#jk jk but seriously the show is something special

[flamingtoads]

Toadddd ughhhh ive been slowly rewatching tww and my pipe dream is to make worst witch video essays because there is just so much to say about the incredible highs and lows of children's witch media okayyyy

Listennnn, I'd watch a whole series of ww video essays if I'm honest. What I feel they lack in plot progression they make up for it in acting. Raquel Cassidy took the role of HB and made it so iconic which says something because Kate Duchene already made Miss Hardbroom's character something special on the big screen.

#in this essay i will #jk jk but seriously the show is something special #and there's a lot to talk about #the worst witch #toad answers #saltghosts

[pjmparadise]

3:23 am (don’t go, stay) Pt 1 || JJK

Pairing: jungkook x f! original character

Word count: 12.1k

Genre(s): fluff, romance, strangers to lovers, slight angst if you squint; neighbor au, pre-debut Jungkook au, pre-debut au, comic book artist Jungkook au, apartment au, neighbor au

Warnings: cursing, mentions of jungkook’s penis (yeah yeah... he sleeps naked ofc), brief injury (jk hurts himself bc he’s a dork); descriptions of anxiety and fear (jungkook is scared for a sec, oops); nudity mentions, jungkook is a little horny (what can I say....), jungkook gets a hard on lol; he’s also down bad pathetic crushing and is super clumsy, and brief mentions of home robberies (lol this feels random, but it isn’t I swear), very heavily dialogue based

Audience: 18+ (minors, DNI!)

Summary: Jungkook has had a couple of awkward run-ins with his pretty upstairs neighbor, who he may or may not be secretly pining over, and one night, she pays him an unexpected visit.

“My patio, though. Did you fall? I heard a thud.”

“Are you flirting with me? I’ve heard that pickup line before, but yours sounds a little different.”

He smiles. “I wouldn’t use pickup lines like those with you.”

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⋆✦⋆ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

A/N: WOOO! my first jungkook fic!! We recently got his birth time, and thus this title was born lol! I’ve been working on this baby for a few months now, and it’s finally finished!! After a long time of contemplating, i decided to make our female character an original character, and i know it’s kind of a rare thing in the community, but i felt it worked best with my story. It’s been a bumpy ride with this one since it’s my first lengthy fic (over 12k words... sheesh!) that will be a part of a short series. I’m very excited and a little nervous, but if you’re here, I’m glad to have you here. Thank you for giving my work a shot <3 (ps. italics indicate jungkook’s inner thoughts as well as flashbacks)

a big thank you to my lovely beta’s: @cherrysoulth @the-boy-meets-evil​ and @jeonjcngkook​ you’ve all helped me shape my fic and have been so helpful, and I am so so grateful. truly. seriously. thank you for brainstorming with me, for reading my work, and for being so sweet and so supportive.

a special thank you to @itaeewon​ for the lovely banner! I love it so so much &lt;3

Jungkook is awake to hear the sound of a muffled thud nearby.

His bedroom is dark and silent save for the alarm clock resting on a bedside table flashing bright red numbers at him. ‘It’s late, it’s late, you should be asleep,’ the time says. Jungkook shuts his eyes, groaning and rubbing a hand over his face. “I know, fuck, I know,” he mutters. He’s fully naked, lying on his back, eyes wide open and boring into the ceiling, blanket kicked off to the side, and arms folded behind his neck–still remembering a phone conversation with Namjoon earlier in the day.

“So she walked toward the elevator as it closed, and you didn’t open it for her?” Namjoon scoffs over the phone, shaking his head and clicking his tongue to show he’s disappointed. He knows Jungkook froze, Jungkook already told him he wanted to reach out and push the button for her, but Namjoon asked again anyway—he likes to give him a hard time. “Every time you see this girl, things just kind of go wrong. I’ve noticed.”

“Yeah,” Jungkook says with a sigh. “I’ve noticed too. Is it a sign? Should I give up?” In his apartment, he sat curled up on his couch, his chin on his kneecaps. He’s fallen silent in thought.

“No, nothing like that. Maybe she didn’t get to see it was you, so she thinks it was someone else, or maybe she doesn't even think about it anymore. You know, like things that happen in your day you forget about later unless something reminds you of it?”

“Yes!” Jungkook relaxed, falling back against the couch with a hand over his forehead. “That probably is what’s going on. She went on with her day; other things have to happen, right?”

Namjoon was quiet. In his apartment, he was opening mail and reading over a proposal he was meant to sign soon. A project he hasn’t mentioned to anyone else, Namjoon folds the letter and sets it aside. “Sorry, yes. Yes, don’t worry too much. It will ruin your day. I mean that. Sorry for the pause. I just opened some mail.”

“Ah, okay. Well, you’re right.” Jungkook rose from his seat then. “Namjoon-hyung?”

Namjoon nodded even though he couldn’t be seen. “Yeah?”

“Thank you. I don’t know if I say that enough, but you’re always helping and guiding me when I don’t even realize I need it.”

“Thank you, Jungkook. Finish your comic tonight, and submit it tomorrow. I know you’ll place in the contest and do well. You haven’t scrapped it have you?”

Jungkook sighed. Rubbing his eyelids, walking distractedly around his living room, he spoke with his eyes closed. “I have it. I finished it; I just don’t feel too good about posting it, even with the pseudonym; it feels like too much. Too much with what we already have going on as a group even. We’re trying to do something together, and the comic stuff is just… I don’t know. I don’t want it to distract me.”

Namjoon was on his back patio, leaning over the railing and looking out at the park across from him. “Jungkook, I’m going to tell you something and think about it however you want to. I respect your life, but I think—and these are just my opinions. I think you doubt yourself too often and need to take some chances. Luck turns out; it does.” Namjoon folds his arms over the railing, leaning his body against it. “No rush, bro. At all. The music we’re trying to pursue, it’s not going anywhere, you know?”

Jungkook nodded from his living room.

“Like, okay, look.” Namjoon fixed his gaze on a flock of birds rising from the trees. “The guys, we all have our passions. Yoongi with his piano, Jimin is passionate about his dancing, Taehyung with his instruments, Jin and his gaming, and Hoseok he’s been designing his own clothes lately; with me, you know I like poetry and painting, but we all share music. That is for the team, for a part of us, but we each have so many parts. You like art and storytelling; your comics are so cool, bro. You love watching Taehyung practice the trumpet, and Jimin dance after practice. We like to see you pursue your other dreams too.  Pursue it, and don't worry about the group, is all I ask.”

Jungkook almost cried. He stopped pacing. His heart was racing; it was all he had heard momentarily. If Namjoon were there in front of him, he’d hug him. Maybe he’d even cry. “Ah, Namjoon-hyung…” he swallowed hard at the saliva in his throat, blushing. ‘Namjoon always knows what to say,’ he thought. “I will think about it. I will set an alarm, just in case. I’ll decide in the morning, you know it’s my style to do that the day of. If I think about it now, it will be like this all day, and I’ll stress too much.”

“Good, then. Just think about it.” Namjoon smiled.

Jungkook lies motionless with his eyes shut, eyebrows furrowed in concentration, mouthing along to Namjoon’s words. “We like to see you pursue your other dreams too.  Pursue it, and don't worry about the group, is all I ask.” He sighs. How could he not worry about the guys? He’s twenty-five. Most idols start out much younger, and the mandatory enlistment is already so near for his hyungs. It’s bad timing, is all. My comic book can wait.

He wants to sleep, so he turns over, laying flat on his stomach, facing his wall. Resting his full body weight on his flaccid penis is slightly uncomfortable, but he ignores it. It’s the type of restless night that he has no chance up against, and even with his eyes closed, he feels painfully awake. Jungkook is thinking of her again—her pretty smile, the pink sundress she wore in the elevator, her ability to look him in the eyes and not shy away—and it’s almost like she's here, in the same room with him. He pictures the sundress again, the way it clung to her frame, highlighting every curve. Man, I want her. He shifts his hips around, surprising himself with a massive erection.

The thud strikes again suddenly, and he sits up, alarmed. Shit, is that here? Like outside my apartment? Jungkook squints in the darkness, bringing a hand to the nightstand to fetch his glasses. Any sign of arousal is now extinguished.

“Bam?” He calls out in a sluggish voice.  The clock beside him flashes bright red numbers at him. 3:23. “Ah, shit,” Jungkook mumbles, turning the clock away. A sound he can’t distinguish comes from his left, directly outside his bedroom. “It’s like home alone,” he says to no one.

Jungkook rests his head against the wall, the texture cold against his feverish face. He can hear the sound of a muffled conversation. “Shit, that’s right here, right outside,” he mumbles, stepping back. He reaches over mechanically to switch on the lamp beside him.

Now, Jungkook is painfully aware of his nakedness and frenetically searches for bottoms to change into. He’s thinking about how his legs don’t feel like his own as he walks to the chair by the door, where he sees basketball shorts. It’s like sleepwalking. Even though he’s awake, Jungkook feels as though he might’ve actually fallen asleep, and this is some strange anxiety dream he’s creating to cope with his qualms about submitting his comic. Still, he goes along with it, quietly changing into the shorts, walking out into his living room, and ducking his head when he passes the glass patio door.

Cursing under his breath, annoyed at himself for forgetting to throw on a shirt, Jungkook shakes his head at himself. I don't want to fight an intruder shirtless and commando in basketball shorts, damn... A part of him feels a rush of adrenaline as he crouches behind a potted plant and, chewing on his lower lip, fantasizes about a robbery gone wrong, one where he puts his boxing skills to the test—the other part of him wants this to be a dream, a sign from the universe that he ought to submit his comic. I’ll fucking do it if I survive this.

Jungkook stays like that for a while until he hears a sound again. Rising from his crouched position, he walks toward the back patio window, pulling back the curtain to peer out. He feels a tightness in his chest, and his hands tremble slightly. A shameful part of him is relieved that he’s alone and no one is around to see how shaken up he is.

He whistles quietly, calling to Bam, forgetting his brother is watching over him tonight. Craning his neck, he glances around his balcony patio and sees nothing. “Bam, come here,” his whispering is frantic. He whistles again, patting his leg lightly. Nothing. You’re okay. It’s nothing. It’s probably the cats again tipping over the plants. Just fix it tomorrow. Now, go back to bed. You need it. Jungkook is about to whistle once more when he remembers. His eyebrows knit together; shaking his head, he places his fingertips on his eyelids, murmuring a lamented, “Ah.”

Thinking better of it, he draws the curtain back again and sighs with relief before taking note of a figure crouched behind a chair with a hand shooting up to rub their head. Panic washes over him. His inner monologue consists of a string of every curse word he can think of as he ducks out of view. Fuck, fuck, fuck, that’s a person. If he’d been scared earlier, now he’s downright petrified.

Desperate, he begins to look around the room for a weapon. Anything. Jungkook stands still, breathing in heavy gulps of air, cradling his head as he adjusts his vision to the darkness of the living room. ‘Can’t even turn a fucking light on,’ he thinks as he drops to the ground and crawls around his living room. His home’s silence unsettles him. Jungkook can hear the nothingness aside from his ragged breathing, so he pinches the skin on his arm and hisses at the sharp pain. Okay, real life it is. His bare knees skid against the hard flooring, and his clammy palms slip beneath him; his heart is thudding hard and fast, the blood pooling between his ears. He’s scowling, chewing his lower lip, his chest heaving as he fumbles a hand under the couch; he fingers a cold object and remembers what it is. Aha! He comes up with a golf club Taehyung left behind a few nights ago. I love you, Taehyung!

Jungkook grips the golf club until his knuckles take on a pale color. Having a weapon gives him a newfound sense of security, and like before, he’s fantasizing about kicking someone’s ass. “You come to my house at three in the morning? My house?” he says as he walks through his living room, rolling his shoulders.

He draws the curtain again, allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness; he sees the figure facing away from him and hunching over, a phone glowing against their face. He can call the police, and he almost wants to, but to avoid the drama of a police visit at three in the morning, he decides against it. Imagine the guys find out I called the police? He shudders at the thought. The stranger looks small anyway.

Jungkook reaches for the doorknob and pulls back the door. It’s a lot chillier than he’d anticipated. He folds his arms over his bare chest instantly, the skin covered in goosebumps—his teeth chatter of their own accord.

“Don't move!” He raises the golf club in a mid-swing position, ready to strike. The person shifts around, holding up the hand with the phone. “I said, ‘Don’t move’!” He sounds ridiculous, but he doesn't care. In the shadows, he watches the phone’s glow shut off. “I called the police, so don’t try anything. They’re on the way.” His voice doesn't even sound like his own. He takes a few steps toward the stranger, his grip tightening around the golf club. His heart feels heavy in his chest.

It’s hard to make out the features of this person, but they rise, walk toward the dim light spilling from the neighbor’s window, and he can see them now. The stranger looks straight at him, and he’s met with wide eyes staring at him. She’s standing, squinting at him with a hand on her hip, and she smiles wide. Damn! If this were an animation, she’d have a halo effect.

Jungkook has seen her a total of seven times—he can’t help it; he likes to keep track of these things. It’s his upstairs neighbor, their interactions before tonight being brief and in passing (the most recent engraved in his mind and tormenting him), and he’s thought of her tirelessly and has fantasized about a time they should meet, and things go well for a change.

Jungkook doesn't know her name, but he could recognize those beautiful dark eyes anywhere. He’s looking into them now, his body anchored, mouth turning into sawdust.

She’s talking to him; he’s just not listening. Not really. He can't grasp the reality that it’s actually her, and she’s standing on his patio, and she looks so beautiful. Should he be thinking that?

Her long black hair is in a loose ponytail, her eyebrows arch as her deep dark eyes blink at him, and her lips move. “Please tell me you didn't really call the cops,” she says, bursting through his trance.

Damn, I sounded so stupid! Jungkook blushes. He hopes she can’t tell from where she stands.

“I was trying to call my friend; I swear I was not snooping or breaking in.” She smiles, but her voice sounds worried. Her eyebrows furrow like she’s trying to read him. “Honest,” she says in a small voice as she leans on the railing and raises her hand with the cell phone for emphasis.

She’s wearing a dark gray sweatshirt twice her size and sandals with white socks, and he can’t tell if she’s wearing shorts or if the sweatshirt is all. He can feel his face reddening just from the possibility of her nakedness underneath the sweatshirt, so he decides not to focus on that.

Jungkook rubs the nape of his neck, abashed. The cold air surrounds him, and he folds his arms across his chest, remembering his exposed chest. His empty threat echoes and bounces around in his head, and he looks away from her. “I didn't call the cops, sorry. I didn't know what else to say. It’s what they say in movies.”

“You would be right anyway; this is your patio.” She laughs a little at that, and his heart rate picks up. She pushes herself away from the railing, smiling, and walks toward him with an outstretched hand. Her nail polish is glittery, and he doesn't notice, but this small detail makes him smile. “I’m Rei. I live upstairs. Maybe you’ve seen me before.” There’s a coy look on her face as she says this, and it makes him nervous.

