Back in 2020, Stray Kids released the TOP and SKZ2020 albums, both of which had random hi-touch photocards that you could potentially pull in your album. These hi-touch photocards, pair unit cards for SKZ2020 and solo cards for the TOP album, were your ticket to go to a hi-touch event where you could briefly meet and high five the members you had on your ticket. Of course, since 2020 was the year that the world somewhat imploded, none of those events took place and were instead indefinitely postponed.

When I first got into Stray Kids, SKZ2020 was one of the first albums of theirs that I bought. Not knowing a lot about them I saw that this particular album had more songs than most of the other albums and so I considered it a better value for money purchase. I had no idea it was a compilation album, that the copy I had bought was a first press limited version, or even anything about the hi-touch event. I barely even knew who the members were. When I opened my album and I pulled out a beautiful shiny holographic card with two handsome men on it, I was just excited because my friend told me it was a rarer card with the two aussies on it (and being australian myself, i was just super happy to have them with me).

Months go by and I slowly become more and more involved in the STAY fandom. I started actively collecting all of Bang Chan’s photocards and some for the other members that I love the look of. I learn about all the different sorts of events that they hold to interact with STAY, including what a hi-touch is, and how those particular types of events are almost exclusively held in Japan. At some point I realise exactly how expensive the Bang Chan & Felix unit photocard I had would cost to buy secondhand in the fandom (and I somewhat choked on air). But despite all of this, I never really looked into the SKZ2020 and TOP events. Because they were from so long ago, they had obviously already happened or been cancelled. Right?

In April 2024, Stray Kids Japan twitter account announced that the SKZ2020 and TOP Hi-Touch events that had been rescheduled are now scheduled to occur the weekend of June 8 & 9 in both Tokyo and Kobe. The events…….. that I had a ticket to! But I wasn’t really about to spend a grand on flights to go have a barely 5 second interaction with some strangers was I? I asked a bunch of my friends, non kpop friends at that, expecting them to be the voice of reason and tell me that I was being ridiculous and I should save my money.

They all told me I should go. Why not? I had the savings. And more importantly, I already had the ticket. And “years from now when you look back at this moment, dont you think you would regret not going?” So I booked the flights to go to Japan and stay with my friend in Nara for a bit over a week. If it turned out I couldn’t actually do the event for whatever reason, then I would still be extremely happy to spend a week with one of my best friends who I hadnt seen in over 5 years at that point.

Once the flights were booked and accomodation was sorted and I had made the decision that this trip was definitely going to happen… I kind of decided screw it, I should go all out for this because when will I ever get this opportunity again? So over the following weeks, I proceeded to buy not only a Changbin & Hyunjin and Seungmin & I.N unit photocard, but also a solo Bang Chan and Seungmin photocard! My Ult bias is Bang Chan, my other biases are Lee Know and Seungmin, and before the event I.N was was my wrecker (he has now joined the bias line… he’s just too powerfully beautiful in person!). I had accepted early on that I was unlikely to get a hold of any Lee Know cards simply because his unit card was with Han - and thus wildly popular and sought after. But I was absolutely ecstatic to get all of the others.

I was a little sad that all of my friends in Melbourne and other parts of Australia who were also going to the event were all going to the Tokyo day. I would be going to the Kobe day on my own. But after sharing that with some of my other kpop friends, they got me in touch with one of their friends who lived in Osaka and I was able to plan to meet up with them at the event! STAY truly are the best! I was so excited for this event and going to Japan, that in the couple days before flying out, I even made some ‘SONG by’ inspired tape stickers of all the members solo SKZ-REPLAY songs to hand out to other STAY as freebies! I’m so proud of how they turned out.

So the day finally comes around. After flying to Japan, waking up early and getting ready, packing my little Wolf Chans and PuppyM in my bag and my camera that I had specifically bought more SD cards for so I could film a STAY Vlog for Chan because he said how much he loves watching them, I caught the 1.5hr train from my friends house in Nara to the Event venue in Kobe. It was humid as heck and hot. It was spitting rain almost all day. I looked a hot mess. But I couldn’t have been happier to be standing in line all day.

