#BTS Solo Chapter CONTINUED - Part 6

[jimin-bangtan]

BTS’s Solo Chapter CONTINUED - Part 6

Even Jung Kook, (JK), who had ended the solo album releases for phase 1 of the solo period, still had more to offer.  In addition to featuring on JHope’s 2nd album song, I Wonder…, he also released a song for fans, Never Let Go (playlist), for Festa 2024. Likely due to time restraints, he wasn’t able to release the dance video that would have explained some of the lengthy lyrical skips, but that means fans can look forward to that performance when he returns. In addition, there was still more planned toward JK’s 1st album that was now extending into phase 2 of the solo period. That is somewhat understandable timewise, since he was the last to release work in 2023.  JK not only has an exhibition (called GOLDEN: The Moments) traveling to global locations, but he also had his documentary, I Am Still (playlist), being released in theaters globally, not once but twice. The 2nd release included an added singalong segment to the original footage. It really was a well-planned, extensive promotional plan, and it brought the results and achievements it was designed to do.  Of course, JK also released the travel series (Are You Sure? [playlist]) along with Jimin, which was filmed in July, September, and November of 2023. The trips occurred over three long weekends during JKs promotional period and during Jimin’s 2nd album preparations. Some people have complained that it pulled them away from their busy work, but that was the point, or at least one of the points. It gave them restful mini-vacations to relax and enjoy themselves away from the heavy lifting of doing so much work before departing for their military service. They both remarked about having the chance to create memories before taking a pause in their careers to do a restrictive, difficult obligation. I’m glad they had the chance to do it, and it looks like (and they said) they had an enjoyable time through it all.  Finally, JK launched a brand. At this time only a few merchandise items have been revealed with the cursive JK initials as the trademark, so fans will have to look forward to finding more about how this brand will be used.

As mentioned, RM released a 2nd solo album, Right Place, Wrong Person (playlist). In fact, we found out, during that clever MMM1 promotional conversation, where he and Jimin discussed their 2nd albums, that RM had delayed his enlistment to complete this project. He was previously planning to enlist on the same day as JHope. Now I understand more what he and JHope meant in JHope's enlistment day footage, when gloomy RM said, “I don’t know.” and JHope responded, “I don’t either.” It seemed RM was hoping his decision to change plans for this album was worth it, and boy, was it! RM's 2nd album stunned even BTS fans.  It was different, raw, creative, revealing, and stylistic - all the things some fans had expected from his first solo album. He still had collaborators but fewer than he had on the 1st album. He chose to operate differently and worked mostly with songs given to him, while he focused more on the lyrics and performance. RM’s first album was very good, and it was successful, but he even seemed unsatisfied with it and perhaps with its lesser achievement than he had hoped. It turns out that the 1st album also might not have expressed all the deep, gritty feelings he needed to let out. RM’s 2nd album also got more company-led promotional effort, and its achievements were also far greater than his first album. He has landed higher on charts and is being acknowledged for awards and recognition that eluded his first album, even though both are critically acclaimed. While fans did not get a documentary for RM’s first album, a very artistic, cinematic documentary (called RM: Right People, Wrong Place [playlist]) was premiered at the Busan International Film Festival for his 2nd album. We now have word that it will be released globally in December 2024. Early reviews have remarked about how very honest and raw the footage is, that shows more of who RM is and the process that went into creating the very expressive album. After RM’s album release and promotions, he also was featured on a song with previous BTS collaborator, Megan Thee Stallion, called Neva Play, where RM finally declared that BTS “paved the way” for other Asian artists. Speak that truth, RM. 

Presently, at long last, Jin has announced his 1st solo album. Happy (playlist) will be released in November 2024 along with the (hopefully) improving promotional experience. His album is said to lead listeners through his journey to find happiness. In line with the happy theme, Jin first released Super Tuna 2.0 (playlist), which was an updated, extended version of the original song and video. Although it is not included on the album, the silly, but joyful, song, about his love for tuna, was the right tone to kick off the release of an album that has happiness as its theme. Fans are excitedly looking forward to Jin’s solo debut. (By the time I posted this, Jin's pre-release song was presented. It is a fun, pop-rock song called I'll Be There. He looked and sounded great. He's off to a very good start.) To tide us over until the group comes back and until his album is released, Jin has been entertaining fans with show appearances, fashion pictures, and RunJin (playlist) episodes that are full of Jin’s madcap chaos and humor. Now that JHope is out of the military too, I can’t wait to see if (when) he and Jin will produce a subunit project as I had hoped for. There is no doubt that it would be hysterically entertaining. Since Jin’s return, he has also fully capitalized on BTS’s opportunity to have individual ambassador deals now. He hadn’t been able to engage in any business contracts until after his enlistment, and he is wasting not a moment catching up on lost time. 

Here is a list of BTS’s individual ambassadorships presently: Jin - Gucci, Alo Yoga, Fred Jewelry, and Laneige Suga - Valentino and NBA JHope - Louis Vuitton RM - Bottega Veneta Jimin - Dior and Tiffany & Co. V - Celine, Cartier, Compose Coffee, and SimInvest JK - Calvin Klein

PHASE 2 CONCLUSION

During this solo experience, we have had the pleasure of watching BTS members grow and develop as individual artists. We have seen them learn a lot from the experience, gaining knowledge that we are excited to know they can bring back to the group activities.  It’s difficult to imagine what the next chapter of BTS will look like with all that we have seen, but we’re excited to find out. Normally, Hybe and/or BigHit Music do put a lot of advanced planning into their efforts. This military situation was entirely new, and an innovative plan was certainly needed. While there were some parts that were clever and very well done, some parts of this plan unfortunately did not meet up with expectations at all. I have made my feelings clear on how the company initially managed the solo projects. Suga had said that each member was expected to manage their own solo tasks and promotions. Therefore each member chose different entities to help them accomplish their work. I explained each project in more detail in my Phase 1 solo period posts (specifically parts 2 & 3). The differing amounts of assistance given to each member, and the apparent, inequitable effort provided for promotions will sting many fans for quite a while. It caused a crack and disturbance in the fandom that will likely exist for a long while, if not forever.

