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lovebalanceopening note: everyone knows (that i am obsessed with dongren). but sometimes i feel like there just isn’t enough space on twitter to write out my thoughts. i suppose tumblr could be good, but i don’t really want to deal with anons who are there for their daily y/n porn fix (no shame to them) yelling to me about heterosexual rights. but i just want to, i don’t know, write something about them?
consider this just a stream-of-consciousness post, as i talk about the gay people in kpop i am obsessed with. if you think i’m wrong about anything, you’re wrong. because i’m right. <3
anyways...
the setup: okay look. listen. i feel like there is just so much lore and information that someone needs to even begin to understand how haechan and renjun are just absolutely insane. i could literally create an entire mla essay with works cited for all the nct/7dream/neo member lore that would only have, like, 2% of what someone needs to understand anything. but, since i already write so many papers for university, i will not be doing that because if i have to look on jstor or something one more time i’ll yell and scream.
the point is, haechan and renjun have a history. lots of it. and that history just adds to the layers of their insanity. for me, it’s how they both fondly remember one of their first interactions, the infamous lunch stealing. watching the dream vs dream during reload era, i just think it’s so charming the way that both of them asked the other about this moment with no proper planning before. i think it says quite a bit about how much they remember each other and things about each other, and also says a lot of how they cherish their memories together. which, renjun has said before, i.e “haechan is someone who i share a lot of good and bad memories with.” this is not exactly the quote but we get it, right?
renjun: going off of that, i think that most nct dream/renjun fans can agree that bonds and memories mean a lot to him. he’s known as the glue of 7dream after all, has said over and over how much he cherishes the bond he has with dream. and it’s funny because as i was typing this the nct dream cut for nct universe aired and renjun basically said that sm threw him into the room with baby shinki and told him good luck before locking the door? genuinely, i think renjun (like haechan), is someone with a lot of love within him. he’s gotten more reserved as years go by, but if you look at some early dream content, renjun is someone who enjoys physical touch. in the simplified view of love languages, i think renjun values quality time (junhui from svt has said renjun is the type to want to spend a lot of time with someone when he’s their friend/likes them) and also physical affection (though not as much as time).
haechan: i personally think that one of haechan’s love languages is physical touch and affection. i think that haechan is also one of those people whose love can be overbearing on others if they aren’t used to it, especially with touch involved. because of this, he’s probably able to adapt and hold back when needed, or completely cut it off, but he still has that want to show people affection, i.e hugs, hand holding, etc. / in my personal opinion and observations, i think as haechan and renjun were getting closer, especially during reload era/after mark initial graduation, haechan realized that renjun has what he wants. by this i mean, renjun just doesn’t let indulge in one-sided affection (like how haechan and taeil have that dynamic); renjun is someone who wants this shower of affection, and is also able to return it. it all combines to be super cute (and romantic…) and ideal in the long run.
communication and other things.
so, here’s the thing:
i really like how haechan and renjun talk to each other. it’s sort of hard to describe with words, but they are able to flow so well together whenever they have conversations. one of my favorite examples of this is grandma’s house (2020); they both fall so easily into the others skits, it’s like the moment one of them starts to act out a scenario, the other follows along or is quick to respond in a way that just works. there’s so many moments in which they’ve done this on camera, but it always is nice to see. when you find someone you just mesh with really well, communication style, it feels like you could talk with them for hours. i think haechan and renjun found that they way they just, go about conversations and express things just click! and i just love how they talk to each other? it’s very…it’s just so lovely.
in the nct dream film, haechan said that renjun (to him) is someone you can’t fully understand. in his words, “our renjun is the kind of friend you can’t quite fully understand. should i say he’s rich in sensitivity?” i truly think that renjun’s personality/something about renjun really appeals to haechan’s curiosity or something. basically, i think that haechan really likes that renjun is such a layered person, it really draws him to renjun. i would say that haechan probably, initially, got closer to renjun because he was like “wait, there’s something about this guy…”, basically learning that renjun is a very complex/layered person and subconsciously (?) wanting to like, peel those layers back. (i also love renjun’s mind even as a fan so i get you haechan.)
