BOYS PLANET

        December 2022 is when the show’s filming began. We were learning trainee names at this time, while first impressions amongst them were floating around. It is revealed much later on that Matthew had approached Gunwook and called him “so handsome!” (he even told him he was going to choose him as a shiny boy visual!) as what is assumed to be their first conversation. Tinhat note - Gunwook and Hanbin dormed together in the first rooming assignment, and seeing that Hanbin was Matthew’s single prior friend within the entire roster of trainees, we can only presume that he worked as an initial bridge between Gunwook and Matthew, possibly catalyzing their first conversation as previously mentioned. Their first on screen interaction was during the Here I Am stage filming which wasn’t unearthed until we had actually gotten to know the then trainees, but it is important to note how despite being otherwise strangers, Matthew never shied away from skinship and Gunwook never rejected it, as long as it came from him. Matthew, naturally, had been drawn to Gunwook’s strong presence since the very beginning, his eyes following him around the room. And he was right to be – they both had followed similar paths for a good majority of the show. Going from three stars to all stars in the star level evaluation, facing off against each other as K Group and G Group Kill This Love, and finding each other again for the finale performance of Jelly Pop. Their separate journeys did not come without hardships as well, hardships that were surprisingly mirrored. Mirrored all the way down to their respective rankings of K02 and G02.

KILL THIS LOVE

        Boys Planet producers set the scene of a gruesome ongoing battle between Korean and Global trainees from the very beginning. The first mission of the show pitted the two groups against each other for this reason, yet as we all know now, it wasn’t as dramatic as depicted. Gunwook and Matthew were assigned to the same song in separate groups and faced each other off, but since they’d practiced in the same room, the atmosphere was definitely calmer than the show wanted us to believe. The producers had spent their time adding whoosh sounds to every movement that Gunwook made, but knowing the Gunwook we know now, we can accurately assume he ensured that the global trainees were settled in and well acquainted with him to ensure zero tensions. His willingness to accommodate and Matthew’s albeit limited Korean allowed for what can possibly be a great icebreaker between them. (Also, who’s not to say Gunwook had his hand in attempting English for Matthew’s sake, the same way he translates for him up until now)

Both teams engaged in an arm wrestling competition, and the yaoi gods made sure that Gunwook and Matthew faced each other. With Gunwook’s intimidating image of intimidating strength, us as the viewers believed it was no brainer that he’d win, especially when coupled with Matthew’s kitty sounds edited over him. Matthew, though, was not intimidated in the slightest, not in the way the other trainees famously categorized Gunwook as. It could be boiled down to his headstrong nature, his inability to back down in the face of a challenge, or maybe Matthew saw right through Gunwook and saw him for who he really was: a giant baby, in his own words.

THE BIRTH OF HEUNGSAZ

        Before Mattparkz there was Heungsaz, born completely out of Gunwook’s “very interested/excited face” while looking at Matthew, which in turn kfans had dubbed them to have an “interesting relationship”. At this moment in time, the extent of Gunwook and Matthew’s relationship was still pretty unknown to the majority watching, but there was curiosity towards how close they really were, which we got a glimpse of in extra youtube content that most people would have missed. Another show of Matthew’s skinship was seen, and thus far we all knew Gunwook to be someone who rarely if ever engaged in skinship with the other trainees. Of course, Matthew was an obvious exception.

        An aside – this short but sweet moment of Matthew protecting Gunwook from Junhyeon’s teasing really showcased their dynamic in a way that’ll get you hooked to know more. And in hindsight, their relationship hasn’t changed much from this aspect: Matthew reassuring Gunwook and Gunwook basking in the reassurance.

FINALE

        As previously mentioned, there isn’t much we know on the progression of Gunwook and Matthew’s relationship between late March and the finale. However, it is obvious to most if not all that they’ve gotten closer since December. They’d been grouped up with half of the other finalists for their Jelly Pop stage, which they definitely bonded more from. But with the high intensity of emotions up until the finale, we do not see much more of said bond until Matthew’s ranking announcement. Gunwook’s pure unadulterated excitement was bursting at the seams watching Matthew make his way up the stairs, realization sinking in that he would be debuting with arguably one of his closest friends up until that point. He’s seen mimicking the “I love you, I want you, Seok Matthew” routine, mouthing Matthew’s name with the biggest cheek-burning smile, and motioning him to get closer for a hug. Like a big puppy, Gunwook couldn’t wait for him to be in his arms, and judging from Matthew’s own mirrored smile, he felt the same way. Gunwook didn’t let the moment pass for him to tease Matthew’s jelly pop move before he went to his seat. I love how endearing the entire interaction was, and I believe everything that led up to this had set a strong enough foundation for Gunwook and Matthew’s blossoming relationship to flourish outside of the Boys Planet walls.

PREDEBUT

        Zerobaseone is officially formed as nine, and the fans are starved to know more about the members, all the way down to their dynamics between each other. Going from watching a hundred trainees weekly to practically radio silence was hard to adjust to, but the content that came after served us well.

        The group’s first public schedule was KCON Japan. There weren’t many moments of Gunwook and Matthew seen together here, other than the behind vlog of Gunwook calling Matthew a Jeju tangerine because orange looks good on him, and Matthew returning the favor by complimenting Gunwook’s accessorizing. There is also this cute clip of Gunwook attempting to shoot from an empty cannon and Matthew running over to give him a t-shirt to shoot. A nine second video, but enough to show us how Matthew easily looks after Gunwook.

        1st Look invited the group for their very first magazine photoshoot shortly after. It was the start of many instances where Matthew hypes Gunwook up while monitoring, words of affirmation shared as an easy spoken language between the two. Staff had presented them a cake with toppers of their faces, which a member at random had to write for each one. Gunwook wrote a message on Matthew’s, expressing his gratitude for being given the opportunity to debut with him and even positioning his topper towards the front of the cake to signify how they stood together during the Here I Am filming. The rest of the members took their turns writing for others, but by the time Matthew came, Gunwook’s topper was still empty. He was under the assumption that no one wrote for him (Hao just hadn’t come yet) and took it upon himself to do so. He wasn’t able to complete a full message before Hao had arrived, but the gesture was sweet, yet another moment of Matthew paying close enough attention to Gunwook, almost like a protector of sorts.

        Side note: in April, before the Boys Planet finale, Matthew was seen wearing this hoodie in public. For the sake of tinhatting, the hoodie looked awfully big on him, which could be dismissed, but about two months later, Gunwook is seen wearing the matching bottom half of what we now know to be a tracksuit set. Perhaps it is Gunwook’s, or maybe it’s Matthew’s – the point is, they had been sharing clothes for a long time, longer than any of us could have predicted.

Relationship Shift #0.5 - Matthew’s 21st Birthday Live

        After Ricky, Matthew was one of the first members to celebrate a birthday as ZB1. His live was highly anticipated, everyone wondering who the two guests would be. At the time, Matthew’s biggest duo was undoubtedly Ppusamz (him and Jiwoong) so there was little room for guessing that he would be there. But Gunwook joining them was for the most part unexpected, at least to those who were still unaware that they are close. The live went swimmingly, and despite the comments/jokes from fans that Gunwook had been third wheeling, there were not so hidden moments that proved Gunwook and Matthew’s relationship wasn’t as surface level as they thought.

We were shown a side where yes, Matthew openly engages in skinship with Gunwook that he never denies and yes, Gunwook openly compliments Matthew like water off his tongue. When Matthew said he looked like an egg while the other two were helping him with his headband, Gunwook reassured him in a way that had Matthew both laughing and his heart fluttering. Even when reading the anonymous birthday letters, Matthew knew straight away which one Gunwook wrote just by the way he addresses him as “Matthew hyung~~~” (this was well before he eventually started using banmal with him in everyday conversation, which is in part evidence to their steady progressing relationship). Again, hindsight is 20/20 – knowing what we know now about Gunwook and Matthew’s tight bond, rewatching the live as a stan from that era might have you second guessing what was right in front of us the whole time. While their relationship, in my humble opinion, hadn’t shifted much between then and the 1st look photoshoot, it shifted in the eyes of those watching, who had otherwise been oblivious to just how close the two were.