JK, in honesty and in fact, did receive a much larger piece of the promotional pie, for whatever reason. Perhaps it was solely because of the group he chose to work with. Time seemed to be his only limiting factor.  I’m glad he was able to get that level of promotion. He did an awful lot in an awfully short amount of time. I only hope that going forward, all of the members receive that level of care and investment. They all were responsible for the success that built the company, they all worked extremely hard on their solo projects, and they all deserve the same level of care and attention (with reasonable adjustments) to support their individual careers. The support may not look exactly the same, but it should look like equal effort. It should not stink of neglect and have missing necessary and available items or actions that some promotions received but others did not.

It is sad to see conversations from fans and the public, in which they compare the promotions of BTS, the most successful KPop group in history, to promotions given to artists from other companies. The comments express that they are surprised about how differently BTS is supported by its own wealthy company that their hard work built.

My final, previously stated, point on promotions for now is that even if the differences in promotions were due to the members having to handle their own promotional activities and make their own choices, it was all of their first solo projects! I feel the company should have provided a better framework of guidance for the projects, including promotions, to be sure the members knew how to roll them out fully and knew what tools and information - or additional assistance - was needed to make sure they not only had quality music but also quality roll outs. It seems this would have been a company priority, especially seeing that their primary money makers would be absent for a while. It would have maximized company profits, but perhaps the goal was instead for the members to learn from the process, regardless of everything else, including peace in the fandom.

With that said, the company has seemed to have grown or at least hopefully learned a lot from the experience too, for which I’m glad. We saw changes and improvements during the solo period from phase 1 to phase 2. Perhaps the members did learn and made changes and/or the company realized the flaw in their original tactic. It was a new experience for both sides. (Sadly, we’ll never know what could have been, since you cannot get a 1st time debut back.)

BTS is a unique band in a unique situation. Where most KPop groups disband at about the 7-year mark - if they make it that long - BTS is still thriving and successful into their 11th & 12th years. The members have recently signed a rumored 10-year contract, together, in advance, with the same company, which is also uncommon. Hybe is new for a corporation’s age, and BigHit Music is still learning as they go. As Suga has said many times, BTS is experiencing things where there is no roadmap because no other group has traveled this path before them, so it is expected that the company will have some missteps as they go. I certainly didn’t expect this type of misstep, or the extent of the misstep, but learning and growing from mistakes is far more important than attempting to never make a mistake, which is unrealistic.  Provided they do course-correct and do better going forward, progress can be made and wounds can be healed. As with every step of BTS’s journey, we all will continue to watch and see - right along with them.  APoBangPo - Army forever, BTS forever

RELATED POSTS

**See my Updated BTS Solo Chapter Wishlist.** ***Refer to my BTS Official Content & Social Media Links post that is a directory of links, which leads you to all of the mentioned activities and solo work on official pages. ***

<- BTS Solo Chapter CONTINUED - Part 5 - opening post for this update

[hopeonmyphone]

BTS’ J-Hope Announces First Solo Tour ‘Hope On The Stage’: Details [Forbes]

After much speculation, J-Hope of BTS officially announced his first-ever solo tour.

Set to begin at the end of February, the 30-date Hope on the Stage trek spans major cities in Asia and North America, making live history as the BTS rapper-dancer-producer steps into the solo spotlight.

The tour kicks off with a three-night stay at Seoul’s massive KSPO Dome from February 28 to March 2, marking J-Hope’s first standalone concerts in his home country. From there, Hobi heads stateside, performing multiple nights at iconic venues such as New York’s Barclays Center and Chicago’s Allstate Arena. Notably, in April, J-Hope becomes the first BTS member to headline a stadium show solo when he plays Los Angeles��� BMO Stadium and also the first Korean soloist to book the LA stadium, solidifying his status as a pioneering force in his group and K-pop at large.

Out of respect for the large-scale wildfires in California, BTS’ official accounts shared that more details for the tour’s North American leg will come later.

Although Hope on the Stage marks the star’s solo touring debut, J-Hope is no stranger to commanding massive audiences. In 2022, he became the first-ever South Korean artist to headline a major U.S. music festival at Lollapalooza. His solo material also offers a wealth of options for his setlist, ranging from his acclaimed 2022 solo album Jack in the Box (which peaked at Number 6 on the Billboard 200), to fan favorites collaborations like “On the Street” with J. Cole and “Chicken Noodle Soup” featuring Becky G (the latter of which saw him become the first member of BTS to send a single the Billboard Hot 100 chart), as well as material from his 2018 Hope World mixtape (which still charted in the Top 40 on the Billboard 200 despite being released for free and only in digital formats).

More recently, J-Hope dropped the Hope on the Street Vol. 1 EP and an accompanying six-part docu-series last March that explored the roots of his inspiration and passion for street dance.