as for renjun, i think that he was very charmed by haechan for a long time. we young era renjun was quite literally crushing on him, but even so, i think that (again) something about haechan made renjun so curious. and since renjun was added to the team late, i think that we were able to see this very enamored and charmed renjun more quickly than haechan. i say this mainly because i have a “theory” or something that haechan and renjun one day had like, a conversation, and realized that they clicked really well. like, really well. and for someone like renjun, who we’ve seen is someone who has a lot of thoughts about things, i.e space, the universe, how things work (in an almost dreamlike sense), he really was drawn to haechan and how he worked.
renjun and haechan like to talk. a lot. not to get super astrology dyke, but it’s kind of crazy how their chart placements are so compatible in terms of interest in topics. or should i say they both like the type of knowledge that the other has to share with them? it’s quite amazing, i would say, to see two people who, currently, have found what they needed in terms of mindset/emotional waves.
i think haechan handles renjun with care, like when he touches him. i mean, i would say recently/in 2022 he’s always touching renjun with like, a sort of softness. it’s just a gentle, kind, loving (how many times can i say loving in this) kind of interaction they have, and it always makes me fall to my knees. i’m just obsessed with them…
so, what makes me insane about them? and the idea of rps moments:
quite a lot, actually.
no, because, i think it’s so fucking cute and insane that haechan was able to find what he needed in renjun, i.e love language. there’s a clip from hot sauce era when they’re on the radio show (yes, the infamous one) and haechan goes to hold renjun’s hand. it’s like, such a super quick and non-big moment, to OTHERS! however for me i watched that clip a few weeks back and was just like “oh, how sweet.” and then i was like oh my gosh. how lucky are they, you know? it means a lot when you find someone who will hold your hand (even if he acts like he doesn’t want to).
actually, on that note, renjun literally pretends to hate it but loves it. it’s actually really funny that renjun does that, because when i show my non-dreamzen friends dongren clips, they will say something like “oh does haechan like renjun more than renjun likes him?” and it’s like, no girl. quite the opposite actually. they literally don’t know on renjun’s insane crush on him since 2017, or that renjun always falls for the fake-out haechan 37.5% haechan trick, or that renjun is always going after haechan when he sulks. which is so funny after one of them, mark i believe, said nobody follows haechan after he sulks. renjun likes haechan just as much as haechan likes him. they adore each other, it’s just wonderful.
the idea of “moments” for rps, and what the deal is.
so, this is a bit related to dongren but also in general. as this is the case, this will be quick. GUYS, i think for rps i think the things we do not see are just as important as the things we see. i think when it comes to rps, especially kpop, people always want to SEE everything. i mean, i get it, i’m also nosy, but i think sometimes that people are very interesting when it comes to this. it’s like a phenomenon in which whatever pairing interacts on stage/in front of the camera more, then there’s something there. no girl….especially with gay rps. i think that the things that we don’t see when we are doing things like rps/gossip are very important.
in terms of dongren; the wine and cheese outing that we would have never known about unless a fanacc was uploaded. or the random outings they go to…or the smtown tokyo dinner with wayv. or that staff account that said haechan (and the dreamies) dot on renjun during practice a lot. also, i think people are slowly realizing this, but i’ve always gotten the vibe that renjun and haechan are pretty private. haechan is literally that “man completely overshares but people still don’t know anything about him” meme. and i think if it were to come to something like romantic relationships, both renjun and haechan would be like, very lowkey and private about it. HOWEVER, that doesn’t stop the honey eyes and communication styles from slipping out in front of the camera sometimes. and also haechan is, as i said, a very physically affectionate person. and renjun loves that. and they indulge each other.
tl:dr — dongren are holding back because once they start cooing at each other then it’s pretty mushy and cute, but sm entertainment is like “um…cut that out.” also, both of them are very serious about their work. a lot of factors here. basically, dongren know what they’re doing, no they’re not divorced, i won’t let this narrative go on! as someone who has experienced a real rps divorce, i promise that dongren are fine!