The first line of the day - lining up to buy cds & dvds. The line was so long, but it moved somewhat fast. I didn’t know beforehand but the friend of a friend I met up with at the event is a GOM (group order manager). Through her I was able to preorder the dvd, and I bought two copies of the SKZ2020 cd myself. If you’re not aware, buying all of those came with extra benefits. The DVD came with 4 of 8 possible member photocards, and the cd’s came with 2 of 4 possible unit photocards each. I couldn’t believe my luck when I got the full set of unit cards and my entire bias line in the dvd ones. The unit cards are my absolute favourite. They are in the same unit pairings as they were for the hi-touch event, and they are in the outfits from a japan fanmeet event more than a year before that I have always remembered because I absolutely loved the clothes and how they all looked. Chan in that outfit is even one of my regular phone lockscreens.

Of course these event specific photocards are not the only thing you could get. Along with your purchases you received some lottery scratch tickets that would enable you to possibly win some signed polaroids of the members, or the chance to be one of 200 people to participate in the send off event (where at the end of the event when the members are all preparing to leave, you can interact with them briefly to say goodbye). Thanks to the friend I was with at the event who bought so many items for her group orders, because through her I was able to win the chance to not only do the hi-touch but the send off with her as well! It truly was the luckiest day ever!

After collecting our purchases and send off tickets, and organising all of the event photocards we had received, we sat down or wandered around outside for a while trying to trade for photocards we were missing, or in my case I started handing out my freebie stickers. I’m not sure if freebie culture is just not common in Japan because everyone I gave one to seemed so surprised and delighted to receive something so randomly. But it made me feel so good to see everyone smile so excitedly when I was able to give them a sticker of their bias’s solo song!

After all of that, it was finally time to start lining up for the unit hi-touch events!!! I really had no idea what to expect. We waited in line with our tickets for so long, and once we finally got into the building and out of the rain it was still so sticky and humid. We finally got to the staff at the entrance of the meeting hall and presented our photocard tickets. The staff carefully punched a hole into them in the strip at the bottom and passed over entry passes so we could proceed. Entry to the area was at the left side of the building, and from left to right the unit queues for each pair were Bang Chan & Felix, Changbin & Hyunjin, Lee Know & Han, Seungmin & I.N. You lined up to enter the partitioned space towards the back of the room that each unit was waiting in, and once you were through the building exit was on the right OR you could return back to the queues if you had a pass still for more units.

We decided to see Bang Chan & Felix first simply because their queue was right next to the entry. As a Bang Chan ult I almost wish I had started with someone else simply because I had no idea what to expect and I was honestly a little overwhelmed. But we got ready and I tried to desperately think of what to say to may favourite aussie men when I saw them. Nothing really prepares you for it though. When I stepped up to the doorway and the staff said they’ll be on my right hand side, I was honestly expecting them to be a bit further into the space. But I stepped around the corner and Felix was RIGHT THERE!

I managed to blurt out “See you in australia” to them, though my accent has been worn down by having lived in Japan for 3 years so i’m not sure if they realised I was australian hahaha. Felix looked very stylish and was casually sitting there behind the table. He smiled and said “Hi” and then Bang Chan was leaning forward across the table quite far. Chan looks so stunning in real life and up close. Truly when people say that cameras don’t do him justice they arent lying. He looked a little tired but still very beautiful and happy, and his hair was styled forward which I absolutely love on him! Their hands were actually a little cold, but i’m honestly not sure if thats because I spent all day in spitting rain where it was SUPER humid and sticky, and then when we were waiting in the hall it felt like a sauna. Hopefully that was an indication that they were much more comfortable than us hahaha. Staff were inside the small room at multiple points, and as I walked through I could feel them ushering us through to make sure no one tried to stay longer than was welcome or appropriate.

