ananashorts
s h a k e i t & s h a k e i t f o r me
5K posts
OSH × PCY •° 튱쩡 ~ 제우스 ~ 막걸리 쥐 x JSC JY + 재 × 쿤 •° 坤鬼
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ananashorts · 4 days ago
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he’s so ☹️ he’s sooooo 🤓
like that’s my loser man yuppppp
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ananashorts · 4 days ago
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he’s a dancer and he will DANCE🕺🕺
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ananashorts · 4 days ago
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SAVE ME JISUNG WITH BUTTONS UNDONE + NECKLACE + CAP 😣😣😣
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ananashorts · 4 days ago
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Perv!bestfriend! jisung who…
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Perv!bestfriend! jisung x fem!reader
mdni!!! 18+
warnings- make out, groping, choking, dry humping, panties, jerking off, explicit depictions of oral sex.
W/c- 1.7k
a/n- hope you guys enjoy, I surely enjoyed writing lol.
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Perv!bestfriend!jisung who acts completely normal when you're out with friends, but behind closed doors, he becomes a bit more touchy. Whether it's accidentally brushing his hand against your chest, groping your waist during your "play fights", or placing his hand uncomfortably close to your inner thigh, you notice the shift. 
"Ji, what are you doing?" you ask, glancing at him as you both sit on the couch. 
"Hmm?" he replies, pouting his lips innocently as if he has no idea what you're talking about. 
You simply shake your head, turning your attention away from him.
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Perv!bestfriend!jisung who had to excuse himself to the restroom after you compared your hand size to his, calling his hands big and manly. 
It turned him on so much, he couldn't help it. He could make you feel so good with them if you let him.
He couldn't help but to imagine how his hands could explore every inch of your body— how they could make you tremble under his touch. Feeling up your body, touching you in the most sensual way. He pictured the way you'd gasp as his fingers teased and toyed with you, hitting all the right spots, you clenching around his fingers as you begged for more. The thought of it drove him wild, he needed it so bad. 
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Perv!best friend!jisung who invites you to sleep in his bed because 'he doesn't want you to sleep on the couch when his roommate is home.'
"Oh... you're sleeping in here with me?" You say, looking at him with curious eyes. 
"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" He asked, giving you that innocent look that always drove you a little crazy. You nodded in agreement. He's right... why wouldn't he? That's your best friend after all. In his mind, he was excited that you agreed. Why would he pass the chance to lay next to your beautiful body, especially in those skimpy clothes you always wore to sleep. He patiently waited for your breathing to slow, biting his lip nervously as he carefully pulled down his pants. 
You were so beautiful, he couldn't help himself, he was so hard it hurt. He threw his head back, trying to hold in his moans. He wanted it to be you so bad, wanted you to be the one to make him feel good. Fuck, you turned him on so much.
His long fingers grazed the side of your body, his cock twitching at the feeling of your soft skin. "Fuck" he sighed out, careful not to wake you up. His stomach tightened, his hand moving to his mouth, biting down, trying to hold in the sounds that desperately wanted to be let out. His eyes rolled back as ropes of his cum spread on his t-shirt. Look at what you do to him, he was a wreck. 
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Perv!bestfriend!jisung who brought up that he had a date that night when you both were sitting on his couch. Your face lit up as you giggled."I'm so excited for you Ji! I hope it goes well."  Instead of the grin you expected, he frowned, sucking in his teeth. "Yeah... I don't think it will" 
You tilted your head. "Why not?" 
He hesitated before answering, his voice softer. "I don't think I'm... good at kissing." 
"Well, that's something she could help you with."
"Or, you could?" He said, turning his head to look at you. 
"Jisung...don't you think that's a little much?" He leaned closer. "No, come on. We're best friends, right? We're supposed to help each other out with stuff like this." He replied. You paused, searching his face for a sign that this was some sort of joke, but he looked like he genuinely believed what he was saying. "Please?" he added softly.
How could you say no to that, best friends are supposed to be there for each other. 
"Ok, fine." You sighed, trying to convince yourself this was just one of those weird best friend moments that you could laugh at in the future. 