So her name is Rei!!! Fireworks set off, exploding behind Jungkook’s wide eyes.

“Huh, maybe,” Jungkook lies. He shakes her hand slowly, his hand enveloping hers entirely, the contact sending a warm shock through his body.

“Maybe a few days ago,” she says, with a finger to her chin, like she’s thinking over something. “Oh, yes, have I seen you on the elevator?”

“The elevator?” He feigns innocence as he tongues his lip ring anxiously. “That’s strange. Every day is a blur for me.”

“For me, too,” she replies. She’s almost smirking, watching Jungkook lie. He can tell she’s caught him. “You just look sooo familiar.”

“That’s a first.” Still, he denies it.

“Maybe you just look like someone I’ve seen,” she says, looking into his eyes as if searching for something she placed there. “You have one of those faces, you know?”

Jungkook raises his eyebrows, lips parted to speak, but nothing comes out. 

Is she flirting with me or giving me a hard time? DAMN!

“I have an ordinary face?” Jungkook wonders after a moment.

“Either that or my memory is failing me,” she says, sighing and shaking her head. “Which do you think it is?”

“I don't have an ordinary face,” Jungkook says in a small voice, “I have piercings on my face.”

“That’s true…” she’s watching the ground and suddenly looks into his eyes again. She holds his stare unblinking, and then her lips pull back into a big smile showing off cute bunny teeth. Just like me. “I’ve always had a good memory; I was just kidding.”

“Oh,” Jungkook says, blushing.

He can smell her perfume when a cold breeze blows past him, carrying her real-life presence and enveloping him in it. It’s sweet and mixed with a scent of detergent he recognizes, and he’s watching how strands of her hair float beside her face. She’s so cute. Damnnnn.

“You should open the door for the ladies,” Rei says, raising an eyebrow, and stepping closer, she says, “Just harmless advice. Stranger .”

“I will consider that,” he replies, avoiding her fixed stare, attempting to ignore how she’s riled him up with a loud clearing of his throat. But his chest is on fire, his heart thudding hard against his rib cage at her closeness. “My patio, though. Did you fall? I heard a thud.”

“Are you flirting with me? I’ve heard that pickup line before, but yours sounds a little different.”

He smiles. “I wouldn’t use pickup lines like those with you.”

She laughs, and he internally swoons. If he were a cartoon, his heart would burst out of his chest in comical dramatic thuds, his pupils heart-shaped.

“I’m kidding. I know I’m giving you a hard time when I’m on your patio at three in the morning, but I can explain why I’m here,” Rei mimics Jungkook’s movements by crossing her arms across her chest, her lower lip trembling, “but can I come in? It’s cold out, and I'm in the worst attire for this weather.” She gestures vaguely at her exposed legs, and Jungkook’s stare lingers before she notices—so he responds with a nod as he gestures for her to follow him inside. “Though you might have me beat. You came out here without a shirt, damn.”

Leading the way, he blushes at her comment and gives his head a light shake. She’s so talkative! Yoongi was right about her.

With a dreamy air about him, he remembers Namjoon’s words. Except now, all he remembers is: “You need to take some chances. Luck turns out; it does.”

Inside, Jungkook excuses himself to his room to change into a shirt. He reaches for his glasses beside his bed and goes to the closet. “Shirt, shirt, shirt,” he mutters as his hands sift through empty hangers. When was the last time he did laundry? He groans. “Shirt?” he reaches to pick up a heap of white clothing in the deep corner of the closet. He brings the shirt to his nose, sniffs, and walks back into the room, raising an eyebrow and nodding with approval. His hands are shaky as he maneuvers his head through a t-shirt sleeve in a panicked rush. He yanks the shirt off again, the t-shirt now inside out and knotted up in his grip; he groans as his fingers work the fabric. What if she’s gone when I go back out there? Agh, what if I’m dreaming all of this up, and lack of sleep is finally getting to me?

Rei’s voice comes through the walls, and though this is their first official meeting, he knows she’s smiling as she calls out to him. “You okay in there?”

Smoothing out the wrinkles on the shirt, he glances at his reflection behind the bedroom door before stepping out, his chest heaving and his nostrils flaring. “I’m okay; all is OK. Sorry.” He offers her a thumbs up and a big goofy grin that makes her laugh.

“Did you go on a hike without me?” She asks from her seat on his couch. She rests her face on her palm, looking up at him as he walks past toward the kitchen.

“Hike? I just put the shirt on; it was fighting me, though.”

“No, I meant,” she shakes her head, laughing. “I meant that as a while for changing into a shirt. Bad joke, sorry.”

“Ah,” Jungkook says.

“You’re wearing glasses,” she comments, her eyes looking over his face.

“I am,” he says, glancing her way.

It looks like she wants to say something else but doesn't.

He raises his eyebrows, nodding and tonguing the inside of his cheek. It doesn't happen often, but he doesn't know what to say. He walks into the kitchen with his hands in his pockets. “Do you drink tea?” He wonders as he fills a kettle with water and sets it to boil.

Rei nods, stretching her legs before her and craning her neck back to look up at the ceiling. “Chamomile or whatever you have, I’m not picky.” She points a finger above her head, motioning for him to look. “Those are stars. Is this wallpaper? It looks pretty. Is it glow-in-the-dark?”

Jungkook is in the kitchen, his eyes watching how her finger moves in a swift motion of the length of the ceiling. He thinks about how her hand felt in his grip and wishes he’d been more present. “It’s… I don’t know, actually. It’s not a wallpaper; it’s carved into the ceiling, and yes, it glows but not like the bright green; it’s softer.” He looks at her, and she scrunches her eyebrows in confusion. “Want to see?”

She twists her body to look at him, her smile so big he can’t help but return the affection. “Yes. Show me.”

“Grab the remote beside you; turn off the lights with it.”

She clicks the lights off, and the gasp she lets out makes his heart flutter in his chest. Aside from the hard thudding in his chest, the only sounds nearby are the buzzing of the refrigerator, the ice machine rolling out handfuls of freshly carved-out cubes, and the bubbling water in the kettle. Jungkook doesn't dare disturb the quiet; he’s leaning against the kitchen table, wanting her to stay. He looks for her in the dark, his eyes finding her silhouette on the couch, his lips pulling back into a smile. She’s better than in his daydreams; she smells sweet and of detergent, and she feels like a real person just like him, so near but out of his reach. And here, in the same room as him, so close to him, Jungkook realizes she could’ve left by now but hasn’t.

“I’d love it if I had this on my ceiling,” Rei pouts, “want to trade?” She clicks the lights back on, and Jungkook blinks, slowly adjusting to the brightness.

He pretends to mull it over, humming and tonguing his cheek. He puts on his best-thinking face. “No way, but you can come over and look at the stars when it's overcast or raining outside.” He walks toward the stove, where the water boils in the kettle. With his back turned to her, he’s hiding his blushing face as he sets two cups out before him.

“I think that sounds nice,” she replies, surprising him. “So what, I walk outside sometime, see a gray sky, and come downstairs to see you? ‘Hey, neighbor, can I see the stars?’ and you say, ‘Come in, I’ve just made cocoa, would you like some?’ and I say, ‘Thank you, are you sure?’ and then you say, ‘Sure’ except I never leave because I like the stars so much and you don’t know how to tell me I should go home.”

“Oh, that’s a good conversation. Is that what you’d like me to make? I like hot cocoa,” Jungkook says, brushing the hair out of his eyes. “You think I'd want you to leave?”

“Well, if I were here all the time….” she looks at him through her lashes, and he catches her eyes and raises an eyebrow at her, a playful smirk on his lips. And she shakes her head, laughing. “Do you mean it, though?”

“About you coming to see the stars whenever you’d like?” Jungkook asks, leaning against the kitchen island. She nods at him in two slow motions of her head. “Yes, I mean it.”

“The skies are unusually gray these days, aren’t they?”

“I’ve noticed that too,” he says, opening the fridge. He grabs a box of cherries and shuts the door with his elbow. “But no rain.”

“Exactly, I told my friend Kimi; she lives with me upstairs and is almost a sister to me, except we have different parents. Well, I told her, ‘Haven't you noticed how it looks like it’s going to rain every day, but it never does?’ and she says, ‘Rei, it rains. It just happens to be when you’re asleep,’ and can you believe it? I woke up yesterday, and it was early, not like tonight, but early for me, and I looked outside my window, and there was dew sticking to the glass, and it was all sweaty when I touched the windowpane, and I realized she was right, it rained during the night, and I just missed it. Isn't that something so lame?”

“Huh,” Jungkook says, chewing on a cherry and offering the box to her. She shakes her head no and mouths a ‘Thank you’ to him. “So we’re off asleep and just missing the rain, so it always works out that we’re missing out on something during the day. It’s always like that. Kimi sees the rain, and you’re off sleeping, but you probably get to see other things I miss when I’m taking a nap and on and on.”

“That’s true. But I thought about catching it tonight. When I went to bed hours ago, I kept thinking about the rain and wondering if I stayed up, I might see it, and it wouldn’t just feel like I kept missing it and living the same gray day.”

“It’s like Santa Claus,” Jungkook says, scrunching his nose as he tongues a cherry stem in his mouth, “waiting up all night for him to show up just for you to see your dad dressed up as Santa and realize he’s been putting the presents down there for years.”

Rei laughs at this and covers her face with her hands like she’s protecting her laugh from anything sharp. “Your dad did that? For real?”

Jungkook scrunches his eyebrows and pinches his nose bridge, and with a tone of feigned affliction, he says, “Yeah, he did. I knew the truth before a lot of my classmates.”

“How old were you? When he ruined Santa Claus. Do you remember a thing like that, like how old you were?” She rests her chin on her palm like she’s weighing her head. He thinks she looks cute like that but doesn’t say anything.

“I don't know exactly, but I was in the third year of school,” Jungkook says, suddenly thinking back on his infancy. He chews his lower lip when the answer suddenly comes to him, and he remembers the conversation he had with the guys a while back. They’d all taunted Seokjin when they found out Seokjin didn't know the truth about Santa until he was thirteen. “I was seven. I can't believe I remembered that. I was seven….” His mouth hangs open, and he remembers what he wore when he first saw his dad hunched over behind the tree with a gift in hand— a white flannel pajama set and his mother’s slippers. Where has this memory been hiding?  “Damn.”

“I was six,” she says, smiling. “My childhood was ruined a year before yours. Or wait, are we the same age? I just assumed we were.” She laughs again, bringing a hand up to her face to hide her smile.

“I assumed the same thing,” Jungkook admits, feeling his cheeks redden. “I’m twenty-five.”

“Oh wow,” she says, almost to herself. “Me too.”

He doesn't know what else to do but clear his throat and nod.  He never imagined getting this far (whatever that means). He’ll struggle to explain this later when Namjoon asks—Jungkook knows he’ll ask.

The kettle begins to whistle, and he’s reaching for the two coffee mugs as she says something behind him he doesn't catch. And he turns his head over his shoulder and nods at her. “What happened? Sorry, I didn't catch that.”

“I said, ‘You don't have to do that for me.’” She turns her head away as she says this, her long hair cascading along her profile, hiding her.

“I have a visitor,” he says, turning over to look at her with a grin. “I have good manners.”

“Oh, sure, manners,” she replies, rolling her eyes at him like a friend he’s known for years. “Is that my tea? It smells amazing.”

“It is, but it’s hot, so let’s leave it here.” Jungkook offers her a tight-lipped smile, shyly making his way toward her. “Mind if I sit next to you?”

“No, not at all; come, sit.” She pats the spot beside her and scoots over to make room for him. “Thank you for the tea and for letting me in. I know it’s late.”

Jungkook glances at the clock on the kitchen stove. 3:55. “It’s not that late. I was awake anyway, so I didn’t mind.” He’s toying with his lip ring again. “Why were you out there anyway?”

It’s been some time since Jungkook’s been this close to a girl. He feels his heart thudding away in his chest, her presence stirring up a desire that’s been dormant. Loose strands of hair frame her face, and his eyes follow her movements as she brushes the strands away. She looks embarrassed, her cheeks reddening. Still, he finds her so cute. “Truth?”

“Yes.” He scrunches his nose when he smiles at her.

“I locked myself out of my apartment. Before bed, I stepped out into my patio for a smoke and to read more of my book. I was also trying to test my rain suspicions to see if I could catch it while it happened. So, I’m out there romanticizing my life, pretending I’m in a movie; you know how we act when we’re alone and suddenly want to be poetic?” She looks at Jungkook, and he nods lightly. “That was me, except I got cold right away and said, ‘Oh fuck this, I’m going to bed,’ and that’s when I realized I’d locked the back door, and I was so mad I almost cried.” She places her fingertips against her forehead, continuing her recounting. “So, of course, I get the idea of calling a locksmith, but they’re closed; I don’t know what people should do if they need help during the night.”

“Most people sleep, I think.”

She clicks her tongue. “Right, some people do, but you and I are not those people, right?” She draws an imaginary line with her forefinger from her chest toward him. He nods and feigns oblivious as his leg brushes against her bare thigh as she shifts in her seat. “So, not only is every locksmith not available, but my service is horrible, so I am standing on my tiptoes trying to get a bar, and my phone slips. My heart almost burst.” She brings a hand to her chest for visual effect, and his eyes watch her chest as it rises and falls with each breath. He’s smiling at her—a wide smile that hurts his cheeks. “If it weren’t for your patio, my phone would be shattered to hell on the ground. I look over my balcony, and for the first time, I notice how close our balconies are.” Rei presses her hands over her thighs, leaning forward in her seat and fixing her eyes on the glass patio door across from her. “I mean, I’m sure you’ve noticed, but I don’t go out there much. Anyway, I’m rambling. I noticed I could jump directly into your patio because there’s a mattress out there, and well….” She makes a motion with her hands that says: ‘ Ya know?’

“You weren’t scared of jumping? The balconies are close, but we’re still six stories up.” Jungkook rests his hands on his knees, fully invested in this story; his eyes never leave her. She forms a tight line with her lips and gives him a serious look that makes him laugh. “Ok, so you were scared.”

“I was scared! But there’s a mattress out there, you know,” she says in a small voice. She’s blushing and scratching at the side of her nose to avoid his eyes.

Jungkook notices this and clicks his tongue, leaning back in his seat.  “So it was not an accident, then?” He raises an eyebrow at her, sucking his teeth in feigned disapproval.

The truth is, he’s not mad about it; he wants her here. He almost feels like he is in a dream.

“Not entirely. Don’t ask me how I thought about returning to my place after retrieving my phone because I didn’t think that far ahead.”

“Oh, there’s a mattress out there. You could’ve just slept there; no big deal,” Jungkook says with a laugh. Rei brings a hand to her face to hide behind, making a groaning sound. “I’m sorry; I don’t mean to laugh at you. I just don't know what to think— this has never happened before.”