J-Hope’s tour comes shortly after completing his 18-month mandatory military service. Upon his discharge in October 2024, J-Hope has kept a lower profile by attending just a few fan events and other engagements. However, this tour signals the start of an exciting new chapter for the performer and his return to the global stage.

Though there has been no official announcement, fans speculate that new music may accompany the tour. If past releases like “Chicken Noodle Soup,” “On the Street,” or his “Rush Hour” collaboration with Crush are any indication, J-Hope will likely keep blending global sounds and styles that resonate with an international audience.

While ARMY fans eagerly anticipate BTS’ group comeback, long rumored for late 2025, J-Hope’s solo tour is a testament to the continuing creativity and ambition fueling the members during their hiatus. Following Suga’s Agust D World Tour in 2023, J-Hope’s tour adds another layer to BTS’s evolving legacy to further establish them as superstars, whether in a group or working solo.

J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour 2025 Dates

February 28 - Seoul, South Korea @ KSPO Dome

March 1 - Seoul, South Korea @ KSPO Dome

March 2 - Seoul, South Korea @ KSPO Dome

March 13 - New York, NY @ Barclays Center

March 14 - New York, NY @ Barclays Center

March 17 - Chicago, IL @ Allstate Arena

March 18 - Chicago, IL @ Allstate Arena

March 22 - Mexico City, Mexico @ Palacio de los Deportes

March 23 - Mexico City, Mexico @ Palacio de los Deportes

March 26 - San Antonio, TX @ Frost Bank Center

March 27 - San Antonio, TX @ Frost Bank Center

March 31 - Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena

April 1 - Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena

April 4 - Los Angeles, CA @ BMO Stadium

April 6 - Los Angeles, CA @ BMO Stadium

April 12 - Manila, The Philippines @ SM Mall of Asia Arena

April 13 - Manila, The Philippines @ SM Mall of Asia Arena

April 19 - Saitama, Japan @ Saitama Super Arena

April 20 - Saitama, Japan @ Saitama Super Arena

April 26 - Singapore @ Singapore Indoor Stadium

April 27 - Singapore @ Singapore Indoor Stadium

May 3 - Jakarta, Indonesia @ Indonesia Arena, GBK

May 4 - Jakarta, Indonesia @ Indonesia Arena, GBK

May 10 - Bangkok, Thailand @ Impact Arena

May 11 - Bangkok, Thailand @ Impact Arena

May 17 - Macau @ Galaxy Arena

May 18 - Macau @ Galaxy Arena

May 24 - Taipei, Taiwan @ NTSU Arena (Linkou Arena)

May 25 - Taipei, Taiwan @ NTSU Arena (Linkou Arena)

May 31 - Osaka, Japan @ Kyocera Dome Osaka

June 1 - Osaka, Japan @ Kyocera Dome Osaka

As ARMY counts down the days to reunite with J-Hope in person on the Hope on the Stage world tour, one thing is clear: Hobi’s star continues to shine brightly on a journey to even greater heights as a solo superstar.

Source: Forbes

[kpopficsincorporated]

(NK) New Kid

Pairings: Bang Chan x reader, Jimin x reader

Genre: Fluff, Angst, Romance

Words: 1799

best friend!Chan, best friend!Jackson

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a/n: woah, I completely deleted what I had planned for ch. 5, and so I had to change a few things in ch. 4 before I could upload it. I know it’s been a long time, but school has been demanding so much. and now that we’re online, it’s so much worse. I’ve never had so much busy work. But, here is ch 4. I hope you guys like it. I also added in that Jackson is Y/N best friend, because it’s pretty obvious after the last chapter :) -admin Sam

-

Prologue, Ch.1, Ch.2, Ch.3, Ch.4, Ch.5 , Ch. 6

-

Chapter 4

Jungkook had left to pick up dinner for the three of you as you were almost finished for the night. Yoongi was working at the computer, the sounds of clicks and clacks all that you could hear in the room. You had decided to lay down on the couch to rest for a second, holding your phone above your face.

And you should have known it would happen. You dropped your phone right on your bottom lip, letting out a yelp as you quickly sat up, giggling to yourself.

“Are you okay?” He asked, only turning his chair around when you didn’t answer, not able to stop yourself from giggling. He raised an eyebrow in your direction, his face completely serious. You stiffened.

“I dropped my phone on my face, I’m fine,” you sobered up as best you could. Yoongi breathed a laugh, and you could see his gums when he smiled.  

You immediately relaxed. “So, how much more do we have to do?”

He turned back around to the computer “You guys are both really fast when it comes to recording. We really just have to do the harmonies and background. I’m really impressed with you, Y/N, considering you haven’t really recorded a lot.”

“Well, that’s not entirely true,” you paused as he gave you his full attention again. “I pre-record a lot of demo tracks for some of the JYP artists. Ever since I signed the contract at JYP, I’ve been doing a lot of underground work.”

“Have you considered working outside of JYP? I’d be honored if you’d sing for a couple of my songs I’m working on. Maybe a solo debut?” he asked, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

“I don’t think I’m really ready for that,” you answered timidly.

“What do you mean?” he rolled his chair closer to the couch. You weren’t sure if you wanted to be as openly honest as you would usually be with Jackson or Chan, but there was something about Yoongi that made you want to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. You let out a sigh in resignation.