He smiled in return, leaning in slowly. You closed your eyes, and your lips finally met—soft at first, then growing hungrier as his hands cupped your face. His tongue brushed against yours, sending a shiver through you as he deepened the kiss. Before you knew it, he was shifting, leaning over you, his kisses growing needy.
His lips traveled down your jawline, before moving to your neck. Your fingers found their way into his hair, tugging lightly as warmth spread through you. His hands slid down your sides, exploring every inch, until his fingers skimmed the waistband of your pants.
Your eyes flew open as realization hit you. "Ok! I think you'll be fine." You blurted out, quickly sitting up and breaking the moment.
Jisung leaned back, his breathing unsteady, but a smirk on his lips as he met your wide eyes. His voice was low, teasing. "So, did I pass? Was it nice?"
You swallowed hard, trying to steady yourself. "Yeah, no, that was... great. She'll love it."
His smirk grew, his hooded eyes still locked on you. "Good to know." He murmured. 
The next day you decided to call Jisung to see how the date went.
"What date?" he asked, his tone genuinely confused.
You blinked. "Are you joking? The date you had last night? The one you needed 'practice' for?"
"Oh..." There was a pause, and you could almost hear the gears turning in his head. "That date. Yeah, I remember now. She canceled, so I just... uh, chilled in bed." He said, suspiciously.
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Perv!bestfriend!jisung who suggested you move in with him after his old roommate moved out. The idea of living with your best friend sounded perfect, so you agreed without hesitation. At first everything was great—easy, comfortable, like hanging out 24/7.
But then, you started noticing something strange. Your dirty underwear would go missing anytime before you did laundry.
"Hey Ji," you asked one evening, "not to sound weird or anything, but have you seen any of my underwear? A few pairs seem to disappear."
Jisung glanced up from his phone, his expression nonchalant. "Nope, haven't seen them." He said with a shrug, his face giving nothing away, but every time you brought it up, the missing pieces would mysteriously reappear in your laundry basket, as if they'd never been gone. It was strange—so strange—but you didn't think on it for too long. Maybe it was just one of those weird coincidences... that's what you wanted to believe.
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Perv!bestfriend!jisung who lingers in the hallway with just a towel draped around his waist, waiting for you to notice.
"Oh, oh my gosh!" You gasped, nearly choking on your water when you saw him on the way back to his room. "What?" He replied while glancing at you, shaking his damp hair, inching closer to you. "Nothing..." you mumbled, still processing the sight in front of you. You slowly walked closer, your eyes scanning him from head to toe. "I've just never seen you like this before."
"Do you like it?" he asked, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he stepped closer to you, his towel hanging low on his v-line.
"Do I like it?" You blinked, your gaze lingering for a moment longer than necessary. Jisung's grin widened as you took in the view. Instead of responding you just giggled, shaking your head as you walked past him, brushing your shoulder lightly against his, leaving him standing there in the hallway alone, and now with a boner.
He wanted you on your knees in front of him so bad, making him feel good. Want those delicate lips wrapped around his tip. Tears brimmed in your eyes as you took him deeply in your mouth, his large hands tangled in your hair.
He wants to fuck that pretty face so bad, wants to paint it with his cum. It was a sight he had to see.
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Perv!bestfriend!jisung who invited you to play a game in his room, insisting you'd have more fun sitting on his lap.
He played the first round before passing you the controller, his hand slickly resting on your thigh. As you adjusted yourself, you would find yourself accidentally grinding against him. He didn’t say anything, but you felt something pressed against your ass. It was a normal reaction, you thought. 
"Y/n."  He groaned softly, his voice low and strained. 
"Hm?" You hummed out, focused on the game.
"You still owe me, right?" He asked, his fingers inching higher up your thigh. "Can you do something for me now?"
"What do you want me to do?" You asked hesitantly, gasping when one of his hands gripped your thigh, the other wrapping lightly around your throat.
"You make me feel so good." He murmured against your neck, his voice sending shivers down your spine. His hands guided you, moving you slowly back and forth on his lap. You set the controller down on the desk, gripping his knees for balance. "Ji..." you moaned softly, your voice barely audible.
"You sound so pretty." He gasped, his pace quickening as he moved against you. "Oh my god... I'm not gonna last." His hand slid between your thighs, his fingers teasing you desperately as his grip tightened around your waist. "Fuck, gonna cum." he whimpered, his movements growing frantic before he released, holding you tightly.