“And it won’t happen again; let’s hope.” She laughs, and it’s different from before; it sounds deeper like she reached into herself and decided to really show him. And Jungkook likes the sound of her laugh but does not comment. She moves a few strands of hair from her face and rests her cheek on her hand, leaning on the couch's armrest. It’s slowly dawning on Jungkook how badly he wants her. What am I supposed to do with her this close to me? Damn. “So, what’s your name? You didn’t say when I told you mine.”

He rises from the couch, remembering their tea.

“Jeon Jungkook,” he says as he pours the tea, “I guess I forgot to introduce myself. Huh.”

Rei’s looking at him with her chin in her hand and a serious look on her face as he’s walking toward her with an outstretched hand in offering. “It’s chamomile,” Jungkook announces.

“Jeon Jungkook,” She repeats with a light smile. “I like it. I don’t know any other Jungkooks.”

“Yeah? I’ve had this name for a long time. I like it too.”

She takes the cup and brings it to her face, inhaling the scent and shivering, and says, “Thank you again. This tea smells sweet. It reminds me of this tea my grandmother used to make my sister and me when we were kids. She would put a little bit of honey, the real kind, and peppermint leaves; it was….” She sighs longingly. “I miss that tea; this smells like home.”

Sitting beside her, he takes a sip of tea, his gaze on her unmoving. Her lips part as she blows gently, the steam rising from the cup in lazy strokes. Jungkook’s heartbeat quickens when she matches his stare with her deep dark eyes that seem to look for something in his.

“This tea has honey, but I doubt it’s the real kind you mentioned, but I still think it’s good.” He clears his throat, looking away as he adjusts his glasses on his nose bridge.

“I like your glasses. I wanted to say that earlier,” Rei comments, taking a sip of her tea, “I don't know why I didn't say anything.” She moves around in her seat, tucking her legs beneath her, then asks, “Can I wear them? Are they prescription?”

“They’re just reading glasses. You can wear them. I put them on sometimes just because they suit me,” he pulls his glasses off, wipes the lenses on his shirt, and hands them over.

“Ah, so you like how they look on you,” she says, her eyes gleaming as she takes the glasses from him and sets them on her face. “How do they look?”

If he were a cartoon character from one of his comics, he’d have melted into a puddle, exploded like dynamite, turned into stardust, and returned to his original self. Except, she’s a real person just like he is, flesh and blood and so beautiful, and he’s off in space being reborn.

“Look at me,” he motions for her to turn his way. She looks straight at him, wearing his glasses and blushing at his attention. She begins to unfold in front of him, her playful demeanor softening. “You look pretty. If they weren't my prescription, I would give them to you.”

“Here, they’re hurting my eyes,” she says, laughing. She removes the glasses and starts rubbing her eyes with closed fists. “You’re sweet, though. I couldn't take a guy’s glasses. How will he go on drinking his tea and letting me in to watch the stars?”

Jungkook feels a warmth spread in his chest. God, how is she real? He runs his fingers through his long hair and coughs once, then again. His nerves are getting to him. She’s too close to him, her bare thigh soft against his leg. He begins to count backward in his head.

“Were you really awake already, or did I wake you?” She asks him all of a sudden. Her eyes stay on him as if waiting for him to say something else.

“You don’t believe me? I was awake. Swear.” He raises his free hand at his side.

She appears to mull that over for a bit, bringing her cup of tea to her lips but not taking a sip. “What were you doing?”

Jungkook is silent, and she sits unmoving until he speaks.

What was I doing? Besides dreading another deadline? Thinking about a comic I might not submit or thinking about not having a shot in hell with a girl like you? Images of the times they’ve run into each other flick by in his head like a slow PowerPoint slide. The registration office, desolate stairwells, crowded evacuations, elevators closing, Rei standing in front of him in a summer dress with a strange look on her face; Rei on his back patio, hunched over with a phone near her face; Rei in his apartment, on his couch, next to him. He feels the adam’s apple in his throat rising and falling. He’s been quiet for who knows how long.

“Thinking, I guess.” He breathes out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “I don’t know why I took so long to say that. It sounded boring in my head, so I had to think if there was something else I forgot about.”

“That is pretty boring, just thinking. But that’s life, though, isn’t it? Kind of boring sometimes.”

Jungkook nods, blushing and avoiding looking at her. What if she can read minds? He straightens his posture and runs his fingers through his hair again, his eyes fixed on the ceiling of carved-out stars. It’s OK. It’s OK. She’s still here.

The living room is almost dead silent. Jungkook notices how Rei sips her tea and looks over the area. It’s neat, for the most part. Bam’s toys lay scattered near the laundry room entrance, along with some of Jungkook’s dirty socks the dog likes to chew on, and Bam’s food bowls are resting up against the wall beside his doghouse. The potted plants Namjoon gifted Jungkook are still alive and pop against the beige coloring of the walls in front of them. The TV is massive, his Playstation console resting on its side. Her eyes find the corner shelf where Jungkook’s Marvel figurines are on display behind glass doors, and she turns to look at him with a sparkle in her wide eyes. “Are those yours?” She gestures with her thumb. He nods, chewing his lower lip anxiously. “Can I look?” She rises from her seat when he motions for her to go on. Like standing in a museum, she silently peers into the display with her hands clasped behind her back.

“I just got that case a few days ago when I got that plant next to you,” Jungkook remarks, joining her.

“I remember,” she says distractedly.

“You remember?” His eyebrows raise, and he looks at her fixedly, bringing a fingernail to his mouth. He scrunches his eyebrows, rubbing at his forehead with his fingers; he remembers, too.

He’d bumped into Rei on his way upstairs, both arms holding the bonsai trees obstructing his view, taking long strides up the stairs, chanting to himself and grunting in rhythm. He was on the 50th stair.

“Hey!” A voice shouted at him. “What the hell?”

Jerking to the side of the staircase, flattening against it, Jungkook jumped at this voice. “Sorry! You’re okay?”

The voice struck him as familiar, but mostly, he was surprised he wasn't alone on the staircase. The person laughed a lively laugh, and he felt his chest tighten. He lowered the plants, meeting her eyes. “I’m okay,” she said, shaking her head. She grinned at him, and his heart gave a squeeze. “These things happen. I should take the elevator next time.”

“The plants, I mean. You walked past me going up the stairs and hit me on the head with it.” She glances to her right, catching his eyes briefly. He groans, nodding lightly. She continues, voicing their shared memory, “You were carrying two pots of plants that day and lost your balance or something like that.”

He nods with his eyes closed, his eyebrows drawn close together as he tongues his cheek. “I remember, too,” he opens his eyes to look over at her as he continues, “sorry again. My friend told me not to do that, and I didn’t listen.”

A Spiderman figurine holds her attention, and she’s smiling. He feels his cheeks burn at her sincere gesture. She pretends not to notice and says, “You like running into me like that, then?”

“Like how? It was an accident,” Jungkook says, standing beside her and stretching his arms behind his head.

“Riiiiight,” she says, smirking. “Accident.”

“I didn’t know you were in the stairwell. No one takes the stairs,” Jungkook counters, his voice taking on a defensive edge.

“I take the stairs, I like the exercise, and it���s less embarrassing for me,” She admits. “Running in front of people just looks so stupid. I get too worked up about it and think people are just laughing at me, and they might be, but this way, I can do it in private.”

“Running across the street when cars let you pass is very embarrassing for no reason,” Jungkook says with a laugh. “And okay, fair. I took the stairs that time just because the wait for the elevator was so long. I didn’t mean to hit you that time either.”

“Jungkook, we have to stop meeting like this.” She gives her head a light shake and looks down at her hands. She picks at the glitter on her nails distractedly. “So many accidents. We’re too clumsy.”

“I know what you mean. Namjoon told me to leave one of the plants in the lobby, but I was too impatient. I’m like that sometimes.” He can’t seem to stop blushing.

But Jungkook has to agree. There have been too many accidents in their run-ins with each other, and he remembers each encounter with extreme detail.

Jungkook saw her for the first time when he moved in and face-planted into her back as she stood by the entrance of the registration office. But it didn't happen right away, at least.

The office was big and bustling with sounds. Jungkook walked in, asked out loud if there was a line, and someone nearby replied that yes, there was a line, and he was right at the tail of it. He bounced on the heels of his feet, humming a melody to himself, tapping his fingers against the sides of his legs. A TV across from him played a K-Pop music video of a group he’d never heard of. Beneath the TV was a table with a Terra Kaffe espresso machine accompanied by a spread of dan-pat bbang, songpyeon, bingsu, and reusable cups. His stomach grumbled, but he kept still, willing himself to look away.

Rei stood in line, a foot or two in front of Jungkook, sporting her hair pulled back, secured neatly with a clip the shape of a butterfly. She wore casual clothing: a black long-sleeve sweatshirt, baggy pants, and white Nike shoes. She had earbuds in, and he could hear the muffled sounds of a guitar, and though he did not fully understand why, he smiled.

“Next in line, please,” a woman behind a glass window called out, taking an uninspired sip of her iced coffee as she waved a hand toward her. “Come on, next in line.”

Jungkook wore a black t-shirt, navy plaid bottoms, and socks with slides, though standing there, he began to regret his attire. His eyes looked over the office, and mentally, he tallied the number of girls he spotted. Nine. He felt his cheeks warming up, his neck growing hot, and when he looked over to his right, a girl waved at him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. He blushed, nodding at her. Why hadn’t he worn something nicer?

He was adjusting his sock, balancing on his right leg, when a dog ran past him, toppling him over. He hopped on his right leg, his arms flailing at his sides, and his face instantly smashed into Rei’s back. If he had a chance to do it over, he wouldn’t have cried out so loud. Even now, months later, he cringes at the memory. He’d turned away, cupping his aching nose after she whipped her head over her shoulder at the sudden impact. Their eyes met briefly, her pupils dark and wide; she mouthed something to him, his ears ringing, all of the sounds around him muddled into incoherence.

“I’m so sorry. Excuse me,” Jungkook mumbled, turning at his heel and speed-walking past a group of girls that giggled when he passed them.

Jungkook thought about her all day after that first day. While he unpacked, walked Bam, and cooked for himself later in the evening. She was pretty, sure, but there was something else. Something he couldn’t break apart and understand— it was new and brought on a strange sensation and desire to know her. He didn't know it then, but he’d see so much of her it would become nearly impossible not to think of her.

And here they are, five months later.

“You agree, don't you?” Rei prods. “Maybe you’re the clumsy one, Jungkook. I was just standing there.” She says that like she knows what he’s thinking. That first day they saw each other. She’s thought of it too.

He swoons at the sound of his name escaping her lips again. “Jungkook,” he mouths, taking it in—not wanting to forget how it sounds when she says it.

She turns on her heel, returning to the couch and fetching her phone from between the cushions. Her backside faces Jungkook, and he shyly lowers his gaze when he catches a glimpse of her ass in shorts that do a poor job of hiding anything. “I’m impatient too, as you know now,” she offers, looking down at her phone, her face illuminated with the screen's glow. She reads something and has a serious look on her face. “It’s getting late, isn’t it?”

He squints at the clock on the stove. 4:27. “Yeah, I guess so,” he replies, trying to hide his disappointment.

“Your figures are cool, by the way. They look like the real deal. Are they?”

He nods silently, tonguing his lip ring. Jungkook watches her with a gut-wrenching desire to step forward and take her face into his hands and kiss her.

“You’re a Marvel geek. I'm guessing,” she says, staring down at the ground. It’s like she’s suddenly shy. Her voice is quieter. “I like some of the movies. I saw the new Spider-man with my friends last week. I’m late, I know.”

“I have Disney plus,” Jungkook says, his eyes looking her over. “And I’m not trying to say anything like the ramen stuff, you know, all that stuff people say to each other recently to get together. It’s a real offer.”

Rei laughs, bringing a hand to cover her face. “So you don't want to get together?” She looks at him with a deep intensity in her eyes and smiles coyly, making Jungkook swallow hard.

“I said that, didn't I? That’s not what I meant. It’s just that nowadays, words have different meanings. Let me rephrase-”

She takes a step closer to him, and his chest feels ablaze. She’s so close he can smell the fragrance of her clothing much clearer than before. We use the same detergent.

“I’d like to come by sometime,” she says, her eyes lingering on his hands holding his cup, “for a movie, no ramen.” Now she smiles warmly and takes a step back.

She likes doing this to me. It’s torture.

“Really?”

“Yeah, why not? You seem nice. I don’t think you’d be a freak, right?”

“Right,” he says, nodding.

“I know we’re technically strangers, but you have a good vibe,” she says, shrugging. “I show up here so late, and you serve me tea. You’re a nice guy.”

“Am I?”

“I think so. Are you?” She quirks up an eyebrow, twitching her lips between a smile and a laugh.

Jungkook smiles at her. He feels his cheeks growing warm. “I am. I don’t know why I challenged you about it.”

“Because you like to flirt with me, I think,” she retorts, crossing her arms across her chest.

“I’m just a nice guy,” he says as he places his palms  against the kitchen counter for balance, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Uh-huh.” She glances at her phone screen, reading the time, and Jungkook does the same with the time on the kitchen stove. She's going to leave. I can feel it.

“I guess I should get going…”. Rei looks apologetic for some reason. A pink shade colors her cheeks, and she brings a hand to her forehead and lets out a deep breath as she says, “Kinda hot in here, no?”

Jungkook wants to tell her she doesn't have to go and that he doesn't want her to, but he only offers her a timid smile and looks away, nodding in agreement. “A little. I’ve been feeling it too,” he says, looking at her and catching her eyes.

Should I move now? Is it now? My move? Will she kiss me back?

Still, he brings his cup of tea to his lips as she stores her phone in the pocket of her hoodie, and she pauses as if remembering something. “And why is there a mattress outside?”

He’s drinking his tea and begins to choke. Coughing, his chest on fire, and his throat closing in, Jungkook rushes to double over his sink, and she’s standing behind him with a wrought-up look.

“Are you okay?” She steps closer to him, lightly touching his arm.

Jungkook coughs, clearing his throat; he can feel the blood rushing to his face as his eyes instinctively shed tears. The feeling of her touch on his arm feels like fire. “Sorry, I don’t know what happened. The uh, the mattress?” He looks toward his patio, a panicked look in his eyes behind the tear-stained glasses. He pauses, looking down at the floor. “I have them all over, so I can nap when I feel like it.”

She throws her head back and laughs, not taking him seriously until silence hangs between them. She raises an eyebrow. “Wait, really?” With that, her phone goes off in her pocket, and she reaches for it. “Sorry, one sec.”

He leaves her to talk on the phone with whoever and walks over to pick up Bam’s toys and dirty socks to throw in a hamper. Jungkook can hear the muffled phone conversation a room over, so he hums a song. She speaks in a hushed voice, but he hears his name mentioned.

He coughs before he reappears in the kitchen.

She’s humming to herself, lingering by the door, and his heart squeezes. ‘Don’t go,’ he wants to say. ‘Stay.’

