yuta & mark

yes it’s known as the “two lesbians who run off in the sun together”

yes, they would be claiming markhyuck have set a date for their wedding if it was "my bear"

oh mark, how obvious can you be?

200 was released in may 2024, way before the firstfruit or depth. it's mark's first love song release and he isn't hiding anything.

it's actually quite crazy how obvious mark has been throughout his songs, you just need to pay attention.

First, you crashed into my life and you just broke My roof and my window, girl, you had me shook

because yuta was the one to suddenly give mark a rush of obsession, love and flirtation he had probably never experienced in such a way before.

I'm living again in a drama in my head

yumark is like... fanservice? like a BL? too good to be true? could yuta actually be serious, is mark asking himself to stop being delusional? heh

Who told me love would come down like a million rocks? The rock you came with was an alibi

the love yuta came with came with an alibi of fanservice, something that can be used as protection against real feelings. yuta can cover up his feelings with "it's just a joke, just for the cameras" if anyone asks or even if nobody asks, it was his way of expressing what he couldn't say or do in private.

You and I, we have the same disguise Even a long gray cap can't hide it, right? When night comes again, can we ri-ri-ri—?

without writing too much, yuta's album is all about this disguise, off the mask, the hiding, the lack of freedom, being locked up, a prisoner. i suppose that's idol life x1000000 when you're in love with your group member. they were caught on dates at night, as we have seen.

You are my rockstar Without you, I'll always feel alone When I'm lost, you guide me home, yeah You make my whole heart When nothing adds up, I'll be your number You're a hundred and six and I'm ninety-four, yeah

do i have to say anything, really? oh markie. i'm so proud of how far you have come in not caring and sharing your love! i think everyone and their mother must have thought of yuta when they hear "rockstar"

and of course it fits with the yumark dynamic of yuta being mark's protector, guidance, where he goes for his emotional support

106 + 94 = 200. mark explained this is saying that he sees the other person as more than himself rather than them being just 50/50 equals, he thought it was more romantic that way. and i honestly think mark sometimes sees yuta as this incredible person he aspires to be like. a rockstar, so fearless in everything he does, etc

and i will just go to the outro because the song is self explanatory:

You are my Rockstar, my rockstar When nothing adds up, I'll be your number Hundred and six, ninety-four, don't you know? What you know, hundred and six, ninety-four? You're my rock, my rockstar When nothing adds up, I'll be your number You're a hundred and six and I'm ninety-four, yeah

again, he uses both "rock" and "rockstar" which screams yuta. i can't count how many times on this blog i said yuta is mark's rock. they even have a secret sign of 🤘 when yuta says "my way, my way" to mark when mark gets visibly upset or uncomfortable on camera. mark has said even as an adult, he feels like a child and needs guidance. so yuta is that for him, his rock and his dominant. thank you mark for confirming, have you been reading my blog? heh

also in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBk_9ux7Thc at 1:33, mark is talking about how he couldnt make eye contact with the fans because he was too shy and yuta immediately says he however was able to, to which mark replies "that's good..." he then takes a moment to think and says "as expected from rockstar" which even the editors added the lyrics of 200 there on the screen

this confirms (as if we didn't know) that everyone thinks the "rockstar" in 200 is yuta

mark very obviously wants people to know that. this moment is from around july/august 2024, just 2 months after 200's release

the "rock" and "rockstar" are associated. it's a moment where mark is the one who needs help with something (too shy to look at fans) but yuta can do it with ease. this is the dynamic that makes yuta mark's rock and mark is impressed by yuta's natural ease with these things, how he just doesn't care, he is mark's "rockstar"

at that moment, when yuta hears "rockstar" his lips twitch and i'm sure he must have said something but it cut there. perhaps they actually spoke about 200 lyrics right there and how the song is about yuta and that's what inspired the editors to write that caption. why didn't they show us that part if it was the case? heh

either way, yuta knows 200 is about him.

so mark said this at the end of december 2024:

Q: first member who listened to 'fraktsiya' mark: yuta! its yuta hyung, at that time he was preparing for his solo album, while he let me listen to his songs he said "you've been preparing (for your album) too right, let me listen to it" and that was the time i let him listen to fraktsiya. hyung said "this is so cool! you did so well! looking forward to it", he gave a really positive feedback. thank you (yuta)"

uploaded the tweet as i couldnt add the second video

so yuta is the one who also gave mark feedback for his album as well as being the first to listen to it. it once again shows their closeness and intimacy, because music writing is something so personal. especially with the type of music both have released and because it's both of their debut albums.

i also want to comment on the first video due to mark's facial expressions. when he said yuta, he immediately smiles uncontrollably because suddenly talking about yuta in something outside of 127, in something that is purely mark's world, is kind of foreign for him. i've discussed it many times on this blog how yuta doesn't exist in mark's world outside of 127, publicly. so of course when he chooses to mention him, it's a bit nervy, and self conscious in how he very obviously tries to guard himself and the words he chooses.

I was talking with a friend a few months back, and for her, it was so obvious how close mark is to yuta, how intimate they are, how… they’re basically like an established couple at this point. they just know each other so well, they’re always the first to hear about each other’s stuff, they’re constantly in touch. It blows my mind that people just choose to ignore it and pretend they’re not that close.

but at the same time, I kinda feel like everything happens for a reason. do you think that if they were a ship more openly supported by the fandom, things would be different between them? would they act differently? or maybe being under the radar is kind of a blessing in disguise?

somehow yumark is still seen as fanservice. i don't really check twitter often but it's not surprising that this is still the case.

most yuta solo fans don't like yumark, they prefer other ships where others like yuta more or just want him away from 127 entirely. i suppose they don't like how much yuta loves mark because it doesn't fit with some idea or image of how they want yuta to be. so they demonse even yuta himself. it's selfish.

then mark fans are dominated by markhyuck shippers. it may even be one of the most popular ships in all of kpop.

and then there's the divide between 127 and dream fans so if you are a dream fan you definitely won't like yumark.

and like you said, unless you pay attention to yumark, you wont know how close they really are. all you'll see is "fanservice" and not bother to think anything of it.

i'm surprised nobody is talking more about this song and the obvious lgbt theme running through it

watching tv's original title was "thelma & louise" which is found in the credits of mark's album. mark has also said the song was inspired after he watched thelma & louise. and of course the lyrics:

"When I'm with you I feel like Bonnie, Clyde, Thelma and Louise's something"

watching tv is obviously a love song about wanting to escape mundane life and being on a thrilling adventure with your lover. it's also about how that lover has changed you as a person, so much that, as the lyrics state:

I don't let them make you up I would be somebody for you I go wildish I don't think twice if you want me Can rob a bank you want (You want) I'm fearless man somehow (Somehow) Nothing scares my love for real

thelma & louise is about two female friends who would die for each other, their bond is that strong. although the film itself isn't formally recognised as an lgbt movie, many queer spaces believe that the two women were in love with each other, especially as at the end they kiss on the lips and decide to ride off in the sunset or unalive themselves together in euphoria. their bond is shown to supersede the relationships they had with men which were toxic and abusive.

i wonder why mark was so drawn to this movie that it inspired a whole song?

i believe mark saw himself as thelma, and yuta as louise. thelma is the younger, more naive and submissive/obedient one who is married to an abusive man and hasn't properly lived life, never been on adventures or taken big risks in life. louise on the other hand is stronger minded, lives life on the edge, she smokes, she is the one that kills thelma's rapist, etc

throughout the movie you begin to see how thelma starts to take on more of louise's traits. one of these being at the start when thelma copies louise and starts smoking and even imitates louise saying "hey look i'm louise" as she smokes. this made me think about how mark has had yuta as this inspiring presence in his life, allowing him to become bolder, try new things, experiment with his style (i recall yuta saying on his radio that mark has become more like him in terms of his physical style). it also seems mark is a very "yes" man when it comes to SM and the company, whereas yuta is the type to put up a fight and defend himself against the company. maybe this is why the movie resonated so much with mark because he has always admired this part of yuta, which has allowed himself to be more free and take more risks.

throughout the movie, thelma becomes more confident, and even robs a bank which mark also mentions in his lyrics "Can rob a bank you want (You want)." she starts to let go of her previous vulnerable wife identity and becomes a strong woman who's bold and takes risks with louise by her side. and as we have seen, mark is not as shy as he used to be in expressing his love for yuta. many fans are even shocked that mark is this affectionate with yuta. fans were shocked to hear mark's whiny tone in the stepping on yuta's foot video - they have never heard mark like this with anyone before. out of so many members, yuta brings this raw side of mark out.