CAMP ZEROBASEONE

        Soon came the group’s first reality show post-finale. Another highly anticipated content that we all expected to show us more of the overall group dynamic, as well as the chemistry between duos. Fortunately, Heungsaz (soon to be known as Mattparkz) was one of the duos that we saw more of through this show. Even from the teaser, Matthew poking Gunwook’s cheek was a moment that is still cherished to this day–Matthew seeing Gunwook as a friend to baby at all times.

        Speaking of, in the last episode, the group had written notes for each member to essentially dissect their first impressions and compare them to the person they now know. As we’re all aware, first impressions of Gunwook didn’t match up very well to the actual Gunwook behind the styled up hair and “menacing” look that many of the other trainees believed him to have. Matthew was an outlier, and it showed in the letter he’d written, both initially and currently, Matthew always believed Gunwook to be a cute baby. Again, Matthew saw past everything and didn’t let other factors dictate how he viewed Gunwook. And of course, understanding how his perceived image directly impacted the harsh, undeserved comments he would receive during and after Boys Planet, it can be said that Gunwook appreciated Matthew being in tune with him and showing the effort to get to know him beyond all else.

        Seeing that they were almost attached to the hip for the better part of Camp ZB1, it’s hard to write out every moment. This compilation does a good job at putting together the clips that really show off their tightening bond: sharing drinks, jumping on the bed together, taking pictures of each other, and laughing at each other’s jokes are only some of them. In particular, Matthew’s ongoing “Woohyun oppa” schtick was trying to take off, and Gunwook did his part in indulging him, one of many instances where Gunwook is more than willing to go along with Matthew’s shenanigans, whether it be roleplay or what have you. Their reciprocal interest in each other was more than apparent, and I can only thank Camp ZB1 for proving what some of us had known already: that Gunwook and Matthew’s relationship was only just beginning.

DEBUT

        The long awaited debut has arrived, and coming off of the post-Boys Planet hype and Camp Zerobaseone high, fans were going into this era with a lot of excitement. An explosion of content awaited us, and through that, we learned even more about Gunwook and Matthew’s gradually building relationship. We had mostly found out information through fansigns, directly from their mouths. It seemed like Matthew was more than happy to answer any and every question that he can relate back to Gunwook in some way, and the same goes vice versa. Amongst all of them, an anecdote that Matthew shared of he and Gunwook hugging each other and staring at each other’s lips was a prime example of their growing affection for one another. It’s worth noting that prior to In Bloom era, Gunwook initiating skinship was few and far in between. As a day one Gunwook bias myself, it had been something I believed was simply part of Gunwook’s personality. Some people aren’t outwardly affectionate in a physical way and that’s okay. But of course that was proven to be false as I and other fans had watched Gunwook hug and cuddle Matthew easily in front of anyone who would watch. During a handful of In Bloom prerecordings, Gunwook is seen attaching himself to Matthew’s side according to the fans present. He would also share stories like going to Matthew’s bed to “play” (whatever that means), as well as Matthew sharing “secrets” like how Gunwook would be amongst the members he would go to if his mood is down, and how Gunwook is one of the people most comfortable to hug, which ultimately kickstarted the longstanding history of the two of them holding each other anytime they can.

As shown previously, Matthew never misses an opportunity to baby Gunwook up until now. He had gone on a gushing rant in a fansign repo about succumbing to the feeling of wanting to take care of Gunwook as his “giant baby”, a nickname he himself took credit of making for him. Really, if your ears are open and ready to listen, Matthew wouldn’t mind sharing just how he feels about Gunwook. Another fansign repo put on record that he watches a lot of anime with Gunwook, both of them conveniently being weebs to their core. I can imagine either of them finding out how deeply invested they are in anime and crossing off yet another box of just how similar they are with one another.

There are plenty of stage clips you can find if you look hard enough, of Gunwook and Matthew finding each other’s smiles mid performance. This will be the first of many (New Kidz on the Block, Melting Point (one, two, three), Sweat, Feel the Pop (one, two), etc.), but with how important dance and performance is to both of them, to be able to laugh at each other in between that is a feat within itself and a show of just how much their relationship has evolved. I mean, they both find each other very cute even by doing nothing, so giggling like that is something that probably comes naturally.

Their first appearance on Weekly Idol was pretty special for Gunwook and Matthew specifically. They’d revisited their Boys Planet days by engaging in another arm wrestling match, to which Gunwook won once again. The atmosphere was different but similar compared to that of five months prior: Gunwook was determined, and Matthew still had a big grand smile on his face, excited to compete against him, all in good fun. But there’s a charged air to it this time. They know each other better now than ever before, they can tease each other without a fragile worry that the other person might take offense. They are no longer strangers – they’re friends (who cuddle and stare at each other’s lips, mind you).

Albeit small, Idol Radio holds some significance too. This would be the first of Matthew’s heartfelt speeches for Gunwook filmed on camera – he’d expressed his feeling of pride for Gunwook and praised his work ethic despite his youth, reassuring him that he’s doing well. Another instance of words of affirmation being an obvious love language for both of them (aside from physical touch and quality time, but we’ll get more into those later).

As a closure for this section before entering what I believe to be the very first apparent relationship shift, I’d like to mention how Matthew had put in place with Gunwook that for the sake of his “oppa agenda”, he’d refuse to accept informal speech with someone younger than him. We later learn that this was pretty much circumvented by Gunwook himself as he casually calls Matthew by his name without an honorific, but this could also have been another instance of Gunwook and Matthew bouncing off each other: Matthew pulling the leash and Gunwook following along with no question, sometimes vice versa. That entire conversation Gunwook was referring to may not have happened at all judging from their tone and body language, but Matthew still played along for the sake of the joke. Another example: Gunwook and Matthew easily fall into roleplay once again to pass the time while on set, never finding a dull moment when they’re with each other. A strong force to be reckoned with. There’s no question as to why kfans had moved on from Heungsaz to Mattparkz, which is similar to the Korean word for “heartbeat/pulse”.

Relationship Shift #1 - Europe (& Japan) Trip, Sept-Oct 2023

        We’re all here to tinhat, I’m sure that’s why you opened this in the first place, so allow me to set the scene. Besides KCON Japan and LA earlier that year, their trip to Europe was one of their first overseas schedules as a group. Unfortunately the concert held in London was canceled due to “unavoidable local circumstances”, but seeing that ZB1 had a schedule in Poland the very next day, the members set out for Europe as planned. Free time of about a day and a half allowed everyone to explore and enjoy London as much as they were able to, including but not limited to: snapping pictures by Big Ben (we can see your grand ol’ smile in the phone’s reflection by the way, Matthew), taking scenic boat rides, and sightseeing the city. Oh, and according to fanaccounts, ducking pigeons was on the itinerary too. Thankfully Matthew was there to save the day, a willing anchor for Gunwook and his phobia. Honestly speaking, Gunwook and Matthew were practically attached to the hip throughout their mini vacation, which leads us to believe that yes, they’re absolutely living up to their chemi duo name–their heartbeats are intertwined, as corny as it may sound.

In fact, the two were inseparable even starting from the airport departure. The casualness of which Gunwook’s arm had been wrapped around Matthew–along with Matthew’s usual clinginess to Gunwook–is one thing, but Gunwook tiredly folding himself into Matthew’s lap for a few headpats speaks volumes to the level of comfort they bring each other. Again, as big of a teddy bear Gunwook is, he isn’t one to seek out skinship and physical touch from just anyone. Hence why this couple second clip (courtesy of Hao) is of substantial proof to where Gunwook and Matthew’s relationship stands at this moment of time. Gunwook, in his six foot stature, squeezed himself between the seats to get to Matthew, uncaring of who in the airplane cabin bears witness to what is so obviously intimate. And as tired as Matthew most likely was himself, there was nothing that could have convinced him not to give Gunwook what he came for. It makes me wonder if either of them knew it’d make the cut in Hao’s vlog. I’d like to personally thank the editor in charge of ensuring it did (and if it was Hao himself, I express my gratitude tenfold).

Not much happened in Poland, aside from the on stage antics Gunwook and Matthew commonly get up to. As you’ll see again later on in this timeline, Matthew’s eyes are always in constant search for anything Gunwook, so finding a sign with his name is no problem for him (also, Gunwook’s eyesight isn’t great so having Matthew as his second pair of eyes in these scenarios works out wonderfully).