“I should go…” she says, not budging from where she stands, chewing her lower lip, looking at Jungkook through full eyelashes. Almost as if waiting for him to interject, and him, not knowing how to.

“If you want,” Jungkook says. He swallows hard at a lump in his throat. The plead to have her stay pushed down into his chest.

DAMN!! 

A look he can’t decipher takes over her face, and then the next moment, she’s smiling at him, reaching for the doorknob just as he does. They share an embarrassed exchange of looks when their hands touch, and he shakes his head, an anxious chuckle escaping him. His face feels warm as he pulls the door open for her. Rei steps out into the hallway, turns over her shoulder, and raises her hand to wave at him slowly.

Again, he yearns to kiss her and again lacks the courage.

“Bye, it was nice meeting you, Jungkook.”

“Goodnight, Rei,” he replies, leaning on the doorframe, his heart sinking into his stomach.

The next day, Jungkook is cooking for himself. He submitted his comic in the morning and has endlessly replayed last night’s events in his head.

“I should’ve kissed her,” he says to Bam.

Jungkook’s phone pings a few times and is followed by a call. He answers, distracted as he serves himself bibimmyeon and pork belly. He props the phone between his chin and ear, tilting his head comically as he walks back and forward to the table, setting down a steaming bowl of sticky rice. “‘Ey, Namjoon-hyung!…” He drags the chair out from underneath and settles in front of his plate. Jungkook reaches over the table, yanks a paper towel, grabs his chopsticks, and begins digging into the rice. “Wait,” he glances at the clock on the wall. 6:47. “It’s almost seven,” Jungkook says, confused. “Your meeting with the record executive started at six… it ended that quickly?”

Namjoon smiles. “The meeting was quick. I have really good news.” He pauses for effect. He’s in the studio, eyeing the email on screen. “Hold on,” he says, placing the phone on the desk and turning the speaker on.

 Jungkook is chewing his cheek, the chopsticks loosening in his grip. He lets the silence exist for a few seconds, then he rubs the back of his hair, leaning back in his chair, his spare hand fisted over his mouth. “What?” He grumbles into his fist.

“He liked my demo. He had some comments about it but said it would do well. He said everyone else liked it; whatever that means, we’re in. He said we can come in for a group meeting where we introduce the guys, and that way, we can all talk about what we want to do going forward.”

Jungkook is speechless; they’re in. All seven of them. He can’t believe it. He stares wide-eyed at Bam, who tilts his head quizzically. “No way. No way. Is this for real?” Jungkook’s heart is thudding so hard he can see it beneath his shirt.

“I swear, Jungkook. It is.”

“Do the guys know?” Once more, Jungkook meets the eyes of his dog, and he’s smiling so hard he feels his nose scrunch.

“Some of them do, yeah. I was with Jimin earlier.”

“Yoongi,” Jungkook says, bringing his palm over his forehead. Smiling with his eyes crinkling, he feeds himself rice. “Yoongi will be so happy. We all are, you know but him .” Jungkook makes a sound with his teeth. “He’ll be so proud of all of us.”

“I know, I know. Yoongi hasn’t slept well since we first submitted our demos, and when I mentioned I had a meeting with an executive, he grabbed his jacket and took off to the studio. I don’t know what he’s been doing when he comes in, but I know he might cry.”

“I might cry too,” Jungkook admits in a hushed voice.

Namjoon wipes at his eyes, and a silence hangs between them. They’re both sniveling on the receiving end. After Jungkook clears his throat and allows himself another sniffle, he starts eating again.

“What did you make?”

“I have a lot of rice left. I made bibimmyeon and pork belly, but I have some noodles, too, if you want me to make them. Come and eat with me if you’re free. Let’s celebrate.”

“Can I leave my bike outside?” Namjoon asks. Namjoon shuts off the shared laptop in the studio, grabs his puffer jacket and the book he’s been reading, heads over, and flips off the light switch. His phone remains on speaker as he locks the door and shoots a glance down the hallway. From a distance, Yoongi does a quick two-finger salute in passing. Namjoon’s heart gives a squeeze.

Jungkook thinks it over. He’s never seen anyone leave a bike outside. “I don't know, honestly. Bring it to my apartment; it’ll be fine. I have something to tell you, by the way,” he says, referring to the previous night.

“Just saw Yoongi,” Namjoon says, jingling the keys on his finger and making his way out of the building. “I have to tell him, but I think he’s already in his studio locked up. You know how he gets.”

“He won’t let you in,” Jungkook says, scrunching his nose and stifling a laugh through a mouthful of steak.

“Exactly. And what is it? I’m bringing my bike, I thought about leaving it chained, but it’ll stress me out.”

“He’s almost done with his demos, Hobi said the other day,” Jungkook replies. “But it’s about her, bro. You won’t believe me.”

Namjoon laughs through the phone. “Mystery-neighbor-crush her, you mean?”

“Neighbor stuff, am I that annoying? Don't answer that. I’ll leave the door unlocked for you; just come in because I have to wash Bam.”

“All right, bro, give me twenty, and I’ll be there.”

Jungkook is sitting across from Namjoon, who raises an eyebrow at him as he chews on his steak. “So she came in here,” he swallows his bite and continues, “was on that couch?” he signals with his chopsticks, “and she went home after that?”

Jungkook nods. The moment he’s been dreading: admitting he chickened out. He’s not proud of himself and debates whether to omit a few things.

“Yeah, what else could’ve happened?” He takes a drink of his water, avoiding Namjoon’s gaze.

“So many things, bro. But, the very least that should have happened is that you got her number or something like that. Did you ask?”

Jungkook is quiet. His cheeks are flushing with heat. He’s chuckling at himself, remembering how he clammed up around her.

“You just let her leave, right? She walked out, thanked you, and you probably made her a tea she didn't drink.” Namjoon is laughing when Jungkook groans and shakes a fist above his head. “Ah, Jungkook!”

“I know!” Jungkook shakes his head. “But I got a name. I got a name; that’s something, isn't it?”

“Well?”

“It’s Rei. I don’t know where she’s from and all that, but that name just suits her, doesn't it?”

“It does, it does. But come on, bro! This girl lives so close!  For starters, she stuck around. She could've just left after explaining herself. Instead, she sat down right where you’re sitting and stayed .” Namjoon feeds himself rice as he shakes his head and continues while he chews, “She looked at you the last time we evacuated; I saw her. And how many times have you bumped into her already? She probably thinks you’re out to get her.”

“I know. I kept thinking the same. I thought: ‘She could've left by now, but she hasn’t. I don’t know, hyung, I just froze. I just kept nodding; it was so stupid.” Jungkook closes his eyes and places his fingertips over his eyelids, shaking his head in lament.

“Not stupid, bro,” Namjoon offers, swallowing his bite. “I’ve seen her around too, and she’s really pretty, but it’s a weird sensation when she’s nearby; it’s like her beauty is different. I don't mean it like I want her now, nothing like that, but it sort of feels like I am stuck too. Like, what can I say right now?”

Jungkook nods, understanding the sentiment. “It knocks the wind out of me sometimes when I see her,” he says, reaching for a napkin. “I wanted to say so much more, but I couldn't. It was different being close to her like we were. This girl is killing me, Namjoon-hyung. You said she looked at me?”

Namjoon smiles warmly. “She did, at the evacuation a week ago. Was it a week now?” He wipes at his mouth and looks at Jungkook expectantly. Jungkook nods at him. “Well, a week ago, I went out last and caught her looking your way. She had her hand like this,” he brings his hand up to shield his eyes against nothing, “and she was smiling. She didn't see me noticing.”

Jungkook scoots closer. He rests his chin on Namjoon’s knee, looking straight at him until he’s cross-eyed. “At me?” he asks, loving that this happened.

Namjoon shakes his leg free and takes a sip of his water. “I think she likes you. She was looking at you the same way I’ve seen you look at her,” Namjoon reaches for his phone, checks a text, and continues, “so she would’ve been into you. Did she flirt with you?”

Jungkook mulls it over. He doesn't want to read too much into it, but he thinks she did flirt. “I could be wrong, and I’d hate to be wrong,” he says, “but I feel like she was into me, like, actually into me, and I thought about kissing her. Would that have been too forward?”

“Hmm,” Namjoon says as he chews his food. “Maybe. I have to see you two in action, to say. I think you can trust your gut, and if you felt that way, maybe she was giving you those vibes on purpose, you know? Sometimes girls are so forward that it's confusing. Like, ‘am I reading this wrong?’ When the whole time there was only one way to read it.” He gives his head a light shake.

“She was talkative like Yoongi predicted.”

“Oh, was she now?” Namjoon looks surprised. “I sided with Jimin when he said she seemed shy and kind of mean. Not mean, but you know the mean look girls have that makes them look kind of cool?”

Jungkook nods with a mouthful of steak.

“That’s actually interesting that she was talkative. That’s good. I think you’d do bad to get with a shy chick again.”

Jungkook once dated a girl in high school he didn't know how to talk to, and when he meant to break things off, he’d just ignored her for the entire year. She was too shy, too quiet, too reserved. He was everything else but.

“I agree with you on that,” Jungkook says honestly. “Back to Rei, she’s even prettier up close, hyung. I thought I was in a dream, that sounds so cheesy, but it’s true.”

“It was, what, four in the morning?”

“Three. Close to four.”

“Exactly. I would think that's a dream too. Seems like it. Are you sure you’re not messing with me?” Namjoon elbows Jungkook lightly.

“I want her. Is that so pathetic?”

“A little bit,” Namjoon teases, bringing his thumb and pointer finger to a slight pinch. “Like this tiny little space right here is where you live.”

Jungkook rolls his eyes as he walks into the kitchen for a beer.

“Honestly, Jungkook, I think she likes you back. Pass me the rice. Want some of the steaks?” He shows Jungkook his bowl, and Jungkook accepts, opening his mouth to be fed. “You can feed yourself.”

“Ah,” Jungkook says, mouth agape. “Just one piece.”

Namjoon is feeding Jungkook rice when the doorbell rings. The two exchange bewildered looks, and Jungkook shuffles from the ground, sliding on the flooring with his socks as he peers through the peephole. He falls to the ground as if shot, crouching with a deathly look about him.

Namjoon shifts in his seat on the floor and, stretching his neck, asks Jungkook who it is. Over and over, quietly, he’s asking who’s at the door.

Jungkook doesn't answer until Namjoon stands. He shoots a hand up to grab Namjoon’s sleeve, motioning him to crouch beside him. Whispering, he says, “It’s Rei; what do I do?”

“Get up!”

“I can't. I can't. I don't know what she wants. What if she knows?”

“Knows what? Get up; I’m opening the door in 3, 2,...”

Jungkook stands. He can feel his heart beating viciously, and his hands are sweating. He glares at Namjoon, raising his hand and motioning for a cutthroat. “I’ll kill you,” he mouths as his friend walks away.

Jungkook peers into the peephole and sees her turning away. He pulls back the door quickly, causing her to turn around. She smiles, and he wants her all over again. His relaxed demeanor vanished. “Hey, what’s going on?” are his first words.

Rei laughs, and he can feel himself blushing. He drops his head when he remembers Namjoon is a witness.

“Hey, neighbor,” she says, smiling the same coy smile she lent him last night. She pulls a paper from her pocket, extends it to him, and says, “It’s an invite to my birthday party this weekend; if you don't have any plans, I thought it would be nice to hang out and see you again. I’ll have friends over, and of course, you can bring yours.”

A party? Wait, see me again?? “I will be there. This weekend. I’ll make an appearance.” He stops talking when she laughs. He can feel the blood boiling on his face. What the hell is going on with him? “Sorry, yes, I mean, thank you.” Jungkook can feel Namjoon’s burning gaze behind him—he can picture how his friend stifles a laugh into his fist.

“No problem. Who’s that?” She points inside the apartment.

Namjoon waves when Jungkook turns around to see him standing behind him, a smirk tugging at his lips. Jungkook widens his eyes at him, mouthing for him to stop laughing. Stepping aside for his friend’s introduction, Jungkook signals toward his friend with a swift movement of his hand. “Namjoon, this is Rei. Rei, this is Namjoon, a good friend and gifter of bonsai trees.”

“I’ve seen you, no?” she talks to Namjoon, who nods, flexing his pointer finger, indicating that she has. He’s chewing cheese puffs, and Jungkook raises an eyebrow at him, silently questioning him: ‘Where did you get those?’ His stare says.

“At the evacuation, I was there.”

“Ah, yes, you had bright green hair like a highlighter pen then.”

He laughs. “That was me, yeah! You were with that girl, the…one with the red hair in pigtails.”

“Ah. That’s right! You have a good memory.” She sounds impressed.

Jungkook tongues his cheek, shaking his head beside them unnoticed.

“You too, you too. Cheese puff?” Namjoon offers a bag of cheese puffs.

“You’re tempting me, but I will have to decline. I just had lunch.”

“Your friend, the one with the pigtails, will she be at this party?”

Namjoon is nervous, but he plays it off well. Only Jungkook can tell.

“I think she can be there,” Rei replies, her eyes shifty and full lips pursing. She seems to think it over, anxiously looking at Jungkook and chewing on her lower lip. It’s as though she’s waiting for Jungkook to glance her way. Only Namjoon is seeing this.

Jungkook is annoyed. They’re talking so easily. He shifts uncomfortably, his fingers gripping the door. He watches how Namjoon chuckles and how she timidly looks down at her hands. The glittery nail polish made his heart feel like a stone in his chest. He wants to interject. But how?

“I’m sure the guys will be free this weekend too; we might celebrate our little accomplishment here sometime soon, so Jungkook can tell you about that and invite you when the time comes, right, Jungkook?”

Jungkook only nods. That’s all he seems to be capable of when she’s around. He feels so strange around her. He feels the same way each time, like he’s coming down with something suddenly. Didn’t it just get so hot out here with the door open like this? He wonders. Is anyone else sweating?

Their voices continue around him. He nods a few times when the conversation shifts toward him, but he feels lightheaded. He wants her so badly.

He doesn’t mean to, but he clears his throat, turning the conversation around him to a simmer.

“So, Jungkook, Namjoon told me he’d come this weekend and bring your other friends. There’s a theme, by the way.” She pauses for dramatic effect. “It’s fairytale-themed!” She raises her arms above her head like a big reveal and holds her pose, awaiting their reaction.

Namjoon laughs, turning away; he says: “I’ll give it good thought! Thank you for the invite, Rei!”

“And you?” She looks at Jungkook.

“Me?” Jungkook swallows hard at a lump in his throat. His brain seems to forget how to form sentences when she’s around.

“Yes, you. Do you have any ideas, JK?” she smiles, lopsided.

Is she flirting with me? Here? Namjoon-hyung! Come back!

“I have to rewatch all of my favorite fairytale movies to have an idea,” he says, bringing a hand to his head. He feels the heat emitting from his forehead. “I’m kidding. I think something cool like Dracula.”

“Is that a fairytale?” She laughs.

“Define a fairytale. Isn’t it just make-believe?”

