#wooga games

[dimidarling]

Absolutely gutted about switchraft shutting down in December, I don’t know what to do with myself. It was such a meaningful, beautiful, fabulous to play game that I played constantly to help with my anxiety and cheer me up. It was the best match 3 game I’ve ever played, the gameplay was wonderful. I’m going to try and finish the story before it shuts down but I feel like I’m mourning Lovestruck all over again. It’s going to leave such a big hole in my life and I’m destroyed I only have less than two months left with it.

If anyone knows of a Switchcraft discord or wants to be friends and chat about it, feel free to lmk because the fandom feels so small and it’s hard to mourn alone 💔

[thatmiraclecupcake]

Fire Demon from Episode 11 that grants your heart's desire in exchange for a sacrifice: Both of your partners admire you, Alice, but which one do you prefer? Pete or Ben?

Alice, who's here because that demon immolated someone: OH NO I am NOT falling for that. Leave my partners out of this. I'm gonna banish your ass so hard for that.

My galaxy brain: throuple.

[runby2]

people without DID/osdd leaving the inside out 1-2 movie theaters: huh! thats cool. i guess thats what it would be like if my feelings could talk!

systems who haven't discovered they're systems yet leaving the inside out 1-2 movie theaters: thank god it's been proven normal by a metaphor in a popular movie that it's just a natural human thing to have conflicting identities with opposing feelings on our life! and also to only feel exactly like the fictional character "ukulele pichu" from the game i played as a kid when im being yelled at to do dishes by my controlling parents. i was starting to feel like maybe i was different than other people.

discovered/diagnosed systems leaving the inside out 1-2 movie teacher: did you hear that, sephiroth? they have memory pod themed popcorn containers that glow.

the sephiroth alter who can only talk like a caveman due to the period in childhood where you had to crawl under the house and paint with dirt to entertain yourself because mom and dad were too busy to talk to you: ooga wooga! joy popcorn to nourish body's one wing.

[stormblessed95]

Watching Are You Sure?! EP 5

A reminder of how I do these reaction posts as I watch things. I just write my reactions and thoughts down literally they happen. Think more of a bullet point format. I'll include links when I can to videos, thanks to the people who twt who upload clips. And at the end, I'll do a better wrap up of all my opinions. I hope everyone enjoyed the show so far!!

Chef JK! Salt bae JK! Absolutely smitten and endeared Jimin!

Jimin absolutely indulging and encouraging JKs cooking enjoyment by asking him questions about his process was so cute. Tae giving such earnest compliments

The way Jikook chugged their Soju lmao damn guys

Jimin making ssam to feed the staff and JK saying no perilla leaves was Hysterical only because of the whole perilla leaf history he has 😂🤣

JK popping open the Soju in increasingly silly ways while Jimin watched absolutely endeared and smitten once again. Until Tae accused him of teaching JK that and he had to defend himself lol

Jimin calling JK very handsome 🥰

Only 2 months until their service 🥺

Them talking about how they don't think they will fight at all when enlisted together..only help each other. And JK saying he hopes they even sleep right next to each other. No one can say they both didn't desperately want to do this together!

Jimin never letting JK elbowing him in his sleep go!

Jimin so demurely petting and loving on the cat while JK runs, jumps, playing and acts crazy while loving on the puppy is so them and so funny 😂

Vminkook car karaoke 😍😍😍

Jimin sneaking out of the pool to go spray JK who was still inside on his phone lol

Vmin teaming up on JK as soon as he gets in. Lol pretty sure Jimin probably pinches his butt behind that wall 😂 and his nipples at one point too lol

Taking turns sleeping on the bottom of the pool 😂

Poor Jimin got water up his nose lmao!

JK pulling Jimin to the top of the pool by his hair was a CHOICE lol he pulled it knowledgeably at least 😅😭😂🤣 I know too much about them at this point. Honestly

Too many fun under water games 😂🥰💜

JK playing a prank on Jimin and locking him out of the house lmao and him signing that he is annoying and to open at him 😂🤣

JK saying he is cold and Jimin starting to open his arms like he is going to hug him 💜

Not them having a towel fight 😂🤣🤣

Tae fully just claimed Jimin's bed and made Jikook choose the other two. Lmfao and the way they fought over who had to take the lower bed, but in a "no no, I'll do it's way 😍

Jimin waking up and first thing going to snuggle JK 😭🥰😭🥰

And then we cut and somehow Jimin lost his shirt and is waking JK up very obnoxiously lmao

Tae leaving early in the morning to go golfing with the Wooga squad! Look at him splitting his time so effectively and probably taking a break from the jikookery lol

JK photosynthesizing 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Jimin taking forever to get ready and JK trying to hustle him along was peak domestic behavior lmfao

Jimin wearing the perfume because JK said he likes it 🥰 cuteeee

Tae getting dropped off for their next meal all together and the Vmin hug 💜

Jikook telling Tae they were up till 4am and Jimin fell asleep phone scrolling?! Lol what were y'all doing all night?? You need more sleep! I say, typing this at midnight my time lol

I need my babies to stop counting calories 😭

Tae ruffling JKs hair and him trying on Tae's glasses is soooo cute! Jimin trying them on too! They all look so good in everything.

Not them arguing over if it's ham or pink sausage. Lmfao JK getting so upset about it that he asked the waitress and his "hah" back at Jimin over it! Lmfao Jimin being like whooo hey. It's just food. And their "apologies" to each other. Lol! They are so extra over everything lol How come Tae started this argument and it ended up mostly between Jikook 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Jimin basically telling JK he is happy if JK is happy 🥰 he loves him ❤️

"JK drinking soda means round 3 has just begun" lol Jimin showing off his JK knowledge 😂

Tae spent most of this episode when not actively playing with Jikook on his phone. Part of me wishes we got to see more of him with his other friends too, but I'm glad he made time to hang out with Jikook before they all enlisted too 🥰

Tae baby was so sleepy! He slept through the whole car ride basically and then came back to nap fully too. Jimin woke him up so softly 🥰

JK at a restaurant in NY while doing Golden promo alone with staff and immediately thinking about how he wants to make it for Jimin because "Jimin would love it" is so freaking cute and precious and sweet

JK didn't just cook stew for Jimin or Vmin, but for the entire staff. And I love him so much for that. The sweetest human he is

Jimin napping while JK cooks too 🥰

Jimin somehow lost his shirt at some point while everyone was coming to get food. Lol who knows why, maybe it's just titties out as appreciation for the cook? 😂😂

Both Jikook expressing that they loved having V there and that he helped make it so fun and that a maknae line trip made them feel really young again. And you could tell too. They were so silly! I love these 3 so much!!

Wrap up Thoughts:

So Jikook knew by the end of September that they would enlist together. And the palpable relief they both clearly felt over that was so so clear. This 100% made the experience way more tolerable for them. I'm so glad that they have each other. The difference in the way they talk about military service, especially JK, in the US and in Jeju is striking. In the US, JK started playfully smacking Jimin when he would bring it up, it caused him tension and anxiety and he clearly didn't want to talk about it, especially on camera. While here in Jeju, they know they will be together and they are relaxed, making jokes, expressing their happiness about getting to go together. Expressing their surety about how nice and helpful it will be to have the other there and their faith and trust in each other. How they want to wake up to each other. It's beautiful

I don't like calling any of the members 3rd wheels unless it's stupidly obvious it's a joke, but this episode Tae was third wheeling a bit at times. Jikook seem to have a tendency to hyper focus on each other at times during conversation. When they were all playing and being silly, I never once got 3rd wheel vibes. Only during times of heavy conversation while they were eating. Tae also kept pulling out his phone. He was clearly in touch with amother group of friends during that time as well who were also in Jeju, and him trying to split so much of his attention also probably fed a bit of those third wheel vibes a bit too. I'm so glad he was there with them though. Jikook also were as well. They all had such a good time together and seeing them and sharing in the love they all share is so healing for me personally. I hope Tae had the best time on Jeju with them and his Wooga Squad too! 💜💜💜

And that's all I've really got for this episode. It was a lot of mostly just sleeping and eating and playing this episode! Lol I can't wait to see what Sapporo brings!

[not-goldy]

I just know when Jennie hit send on those paris pictures, she and Tae were laughing like evil maniacs. Do tkk really think because they are a loud group and trend Tk just cause they breath next to each other, they will somehow convince people Taennie never happened and Tk is real? The entire world watched Tae & Jennie's dating life get exposed little by little, by a hacker, until they took control of their situation and went public in Paris on their own terms. The whole world is laughing at that cult. So why are Jkks even entertaining Tkk at this point? Its pointless. They are always gonna claim atomix is a private date, even with proof from Atomix it was a OT7 dinner. They will always crop members or their friends to push their ship. Its a TK private date, but all members are there. Its a TK bowling date, but Wooga is there. Its a TK skiing date, but Wooga is there. Its a TK concert date, but Nicole is there with JK for some reason and Jennie off to the side and a wooga too that Tae leaves with. Its a TK vegas date, but Hobi is there. Its a TK house date with an impromptu live, but Hobi is there. Its a TK online gaming date, but Wooga is there and Tae living with one of his Wooga members. It's a TK LA beach & dinner date, but Jimin is right there and seems RM was at that dinner, since he posted a picture. Its a TK hotel date, but other people are there. It's a TK premiere date, but other people are there. Full blown stupidity. My ship is a couple, but they don't spend couple days together, confirmed, but they do spend couple days with others, confirmed. They spend time together, but on couple days, is where they draw the line and don't? Its Tae telling us he was alone and slept through Valentines and a couple weeks later its Jk out on White Day with Jimin for me. Two couple days back to back and NOTHING from your ship. MAKE IT MAKE SENSE.

Also HELLO? Tae had another man living in his apartment. Someone he also is extremely clingy to and all over when he's around him. And MF's act like JK is jealous over Tae. Bitch please. JK don't give a fuck. Tae out here with a girlfriend and another man living at his house and MF's think JK will just be okay with all this? I'm fucking wheezing. The man was doing cartwheels on live singing Jimin songs, the day the Taennie news broke. He is the most unbothered person when it comes to Taennie. So why not leave him out of Tae's business?