“Okay, so here’s an extremely hypothetical scenario. Please don’t be offended.” He nodded, indicating for you to continue. “Hidden female artist suddenly makes a song with a male member of an extremely popular idol group. It’s not a song that gets any real income, but it would bring in a lot of clout. People seem pretty okay with it, they’re okay with the collaboration for now. But then, hidden female artist gets solo debut produced by another male member of the same extremely popular boy group. People really start to pay attention, they start rumors. ‘She must have paid someone,’ ‘she’s just in it for the money,’ ‘she’s got to be sleeping with one of them,’ or worse ‘she’s sleeping with both of them or all of them.’ Both the images of the female artist and the entire male idol group are brought down and dragged through the mud,” You took a deep breath, pausing before you continued. “I couldn’t do that to you guys. You guys are making waves, and not just on a musical level. You guys are doing great things, and you’re helping a lot of people. You need good attention, not bad attention, and I think I’d only give you bad attention.”

Yoongi was studying you now, and you averted your eyes to your lap. The room felt suffocating. He was looking at you too hard and you didn’t like the feeling of being under a microscope. “And I mean, I want to finish school  for right now, anyway. I’m good with staying in the background.”

At that moment, Jungkook burst in with food and the suffocating atmosphere diminished with his arrival and the presence of something to eat.

“Chan told me you really like anything chicken as long as it isn’t spicy.” He sat stir-fried chicken and veggies in front of you along with rice, moving along to hand Yoongi his food.

“You asked Chan what I wanted to eat?” You couldn’t believe it. Well, they had become closer friends since they met, and they were the same age as well. Okay, you could definitely believe it.

But you were also incredibly touched by Jungkook’s kindness. He took into consideration what you liked to eat and the fact that you couldn’t have spicy food.

“Well, yeah. How else was I supposed to feed you?”

“I would have eaten anything you’d given me, Jungkook, but thank you. So much,” you stood up, hugging the boy without even thinking.

When you pulled away, you realized what you’d done. “I’m so sorry Jungkook!” You realized a second too late. “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry. I did it without even thinking!”

Jungkook laughed a little, smiling at your cute reaction. “It’s okay Y/N. I know how you are. I’ve seen it enough with both Jackson and Chan. You’re okay.”

You released a huge sigh of relief, flopping back down on the couch.

Yoongi played back the progress while you ate and you put in your two cents about what harmonies where would sound the best. Jungkook really liked your ideas and put his finished food down.

“Jungkook, I want you to add one lower harmony for now on the chorus, and I’ll add only one upper. We’ll check the depth of the result and see if we should add more.”

“I’ve never really heard it explained like that before,” Jungkook laughed at your words.

You laughed his comment off, not wanting to think about if he were making fun of you or not. “Yeah, yeah, now let’s start working.”

He nodded, smiling in excitement as he did as you instructed.

--

“I can’t believe we almost finished the song in one night,” Jungkook sighed in satisfaction. He had a lot more energy than you did at the moment. You couldn’t remember the last time you stayed up this late.

“I’m sure there are a lot of things that need to be fixed. I think I might want to re-record my part,” you sighed sleepily as you checked the time on your phone. It was well past midnight, getting close to dawn. You had texted your manager earlier, telling her that you’d be done soon. Hopefully she was close by now.

“Thanks for working with me, Y/N.”

Your soft smile easily graced your face. “Of course.”

Your phone beeped, signaling that your manager was waiting for you downstairs. You started taking off the hoodie that Jungkook had given you earlier (it had gotten cold in the studio and you had been freezing – you still were), when he stopped you.

“Keep it for now, it’s gotten cooler outside. Here, let me walk you down,” he offered. You nodded in agreement and thanks. Before you stood, you flipped the hood up. The hoodie was huge and you were warm and snuggly.

You stumbled a little towards the door, your tiredness crashing into you all at once, causing both guys to chuckle. Jungkook grabbed your arm and looped it through his. “I got you, Y/N.”

“Thanks, Kook,” you sleepily called him the nickname that BamBam used on occasion on accident, but Jungkook didn’t seem to mind as he didn’t call you out on it.

He led you to the elevator and tried to keep you steady on the ride down. You were falling asleep while standing up, and this only happens when you have really lacked sleep. You had skipped your crackhead/delirious stage, as you were working really hard on the song, and went straight to your ‘I’m about to pass out, where’s the bed’? stage.

“How about I just carry you the rest of the way?” he chuckled. You were currently slumped against the elevator wall, eyes closed.

You let out a whine. “But I’m fat,” you mumbled. At that exact moment, you stumbled and if Jungkook had not caught you, you would have been sprawled out on the floor, snoring.

“Oh well,” he said as he turned his back you, forcing you to jump on by grabbing your arms and tugging.

“Thank you, Kook. I mean, thank you for being my friend. You’re my friend, right?” You mumbled as you laid your head on his shoulder, your eyes staying closed. He walked out of the elevator and towards the door to the parking garage.

“Yes, I’m your friend.” You could feel his laughter shaking his shoulders.

“You promise?” You liked Jungkook. He was a really good guy, and you wanted your friendship to last past the making of the song. He wormed his way into your life. You had thought you would just work on the song, and you would live your life thinking ‘wow, I’ve met BTS Jungkook and we did a song together!’ but you realized that he was human. He was a person, a good person, and he lived his life similar to how you lived yours. You wanted to be his friend now, a real friend, someone he could lean on if he needed it.

Idols go through much more than people thought, and you’d seen it firsthand with Chan and Jackson. They came to you with their problems, just like you went to them with yours. You wanted to be that kind of friend to Jungkook. He probably doesn’t need you, but you still wanted to be there just in case.