He let go of your throat, his hand falling limp against your thigh as he leaned back to catch his breath. He grabbed the controller from the desk and resumed the game like nothing had happened. 
"Um Ji... I'm gonna go shower." You stuttered, standing up on shaky legs. As you turned to look at him, your eyes caught the cum stain on his gray sweatpants.
"Ok, have a good night.” He said with a smile, as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
"You too..." you mumbled, closing the door behind you, still a tad bit shaken up.
Later that night, as you passed by his room, you froze at the sound of him moaning your name, his voice filled of desperation.
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ananashorts · 9 days ago
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ananashorts · 9 days ago
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NEO TV # YONGILITY
about me !
20yo, nct stan, jaeyong and mark biased.
stories… loading !
jung jaehyun | I LIKE ME BETTER WHEN I'M WITH U. (series) | gang au, rich kid au. kinda enemies to lovers? (not quiet but they don’t like each other at the beginning)
✧*̣̩⋆̩☽⋆  summary: leather jackets, mint cigarettes and gangs is how someone would describe Jung Jaehyun to the finest, however when he’s with (y/n) nothing else matters.
part 1. | part 2. | part 3. | part 4. | part 5.
more…
lee taeyong | ROCKABYE (series) | ceo au, single dad au, strangers to lovers.
✧*̣̩⋆̩☽⋆  summary: growing up Taeyong always knew what life would bring him, but why is he now rocking a new born in the middle of his office?
part 1. | part 2. | part 3.
more…
upcoming stories…coming soon !
mark lee | EIGHTEEN (1 part fic inspired in 1D's song '18') | best friends to strangers to lovers lol au, angsty, fluff.
✧*̣̩⋆̩☽⋆  summary: the one where (Y/N) came back to Seoul after leaving the city for six years and meets her teenage lover.
more to be announced !
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ananashorts · 9 days ago
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thinking about...
how comforting jaehyun would be when you come home drunk from a night out with friends. 
he would be sleeping at first, not hearing you click open the door and stumble into the living room, throwing off your shoes. its only until you call out his name into the darkness of your room that he would stir in his sleep, whispering your name out to you. and when you would slide into bed and mumble drunken thoughts he would wake up, reaching a hand out to stroke your disheveled hair. 
“are you drunk?” he would ask even though he knew the answer, and you would try to deny it out of instinct, but he’s able to see right through you. he nods, caressing your alcohol flushed cheeks. and he would make himself get up, even in the midst of the deepest sleeps he’s had just to take care of you. 
to get you some water from the kitchen, sleepily pouring it out the jug with weak hands; making sure you drink it all, holding the glass up to you and swiping a finger over your mouth to dry you of the left over droplets. 
you would sprawl yourself out on the bed, still dressed up in your clothes and claim that you were “too tired” to change, but when jaehyun would walk towards your closet to grab a t-shirt for you to sleep in suddenly he would find you right next to him again, wrapping your arms around him and leaning your head against his bicep. he would pat the top of your head to savour the moment, knowing how embarrassed you’ll get the morning after for no reason. and when your arms would become too heavy to change yourself he would take his hand and wrap it around your wrists, lifting them up for you and removing your clothes. then guiding them through the arm holes of your t-shirt. 
you would still be attached to him when he takes you into the bathroom, helping you sit on the toilet lid while he turns around to grab some makeup wipes from the cabinet, so he can stroke the makeup off your face with a cold touch, moving so gently that you wouldn’t have been able to notice he was doing so if you hadn’t opened your drunken eyes and see his sleepy, focused face. whether there was or wasn’t alcohol running through your bloodstream, you still wouldn’t be able to resist leaning forward with pouted lips and smooch him on what you think are his lips, but in actuality is the side of his face. 
after all that, he would tuck you into your bed and watch you fall asleep in an instant, as if you were the one dragging around a grown adult the whole time. but when he lies on his side of the bed and sees your content face he would pepper kisses all over it, even if you couldn’t feel them, and whisper a small goodnight. 
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ananashorts · 10 days ago
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ananashorts · 12 days ago
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MARK - NCT DREAM 'Dreamscape' SMini Ver.