Also, Its Jikook taking their first trip alone and together, but that isn't a private trip. It's Jikook together alone on Silver Day in NY, but that's not a date and Jikook in Connecticut, but that's not a private trip. It's Jikook taking a private trip to Japan before enlisting, but that's not a couple trip. It Jikook watching The Avengers with no other members, but that isn't a date. Its Jikook ice skating alone, but that isn't a date. Its Jikook out shopping alone, but that isn't a shopping date. It's Jikook together on White Day eating, but that don't count. Its Jikook together during Chuseok, but again, it doesn't mean anything. Its Jikook together on JK's bday alone (bonus for Tae asking Jimin to come sleep with him, instead of the birthday boy, WHOMP WHOMP) but that also doesn't count. Its Jikook ALONE drinking, bridal twirling and hickey sucking, but that also doesn't count. It's Jikook enlisting ALONE and together. Like get the fuck out of here, your ship will never be in Jikook's league. No one is playing your silly fucking games anymore. You ship isn't real and you can't even argue it without looking like you need a straight jacket at this point. Tae put the final nail in the coffin and Jennie buried y'all, while Jikook walking together over your graves for the next 18 months. Its over and done. Move on. You got 18 months to get your life together.

Cook

[microwavedmetal]

Saw it done by someone on the #music tag game and thought it looked fun, so I'm going to give it a go.

Rule: you must pick a song for each letter in your username

•

m - Money (that's what I want) (Barrett Strong)

i - If You Leave Me Now (Chicago)

c - Can't Stop the Music (Village People)

r - Runaway (Del Shannon)

o - Our House (Madness)

w - Who Loves You (Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons)

a - Alone Again Or (Love)

v - Visions Of Angels (Genesis)

e - Every 1-s a Winner (Hot Chocolate)

o - Old and Wise (Alan Parson Project)

n - Nights in White Satin (Moody Blues)

w - When the rain begins to fall (Jermaine Jackson and Pia Zadora)

h - Hide in Your Shell (Supertramp)

e - Even the Nights Are Better (Air Supply)

e - Electric Barbarella (Duran Duran)

l - Lindberg (Robert Charlebois & Louise Forestier)

s - Strange Magic (Electric Light Orchestra)

•

Tag list: @mon-sher-liam @hazmatazz @foodiewithdahoodie @mooncafex @weirdo09 @xxcreamixx @kuumara @ooga-booga-wooga @i-love-sweet-william @elhaspowers @dont-open-dead-inside-25 @abstract-ostrich

Inviting you guys to join, but no pressure.

Also, anyone that I didn't mention is welcome too!

[mrs-monaghan]

he hanged out with them twice and another time went to a movie premiere. They're acting like they've been going out everyday for months

Okay Taekook Vs Jikook. They wanna talk about mutual friends? Fine, let's talk about it.

(Credit to @victorjimin for the images)

Let's talk about Choi jinwoon and just how close he is to Jikook. Instagram zzinu lets talk about the number of times we've seen him hang out with them and yet we didn't feel the need to go to tkk spaces to bark about it.

(Btw as per his insta u can see he's is a director of w korea magazine. I'm jealous of everyone who owns that copy of Jimin's issue)

In 2019 bts got one month of vacation so Jimin went for a trip to europe with this dude and some of his friends. 

Here they are shopping in Paris

Things Jimin bought for his boyfriend's birthday:

How we know these are the things he bought

Then later Jimin will come to tell us:

Jimin came back to Korea.. as soon as he and his friend landed they met with Hobi and JK to celebrate his birthday.. It is Most likely that Jimin arranged the surprise in zzinu's place and prolly asked Hobi to take JK there coz it was a surprise. The speculation works because the blinds match. Also u can see the same supreme skate board in both photos, so It's gotta be jiwoon's place.

That was in 2019. And here he is again in 2022

Was at the JITB party (we know Jhope handpicked the guests himself so its clear Jinwoon is close to 3J) and he was even in Dior Paris with Jimin

And now in 2023 2 days ago (3days?) we see him again with JK at the LV party. (They came together)

If u check his insta u will see he has only Hobi and Jimin posted and I bet u the other member he will post will be JK

JK has hanged out with the wooga squad what? Twice? And it wasn't even with all the members I'm pretty sure he doesn't get along with all of them going by their beliefs. And it was to a musical and for bowling. Meanwhile we have Jinwoon hosting JK's bday party, hanging out with them whenever and has been friends with them for years.

Yet here we are minding our own business just celebrating the relationship that is Jikook in peace.

This really isn't a competition. It's people's relationship we're talking about. Tkkrs wanna turn this into a game about which ship is better. These are people's lives, assholes. It's not about winning or losing.

But if you really want us to stoop to your level, if u really wanna go head to head with Jkkrs

[taehyungfirst]

A while back I was talking to a friend and she was saying how fans perception of their role in an idol's life/success is a deciding factor for how they support/stan. And how we see that distinction play out when you look at JM vs Tae. And it plays out in a couple key ways. One is what we see insistence of being an "underdog" when it's clearly not the case. It helps center yourself in his success, which is something army has always liked to do. Another we see in the differences in how idols talk to and about their fans. And this is where she particularly highlighted Tae as standing distinct. He doesn't come only when he needs support; he doesn't coddle or baby them. His approach is one where it's more like friendship. (Not saying JM is bad. Just that he sticks to a more traditional idol vs fan dynamic. He's still fun and engaging but he's always an idol and he's more cautious with fans. Like they are baby chicks he has to keep alive.)

It's this distinction that likely makes Tae so comfortable socializing. Also what makes him the member more interested in just "hanging out" with Army. You can see it in his promotions, the nervous excitement to hang out at the arcade and have a meal, the choice to have a smaller, more intimate fanmeet where they can play and have fun. There is less sort of idol infrastructure around him.

Ironically, this feels directly into what we are seeing now "Tae doesn't need us" or "he's got his solos", as if there aren't just as big, if not bigger, solo fbs. But really it comes down to not following the traditional game plan and people not feeling as needed. A key point was Hwarang, when they saw Tae not only get singled out but get recognition from outside the BTS/Army universe. It's why wooga really ticks some people off. It reduces their feeling of ownership. With his solo releases, he made creative/music choices that didn't fit with the traditional plan and made it clear he's not trying to be a traditional pop star or k-pop idol (though still inspiring them). Tae's sort of fundamental approach to life and art (his limitless interest, enthusiasm and love) actually works against some of the more overly dependent aspects of stan-dom.

There's also more we talked about how this applies to JK as well. But this is already probably too long to be of any interest. Anyway, just thought I'd share in light of the voting nonsense going on.

Hi! Thank you for sharing, I think it’s very interesting.

I agree with a lot of what you said, actually, I’d love to hear more too :)

[minisugakoobies]

Into the Rush - Part One | KSJ

Pairing: Seokjin x Reader

Genre: angst, fluff, smut, crack, Best Friend's Brother!AU, Dodgeball!AU

Rating: M (18+)

Warnings: swearing, drinking, mentions of feeling rejected and unlovable, a little angsty but you know me, pansexual!Taehyung in the house, side VMin, Wooga Squad alert, Himbo NamKook alert, dance leader Hobi is reimagined here as a dodgeball team captain, implied sex, the smut is to come (heh) in part two

Word Count: 7.3K for part one; total wc tbd

Disclaimers: NSFW, obviously I don’t own BTS - they just inspire me

Summary:  When your best friend Taehyung tells you he has the perfect thing to help you get over a broken heart, you’re surprised to learn he means dodgeball, the beloved game of sociopathic gym teachers everywhere. But even more surprising is the way you find comfort in the game, and so much more, as you fall into the rush with the help of another teammate - his brother, Seokjin.

A/N: Happy belated birthday, Jin! This was written as part of the Catch of the Century collab, hosted by MVPs @raplinesmoon @joheunsaram and @kithtaehyung!

Sooooo this underwent a few rewrites and then my life blew up as the December deadline got closer and then I decided to do Kinkmas because I'm just a gal who can't say no. I knew I could either rush to get this done, be upset at how shoddily written it is, and then hate myself for putting out something I wasn't proud of just to meet the deadline, orrrrr I could be kind to myself and recognize that I am a human and not a machine and sometimes despite my best efforts I fall short, and release it as a two-parter. Et voilà! Here is part one.

Unbeta'd as usual.

Please don't be a silent reader 🥺 I'd love to know what you think! 💕

Masterlist 💜 Find me on AO3 💜 Part Two

“Dodgeball. You want to play dodgeball?” 

You stare at your roommate incredulously. Taehyung nods. 

“Dodgeball. The kids game? The beloved sport of sociopathic PE teachers everywhere? That dodgeball?” 

He can’t be serious. Neither you nor he are the athletic type. But from the solemn look on his face as you continue to sputter in surprise, you know he’s not joking. Taehyung is many things - an artist, a daydreamer, the kindest soul you’ve ever met and your best friend of five years and counting - but he’s not a liar. 

Still, when he’d walked into your room five minutes ago, yanked back the curtains to let the late-morning light in, and told you to get up because he had an idea, you’d assumed he’d wanted you to go with him down to the coffee shop on the corner so he could covertly admire his latest crush, the cute barista with the pink hair. Dodgeball was nowhere near the possibilities your mind conjured up. 

Taehyung sighs. “Yes. Dodgeball. There’s an adult league that plays at the rec center on Saturdays and I want to join. And I want you to join, too.” He flops down on your bed, nudging you over so he can lie next to you, ignoring your grumbles as you make room. “I think it would be good for you to get out a little. Get some fresh air.”

“I have plenty of fresh air,” you inform him, gesturing to your bedroom window, which is currently cracked about an inch. It might be spring, but the chill that clings in the air still feels like winter. 

“Uh-huh. Sure you do. But out of curiosity, when’s the last time you actually left the apartment, besides for work?”

“Um.” He’s got you there. Casting your mind back, you can’t even remember the last time you left the safety of your home to do anything other than clock in at the bartending job where you both work. “Does going to the mailbox count?”

It doesn’t, and he doesn’t even need to respond, just gives you his signature exasperated look, but the warmth in his brown eyes shimmers just beneath as always. “Pumpkin,” he begins, using one of the many silly nicknames he loves to address you by, knowing how much you hate cutesy stuff like that, “you can’t hide in here forever.” 

An instant rebuttal floats through your mind. You absolutely can hide in your room for the rest of your life, if you so choose. The internet brings the world to your fingertips. Everything can be delivered these days. Okay, true, you’ll still need to leave for work, but that’s only until you finish your novel and net yourself a publishing deal. Then you can quit your crappy bartending job, build yourself the perfect blanket nest, and become the hermit you were always meant to be. 

Joining a dodgeball team doesn’t fit into that plan. It’s going to require you to go outside. Outside is dangerous. 

Outside is where he is. 

At the sharp pang that stabs your gut, you turn to your roommate with a grimace. “I don’t know. I’m not really a… sports…person - and neither are you, frankly. And it’s a team sport, which means others will be relying on you. You really think this is something you can commit to? I mean, remember the gym?”