The boys had returned home for about three weeks (not without some schedules in between) before they were off to Europe again, this time Paris, France. The city of love as they call it. But let me insert a rather important aside before I dive into the third installment of their Europe trip. ZB1 was slated to appear in Inkigayo Tokyo before MCountdown in France. Admittedly, there isn’t much to it on the surface, unless you wear your fujoshi goggles 24/7 like I do. Once in Japan, the group held a livestream a day before Inkigayo, all huddled up in their hotel room. The moment the live began, it was obvious to all watching that Gunwook and Matthew held little to no space between each other. It could be said that Matthew was even sitting in Gunwook’s lap at a point, but maybe my eyes were/are deceiving me lol. Anyway, amongst the moments, various clips surfaced of the two of them being in their own little world. Gunwook crowded in Matthew’s space many times to read comments off his shoulder. Matthew, with a smile, had zipped Gunwook’s sweater up to redirect any eyes on his exposed chest. And yeah, their skinship was on ten this day, with Gunwook making sure his hand is always somewhere on Matthew. It isn’t farfetched to say that subconsciously, Gunwook reaches out for Matthew for momentary relief, the skinship a subtle (or not so subtle) way of saying “I like you here, stay with me.” And Matthew, of course, indulges him all the same. It’s funny, though, to compare these clips to what we see nowadays from these two, how there’s an ever so slight hesitancy in Gunwook’s touches, only calming down once Matthew leans into him. Could be obvious in the way that up until now, Matthew had been the one to initiate active skinship nine times out of ten. So would it be asinine to assume that this hesitancy can be attributed to Gunwook’s growing romantic affection? Maybe, but all of this information that has been relayed to you so far does a pretty good job of painting that picture. Well, not without presenting this clip, which may look like nothing of substance, but to me and others, it is representative of Gunwook’s (probably second, or third, or tenth) realization that he’s falling and he’s falling hard; that maybe this crush isn’t just of admiration, and maybe he wants more. But everything is still fresh – they’re only months along from Boys Planet and they haven’t even had their first comeback yet. Hence the aforementioned hesitancy, but as you’ll see later, Matthew is able to break down those walls no problem (or, perhaps Gunwook doesn’t bother putting up a fight). So yeah, as it may have been obvious to all others, Gunwook most definitely fell first. And all respect to Matthew, but I’d also like to assume that he was more or less oblivious to Gunwook’s puppy crush.

Now, onto Paris. Gunwook and Matthew had filmed promotional content for the group’s upcoming performance and, well, watch for yourself. Seeing that Matthew hails from Canada and is fluent enough in French, there’s no better way to self-promote than to [reads notes] flirt with your bandmate who has no issues with flirting right back. It may seem subtle for some, but this had only kicked off what would be a lovely return back to Europe for the two. I mean, with Matthew (fake) proposing to Gunwook with the swooning background music to match, and Gunwook playfully filling in the blank of Matthew’s must-have item in life with himself as the answer, it’s only right to assume their relationship is at a place where banter like this is natural, with a script or without. This was great preparation for what was more or less a barrage of content from the two, eerily reminiscent of their London-slash-Poland trip the month before. A continuation of their usual airport clinginess is seen, with Matthew leaning in close and Gunwook holding Matthew even closer. It’s funny assuming that they possibly believed the interaction couldn’t be seen, but Gunwook is much too tall for that lol. Onto the trip itself, plenty of pictures were taken around the Eiffel Tower, either pictures of Matthew taken by Gunwook or pictures of the both of them taken by others. Take note of the obvious progression of Matthew dozing off in Gunwook’s lap: from barely hiding his smile when he pokes his cheek, to shifting a much more comfortable position, Gunwook’s arm still laid nicely over his body like a blanket. There isn’t much else from Paris to discuss–aside from Matthew teaching Gunwook French and teasing him for his pronunciation–but if you haven’t noticed yet, there’s a considerable jump between the start of In Bloom until now. Their comfort levels have reached unprecedented heights. In fact, Gunwook’s previously mentioned hesitancy is already chipping away at this point. The unstoppable force (Matthew) versus the immovable object (Gunwook): who will win? (Spoiler: Gunwook is already losing badly.)

Before we officially jump to Crush era, I’d like to refer to three separate pieces of content that I couldn’t quite fit in the chronological order of things. 1. As part of a series of videos made to essentially prepare the group to promote in Japan, Gunwook and Matthew used the opportunity to flirt with each other and engage in some roleplay. Again. They had spent the episode adding new Japanese words to their vocabulary, and they were giggly all throughout. And yeah, size difference galore, Gunwook pushing up Matthew’s sleeve so he can hold his hand better and all that. Nothing unusual for the two of them, really. There are far too many clips to add here, so I’ll only put a spotlight on a few (one, two, three, four). I highly recommend watching the full video. – 2. Gunwook’s guest appearance on Hao’s mini series HaoHao’s Good Times was basically an insider scoop to his and Matthew’s relationship. Starting from the very first question asked by Chinese ZEROSE, Gunwook relayed the information that he must hug his Matthew hyung everyday or else he’ll die!!!! Kidding, he didn’t say the last part, but he mentions how it had become a habit (as we can already tell) and their emphasized size difference allows him to be able to “trap him in his embrace in one go.” Hao even supports this with eyewitness accounts of his own, claiming he’s seen them hug a few times himself, even recounting a specific moment in the company elevator that has Gunwook hiding his face and giggling (he’s crushing hard, if you couldn’t tell). Since he was Gunwook’s roommate at the time, I have a feeling he was downplaying just how often he bore witness to it. I’m sure he’s walked in on such a sight plenty of times before. Wink wink. – 3. On Bubble live, Matthew was faced with the age-old idol question of “5 year old Gunwook or 5 Gunwooks?”, and his answer of refusing to choose the latter because “his love might get distributed with five Gunwooks and he’ll end up cherishing the current Gunwook less” is a tear jerker, for sure. Matthew’s pure admiration and adoration for Gunwook can’t be ignored to any extent. And funnily enough, it only gets worse (better) from here on out.

Oh, and it wouldn’t be fair of me not to include Gunwook and Matthew’s matching pokemon onesies to the mix. And Gunwook’s huge hand slowly coming into frame just to cover Matthew’s innocuously exposed shoulder, because, y’know, no one should be seeing that except him.

CRUSH

        Shortly before Crush era, Gunwook and Matthew hosted an Instagram live together. Matthew gives hints on Bubble beforehand that he has a date with one of the members (hehe) and lets us guess before he reveals it’s “giant baby Gunwook!!!”. The live kicks off with matching “couple” jackets and Gunwook reiterating that yes, this is in fact a date (with ZEROSE)! It’s funny though, how quick Gunwook is to refer back to us, the fans-slash-parasocial girlfriends, as a kind of reminder that he’s on the clock and can’t let much of his feelings show, because we all know by now that Gunwook’s crush has only expanded since September. You can sort of tell Gunwook is still holding back ever so slightly, but by now it’s not any hesitancy on his end, but rather a tense fear that Matthew can see right through him. Regardless of his efforts, they’re all in vain when Matthew gushes over how Gunwook’s lower lip feels good (*Looks at camera* “You’re jealous right?”), or when he uses the oldest trick in the book and compares hand sizes, even showing us a “flirting technique” and interlacing their fingers. An aside - Gunwook and Matthew had revealed that they had the same favorite song from the upcoming album (Take My Hand) and it’s cute how they ended up sharing a pair dance in the choreo. It’s unclear whether they already learned the full choreography at the time, seeing that they hadn’t performed it until months later, but regardless, it’s a nice memory of their supposed joint “telepathy” to look back on. Anyway, Gunwook piggybacking off a comment asking Matthew why he’s so pretty, just to break out in song once Matthew held him and answered with a default flirty “Because there’s Gunwook, I have to be pretty~”, had me giggling and kicking my feet. They both sang together (You Were Beautiful by Day6) for a moment, and honestly, I think this was one of many moments where they use a comment to hide behind their true feelings (ex. Finding all the “I love you” comments in different languages, Matthew calling Gunwook’s smile beautiful while wearing a big ol’ grin himself. etc.). I don’t wish to dwell on this live for too long before I even get to Crush era itself, so I’ll leave you with a few more moments I thoroughly enjoyed: Gunwook’s consistently eyeing Matthew when he isn’t looking, Gunwook doing his duties as a Korean to English translator for Matthew, and Matthew hyping Gunwook up that he could participate in Street Man Fighter once he’s old enough (and Gunwook couldn’t let the topic die out before complimenting Matthew for how cool and handsome he came out on broadcast). I’m sure Gunwook couldn’t stop staring at his TV screen once Matthew appeared.