“Yes, I promise, Y/N.” He opened the door, walking to the van where your manager waved him over from the drivers seat. She slipped her mask back up and got out, opening the back door for Jungkook to sit you down, but you didn’t make it to the seat. You crawling onto the van’s floor and curled into a ball, dragging your stuffed animal down from the seat to be your pillow. Mimi laughed, throwing a blanket from the seat over you.

“Wait, let me take a pic and send it to Chan,” he laughed as well.

“Send it to Jackson, too!” you yelled, curling further into yourself. You maneuvered the blank to cocoon you, causing both Mimi and Jungkook to giggle like children.

“I hope you sleep well, Y/N,” Jungkook said as he waved goodbye. You popped a hand up, waving haphazardly back and proceeded to close your eyes and drift off.

-

Mimi dropped you off close to your college, asking that you text her once you are safely in your dorm. When you got to your dorm building, students were leaving to get to their first class, but you had a clear day. As soon as you were in your room, you sent out texts to Jungkook, Mimi, and, of course, Chan, before throwing yourself into your bed and shutting out the world.

[bts-svt-mx]

Maid For You (Part 8) - Taehyung x Reader (M)

Author: bts-svt-mx

Taehyung x Reader

Rating: Fluff, angst, Smut

Tags: Enemies to Lovers AU, smut (future chapters), Idol! Taehyung, Taehyung x Reader, Jungkook x Reader, Hoseok, mentions of other members, sexual tension, mentions of alcohol abuse, mentions of partying

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (M), 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (m), 11, 12, 13 (m)

Word Count: 5,700

Description: Wanting to get out of your parents house and experience what the world had to offer is way more expensive than people tell you it will be. So when your glamorous “manager to the stars” cousin Hoseok hooks you up with a job as the live-in maid for a hillside, massive mansion, you feel as though life might actually be looking up. That is until the mansion’s absentee, high profile celebrity owner surprises you by moving back in. Leaving you to wonder if this mansion is big enough for both you and his huge ego.

Chapter 8: 

The look of bewilderment on Taehyung’s face as the elevator doors to the first level of the mansion opened was honestly somewhat laughable. His apprehension was still quite apparent, but you sensed that he wasn’t going to try to run away. 

And if he tried to, you were fully prepared to grab onto the sleeve of his hoodie and yank him back.

Walking out of the elevator with Taehyung in tow, you head in the direction of the impressive laundry room to put both of your baskets in before giving him the rest of the tour.

Down here, each room is more detailed than the last, as the first floor of the house was mostly for entertainment purposes and resembled more of an adult Boomers than an actual house. 

Ok maybe you were exaggerating on the amusement park thing, but the first level of the house did come equipped with an indoor basketball court, a movie theater, an indoor and outdoor pool, a small bowling alley and game room, a garage housing Taehyung’s 5 cars, and of course his own personal recording studio among many other huge pieces of art, sitting areas, televisions, and more. The house seemed to have no end.

Surprisingly, you didn’t get to show Taehyung much of the recording studio. When you both walked towards the sleek glass doors, he would barely even look in its direction while you went inside and searched the room for any mess. Why would he, a famous pop star known to help produce his own music, brush off a state of the art recording studio in his own home?

You were about to ask him how he’s never come down here to use it, but advised yourself against it when he didn’t give it so much as a fleeting glance or make any comment about it like he had been doing in amazement of some of the other rooms.

Though he was definitely opening up to you, some of Taehyung’s true feelings would just have to stay a mystery. At least until he deemed it the right time to tell you.

Speaking of...

“But that still doesn’t explain why you went looking for it in the middle of a party.” You say, walking now a little bit closer to Taehyung than you were before into one of the smaller hallways that branched off of the garage towards an extension of the house. You had somehow gotten to the topic of Taehyung’s Grandmother’s rooster that you had saved last night in the midst of your easy going conversation you’ve had since you first started giving him the tour.

Honestly, you hadn’t expected him to bring it up willingly so soon, but here you were, listening to him provide you with some sort of sober explanation for the events of last night.

“I got bored of the people I was with so I decided to drink. And then drink more. And then more after that too.” He sighs and winces in pain like his head hurt just from thinking about alcohol. “I had danced for a while but then.. Where does this door lead to?” Taehyung says as he yanks the glass door open in front of him before you can get a word in to tell him it’s the indoor pool room and sauna. 

Well, it was actually more like a full on spa if you were being honest. Complete with a large stone fish sculpture and everything.

His words echo as he walks into the through the spacious room, exploring the beautiful rock and tile work around the jacuzzi and pool. The walls were covered in a pebbled cement to keep the steam to a minimum and cool the room that easily would have gotten way too hot with the heated water.

Taehyung drops down to lay his long body out on one of the many lounge chairs and settles in a comfortable pose while you opted to just, well, stand there. You two really didn’t need to take another break when you were so close to being done looking through the house. 

Instead of asking him to get up again, you were actually kind of speechless at his pose. Were his legs always that long or did he just have a growth spurt? Damn, imagine what he would look like shirtless with just his swim trunks on… Wow, was it just you or was it heating up in here?

“Ahhh,” He sighs, stretching his arms above his head, definitely not helping you with your imagination at all. “Now this is my kind of place. Why didn’t you tell me this was here earlier Y/N? Trying to keep it all to yourself?” He raises his eyebrows suggestively and laughs. If you could slap yourself to bring you out of your daze, you would, but that would definitely give you away to the man looking at you through his lashes in his lounging position.