Last year, the two of you had joined a gym together at his suggestion, which you both had visited a grand total of one time. He later confessed he’d only signed up because a hot customer at the bar had convinced him to after a long evening of flirting. That short-lived commitment ended the moment Taehyung arrived at the gym and discovered that the hot patron’s promise to give Tae a full-body workout was not, to Tae’s disappointment, a euphemism, but only a sales pitch.

Again, Taehyung doesn’t respond to your question. Instead, he uses the one weapon in his arsenal that destroys you every time the two of you argue over what to do.

With a tilt of his head, Taehyung flashes you his big sad puppy dog eyes.

You sigh. “Goddamn it. Fine. Fine. Let’s play dodgeball.” 

Immediately, Taehyung’s countenance changes, a brilliant, boxy smile crossing his face as he grins at your caving. “Great! Sign-ups are actually this afternoon, sooooo… up and at ‘em, cupcake! Let’s get moving.” He jumps up, holding out his hands, and you begrudgingly let him pull you out of bed. “You’re definitely going to need a shower before we meet the other players.” 

“Have I ever told you how annoying you are?” you mutter as you follow him down the hallway towards your tiny kitchen to brew some coffee, knowing you’ll need the caffeine if you’re going to be socializing with strangers this afternoon. 

He beams again, tossing his dark bangs out of his eyes. “All the time.”

The rec center is only a few blocks from your apartment, but you’d never stepped foot inside before Taehyung drags you down there to sign up for the league. Still, there’s a familiar scent when you walk into the building, the smell of rubber mats and sweat mingling together, stirring up memories of PE classes from grade school. The flashbacks make you shudder. 

Taehyung shakes you out of your memories as he steers you towards a folding table that’s been set up in the lobby. “Come on, we check in here.” A friendly woman in a purple tracksuit sitting at the table waves you over. 

“Hiya! Are you team leaders or free agents?” She laughs at your blank stares. “Okay, I’ll take that to mean you’re not here to sign up an existing team, but you’re free agents in search of a team to join!” 

“Oh, yeah, that’s us,” Taehyung nods sagely, as if he knew that. 

“Great! If you’ll just fill out these forms…” she hands you both a sheet of paper, “I will process your fees, and then I can point you in the direction of some teams looking to add some new players!” 

Forms? Fees? This is more complicated than you’d expected. You’d figured you’d just walk in and play, like joining a pick-up game of basketball or something similar that people who like sports might do. “So, um, how does this work?” 

The smile never leaves her face as Ms. Purple Tracksuit explains that you’ll be joining a team for the next ten weeks to play against other teams in a tournament ending in a championship match between the two best teams. “And the fee covers your uniform!” 

“A uniform?”

She leans forward, whispering conspiratorially. “Don’t get too excited. It’s just a t-shirt.” 

After you hand in your form and make Taehyung pay your fee, Ms. Purple Tracksuit tells you to head into the main gymnasium, where the team leaders looking for new recruits are waiting. There’s another dose of déjà vu as you enter the room to find several clusters of players standing around, sizing you up as you walk in. It reminds you of being a kid, waiting on the sidelines while the other kids whisper to one another about who to pick.

“Uh, this is a little intense,” you whisper to Taehyung, clinging to his elbow as he blithely strolls between the groups. “I feel like I’m being judged.” 

“Nah, this is a numbers thing,” he says. According to Ms. Purple Tracksuit, teams consist of six to ten players, so there’s a good chance you’ll be able to find a team together. If you’re picked at all, that is. “Whatever team needs two players will take us, I’m sure.” 

Your roommate just wanders through life with a natural confidence that you’ve rarely seen in others. You suppose it makes sense, given how handsome and talented he is. Still irks you a bit. 

“And what makes you say that?” You scan the room, taking in the other players. There are several others who wear similar expressions to your own, looking a little overwhelmed. It strangely gives you hope that you won’t be the only one here who doesn’t know what she’s doing. 

And then there are those who look like they live, eat, and breathe dodgeball, like the two tall, muscle-bound gods to your left, both wearing a shirt that says “Rock the Balls.” Team leaders, you assume. 

“Uh-huh, sure,” Taehyung replies distractedly, and you frown, following his gaze to see what caught his attention, since he’s clearly not listening, only to spy pink hair and a gorgeous smile that you recognize from your favorite coffee shop.

Grabbing his arm, you force your roommate to look at you as you hiss his name. “Taehyung. Tell me we’re not here because of that barista!” 

“Hmm?” Tae’s starry-eyed expression is all the answer you need. Of course. Of course he dragged you here so he could flirt with his crush. How did you not see this coming? “What? Noooo, I told you, I want to play dodgeball! But isn’t it a nice coincidence that Jimin is here?” 

“Right. Coincidence. You’re unbelievable.” With an exasperated sigh, you give him a push. “Well, go talk to your man. See if his team needs two new players.” 

Taehyung doesn’t need telling twice, happily bouncing towards the barista. And now you’re alone in a gymnasium full of strangers, feeling left out again. As you slowly revolve in place, looking for somewhere to hide and wait for Taehyung to return, one of the muscle-bound gods approaches. 

“Hey,” he says, giving you a little head nod. “You looking for a team?” 

Technically, you suppose you are, but you should probably see if Taehyung will be dragging you on to Jimin’s team with him first. But as you glance at the god, with his wavy dark hair and silver lip ring nestled in the corner of a pair of rather pink lips, you’ve the urge to say yes. He and his buddy are mind-meltingly hot. 

“I’m not sure. I’m here with a friend,” you finally respond. Super glad Taehyung forced you to shower today.

The god nods, eyes dragging over your frame. If you touched your cheeks right now, you’re pretty sure they’d be blazing hot under his gaze. “That’s cool. I’m Jungkook, by the way, and this is Namjoon.” He nods to the other god, whose lips quirk in a cool half-smile. 

“Sup,” he rumbles, jerking his chin in your direction. He runs a hand through his short, dark hair, fingers scratching over the lines buzzed into the sides. “We run Rock the Balls. And we’re looking for two new members.”

“Actually, that’s gonna be three new members,” a familiar voice declares behind you. Your eyes widen before you spin to find yet another handsome man behind you. But this one you know well.

“Jin-ah!” Throwing your arms around his neck, you attack Seokjin with a hug, grinning as his squeaky laugh echoes through the gymnasium. It’s been nearly a year since you’ve seen Taehyung’s older brother, but he looks mostly the same - the same warm brown eyes surrounded by ever-deepening laugh lines, the same perfect cupid’s bow twitching as he smiles as you. The only difference is that his hair is a little shaggier now, a fluffy brown cloud that bounces when you finally release him. 

“I could get used to a hello like that,” Seokjin grins.

“When did you get home?” you ask, vaguely aware that the gods have drifted away. “And what are you doing here?”

“Got in two days ago. I would’ve stopped by to see you and Tae-yah, but I needed to get my land legs back first.” Seokjin probably means that pretty literally, since he’s spent the last year on a research station in the middle of the ocean. As a marine biologist, he works at a local lab run by a federal agency, studying the effects of ocean pollution on various species of fish. Occasionally, he has to do field work, but this last round was his longest stint yet, taking him away from home for nearly twelve full months. “When I texted him this morning, he mentioned that he was joining a dodgeball team, and I… well, I had to check that out for myself.” You both laugh. “So I thought I’d surprise you.”

“You definitely did that!” you confirm. “I want to hear all about your research trip. Did you find anything interesting? Discover any new species?” You lean in excitedly. “Did you finally find some mermaids??”

Seokjin tuts. “Aish, how many times do I have to tell you, I’m not a deep sea diver, I’m just a guy pulling water samples off a dock?” 

“Yeah, whatever, Jin Cousteau.” 

He rolls his eyes. “I was really hoping that that nickname would’ve died out in the last year.” 

“Oh no, that one’s for life. And listen, you can downplay your job all you want, but I know the deal. You just can’t tell me anything because the government forces you to keep those secrets locked down. But I’ll get the truth out of you someday.” 

“Oh?” Seokjin cocks an eyebrow. “And just how d-”

“Hyung!!” 

“Oof!” Seokjin grunts as your roommate launches himself at his brother, tackling him in a bear hug. When the affectionate embrace becomes a wrestling match in the middle of the gym, you feel a presence at your side, and turn to find Jimin and another man watching the melee with a surprised look on their faces. 

“Don’t worry,” you reassure them, “they’re always like this.” 

“Uh, okay,” the barista chuckles. “Um, I wanted to introduce you to my friend, Hoseok. Hoseok-ah, this is YN, Taehyung-ah’s roommate.” 

“Hey.” The other man grins a smile that can only be described as a beam of pure sunshine, and you wonder if this dodgeball league is for models only, because you’re basically surrounded by nothing but gorgeous people.  

“Hi. Um, and that is Seokjin, Tae-yah’s brother,” you gesture to the skirmish. 

“Mmmice to meet eww!” Seokjin’s response is a little muffled by Taehyung’s armpit, but he manages to wave. 

“Hyung, why didn’t you tell me you were going to be here?” Taehyung whines.

“Anted oo urprise!” Seokjin finally untangles himself from his brother’s headlock. “Wanted to surprise you,” he says again, more clearly. 

“We’re starting a new team, and we could use three players, if you’d all like to join us?” Hoseok asks. 

“Are you sure you want this on your team?” you reply, gesturing to Taehyung and Seokjin.

“I think we can handle them,” Jimin grins, and Taehyung’s smile turns blinding. “Besides, we could use that energy on the court!” 

“Yeah,” Hoseok agrees. “Also, we’re a brand new team, so we’re desperate!” 

“That’s my favorite word.” Seokjin’s shoulders shake as he cracks himself up. “We’re in!”

Hoseok smiles. “Fantastic. Welcome to the Seven Slamurai!”

Once you’ve finished signing up for Hoseok’s team, you, Taehyung, and Seokjin decide to grab some dinner together. Another thing about Seokjin that hasn’t changed during his time away is his voracious appetite, so you take him to an all-you-can-eat bbq restaurant not far from the rec center. 

As the soju starts flowing and the plates start piling up, Seokjin tells you about his year on the ocean. He starts out with a disclaimer, warning you that his research isn’t interesting, and he’s not entirely wrong. Most of it goes over your head, since it’s been years since you last took a biology course. But it’s not really what he’s talking about that keeps you focused on him, it’s how he talks about it that holds your attention. You’re fascinated by his passion for his work. His dedication to studying ocean life in order to preserve and protect it. It makes you wish you had a cause of your own to defend.

And then, of course, as the liquor catches up with him, he tells you all the gossip about the other crew members on his station - the hookups, the fights, all the little scandals that brought the drama to the high seas. Seokjin’s always been a good storyteller, knowing just what to say to keep you and Taehyung laughing.