Moving onto the group’s first comeback: Crush promotions begin early November, and the entire month was essentially a speedrun of “how fast can Gunwook and Matthew’s relationship progress” throughout the entirety of it. Mukbang filming was in motion - brand new Mattparkz content was coming! We were already starting off strong; Hello82 dropped a video with Gunwook, Matthew, and Ricky that has been cemented in history. Gunwook revealed, for the second time, that he has to hug Matthew everyday, with Matthew agreeing and even adding that Gunwook’s body “is perfect for hugging” (cue interesting eye contact between the two). Through their reenactment, it seems that our cute magnetz gravitate towards each other no matter the situation. If one of them needs a hug, the other one will give it to them, no questions asked. Ricky chimes in letting us know how Gunwook and Matthew make it awkward for everyone else (Remember when Hao said the same thing about feeling shy/awkward standing by while the two of them hug? Yeah me too), with some “Just date already” comments thrown here and there. Lest we forget, Mattparkz as a ship was quite frankly unheard of at this moment in time, at least compared to the level it is currently. It says a lot that these dating/couple “jokes” have popped up more than once (first mentioned by Taerae not too long before, and you’ll see more later), seeing that Matthew had been peeling away at Gunwook’s shell in real time. Though it didn’t take much to do so - Gunwook isn’t as tough of a cookie to crack as others might think. Matthew just has that charm to him, and Gunwook fell victim to it. Willingly so.

Weekly Idol and Idol Radio are the usual proceedings of most rookie groups. There isn’t too much to say regarding Weekly Idol, besides the self profile Gunwook had filled out, letting us all know that he’d recently become a stan of Matthew, because when he hugs him, “he falls right into the hug and it feels great”. Stating what we already know, of course. This comes up again later, Gunwook reiterating how his stan line as a hypothetical ZEROSE consists of Matthew and Yujin (which is shown well in his birthday live guest lineup). But so far we’re already counting at least three times where Gunwook has emphasized how amazing Matthew’s hugs are. May I remind you how Gunwook’s skinship is quite limited with, well, literally anyone else? I wouldn’t consider it a coincidence as much as it might be something else. Is Matthew’s body just that much warmer compared to the others’ (yes)? Maybe, or Gunwook simply feels a pull towards Matthew that he doesn’t feel anywhere else. Matthew had also answered the same question in his profile, saying he too became a fan of Gunwook recently because he’s so cute (he included Gyuvin in his answer as well, so it is safe to say that while they’re still getting much closer, Gunwook remains in the “friendzone”).

As for Idol Radio, once it was his turn, Matthew had chosen Gunwook as the member to give his rose to, and went on to rehash a memory between the two that had them both giggly and half embarrassed. Like c’mon, Gunwook was stuck wiping the same spot on the mic stand for almost a minute straight. He really tried to preoccupy his mind with anything else other than the burning fact that Matthew chose him. It’s obvious, judging from his initial reaction, that he hadn’t expected it at all, that there were plenty of other members who Matthew seemed to be closer to. But oh my God, he chose me. And he’s way too close to my face, act natural. Seriously, he was so flustered it’s unbelievable lmao. Anyway, Matthew goes on to tell us about how they’d recently discussed their worries with each other. While lying in the same bed. Facing each other. At night. And Ricky being Ricky with his side comments teased them, asking if that really was all they did (lol), but I’ll believe them for the time being. Gunwook was very much still figuring out his feelings, and Matthew was only making matters worse by reeling him in even closer. Regardless, to be as open and candid with someone who you realistically only became close to as of late isn’t easy, but Gunwook and Matthew make it look just that.

Relationship Shift #1.5 - Crush Behind Content

Now, what a lot of you may have been waiting for. The behind-the-scenes for the Crush music video drops, and the general public is in a frenzy. This may as well have been the first eye opener moment where everyone’s jaw dropped at the prospect of Mattparkz– or rather Geonmaet. Like, wow, were they really that close all this time?! Oh my God, look at their hands! No one is immune to The Good Old Fashioned Yaoi Size Difference, lol. We get hit on all sides: Matthew sitting in Gunwook’s lap like it’s nothing out of the ordinary; the infamous cotton candy punch, with Gunwook flirting and holding Matthew’s entire hand in his (he learned it on YouTube, remember?); Matthew showing off his amazing thighs (Gunwook copping a squeeze himself) while also reminding us how Gunwook’s physique can’t be matched, heh; and of course, the subtitles doing their job in letting us know that Gunwook and Matthew’s height difference is perfect for hugging, as if we weren’t already aware. I don’t have to say much. Odds are, if you’re reading this timeline, you can probably pinpoint where you were and what you were doing when you saw this clip for the first time. Personally, as I’ve stated, I already drank from the Geonmaet koolaid prior to this moment, but I can’t lie and say this didn’t sway me further to dropping everything and focusing my fujo glasses a little more closely. Comparing this to quite honestly anything from In Bloom will have the average joe stunned, wondering how the hell we got here and how fast this train is still going. But yeah, we can say that maybe Gunwook is taking a tad bit more risks now, at least when he’s in the mood for it. This was most likely filmed some time in October, which would put us around the very first relationship shift, and it lines up well with what I’ve said previously. Gunwook is falling for Matthew and he’s falling pretty fast. The bigger question is if he’s ready to explore bits of it on camera for our eyes to see. I can say as well that maybe, just maybe Matthew is feeling something too, though I can’t say for certain that he’s aware of it. He could be pushing it off, assuming it’s something else other than the glaringly obvious. Nevertheless, Gunwook is a lot closer to accepting the fact that he’s crushing on his groupmate. Nothing wrong with that, right? Just a silly crush…

Onto the next. Going off chronologically posted content, the Crush recording behind ZEpisode gave us a short but sweet clip of Gunwook finding Matthew to be the most hilarious person in the world, as always. He’s just so cute he’s gonna die, the way he says naengjjamppong naengjanpong has him obsessed (peep the very nonchalant bicep squeeze), more obsessed than he was at Matthew’s bungeobbang attempt the day before. I think Gunwook just really likes cute things, and Matthew happens to place number one in that category. Take My Hand is recorded around the same time, and the higher beings above were kind enough to release the footage of Gunwook and Matthew acting as though they were the only ones in the room. Really, we had Matthew caressing Gunwook’s hair and face and telling him how warm and pretty he is. Gunwook’s mind was stuck floating elsewhere while he made a point to keep his cheek glued to Matthew’s knee. This was for the history books, without a doubt.

Comeback week brought us some lovely moments too. There’s Gunwook fixing Matthew’s in-ear with Matthew looking up (presumably at his eyes) in awe - I’m sure Gunwook was doing everything in his power not to crumble. Then there’s both of them pretending to give a damn that the camera caught them in their usual hugging position backstage. They hype up their upcoming mukbang, with Gunwook taking the opportunity to mess with Matthew a little bit. It doesn’t last too long though, Gunwook giggling at how excited then grumpy he got once he realized they in fact did not get contacted for the chicken ad Matthew so desperately wanted. Their body language is really… really… interesting. I’m no expert or anything of the sort, but they kind of can’t keep their hands off each other. Matthew just has to be in Gunwook’s orbit and Gunwook doesn’t mind it at all (he actually encourages it). Next you got Gunwook and Matthew at Studio Choom whispering about, well, something, but that something doesn’t really matter when you see Gunwook staring pretty intently at Matthew’s lips– er, eyes, his eyes. He definitely didn’t look at his lips for a split second, lmao.

