“108 Desires” — V’s “GOOD” Telepathy｜BTS “#Like (좋아요)” Lyrics & Analysis

🌈 Introduction

Hello, this is Mayu 💜 Thank you for reading my blog today.

Do you remember when V (Taehyung) flashed a “GOOD 👍” at ARMY at the airport after Celine Fashion Week? I first read it as a telepathy from “Tomorrow,” but I also feel it echoes the message in “#Like (좋아요)”.

On the surface it’s a love song about tapping “like” on an ex’s posts. But beneath that, I hear a story about transcending the “108 desires” and returning to the light.

💬 Excerpt + Paraphrase

I want to be loved. I don’t want to be a fool. I want to be cool.
I want the same love as you—baby, that’s what I want.

Do you ever think of me? Like when you hesitate and hover over that “like” button…
Your heart cut me off like a guillotine, but my “dokkaebi crown” sneaks close to your daily life and peeks in.
Each time, the thought returns—the 108 desires. I want to press “like,” yet I can’t.

🔥 What are the “108 Desires”?

In Buddhism, humans are said to carry 108 kinds of desire/afflictions—attachments, anger, jealousy, fixation—mental patterns that cause suffering. The New Year’s Eve bell rings 108 times to symbolically purify them and step into the new year with a clear heart. In that sense, the “108 desires” are also trials through which we learn love.

👁‍🗨 Dokkaebi (도깨비) — a mirror of desire

In Korean lore, a dokkaebi is a spirit that mirrors the human mind, appearing in response to swelling desire or obsession. The “shadow”/“other self” that often appears in BTS’s works can be read as this dokkaebi-like figure.

In “#Like,” the urge to keep pressing “like” on an ex’s feed is a moment where the dokkaebi tugs at the heart.

💫 “Like (👍)” — Attachment and Forgiveness

The “like” here becomes a symbol of both attachment and forgiveness. Each tap stirs the heart—yet withholding it hurts too. Through that tiny motion, the narrator faces the weakness of not being able to let go. And yet, what remains is:

“Baby, that’s what I want.”

To be loved—but unable to love back the same way. Encasing that contradiction in one word—“GOOD” (👍)—is the first step toward awakening.

🌈 “GOOD” as a sign of Grace

V’s “👍” feels less like “like,” more like a sign of blessing. Even if love doesn’t return, we can still wish the other well. That isn’t retreat; it’s choosing the light.

Letting go isn’t giving up—it’s waking up. “GOOD” means forgiving yourself while blessing another.

🌸 My Story

In my twenties I wrestled with my own “108 desires.” I dated my current partner for seven years, but marriage kept being delayed—“in two years, in two years.” At 29, he said “let’s marry at 31,” while I hoped to marry by 30. I walked away, chasing a dream of “making it in Tokyo,” yet jealousy and anxiety remained.

Ten years later, when I fell ill and hit rock bottom, he reached out. Our tie continues to this day.

BTS taught me the strength to accept myself and the power to change my thinking. Wonyoung (IVE) saying “You are you, I am me” helped me stop comparing myself to others. By loosening my grip on those “108 desires,” I’ve stayed with the light.

🌕 Conclusion｜“108 Desires = GOOD” — Love Awakened

“#Like” isn’t a song about clinging to love—it’s a story of refining love into forgiveness. The “like” button can be a symbol of attachment, but also a daily practice of letting go. Each “like” softens the pain; each release invites the light back in.

What remains in the end is—GOOD (👍) = Thank you, the one I loved.

I want to be someone who keeps giving love, more than someone who’s only loved.

⭐ Awakening

To awaken is to notice the wish to save someone, to walk with courage in prayer, and to regain the power to think and to feel. Don’t be afraid—step into the light. Your wings are already there.

📖 From Magic Shop

K “Kindness”: Kindness is standing in another’s shoes. It spreads from person to person and guides society toward the good—and it returns to you.

If you want love, give love. If you want joy, bring joy to others. If you want forgiveness, start by forgiving. If you want peace, create peace around you.