SHINee‘s Taemin completed his mandatory military service in April, and after reuniting with his fellow group members to celebrate their 15th anniversary, he made his long-awaited solo comeback.
His comeback brought together fans and fellow idols as they celebrated the return of the “idol’s idol,” he also unexpectedly brought together various alumni of a Texas high school, many of whom were strangers to each other, with one post on Instagram.
SHINee’s Taemin | @xoalsox/Twitter
Taemin released his fourth solo mini-album, Guilty, on October 30 and has been promoting his new music, including title track, “Guilty,” which has been in the works since he released his last solo track, “Advice” in 2021.
Your browser does not support video.| SHINee Symptoms/Tumblr
In typical Taemin style, the SHINee maknae effortlessly embodied the concept and wowed fans with official photos dropped ahead of the mini-album’s official release.
The concept photos captured Taemin’s youthfulness with a nostalgic and slice-of-life quality.
| SM Entertainment | SM Entertainment
Taemin wore a variety of casual, yet stylish clothes for his photoshoot, and one specific outfit caught some netizens’ attention.
In a series of photos taken in a desert setting, Taemin was styled in a simple white graphic tee, blue jeans, converse, and a few pieces of jewelry.
| SM Entertainment | SM Entertainment | SM Entertainment
It wasn’t the full outfit that caught netizens’ attention, but rather what was printed on his T-shirt: the name and mascot of a high school in Kingwood, Texas, a community in northeast Houston.
On the back of the shirt is a celebration of the school’s athletic accomplishments.
| SM Entertainment | SM Entertainment | SM Entertainment
Taemin posted the photos to his official Instagram on October 19, and alumni and current students from the local high school rushed to the comment section, sharing their surprise that he was wearing a shirt representing their school.
Comments on SHINee Taemin’s Instagram comments | @xoalsox/Instagram
The students and graduates marveled at the multiple K-Pop fans that came out of the woodwork, with one graduate hilariously wondering where everyone was when they created a K-Pop club at the school, which dissolved when they graduated.
| @xoalsox/Instagram
Unexpectedly, Taemin’s Guilty wardrobe heartwarmingly united people in their shared love for both their school and K-Pop.
Check out more from Taemin’s recent promotions in the article below!