Crush era fansigns technically bleed into award season, aka their next relationship shift, but I’ll touch on them here. We’ll jump first to the repo of Gunwook admitting that he does aegyo to Matthew the most (which is later on corroborated with Matthew calling Gunwook the cutest amongst the members, especially because “he does aegyo everyday” .. duh Matthew, he does aegyo to you everyday. And we know you find him especially cute). We can say that while aegyo is more than common not only in the K-Pop industry, but also as a staple within Korean interpersonal relationships, it would be foolish to ignore the fact that Gunwook, outside of his idol duties, isn’t exactly known as the master of aegyo. As cute as he naturally is, and as far from his unfortunate evil edited Boys Planet image he is, he and aegyo aren’t exactly good friends. Hence why it’s important to know that while Matthew babies Gunwook, Gunwook feels vulnerable enough to be a baby around Matthew. Entering two survival shows before the age of nineteen isn’t something to take lightly – I’m sure we can all say how much growing up was forced on Gunwook from a young age as he chased his dream. But he made the group now and, using a separate repo of Gunwook calling Matthew’s “healing” existence as his “guardian angel”, it’s clear that his and Matthew’s relationship allows him to let his guard down after being on the defensive for years, to share his worries with someone who understands him more than he could’ve imagined. He’s found his forever person, plain and simple.

From here on out we’ll be witnessing a special [gothic font] He’s mine game between Gunwook and Matthew, with ZEROSE as the willing bystander-slash-participant: first of many instances, which may as well have also been the first time a fan had (respectively) mentioned Gunwook and Matthew’s suspiciously intimate behavior to their faces, we have a seokryu “fighting” Gunwook for Matthew. You know, standard fanservice procedure, right? Like a “Hey, I’m supposed to be my bias’ parasocial girlfriend! Hand him over!” Though he was flustered initially, I like how Gunwook plays into both hands - let’s not forget how strong his flirting skills are when it comes to teasing that ever present parasocial idol-to-fan relationship. He’s a natural, really. Gunwook put up a good fight, but he eventually “surrendered” Matthew over. We all know he would have kept going outside of time restraints. He wasn’t on the debate team for nothing. That wasn’t the end of it either; the same fan returned a few times after, naming Gunwook as her rival to fight for Matthew to the end, as well as gifting Gunwook a Toji costume to wear as an apology for always teasing him (by the way, Gunwook and Matthew love Jujutsu Kaisen, and Matthew had especially said he wishes for his future body to look like Toji’s). Their back and forths were adorable, but that’s not to say Gunwook was the only one playing. Matthew has said his piece too, and he’s a little less willing to cooperate. Gunwook is yours, Matthew, he isn’t going anywhere! The slight difference in their reactions could be due to the fact that Gunwook is the absolute king of fanservice, while Matthew may as well be an open book. It could be said that Matthew still isn’t fully aware of his own feelings at this point in time (I wouldn’t say I necessarily agree - more on this later), but we all know where Gunwook’s head is at – he may be clear from the denial stage, but knowing him, he’s probably adamant that Matthew can never know under any circumstances (not even the tiniest inkling) that he likes him more than a friend should. He has plans to keep it that way, but as I’ve said before, Matthew has no issues with ruining his plans. Whether he does it knowingly or unknowingly is the question (that will soon be answered).

Relationship Shift #2 - Award Season, Late Nov 2023-Jan 2024

        In an effort to keep each section as concise as possible, I’ll lead with a few pieces of content before heading deeper into award season 2023, their second relationship shift. There are quite a few more lives to pick apart, starting from the classic clip of Matthew asking for a kiss from Gunwook if he were to pass the TOEIC test (an English exam for non-native speakers). Gunwook was too stunned to speak (and so were Gyuvin and Ricky lol) but the answer came way too quick to Matthew for him not to have considered it at least a little bit. I’ve always wondered how he would have taken it if Gunwook bounced back off his obvious flirting. Kind of like a game of gay chicken. Had Gunwook promised he’d give him a kiss for real, would Matthew keep playing around or would he forfeit? My money is on the former, and it would have gotten real awkward for the other two in the room. We got another live of Matthew coincidentally picking a fan comment asking Gunwook to marry them, and Matthew sure did look expectant of Gunwook’s answer. He hesitated long enough for Matthew to practically answer for him, and he didn’t miss the chance to call him cute after mentioning he’d need his parents’ permission/blessing first (Matthew will be saving that information for later, I’m sure). On the same day, Gunwook went live on his own to recount a gift he’d bought Matthew and how Matthew was so grateful, how Gunwook knows him so well that he knows his favorite pokemon (Blastoise, which is coincidentally one of Gunwook’s pokemon lookalikes.. hehe), how “there’s no one else except Gunwook”...

Personally, I think these instances coincide well enough with the aforementioned He’s mine game, which was more or less going on at the same time with these happenings, to the point where I believe, wholeheartedly, that Matthew may as well have fallen for Gunwook around this time. Now, hear me out - Matthew, a perfect balance of compassion and brazenness, is a man who can’t be misread. While Gunwook wears his heart on his sleeve, Matthew shows it off proudly to anyone who would like to see it. I don’t think he’s someone who gives mixed signals (unless that someone is an overthinker, and Gunwook is one of them), so around this time I’d say Matthew hasn’t changed in the way he treats Gunwook at all, except he’s become more vocal in his adoration for him. He makes it obvious to everyone that he loves being around Gunwook and enjoys his company, possibly more than anyone else. They’ve run full speed ahead with the way their relationship has progressed since Boys Planet, and now they know each other like the back of their hands. Matthew treats Gunwook like someone special to him – regardless of whether you want to believe it’s romantic or not, that part is a fact. And Gunwook does the exact same.

        Now, as mentioned before, award season transpires alongside Crush era schedules. The group is of course invited to MAMA 2023, and the Japanese venue held various arcade machines with prizes to win, two of which Matthew managed to score Opanchu toys/plushies. With Opanchu being known to share a lot of resemblance with Gunwook, Matthew’s unbridled joy of winning them both stays present in my heart. He treated the plushies so sweetly, just how he would Gunwook (even kissed one of them… no comment), and he gave them to Gunwook himself, where in return Gunwook gifted him the Blastoise lego I mentioned earlier. Cute, fond memories.

        AAA 2023 is next and, well, we all know about The Pool Pictures. They’re my personal roman empire, as I’m sure they are for many too. Despite it being December, they both enjoyed the warm weather in the Philippines by chilling at the pool. It’s funny because Gunwook actually teased us on Bubble after they left, talking about how they just got back but they couldn’t take pictures because they were “only wearing pants”. Of course we now know that to not be true, but I’m sure he and Matthew were giggling at the thought of messing with us, because once those pictures finally dropped, the reaction from us all was nuclear. Matthew took joy in watching us all lose our minds on his burner account, lol. And I just wonder if a part of them wanted to keep those pictures to themselves. I’m sure there are some from the batch they took that we haven’t seen, anyway. Only for their eyes and consumption. I mean, Gunwook looked so pretty and blushy, and Matthew’s tattoos were out and exposed. Their visual chemistry is something out of a dream.

        Amidst the award shows and lingering fansigns, we still had tons more lives, and Gunwook and Matthew’s relationship was a recurrent topic in plenty of them. Their pool pictures came up, and Gyuvin had said they were “like a couple” in them, which Matthew had no problem going along with. It wasn’t his first time, anyway. Another live, on Christmas no less, had Gunwook and Matthew stuck together like glue the entire ten minutes. The group had just covered Couple by Sechskies, and Gyuvin yet again teased the two asking them if they’re a couple. Gunwook answered this time, quick and easy. By this point I can say undoubtedly that Gunwook has more than come to terms with his crush on Matthew, and Matthew may as well have been aware of it by now. Like an open, unspoken secret between the two (and the others at this point), but no lines have yet been crossed. Gunwook is comfortable enough to play it up for the cameras, obviously. But confessing? No, not yet. Matthew is also carefully treading on a line, or he probably just likes where they are now. Nothing more to it, right? Also, the clip of Gunwook turning Matthew’s head towards him so easily, just to wipe his nose?????? I’m sorry but you couldn’t pay me to do that for someone I claim to be just a friend, lmao. Their last memorable group live from this time dates after Gunwook’s birthday, which you will see later to be a separate moment that needs its own section. But yeah, this time it was Yujin who decided to choose to read of all comments, one that asked if Gunwook and Matthew were dating. Chaos ensued amongst the members, while the suspects in question just shared a look and cuddled even closer than they’d been before. I’m serious, whenever Gunwook and Matthew sit together, they have to be touching each other. I don’t even think it’s a conscious effort between them as far as they’re concerned.

