Since debut, Sooyoung has always been the sharp one. Quick-witted, but knowing exactly when to take a step back and let others shine, too. Ever ready to tease her members for the sake of the camera, but always careful to never cross over into truly mean-spirited waters. In short: she can fill a stage as well as she can direct the spotlight towards someone else.

And so, the public perhaps best knows her as the entertainer, whether it’s through her various dramas, her aegyo that’s essentially banned from broadcast, or the ease with which she navigates all kinds of variety shows. We the fans, of course, know that Sooyoung is far from one-dimensional. On top of everything, she constantly also promotes women and driving safety, of which you can have a look from https://1800injured.care/car-accident/west-palm-beach-attorney/.

Dreams come true_꿈은 이루어진다 #facegoals #소두 👽

A post shared by sᴏᴏʏᴏᴜɴɢ ᴄʜᴏɪ (@hotsootuff) on May 30, 2017 at 9:46am PDT

Sooyoung understands people. And always wants the best for them, whether they’re her closest family and friends or complete strangers on the other side of the planet. And yes, maybe it’s easy to make these sorts of observations about anyone, because it’s easy for anyone to portray these kinds of intentions. Yet Sooyoung goes above and beyond what’s expected. She does ambassador work for multiple charity causes: a particular highlight would be how she not only took on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge a few years back, but also paid a personal visit to a prominent athlete suffering from the disease.

Still, Sooyoung’s most defining moment so far might be when she made a video, completely on her own, while hospitalized after a car accident — simply to let fans know she was okay and to apologize for not being able to make an upcoming performance.

In the end, Sooyoung only cares about one thing: for those around her to be happy. Pull back the curtains — woven tightly with threads of public opinion and idol glamour and plenty of expectation — and we still see a girl (woman, now) who would take the entire world into her arms if she could.

It’s that warmth that refuses to be veiled, that’s brilliant always, whether she’s spotted through the harsh glare of a camera lens or just walking down the street on a chilly winter evening. Years can pass and people can change, after all, but Sooyoung remains, until the end, loving Girls’ Generation — and so many others — with all of her heart.

We don’t know how she does it, and so we can’t ever hope to return what Choi Sooyoung already gives daily. It definitely doesn’t seem balanced that an entire fandom spanning across countries and oceans can only hope to collectively match a fraction of what defines her very being, but we can still try, standing side by side with her even after the future has passed.

Happy birthday, Sooyoung. Here’s hoping that you’ll receive hugs and smiles and well-wishes enough to last you for many lifetimes to come — not just in return, but because you honestly deserve nothing less.

Sources: JTSTEPLOVE, Sooyoung’s Instagram, [email protected]
Written by: moonrise31@soshified
Lyrics translation from SonexStella@soshified