You shrug your shoulders and give a tip lipped smile in reply trying to hide the fact that had just been imagining him with his shirt off. “Um- Let’s move onto the next room, it’s getting a little stuffy in here,” Turning on your heel, you don’t even wait for him to get up before heading towards the door.

Taehyung sighs in disappointment of having to get up so soon, but makes a mental note that he’s going to have to spend way more time here. After exploring all the room has to offer and making sure there’s no mess from party goers, he follows you back out of the room. Taehyung closes the door behind him and gestures for you to lead the way once again.

“You were saying, Taehyung?” You implore, hopefully getting his mind back on track to his point of view from last night. There were so many things you wanted to know about what was going on in his mind before he had found you on the dance floor.

“What?” He questions from beside you, expression slightly puzzled.

Unfortunately, you can’t control your eye roll at his forgetfulness. “The rooster, Tae,”

“Oh! Yeah.. Something made me not want to dance anymore so I went to the kitchen to get some water and that’s when I noticed it wasn’t in its place,” He continues on with his story as you both round the corner to the big glass wall of the first floor much like the big glass wall on the second story with the balcony, but this one opened up to the massive backyard.

Pulling open the door, you both pop out on the ground level of the backyard of the mansion, the glistening outdoor pool in front of you reflecting the late afternoon sun. “I was in a panic. I looked around the room and realized I didn’t know anyone. Everywhere I looked was an unfamiliar face. Ew, god what is that?” Taehyung leans over the side of the pool to fish out what looks like a pair of men’s underwear from the water. His face twists in disgust as he tries to find a place to dispose of it. You point to where the trash can is underneath the outdoor bar, Taehyung understanding and quickly running over to throw it in there.

He makes his way back over to you where you are cleaning up some red solo cups from around the fire pit. “The worst part is, at that moment I knew that every single one of these people were at that party just because they wanted something from me. A job, a hookup, connections, money, power, you name it..”

As you pick up the last cup, Taehyung takes a seat on one of the lounge couches situated around the elaborate stone fire pit. You follow suit, opting to sit on your own chair instead of next to Taehyung on the large couch.

“I.. I didn’t know who else to go to.  Didn’t recognize or trust a single face until I saw you dancing with… dancing with him in the crowd.” His face contorts in a weird way at the mention of Jungkook. Even though Taehyung didn’t mention Jungkook’s name, his voice was still laced with clear anger. His calloused fingers pick up one of the lava rocks from the fire pit and fidgets with it. You hadn’t heard this tone of voice from him since before the party last night when he was still treating you terribly.

You think back to how he had separated your dancing partner away from you after barging through the crowd. He had barely even glanced at him.

“What’s wrong with Jungkook?” You question, trying to decipher why Taehyung’s demeanor changed to clear unhappiness with the mention of your latest hookup.  

“Well according to my label, nothing could ever be wrong with the ‘golden maknae’...” Taehyung pauses his fidgeting with the rock for a minute, looking up at you in your position across from him. The sudden eye contact startles you a bit but his next words come out softer. “Just know you could do better, Y/N,”

Was it just you or did Taehyung seem to be jealous of Jungkook? Was it because of you or for some other work related reason at his company? It was hard to tell, but from what you have seen of Jungkook yourself, he seemed like a pretty decent guy, and the rest of Hoseok’s friends seemed to like him too.

So what had happened between Taehyung and Jungkook to make Taehyung think so lowly of him?

Taehyung throws the lava rock back into the pit, signifying his thoughts of Jungkook were over and he finishes his story from last night, telling you that while he may have been slightly tipsy, he was thankful for your presence and help in his time of need. Well, not in so many words but that was the gist of what he was trying to tell you, you assumed. Conveniently though, he leaves out any type of mention to the almost kiss you both shared, and truthfully, you were relieved he didn’t try to bring it up again.

So you both sit there, conversation dying down for the first time since you started the tour. Enjoying the afternoon sun and the great view of the city below the hill Taehyung’s mansion sat perched upon.

Normally you would have been self conscious about not speaking while sitting across from Taehyung, but the silence was comfortable after talking almost nonstop with him all day. The only noise you could hear between the two of you was the distant sound of the waterfall coming from the pool and the sweet twittering of some birds in the bird bath that sat in the garden.

For a late September afternoon, the weather was actually quite nice. With the cool breeze bearable because of the warm sun rays shining above you. Not to mention the breathtaking view in front of you. The house behind you truly was a masterpiece, but this view of the city might just be better. So many people just living their normal everyday lives. So many strangers with their own stories, most you would never get the chance to be a part of.

Looking out as the sun finally sank to the horizon, you realized just how big this world was and just how many opportunities waited for you. A nice reminder of why you had left your parent’s home in the first place.

The boy next to you stared out into the world just like you, but did he view it the same way you did? When Taehyung looked out into the twilight, did he too see the freedom you saw? Or did he feel trapped, confined to his pedestal at the top of the hill, so close to the nameless people in the city below him, yet so far away?

“You shouldn’t be ashamed of what you’ve created here,” Your thoughts manifest into a confession of your own. The boy in question’s head turns to you at your words. So riddled with an unknown emotion that it almost stops you from continuing.

“Sure, majority of this house is filled with frivolous things that no normal person would actually need, but you’ve earned it Taehyung... All of it,” Your memory flashes with the many achievements you’ve seen him reach throughout your time being his fan. Though you hadn’t known him personally back then, you had always known his talents in singing and performing were worthy of the praise in which he was given by the public. 

