SHINYU was his name for a brief while before he even began to take his first steps as a baby. When TWS was officially green-lighted for debut, he decided to use his childhood nickname as his stage name, and while he was at it, he took SHINYU—which most commonly means “only” or “consistent” in Chinese—and added another layer of meaning on top: a Japanese term for the closest of friends. SHINYU became a K-pop artist to become part of a team; now he’s taking his first steps into a wider world with all the meaning imbued in his name to guide him.

In your TWS: Think About Us! profile that was released in the run-up to your debut, you drew fire, water, and clouds to depict who you are.

SHINYU: I like the saying, “keep a cool head and a warm heart,” so I drew water and fire. The clouds are something I like to draw often and I’m pretty good at it. Drawing them helps me sort through my thoughts and empty out the trivial ones. I see clouds as—it’s hard to explain, but they’re these incredibly soft, fluffy, harmless things, so that’s why I like them.

You seem to be a visual thinker.

SHINYU: Yes. I take things in visually and try to absorb as much as possible. You can get a lot of inspiration out of life. I take notes habitually when something would make good lyrics.

What sort of things do you write down?

SHINYU: I write about memorable moments a lot of the time—for instance, waiting at a crosswalk on a deathly hot summer day and there’s a heat haze coming up across the road. I remember I wrote a note on that once.

In your personal introduction video for FIRST TIME, you rapped about your aspirations to debut. The old-school attitude and the boom bap beat suited you well.

SHINYU: I was thrilled when that video was released. I got into rap in middle school, always looking songs up and listening to them, and I still listen to it a lot. As you mentioned, I like boom bap and I’m pretty comfortable with it from having practiced it so much.

Even on your debut album, you rap more gently in “plot twist” and then in a tougher style in “first hooky.” Do you think about what style to take on for every song?

SHINYU: I pay special attention to the lyrics. I quickly find a personality for each song in my head and rapidly switch between them like changing films for a camera. So, in “BFF,” I become this funky rapping character, then in “first hooky,” I’m a tough rapper. It gives each song its own distinct personality. When I recorded the rap for the second verse in “Oh Mymy: 7s,” I did lines like, “How do you like me as your friend,” sounding confident, then I tried double tracking the line, “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 I’m the best freshman,” to make it sound playful, which the producer liked, so that’s what we went with. I think people will like that part if they listen closely.

Given how interested you seem to be in rap, what motivated you to choose to pursue K-pop, a genre known for the great diversity of its performances?

SHINYU: I first dreamed of becoming a model, but the whole idea that K-pop groups stick together for a long time and basically become families struck a deep chord with me. More than anything else, I wanted to look cool and be a good influence to lots of people. My two nunims always told me, “You’d make a great K-pop artist,” and over time those kind words made my aspirations balloon up. I was just drawn to it.

Do you always call your sisters “nunim”?

SHINYU: When introducing them to others, yes, but I just address them normally otherwise. (laughs)

I was just curious since you said it. (laughs) What’s your relationship like with your sisters?

SHINYU: We’re just like friends. We speak openly about everything, and if I come to them with a problem, they really listen and give straightforward answers—No, don’t do that. This would be better. I even have my second-oldest sister to thank for my having been scouted. One time she suggested we take a weekend trip to Seoul. I was actually against it—I like just staying home. (laughs) But she insisted, so we went, and that’s when I was scouted for the first time, which is what started me down the path of life as a trainee. Sometimes I wonder what would’ve happened if I hadn’t gone up with her that day. Maybe this current version of me wouldn’t even exist.

You’re known to have been a good student, just like your sisters, even serving as school president in elementary school. What kind of student would you say you were?

SHINYU: I was extroverted when I was a kid. I liked being the leader among my friends. Yesan, where I grew up, is a small, quiet place, where you already have some connection to everyone you meet, so we were all close. I remember playing soccer with friends after school a lot and gaming together on the weekends. But frankly, I wasn’t actively seeking out the stage. (laughs) I was only on stage once in elementary school: the talent show. The spirit was willing but the flesh was weak—because I was way too shy.

Leaving the comfort of your hometown to become a trainee in Seoul couldn’t have been easy.

SHINYU: It was really hard at first. I couldn’t even get around the subway without using a map. But my older sister was living there by herself, so I hung around with her, and she was a lot of help. Plus I did my best to adjust, too, so I did get used to it. Whenever things got rough, I’d try and think, “Look on the bright side, and everything will be fine.” I think I was reaching a new height each and every day. At first I really envied that my friends could hang out after school—I had to head over to the practice studio as soon as school was out—but now that I’ve made it this far, I can feel with absolute certainty that I’ve gained something.

What is it you’ve gained?

SHINYU: I’m not a naturally competitive person, really. I try to avoid competition and my thoughts naturally steer toward being considerate of others. So, I tried my best to light a competitive fire in myself, and the other trainees and peers were a lot of help. Thanks to that, I could really grow, as more and more I found myself wanting to try out different things. I might not be competitive, but I am pretty ambitious, so I put a lot of value in consistent self-improvement. Expressing myself, dancing, singing—I put a ton of effort into everything. So when my peers acknowledge what I’ve done, that’s what stands out most to me and what makes me the happiest. I’ll never forget when I heard someone saying, “Jeonghwan [SHINYU’s real name] is so good at dancing. He’s made huge improvements.”

It must have been an emotional experience when you found out you were officially slated to debut.

SHINYU: As soon as the announcement was made, I called my oldest sister to share the good news. I was ecstatic, but it’s how happy my family was that stands out in my memory.

You always bring up memories of your family and friends when talking about significant moments in your life.