“You don’t think vampires are real?” She raises an eyebrow at him, but he can tell she’s intentionally giving him a hard time. Her smile is surfacing and betraying her.

“I do, actually. Ah, okay. Give me time. I’ll think of something. What about you? Who are you going as?”

She pretends to think it over even though she already has an idea. “I won’t say; you’ll have to see.”

He’s fully leaning against the doorframe, his foot slipping under him, and he almost falls over. He mutters something to himself, and she’s biting back a laugh. “You want tea or something before you go? If you’re not busy.”

“Ah, I want to say yes, but my friends are upstairs; I just stopped by real quick but thank you.”

He nods. “That’s okay, next time.”

“I’ll catch you two later,” she says, waving.

She turns to walk away, and Jungkook doesn't know what takes over him, but he shouts after her: “Thank you!”

He’s too embarrassed to see if she turns around. He closes the door immediately.

He doesn't even want to look at Namjoon. He stands facing the door for a while, his head hanging low, eyebrows scrunched up in physical anguish. He chews his lip and winces at himself, remembering.

“I said that out loud,” Jungkook says, incredulous with himself.

“You said that out loud,” Namjoon reiterates from somewhere in the room.

Sighing, Jungkook turns over, and flinches at a grape Namjoon tosses at him. His nose scrunching, he catches another grape mid-air and chews noisily. “She wants to know me properly,” he says, with a dreamy air.

“So be her prince charming,” Namjoon jokes, plopping down on his couch, busy on his phone.

“So I will be,” Jungkook says, tilting his head back to look up at his ceiling. She’s up there, walking around, talking to her friends, and he’s beneath her, dreaming of the weekend. “What day is it?”

“Wednesday.”

“Let’s go; I need an outfit.”

“Now?”

“Now, get up! Get up!”

“Let me finish my grapes; I just washed them,” Namjoon whines, still not glancing from his phone’s screen.

“Okay, but after, we’ll go.” Jungkook walks into his room, grabs his glasses, and steps back out.

“You’re serious, aren’t you?”

Jungkook nods, biting the corner of his lip distractedly. “Oh, I’m serious.” He reaches for the car keys on the table beside him. “I’ve never been more serious.”

And he is. He’s never been more serious about anything else. He wants Rei, but he wants her to want him, too. He can’t help but feel as though his luck is turning out.

taglist: @vsualitae​

A/N: thank you for being here! I hope those that looked forward to the full first chapter have enjoyed this! It's my first lengthy fic, as I've already stated, so any feedback is greatly appreciated! reblogs, comments, and anything that lets me know you've enjoyed this will make me the happiest writer :') I appreciate you for giving my work a shot <3 Let me know if you'd like a second part, what you liked, etc. I'd love to hear from you, reader >.< until next time!!

#jeon jungkook #jungkook fanfic #bangtantheatrenet #jungkook scenarios #bts fanfiction #jungkook fluff #jungkook angst #jungkook x oc #jungkook fic #bts fluff #jungkook x you #jungkook au #btswritersclub #jjk fic #bts scenarios #jungkook imagine #bts imagines #jeon jungguk #jeon jungkook x oc #jjk fluff #jjk angst #pathetic jungkook

[rogueddie]

with the hp/ jk thing. the defenders always go 'separate the art from the artist, only interact with fanon, only read fanfic, it's not hp, its a different era, but using her world and characters'

she has said any support for her work is supporting her and her ideals. even if they just interact with fanon its still promoting hp, and supporting her.

they bend over backwards to justify continuing to support the work of a raging bigot and holocaust denier.

and they bring up 'but its my special interest' it was a lot of peoples special interest for a long time. including mine for over 15 years. but then she started to get more vocal with her hatred, and i started noticing her bigotry in her work, and became more educated on it. i eased myself off of it, it's hard, but its possible.

im also trans in the uk. everytime i hear her name it sends a chill through me in fear of what is coming next. a lot of people, especially Americans, don't realize how much power and influence she has here. she is incredibly rich and she is a household name, almost everyone has heard of her

but it shows where their priorities stand. they're all about standing up for the little guy, for promoting the rights of marginalized people, until it's their entertainment on the line. they'd rather keep their comfort thing than do what they're otherwise preaching.

i hope you can stay as safe as possible, and i hope something changes for the better for people like us soon <3

All of this! You put it perfectly!

I've definitely been lenient with them, given my own hyperfixation on Stranger Things, which has its own issues, but she's been getting so extremely bad recently that I can't fucking stand it anymore.

When the popularity and monetary support of Harry Potter is something she uses as a defense, something that other transphobes use to levy her name as a battering ram, you have no excuse.

You can so easily keep all that shit offline! Read the books in the privacy of your home! Stop funding her transphobia! Stop willingly allowing her to weaponize your "special interest" to discriminate against a minority group that is being seriously threatened right now! TRANS PEOPLE ARE BEING MURDERED!

Sure, a lot of people have distance and "but I'm American" as a defense for their ignorance- but she's been quoted by a GOP senator while they blocked a vote on an LGBT bill, so no, they don't actually.

And, sure, a lot of people don't think she's actually transphobic- but being ignorant can only last so long before you look like a liar or an idiot. Especially when she's spending £70,000 on challanging "the definition of woman", which seems to me an obvious attempt to delegitimize GRCs (Gender Recognition Certificates).

Just in case there is someone coming across this who doesn't think JK Rowling is actually transphobic, I'd recommend this video that Matt Bernstein made with Contrapoints (which still misses a couple points, but Contrapoints also has a great video on jkr).

I hope you stay safe too. And I am confident that things will change and improve for us in the near future. We are the easy target right now, but it will not stay that way forever.

The transphobes are loud but they are not the popular opinion. We have a community and I know that there will always be people who have our backs while we fight for our safety and freedom. People will listen, and we will move forward.

Wishing you the best x

#ask #anti jkr

[beautifulpersonpeach]

BPP, I thought JK was the one who was brave and reckless enough (lol) to show ARMYs an actual living woman in his MVs. But he kinda destroyed it all explaining that he did everything like a robot (in case of snty), that he just did what the director told him.

But V. That was unexpected. IU is not just some random girl. Also the wedding dress? The softest touches and sweet glances. V is a member I always found difficult to understand and relate to. But since chapter 2, I totally changed my opinion about him. Very interesting.

***

I don’t think Jungkook “kinda destroyed it all” by saying Seven wasn’t autobiographical. Regardless of what Jungkook feels, Seven left an impression. Especially with the crowd of y/n delulus in the fandom. Every little showing helps them get used to the idea.

Anyway, your main point is Taehyung and god, yes! In Chapter 2 I’ve fallen a little in love with Tae. He’s just so… interesting. I’m starting to more clearly see the colour he adds to BTS. It’s really remarkable that all seven guys are individually such monsters to begin with. Their brilliance as a group is almost unthinkable.

Because sometimes, years back, I used to wonder what was so special about Taehyung that Jimin would call him his soulmate. And vice versa. Yeah Friends was suggested to Jimin by Bang PD (taking Jimin’s solo song and turning it into a duet), but Jimin wouldn’t have agreed if he didn’t feel like doing it. I mean remember his qualms about singing something he didn’t understand in the BTS book. And also, his ‘soulmate’ is just not the kind of thing he’d joke about or not take seriously. I consider Jimin to be exceptionally talented, and in Chapter 1 I kinda sorta saw Tae’s potential of the same, but it’s only in Chapter 2 I’ve become fully aware of it.

Taehyung is exceptionally talented. Vocally, visually, in acting, dancing, and variety. He’s the whole package. And this is before we consider he looks like the (pre-problematic) Brad Pitt Korean version, who could also moonlight as a Bollywood male lead.

Tae’s acting in that MV is stellar. IU isn’t slacking either. But I have to say, I’d be cautious about giving so much weight to it alone. IU is openly dating Lee Jongsuk, and in some conservative pockets there’s no bigger deterrent than a taken woman. But the effect compounded with earlier news of Tae and Jennie breaking up, how even if that was fake it added a smidgen of credibility to them having dated in the first place. Then seeing how IU touched his face, the way his eyes fell when she covered his good eye…

Y’all.

Tae is talented and I’m so glad we got to see him in this MV. He looks incredible.

#taehyung #kim taehyung #vmin #bts

[dearweirdme]

https://www.tumblr.com/dearweirdme/748664714672865280/anon-abt-the-dream-premiere-lives-again-idk-i?source=share

I personally think TK set their own protocols on "visiting" their homes. If they were just seen in public, that means many eyes are on them even after the event. Case in point, the "new" photo of them walking around with Wooga. People stalk them.

They are aware that stalkers are everywhere. So being out in public puts them more at risk of being tailed/followed. I don't think they go to each other's places after being seen in public but would go to their own places to minimize risk. This also happened after their public appearance at Hyoshin's show.

They definitely have ways on getting into eo's places without getting seen but that would be at risk of exposure if they do that just right after being seen publicly.

Maybe JK felt lonely afterwards because it really wasn't the most ideal situation specially after a night out like that, something that must have been huge for them. Plus them doing livestreams, as if to show that "hey, we went our separate ways". JK must have had a fun night but it had to end in a less than ideal way: having to separate ways for their safety against stalkers. I can imagine how that must have sucked tbh, taking a big step going out in public together and enjoying the night with Tae and Wooga, but having to cut your time together short, along with the happiness you felt.

Hi anon!

To some that might seem an extreme way of thinking, but I do think it’s rooted into something very real. Aside from the Tkk of it all, we know they have stalkers. Both Tae and Jk have had people come seriously close last year, and those must’ve been very scary incidents to them. So yes, when they’re out somewhere publicly I think they are very much aware that some stalkers and saseangs will take that information and await them at their buildings for when they arrive back home. In the case of Tkk the treat to their privacy that might be is even more of a risk.

I think Jk gets overwhelmed at times. I think he’s pretty sensitive. So a lot of that night might have contributed to why he was feeling off during his live.

#taekook #dream premiere

[sizzlingpatrolfox]

I probably will be called out for making everything about Jimin but idfc.

Notice how whenever Jimin pulls himself out of something be it relationships or jobs the people he worked with and people he had relationship with start to crumble and lose their appeal at all. It's like they lose their soul. BTS had really nice music until 2020, their artistry was unmatched in the whole industry and their stage performances were talked abt for weeks after. Then Jimin started getting pushed back in choreos and being given lesser lines in their songs. Their group music is unlistenable now. Every performance now is the Graham Norton performance which Jimin wasn't able to attend. I've loved them so much, I've waited for every performance, award show and new music. Now I desperately beg for them to stop releasing it. It's this bad. Relationships too. Jimin was close to Yg, Th and Jk, you just can't deny it. Yeah, I didn't really like some of their interactions and most of it seemed exaggerated by fans but still it seemed quite genuine. Then Jimin stopped hanging out with Th. Th's weird attitude and shifty behavior started getting more and more obvious and severe. Never expected much from him but damn he makes me lower my expectations even more. I kinda liked Yg, ngl, but at some point he started giving Jm back handed compliments and Jm kinda withdrew himself from him I think. After it Yg's ass lickery, money and power greed tendencies and selfishness and bitterness just flourished. Finally, Jk. I think they had quite nice relationship back then even if it was hot and cold (well, Ig that's just how jk's personality is, he's awkward) and mostly one sided. Jk was also more involved in creative process and in general looked happier and more genuine. After 2020/2021 Jimin started withdrawing himself from this relationship, too. Then I started noticing quite radical changes in Jk's behavior. Blatant fanservice, playing on both ship parties on purpose, insincerity. His skills too, like, bro, wtf has happened to you? The dancing?? Stage presence (yeah, he never was strong in this field but he had good moments sometimes)?? Wtf is that? His mediocrity and blandness is insane. He looks like he completely lost himself. Just plain sad.

So my point is, Jimin is/was the soul and heart of BTS, their performances, songs and every relationship he's in. The lightweight vibes, genuine fun, sincerity, desire to be and do better than yesterday, charm. It's all gone with Jimin. It feels like Jimin transforms people around him, seriously affects them and their mind. It's like the people he chooses to be around and chooses to be close with start to want to do better and be better. The group's fate is truly sad.

I've had this in drafts for god knows how long, but I wrote this:

"Polyc saying Jimin impacted him and changed his outlook on life, made him want to be a better person. He hung out with Jungkook the most but had literally nothing special to say about him

Jk before 2017 was annoying, a brat, lowkey an asshole; after he got closer to Jimin he softened and then there you have the same jungkook again as you mentioned these past years. 2021 something about jikook wasn't the same anymore and he's been closer to taehyung and acting like him too"

So I assume it must be from around those days of the polyc interview lol. Timing aside, points were made.

#i've deleted all asks and maybe i'll just post some old drafts just to get it out there

[mysmorgasbordoffantabulosa]

Not Taekook related, but I was thinking a lot about the whole Min Heejin and HYBE drama, particularly the stories about the shaman and BTS, the leaking of private/personal information about idols (possibly Garam, Youngseo and others), also the allegedly trying to snare V. All this makes me wonder if MHJ had a hand in V's scandal with Jennie. It would be good to get your thoughts on it all.

This is all so seriously messed up. I think there is faults on both side but also some valid points too.

Whilst I will answer your main question about taennie and possibly the whole JK fake apartment video, I feel I need explore the situation as a whole. So I will structure it like this:

Thoughts on the key points/accusations on boths sides about the whole dispute

Was Heejin involved in rumours about BTS members

What I think will happen

Final thoughts

Ok...

Thoughts on the key points/accusations on boths sides about the whole dispute

I do think Heejin has some valid points about the visual concepts being used by other HYBE artists, although technically, MHJ doesn't own any of the IP she created with ADOR. I know a little about IP and Copyright there are 4 types...

Creator / 1st Owner - where the creator is also the owner of the product, for example: The author and first owner of copyright in a sound recording is the record producer. The author and first owner of the copyright in a broadcast is the broadcaster. The author and first owner of the copyright in a published edition is the publisher.

Works created for an employer - (this will apply to MHJ) Where a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work, or a film, is made by an employee in the course of his employment, his employer is the first owner of any copyright in the work (subject to any agreement to the contrary).

Commissioned works - This is like when HYBE commissions a producer/writer to create something, the rights belong to the company/person who creates the work (say Andrew Watt) not the commisioner (HYBE)

Joint Author/Co-Written - Joint ownership might arise, for example, if a person was commissioned to create a website together with one of the company’s employees. It is likely that both the person being commissioned and the company would be joint first owners of copyright in the website. For co-written songs the songwriters share ownership.

So unless MHJ had a special contract that gave her special rights over something, she has no control over what she creates as it BELONGS to HYBE, that includes NewJeans, the concepts and other IP.

It's clear HYBE has the evidence to show there is something underhand going on, and has probably had evidence for weeks. They probably discovered the plot because of the copying on files by that VP at ADOR. Also why would anyone make plan to takeover a company for the hell of it... it doesn't make sense.