“But what about you?” you ask when Seokjin pauses to stuff some pork belly in his face. “Did you have any flings with any of the other scientists? Hmmm? Dip your fishing rod in company waters?” 

“Gross,” Taehyung mumbles around a mouthful of beef bulgogi.

Seokjin shakes his head. “Nah. I didn’t click with anyone there like that. Honestly, we spent so much time together each day that by the end of it, I was dying to get away from most of them, which was really hard to do since we were basically stranded together in the middle of nowhere! So I spent a lot of my downtime hiding in my bunk, reading old research papers that I found in the station’s library.” 

“You read research papers for fun?” Taehyung looks horrified. 

Downing another shot of soju, you lean towards Seokjin, licking the peach-flavored drops from your lips. “Come on. You’re telling me you went an entire year without hooking up with anyone? Not even a little making out?” 

“Nope.” Seokjin pops the ‘p.’ At your incredulous look, he laughs, lifting his shoulders. “What? A year’s not that long! I made it just fine.” 

“Yeah,” Taehyung agrees, “it’s not that long. Besides, he was probably jerking off nonstop.” 

Soju flies out of Seokjin’s nose as you and Taehyung burst into raucous laughter. Seokjin scolds his brother, who argues back as he always does, telling the elder to loosen up, while you sit quietly, chin in hand, smiling to yourself as you watch the fireworks, realizing how nice it is to have Seokjin home again. 

He and Taehyung are pretty much a package deal. You’d met Taehyung first during your senior year of college. At the time, Seokjin was finishing up his graduate program at the same school, and his plans to move out of his and Taehyung’s apartment upon graduation and roll right into some field work had Taehyung feeling like he was being left high and dry. You’d ended up becoming Taehyung’s new roommate that summer, and then it had turned out that Taehyung’s worries were all for naught, because Seokjin still spent most of his free time hanging out at his (now your) place, anyway. 

You didn’t mind then and you don’t mind now. Seokjin’s a good balance to all of Taehyung’s extremes. Where Taehyung has his head in the clouds, Seokjin’s feet are firmly planted in the ground. Taehyung can be mercurial, even flaky sometimes, but Seokjin’s rock-steady.  They’re not complete opposites in everything, though. Just like his brother, Seokjin has a big heart. 

Once Seokjin runs out of steam, Taehyung shrugs. “I’m just saying, being with someone isn’t the only way to be satisfied. Just look at me. I’m single and I’m happy.” 

He looks almost smug as he states this, and something inside you snaps. The last thing you want to hear from Taehyung is another speech about loving yourself. You’ve heard plenty of those over the last few weeks. You do love yourself. 

You just wanted someone else to love you, too.

Pointing your chopsticks at him, you frown. “Oh, please don’t start! One, you were just dating a guy last month, so it’s not like you’ve gone an entire year without being with someone, and two, you literally just dragged me onto a freaking dodgeball team so you could start dating another! So I don’t want to hear any platitudes about embracing your singleness or anything like that.” 

Taehyung is silent for a moment after your outburst. “Sorry,” he finally says, poking at the remains of the kimchi on his plate. “I wasn’t thinking.”

Seokjin’s gaze bounces between the two of you. “I feel like I’m missing something.” 

Taehyung sees you nibbling on your bottom lip and he turns to his brother. “I can explain. Buttercup here-”

“Buttercup can speak for herself,” you interject, “and don’t call me that.” With a sigh, you slug back another shot of soju and look at Seokjin. He’s waiting patiently to hear what you have to say. “I was… kinda seeing someone a few months ago. And I thought that I had something with them, and it turned out that I was wrong. They didn’t feel the same way I did, so…” You trail off, not sure how to say ‘so I spent the last few months crying in my room over a broken heart.’

Luckily, Seokjin spares you this confession, nodding sympathetically. “I gotcha,” he says simply, and you nod back, stuffing some rice into your mouth so you don’t cry at the warmth in his expression. 

“I don’t know why you’re being so cryptic about who it was,” Taehyung frowns. “She’s talking about Yoongi.”

Something passes over Seokjin’s face quickly, so fast you almost miss it as you smack your roommate on his arm. He yelps in shock.

“What? He was going to find out eventually, they’re best friends!” 

You know this, but it doesn’t make you feel any better. Seokjin is actually the one who introduced the two of you, at the party he threw before he left for his research trip. You remember that night very clearly, can close your eyes and picture Yoongi standing there, with silver hair and silver hoops in his ears, dark cat eyes shimmering as Seokjin gave him your name, and you feel that same swoop in your stomach as you did then. Only now it comes with a painful twist of your heart as well. 

Falling for Yoongi happened so quickly. You’d immediately bonded over a shared love of hip-hop and whisky, spending the party huddled together on the couch, snarking over Seokjin’s music collection and liquor selection, talking until the sun came up and Seokjin started throwing everyone out. As you left, you’d asked Seokjin for Yoongi’s number. But before you even entered it into your phone, a text appeared from Yoongi himself. He confessed he’d asked Seokjin for your number as well.

“I haven’t talked to Yoongi-yah in a while.” Seokjin glances at you. “You know how hard it was for me to keep in touch. There’s no cell phone reception in the middle of the ocean, and the internet seemed to come and go at will. At least I heard from you two occasionally, but I didn’t hear from Yoongs except on my birthday, and we didn’t… you didn’t come up.” He looks apologetic as he says those last words, and your heart pangs again.

“It’s okay, why would I have?” you snort. “Like I said, it turned out to be a big bunch of nothing between us.” Despite what you thought. What you felt.

A server appears at the table to drop off the bill, and you welcome the interruption, wanting to go home and crawl into the safety of your bed again, feeling like it was a mistake to leave in the first place. Taehyung and Seokjin fight over who is going to pay, with Taehyung winning, practically throwing his card at the server, but you’re too distracted by your thoughts to enjoy the scene. 

Texting with Yoongi had turned into late night conversations. Going to concerts and bars to check out new musicians, doing whisky tastings and visiting distilleries. It felt like you were glued at the hip for a few months, and the more you got to know him, the harder you fell. Like the way you fell into his bed, over and over.

But nothing sticks out in your memory more than that last night, the last time you saw him, when you finally found the courage to tell him how you felt. You’ll never forget the sad look on his face. It told you everything you needed to know before he even spoke.

“Buttercup?” Taehyung’s voice pulls you from your reverie. “You ready to go?” He and Seokjin are staring at you, both on their feet already, waiting to leave. 

With a nod, you rise, and follow them out into the night. 

Despite the name, the Seven Slamurai consists of nine players. (When you asked why, Jimin rolled his eyes and said he’d tried to argue with Hoseok over the moniker, but Hoseok was insistent that the name stay true to his favorite movie.) In addition to Hoseok, Jimin, Seokjin, Taehyung, and yourself, there are four others at your first practice session on Monday night at the rec center - Wooshik, Sunghwan, Seojoon, and Hyungsik. You exchange a few quick greetings with your new teammates before Hoseok gestures for you all to sit on the bleachers. 

“Welcome everyone to our first team practice!” Hoseok smiles, clapping, and you lightly clap along until you realize no one else is. “Before we do some warm-ups, I thought I’d take a minute to explain the rules of the game, for those of you who haven’t played before.” 

He launches into an overview of the sport. Most of it is familiar from your school days, but there are a few things that are new, like something about a rush, and a neutral zone, and a burden ball? You glance around to see if anyone else looks confused. Most of the new guys wear bored expressions. It’s safe to assume they’re experienced players. To your left, Taehyung is whispering something to Jimin, completely ignoring Hoseok’s spiel. 

At least Seokjin, on your right, seems slightly dazed by the long list of rules that Hoseok’s rattling off. Now that you think of it, you’ve never seen Seokjin in any athletic context. As far as you know, he doesn’t play any sports, just like you and Taehyung, and he’s not a gym rat. So you have no idea what to expect from him on the court. Maybe he’ll be just as awkward as you’re expecting to be. 

“Any questions?” Hoseok finishes up. There’s a moment of silence from the group, and then he claps his hands. “Okay! Then let’s warm up a little.”

You move from the bleachers to a mat on the floor and Hoseok leads everyone through a series of stretches. It’s been a long time since you’ve done any, so you’re not surprised when your toes remain fully out of your reach. Jimin, on the other hand, has folded himself in half, forehead practically touching the ground as he holds on to both feet. Turning to Seokjin to make a comment, you’re surprised to find him in a similar position.

He catches you looking. “Yoga,” he explains with a wink. 

“Damn. Maybe I should start,” you grunt, giving up. 

“The games are played with teams of five, which means we’ll have four alternates for each match,” Hoseok explains once everyone’s limbered up. “For today, I’d like us to run through a practice game, four on each side. I’m going to stay out and watch, to help me get a feel for who might be a starter and who might be an alt.” 

The group splits in half, with you, Taehyung, Seokjin, and Jimin on one side, and the rest on the other. Hoseok stands at one end of the line in the middle of the court, where six balls lie waiting. 

“Okay, ready, set!” And with a sharp blast of the whistle hanging from his neck, Hoseok brings the game to a start. 

Immediately, Jimin and Taehyung run forward towards the center line, reaching for a ball each, while the other team mirrors their actions, rushing forward. But you? You freeze in the scramble, hands automatically coming up to shield your head. And as the first balls fly towards your side, you scream. 

And so does Seokjin.

“Shit!” you curse as one of the rubber balls bounces off your arm. That’s definitely going to leave a mark. 

“Fuck!” Seokjin yelps as he’s smacked in the shoulder by another ball. 

Tweet!

The action stops as Hoseok blows his whistle. His sunny smile is gone, replaced by an intense look, eyebrows furrowed, mouth turned down. It’s intimidating, especially since it’s aimed directly at you.

“That was… not bad,” he says slowly through gritted teeth, speaking as though the words hurt him. “But maybe this time, you two should try joining the opening rush? Remember, no one can throw a ball at you as long as you’re in the neutral zone, so you’ll have time to grab and get back out of the line of fire.” 

He glances from you to Seokjin, who nods as you grin in embarrasment. Great, you’ve already been identified as a weak player. You were hoping you could at least pretend to know what you were doing for a little while. Fly under the radar.

Taehyung wraps an arm around your waist. “Come on, ladybug, it’s not that scary. You just gotta jump in. Don’t think, just go.” 

You shake him off with a scoff. Easy for him to say. You saw the way he was running around the court a minute ago, taking to the chaos like a duck to water. Should’ve known he’d turn out to be a natural athlete on top of all his other annoyingly amazing traits. 

The game restarts, and this time you make an attempt to run towards the center line, but still hesitate, flashbacks of being pelted with balls running through your brain. Why did you agree to this? You always hated dodgeball in school! 