Once we walked back around to go to the next unit, Vocalracha were closest to that entrance and had a shorter line so we decided to go see them next. This time they were seated on the left side. Again I prepared myself to say “See you in Australia” but I truly wasn’t prepared to be faced with I.N’s beauty so close up. It reminded me that although I truly adore Bang Chan and find him endlessly attractive, the very first person who drew my eye in SKZ was I.N. I remember sitting on the couch at my friends house watching the live-streamed Kobe Maniac concert with her because it was on while I was visiting and saying that I thought he (I.N) was the hottest one there. And then five seconds later Bang Chan opened his mouth and started talking and stole my heart lol. But Innie’s ginger hair colour suits him perfectly, and his adorable eye smile behind his glasses and the big bright smile he had that showed off his dimples so much that day were just too cute to ignore. And Seungmin! With his new shorter hairstyle he looked so cheeky! He high-fived me and did the cutest little blinks like a surprised puppy!

Finally we went through for the last unit, HyuniBini! By the time that were going through, it was towards the end of the units time. HyuniBini had the longest line at this time but it was really strange, because as we were waiting there the staff suddenly stopped all the lines and started moving the partition walls around. They didn’t explain what was happening, and we were all wondering if they were starting to set up for the solo hi-touch event that was about to start afterwards. We were waiting for almost 15mins while they made all these changes, and they also separated out anyone in the line that still had multiple tickets left. When the lines started moving again, they had all the people who held multiple tickets go in first to just do the number of hi-fives they had tickets for all at once. It was very strange.

Once the rest of the lines started moving, they started moving quite fast. We got the feeling they were rushing everyone through because they had gone over time, but if that was the case we didn’t understand why they had stopped everything for 15mins. I was truly really looking forward to seeing Binnie in person! But when I went to go through Binnie was first and a staff member was half standing in front of him! I could barely see him because the staff were in the way. I reached out and just touched his hand before I felt the staff push me in the back and I almost stumbled. I super briefly touched Hyunjin’s hand but he was already looking at the person behind me. The only things I really remember were that Changbin’s hair was a super pretty colour and Hyunjin was taller than I expected. I’m really sad about my HyuniBini experience, not because of the boys but because of the staff.

Immediately after the unit hi-touch, we took a moment to find a locker to stash all our stuff because it was becoming hard to carry it around, and then we hopped straight into the solo hi-touch line - again outside in the rain just like the unit ones earlier in the day. After making it through and finally inside, I split from my friends because we all had different member tickets. I decided to go see Seungmin first. I was determined to say something different this time so I said “Thank you for being my singer.” It was super fast again but he smiled so brightly. The hairstyle he had made him so much more cheeky and mischievous than usual, and I think it made him look so cute!

Finally the last hi-touch ticket I had was for Bang Chan! When I went through with Channie, he was leaning really far forward and was smiling really big! I tried to walk a little slower, and said “thank you for inspiring me to make art again” and he held my hand instead of high-fived it, and continued to look me in the eyes as I walked past and smiled really big and said ‘no worries!’ He is so beautiful! I never wanted to let go of his hand - holding his hand felt so safe and I felt like I was accepted and belonged. Channie feels like home. And not just because we’re both aussies but because he truly makes you feel SEEN even in such a short meeting.

After all of the hi-touch events we again sat outside for quite a while waiting for the send off event to be called. I spent some more time handing out freebies, and then eventually they started calling the send of people to start lining up (still outside and in the rain unfortunately). From what i’ve heard of other send off events in the past, this one was set up somewhat differently. Usually the guys will be lined up together and the fans will walk past them to wave and say goodbye. This one was set up that we all split into two groups and lined up in two long thin sections behind barriers on either side of a wide walkway. (Amusingly, there was a staff member kneeling on the inside of that walkway holding each panel of the barriers. Did they think we would stampede the guys?)

But this set up meant that when the guys came out from the partition rooms at the back of the room, they were able to walk along that space between the fans at their own pace and smile, wave and complete hand hearts as much as they wanted. My friend and I were towards the middle so we were able to see them pretty clearly the whole time that they walked through us all. The sunshine twins Han & Felix entered first with their arms linked. Then Hyunjin, Changbin and I.N, Lee Know and Seungmin and lastly Bang Chan.