Is it unfair that MHJ has a clause stopping her from working in the industry for a period of time if she leaves HYBE/ADOR... NO, these are common place in businesses, plus she negogiated and signed her contract... unless she didn't do the proper due diliegence.

The MHJ press conference was a masterful display of media play/manipulation. She deliberately wore clothes that made her look dishevelled, also the cap adequately hide the fact that she never actually shed a tear once in the whole 2 hours and her make up helped with this impression, by making her cheeks look wet from tears.

HYBE in a cult...

But obviously not true and MHJ and co are clearly dropping fake stories to tarnish everyone.

I certainly believe (after that news conference where she slandered nearly every HYBE group) that this woman leaked private and confidential information about trainees and idols.

Her and Bang PD were not close... so which CEO hired her in 2019, I'll give you one guess and his name is in this sentence... so he must have spent time with her and cultivated a working relationship at BIGHIT Entertainment prior to HYBE forming... MHJ was VERY selective in of which chats to share with the press... I expect Dispatch to expose more her conversations with BPD, which will paint things in a different light.

MHJ lied in her press conference... she took, with HYBE's blessing, Source Music trainees, staff and other resources to form NewJeans and ADOR... with HYBE's money.

HYBE CEO is dirt bag who likes vaginas... simply because he oversaw video game that was quite rude. It's not like he designed it himself, he simply oversaw the project, plus unfortunately that's a big thing in the Video Game world... it can be very msygonistic.

Was Heejin involved in rumours about BTS members

So was MHJ involved... on the surface one might think so.

I do think she might have had a hand in the Garam scandal and the leaking of Youngseo, members of two groups she saw (in her own words) as threat to NEWJEANS and her vision.

However, I don't think she had anything to do with Taennie or JK's fake video, it's clear (at least for Taennie), that YG was heavily involved and possibly HYBE too.

Now to the recent stuff that's currently be "leak" and stuff that might come out in the next few weeks... I think her involvement might be more logical.

What I think will happen

I think within the next month HYBE via a shareholders meeting with ousts the ADOR board and replace it with their own board and subsequently remove MHJ from her pssost.

ADOR's new CEO will be another woman from within the company

From what I understand, MHJ might have a problematic history with young people... I'm sure if she does it will come out.

There will be a trial of some kind and MHJ and co will be found guilty in someway

I think HYBE in general will take more control (at least at board level) of every sub-label over the next year, to strengthen its position but also but to improve coordination between labels to stop classes that have occured in the past.

NewJeans won't be leaving ADOR/HYBE, mostly because HYBE owns the brand of NJs and their concepts, but also it's be intimated that NJs would have to pay hefty reparations for said IP and to be released from their contract. I suspect post MHJ HYBE will sweeten the NJ's current deal with additional stuff.

Final thoughts

It's a mess, but within a few weeks/months it'll all be partly resolved to a certain extent.

I suspect this week HYBE through outlets like Dispatch will leak even more of the incriminating shit it has on MHJ and her co-conspiritors.

HYBE will remove the current board of directors at ADOR and then remove MHJ and he co-conspiritors.

I suspect we'll also get some expose about her time at SM that isn't pretty and adds more fuel to the fire and may show she has a track record of causing trouble.

I also suspect that when MHJ tries to sell her shares she'll end up having to sell them back to HYBE because I they will make it difficult for her to sell it to anyone else.

I predict NewJeans will have new comeback post MHJ that's even more successful than before.

#my asks #Anonymous #kpop #min heejin #hybe labels #bang pd #hybe x min heejin #bts #new jeans #ador

[frankenkyle19]

Pets I think the Evan’s characters would have:

Tate:

•I think take wouldn’t be a big fan of many animals

•maybe a cat, specially a black one because of their ‘reputation’ 

•he’d name the cat Lucifer or Lilith 

•doesn’t like dogs

•I feel like he’d never actually want a pet of his own, but would tolerate others pets

Kit Walker: 

•dog. Probably a golden retriever 

•wants a perfect life with his women and kids, so a dog just adds to that aesthetic 

•he’d name the dog Rover or something generic like that

•Take the dog on long walks in the wood with him

•definitely let’s the dog sleep in his bed

Pre-death Kyle:

•He’s pretty busy with college, so he honestly wouldn’t have much time for an animal

•maybe a bird? Like a parakeet. 

•but he’d end up getting rid of it because he’d be trying to study and the bird wouldn’t be quiet 

•maybe he’d try something like a goldfish

•he’s a college boy so I feel like he’d forget to feed the poor thing and it’d end up dying 

Post-death Kyle:

•I will never forget what he did to that poor dog

•don’t give him any

•jk I love Kyle 

•but seriously, maybe get him something he can’t touch 

•I feel like he’d like an axolotl 

•he’d sit in front of its tank and watch it for hours 

•put it in the bathtub once because he wanted it to go on a ‘vacation’

Jimmy darling:

•don’t find him to be much of an animal person

•maybe a hedgehog or ferret 

•yeah he’d get a ferret

•in fact he’d get two of them and let them roam around 

•always makes sure to spend time with them even after a long day of performing 

James Patrick March:

•No animals

•Too messy for James 

•if he found a single piece of fur in his hotel, he’d flip

•if you ever managed to convince him to get a pet, he’d want something like a tarantula or scorpion

•he’d say he hated it, but would secretly love it

•likes to scare people with it 

•likes to watch it eat bugs 

Kai Anderson: 

•he seems like one to abuse animals 

•idk, he likes to see things suffer

•if he got an animal, he’d want a snake

•probably something exotic like a cobra

•he’d get it illegally imported 

•he’d enjoy feeding it live mice 

•again, because he’d want to see the mouse suffer. Would find it fascinating

•he’d never hold the snake, but would put it in a big cage to show it off

Mr. Gallant:

•Bearded dragon

•he’d just have it chilling on his shoulder 

•would totally make little matching outfits for it

•has a cage for it, but almost always has it out on his shoulder 

•feeds it fancy, expensive greens 

•would protect that lizard with his soul

•claims it’s his ‘emotional support lizard’ 

#american horror asylum #american horror hotel #american horror murder house #american horror story #american horror coven #ahs asylum #ahs kyle spencer #ahs fandom #ahs fanfic #ahs coven #ahs cult #ahs apocalypse #kai anderson #jimmy darling #ahs freakshow #ahs fluff #ahs headcanons #tate langdon #mr. gallant #james patrick march

[mrs-monaghan]

Story time:

A girl I am currently dating is also a fan of BTS (much longer than I have been) and is not opposed to the idea of shipping (or atleast that's what I was told initially) . So I was telling her about Jimin and Jungkook and how initially GCFT made me side eye them. My assumption was that generally LGBTQ people are more receptive and perceptive of the special something b/w jikook. Imagine my surprise when she tells me that no I'm overthinking, sexualising and projecting and that herself has bitten ears, necks etc of her brother when they were playfighting as kids.

So internally I was like okay maybe we have different perspectives on this.. Imagine my further surprise when she mentioned that she thinks V and Jungkook have something going on and she thinks that bighit purposefully cuts scenes of them together. 🫠

And now I'm genuinely considering calling things off with her because I can't take dumb people in my life (and before someone comes at me - no it's not just because of the ships.,... It's just that the ships thing gave me a better insight into her mind and I think the way she started believing in this taekook conspiracy will be reflected in other much more important aspects of life??).

Lol someone give me relationship advise.

Sincerely,

A girl who never thought BTS ships will make her want to break up with someone.

Anon, pack your shit and take off

No, seriously it's not even about ships. It's about someone who is so deep into the tkk stuff and now they believe the conspiracy theory. Did she vote for trump too? I mean, someone in that deep, means they also hate Jimin. And it doesn't matter how u look at it, hating another member, who is someone's child and thinking ill things about them is wrong on every level. Doesn't matter that he's a celebrity who doesn't see whats being said. Celebrities have feelings too.

Couple that with the fact that they move like a legit cult and why would u want to date someone who's in a cult??? 👀

If she just found Taekook cute and that was it, that would be fine. But if she buys into all their shit then my dude, you better run!!! I have a friend from the Shameless fandom who saw me sharing JK on my Facebook stories and at first she was excited but then she was scared to DM me because if I turned out to be a Taekooker that would have ruined our friendship and she didn't want that. This shit is serious. I'd do the same thing even in person. If me and a stranger bonded over BTS and they said their fav was V I'd already start scooting away. Because the next question I'd ask is if they're a shipper and if they said they're a Taekooker I'd even leave my drink or food or whatever while I hightail it out of there.

Nah fam, its up to u what u wanna do. But u came to me for advice and this is mine. Taekook ship is a cult. Plain and simple. And that's the most scary part of it all. Someone in a cult is just trouble in the horizon waiting to happen. When u fight will she listen to logic? I doubt that. When u show her proof will she believe you? Don't forget unreasonable. I'm telling u rn. Run bitch! Run!

#ask shaz #bts ask #the vermin

[theangryjikooker]

To all the fellow jikookers, here's the thing... Jungkook and jimin have visible tattoes which restrict them both from joining some certain units. I personally don't take it as something romantic nd all but yes they could have enlisted individually by that it would have been easier for both of them cause atleast that would have given them options to go to units that are not considered as dangerous as frontline. Jin got it randomly while as jkk got it because of buddy program cause choosing buddy prgrm directly throws you into frontline (i think there's two areas where ppl in Buddy prgrm can deploy to). I don't see anything romantic it this whole buddy program but i definitely see their bond being the closest you're literally putting your life in more danger by choosing this program when you could have been on a little safer side (i know it's military so all the areas are dangerous but frontline is closest to north korea which currently has conflicts with sk, that too given you're an idol). It ensures the thing that many of jkkrs belives which is jkk always choose eachother when it involves their comfort, mental health.

I just think it was a mutual decision as both have visible tattoes and and it's better to go with your close frnd through all the emotional turmoil MS puts you through than go alone.

It is a fact that if jk could he definitely would have chosen special force and this has NOTHING to do with taehyung nd if y'all think it that way then you simply don't know jungkook at all. Although i know there's many jkkrs who do believe jk would have gone to special force nd it doens't have anything to do with TH, but there's some that definitely gets butthurt over someone saying this nd by that you're simply showing how y'all are insecure just like Tkkrs are of JM. The whole fandom used to make jokes about jk doing some things through parasut nd all in military on his first day only n all cause everyone knows how much he loves adventures and the adrenaline rush it gives him. Now just because jm didn't say anything about special force doens't mean he also wouldn't have joined if he could too cause i definitely see him choosing something like that too cause why not??? That man is the most martial arts trained member so i definitely see him wanting to do something like that too and again this also has nothing to do with which other member wants it. I can guarantee y'all he would have aced it cause he's determined, and competitive like that. We all saw how he got first rank in his training when half the fandom was busy portraying him some porcelain dall.

See here's thing, both jm and jk are enlisted together, what the program assures is that both of them gonna start and end their day by waking up and sleeping next to eachother cause Buddy prgrm means you're going to share the same living area for whole 18 months meaning they gonna do the training together side by side, they CAN also do their rest of the service side by side if they got/chose the same job but even if they didn't got/chose same job they're still sleeping next to eachother on daily basis that's the base of Buddy prgrm and NOTHING gonna change that not even the difference jobs.

Now about promotions, when it comes to physical activities in MS I'm sure both jm and jk would be having just a slight difference in their scores (or whatever they calculate thier quality/skills on). Just because jimin doens't take some run BTS games seriously doens't mean he's weak or anything than jk. I'm sure there's not big difference in their rankings. I think the person who gets 1st in training is also given this thing where they're are allowed the early promotions so who knows even now jimin might be slightly higher than jk or they both could be same or jk could be slightly higher than jm. It's not like one is gonna rank #3 and other is gonna rank #30 so there won't be too much difference in their promotions. But as i said they still gonna be in same UNIT for the rest of their MS so they still gonna see eachother daily for the rest of the MS with same living area too.

Just get this thing that they might not be together 24/7 like they used to during training, for next 18 months they could very well be at different positions in their duty hence they might not get the privilege of being together for 24/7 but they'll sleep together and probably eat together for both times too. So stop getting butthurt over small small things nd accusing people of being an anti or anything just because some don't think they're not attached at the hips for every single minute cause there's chances they won't be atleast while on duty but there are also chances them being together on duty too so you can't get mad at people for considering different option (being separated only while on duty) too.

I’m taking my dog out of the ring because I’m actually getting a lot of conflicting messages with no firm sources that talk extensively about tattoos and enlistment. Posting for the alternate take.

#TAJ asks #anon submission #jikook #kookmin

[starryjkoo]

I’m a Jimin + Jikook focused blog and I’ve been a bit critical of Golden on here, so I wanted to have my personal opinions on Jungkook, Golden, HYBE and Jikook promotions documented and clarified a little bit for my own peace of mind. I’m going to attach a VERY long ramble clarifying two points someone asked me about because I think it summarizes some of my overall feelings.

RE: Jungkook sacrificed creative control over Golden for better promotions + Jimin not wanting to give up said creative control for better promotions and playlisting

By saying JK had more creative constraints, I hope that anyone who has read my posts understands I simply mean I assume HYBE is only going to heavily invest in projects that (they think) have major GP appeal or align with their own special interests. I also think Seven level promotions might be limited to HYBE America. I think JK was simply limited in that if he specifically wanted the Seven rollout he would have likely been locked into a project like Golden. Corporations are always going to be extremely self serving but I do think JKs interests happened to align with HYBE in this instance, so it was beneficial for both parties.

JK loves and excels at mainstream pop so it’s not surprising he would like to have a solo career modeled after pop boys like Bieber. It was a harmonious collaboration. I don’t think he majorly sacrificed his artistic integrity or did anything he didn’t want to do when it was clearly music that he liked and a sound I think most of us weren’t surprised to hear considering his known music tastes. Golden probably also wasn’t supposed to be his magnum opus when it seems like it came about partially because he was in a creative block and had a time limit because of enlistment.

I still think HYBE and SB’s involvement + some of the promotions and “media-play” around Golden were heavy handed and occasionally pretty excessive (although I don’t agree with anyone who uses JKs promotions to try and invalidate his success). But I’ve already talked about how I think they were using it to try and boost their A&R system + HYBE America in general. I think they’re personally invested in JKs success more than they are the other members because they have more to gain from it — and it shows. And I do think it’s funny that JK said a few things almost verbatim to BangPD (and could explain why I found some of them a bit awkward/off-putting) because they were probably directly pitched to him by them.

But I don’t think it went against JKs desires or that he was strong armed into doing something he didn’t want to do. Like I said above, this is the kind of music JK enjoys, producers he was probably interested in, artists he was emulating that he likely admired, a career trajectory and image he resonated with and wanted to take etc. Even if the idea and direction of the project didn’t originate from him (I assume), it was clearly how he wished to express himself and be seen as a soloist. It was also an opportunity to put out an album when he was stuck (and no, I don’t think HYBE was purposefully targeting or sabotaging other members, even if I 100% stand by they should have done better and absolutely deserve criticism for various things around all the solo releases. I also remain a HYBE America anti (said half seriously lol) who dislikes the idea of them only going all out for these specific projects and the ramifications that could have on future BTS music, especially when I dislike SB’s A&R work so far).