going back to the lgbt romance theme. although some argue that the movie was not sapphic, mark clearly did not think so, having made the entire song about love and romance. the lyrics are not platonic. and the fact he chose to say "Thelma and Louise's something" because he knows there was something going on between them even if they appeared like just best friends or sisters to other people.

another lyric that stood out for me is: "I don't let them make you up" which made me think back to the glasses post from 2021 when mark says people think yuta is bad for him and around that time when yuta began supressing his "obsession" for mark in public, toning it down. and mark essentially said, don't do that, just be how you naturally are. so i think this lyrics is another ode to that. yuta should continue to love mark as openly as he wants which has been the case over the past few years again.

anyway, the rest of the song is pretty self explanatory - about a secret relationship that he doesn't care what people think of it, they can gossip, he won't care. it reminds me of the negative opinion the fandom has about yumark and i can't imagine what people at the company have said about them.

again, i think this is mark playing around to hint at his sexuality publicly but in a safe way. he chose a same sex "friendship" with a history of queer commentary around it as the main relationship this love song is about. why is that?

bad euphoria by yuta - parallels with watching tv by mark

i noticed the themes are very similar. it’s almost like in this song yuta takes on the character of louise (who killed thelma’s rapist hence they are on the run in the story), as he keeps mentioning going to prison. which in the actual movie, louise at points says she might as well just give herself in.

these lyrics in particular:

I’m not interested in the goody little you, baby

A teaser where you can already tell the ending?

it’s like an ode to the predictable, goody little thelma in the start of the movie, who listens to everything her abusive husband says and never lets her hair down. again, that’s very mark in nature, who listens to everything the company says, wasn’t so bold or the one to take risks, but that’s changing now (as we also learn from watching tv’s lyrics). it’s also interesting how yuta talks about a teaser and ending - which are associated with movies and well, watching tv, heh.

another running theme in bad euphoria is again, the feeling of being on an adventure with no care in the world, escaping mundane life.

Set fire to this boring world

Isn’t it lacking some thrill?

I’ll invite you right now, my bad, bad euphoria

he’s bringing mark to the wilder, dark side of nakamoto yuta’s carefree world:

Take your mask off

Unleash your desires

I’ll invite you right now, my bad, bad euphoria

it’s also interesting how this song is centered around a “euphoria” and in mark’s watching tv his is centered around a “utopia”

ever since i heard this song, i had to put my thoughts out because it's the first time we get to know about a romantic relationship mark has with someone through his music.

mark has said this song isn't about a toxic relationship itself but about him loving someone even though he's been hurt by them but despite that the love is unconditional. so maybe he is a loser.

i want to keep this brief because i have things to say about other songs on his album and i want to write everything while i am here and have time. i think a lot of the song is self explanatory anyway so i will focus on things that stood out.

"loser" as a title. the word play. most people will think it's "lose her," even the interview here mentions it to mark at 11:46 of this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcNp4h65Cx8 and you can see mark visibly taken aback and he gets awkward. from the entire time he freely spoke about his album, this is the only moment he got a bit flustered. the unenthusiastic "yeah.. yeah" when he's agreeing that it works as "lose her" as well. of course, his reaction could be because he doesn't want his fans to think he has a girlfriend but then he so confidently insists on telling the interviewer about his relationship and about that love interest so that doesn't make sense. it really looks like he unwillingly agreed that "lose her" was the other meaning. in the song itself it's "lose ya" as the lyrics. we know mark loves wordplay and double meanings. hearing mark sing "loser" it immediately makes people assume it’s a play on “lose her.” but then you listen closely and realise he’s not actually saying “lose her” he’s saying “lose ya.” it is intentional, especially coming from someone like mark, who clearly loves playing with double meanings and wordplay in his lyrics. that choice almost draws attention to what he’s not saying. he could have easily gone with “her” if he wanted to, as he uses "girl" in his songs so easily and it would have fit the expected mold of a straight love love. but he didn’t. he left it ambiguous. it made me wonder if that’s his way of sidestepping gender on purpose, keeping it open-ended either for artistic reasons or maybe even as a subtle way to not tie the emotion of the song to a heteronormative narrative. which he then explores further in the lyrics.