Seokjin, on the other hand, joins Jimin and Taehyung at the line, and scoops up a ball before dashing back to where you’re frozen. The balls start flying again, and once again you’re out before anyone else. After a few more minutes, Hoseok ends the play. 

“That was better!” he nods. “But let’s try it again, and this time maybe you can make it all the way forward, huh, YN?” His tone is encouraging, but his smile seems strained. 

As you shuffle back towards the end of the court, you nudge Jimin. “Is Hoseok okay? He looks a little stressed.” 

Jimin shoots you a lopsided smile. “He’s trying not to be as… intense… as he usually gets. We got kicked off our last team because he went a little overboard with his, uh, enthusiasm during the practice matches.” 

The whistle blows before you’re ready, and you decide to take Taehyung’s advice, so you bolt forward without thinking, snatch up a ball, and then back away, not wanting to turn your back to the men behind you. In doing so, you catch Wooshik’s eye, and he grins coldly, winding up. 

“Shit!” you yell, jumping out of the way in time. Taehyung dives in to catch it, sending Wooshik out of the game. But you’re not safe, as Seojoon takes aim next. Seokjin is next to you, trying to decide where to throw the ball in his hand, so you duck behind him, mimicking his movements. Eventually, he realizes he has a shadow.

“Are you using me as a human shield?” He bobs to the left. You follow.

“It’s not my fault you’re so broad!”

Seokjin honks a noisy mix of delighted laughter and insulted exclamation. Seojoon tires of waiting for you to emerge from behind Seokjin, so he pitches the ball forward, a low toss heading for Seokjin’s legs. Seokjin bends gracefully to catch the difficult throw, taking Seojoon out of the game, and as Seokjin doubles over, you snap the ball in your hands towards Hyungsik, hitting him directly in the side. Another ball rolls towards your feet, so you scoop it up and nail Sunghwan dead center of his chest.

And with that triple play, your side wins, with all four players still in.

There’s no whistle to end the game, as Hoseok’s mouth falls open, gawking wide-eyed at you. “She’s a sniper,” he whispers in an awed voice. Everyone turns to stare at you. 

“What?” you ask, looking around. “What did I do now?” 

According to Jimin, it’s tradition for the dodgeball teams to go out for drinks after practices and matches, so after hitting the locker room, the nine of you meet up at the Pied Piper, a quiet bar around the corner from the rec center. Thank god Taehyung convinced you to bring a change of clothes. You’d foolishly assumed you wouldn’t break a sweat, but you sure as fuck had.

Since the rec center isn’t that big, the practice schedules are staggered out, with only two other teams meeting on Wednesday nights - the Dodging Divas and Rock the Balls. By the time your team arrives at the bar, the others have already claimed most of the tables. As Taehyung and the others push the remaining tables together, Hoseok, Seokjin, and you sidle up to the bar to start ordering drinks. 

Once the bartender drifts away to start pulling drafts, Hoseok turns to you with a bright smile. “Congrats, the two of you are definitely going to be starters.” 

To say you’re surprised would be an understatement. 

“Me? Really?” you squeak, glancing at Seokjin, who also appears dumbfounded. “Why?” 

Hoseok leans against the bartop. “Look, I’ve been playing this game for long enough to know a strong arm when I see it,” he declares solemnly, tapping your bicep with two fingers. “I think with my help, you could be one of the best snipers out there. As for you,” he nods at Seokjin, “I think your flexibility is going to come in handy, like it does for Jimin. Also, I saw the way you two were working together on the court. If we can hone your skills, you’ll be an unstoppable duo for sure.” He grins. “The rest of the league won’t know what hit them, when the Seven Slamurai come through.” 

The bartender returns with the first three beers of your order, and Hoseok carries them away with another nod, leaving you and Seokjin staring at each other in silence. 

Then you both burst into laughter. 

“Is he for real?” Seokjin asks, eyebrows raised. The bartender sets more glasses in front of you, and he grabs one, taking a long sip. 

“I think so. I got the idea from Jimin that dodgeball means a lot to him, but wow. What he said is absolutely ridiculous, and yet… I do feel oddly inspired.”

“I know what you mean.” Seokjin grins. “Should we correct him, though?”

“About what?”

“Us working as a team. We weren’t working together so much as you were hiding behind me.” 

His grin turns teasing, and a retort builds itself on your tongue. But before you can fire it off, a figure at the other end of the bar catches your eye. One of the Rock the Balls gods. Namjoon, maybe? He nods at you, dimple popping as his lips curl into a slight smirk. You blink, then raise one of the glasses of beer in his direction.

Seokjin follows your gaze. “Friend of yours?” 

“Not really. One of the other teams’ leaders. We met at the sign up.” 

Seokjin hums, giving Namjoon a second look. He taps the bartop while you help yourself to one of the pints. “Hey, so what you were talking about at dinner the other night… about Yoongi? I just wanted to say I’m sorry.”

You should’ve known the subject would come back up. With a little shrug, you attempt a grin, but only succeed in a grimace. “You don’t have anything to apologize for.”

“I know. But I’ve also been where you are, having feelings for someone that go unreciprocated, so… I’m sorry. I know it hurts.” He pauses, gaze locked on the glass in his hand. “For what it’s worth, I think he’s a total idiot.” 

“I’m not going to argue there,” you quip, letting out an airy laugh. "But I'm the one who imagined the whole thing, so really, I'm not any smarter."

He looks at you then, a sober expression on his face. “I mean it. He’s the idiot. Not you. So just - just don’t let his stupidity have any bearing on how you might think about yourself, okay?”

You blink, wondering if you’ve suddenly gone completely transparent, because he’s seeing right through you. How are you not supposed to take Yoongi’s rejection as proof that you’re unlovable? If you were lovable, then wouldn’t he love you?

“I… okay.” Nodding, you reach for the glasses that have been sitting in front of you for a few minutes. “Um. We should probably get these to the rest of the team before they get antsy.” 

Taehyung pats the seat next to him when you return to the group, and Seokjin takes the empty seat on your other side. “Hoseok just told us the good news,” he informs you, happily grabbing one of the beers in your hand. 

“What, that Jinnie and I are gonna be starters?” 

“That we are gonna be starters! You, me, hyung, Jimin-ah, and Hoseok-ssi.” Taehyung beams brightly as Jimin leans across him at the mention of his name. “He said we’ll work on our teamwork next practice, so we’re ready for our first match next weekend!”  

“Oh! Well, damn, look at us go!” You lift your glass and everyone else does the same. “Cheers!” 

“To teamwork!” Seokjin adds, eyes crinkling as he clinks his glass against yours. You grin back before taking a big sip. Maybe you’ll survive this season after all.

You’re not going to survive this season. 

“Come on! Faster!”

A shrill whistle blast sounds as you hit the wall, spinning around before running back towards the center line. It’s Thursday night, so you’re at practice again. Your team has been running drills for only ten minutes now, but you’re pretty sure you’re going to die, panting terribly as your toe hits the crosses the line.

“Pick it up!” Hoseok yells as you spin again, heading back for the end of the court. As your fingertips reach the wall, he blows the whistle again, and you flatten your palms, pressing your forehead against the cold cement. 

“I did not sign up for this,” Seokjin huffs next to you. “I signed up to dodge balls. This is not dodging balls!” 

“Are you two okay?” Taehyung is neither panting nor huffing as he eyes you both with concern.

“How are you not dying like us?! You don’t work out!” Yelling takes up too much of your oxygen, and you sink to the ground, legs folding underneath you. 

Taehyung shrugs. “It was only a few running drills. Nothing to get worked up over.” 

Unable to respond, you settle for giving him the evil eye. You jump as Hoseok’s whistle sounds again.

“If he doesn’t stop it with that thing, I’m gonna make him eat it,” you mutter under your breath. Seokjin’s shoulders shake with silent laughter as he reaches out a hand to pull you to your feet. 

Hoseok’s inner drill instructor doesn’t take a break when the practice game starts, alternates on one side, starters on the other. Somehow, he manages to run, catch, throw, and yell instructions the entire time, like a demented multihyphenate. It would be impressive if it weren’t irritating. 

You play a total of three rounds against the alternates. The first round is awkward, filled mostly with Hoseok’s manic shouting. At one point, he tells you to cover the right and Taehyung to flank the left, and as the two of you run to switch sides, you run smack into each other. The alternates win.

In the second round, things go better. There are no collisions, but there’s also not much cohesion, either. You try to repeat last practice’s winning move, ducking behind Seokjin, but he’s too unpredictable, jumping all over the place to try to catch throws, and you’re not able to keep from getting hit. Your team loses again.

When the whistle signals the end of the round, you head for the bleachers, where you’ve stashed a bottle of water and a towel, having realized last practice that both items were desperately needed. The rest of your team follows. 

“Well, this isn’t working,” Hoseok sighs, fanning himself with his shirt. “They’re kicking our asses.”

“Maybe - and just hear me out - yelling isn’t the way to motivate us?” Jimin suggests, tossing his sweat-soaked hair out of his face. You can practically see little hearts dancing in Taehyung’s eyes as he watches the motion.

Hoseok’s head twists towards his friend, but instead of swearing at him like you expect, he just stares. “I’m. I’m doing it again, aren’t I?”

Jimin claps him lightly on the shoulder. “Yep.” 

Hoseok stares for a few more seconds, and you’re on the verge of asking if he’s okay when he finally speaks. “Okay, new plan. Let’s just go out there and, ugh, have fun, okay?” His smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes as he leads Jimin and Taehyung back out onto the court.

Seokjin leans over. “If we lose, ten bucks says he snaps and eats that whistle himself.” 

You laugh, gently pushing Seokjin back onto the court. 

“Hey. Should we try that shield thing again?”

“Yeah,” you nod. “I mean, I was trying last round, but you were kinda all over the place.” 

“I’ll try to be more obvious with my moves. Or I guess you can guide me? Just tell me which way to go.” 

You nod, and then you’re off, running for the center line as the round starts. Without Hoseok barking orders at the group, there’s a definite shift in the atmosphere. As you stoop to sweep up a ball, quickly diving behind Seokjin’s tall frame, scoping out your next target, it hits you - not a ball, but a thought.

You’re having fun.

Grinning wildly, you hiss “Left!” Seokjin immediately darts left, and you line up behind him, ready and waiting. A throw from the other team goes high, and Seokjin leaps towards it, snagging the ball out of the air. As soon as you peek out from around his side, you hit Wooshik, ball bouncing off his thigh with a satisfyingly loud “thock!”

“Yes!” Seokjin throws his hand out for a high five. You slap it quickly, ducking another toss. On your other side, Hoseok and Jimin make tandem catches, and the match ends with your team victorious.