So when I talked about Jimin possibly not wanting to sacrifice any creative control for playlisting or better promo, I simply meant that -

a. Once again, my current assumption (that could be wrong!) is that HYBE is only going to go all out for projects that specifically align with their own interests and/or have a sound they think has big commercial potential, therefore limiting the members creative freedom if they want that kind of rollout. I also think it might potentially be limited to HYBE US projects. I don’t think FACE met most of that criteria (and I don’t think JM would have wanted to promote FACE that way regardless). So no, I don’t think JM wanted to sacrifice his vision for FACE to get that level of promotion even if it was an option.

b. FACE was clearly a personal project for JM. He had a very clear story he wanted to tell and very clear emotions he wanted to convey. I think the process was possibly more important to him than the outcome, especially when you consider he was about to release it as a free mixtape. I think creative freedom and self expression were his main priorities vs modifying his album to be more commercial to justify a bigger marketing push. Especially when it looks like he was given the same base level support as the non-JK members and didn't seem overly invested in promoting or results in general.

That said, I don’t personally think JM is against albums or rollouts like Golden. He obviously enjoys a lot of mainstream pop and I wouldn’t be surprised if he released a HYBE US project one day in the future too. If he doesn’t I’m going to assume it’s because he’s not interested, not that he’s barred from doing so (of course we’re going to have to wait to see how future solo releases are handled to really know anything, but that might take a few years). But FACE was an “unambitious” project by Jimin’s own admission, so I’m curious to see how he decides to shape the rest of his solo career and what it’ll look like when he releases something he deems “ambitious”. I think it’ll be more fair to weigh the promotions of something like that vs Golden as well. That said, I do 100% give JM massive kudos for putting out an album like FACE. I absolutely think he deserves heaps of praise for it and I could go on about my love and admiration for FACE nonstop.

And I’m still pretty critical of the process of Golden and I stand by that. But that just aligns with my own personal preferences and my relationship with music that has existed long before I got into BTS. Admittedly, I’m also just not a big fan of mainstream pop so JKs solo career might end up just not being for me, and that’s okay. But I still really liked several of the songs on Golden and I respect how much work, charisma, and emotion JK poured into his album. His vocals were beautiful and I think he’s heads and tails above any other western pop boy right now and could easily take off even further with the right direction. I’m genuinely excited to see where he goes. I also recognize JK is a proficient lyricist and producer already, so I’m not knocking him as an artist even if I don’t vibe with one of his projects (although I sincerely hope he doesn’t use the same process for JJK2)

Sort of an unrelated tangent, but the criticism for Golden and JK as an artist gets unfairly overblown and knocking it at this point feels a bit tiring and redundant, so I get it. Especially when antis will jump on and exaggerate any criticism from a fan to unfairly drag him. The level of hypocrisy from other kpop stans is also really annoying. It’s crazy to watch them criticize HYBE and JK and then hype up their faves who are also releasing full English albums. Or how they act like other kpop companies are artistic paragons righteously holding onto their roots even though they’ve ALL been aggressively pursuing the Western market for years now. The hatred BTS members face from other kpop stans, akgaes, western stans, and even institutions like billboard is so immense that I can understand why so many ARMYs are defensive and adverse to certain criticisms and discourse that antis will often use to fuel their talking points. It’s impossible to have critical discussions in good faith on most platforms these days and prioritizing protecting your artist from getting unfairly attacked does imo understandably take priority for most.

Not saying that fans shouldn’t express critical opinions but I understand why you’re not going to see many ARMYs admitting to not liking a song on Twitter, or thinking the number of remixes is excessive, when you have thousands of nasty antis stalking and screenshotting those ARMY opinions to drag BTS members and get hit tweets. Pretty sure that’s why you see most nuanced/critical discussions taking place in private group chats, less populated platforms like Tumblr, or even in person rather than on places like Twitter.

But it’s also sometimes frustrating that it’s so hard to have open discussions about all this without people mobbing you and accusing you of being an anti. Imagine a world where people could acknowledge that JK had certain advantages that helped him on the charts and how that doesn’t invalidate his success. But with the current stan climate I doubt that’s going to happen anytime soon. It doesn’t really matter at the end of the day when it doesn’t change anything, but I’ll admit that the straight up lying and gaslighting from some ARMYs still really frustrates me sometimes. And I do think it’s a contributing factor to the deterioration of the fandom.

ANYWAYS, I got off topic, but my original point I wanted to clarify was just my assumption that the criteria for Seven level marketing would have conflicted with JMs vision and desires for FACE, but not for JK and Golden. And I wanted to expand a bit on my thoughts about JKs career path as I’ve been really critical of it when I don’t have any negative feelings towards him nor do I think he’s some kind of sellout or company puppet for going in that direction. I also don't think there's anything wrong with the promotions he used, or wanting to go in a pop route. It's genuinely cool to see him seamlessly pull off an album like Golden and I have no issue with "taking the k out of kpop" in a general sense, as long as it doesn't impact the quality of music or limit their creative freedom. JK shouldn't be forced to stay in a kpop box if he wants to branch out and I think what he's doing is genuinely really cool in that sense.

And going back to promotions, if I haven’t already made this clear, just because I think this might be the way some things work at HYBE doesn’t mean I agree with it or like it either. Maybe all of JM’s budget limitations were self-imposed and HYBE offered him as much funding as he wanted, but I still think HYBE should have had a higher baseline of support for all of their rollouts, should absolutely be giving the members of the biggest group in the world better playlisting, shouldn’t have neglected JM’s RIAA certification, should have at least sent all of their songs to radio, should have reacted in some way to those sales being deleted, should have updated D2C earlier than Haegeum, should be raked over the coals for some of those weverse articles etc. That said, I recognize that’s just my uniformed and probably pretty biased opinion. I’m definitely not an industry expert nor have I paid all that much attention to any of this until recently. But I stand by it for now lol.

And regarding HYBE US, I just want to make sure to state again that JK didn’t need them, they needed him. But I just sincerely hope they don’t keep pushing this whole system so hard onto the BTS members that they feel obligated to use it if they want top promotional tools, or that they think it’s the only way to top the charts again. The possibility that HYBE thinks that only HYBE America projects deserve top level promotions is a really concerning thought to me, but we'll have to wait and see.

Anyways, I hope that all makes sense? And I do think most of this is probably pretty obvious to most people, but I still wanted to clarify because I see some takes that sound similar to mine but are actually pretty different and I don’t want to be lumped in there lol. And mainly I just wanted my feelings documented somewhere on my blog because it made me feel bad to think someone might lump me in with some of the JK antis who have been overly critical of Golden and the whole promotional process.

Also, just because I criticize HYBE a lot doesn’t mean I think they're worse than the other kpop companies (they seem like the best by far imo), just because I think SB is clearly using JK’s debut for his own gain doesn’t mean I think JK is a hapless victim or that there's anything sinister about Golden or that he's not also getting what he wants out of the situation, and just because I think BangPD seems arrogant and out of touch doesn’t mean I think he’s the devil or an idiot or that I know better than him.

Lol, anyways, this whole post was very self indulgent, shocked if anyone actually reads this to the end (thank you if you do!), but these are basically my thoughts on all of this! It’s been messy being JM biased and an ARMY as well as any form of Jikook biased/bond enjoyer so I’ve been trying to approach all this with a lot of thought. But as always I could totally be wrong and I try to keep an open mind about all of this and listen to as many opinions as possible.

#jungkook #jimin #discourse #hybe #this is a mammoth post #but the thought of people misinterpreting some of my opinions #was making me a little anxious and sad this morning #so I just wanted this documented on here somewhere

[jmdbjk]

Run BTS show content ideas that we might see in the future.

...and not necessarily as a Run BTS episode!

This Photo Folio idea was Jungkook’s because during Run BTS ep. 124 aired Jan. 12, 2021, he came up with this idea. Here is how that episode unfolded and all the ideas that poured forth and a long analysis of how many have been used so far:

In the first part of episode 124, they brainstormed and presented ideas. They were given about 20 minutes to jot down some ideas. They did a lot of talking while sitting. Hobi said roller skating. JK and RM approved, then Hobi backtracked thinking it too dangerous, then Jin said in that case bicycles are too dangerous too. Yoongi said tennis and RM approved of that too. A few months after they filmed this, they probably shot the Dynamite MV’s and all that went with Dynamite including the roller skating rink that ended up in a couple of Bangtan Bombs. As we saw, Tae and Hobi were newbies at roller skating.

They all jokingly talked about a drivers license challenge for RM.

Hobi said hair designer. Yoongi brought up team sports and JK said e-sports, Yoongi said basketball. 

Hobi said raw fish/slicing fish which was a very unique idea. A sushi show. We’ve seen various Run BTS episodes that involved cooking and food prep.

Jimin said keyword location hunt meet up using memory or telepathy to find it and all meet there. Yoongi said it could be emotional, Hobi said it would be funny if all but one made it to the meeting spot...they all laughed about the possible outcomes of that idea.

After writing down their ideas they each stood on the platform and made presentations. 

They all said standing up there speaking made them nervous. (kekekeke)

Yoongi's presentation:

Sports challenge but wasn’t clear whether to play as one team against another unknown team or what. They did table tennis in episodes 138 and 139.

Psychological counseling or mental analysis which Jimin thought it was a great idea. This was the MBTI Lab videos they posted on BangtanTV back in May of this year.

Tae’s presentation:

Learn a music instrument and then perform a song as a band. Um is this why JK has been really taking his drum lessons seriously? We’ve seen him carrying the drum stick case everywhere and not yet once seen him playing drums recently.

Bangtan in disguise...travel on public transportation etc. and if you arrive at the final point without being recognized, you win. As soon as you are recognized, you are out of the game. Everyone agreed that was a brilliant idea. But good luck with that. Security guys will need to be in disguise as well.

Hobi’s presentation:

Hair designer. Jimin was ok with it as long as it was just styling and not cutting. I am really, really serious now. All of the long hair on the members is for this episode. We will be getting Hair Designer Bangtan in an Run BTS episode. Mark my words.

Healing time doing what each member likes to do for self care but separately. Jimin did not like it because he feels they should be together doing something.

BTS song festival, divide into teams and make songs to upload to Soundcloud for Army.

Jimin’s presentation:

The telepathy meet-up. This is obviously the theme of the upcoming Run BTS reboot – the Run BTS Telepathy Special teaser with them being led out of the studio blindfolded and we’ve seen photos of them out on the streets and in front of that stadium. All of which was filmed earlier this year.

Robotics. I would love to see them try this but so far, not any evidence that it might come to pass.

Crafts, accessories, friendship accessory (jewelry), silver. Of course, this was Jimin’s Vlog. 

Hide and seek police and thief game on a large scale. This would be interesting. 

Jin’s presentation:

Maze, large scale or 7 identical rooms and each has as much time as they need to escape it. Escape room type thing. I am thinking they did something like this in the past.

Scavenger hunt on a mountain (rent a mountain hahahahaha, money is no object for Jin) similar to the one they did on ATVs but this time walking/hiking. I would love to see this. 

Classic childhood games, throwing at a target, hopscotch, rubberband, spin tops, etc.

Tae's additional idea:

Mafia village role play game where each member plays a character they need to really get into while the game is ongoing. They did this in Ep. 120 Dec. 15, 2020 when they role-played and searched for clues in real buildings, and in Ep. 121 when they continued their missions but at the end of the episode they got transported back in time to Joseon Dynasty and those episodes were 145, episode 146 and 147 which aired August 2021. 

Namjoon’s presentation:

Create Run BTS theme song (ost) using simple objects. They did create a Run BTS song but it was far from simple. It’s a banger and apparently going to be used as the ost for the Run BTS reboot! 

Lucky 7 with simple things (the childhood games idea), flipping bottle competition, bottle caps, etc. Run BTS episodes 126 and 127 were titled 777 Lucky Seven 1 and 2.

Fan merchandise. Of course this is the Artist Made Merch we fought the Hunger Games for at the beginning of this year. These items were already in the works by the time this brainstorming episode aired in January 2021 as the planning stages began in late 2020.

Jungkook’s presentation:

Photoshoot for editorial pictures. THIS is where Vampkook originated. This is the Photo Folio idea.

He brought up team sports again and everyone discussed different sports. 

Jimin brings up shooting a music video for a b-side song and JK says he had that idea as well.

In the second part of the episode they reconvened at some point within the following month and a half and they narrowed down the short term and long term ideas:

The results:

Short term show themes: Role play Mafia game and Lucky 7 games. These were episodes 120-121 and 145-147 and Lucky 7 games were episodes 126-127 as mentioned above.

Long term project: Learn a team sport and all kinds of sports were listed: basketball, tennis, volleyball, dodgeball, baseball. As it turned out, tennis was the chosen sport and it played out in episodes 129 and 130. We know Jin ended up taking on tennis as a hobby because we’ve seen a Bangtan Bomb as well as Jin posting on his IG his late night tennis practices and we’ve seen Jimin and Jungkook going to their tennis lessons together for which I cannot find the video but here someone posted a clip of it on twitter.

So...that leads us to why I started this post in the first place: Photo Folio which was Jungkook’s photoshoot idea. We are getting photos and maybe behinds I think.

And the other ideas they brainstormed...I wonder if we will see they have learned music instruments since we know Jungkook carried his drumsticks everywhere. Playing music instruments as a band, a b-side song music video shoot, large scale maze, robotics, hair designer, Bangtan in disguise...all ideas we are waiting to see realized. They did so good coming up with ideas.

NOTE: I believe the brainstorming episode 124 was filmed in 2020 because they spoke about social distancing. The first part of the episode with blonde Jimin was filmed probably March 2020 and the second part with black hair Jimin was filmed probably late April or early May before the 28th because by then Yoongi had black hair.  

#Run BTS the show #vampkookie #i got to watch a bunch of Run BTS shows for this post #i would love to see them playing instruments on stage #i think going to concerts where artists play instruments has influenced them #i see a bruno mars/anderson paak vibe #one can dream and hope #bts chapter 2 #blonde jimin

[revcleo]

Ok, one thing I've realised over time is that a lot of people seemingly got into hogwarts as a kid and didn't realise that pretty much every part of the start is barely unique. It's like how AI art draws on people's art to make things. The other thing that I realised over time, is that a lot of things are super surface level, but it feels like a lot of people never saw that, especially people from the USA.

I was reading this article and stopped when I was in the second section because like, I think it's weird how people saw her as supporting people who had been abused. Everything was just a surface level thing. She works backwards from what she wants in a plot, rather than what elements in a story means. Like it's really evident from Shaun's video.