verse 1:

Baby, I can't sleep 'Cause you said you'd call me back Burning one more leaf All year round, seasons falling The moment you came into my life again I waited, and the sun came up The sofa turned cold My texts turned to ashes

i am simply going to link these yuta fansign moments: https://x.com/yumarkpics/status/1495729815609094148 & https://x.com/yumarkpics/status/1504444317598994434

why would friends get upset when their call is not answered? that's a lovers thing. i believe this song was written during the time yuta went to film high & low in japan (aka yuta's first time going to japan after covid so a while since mark was away from yuta like this).

3. verse 2:

Just like my empty days (What's that?) Just emptying my mind out for you (Emptying) You said you liked guys who let you win But you're the one getting mad again today Even if loving first was My fault, it's alright Rather than being the one making you suffer Should I just be what you want?

mark has many chances to not let his yearning for yuta to completely consume him. at that time even, he had a chance to preoccupy himself with dream and the child release and promo. the part about "guys who let you win" is referring to arguments. yuta prefers a lover who doesn't start arguments or if there is an argument, someone who backs down easily. i've said many times throughout this blog that mark is the insecure lover, he gets jealous, maybe sees himself as a little less or not as experienced as yuta (age, confidence, etc). maybe this has lead to outbursts from him towards yuta which lead to yuta letting him know he doesn't like that or that it's to be expected yuta will be away from him due to actively promoting in japan. yuta is the type of person that can get irritated easily (i thought of the time he snapped at jungwoo) he's a free spirit and likes to do things his way. he likes things to be the way he wants them to be, which may lead to him snapping at mark because mark is very needy- remember the moment when mark was sulking on camera and said "that's right" to yuta in a whiny/baby voice when yuta asked if he stepped on his foot on purpose. also, yuta has said many times when the camera is off, it's mark that is more affectionate or comes to him more. which might lead to mark thinking he has to be a certain way "should i just be what you want" (ie: shut up and accept this is the way it's going to be between us, you do what you want and i have to accept it). i do suspect their relationship is difficult because of the long distance nature of it, the fact they're in a big kpop group, the secrecy, etc etc i don't know how they label it, all i can say is they are each other's person, whatever that means to them.

"even if loving first was my fault" i have written about mark confessing first and yuta being a little shaken by it and putting space between them. it puts them in a difficult position when things actually become real hence "Rather than being the one making you suffer" because now yuta can't just move to japan for good and have his ideal dream career there as a jrock artist and actor

4. chorus

I don't want a loser, oh (I don't want a loser) I don't want a loser, no (I don't want a loser) Yeah, baby, don't you go (Baby, don't you go) I can't say no more, 'cause (Baby, don't you go) I don't want a loser, no (I don't want a loser)

at that time, it was the first time yuta was making more friends in japan, with his co-stars of high&low etc missing mark's calls and so on. his insecurity made him think he's losing yuta

5. verse 2

Yeah, I couldn't say it back then, but Even that girl you were closest with, I hated her from the start Looking at the pictures in the album now You look like an actor, guess it's time to change my wallet too (Change that) Your makeup doesn't suit you In this flashy mess, love is the only thing that fits the view I knew all this, but I still loved you (Yeah) Maybe I'm the real loser, more than you are (Yeah-eh)

this is the part that caught my attention, and even most fans' attention. i saw this post on twitter where fans were discussing (seriously, for the first time! even mark's gf stans not shippers) about the possibility of him being queer, writing a song about a man or being involved with a queer woman. the post i saw is this https://x.com/hyutaesft/status/1909183455361183944

i've always said on this blog i think mark is gay and yuta is bi. therefore, yuta doesn't worry much if mark is with women but mark, especially due to being insecure, will worry when yuta is with women. maybe there was a woman yuta was close to that we don't know about. this is new information so we have to add it to the discussion. and it makes things even more complicated in terms of their timeline than we first thought. yuta has talked about future "wife and kids" before comfortably so it seems he entertains the possibility of being with a woman in the future. we don't know if this woman is platonic or not but i am leaning towards not. otherwise mark wouldn't be so bothered to mention it in his song.