“That was so much better! I really feel like we’re an actual team now,” Hoseok beams, looking genuinely happy again. “One more week of practice and then it’s match time!”

The others drift towards the locker rooms as Seokjin nudges you with his hip. “Did that work better for you this time?” 

“Yeah, it did. I guess that’s how it should always work, huh - me giving you orders and you following them blindly?” You wrap your towel around your neck, flashing him a cheeky grin.

Seokjin laughs, running his hand through his fluffy hair, which has gotten curly in the humidity from the game. Rather than spout off a snarky retort, he tugs on the ends of your towel, pulling you towards him. His deep brown eyes trail over your face, landing on your mouth, before his gaze snaps back to yours.

“That works for me,” he murmurs, soft smile playing on his plush lips. “Just say the word and I’ll follow.” 

And then he walks away. 

You stare at the locker room doorway that he disappears into for a good minute after he’s gone, mind racing. That’s not the first time the two of you have been that close - both Seokjin and his brother are very cuddly people, and you’ve always been comfortable with showing them affection in the form of warm hugs or snuggles on the couch.  

But whatever just happened was not that. The moment between you felt charged. Full of something like… possibility. 

With a sigh, you shake off the confusing thoughts and gather your things to head for the locker room, desperately needing a shower. And a drink.

© 2022-23 by sunshinerainbowsbts/minisugakoobies. Crossposted to AO3. Please do not copy or repost.

Taglist 1: @babycoffeefire; @parkdatjimin; @reliablemitten; @yuugehn; @ut-dixisti; @hesperantha; @seokjinger-ale; @bangtanintotheroom; ​​@taeshuworld; @nch327; @hannahbee12719ficrecs; @7minsuga96; @dvalitaes; @wonieclub; @thatlongspringnight; @miscelunaaa; @acquiescence804; @itsirisz; @velvetskize; @starbtslove; @ajw05; @bruisedscrewedandtattooed; @minesuga; @greezenini; @aznstoner; @jkkkkkay; @xuxibelle; @soeur-de-ame; @boraborabts; @signmybook; @bbl32; @codeinebelle; @here4btsfics; @itbtoblikethatsometimes; @kookprada; @addictedtohobi; @shatzkrinslinzki; @jaiuneamesolitaiire; @joonjulyagust-d; @jinsquishes; @btsgotjams27; @allamericanuniverse; @pleaseshutupsara; @guvgguk; @goodgollyitslolly; @laylasbunbunny; @goldensugarywaffles; @jadda98; @lovelye79; @moonacholy;

If your URL is italicized, tumblr won’t let me tag you! 😤 Check your settings!

[peachjagiya]

https://x.com/taekookiieness/status/1776155729562419570

What is this need they have to be glued to eachother all the time lol. They really are like magnets. Also maybe its just me but I feel like entangling your legs with someone is really intimate no? Like that is something I reserve for my husband, especially if I we are feeling clingy but in company, then our legs will do the talking lol. I get that the members are close on a different level than most friendships but these two will comfortably sit like that for long periods without even acknowledging what they are doing, it's like an unconcious thing and so different from the usual bursts of affection the members have with eachother. It's not like blatant flirting or anything so I get why people brush it off as nothing but gestures like these speak of a certain intimacy and lack of boundaries you usually see with couples.

🥹🥹🥹

I just went to watch a video of them all cuddling up and I noticed a few things:

👉 Joonie and Yoongi don't really seem to do a lot of this.

👉 Jin and Hobi will definitely climb on the maknae line in bed to wake them up or cuddle them but it's always with a purpose. Incidentally these two are most likely to refer to them as their babies.

👉 JK definitely seems to regard his hyungs as like four parents and himself as their baby and gets his cuddles from them accordingly. He's particularly happy cuddling Hobi and Jin, the self-described parents with mummy vibes.

👉 Tae seems less adhered to age dynamics and has his favoured cuddles, namely anyone who doesn't freely give it ie; Yoongi 😂 and trying to get Joonie to hold him in his sleep. Tae seems to enjoy receiving big demonstrations of affection. His Wooga hyungs cuddling him in bed, getting a morning kiss from Wooshik.... I think he likes to feel loved in that way.

👉 Jimin is at an awkward almost middle of the group where it's fair game with everyone.

Then you get to the maknae interactions when it becomes less about parent-child dynamics:

👉 Jimin seems like the cuddliest of the maknae line. Tae is unbothered by this but it doesn't feel like he seeks it out? He's curiously passive in a lot of these hyper cuddly moments with Jimin. But their general comfort levels say a lot about their bond. It's sweet to see. I get ZERO romantic vibes. Like if it's possible to be NEGATIVE romantic? 😂

👉 Jungkook seems less comfortable with Jimin hugs. I'm sorry that's just how I read it. I'm not saying I'm right. *Puts on a helmet* 50% of the time he's leaning away. I don't think this is about Jimin himself. I think it's about JK not quite feeling like baby or boyfriend with Jimin.

Edit: because someone thinks I'm painting Jimin in a bad light - I don't think Jimin is forcing anything and in fact I think Jungkook being like a grouchy little brother about it sometimes is a tried and tested friend dynamic and speaks to their closeness. I think they're close friends and value each other. Ok? Ok. Chill. Jeez.

So bearing their general puppy pile vibes in mind, why does it feel different with Taekook?

👉 The cuddliness is equal. People who claim Tae is all over JK while JK hates it are at best just wrong (and at worse wilfully trying to drag Tae) It's equally distributed between initiating and reciprocating.

👉 The affection is small so it feels more intimate. It's less showy. Never presented with any ceremony. It just seems second nature from their lack of reaction to the affection. No surprise or like "oof, we're hugging now!", just naturally fitting into each others space. It's not just JK getting hugs from his hyungs or Tae requiring outward demonstrations of love. With JK and Tae, it's just easy and natural magnetism.

(On a side note: Does anyone else remember Tae saying that he loves to cuddle in bed and the others are a bit weird about it but Jungkook thinks it's cute and cuddles him? Did I imagine that?)

Thanks anon. I loved this 💜

[kanmom51]

Firstly, I wanted to say I love your page and appreciate your honest perspective when it comes to BTS and jikook in particular. I am an “older” Army and can appreciate the viewpoint of someone who’s lived life a little and has seen many types of relationships. It’s very hard to not realize there’s something between JK and Jimin when you’ve seen examples of it time and time again in your own life or those around you. So thank you for making me feel less crazy!

I haven’t followed your page for very long and realize you may have touched on this in the past, but I was wondering what your thoughts are on this: Could V sometimes bringing up Jungkook/Jimin together or separately (usually Jungkook…let’s be real) and mentioning that they’ve hung out with him or seemingly being “encouraging” of a certain ship, possibly be his odd way of trying to distract from the real relationship he knows exists between jikook? Like in his own special Teahyung way be trying to help? For a long time, there has always been something that didn’t quite sit right with me when it came to V. I think it was his constant need for attention….don’t get me wrong, I love many things about him as well and know he can’t be very sweet and thoughtful and funny and endearing. I love them all very much. But am wondering what you think about V sounding like he sometimes encourages a taekook ship (ie, the last surprise live at JKs house or the live where he mentioned gaming with JK) because maybe in his own special way, he’s trying to protect? He does tend to do things in a very unique way. I don’t know! Let me know what you think!

Hey @sweetbslm108, welcome and thank you.

And hi @nut2019 😊

Now, I know both of these asks are kind of on the different sides of the spectrum, but I kind of felt like they can be answered together, because of the one communality, and that's, but of course, Tae THE MAN.

Also, before starting I need to say this is all my opinion. Take it or leave it.

I think I kinda talked about this here a bit too:

Let me just clarify what Tae shared in his IG story yesterday @nut 2019. It was a photo and a clip taken on the night after the movie premiere that JK and Tae went to, which was the 24-25 April 2023 - which as of today is 3 weeks ago. It's clearly that night and it's also clear it's not a date or an outing of the two alone, but a group outing with Tae and his friends (a couple from the Wooga squad and a couple I personally do not recognize). Yes, he posted it on Yellow day, but clearly has zero to do with that day.

I don't think Tae is encouraging the ship, but as an agent of chaos, he might be enjoying the aftermath of his handy work, maybe a little too much, lol.

Look, let's get serious here for a sec.

I love Tae to bits. I think it was even in one of the comments to the post I linked that someone mentioned thinking he's neuro divergent, and I was going "YES, FINALLY", because I've been saying this since forever. I'm no psychiatrist, so obviously I won't be handing out a diagnosis here, but, that said, his behavior, his quirkiness, his lack of understanding social queues and others emotions at times. The way he just says what pops to head, no matter if it has anything to do with the subject, and no matter what the consequences might be (take his 2015 radio interview fiasco literally outing JM on live air).

Tae is who he is. Always has been. And we all need to remember that the others all love him. All of them (including those we tend to champion). They might be frustrated with him at times. Angry with him. Might want to end him at times (from what JK spilled about the dumpling fight I kind of feel that was one of those times, lol), but you know, we all have those days with our loved ones too, so yeah.

In any case, whatever it may be, since the hiatus Tae has started to move in a certain recognized pattern that many Jikookers aren't happy with.

I understand the frustration that not only Jikookers have with him when it comes to that (and I'm saying that Tae stans are also feeling it). It feels like he lacks the energy to give to the fandom, interact with them, and maybe he feels that by dropping JK's name or posting a pic or clip with him he's making them happy (obviously aware of how much JK is loved), all while he obviously also is well aware of the chaos he's creating by doing so (claiming that he doesn't is a little naïve). It's kind of a minimum work maximum impact situation.

You are right @sweetbslm108 about Tae's mind being different to ours, it feels like his thought process is on a different parallel level. It's not by chance that JM called him his alien, lol. But saying that, I really don't think that this is his twisted way of going about protecting Jikook. I, personally, have no issues with him mentioning JK if it's part of the natural development of the conversation, kind of like he did during his live a few weeks back in the car. Doing so while talking about this and that, maybe also mentioning the others. They are good friends and clearly have gotten closer over the last few months (I'd say them being left for last and JM being MIA for JK did that), and it's natural they spend time together and it's great if he let's us know about it. But why only JK lately? That's what I keep asking myself, because he's not the only member he's in touch with or spent time with in the past few months. And coming live for a few minutes and dropping JK's name for what seems so purposeful, so much so that I've seen several Tae stans complaining about it. Because it doesn't feel natural. It doesn't feel like he's coming to talk to army or update them.

And I feel like it's ok to criticize him, criticize his behavior.

JK himself (there I go name dropping) said they are only human, which they are.