Now that you were actually getting to see the inner workings of his beautiful, complicated mind, you could see that this boy, though maybe a little bit lost, was deserving of a life equally as beautiful as he was inside.

“You are talented, driven, self-made, and an inspiration to so many people,” You force yourself to continue even though Taehyung’s gaze is still intimidating to you, especially now that you are expressing your view of him to his face. “You deserve to enjoy yourself. You deserve a way to celebrate all you have accomplished through your own hard work,”  

His face was now gradually being lit up by the outdoor lighting system triggered by the sun’s decent. The last light next to him turning on causing a twinkle to appear in the dark irises of his eyes. The only sound was the crickets beginning to chirp into the night air.

His attention was fully on you and yours on him, just like you wanted. Because for some reason you needed him to know. And you needed him to understand. “You deserve a home, Taehyung,”

--------------------------------

The rest of the tour of the house is successful, and throughout the house there isn’t really any more messes except for a few more red cups here and there. Leading you to believe that only maybe 20 or so people had found their way downstairs and outside during the party. Which is pretty good considering the fiasco of last weekend’s party.

Ew. The memory of what you had to clean up after that mess sends a shiver down your spine.

“So I guess we’re all done down here! Let’s use the main staircase to get back up this time, I don’t feel like standing in a death trap with you trying to break it again,” You suggest to the boy next to you to avoid having to ride in the elevator again.

Taehyung laughs at your suggestion but follows you in the direction of the stairs anyway. It takes you a minute to get there but eventually you arrive at the focal point of the house, the giant marble staircase, and start your ascent to the main floor.

���After cleaning up today, I don’t think I could stand to have another party at my house for at least a year. Maybe even longer.” Taehyung chuckles to himself.

Wait- Are your ears failing you? Did he actually just say that?

“If there’s anything I’ve learned from today,” He continues. “It’s that it’s much more fun to trash someone else’s place than to have others trash yours,”

Suddenly you hold your arm out in front of Taehyung, stopping him from going any further up the marble staircase, almost making him trip, as you scrunch your face in a display of overwhelming emotion, making weeping noises and covering your eyes with your palms.

Taehyung’s hands are immediately on your forearm, offering you steady support so you don’t fall on your face on the stairs.  “Y/N? Are you ok?” His expression dropping from amusement to worry at your random outburst, eyes darting across your covered face trying to figure out what’s wrong with you. Did you stub your toe? Did he say something wrong? His eyes were on you the whole entire time, what could have happened to you?

“I’m just-” You start, words coming out like a weird cough. Taehyung gently takes your hands away from your face to reveal you with no tears and a smile fighting its way onto your features.

You took in Taehyung’s worried and quite confused expression in front of you. Oh his face was so cute right now! He looked like a little lost puppy! You couldn’t take it anymore, giggles bursting out of you. “So happy to hear you say I won’t have to clean up anymore of these huge messes! So happy I could cry!” 

“Oh my god,” Taehyung groans immediately, dropping your arms from his light hold but you can tell he’s trying not to laugh until he decides fuck it and laughs with you. “Ah so now you’ve got jokes. I didn’t know you were this funny, Y/n,”

Your grin doesn’t fade as the two of you continue your trek up the large staircase. “Well that’s because you never took the chance to get to know me,”

It’s true. Throughout the many useless conversations you had with Taehyung prior to last night, the only exchanges you two partook in were strictly boss to employee. Snarkily ordering you to do this or that, never thanking you or really ever even acknowledging you as a real person.

You were glad you were past that now. But Taehyung would still have to redeem himself from initially being a giant douchebag to you. Maybe you could convince him to buy you a new car to make up for his actions. Ooh! Or maybe that really expensive perfume you’ve been wanting!

That would have to wait though. Ultimately you decided to keep your mouth shut on those requests and save that ammo for a later date if he starts acting up again.

“Yeah I apologize for that. I just assumed you were…” His words trail off as if he didn’t want you to know what he was thinking.

“Assumed I was what?” You implore, trying to skip some steps in front of you to catch up to him. You couldn’t see his face, just his shoulders and the back of his head. Since his legs were longer, he was already getting to the top of the staircase. Meanwhile, you were out of breath and still a couple of steps away.

He shakes his head, mentally erasing the misguided, old image he had of you in his brain and turns to watch you take the last few steps up. “It’s not important. I was wrong to judge you so quickly and I- I’m sorry,”

Finally, you reach the top step, coming up to stand right in front of Taehyung.

“So is this officially a truce then?” You question. Your words hang in the air for a moment as Taehyung smirks down at you, a glint in his eyes.

“A truce? I didn’t even know we were at war,” His voice is low and teasing once more. The side eye that you had perfected in the past few months of working for him sneaks it’s way onto your face.

Hah. At war was the perfect label for what your relationship had started out as. Each little interaction with each other was a battle, both of you keeping tabs on who won each one. At who could get the last word out, stumping the other before one of you eventually gave up and stalked away in anger or distaste.

But that feeling was completely gone now. It had truly felt like you two broke new ground in the past day. And though you could sense Taehyung feels the same way, you needed reassurance that he was on the same page as you as well. “Oh shut up, you know what I mean,”

At your words, Taehyung smiles a true smile. One that reaches his eyes. One that you can feel the sincerity of. So you smile back too.