        Honestly, this also extends to on stage too. There are enough clips of Matthew trailing along with Gunwook at the ending stage of these award shows and festivals that have me thinking that they’d rather not be there at all if the other person wasn’t there. It’s their first award season - it’ll be something to look back on years and years down the line, a novel experience that can’t be duplicated. Yet, Gunwook and Matthew prefer to spend it together side by side. It’s truly lovely to witness.

        Before wrapping this section up, I can’t possibly forget their first mukbang episode. We had no idea what to expect from the video, but in hindsight we shouldn’t have been all too surprised it included Gunwook going along with all of Matthew’s silly and outlandish balance game ideas, wiping at each other’s lips, and Gunwook telling Matthew not to… cup at his own chest. Outside of that, Matthew confessed that he really enjoyed watching Gunwook eat, and Gunwook felt touched (or rather, his heart fluttered) by the sentiment. Flirting comes naturally to these two, clearly. They’ve already reached past that threshold of not feeling too flustered when the other person leans in a bit too close, or stares a tad too long at their lips. If you thought they were comfortable around each other before, they hit new heights now. Matthew, a chicken enthusiast himself, was more than pleased with how the mukbang turned out and was on live already considering what to eat for their next video, with Gunwook as his perfect partner in crime.

        (P.S. I have to include these two clips of (1) Matthew diligently using Gunwook’s birthday present and (2) just… the way they stare at each other. The first being Matthew wanting to show off how much Gunwook cares for him and how much he really cherishes it. They’re just weights, sure, but for Matthew to even bring them to a schedule means he’s truly appreciative of not just the present but also the thought behind it. The second clip… what else is there to say really? The palpable tension, the subtle flirtatious body language between the both of them, etc. Gunwook knows what he wants at this point, for sure. And Matthew is nearly there too.)

Relationship Shift #2.5 - Gunwook’s 19th Birthday Live

        If you told me months prior that we would be sitting in front of our screens on Gunwook’s birthday, watching Gunwook and Matthew melt all over each other for about an hour straight, there would be no chance in Hell I’d believe you. Another day for the history books, nothing else has really matched up to this live: Gunwook introduced his guests as his two favorite people, which wasn’t shocking to me at any degree. There’s a lot to delve into, starting from how throughout the live (at least once Gunwook unwrapped Matthew’s gift), despite being half hidden beneath his hat, Matthew’s face grew pinker and pinker while sitting beside Gunwook, leaning into him with his hands on him at times. Of course Gunwook indulged him. God bless Yujin, but that live may as well have just been the two of them with the amount of back and forth banter that ensued. I think I can very easily say that within the relatively short time frame of November to now, their relationship expanded to something more intimate, which is incredible to think about since they’ve been hard at work nonstop with Crush promotions, variety show filming, and award show preparations. They found time amidst all of that, becoming closer than ever before.

        We all know Gunwook is a sweetheart - he thoroughly enjoyed each present that was given to him and said as much, but once he got to Matthew’s, he made a point of mentioning he had plans of purchasing a knit sleeveless top just like the one Matthew got him. Matthew listens to Gunwook, that much is obvious. Or maybe he’s just that in tune with him, knowing exactly what he wants/needs without him even saying it (their telepathy coming to good use). Oh, and Gunwook really meant it when he said he’d show up wearing it one day; he ended up wearing it a lot for the next few weeks. I wonder how frequently he was washing it for him to have worn it that often. He paraded around with it on like it was his second skin, lol. Anyway, as soon as the birthday letter was read out loud, both Gunwook and Yujin knew straight away it was Matthew. I don’t think he was even trying to hide it – he called him baby and Gunwook said it himself: “In our team, no one else but Matthew hyung calls me baby (aegi)”. Then there’s Matthew next to him who hasn’t stopped smiling since, putting up a futile fight even though he knows that Gunwook knows good and well that it’s him. Matthew was just really happy to be there, it makes my stomach hurt /pos.

Obviously, the most heartwarming part of this live was Matthew’s sudden confession, thanking Gunwook for being in his life. It kind of came out of nowhere, as if he was considering whether or not to say it on live. It reminds me of how both Gunwook and Matthew have thanked the other person for debuting with them a few times before, but this one sounded really sincere, almost like we shouldn’t have heard it and we were almost intruding on a moment. Gunwook wasted no time to pull Matthew in close and let us all know he’ll be giving him a deep kiss once the live ends. He seemed pretty serious, especially since he made the same “joke” earlier with Gyuvin but made sure to say he was kidding after. Gunwook made no disclaimer here, and Matthew is left giggling and hiding his face. Interestingggg. I guess Matthew will get that kiss he asked for a couple months back, hehe.

Gunwook leaves us with him reminding Matthew and Yujin that they’re his favorite. But it’s kind of funny because Gunwook says this while staring at Matthew, like, almost the entire time. He made sure to look Matthew in the eyes and tell him how he’s obsessed, a huge fan of him them, and the way they’re both smiling at each other like there’s an inside joke in there somewhere… guys please scoot over, let me join the relationship *cries*. But yeah, even though the live technically was held before Gunwook’s birthday, once it was the day of, Matthew made sure to let us know it’ll “always be a day that he will remember.”

Relationship Shift #3 - Japan Trip, Valentine’s Day (Week)

        Up until now, Gunwook and Matthew have been more or less dancing around the fact that they like each other. In fact, I’d even go so far as to say they’ve been doing things that other early stage couples would do. They go on dates, they have pet names for each other, they tease (flirt with) each other, they make food for and feed each other, they find each other cute 24/7 – Hell, they even work out together, all the time. Essentially, they’re always attached at the hip, and it’s hard to hide the fact that their feelings run as deep as they do. To go even further, Matthew saying how “Gunwook goes well with Canada”, aka his home, speaks volumes to the sheer level of intimacy they share now. I don’t know, maybe it’s easier for them to ignore the growing feelings. I’m sure “terrified” is among the many emotions either (or both) of them must be feeling after coming to realize that their soulmate came in the form of their coworker-slash-bandmate-slash-best friend they’ve known for barely a year at this point. Things have moved pretty fast, especially in the last couple months. But with those long nightly talks they have, shedding all their worries away, I’m sure something good came from them. Perhaps they found a good middle ground, or they let it be an unspoken secret that only Hao and Yujin… and Ricky… and Taerae… and maybe even Gyuvin know. Well, let’s just say it became a secret amongst the whole group, lol.

        So, January comes and goes with an explosion of Mattparkz/Geonmaet content that we’re honestly undeserving to have. So undeserving that February was actually pretty quiet. At least aside from news of a new mukbang episode, as well as them spending Seollal (Lunar New Year) in Japan with Yujin, Gyuvin and Hanbin. We didn’t get much content at the time except a few fantaken pictures/videos that I won’t share here since they were enjoying a well deserved break, but I have to reiterate how it was rare to see either of them without the other. It makes sense - they’re both huge weebs and despite having been to Japan prior, this is their first time being able to explore and sightsee the way they’d like to. And they get to experience it together, just around Valentine’s day. How romantic.

        Besides retelling stories on Bubble, we don’t hear about the trip again until March, but the wait is definitely worth it. We get a two part vlog (plus a reaction video of said vlogs, but I’ll talk about it later) edited by Gyuvin himself, which starts off with the five of them planning their trip and uh, we’re taken off guard by Gunwook and Matthew’s rather provocative position. Nevermind that, the vlog is chock full of scenes with the two of them looking like a couple hiding in plain sight in their friend group. Whether they’re always shown together or not shown at all, it’s rare for Gunwook to leave Matthew’s sight and vice versa. I know the others were sick of them just like they are at the dorms, lmao. You got Matthew fulfilling his duty as number one Opanchu fan, and Gunwook teasing Matthew and riling him up as always (he must really find his “anger” cute, I mean he finds everything about Matthew cute). My fujoshi heart is telling me they had confessed to each other around this time, either during the trip or afterwards (my money is on during; their time off was a perfect opportunity to have such a discussion). You’ll see later why I’m saying this, but the heightened tension between November and January broke off cleanly once they arrived back from Osaka. Like they released some/all of it one way or another (wink wink) and let everything simmer down because Jesus, the mutual obsession was at an all time high. So yeah, while I don’t believe they officially called each other boyfriends starting here, I do think that they became an item in Japan. Gunwook now knows that Matthew likes him, and Matthew now knows that Gunwook likes him. Simple math.

