j-hope 2/18 Live

생일생일 HoBi HB (Birthday Birthday Hobi HB)

My commentary in green.
Fair warning - I will be crashing out the entire time over how pretty hobi looks ...sorry not sorry... but it's a lot.
Also this translation.. possibly because it's been a while since any one of them went live... took me SO long to translate because I just kept staring at j-hope... it's not my fault friends. it's his eyes... face.. fluffy hair.. boyfie ways.. and menace behavior. i'm innocent.

oh why does it feel so unfamiliar..
feels ..unfamiliar (conducting the live)

(silently blinks, smiles, and waves... inducing ARMY meltdowns globally)

happy birthday j-hopeee
hi ARMY
have you been well?
it's my birthday so I came here a little bit
thank you
thank you ARMY

💬happy birthday j-hope
💬congratulations sunshine/sunbeam

"sunshine/sunbeam has arrived"
ohh thank youuu~~

it really has been a while hasn't it

💬who's 32 now huh?
💬happy birthday
💬my sunshine my hope
thank you

it's a bit late huh.. it's nearly 9 o'clock now
today was really busy, it was so busy and my *schedule was packed thing after thing

*스케줄 (schedule) = so Koreans use "schedule" as almost interchangeable with "planned activities/events" so that's how i'll be translating that throughout the live even though you may hear him say the word "schedule" to keep the meaning clear
So for example, in English we might say "I had a packed schedule" to express that you had a set itinerary of many planned activities/events
!! The way KOREANS use "schedule" in sentences is often something that literally translates to "I had so many schedules today." This doesn't translate very well literally - but if you swap out "schedule" for "planned activities/events" then it does make sense.
eg: I had so many [planned events] today

💬where's your cake?
the cake.. so .. i actually have a lot to tell you
i got a LOT of birthday wishes today ...
i did a lot of different filming today..
and baked into my schedule was like.. 3 different birthday moments - 3 times..

turns out it's nice having your birthday during planned activities/events
yea - i got 3 sep. birthday celebrations - threeee

like i'd do one thing and then the lights would turn out and they'd sing happy birthday..
then i'd do another thing and the lights would turn out and they'd sing happy birthday..
yea so many birthday wishes - i was truly so grateful

friends. he just looks like this. he just wakes up and looks like this. it is wednesday, february 18, 2026, the sky is blue, water is wet, and this is j-hope's face. these are like ...actual just.. facts. WHAT DO YOU MEAN JDKLF?GJDLF?GJ?DFGK?????DKJFG:LDKFJ:LDGKJ:DLKFJGLDKJF:GLKDJF:LKGJlkjfdg3

i was thinking about how i'd spend my birthdays when i was younger..
and i don't think i had any like.. big grand birthday parties or anything like that
even like birthday wishes [back then] - i was thinking like.. did i get a lot??
but i'm so sooo so grateful that there are days like today, where I get to receive so much birthday love

i was really able to spend such a happy birthday today

💬happy birthday hobi
thank you, ARMY

💬how many times did you eat birthday cake today?
birthday cakes.. so I received a bunch of cakes prepared by the staff and it turned out to be 7 cakes in total

so I received 7 cakes in total - for which i'm so grateful
like truly so grateful

💬happy birthday my love
thank you

so today.. all day.. starting from the morning.. i had a lot of planned activities/events
i got to spend my birthday with everyone like this

well first things first -should we blow out the candles?
first - well of all the cakes, i brought a few of them here and ... let's go with one they prepped for me

i'm your hope, you're my hope
isn't it cute?
i'm jayyyyyyyyyhopeeee
isn't it sooo cute?

and there's another one
this one, per the trend these days, is really...
::messes up the cake he's holding somehow off cam::
::flips out in bb squirrel::
oh shhh..oh my gosh.. NOOO WAYYYY timestamp
the neck just broke off.. but i reattached it

DUBAI CHEWY COOKIE CAKE

*두바이 쫀득 쿠키 (Dubai Jjondeuk Cookie) also abbreviated more commonly as 두쫀쿠 is very popular in Korea right now... it's basically like a marshmallow/butter/cocoa ball with kataifi (finely shredded phyllo dough) folded with pistachio cream inside and then coated with more cocoa dust on the outside.

j-hope happy birthdayyy
isn't it so cute??
so cute 하죠? (isn't it so cute? in konglish)
oh my goddd
it's so cuteee
totally my style
oh em geee
wow
::sniffs the cake:: it smells good

okay so .. should we do the candles now everyone?
we should blow out the candles right?

(j-hope blep)

💬i want to eat

..i wonder if you'll all even know what Dubai Chewy Cookie is..
(fortunately I gotchu if you didn't!)
in Korea, it's realllyy popular right now

💬if you're happy, we're happy too
i'm happy

(the sun itself couldn't shine brighter.)
#goodthingTKisNOToverreacting

💬mmm delicious

let's cut cake!

ughh i can't do it- it's too precious.. i can't cut into cakes like this
like i feel like i have to preserve it like this you know?
but i guess still..
okay i'll put candles on at least one of the two..