I keep saying it too, human beings with feelings and wants and needs, not 2 dimensional characters like many fans see them as.

And as such, they are not infallible. And they are definitely not beyond reproach.

And saying out loud, sounding said criticism, it doesn't make you a hater.

We criticize our loved ones, reprimand them when we feel they are doing wrong, and we do it out of love. So what's the difference here?

It should be part of the open discussion. Those who think it's wrong, those who don't, all respectful, no hate.

NO HATE!!

We don't do hate!!!

We love all 7 members.

We might feel more of an emotional connection with some rather than others, but we love them all, each in their own way.

And if I wasn't clear about it, then that includes Tae, even if sometimes he does things that might be infuriating.

My daughters can infuriate me at times, doesn't make me love them any less. Also doesn't stop me from letting them know I don't agree with their behavior.

I will end this by saying that we are all different people, we come from different backgrounds, different places in the world, different professions or schooling, different upbringings, different cultures, different life experiences, just different. All those are our baselines. The things that make us who we are, what we think, what we do.

And being different, all gathering here, voicing our opinions, talking to each other, hearing each other out, that will, at the end of the day make us better people. I do believe that. Being able to listen to one another and at times allow ourselves to be convinced one way or another, that makes us better.

Bottom line:

Tae is an agent of chaos. We love him, even when said chaos he is causing can be infuriating (and the thing is, all he's doing is mentioning his friend or posting a pic of them together, but it's what transpires from that due to mainly I-army that irks us so much).

We are also allowed to call him out on it.

No hate. Period.

Have a civil discussion.

You can voice your opinions here, as long as it's respectful and without hate. Not towards the members and not towards each other.

[taekooktimeline]

December 8, 2023 -

Jk goes live days before enlistment! As he walks back to his place, he mentions that “crazy fans” are at the front of his home these days, and reminds them (even though he shouldn’t have to, people really should learn respect and boundaries) not to come.

Timestamp 3:48

To compound this point, and how under a microscope members are, someone shouts out as he walks back to his home, “Kim Taehyung,” which causes Jk to look back, before he says he won’t show his (shaved) hair.

Timestamp 4:58 https://x.com/kookieantae4eva/status/1733541288413429887?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Back at his home, Jk shares that he got Bam in Daegu (and how sweet is it that Jk picked the puppy who couldn’t drink his mom’s milk?) -

Timestamp 14:09

Which, of course, naturally made myself and everyone else flashback to when Daegu-born Taehyung shared this precious photo of him and Daegu-born puppy Bam on Weverse, and wrote that he raised Bam since he was young -

And during Festa 2021, Tae had commented he wanted to find a friend for Tannie, but his dad may hesitate about him getting a second dog. Jk had smiled knowingly and said his dad would meet the dog and “love it.”

Recap of Tae’s Weverse post - https://www.tumblr.com/taekooktimeline2021/668193486339801088/november-16-2021 

Recap of Festa 2021 - https://www.tumblr.com/taekooktimeline2021/654793371031928832/start-of-may-mid-may-2021

Festa 2021 raw link - https://youtu.be/wRWMeT6ykFU?si=GJpgCuj35GGhnuFw, Timestamp for conversation is 13:03

With only fifteen minutes left in his live, Jk informs viewers that he’s sweaty and he’s going to change. As he steps off camera, he sings BTS’ “blood sweat sweat & tears” but he changes it to “blood, sweat, get it out.”

Timestamp 1:16:11 https://x.com/nonakv99/status/1733116445737861282?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://x.com/camthkim/status/1733112709363933441?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Translation -

As noted above, Jk’s change of lyrics is a direct reference to Jinny’s Kitchen: Team Building (S1, 2023), when Wooshik (Wooga member, actor and Tae’s friend) made a mistake during the God of Communication game. Jk changing BTS’ lyrics to Wooshik’s indicates Jk watched the two-part series.

https://x.com/vitaemintae/status/1733115070559969456?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://x.com/tkkslayy/status/1733116530039345225?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Jk originally was wearing this outfit when he first started his live -

But when there were only about 13 minutes left of his live, he emerges from off camera in a new outfit, his “fight for love” Rloveution pride collection sweater. Interestingly, after changing into this sweater, he sings three snippets of Taehyung’s “Layover” songs. He didn’t change out of his “sweaty” clothes for over an hour, so I find this to be a statement, but please decide as you like.

Timestamp 1:17:23 (when he sits back down)

Outfit -

Jk asks what he should do, then starts singing Tae’s “slow dancing.”

Timestamp 1:18:55 - 1:19:40 https://x.com/_k91230v_/status/1733114210887033334?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Accepting various requests, he sings brief excerpts such as BTS’s “Let Go.” However, he refuses to sing “Magic Shop,” explaining that it’s too high (refer to the screenshot below), though he expresses willingness to listen to it. Immediately after, he spontaneously sings a snippet from another of Tae’s songs, specifically “Love Me Again,” with the lyrics “love me again…love…nobody else.”

Timestamp 1:23:26 - 1:23:32 https://x.com/_k91230v_/status/1733115083721740545?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

He seamlessly performs a series of song snippets, beginning with the word “euphoria” and transitioning to “louder than bombs I break.” Following that, he melodiously croons, “rainy days, I’m thinking ‘bout you,” blending words and melody while swaying to the rhythm. Notably, this is from Tae’s creation, “Rainy Days,” featured in his solo debut album “Layover.” Subsequently, he skillfully weaves in the words “fake love” and a snippet of “my you,” followed by a diverse array of snippets from various other songs.

Timestamp 1:24:24 - 1:24:36 https://x.com/_k91230v_/status/1733115465634111888?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg Compilation of Jk singing three of Tae’s songs - https://x.com/eri_purpledream/status/1733117037030133875?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Raw - https://weverse.io/bts/live/3-142418350

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

Now that chapter 2 is mostly over for all the members but Jin (whose chapter 2 is finally starting!), I wanted to write down my thoughts on how I think each member's reputation and image changed, what I learned about them, what my perception of them is now, etc.

For J-Hope, I think this was a great opportunity for him to "free" himself from the hope persona - which is very important and true to him but also constricting - and to promote himself more as a musical artist than a dancer - despite being the main dancer, even in his BTS solos Hobi usually chooses to limit his dancing. I think Hobi showed a cooler, smoother, stylish, more mature side of himself that increased his popularity and brand and resonated with a lot of people. He also proved that he's more than capable of going solo, even if I personally have mixed feelings about his voice.

I think Suga's chapter 2 was relatively "forgettable". He already had the image he wanted, released the music he wanted, produced what he wanted, so there was nothing to prove or show. Suga dropped an album that I'm pretty sure he didn't think was anything special and then went on tour. He also had fun with Suchwita. I think most of what he did was for Army and BTS, with the exception of the tour which was also for him. I don't think his solo ventures really felt like him going solo, but more like a side job. He did well, but I'm not sure his popularity, reputation, or image changed substantially - I mean, no more than expected.

RM had a pretty wild chapter 2. Through Indigo he explored a more artistic and uncensored side we all knew of, but it was in the build-up to RPWP than he started to express his opinions more freely. His amazing and diverse collabs also helped show a cooler and trendier side of him. RPWP was the game changer though. I think RM finally "escaped" his BTS leader image and mainstreamed this sexy, quirky, artsy, smart yet unserious image which he already had but the GP didn't know. Music wise, he's the one who did the most, showed the most, and had the most incredible material - even if his music isn't mostly to my taste. He's the most natural soloist along with JK imo.

V chose a path similar to Suga's. He did a lot of variety, which we already knew he liked, hanged a lot with the Wooga Squad, who we already knew, released a few songs in a style we knew he liked, did lots of photoshoots and work in fashion, which we also already knew he enjoyed... I don't think V took chapter 2 very "seriously" in the sense that he didn't strategically try to brand himself differently or find his own voice. He might've even released Layover a bit more for us than himself. He already had a strong brand and didn't change it. I think his popularity decreased a bit comparatively to Jikook because he was very lowkey.

Jungkook... well, he exploded in popularity. He had his BWL moment in Dreamers and L&R, his Dynamite in Seven, and his Butter in SNTY - kinda. His songs are GP friendly and in English, so they had a lot of impact, and his CK campaigns were genius marketing because they helped build this image of a sexy, attractive, gender nonconforming guy who can be both gender neutral and conventionally masculine. CK is also accessible to a lot of people so he got his face (and body) plastered all over the world. The collabs helped some too. Jungkook really committed even if at first he wasn't sure about releasing an album. I think he grew the most as a performer. He has continuously showed growth over the years, but imo he grew the most during the pandemic and chapter 2. His singing and dancing became more refined and unique, his stage presence and stamina improved. He was on fire with SNTY. Jungkook's vocals, dancing (eg. the sultry, relaxed hand movements he does now), stage presence, visuals, attitude, etc., all reached another level, an iconic level. Jungkook really changed his image, beginning in 2022 when his lives become so unfiltered - he sang his heart out, shared his life, didn't censor himself as much. I think Jungkook changed a lot - dropped the veil a bit -, and his music was a natural progression of him letting more of himself show. At first I didn't get it, but now I think it all fit JK really well - even if I don't/didn't like all of it. He's so effortlessly confident and comfortable on stage now, though. He might not have grown as a songwriter, but he grew so much as a performer, which is his art.

Lastly, Jimin... he surprised the most tbh, but in a negative-ish way. I had huge expectations for him and felt disappointed with his solo chapter. His image changed a lot, but in his case I loved the "old" Jimin better... I wanted something like Filter and Lie, I wanted him to show amazing dances and visuals. But he really went on a different route. He focused on singing and music the most, investing a lot in writing his own stuff, which is great but a bit unexpected. He focused a lot on inner reflection and less on his idol self, which up until then I thought was what he wanted us to see the most. And by becoming less "idol-like", he changed a lot. His choreos are more relaxed and less attractive now imo, and he engages his dance crew a lot whereas before he mostly carried his dances alone. He also showed us a much shier and reserved side of himself. His vocals changed too, or at least how he sounds in songs... I know Jimin had a lot of success, but I was surprised by how "unremarkable" I found him as a soloist. I thought he would set the world on fire, but he didn't take many risks on stage - his songs were risky, but not his performances or styling - or stand out that much. During Face he even looked a bit uncomfortable. He shines in BTS, but I don't believe Jimin truly shined on his own - not like he could've. I find his image less attractive and marketable now than pre-2022 Jimin - and that's okay but I lost a lot of interest in him as a performer. I used to love his fancams, but now I don't really care. He's still the cutest and loveliest, but, selfishly, this is not the artist Jimin I wanted.

Anyway, I'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts on this!