        I have to add the cute reaction video that may as well have killed me completely. Thank you Gyuvin, you gave us a good ten minutes of Gunwook giggling at Matthew finding out the others conspired against him to lose rock paper scissors, an embarrassed Matthew squishing his cheek against Gunwook’s hand, and Gunwook and Matthew clinging to each other like they’ll disintegrate if they don’t. I’m serious, if the camera was angled any lower we would’ve seen how they were holding hands for the majority of the video. Clearly, even though the tension had reduced, the mutual obsession was still very present. And we’ll see much more of it later on.

YURA YURA

        Though it was filmed before Yura Yura era officially began, I’ll start this section off with our second Mattparkz mukbang. If the first episode was all about #mutual_pining, the second one was #established_relationship. Flirty banter flows easily with these two, as we already know. Gunwook bragging to us that he gets fed by Matthew’s handsome face as his daily routine was the highlight amongst other things, including Matthew saying he’s as thick as the bacon they’re cooking, and Gunwook squeezing his arms to check for himself (as if he didn’t already know LOL). Also, I just love how their actions speak true to their words. Last episode, Matthew said how he enjoys watching Gunwook eat, and in this episode he looks so satisfied doing just that, feeding him and wringing aegyo out of him while he does so. The goofy smile on his face can’t be faked - that’s someone who cares just as much as he says he does, and he cares a whole lot.  

        Onto Yura Yura, the group’s Japanese debut. Japan sure is lovely for Mattparkz, with moments littered amongst all the fancons and variety show appearances. Like I said before, Gunwook and Matthew at this point are very much aware that they share feelings for each other. I’d say they’re more like going with the flow, very much on the casual side of things despite their previously stated mutual obsession. This approach could be thanks to a possible fear of scaring the other away by going too deep too fast, or a different but equally colossal fear of dating their member in such a precarious industry that doesn’t really allow relationships like theirs to blossom the way they should. Regardless, though, nothing stops them from being as open as they can about their largely expanded affection for one another.

Examples are as follows: (1) with the rest of the group lightly teasing Matthew over his cooking, Gunwook always stands strong in his compliments, and you can tell it makes Matthew’s day whenever he does. Seeing how Matthew even remembered Gunwook said he likes pistachio butter and went out of his way to make pistachio pancakes leads me to believe that the two of them share their love through food as well, which has been proven before through their mukbangs and them making the occasional effort to eat together. (2) Gunwook and Matthew both chose each other as the member they’d take with them to a deserted island, and their reasons were intriguing. Obviously there’s a lot about Gunwook that Matthew loves, but he kept it simple and listed Gunwook’s physical and sexy mind (his own words) for why he’d choose him. Matthew really does think highly of him. Same with Gunwook, who agreed with Matthew’s reasons and added that if they’re together, he’d be able to cheer up while looking at Matthew no matter how tough it gets for him. Look at Gunwook getting all sappy over a hypothetical situation. It’s funny though because deserted island or not, Gunwook already melts whenever he looks at Matthew. Nothing much would change. (3) Gunwook elaborated on his “Matthew is my guardian angel” fansign answer from months ago, explaining how Matthew will come to him first when he’s alone and stay with him. He takes care of him a lot, and I think this is so important to note considering how most people around this time who had given Geonmaet the light of day genuinely assume that Gunwook likes Matthew much more than Matthew likes him. Like, it couldn’t be more incorrect. Physical touch might be Gunwook’s love language, which is more obvious to the naked eye, but Matthew’s love languages of words of affirmation and quality time are just as important.

Continued - (4) Matthew had undergone wisdom tooth extraction surgery and even showed us all a selfie with his puffy cheek in the aftermath. Going through such a procedure after dealing with the pain he must have felt prior in the middle of schedules must have been tough, but have no fear, Gunwook was there by his side cooing over him. He told us all how Matthew’s swollen cheek made him the happiest. He could barely get through telling a story about him not being able to focus in dance practice thanks to Matthew’s cute cheek without giggling and blushing himself (notice he’s also wearing his birthday present from Matthew, lol). He even made sure Matthew got his daily hugs in and more (remember Matthew said he would change the words “I love you” to back hugs?) (5) Matthew chose to hug a hasn’t-showered-in-a-month Gunwook for an hour straight over talking to a hasn’t-brushed-his-teeth-in-a-month Hanbin in close range for an hour. Not much else to say, lol. Matthew takes his teddy bear hugs very seriously. (6) Speaking of hugs, Matthew is at it again letting us know how he hugs Gunwook everyday. Then there’s Gunwook saying (and stuttering) that Matthew is full of love. They don’t play about those hugs, I think it’s become an addiction for them. (7) I just had to add the clip of the two of them holding hands at the Japanese fancon. Gunwook waited for him, for just a moment, to grab his hand and frolic on stage. Very cute and sort of intimate, just a little. (8) Gunwook quite literally being obsessed with Matthew’s body/muscles, to the point where he can’t keep his hands and eyes off him… yeah. Gunwook, surely you get enough at the dorm without any wandering eyes, lmao. Are you just rubbing it in our faces?! (9) I can’t finish this section off without this magazine interview quote from Gunwook about Matthew. “He’s a very pure person, so my heart feels at ease when we’re together” is so touching, I would honestly cry if someone said it about me. Especially someone as important to me as Gunwook is to Matthew.

SWEAT/FEEL THE POP

        After a five month long wait, Zerobaseone finally came back with their pre-release single, Sweat. Highly anticipated by fans and the group alike, and we’re given everything and more. But before I continue any further, it wouldn’t make sense not to touch on the one year anniversary of the Boys Planet finale, just a few days before Sweat dropped. The group filmed content that made us laugh but also pulled at our heartstrings, because by the end of it they went around and read the letters each of them wrote for one another. As said before, Gunwook is a sentimental sweetheart through and through (ENFJ). So it wasn’t shocking when he burst into tears after reading the last part of Matthew’s letter, nor was it too surprising that Matthew grew teary eyed watching Gunwook cry. And Matthew was still wiping his tears away while Gunwook’s letter was read. While I’m sure they didn’t need a reminder of what they already knew, that emotional day definitely gestured to the fact that they both hold a lot of value in each other’s lives. Oh how time flies - it was just yesterday Matthew walked up to Gunwook and told him how handsome he was.

        Now we face Sweat era, which right off the bat we got a Mattparkz point dance that we munched on every time they performed. That much was enough, but we also got them finding each other’s eyes and smiling each time they stood off to the side for just a few moments. Obsessed, they really are. Between promotions they went off to Hong Kong for KCON, where we saw more domestic Mattparkz in a way we didn’t often see before this point. Maybe it’s just me but, when Gunwook said he’d swap lives with Ricky for a day, it looked like Matthew was shocked and hoping he’d say him instead. I don’t know, Matthew seemed slightly jealous to me, which is hilarious since Ricky is the last person he should be jealous of since he’d been practically begging for Gunwook and Matthew to date since the beginning, lol. Then we got Mattparkz bickering like a couple a little, which Gunwook conceded at the end, though I’m sure he would’ve kept it going had they not been in front of cameras. Back to Sweat, the music video behind showed us a scene between Gunwook and Matthew that didn’t make the cut. It looked kind of intimate with all that eye contact anyway, they must be why it was removed *shrugs*. Still, we were robbed! Sweat promotions didn’t last very long since it was a pre-release - Gunwook and Matthew made sure to send off their last stage with a bang, or rather a heart, for their point/couple dance together. The way Matthew raised his arm higher to accommodate Gunwook’s, and Gunwook lowered his to do the same for Matthew’s had my heart in pieces. They do care for each other in the smallest of ways.