"looking at the pictures, you look like an actor" self explanatory given the time i think this was written - when yuta went to film high&low in japan. his acting debut. also the korean word for "actor" is genderless so if you see some translations using "actress" it is incorrect. "i knew all this but i still loved you" - he knew it wasn't going to be easy, he knew there might be other people involved, but he still fell for yuta.

this verse, was very intentional and again a first time mark hints at his sexuality in his lyrics without it being too obvious. "that girl i hated" could also be read by people as his female love interest's friend he was jealous of, so it's safe.

it's also interesting how this verse is entirely in korean, like he wants the person this song is about (yuta) to be able to understand it all. and the majority of the song is in korean, compared to the other songs on the album.

cont and then jaemin was like is this a love confession or something hmm it makes you think you know i'm going to be delulu and say hes talkinh about yuta lol cause after that he said oh actually i haven't decided who to talk about yet that means it's not about any of the dream members does that make sense lol its also around the time yu might have moved out of the dorm :-)

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this was sent to me two years ago. maybe by now you have realised how mark uses the word "girl" as a space filler or a deflection to a very obviously gender neutral/male love interest song, although golden hour isn't one of them. i think the purpose of that song was different.

golden hour doesn’t change my view of mark being gay at all. if anything, the overtly straight-coded language, especially lines like “ladies wait for me” feels more like performance than personal truth. "ladies" meaning fans, because he knows the majority of his fans are girlfriend stans who are obsessed with the idea of fantasising about themselves with him. look at the reaction of his fans when he gifted lee youngji a rolex watch, which she made public knowledge, as it was harmless gift between friends. but his fandom didn't cope. look at their reaction to mark calling yuta oppa, they hated it. they hate any image of him being something unavailable to them, whether that's gay or dating a woman. and i can't imagine a genuinely straight male artist saying “ladies wait for me” with a straight face, it’s kind of cringey. it doesn’t sound like something a secure straight guy would say; it sounds like someone trying really hard to appear straight - like he’s playing a role he thinks he’s supposed to fill, not expressing something real.

mark also uses the word “girl” a lot in his lyrics, sometimes in places where is doesn't naturally fit, and it often comes across less like genuine romantic expression and more like a placeholder. and sometimes, it gives more of a “doth protest too much” energy. it's leaning really hard into a heterosexual image, which makes sense considering most of his fanbase is straight girls who project a romantic fantasy onto him.

it's also worth mentioning that golden hour is an ego rap song, the kind of song where rappers hype themselves up, show off skills, and assert their status. in such songs, women are often used symbolically, as status symbols or trophies. it's entirely possible (and likely) that this framing was encouraged or suggested by his A&R team, who help shape the themes and tone of his solo work to align with trends and appeal to the market. mark has said before that he collaborates with his team on concepts and lyrics, so it’s reasonable to assume some of those hetero-coded lines or ideas aren’t entirely coming from him, they're part of building a marketable image that resonates with his biggest demographic.

i have seen the same recently with exo's kai (also an SM idol) who i also suspect to be queer, who has recently been getting a more masculine image catered towards his older, female fanbase and ever since he started releasing solo albums. he is also one of the few (only?) popular idol in the entire industry that has had two dating scandals with very popular female idols. this image is usually pushed in the songs/stage performances whereas offstage he is a lot more feminine, cutesy, introverted and nothing like his stage persona.

anyway, back to golden hour. it is mark's first ever solo release after child. child shows mark's innocence and well, basically a childish and pure image. golden hour shows a more sexy, adult-like version of him, so of course there should be sexier lyrics. how do people show sex appeal? by showcasing how much they are wanted and desired. i doubt he will be able to write "they all want me" or "men or women both want me." his sex appeal has to be shown through a heterosexual lens.

yuta keep looking at his phone an he seem to texting someone. what do you think about this video??

you cannot out people based on theories. you only out people when you know for a fact of their sexuality due to gaining personal confidential data and then openly telling people this without their consent. fans discussing sexuality theories based on information readily available to the public is simply commentary, interpretation, and a long-standing part of queer fan culture.

queer fans especially can see things that resonate with them in certain idols and should have a safe space to discuss that. it's no different to fans discussing how straight an idol is and who they are dating.