7llin season 1, season 2, and the vibes (™)
this will also be quick. basically, the interactions for dongren between s1 and s2 of 7llin are SO different. it’s sort of like
season one: to me, i would say they were not exactly romantically involved. honestly, i think season one and hot sauce/hello future are when dongren were like, exploding in chemistry for each other. i think they were in one of those “oh, are we dating?/oh, we should date…” type situations. both of them were flirting like crazy, but haechan more so. personally, based on my roadmap…i think that haechan was like “LET’S GO!!!” about dating renjun and renjun was literally excited as well but he also found a new way to like interact with haechan as well. i think renjun’s new, “tsundere”, vibe happened at the same time they both were like, about to get into the thick of it. i believe this is the era where doyoung said renjun was at the 127 dorms a lot too, in which haechan did not answer a single question. but i will argue that when doyoung asked him, haechan was like “hmmm i wonder,” basically going back to the idea that both of dongren are private in their relationship affairs when they chose to be. i mean, doyoung was also probably teasing haechan over how much renjun was over, but also i think his energy got so adorable there too. (then he lied about sleeping on jeno’s bed…what was that about?)
season two: so, i think that dongren did not start dating during hot sauce/hello future officially, but more towards the end of 2021. i say this because of the uncut footage. the energy was so…listen. they are kissing. this connects to season two because i think the entire manito situation was insane. just the whole season was nuts. i think a lot of 7llin s2 is layered, for example how renjun was cold but stayed outside with them as they cooked because haechan was cooking. or how everyone basically knew renjun was haechan’s manito, even when mark was like “renjun’s definitely my manito” which LOL MARK. and also the entire bed thing, which…
let’s talk about the bed situation in 7llin s2: these are just my own personal observations and stuff. since things were edited, of course i won’t know the entire picture. this is just what i’m seeing…
firstly, i do think haechan was tipsy/inebriated. renjun had said he didn't want to drink alone (as renjun said he doesn’t have that strong of an alcohol tolerance), so a few of them had some beers. and i feel like we all are aware that haechan is not the strongest tolerance either. (renjun and haechan being like the worst drinkers in 7dream along with jisung…help).
anyways i point this out because, when they were picking rooms, three!j kept putting up the same rock paper scissors combination. (they wanted to sleep). and chenle was laughing like CRAZY and he did that thing he does whenever he thinks haechan is being cute, basically hugging him tightly. i think that everyone knew that haechan really wanted to sleep next to renjun which is why they kept letting him restart it, even though they were like “this is the last round!” and then renjun shared with mark.
side note i do think renjun had something to talk about with mark. but my poor haechan, he was lovesick and wanted renjun so bad…
the final kicker is jeno’s face when he learned haechan and renjun did not share a bed. jeno really can’t lie sometimes like why was he so genuinely surprised when he heard that…and then whatever the battle of the psyche dongren were having at breakfast.
i think that haechan is so adorable for this; the way he was so love-hungry and wanted renjun for himself only to be stopped by renjun’s need to speak to mark. keep in mind at this point everyone believes (and knows) renjun is haechan’s manito, even him. however the next morning, he chose chenle as his manito. why? because he’s a little baby ;w; also he didn’t even say why he thought chenle was his manito, just said his name, and the entire table was like “…?” like he’s so silly. and the way haechan demanded renjun say who his manito was when the table got to him, he really just wanted to know (but everyone already knew..). then everyone starts scolding haechan (even jisung, help?) and haechan is like “i’m actually the victim in this…” with his facial expression. but then they made up.
what about ryujin?
do you know what a beard is?
are you insane?
yes…but also dongren is real like I DON’T KNOW!!!</details>
if you made it, i’m applauding you. there’s probably so much i did not cover in this, i’ll make it as a note for next time. feel free to comment or ask any questions. do not send this to any random big renjun or haechan fanpages, they will literally put a hit out on me. anyways, thank you! for reading!! 🐻💚🦊