Han looked a little like a deer in the headlights. His eyes were wide and he was shyly smiling and bouncing and would slowly wander from side to side completing a few hand hearts here and there. His hair was so cute and curly and he was actually much cuter in real life than I expected. I was super lucky and he completed my hand heart when he came near to me! Felix came along next and he seemed a bit calmer and was waving at people more than going up to touch hand hearts. He had such a big happy smile though. He is so dainty when you see him standing fully right in front of you though! Truly a cute fairy!

I.N is SO BEAUTIFUL! He was still wearing his glasses and just strolling along but smiling super bright and wandering from side to side. He completely skipped my spot and a few people on my side because he went to the other side but he is honestly so handsome! Watching him walk across to the other side I could still appreciate his confidence and style! Changbin came along and he completed my hand heart as well! He doesn’t seem that big or intimidating when he’s standing in front of you but he still seems, solid. Sturdy. He has a physical presence! His cheeks are so cute when he smiles! And he wasn’t wearing the jacket that he was earlier in the day! He just had the button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up and it was honestly so attractive! And with the silvery hair!!!!! Truly he is just so handsome!

Hyunjin was bouncing around like an excited ferret! He was frantically trying to race along to high five every single STAY’s hand he could as quickly as he could, but he looked SO JOYOUS! You could tell he was trying to see and touch every stay there and that it was making him so happy to be able to. He felt like he was on a sugar high and I wanted to run around and play with him because he looked like he was just having so much fun! Behind them all I saw someone getting pushed, and when Hyunjin passed I realised that it had been Seungmin shoving Lee Know and they were play fighting. My two favourite menaces looked like they were having so much fun!

When Lee Know got to me I was holding out a half hand heart and when he went to complete it I changed my hand to a thumbs up. He kind of smirked and huffed and changed his to a thumbs up too! I didn’t plan to do it, but I saw how beautiful he was and I sort of freaked out and panicked. I don’t think I could handle if he fully completed my hand heart so my brain shifted to autopilot and said “be a menace”. Seungmin was then passing and rather than doing hand hearts or walking over to people, he kept staring at everyone and pointing his two fingers at his eyes and then at us as if to indicate that he was staring at us to remember our faces the way he does at concerts so often. I couldn’t stop giggling when I did it back to him!

Lastly Bang Chan! He is truly so beautiful in person I cant even describe him properly. He had almost gone past me before he turned to our side but as I waved and held out a hand heart and said “I love you Chris” he smiled and leant over to complete my hand heart. His eye smile is truly the cutest thing ever! (I wonder if having bright purple unruly curly hair made me more memorable in the sea of mostly Japanese fans with beautiful straight black hair lol). As he kept walking, more than all of the others, he kept turning around to wave back at everyone they had passed. When he got towards the end he even picked Seungmin up and carried him for a few steps and Minnie could be seen above the whole crowd!

Then they got to the end and lined up facing back to us all. While some of their music was playing Felix and Seungmin were doing some of the choreo in tiny while in line, and then Channie said thank you to everyone, that its been four years and he kind of buffered for a moment and was just like ‘thank you for waiting for us’ ‘we’ll be back soon promise’ and then he led them all saying their final goodbye and they left.

I cannot believe that I got to see them all so many times!!! Chan is truly the most beautiful person inside and out and I cant help but have my eyes follow him whenever he is there. I.N really hit me with his handsomeness. Seungmin really felt like a puppy! Lino is too pretty to be real. I desperately wish that I could squish Changbin’s cheeks! I wanted to give Felix head-pats because he just felt so cute and content. It would be the most fun to play somewhere with Hyunjin. And Hannie! He felt like he was shocked to see people were there for him. That people love him. And I just wanted to give him a big hug and tell him that he is so talented and he, like the others, truly deserves the love and praise we give them!

This is the sort of memory that I don’t think I will ever forget. I am so glad that I decided to spend the money and just make the trip, because I will likely never get this sort of chance again. Stray Kids are not the first kpop group i’ve ever liked. But they are the only group i’ve ever loved. I truly don’t think I will find a group of people who I adore, respect, and look up to as much as I do this group of loveable dorks - even if I am older than them - and I am endlessly thankful that they have become a part of my life.

Stray Kids everywhere all around the world, you make stray kids stay <3

Stray Kids Kobe Hi-Touch Event