Relationship Shift #4 - 1:1 & “Playing hard to get”, May-June 2024

        I’d honestly say that Feel the Pop era in its entirety shifted Gunwook and Matthew’s relationship from pretty intense puppy love to “just how far can I push your possessive buttons?”. They really dove headfirst in May, months apart from where they used to be (tiptoeing around the elephant in the room, aka their mutual crush on each other). Gunwook, bless his heart, finally knows that Matthew likes him back. After nights spent worrying and overthinking the worst case scenario, he feels affirmed. Navigating an unlabeled relationship like theirs might be difficult in the long run, but as long as they have each other and keep their heads on straight, living in the present should be smooth sailing. So, why not have some fun with it?

Gunwook gets the ball rolling early on with his newfound “playing hard to get” era. I can tell it initially caught Matthew off guard - he practically pleads with Gunwook to spend time with him, even if he isn’t gaming or doing much else because as long as Gunwook is there he’s okay with anything. And Gunwook retells the story with a big grin and pink cheeks, so I’m unsure how well he’s keeping up with this game he wants to play. Still, he seems strong headed in seeing it through, much to Matthew’s dismay. He lets us know a few more times how he’s still playing hard to get, with Matthew expressing his hurt feelings (he smiles as he says this) that Gunwook is gaming with Taerae instead of him. Amongst all of this, Gunwook clearly revels in Matthew’s cute reaction that he willingly gives him. Matthew knows what he’s playing at, of course, but Gunwook still manages to rile him up. Personally, I’m loving all of this. Gunwook is pretty much showing to us and any nonbelievers that “yeah, Matthew is into me just as much as I’m into him.” The real ones always knew, anyway. I support him 100%.

It all came to a head when Matthew confronts Gunwook in front of the cameras about their supposed movie date (yes, he uses the word date) that Yujin and Taerae tagged along on. He expresses his disappointment and frustration that Gunwook should’ve known he wanted a 1:1 date! Why would he invite others to what should’ve been alone time for the two of them?! (It’s obvious, at least to me, that Gunwook was still playing his game and feigning innocence. Of course he knew, he just wanted to hear Matthew say it himself, hehe.) Hilariously enough, they went on at least two one-on-one movie dates after this, so I guess we can say Matthew won in the end. Though, there are no losers here when Gunwook scored two dates. Matthew won the battle, but Gunwook won the war. “Guys, you should find someone who’ll love you for a long time.” Don’t worry, Matthew, you found your guy already, and he wants to be just as monogamous as you do. He just likes playing with his food before eating it.

In a way, this may just be the most important shift of Gunwook and Matthew’s relationship thus far. Matthew was shameless in how he openly tells Gunwook (and us) how he needs to spend more time with Gunwook and how Gunwook isn’t giving him that time on purpose. And all Gunwook could do is smile, because teasing Matthew is something he thoroughly enjoys doing, especially when he benefits from it (more dates, more attention, more words of affirmation, more cute reactions).

        Anyway, the playing hard to get game simmered down once Gunwook got what he wanted the whole time. Even though, again, Gunwook wasn’t playing the game all too well himself. I don’t blame him, that constant 24/7 proximity with the person you’ve fallen for is like bait to a fish. Gunwook is young and in love, slipups were to be expected. And there were a lot of those. Seriously, it’s like Gunwook’s physical touch meter was ramped up to 1000. Keeping his hands off of Matthew was a non-negotiable, and vice versa. They were always together, as they usually are, as if they’re in a second installment of their honeymoon phase. You had (1) Gunwook getting Matthew another gift of their shared interest (from a claw machine in Japan, of course); (2) Matthew writing “I love Park Gunwook” on a note that should’ve been addressed to ZEROSE instead; (3) Matthew guessing (wrong) that the birthday letter detailing how they wish he’d kiss him was written by Gunwook; (4) the two of them flirting backstage with ZEROSE as the innocent bystander (please, listen to Matthew’s tone of voice and how he looks at Gunwook after telling us we’d be cheating on him if we dated anyone else… he was talking directly to him lol); (5) Matthew following Gunwook like a kitty just to cuddle him in the tent; (6) Matthew bringing up Gunwook out of thin air while thousands of miles away from him in Canada; (7) Matthew saying he and Gunwook (along with Hanbin and Hao) have the best chemistry amongst all nine members because they’re very touchy with each other (we know); (8) Matthew saying he doesn’t kiss anyone in the group except Gunwook; (9) Gunwook getting Matthew expensive lucky chrome hearts underwear for his birthday (yeah… it’s exactly how it sounds); (10) Gunwook kissing Matthew’s cardboard cutout, amongst other things… You get it. They’ve fallen off the deep end for sure. And they don’t have any plans of getting out – they prefer to drown together.

Relationship Shift #5 - “Hard Launch”, July-August 2024

         Just as the title says - after long weeks and months of crushing in secret, treading lines, and playfully pushing boundaries, Gunwook and Matthew come to common ground. They become a tad more subtle with their relationship to the rest of us, as subtle as they can be anyway. Matthew, who once gave out Mattparkz selfies like candy, has yet to fulfill his promise of over a month to give us one (which, by the way, we haven’t received since Yura Yura). It’s fine though, obviously Matthew is hogging all of the ones they’ve definitely taken since then because they’re just too intimate for public consumption. Reasonable.

        Despite this, there are signs if you bother looking hard enough. The most obvious of them is Matthew still reminding us fans that “Gunwook is mine!”, but not before letting us know that Gunwook is adorable every second of the day, particularly when he’s sleeping. Also, Gunwook tells us that he hugs Matthew to keep him awake and how his body is always warm, which I’m sure makes the teasing/bullying that much more self indulgent. Then there’s Gunwook answering what he thinks are Matthew’s charming points and looking so in love while doing it, plus Gunwook calling Matthew his person. Oh, and of course more public touching between the two, but I don’t think they’d be able to stop even if they wanted to.

        Of the more subtle ones, though, there’s Matthew choosing the waist hug and Gunwook choosing the neck hug out of hugs they like the most. Their size difference certainly accounts for the contrasting answers, and again, Matthew did say he’d substitute “I love you” for back hugs if they meant the same thing. There’s also the sudden appearance of what could be matching anklets, shown in Gunwook’s Good So Bad teaser picture and on Matthew’s person while in LA for KCON. Gunwook and Matthew pretty much always discuss the gifts they’ve received from each other, but this goes under the radar aside from the eyes of the hypervigilant fujoshis. Possible birthday presents are ruled out since they appeared well after both of their birthdays, so could they be… anniversary gifts? Who knows, but I like considering the option that they’re both much too antsy to wait for a year to pass before wearing something of sentimental value for each other.

        Everything already mentioned could be weighed as soft launching, no matter how obvious it is to those who have since already been #enlightened. But August 2nd, to me, is the day Gunwook and Matthew really made their relationship known. In other words, they hard launched whatever it is they have, unlabeled or not, for the rest of us to dissect and fawn over. They went to see Deadpool and Wolverine in theaters (+ they later made a tiktok to the film’s soundtrack) and without warning Gunwook shared the most candidly intimate picture of Matthew I’ve seen yet. Don’t get me wrong, they’ve taken pictures of each other plenty of times, but this was something new. The slight blur made it obvious that Matthew or Gunwook or both of them were rolling in laughter in the back of the theater, uncaring to whoever else hears or sees them. Matthew and his choice in cucumbers as movie food that had Gunwook still giggling and blushing while telling us the story. Matthew really doesn’t have to do much besides be himself and Gunwook will be at his beck and call, and vice versa. Oh, and Gunwook called it a date, as we suspected it to be. Honestly, if the hidden Mattparkz selfies look like that, I understand why Matthew has been gatekeeping.

BEYOND…

        This has been a ride from start to finish, though Gunwook and Matthew’s story is far from complete. In fact, as long as this document is, I haven’t even included everything Gunwook and Matthew have gotten up to within the past one and a half years. But if I did, we’d be here forever. Anyway, I hope you will take at least two things away from reading this timeline. 1. - Gunwook and Matthew love being shipped together, and if everything else about this essay is false, I know for certain that the two of them being shipped has strengthened their bond far more than harmed it. Seriously, you can see their eyes light up whenever the other person is mentioned. 2. - Gunwook fell first and Matthew fell harder. Now they’re both equally crazy for each other. Thank you for reading, and here’s to more Geonmaetgeon for this new era and beyond!