talks about his brother and when he's sick in hospital and the members don't visit. He doesn't just cry, he cries his heart out.

And even though there's a certain charm in the strong and manly Yunho, Yoochun stole our hearts with his adorable personality, with the way he's unafraid to show who he is to the world. We love Yoochun because we want to protect him. Those tears, they flow in our blood.

Of course, it's not just the tears, his smiles are equally infectious. His smile is brighter than the Californian sun and his heart of gold shines in ways rivaled by no other.

Remember those smiles and tears Yoochun because we'll always hold them dear to our hearts.

Junsu, our angel. He's like a breath of fresh air. He has the most infectious voice, husky, yet powerful. Every syllable that comes out of his lips burns a hole right through your soul. He's like an angel. You fall for him without knowing it and you fall hard.

With a voice like that, it's hard to imagine how he could possibly have had any problems as a trainee in SM. But no, when his voice broke, it broke for a full 3 years. For an aspiring singer, those 3 years must have been an abyss of darkness and misery. So close to living his dream yet so far away all of a sudden. Can you imagine how he must've felt? His teenage years were a nightmare, he was lost, but he found his way. He survived. 7 years as a trainee and at last he was selected to become a member of Dong Bang Shin Ki and so began his journey to become one of the greatest vocalists of present day.

Junsu, our angel, cute and innocent yet unbelievably determined and strong willed. He passed God's test of perseverance, and as time goes on, his name will remain forever etched in our hearts.

Remember who you were and who you are now. You've got a long way ahead of you.

Maknae Changmin. He transformed from everybody's baby into the fine man he is today in what feels like the blink of an eye.

Despite being snarky and a bully to his brothers, we all know they love each other to death. We all know how much leader sshi values his opinion and his presence.

Almost always put in charge of the high notes and what some see to be 'screaming'. So often he's completely overshadowed by his hyungs, but let's face it, nobody belts those high notes the way Min does. His voice is like no other, Changmin is unique.

He used to be the cutest member of the group, but when Junsu stole the position, he became Changmin the cool, sarcastic maknae. And even though it may seem as though he's less popular than the other members, he has never, ever uttered a word of complaint.

As he stood on stage and watched his pale-faced Jaejoong hyung suffer, he told the world 'The gift I want most this year is for Jaejoong hyung to recover as soon as possible'

He loves Jaejoong, Yunho, Junsu and Yoochun in ways we could never imagine. His love for Dong Bang Shin Ki is whole hearted and unconditional. This is the maknae who said 'If Dong Bang Shin Ki ceases to exist, I'll go back to being a normal high school student.'

Honest, serious and sometimes irritatingly straightforward. Changmin has grown into a real man. He's not just Dong Bang Shin Ki's Choikang Changmin, he's Cassiopeia's Changmin.

Remember that one performance? There were technological difficulties with the sound system and perhaps it was the nerves, but Changmin didn't hear when the staff yelled 'Start again!'. As his 4 hyungs filed off stage, he stood alone in the spotlight, his head bowed, ready for the opening of the song. Even as Cassiopeia screamed at him to make him look up, he kept his head down and held still until someone finally dragged him off stage. The adorable look of embarrassment on his face… I could never forget that.

It was him, it was Changmin who counted all ten triangles in 2 seconds on a variety show.

It was him, it was Changmin whose journal exposed to the world his obsessive love for food.

It was him, it was Changmin who gave us the world's most beautiful name - Cassiopeia.

Constantly overshadowed yet always a source of Cassiopeia's pride. Remember that name, Choikang Changmin. Dong Bang Shin Ki's maknae.

A group of people joined by fate and a shared belief. Cassiopeia, we exist for these 5 Rising Gods of the East. The two are interdependent, together we are legendary.

Korea, Japan, China, the UK, the US, Canada, Egypt, Spain, France - the list is endless. We broke the world record. We came together as one despite our many differences. We embody the spirit of equality, faith and unity. Our love for these boys has broken down all other barriers. We are a family and we live for one another.

Cassiopeia is like a guiding light in a storm of darkness. We're like the flickering flame on a cold windy night. We're like the stars in the sky, seemingly small and insignificant, yet beautiful all the same. We're about protecting our boys, we're about acceptance and toleration. These 5 stars, they shine eternally in the dark of the sky.

Cassiopeia is about strength, we are a force to be reckoned with. We are everything and more because of Dong Bang Shin Ki.

Regardless of the controversy and negativity constantly haunting us, we will always remain united as one. The only thing that could break us is the knowledge of the boys suffering, but even then, we'll be by their side, smiling, cheering them on and awaiting their return. The journey never ends.