© 8LEEMARK
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ananashorts · 12 days ago
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2024 JAEHYUN FAN-CON ⟪Mute⟫ Recap Video
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ananashorts · 13 days ago
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241108 BuzzFeedCeleb Twitter Update with NCT DREAM
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ananashorts · 15 days ago
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NCT DREAM 'When I’m With You' MV Teaser Images #JISUNG
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ananashorts · 15 days ago
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NCT DREAM 'When I’m With You' MV Teaser Images #JAEMIN #CHENLE #JISUNG
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ananashorts · 15 days ago
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[팅글썰롱] ASMR로 듣는 '엔시티 드림 지성과 해찬이 싸운 후 화해하는 방법은?' | NCT DREAM 지성&해찬 편 (ENG/JPN)
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ananashorts · 15 days ago
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YUTA / 'BAD EUPHORIA' Live Sketch Movie
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ananashorts · 15 days ago
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NCT’s Mark Lee on Dreams, Instagram Poetry, and Growing Up
Mark has a lot going on — but he’s making time for poetry, introspection, and, of course, the members of NCT Dream. - Vivien Wu
“I’ve been thinking about dreams a lot these days!” Mark Lee exclaims over Zoom from SM Entertainment’s Seoul headquarters.
The 21-year-old leader of NCT Dream is enthusiastic as he mulls over the meaning of dreams, his back against a wall of pink and yellow flowers assembled by his fellow NCT members. He’s wearing a simple, white tee, and when he gestures with his hands, you can catch glimpses of the friendship ring that all seven members of NCT Dream wear as a symbol of their bond.
“I actually feel like dreams hold a large portion of a life, and I’m not just talking about the subconscious dreams that we all have when we sleep,” he continues. “If you put it in a way where dreams are actually things that motivate us, and the drive that keeps us going, especially as a strongly driven person myself, I feel like… a guy with no dreams is like…” He looks up, thinking. “…A car with no engine. So, I think it’s as important as yourself. That’s how deep I go with dreams.”
His interest in dreams is fitting, considering that they are also the central, underlying concept to the lore behind NCT Dream’s parent group, NCT. They connect their three subunits, NCT 127, NCT Dream, and WayV, in a complex, Inception-inspired fictional universe where dreams are the only way they can find each other, and where upon uniting they can mix to form new subunits collectively referred to as NCT U. In practical terms, this has resulted in a 23-member mega-group that is multifaceted in every way — from their musical styles and visual aesthetics to their cultural backgrounds and spoken languages.
The 21-year-old leader of NCT Dream is enthusiastic as he mulls over the meaning of dreams, his back against a wall of pink and yellow flowers assembled by his fellow NCT members. He’s wearing a simple, white tee, and when he gestures with his hands, you can catch glimpses of the friendship ring that all seven members of NCT Dream wear as a symbol of their bond.
“I actually feel like dreams hold a large portion of a life, and I’m not just talking about the subconscious dreams that we all have when we sleep,” he continues. “If you put it in a way where dreams are actually things that motivate us, and the drive that keeps us going, especially as a strongly driven person myself, I feel like… a guy with no dreams is like…” He looks up, thinking. “…A car with no engine. So, I think it’s as important as yourself. That’s how deep I go with dreams.”
His interest in dreams is fitting, considering that they are also the central, underlying concept to the lore behind NCT Dream’s parent group, NCT. They connect their three subunits, NCT 127, NCT Dream, and WayV, in a complex, Inception-inspired fictional universe where dreams are the only way they can find each other, and where upon uniting they can mix to form new subunits collectively referred to as NCT U. In practical terms, this has resulted in a 23-member mega-group that is multifaceted in every way — from their musical styles and visual aesthetics to their cultural backgrounds and spoken languages.
NCT Dream’s original teenage concept meant that members were supposed to “graduate” when they came of age, and as the oldest, Mark was the first to leave the group at the end of 2018. Having grown attached, however, fans were devastated at his departure; after a year of separation, SM announced that the graduation system would be scrapped and that he would rejoin the group. Their new album, Hot Sauce, is the first with Mark in over two years. As fellow member Haechan declared in an interview with Teen Vogue earlier this week, “Mark [is] very special. NCT Dream means Mark.”