[dearweirdme]

“There’s no way Jk and Jm would leave publicly for a romantic holiday while also giving out their destination.. that’s just idiotic for any celebrity to do.”

Yet taekook can openly attend movie premiers together with cameras and thousands of people watching? Yet Tae can openly talk about Jk singing him “love” songs all the time? Yet tae can namedrop Jungkook as much as he pleases and announces to everyone he is going to have a meal at Jk’s? Yes Jk and Jimin wouldn’t go for a romantic holiday while announcing it to everyone but they can shoot 2 birds with one stone. Anything taekook do is some sort if confirmation for y’all but your logical thinking skills only come into play when it is Jikook? Lol.

There’s clearly so much y’all are forcing yourselves not to realize. For example, Jimin and Jk could have shot their travel show at any other time, so why do u think it just happened to be when Jk made his solo debut with Seven and when he was in NY? Jk has visited NY many other times, why did it only have to be then? Did u consider that maybe Jimin could have used that opportunity to be there for Jk in the guise of just filming? You tkkrs think you are smart but y’all are the stupidest shippers i ever saw. Little to no common sense. A very large part of this fandom thinks that Jikook is just fanservice and this narrative has gone on for years. People write stuff like this on all social media platforms every single day and u honestly think they company or even Jimin and Jk don’t know about these narratives? People literally email bighit about this everyday and u think they don’t know? So why do u think they would be stupid enough to keep playing this game knowing that most fans already figured out that they are just “FS”? You don’t think the company is rich enough and smart enough to find other not so obvious ways to fool fans? Why is it so hard for y’all to accept that Jimin and Jungkook are doing something they both love and want to do? Why is it hard to admit that they might just want to spend time together while documenting it for their fans? When tae did his friendcation thingy with wooga, where were all these conspiracy theories? Didn’t y’all find it sweet? Now because it is Jimin and Jk, it is the company preparing content to feed Jokers? Really😂.

Jimin and Jk are not fools and they have told us more than once that they know what fans say. See tkkrs popping veins because 2 bandmates who have known each other for over a decade are going on a trip together. Y’all can console urselves all u want by saying it is just company content or work but you and I know damn well that show is only happening because Jimin and Jk want it to happen. Jk could have decided to use this time to hang out with his “boyfriend” but he chooses to spend the time traveling and filming documentaries with his bandmate. You know as well as i do that Jk would have said NO if he didn’t want to do this show and travel with Jimin. We know that it was never the company’s idea but Jimin’s suggestion years ago which Jk agreed to so it is only happening because if Jikook and no one else:

Ofcourse Jimin and Jk obviously can’t travel for a private trip now announcing it to everyone but don’t forget that even though they would be filming, they wouldn’t be filming 24/7 so they still have time in between the shoots to do “private stuff”. You see? Killing 2 birds with one stone.

Also, please give it a rest with all this Taennie is PR nonsense! Deep down u know that ur theories make no damn sense because Tae has absolutely no reason to play along with whatever that walk was. Why would he agree to play along with a media play move that doesn’t benefit him? Why only him? There’s so many other pple Jennie could have done that with so why Tae? It’s funny how much ur brain plays with you when u really don’t want to believe something. On one hand y’all claim Tae doesn’t like fooling his fans and is very transparent but on the other hand u have no problem claiming he had no problem participating in media play to fool millions. Pick a damn narrative and stick to it fcol!

Sigh... hello again anon!

THis is my last reply to you. SO please don't come back because I will block you next time. We are not gona agree, deal with it, or change your mind 😁.

Yet taekook can openly attend movie premiers together with cameras and thousands of people watching? Yet Tae can openly talk about Jk singing him “love” songs all the time? Yet tae can namedrop Jungkook as much as he pleases and announces to everyone he is going to have a meal at Jk’s? Yes Jk and Jimin wouldn’t go for a romantic holiday while announcing it to everyone but they can shoot 2 birds with one stone. Anything taekook do is some sort if confirmation for y’all but your logical thinking skills only come into play when it is Jikook? Lol.

Obviously yes, and Jimin and Jk could also hang out publicly just like Tae and Jk, just like Jimin and Yoongi, just like any pair of members. Yet they have not evidently done so. Do I think they haven't met at all, no.. I think they have, because they'r friends. I do not think it has been as much though, especcially during the time Jm was preparing and promoting Face. The things we have seen from Tae and Jk are different, though you do not see it. Tae and Jk have been consistent in meeting up dispite busy schedules. None of those things separately would be confirmation of anything, but them combined and the consistency does show a different relationship between them and the other members. I know you feel you are being logical, but logic is not looking for maybe's and filling in parts of a story you have no knowledge about. If you were to let go of your believe in Jkk.. you would see there was less evident interaction between Jk and Jm than between Tae and Jk. If I were to let go of my believe in Jk and Tae, I would still be left with many instances of them meeting up and talking about each other. Point is, we just have less to fill in than you do.

There’s clearly so much y’all are forcing yourselves not to realize. For example, Jimin and Jk could have shot their travel show at any other time, so why do u think it just happened to be when Jk made his solo debut with Seven and when he was in NY?

Ah!! So you do think it's possible for them to do stuff private?!

Jk has visited NY many other times, why did it only have to be then?

Scheduling.

Did u consider that maybe Jimin could have used that opportunity to be there for Jk in the guise of just filming?

Sure, but coincidentally it wasn't.

A very large part of this fandom thinks that Jikook is just fanservice and this narrative has gone on for years.

Not me! I'm fully convinced they are actual close friends.

So why do u think they would be stupid enough to keep playing this game knowing that most fans already figured out that they are just “FS”?People literally email bighit about this everyday and u think they don’t know?

Ofcourse they know. Just like they know about Taekook narratives, Yoonmin narratives, Taejin... Vmin... etc... Shippers aren't bad for business anon. They play into it at times. Bh doesn't actually want all the ships to disappear. Look how much attention Jimin and Jk are gathering right now. You only focus on the negative comments, but I can assure you there's a much larger part of fandom who's super happy and excited to see them still plan content for Army right now.

You don’t think the company is rich enough and smart enough to find other not so obvious ways to fool fans?

Oh, but cheap ways are always so much better looking to companies.

Why is it so hard for y’all to accept that Jimin and Jungkook are doing something they both love and want to do? Why is it hard to admit that they might just want to spend time together while documenting it for their fans?

Not hard at all. I agree. Doesn't make it romantic though.

When tae did his friendcation thingy with wooga, where were all these conspiracy theories? Didn’t y’all find it sweet? Now because it is Jimin and Jk, it is the company preparing content to feed Jokers?

Super sweet, absolutely.. also work. It's like working with your favorite people.. who wouldn't enjoy that. Tae at Jinny's Kitchen... also work! Still sweet. Jk with Jimin... probably super sweet, super funny... but still work. It should not be a surprise to you that it's work anon. They're literally in the same band. For years all they've done is work. I Tae and Jk did a cooking show or whatever together, I wuold be super endeared.. but if there's camera's and it's intended for army to see it's still work.

See tkkrs popping veins because 2 bandmates who have known each other for over a decade are going on a trip together.

Could it maybe be because Jkkrs spoil it?

Y’all can console urselves all u want by saying it is just company content or work but you and I know damn well that show is only happening because Jimin and Jk want it to happen.

No you're probably right. Still doesn't make it romantic.

Jk could have decided to use this time to hang out with his “boyfriend” but he chooses to spend the time traveling and filming documentaries with his bandmate.

I doubt they'll be gone for weeks anon.. chill. We all know how important Army is for members. That's who they are doing this for.

Ofcourse Jimin and Jk obviously can’t travel for a private trip now announcing it to everyone but don’t forget that even though they would be filming, they wouldn’t be filming 24/7 so they still have time in between the shoots to do “private stuff”. You see? Killing 2 birds with one stone.

Ah, the illusive "private stuff" you all love so much. See this.. is the point where you go from realistic.. to imaginary. This is the point you know nothing about, and yet you are sure Jk and Jm are doing 'private stuff'. Filling in the void with romance.. as usual.

Also, please give it a rest with all this Taennie is PR nonsense!

Oh anon, Taennie is a pr strategy to a t. Which is actually way more common than you seem to be aware of.

Now, please don't come back.

[littldolli]

Send this to ten other bloggers that you think are wonderful. Keep the game going, make someone smile!!! <333

TYY 🫶🫶🫶

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[kookiecrush]

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This “debunking” thread missed all the points tkkrs were trying to point out. It’s not about them hanging out with friends or another bts members but taekook choosing to spend time together whether with friends or alone. The atomix, run bts challenge, the photo of them in mom and dad outfits, all the outings they had with friends and members, them being together is what it’s all about. That james corden photobooth photo, yes, they were with members but the fact that they had a photo just the two of them while tae was on Jk’s lap and him posting it on his IG is what makes it special. And that Golden listening party that jm posted, yeah, jm and rm were there, but again, the fact that they took photos together, just the two of them, is what makes it more meaningful. Even if the atomix was a group dinner, it doesn’t make any difference coz jk still chose to post the photos of him and tae.

Sure most of these taekook moments were of them and their friends, just like the SS and HS concerts, but the fact that they were glued to each other, tending to each other, is what makes a difference. Jm was there in the HS concert but we never saw him holding hands with JK. JM could’ve chosen to go on the second day of the silk sonic concert coz JK was still under quarantine, but he chose to go with Yoongi and RM. what kinda bf is that? He could also go with JK on Yoongi’s SK concert, or at least go home with him, but taekook arrived and left together.

We are not trying to belittle jkk’s bond by pointing these things out, but the OP who made this thread, also Georgia, who couldn’t include any jkk photo outside of hybe contents, just completely missed the point of us saying taekook spend time privately. By private doesn’t mean just the two of them, but them spending time together outside work. 🤦🏽‍♀️ Them being present in each other’s lives!

When JM was asked by Jimmy Fallon whom he talked to a lot or spent time (I forgot the exact question) and JM answered Hobi and Suga, so their excuse of Jm being busy that’s why JK spent time with Tae is just bs. Hobi even said he played games with jm. At the end of the day, regardless of their relationship, taekook are still the closest members since pre-debut days. It doesn’t take being a taekooker to know this.

Yep! Exactly, anon. They're obviously purposely missing the point of all those moments because it's not hard to see what makes them special. Even when they're with the other members, they still post photos of just the two of them. They still cling together and hang all over each other. They still single each other out. They still chose to spend so much time together when it isn't necessary. They still chose to share their music with each other first.

And Jungkook hanging out with wooga squad is a perfect example of how integrated they are into each others' lives.

So j*kookers have two options at the end of the day. They can either play dumb, or they can acknowledge taekook's bond...

And we know which option they prefer 🤷‍♀️