Let's go, let's go, let's go, come on! timestamp]

::tries to light the match::
::lights the match::
::shooketh by the lighting of the match:: oh my god

friends, he is a whole cartoon in this moment. jakfd;gjaldfjg;alkdfjga

oh my gosh it's so hot [the match]
i can't do it cuz it's too hot [the MATCH]
::pause for fire magic::

one sec..
i'll take this.. hurry hurry hurry (bruh is alone - rushing for no reason)
light the "J"

AH SO HOT!
waOow
okay
complete
j-hoOope
happy birthday to me
*생일 축하합니다
*사랑하는 제이홉
*생일 축하합니다~~~~~

::wishes on the candle::
i hope that everyone can stay healthy, happy, and not get sick/hurt - i love you all
::squirrel blows out candles::
woooooo

wow
::squirrel clappies::
should we eat one?

everyone, how many times have you tried Dubai Chewy Cookie?

💬the strawberry cake looks so good
i mean it does look good

💬but today is your day
thank you

and i figured shouldn't i spend it with you all like this ..

💬yea yea i'm curious about the Dubai Chewy Cookie
should we try it?

this is neither here nor there but having been in BTS brain in so long and not in a bakery.. tell me why my brain looked at the spelling of the word "cookie" and was like.. . ...is that right?? it's not kookie? kooky? cooky? i have a whole ass master's degree and LEGITIMATELY had a brainfart over how the word cookie was spelled.. someone send help. preferably in the form of 1 kookie. tysmia

i really enjoy Dubai Chewy Cookies

something here makes me wonder what his older sister thinks if she ever catches something like this from his lives/clips of his lives inevitably poking into her social feeds.. like my cute bb bro eatin cookies.. what a cutie bingbong. or like this dingus didn't bring me any.. or like oh shoot i'll get him some for the next time i see him.. potentially/probably all of the above

which one should i eat?
j-hope? happy birthday? heart?

also it looks like he's growing a lollipop out of his head here :) ....yea, i'm unwell. leave me alone.

which one?
::waits for comments to answer::

💬hamburger and sprite
that's right..

wow
okay..
what should i eat?
heart?
heart?
::points to heart::
this one?
heart?

okay heart

i will eat the heart

oh but this.. wow.. can i eat the heart part?
i'm not sure if i can eat the heart
this is actually harder than I thought it'd be

these cookies are notoriously difficult to eat cuz they're coated in cocoa, so it'll get all over the everywhere.. PLEASE tell me how he ate it PERFECTLY?!j ka;ldfjg;ladfj;glakjdf;lga

i love how Koreans all look.. lowkey a little bit pissed off when the food hits so good LOLL

(screaming. crying. throwing up. also trying not to eat my phone. #nonchalant)

mmm
mm
mm
it's yummy

so he's just gonna sit here and mmM.. and expect me to remain alive..

it's goood
[say] ah

(🪦)

💬Hoseok Jung, it's my birthday today too
happy birthday to you

mm
wow
it's so good..
but yea i do like sweet things
yea
yommy yommyy

legend says he learned this exquisite pronunciation from his older brother, one Kim Seokjin

mMmm

💬wow, hoba, you're eating it so well without getting any of it on your lips
(see above note about it NOTORIOUSLY being difficult to eat nicely cuz cocoa powder gets EVERYWHERE)

oh does it usually get on the lips?
oh actually no you're right you're right it does..
but you know, i'm a pro
i'd never get it on my lips
i'm always immaculate with it

A PRO OF WHAT. A PROOO OF WHAT???DJKGL:DFJ:LGJD:LFGJ:LDFKJG
atp friends, i've died so many times.

mMmm

oh..
some of the powder got on my pants
my pants are white
this is an emergency

💬i want a bite

#generous.

the last bite.
wow
wow

::gets up::
::rolling around in search of truth.. hope.. love.. and probably a napkin::

i have no wet wipes

물 티슈 (mool tissue) = water tissue = wet wipes/moist towelette things
this is VERY widely used/carried by most individuals in Korea, convenience stores almost always have a BOGO situation on them too

it's SO good forreall
like no jokeee.. trulyy

::finds tissue::

mm..

HOW SO PRETTY?!?! Jka;ldjf;gklajd;flgja;ldfjg;ladjf;glakjdf;gl

💬1.9million of us are watching your dubai chewy cookie mukbang

that made him smile hehehe

Dubai cake? so good.

but this is one of those *controversial/loved or hated foods, no? right??
like people who like this really like this

*호불호 (ho boolho) = "controversial" or "divisive" not in a serious sense but just re: STRONGLY liked vs. disliked kinda like pineapple on pizza, cilantro, mint chocolate, etc. - those who LOVE it, loveeeeeee it; those who hate it, HATEEEE it
호 (好, ho) = like
불호 (不好, boolho) = dislike

If you remember Run BTS episode 128 when Jin was the 'liar' - he says as his 'clue' that this food isn't very "controversial/ho boolho" re: kimchi pancakes as he gauges what the food might be - a smart comment as he wasn't certain of the food by his turn