But before the rapper led NCT Dream, and before he joined NCT U and NCT 127 and SuperM — the man is in high demand — Mark’s childhood dream was writing. He grew up in Toronto, and through doing school projects and essays quickly discovered that he had a natural way with words. Inspired by Percy Jackson author Rick Riordan, Harry Potter, and James Patterson, Mark dreamt of becoming an author, long before he was recruited by SM at a global audition in Canada in 2012. “When I was in school, I was always the kind of guy who would write more than expected, and that became a thing that clicked for me,” he says. “I was like, ‘Maybe it’s something that I naturally do?’ But then that kind of turned into rap writing too, so I guess they kind of clicked together.” It explains his prolific career as a lyricist; since debuting, he’s amassed over 30 songwriting credits across his various groups, contributing to songs as iconic as NCT U’s “Boss,” NCT 127’s “Cherry Bomb,” and NCT Dream’s “Chewing Gum.”
Even with such an extensive body of work, however, penning lyrics hasn’t satiated his appetite for literary expression. In an interview with Japanese magazine Men’s Non-No, he revealed that he still hopes one day to write a book, whether that be a novel, autobiography, or something more philosophical.
In the meantime, he’s taken to writing what are basically short poems on his Instagram, which he created just a few months ago. He’s gathered over 4.5 million followers since then, but having such a large audience hasn’t deterred him from being endearingly vulnerable with the way he writes. When I refer to them as poems, he laughs and looks embarrassed, but when I ask him to tell me the stories behind them, he’s enthusiastic again. They’re short, but offer brief glimpses into Mark the writer — sharp, inquisitive, and thoughtful. As pieces of literature, they’re a little rough around the edges, but the sincerity he’s known for shines through, illuminating the introspective, philosophical side that may not be so obvious in person.
His first poem, loosely titled “Late Night Scribbling,” put into words his musings about sleep, thoughts, feelings, and writing. It meanders from topic to topic, hovering between feelings of hope and hopelessness, before ending with a comically awkward “haha.”
“I actually wrote that by imagining how I wanted to organize my Instagram page,” he explains. “I was thinking of creating an Instagram, then I realized that, well, I’m not really a picture kind of guy, I’m not really a travelling kind of guy… I kind of studied who I am first, and I [asked myself], ‘What’s something that I can really portray in an intimate way?’ and it turned out to be writing.”
“I started to brainstorm what kind of topics I could write about, and then from there on, I started to write a little each and every night, and that turned into Late Night Scribbling,” he continues. “That kind of gave me courage to start Instagram in the first place, that piece of writing.”
Two weeks later, he followed it up with “Black Socks,” a whimsical ode to, well, black socks — complete with accompanying photos of him wearing said socks. Immediately, it feels more confident and cohesive than its predecessor. Using the neat and tidy look of black socks as a metaphor, he describes his own mindset for living life: “Pleasure from perfect alignment; That also goes for my ability to be parallel with my thoughts and actions; I try to live out what’s in my mind, and keep it consistent even when forgotten like a working habit.”
Comments on the posts praise his writing and encourage him to continue sharing these small pieces of himself. On the stage, Mark takes on a confident, larger-than-life persona, while in vlogs and spoken interviews, he’s a bubbly character full of laughter and boyish charm. What the poems show is that, beneath these outer appearances, there’s another layer of complexity that is yet to be fully explored, and it’s not surprising that fans want to know more.
His day job as a K-pop idol doesn’t allow a lot of time for hobbies, though, and he confesses to not having written much lately. Despite that, he’s determined to stay in the industry for as long as possible. “Longevity is something that I’ve always been aiming for,” he says. “I’m willing to do this for a long time, and that requires a lot of work. I’m willing to take that as a challenge and I’m trying to stay as long as I can, but with quality.”
That focus on quality informs his preparations for the upcoming promotions with NCT Dream. In both their fictional world and ours, NCT Dream are a central component of NCT by virtue of their unique focus on growth — the seven members were aged between 14 and 17 when the group first debuted in 2016. Fast-forward five years, and the members are now 19 to 21, having reached a milestone in January when the youngest, Jisung, finally became a legal adult in Korea. When asked if he feels like an adult yet, though, Mark gives an extremely relatable answer with zero hesitation.