What I'm saying is if there's something you liked about the world of potter, then like, it's probably not come from jk, I heard it was round Order of the phoenix where she was allowed greater creative freedom, and it shows bc that's where I as a 14 year old decided the books really sucked now and I couldn't be bothered with them any more.

Further detail:

Harry's backstory:

Ok we want a special kid, who doesn't really have connections he cares about, so he can develop all his connections later in the story, a sort of black slate with no real problems.

The easiest way to do this is make him an orphan, but not a recent orphan. But then he can't be looked after by the state, so he still has a real family but he can't be close to them, so they have to be stereotypes of big bully characters and uhh send him to the cupboard under the stairs which most post-war uk houses of the time have.

He's not confined there though, but his uncle and aunt who are basically like evil step-mothers talk about how evil he is, but still allow him on school trips because they still allow him to do normal kid things because the plot needs that and they wouldn't take him to the zoo.

Also he's not seriously affected by this, they're just clowns, and he's the protagonist and he knows it. It's not like this is The Little Princess or Oliver Twist. Those protagonists are both sad and pitiful and this protagonist is calm about the whole situation, unless he can pull a prank or something.

Also he can do anything, which means he needs a lot of money suddenly, because the protagonist needs money, and he'll be a good rich person. A quick google says that some people estimated his wealth at over £2 million.

Weasleys poverty:

Ok so we want them to be poor, because The White Working Class are idolised in UK society (even if they're rich landlords now). And they're fine with being poor because they are happy with their lot, can't complain. They mend and make do, and they have a cheerful cottage, they don't spend their money on big televisions and they don't have a lot but they're happy and kind, just like the happy villagers from things such as Postman Pat or whatever else. They don't complain about inequality so much, if they can't afford something they just go without (they don't steal).

They like being poor and don't want handouts so even though Harry could share a lot of his money and solve a lot of their problems they still have to wear handmedown robes and have broken wands because some people just need to be poor for the story. "He would willingly have split all the money in his Gringotts vault with the Weasleys, but he knew they would never take it." This isn't Danny Champion of the World where someone has to do illegal and dangerous activities in part because they're poor. They're the Railway Children sort of poor, where the man who helps the family won't take any charity. The deserving poor, not idle shirkers or layabouts or beggars.

Malfoy:

Ethel Hallow Malfoy is the snobbish, stuck-up, vindictive, and sly rival and enemy of Mildred and her friends. She is favoured by Miss Hardbroom Snape, but appears to have no friends, apart from the rarely seen Drusilla Paddock Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, who is just as bad as Ethel Malfoy. Ethel Malfoy is described as being "one of those lucky people for whom everything goes right" which is what caused her to become so snobby. Ethel Malfoy is tall and thin (just like Mildred Harry) and has blonde hair which she wears in a ponytail with a black hair ribbon.

He's at boarding school like most rich kids because his dad doesn't love him as happens with every member of the aristocracy. Just ignore that everyone else is also at boarding school.

Other aspects: Every school in the uk has houses you get sorted into, it comes from that boarding schools have houses you get sorted into because of them being literal buildings. But then it just propagated though the school system to make it easier to run things like sports day and to count up the amount of detentions, de-merits, merits and distinctions which people get in various teams through the year. Then there's like an assembly at the end where they just say who won, but there's no real prizes for it.

Some schools have more than 4. You either get seperated by where you are in the alphabet, the teachers go through all the names and just pick one after the other (like 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4) , or by classroom.

There's no like "are you sanguine or melancholic" lmao

My school houses were Curie (primary) and Stratford (secondary). In secondary we had 6 school houses.

I'm pretty sure if there's anything in harry potter which you like, it's not come from jk's mind, it's either been in other stories, or it's actually something which exists. It's not like she's come up with magic wands or hidden societies.

It's like even the antisemitism, it's not like she invented anything new, she just grabbed old tropes, didn't think about them, she just wanted "creepy little banker" and was like "ah, these tropes are what I think should happen in my story" and then didn't think any further than that. Except when attacked which is when she goes "Well I didn't intend to do that." she didn't intend anything, because she doesn't think, she doesn't step back and look at the bigger picture on anything she does. It's all just individual elements which she feels that she can grab wholesale.

#harry potter #hogwarts #jk rowling

[struggle-but-its-all-ocean-floor]

Overall nothing V has done lately has been exciting to me. But that's okay. There's tons of BTS content I haven't watched.

Yeah same. I'm not really into fashion like that, and I don't think the shoots he has done are anything special. Yes, he is very attractive but I'm not freaking out like I did for the "JK for CK" or Yoongi's as-yet-undefined photos.

And there is sooooo much content, and sometimes ARMY'S are insanely aggressive with everything. As if you're less of a fan if you don't buy every magazine they feature on, or stream their music 24h/7 days a week (oh fuck, now that will be stuck in my brain forever. Again). I haven't really watched the D-Day concerts after the ones they streamed in theatres because I want to experience that with a friend who lives several hours away. And we're adults with jobs. So I feel you.

I was pretty neutral about most of the releases (except D-Day. I was fucking scared I'd hate it because I was expecting too much. And People pt2 wasn't quite living up to People imho. But damn what an album. Literal life changer), but they all just were so GOOD in unexpected ways. I only buy physical copies of the shit I care about, because I don't want to throw parts of my disposable income at stuff I won't ever look at or listen to. SMF pt2 made me order Face on the spot. I yes

Generally, what I want from music is to make me feel something. To fill that hollow void in my soul, be that through anger, love, sadness or joy. I want it to be somewhat interesting in its composition (that's the part of me trained in classical music) which is why I love Vibe or Take Two. Or, like you said, challenge something.

In that regard, Layover is a bit like Tae's photofolio: safe, uncomplicated and mostly an aesthetic.

(I sound so harsh and I'm both sorry and not? Yoongi and Taeyang talked about everyone around you turning into "yes-men". That no one really challenges them because they're famous. So maybe I'll collect some thoughts on...all this...and write a post. If I'm not tired af tonight lol. Adulting is stupid)

I don't think you're being harsh. BTS are artists so criticizing their art is part of taking them seriously as artists and not just mindlessly streaming and consuming their content.

I agree that V's photoshoots weren't to my taste. They're all pretty similar, and he either wears Celine and/or old men clothing. Like, his poses, the photography, the styling, the vibe, are so similar between photoshoots that it's not exciting and V's looks don't do anything for me. Sometimes I think he's so handsome, but most of the time I don't notice it. He's handsome of course, but I'm meh about it.

I also agree that the songs are pretty safe. Jin's debut was pretty safe but it wasn't really a debut, so it doesn't count. RM and Suga didn't really shock me or show a whole new side of theirs with their albums, but RM has been challenging himself and us with his collabs, like Sexy Nukim and Smoke Sprite, and the way he promoted his album was very original and cool; Suga released two fire music videos with great storytelling and branched out a bit musicallly. Of course, J-Hope and Jimin totally surprised everyone with their albums, and Jungkook surprised us for obvious reasons lmao. So far V hasn't surprised me at all, but maybe the tt will? Probably not. I guess we got too used to being shocked haha.

But you said it well that V's album so far feels like an aesthetic, and that's so true for a lot of V's recent projects and that's one of the reasons why it's harder for me to connect with him right now.

Thanks for the ask!

#ask #bts #v #text #thanks for the ask!

[dearweirdme]

What you said sound so interesting about Jungkook having edges. It's so true and seriously if I discuss with someone they call me anti. I think above all relationships Jungkook is his own person and values his space. I have seen him backing out with Taehyung too where he needs his space. When they were kids i think it was because he got overwhelmed with too much attention and space invasion nw i think it's because he sometimes doesn't know how to react. Observe how he initiates something with Tae and when Tae responds he'll smile but he'll make space. It's really funny he does that a lot in presence of cameras. However, I seem him gravitating towards Taehyung too when is least focused on cams.

The topic here is Jungkook and his edges. I have seen other things too but I would love to hear your opinion on this. I want to make this clear to other people reading this post is written with best of intentions and discussing people's edges is not an anti behaviour. They are what makes us beautiful.

Hi anon!

Mmm, people are so easy to attack when something seemingly negative is being discussed. Edges aren't a negative thing though. The are the boundaries and the extremities to our characters. Literally everyone has them. Some edges are sharper than others, and are therefore perceived to be more harmfull. I think it's allright to discuss these things. Idol's are humans, and allowing recognition of their edges aids in us understanding them more.

In Jk's case I think his competitive nature and his perfectionism, at times makes him a bit harsher (not even in a bad way) in judging others 'failure". I think he has really learned to reel himself in though. One moment I felt was really showing his growth in that was this:

You can kinda see a hint of disbelief/annoyance, but he quickly realizes that it's a funny moment as well. This competitive and perfectionist side made him harsh on himself too. We've seen Jk cry out of frustration and disappointment when he thought his performance wasn't good enough, while all the members told him he did fine, and that he could even go less hard at times.

Another one of Jk's edges which played in the past is his possesive side. Instances of Jk having a hard time sharing have been discussed. Petty arguments about a banana/fruit basket. And I think Jk has a possiveness about persons as well. We can see jealousy in him over Tae. But this is also something he has learned to deal with. And I don't think this is much of a deal these days.

In regards to Jimin and Jk's edges, I was pointing out that Jk doesn't like being babied. He likes being cared for, but he does not much like the pointing out of him being the youngest. Jk has had to grow up faster than normal teens. Living away from your parents and traing hard to become an idol will do that for you, even if you have six hyungs around. So to Jk himself, he was feeling rather adult and responsible compared to people his age (that he also came in contact with at school). So if Hyungs (especcially those close in age like Jimin) started to baby him, he did not like that. He must've been fickle at times about it I think. On one hand relying on his Hyungs much, but on the other hand trying to claim some sort of independence. Jimin likes being the older brother though, so I feel that clashed at times in the beginning. The rainy day situation to me points to a clashing in that area. I think Tae and Jk had less of that, because Tae is less hung up on the hyung situation. Even though Jk might've not wanted to drop honorifics at first.. I feel their relationship started to level out sooner than Jimin and Jk's relationship.

I agree that Jk gets overwhelmed at times and needs his own space to get back to himself. I think Jk processes a lot of sensations at all times. He is very into his feelings and other peoples moods affect him too. In an already hecktic industry like the entertainment business, this can be a lot! It has little to do with age though. I am 41 one and I still get drained after eventfull or emotional days. It's more like.. engaging with emotions and senstions slowly takes the energy out of you. Your battery kinda dies and the only way to get your energy back is to be alone for a while. So when Jk is not receptive to other people any more... he just doesn't have the energy to commit himself any longer. I feel Tae is so good at dealing with this. He oftentimes just let's Jk know he's there by placing a hand on him, but doesn't expect any reaction at all. It takes knowing someone on a dee[p level to understand this, especcially if the feeling is foreign to you. Introverts know this feeling, but to extraverts this is hard to understand, because they get energy from social interactions. This is where I feel the hurt that can be seen in Jimin when Jk resists him came from in the beginning. He didn't understand Jk's reaction and saw it as a personal rejection, which is not what it was.

I don't know if this is something that he does specifically when there's camera's. I think our perception of that is off, because there's way more footage of them on camera and in comparison less of them in the background. But, being on camera probably drains energy from Jk faster than when he's not on camera.

All in all I think edges are just a part of someones personallity. It doesn't make them bad or anything, it's the way they deal with those edges that should matter the most and I think Jk has learned to manage his edges beautifully.

#Jk #jungkook #jk's character

[wutlaikalikes]

Happy 4th Anniversary HOLOSTARS!!

fit all of HOLOSTARS in one meme challenge!! JK seriously though, i geniunely enjoy watching them!! template from Twitter

a bit of story:

I discovered Holostars through curiousity. I obviously know who Kizuna Ai, its impossible to miss her presence as an anime fan and gamer. But I wasn’t that curious to try and find other vtubers like her. It was during the pandemic that I came across Sakura Miko’s GTA clip. It was fittingly funny, aiming at pedestrians while shouting “go home”.

2022, rolled in and majority of us are still stuck at home and I finally asked my brother what is the deal with Sakura Miko. He explained and suggested to check out Korone and HoloMyth. I watched them for a while then I thought, why are all Hololive just girls?

So I searched on YT for male vtubers and pleasantly introduced Kanae and Kuzuha from Nijisanji. I love listening to music so I dipped into their content a bit more specially on the music side, the ChroNoir side. I was then introduced to Kaida Haru. He got a good voice, so I kept clicking on his singing clips. Among the mix of recommended clips, is a weirdly designed male vtuber and I kept ignoring it. But everytime a video ends, there he is. I folded and finally clicked on his video.

Believe me, I was taken a back by his voice. I was instantly hooked and I looked him up. I was kinda surprised that he is part of Hololive or more specifically Hololive Production’s male division, Holostars.

Before you ask, didn’t Calli collaborated with Rikka? Yes, I came across that but I wasn’t into Myth as much as you would think. It was kinda hard for me to get into her fandom cause of how bad I felt towards them. If you are gonna argue, then why don’t you stay away from her ‘fandom’ and just enjoy her content. Sure I can do that, but sometimes you naturally wanted to know how others perceive her and her awesomeness. And although I know the loudest voice isn’t always the majority, it felt like poison to always come across them all the time.

Eventually, I got curious enough to check out the other boys for Holostars. Initially, I was just watching clips of them every now and then. At the time, I was still trying to catch up with Hololive EN.

Then one day in July, I decided to just subscribe to all 10 of them. (yea, I subscribed to Kira not knowing he already graduated). And during that night, Arurandeisu was streaming Minecraft. I love Minecraft, although at the time I wasn’t playing it. I was curious as to what he was doing.

He was trying to get a rare blue axolotl. At the time, I already noticed his view count. Compared to Belmond Banderas, the only Nijisanji member I subscribed to (you’d think I subscribed to Kanae, Kuzuha and Kaida Haru but I never did). I kinda felt bad but I stayed cause I wanted to know how long he’ll take to get one. After 70+ collective hours of Minecraft streams (a bit less for me), he finally got one. I was happy for him but I’m even happier to stay!

I will be honest, I studied basic Japanese and I still have more to learn but despite the glaringly obvious language barrier (not just for me but the rest of the international fans of Holostars) and my reliance on translated clips, Holostars were enjoyable to watch! They are all talented whether its singing, talking/hosting, gaming, and even a bit of fanservice. They are comedians and idols much like the rest of Hololive.

But what made me stay even more are the huge love and support ホロスタ民 (horosutamin / people of Holostars or Holostars nation) / Starlights show. Despite the presence of ‘doubters’, Starlights would counter with how much they support Holostars. Seriously, everytime a doubter say something, Holostars would trend. Sure, it can’t be helped, ホロスタ民 / Starlight also have vocal ones but majority would shout with love and support instead.

I’m seriously happy to find Holostars and its community. I wasn’t keen on joining fandoms before but here, I’m content.

HAPPY 4TH ANNIVERSARY HOLOSTARS!! I wish for more years to come and I will be there every step of the way!

#blog #holostars #holostars notes