SHINYU: Yes. I place great value on my relationships. It’s my family and my supportive friends who get me back on my feet when I’m feeling beat. I think I talk about them that way because, if it weren’t for all the encouragement and advice I got from the people around me, would I even be where I am today?

And now you’re finally with a group like you always wanted. What’s TWS like?

SHINYU: When I first met the other members, they were all so cute and innocent. I just wanted to take care of all of them. And the guys are all pretty reserved. (laughs) But they’re excellent listeners and genuinely warmhearted. Our group’s split with three people on each side in terms of personality: KYUNGMIN, JIHOON, and DOHOON like being active, while YOUNGJAE, HANJIN, and I like to stay indoors. So when we go out, we try to find something everyone enjoys. First we hear everybody out (laughs) and then we try to persuade each other.

How very democratic. (laughs) The teamwork really shines through when your group performs together. You all move in perfect unison, down to every little detail in the angles and timing, in both the pre-released song “Oh Mymy: 7s” and the lead single “plot twist.”

SHINYU: As you say, we practice every single detail one by one. Practicing for a long time can wear us thin, so sometimes, as the leader, I have to say, “Hey guys, let’s focus up a bit, okay? We can do this!” They always listen whenever I say that, and it reminds me how accommodating they really are.

JIHOON wrote that charisma is one of your personal strengths, and you’ve described yourself as charismatic, quirky, and clumsy at heart. Just what kind of leader embodies these three qualities all at once? (laughs)

SHINYU: I guess I’m charismatic on stage and when I step down I’m a bit on the clumsy side? (laughs) I’m the oldest here, but at home, I’m the youngest, so that might explain why I sometimes feel like playing pranks and having playful banter with the others. KYUNGMIN’s just the opposite: He’s the youngest of the group but the oldest at home. So, sometimes we swap roles, and when that happens, YOUNGJAE helps out by reminding me, “You’re the leader, SHINYU. You.” (laughs) YOUNGJAE is super thoughtful and wise, so he’s the one I turn to when I need advice. I can be indecisive, but he’s sharp as a knife when it comes to decision-making.

Is it perhaps less about being indecisive and more that you’re considering everything that’s going on and thinking things through carefully? After all, you became the leader because the other members trust you.

SHINYU: I became the permanent leader after we all took turns being leader for the day. I believe leadership is about sticking to your duties and adopting a responsible attitude, and I figure that’s what made them trust me. Still, this is my first time being a leader, and I’m not that good yet, so I’m learning as I go. What you said is true: I do a lot of observing and a lot of thinking. I end up worrying, like, “Doing this would be really helpful for them, but so would doing that. Which way’s better?” So my approach is to stay flexible and adapt to the given situation. If our plans go sideways, it’s hard on the other members. I even talk to each of them differently, taking into account their personalities. For example, while I might joke around with KYUNGMIN to get a point across, I can have more serious, direct discussions with YOUNGJAE.

You seem to be good at picking out the other members’ characteristics. When you wrote about their good points, you described DOHOON’s way with words, YOUNGJAE’s sage judgment, and KYUNGMIN’s smile-inducing charm. What song off your album is closest to you in character?

SHINYU: I guess it’d be “plot twist,” right? (laughs) Somewhat confident, but still a little shy when starting a conversation? I sing one part that goes, “Hello, when I strike up a conversation / All background noise gets canceled / Your voice is my playlist.” I think the idea of focusing on and totally immersing yourself in another person is similar to how I’d behave, so I remember having lots of fun recording it.

I’d assume it’s your fans that you’re immersing yourself in the most. Your bucket list for TWS: Think About Us! includes concerts and fan sign events. I saw in your brain diagram that you’re already after Best New Artist. (laughs)

SHINYU: (finally laughs audibly) Yes, that’s accurate to say. If you’re going to dream, dream big, right? (laughs) Maybe it’s a bit much, but I really want to win Best New Artist, so I wrote it down, and I wrote about my fans for the bucket list because they give me strength and support and keep me moving.

In your autograph that’s just been released, you wrote the following words next to your signature: “Even if you’re having a hard time, it’ll be okay. All things pass, as if they never even happened. I wish you happiness.” What made you choose such comforting words for your first handwritten note shared with the world?

SHINYU: I love heartwarming poems like “Happiness” by poet Ra Taejoo. Since I know what it feels like to be given comfort, I thought if my words could bring comfort to even one person and make them feel even a little better, then I’d be happy. That’s why I wrote that.

You also wrote the word “happiness” right in the middle of that brain diagram, bigger than anything else. What have you found lately that makes you happy?

SHINYU: What’s making me happy lately is searching my own name and seeing how many people have taken an interest in me. I’m also finding joy in the simple things, like putting on a sheet mask before bed or having something good to eat. When I look back now, I can see there’ve been a lot of moments that were actually sources of happiness.

What made you look for happiness without looking too far out for it?

SHINYU: My motto used to be, “Be happy.” I thought about it and asked myself, “Am I happy, though?” And the answer was still yes. I was already happy; the issue was that I didn’t recognize the happiness I already had. True happiness isn’t somewhere far away—it’s within reach. The process of seeking happiness itself makes me happy, and spending time trying to find the things that make me happy makes me happy as well. While going through training, I ended up learning to be grateful for my busiest days. My sincere wish is for TWS to excel in every way and that we’ll be looked up to wherever we go. Ultimately, though, when I look far enough ahead, my goal is just for all the TWS members to be happy and healthy.

Even if first encounters don’t go to plan, they’re still a good starting point. (laughs) There’ll still be more happiness to be found, after all.

SHINYU: Yes, new beginnings are always exciting. I know the path I want to take, and this is how I want to walk on it.