“I still feel like I’m in middle school, I’m gonna be totally honest. I swear to God, I feel like I’m… All right, I’ll put it up — I feel like I’m in high school!” He laughs. “I even had this talk with Jisung, ‘cos he’s the latest that turned into an adult. He said that he still feels like he’s a student, he doesn’t feel like he’s 20 [19 in international age] right now.”
It’s been a long time since all seven Dream members — Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle, and Jisung — have released an album together, and as the first full-length album since their debut, the fan anticipation is palpably intense. Mark himself has mentioned in various vlogs how important he believes this comeback to be, and that conviction becomes obvious whenever he talks about it.
“We had a talk all together, the seven of us, without any cameras or anything. I brought all the guys together and we talked before the whole momentum started, and I said that I’m willing to put my everything on this one. Like, I always had, but I feel like… the whole universe, or like— ” He pauses, trying to figure out how to articulate himself, and his next line is the most emphatic of our whole conversation. “There are things that are out of our control, but we can see and feel when the pieces match together sometimes, and I feel like this specific moment, this particular album, kind of had those essential parts.”
He’s thinking about all of the context surrounding this comeback: the group’s coming of age, the reunion of all seven members, the scale of the album, the fact that Jisung has only just recovered from a leg injury that meant he couldn’t dance for months — even the fact that 2020 was, against all odds, the best year yet for NCT, with release after release bringing them unprecedented success and momentum.
“I felt that coming and I explained all of that [to the group],” he continues. “This whole period of time has a lot of meaning to it, and we’re not taking that for granted, we’re working hard.” With everything that’s happened, Hot Sauce is a historic moment for NCT Dream, and that’s been reflected in their numbers — the album clocked over 1.7 million pre-orders, obliterating their previous record of 500,000 for last year’s EP, Reload.
Their familial bond and the success that has come with it is the culmination of years spent living, working, and growing up together. The members have collectively missed out on key experiences that most teenagers might take for granted, distanced as they are from normal life, and the group also benefits from an unusually loose adherence to traditional Korean age hierarchy. The result is a brotherhood that goes beyond just being colleagues. “What we have is pretty intimate, and it’s also genuine,” Mark says.
About his role, he is matter of fact. “I’m by far the most easily approachable punching bag for the team. I am not… complaining…” He laughs. “But all jokes aside, I feel like my role for this team… Yes, I am the oldest and I am the leader but I’m also… In Korea, in the culture, age is very important, but we’ve come so far that all those borders kind of just vanished and we’re all pretty much friends, and I guess I’m just a friend of theirs too.”
It’s true that, despite being the leader, his friendly personality and endearingly awkward mannerisms mean that he commands about as much authority as a small puppy. Instead, much like a puppy, he is showered with love and affection (fellow member Chenle refers to Mark as his son and his actual puppy Daegal as Mark’s little sister), but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a dependable leader figure. The opposite is true — in Renjun’s words, Mark’s presence unites the group in a way that makes him irreplaceable.
The 21-year-old leader of NCT Dream is enthusiastic as he mulls over the meaning of dreams, his back against a wall of pink and yellow flowers assembled by his fellow NCT members. He’s wearing a simple, white tee, and when he gestures with his hands, you can catch glimpses of the friendship ring that all seven members of NCT Dream wear as a symbol of their bond.
“I actually feel like dreams hold a large portion of a life, and I’m not just talking about the subconscious dreams that we all have when we sleep,” he continues. “If you put it in a way where dreams are actually things that motivate us, and the drive that keeps us going, especially as a strongly driven person myself, I feel like… a guy with no dreams is like…” He looks up, thinking. “…A car with no engine. So, I think it’s as important as yourself. That’s how deep I go with dreams.”
His interest in dreams is fitting, considering that they are also the central, underlying concept to the lore behind NCT Dream’s parent group, NCT. They connect their three subunits, NCT 127, NCT Dream, and WayV, in a complex, Inception-inspired fictional universe where dreams are the only way they can find each other, and where upon uniting they can mix to form new subunits collectively referred to as NCT U. In practical terms, this has resulted in a 23-member mega-group that is multifaceted in every way — from their musical styles and visual aesthetics to their cultural backgrounds and spoken languages.