💬did you get gifts from the members?
aghh - we don't even need gifts at this point, right?
their heart for me is PLENTY
today, i received so much birthday love
i'm just feeling really grateful

it's been a really long time since i've done a live in my studio huh?
like really.. my studio..
but my studio is like so disorganized right now.. it's like..
i got rid of my computer..
i got a new computer..
so right now.. it's a bit of a mess..
and personally.. like um..
i'm thinking about maybe changing up my studio a little bit
to make it a little bit more organized and a little bit better..
not better, but like.. i think i need a little bit of a new environment

he's so pretty. he's so pretty. he's so pretty.

if per chance ..j-hope were to.. work on the next album
work on the next solo project..
i wonder if he might work in a different studio

everything that could i could draw out of this space.. i guess my inspiration if you will??
i think it feels a bit limited now(he's kinda grown out of this space, as much as this space has served him)
so maybe it's time to move onto a new space - with a new mindset

so. pretty.
and yes, they're all so beautiful and goodlooking - but when i talk about j-hope being pretty, i specifically mean that he's SO FREAKING PRETTYYYYY. like ... how do his features look so perfectly doll-like?!

💬where are the other members?
oh they probably already left..yea

💬did you have miyukgook?
no i haven't yet..

*미역국 (miyukgook) = seaweed soup traditionally eaten on birthdays
I've written about this before but for any new readers - seaweed soup is traditionally eaten by mothers during/after their pregnancy/giving birth because it's packed with nutrients and easy on the tums..so for our birthdays it's eaten to commemorate the labor of our mothers that brought us into this world

💬outfit check?

(awww so cuuuute, outfit check?? LEMME SHOW YOU MY HEART BELT)
outfit? outfit.. like what is there to see really? timestamp
here's this belt..but this belt comes undone

(🪦)

🎶outfit outfit outfit

i just came to work like this today.. timestamp

ahh anyway
these days..
we're all a little unhinged from just all the preparations
everyone is probably a little unhinged, the members and me included..

like truly.. out of our minds..

and i mean practice is one thing
but we also have a lot of content to shoot

so from content to
well actually the most important thing.. for everyone.. is practicing for our concert performance
so we're really focusing on that right now

i mean you've all probably seen articles by now so you know
we'll be doing a very epic opening showcase at Gwanghwamun
so we've been preparing for that

so our schedule is really packed
i mean i guess to be honest.. i'm like.. 'why is it that whenever we prepare for something - our schedule has never not been like JAM packed..'

i think whenever we have to prepare for something, things always get packed so tightly..
so that's how we've been spending our time

now it's february 18
in just a little bit, it'll be March everyone

truly time makes no sense..

💬i really liked Namjoonie's IG story
i was caught off guard a little bit heehehe

View on Threads

💬what'd you eat today?
well tbh everyone.. the reason i wasn't able to greet you all for seollal and stuff was because i got sick with a stomach bug outta nowhere
i was basically dead through seollal
i had a high fever like.. it was so terrible
so like.. so i rested.

i mean even now my stomach is still a little off
i mean definitely.. there's that. .like..
from a while back now..
well actually i don't know if it was like this back then but ..
but compared to similarly packed schedules in the past,
these days, re: like my stamina/physical strength - i could really feel my body taking the hit more than my earlier days

💬your eyes are red, are you okay?
my EYES ARE RED??
oh things like this..
oof.. my eyes are red
why are my eyes red..

💬What's your love song?
oh yea these days the 'Love Song' stuff is popping up a lot huh?
ARMY, what's your love song?
oh i have many love songs
i think there have been a lot of good albums that have come out recently
and also the album of my respected hyung, J. Cole, came out too
i actually texted him and said "you are my forever G.O.A.T."

FYI, just in case you may be in the same boat as 2021 Meryl Streep, "GOAT" = Greatest of All Time

::goes off screen to grab his phone to read us his text to his beloved J.Cole hyung::

"Congrats on the album, Cole hyung, the album went crazy forreal, you'll always be my GOAT"
this is how I sent it hehehe

"thank you brother, much love to you" (was the reply from J.Cole)

PAUSE. j-hope sharing this is very, very sweet because not only is he just generally sharing about a very sweet/cute exchange between him and one of his lifelong industry role models and beloved hyungs, but he's sharing what he texted to his hyung in english with ARMY

Ask anyone that is learning another language how sheepish/nervous they get when they have to ACTUALLY employ their non-native language skills that they've been practicing, how their hearts beat faster and how exciting/vulnerable it is to express something in a tongue that isn't your own - just HOPING that it lands the way you intended

...and watch how they beam with pride/validation/satisfaction when it does land and through it they have effectively expressed the sentiment they were trying to convey and it seems the other party not only 'heard' it but received/felt it

if you look at how his face squidges and beams after he shares this - he, too, a global superstar, beaming that this text landed as he meant it... i'm not crying, you're crying. ...and i'm crying. and now we're all crying.

go drink water.