NCT Dream’s original teenage concept meant that members were supposed to “graduate” when they came of age, and as the oldest, Mark was the first to leave the group at the end of 2018. Having grown attached, however, fans were devastated at his departure; after a year of separation, SM announced that the graduation system would be scrapped and that he would rejoin the group. Their new album, Hot Sauce, is the first with Mark in over two years. As fellow member Haechan declared in an interview with Teen Vogue earlier this week, “Mark [is] very special. NCT Dream means Mark.”
But before the rapper led NCT Dream, and before he joined NCT U and NCT 127 and SuperM — the man is in high demand — Mark’s childhood dream was writing. He grew up in Toronto, and through doing school projects and essays quickly discovered that he had a natural way with words. Inspired by Percy Jackson author Rick Riordan, Harry Potter, and James Patterson, Mark dreamt of becoming an author, long before he was recruited by SM at a global audition in Canada in 2012. “When I was in school, I was always the kind of guy who would write more than expected, and that became a thing that clicked for me,” he says. “I was like, ‘Maybe it’s something that I naturally do?’ But then that kind of turned into rap writing too, so I guess they kind of clicked together.” It explains his prolific career as a lyricist; since debuting, he’s amassed over 30 songwriting credits across his various groups, contributing to songs as iconic as NCT U’s “Boss,” NCT 127’s “Cherry Bomb,” and NCT Dream’s “Chewing Gum.”
Even with such an extensive body of work, however, penning lyrics hasn’t satiated his appetite for literary expression. In an interview with Japanese magazine Men’s Non-No, he revealed that he still hopes one day to write a book, whether that be a novel, autobiography, or something more philosophical.
In the meantime, he’s taken to writing what are basically short poems on his Instagram, which he created just a few months ago. He’s gathered over 4.5 million followers since then, but having such a large audience hasn’t deterred him from being endearingly vulnerable with the way he writes. When I refer to them as poems, he laughs and looks embarrassed, but when I ask him to tell me the stories behind them, he’s enthusiastic again. They’re short, but offer brief glimpses into Mark the writer — sharp, inquisitive, and thoughtful. As pieces of literature, they’re a little rough around the edges, but the sincerity he’s known for shines through, illuminating the introspective, philosophical side that may not be so obvious in person.
His first poem, loosely titled “Late Night Scribbling,” put into words his musings about sleep, thoughts, feelings, and writing. It meanders from topic to topic, hovering between feelings of hope and hopelessness, before ending with a comically awkward “haha.”
“I actually wrote that by imagining how I wanted to organize my Instagram page,” he explains. “I was thinking of creating an Instagram, then I realized that, well, I’m not really a picture kind of guy, I’m not really a travelling kind of guy… I kind of studied who I am first, and I [asked myself], ‘What’s something that I can really portray in an intimate way?’ and it turned out to be writing.”
“I started to brainstorm what kind of topics I could write about, and then from there on, I started to write a little each and every night, and that turned into Late Night Scribbling,” he continues. “That kind of gave me courage to start Instagram in the first place, that piece of writing.”
Two weeks later, he followed it up with “Black Socks,” a whimsical ode to, well, black socks — complete with accompanying photos of him wearing said socks. Immediately, it feels more confident and cohesive than its predecessor. Using the neat and tidy look of black socks as a metaphor, he describes his own mindset for living life: “Pleasure from perfect alignment; That also goes for my ability to be parallel with my thoughts and actions; I try to live out what’s in my mind, and keep it consistent even when forgotten like a working habit.”
Comments on the posts praise his writing and encourage him to continue sharing these small pieces of himself. On the stage, Mark takes on a confident, larger-than-life persona, while in vlogs and spoken interviews, he’s a bubbly character full of laughter and boyish charm. What the poems show is that, beneath these outer appearances, there’s another layer of complexity that is yet to be fully explored, and it’s not surprising that fans want to know more.
His day job as a K-pop idol doesn’t allow a lot of time for hobbies, though, and he confesses to not having written much lately. Despite that, he’s determined to stay in the industry for as long as possible. “Longevity is something that I’ve always been aiming for,” he says. “I’m willing to do this for a long time, and that requires a lot of work. I’m willing to take that as a challenge and I’m trying to stay as long as I can, but with quality.”
That focus on quality informs his preparations for the upcoming promotions with NCT Dream. In both their fictional world and ours, NCT Dream are a central component of NCT by virtue of their unique focus on growth — the seven members were aged between 14 and 17 when the group first debuted in 2016. Fast-forward five years, and the members are now 19 to 21, having reached a milestone in January when the youngest, Jisung, finally became a legal adult in Korea. When asked if he feels like an adult yet, though, Mark gives an extremely relatable answer with zero hesitation.
“I still feel like I’m in middle school, I’m gonna be totally honest. I swear to God, I feel like I’m… All right, I’ll put it up — I feel like I’m in high school!” He laughs. “I even had this talk with Jisung, ‘cos he’s the latest that turned into an adult. He said that he still feels like he’s a student, he doesn’t feel like he’s 20 [19 in international age] right now.”
It’s been a long time since all seven Dream members — Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle, and Jisung — have released an album together, and as the first full-length album since their debut, the fan anticipation is palpably intense. Mark himself has mentioned in various vlogs how important he believes this comeback to be, and that conviction becomes obvious whenever he talks about it.
“We had a talk all together, the seven of us, without any cameras or anything. I brought all the guys together and we talked before the whole momentum started, and I said that I’m willing to put my everything on this one. Like, I always had, but I feel like… the whole universe, or like— ” He pauses, trying to figure out how to articulate himself, and his next line is the most emphatic of our whole conversation. “There are things that are out of our control, but we can see and feel when the pieces match together sometimes, and I feel like this specific moment, this particular album, kind of had those essential parts.”
He’s thinking about all of the context surrounding this comeback: the group’s coming of age, the reunion of all seven members, the scale of the album, the fact that Jisung has only just recovered from a leg injury that meant he couldn’t dance for months — even the fact that 2020 was, against all odds, the best year yet for NCT, with release after release bringing them unprecedented success and momentum.
“I felt that coming and I explained all of that [to the group],” he continues. “This whole period of time has a lot of meaning to it, and we’re not taking that for granted, we’re working hard.” With everything that’s happened, Hot Sauce is a historic moment for NCT Dream, and that’s been reflected in their numbers — the album clocked over 1.7 million pre-orders, obliterating their previous record of 500,000 for last year’s EP, Reload.
Their familial bond and the success that has come with it is the culmination of years spent living, working, and growing up together. The members have collectively missed out on key experiences that most teenagers might take for granted, distanced as they are from normal life, and the group also benefits from an unusually loose adherence to traditional Korean age hierarchy. The result is a brotherhood that goes beyond just being colleagues. “What we have is pretty intimate, and it’s also genuine,” Mark says.
About his role, he is matter of fact. “I’m by far the most easily approachable punching bag for the team. I am not… complaining…” He laughs. “But all jokes aside, I feel like my role for this team… Yes, I am the oldest and I am the leader but I’m also… In Korea, in the culture, age is very important, but we’ve come so far that all those borders kind of just vanished and we’re all pretty much friends, and I guess I’m just a friend of theirs too.”
It’s true that, despite being the leader, his friendly personality and endearingly awkward mannerisms mean that he commands about as much authority as a small puppy. Instead, much like a puppy, he is showered with love and affection (fellow member Chenle refers to Mark as his son and his actual puppy Daegal as Mark’s little sister), but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a dependable leader figure. The opposite is true — in Renjun’s words, Mark’s presence unites the group in a way that makes him irreplaceable.
And while this may be the fifth year since their debut, in the grand scheme of things, the members of NCT Dream are still very, very young — by most standards, they would still be considered to have their entire careers ahead of them. Growth has brought them here, but where does Mark think it will take them in the future?
“Growing just never stops for us, I can see us growing continuously, endlessly,” he replies. “What the future holds is something that we will never know, but we always do try to prepare during the present, and so with whatever time we have currently and with whatever album, or whatever stage, or whatever piece of music it may be, we’re willing to make sure that we have the next one coming too.”
A final thought. “I’m glad that we’re striving for that, ‘cos we started off as…” Mark shakes his head, “…as babies.”
© Teen Vogue
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