“Yes,” He says matter of factly and holds his slender hand out between the two of you. “Truce,”

His hand was once again in yours after maybe only an hour or two since the last time it had found its way there in the kitchen before you had started your house warming tour. There was a noticeable difference in size as his massive hand basically enveloped yours entirely but it didn’t feel out of place there. His hand was warm and his mahogany eyes that were trained on you were even warmer.

‘There’s a great guy underneath that front he puts on for everyone’ Hoseok had claimed to you over the phone the day you first met Taehyung. At the time you couldn’t imagine him to be any more than an entitled, self-absorbed, dick but now the affection your cousin had for the boy in front of you had finally made sense. Guess that means you could finally trust Hobi on his friend choices again.

You couldn’t get Hobi’s words out of your head as you admired the man in front of you. His hair was that stupid lemonade pink and yellow color combo complete with that big headband, and he was dressed in those dumb Gucci sweats with no makeup on. Absolutely no trace of an award winning mega huge pop star to be found, just Taehyung being fully himself.  

Not just without makeup. No, it was more than that. 

He just seemed open. And... Free. Today he had shown himself as he truthfully was to you, and you wondered just how many people got to see this side of him. And how did you get so lucky to be one of those people?  

“Ahem,” A low voice erupts from the foyer in front of you, the sudden voice sends a shock of fear through you as you whip your head in the direction of the unknown presence. At the sight of the tall, handsome man stood at the front door, you turn back to Taehyung who’s eyes were still on you, almost bumping his nose with yours due to the proximity of his face.

When did you get so close to him? You were practically on top of him! 

Immediately you drop his hand and back up to a safe, platonic distance away. You didn’t realize how close the two of you had been standing at the top of the stairs. Had you subconsciously been pulled towards him? Because you definitely don’t remember stepping towards him voluntarily. Taehyung hadn’t seemed to mind, but to the producer it might have seemed like he was interrupting something… more than what it actually was.

Namjoon stood authoritatively, his demeanor much different than to how he was last night. You could still picture him upside down on the keg stand, a crowd around him cheering him on. Actually, you didn’t have to imagine it since you were pretty sure you had an actual physical picture of it on your phone.

If it weren’t for the stern look on his face, you would have laughed at the image in your brain, but there was nothing but tension in the air as the three of you stood silent in the large foyer.

“Taehyung,” He straightened his coat, eyes trained on the boy who was still only looking at you. “We need to talk,”

<-- Previous Chapter | Next Chapter -->

[sugagimmesugar]

Only Fools Fall for You Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Both. RM and Namjoon. 

Chapter. 1 2 3 4 5 6 (In Progress)

“Why are you laughing?”,she asks, confused by his reaction.

His face drops, unsure whether to tell the girl he just met about RapMonster. Why can’t he just be Namjoon for a day? A few seconds of silence as he struggles to decide who to be today…..

Both. Both Namjoon and RM.

“ Actually, that’s me, I am RM. I am kind of on holiday right now, at least I have the whole day today and until tomorrow at 12 off, but in general I am in town for almost a week cause my band is playing some shows here. I was trying to be just Namjoon today but… I am RM too. Thanks for the compliment by the way, nobody’s ever recommended my own music to me.” He shoots her a shy smile, taking in her shocked reaction. Seconds later her expression changes to a mocking grin.

“Yea sure. Hozier my old buddy just popped by last week. I should really start a wall of fame in this place, with all these international celebrities dropping by all the time.” She rolls her eyes at him and leaves him sitting at the bar alone.

With a sigh, Namjoon takes out his phone, opening Spotify and starting up a playlist. “only fools fall for you” he hadn’t missed everything from her recommended album after all. While fixing a playlist he was lost in thought. He really liked this girl, hopefully he didn’t scare her away. Suddenly he comes to a solution, how he can easily convince her that he isn’t just some dickhead being cocky. He quickly checks with his manger, who reluctantly agrees.

A few minutes later, she returns, an annoyed expression on her face.

“Show me your music then, RM.”, she says, dragging out his name in a mocking manner and looking him straight in the eye.

“I am working on a proper playlist right now. But, I actually have a little, well, lets say a proposal for you.” He smirks, taking in her surprised and questioning expression. “How about, I repay you for this coffee tonight? As in, I buy you a drink. And we actually talk a bit. If you end up liking me and we enjoy each others company as much as I think we could… I fixed a backstage pass for the show tomorrow for you. It’s just an opportunity, I don’t wanna push anything on you. I just think you could have a fun night out.” She is looking shocked… again… So after a few seconds of awkward silence he decides to get back to the most important thing: “...Please, show me some more of your music! I’m really liking it so far.”, he laughs. He can see her processing what he just said. He cant help but smile at her overwhelmed look.

She shakes her head, a cautious smile on her lips, and turns to help some customers who just entered the store.

As he picks up his phone again he sees it blowing up.

*BTS GroupChat*

Hobi: RM youre bringing a girl tomorrow?

Jin: When did you meet a girl?

Jin: You havent even been out that long? Why bring her to the concert already?

JK: oooh hyung met a girl!

JK: Is she cute?

JK:  Is it a date?

JK: Send a pic!

Joon: I met her today, we are getting along great and she doesnt believe me that I am   RM so I decided to prove it to her. Also maybe its a date? We will see! She hasnt even said yes yet…..

Hobi: She hasnt even said yes yet? Well done, bro.

RM: JK I cant just take a picture of her, thats creepy.

Suga: why are you guys blowing up my phone like this? let rm try to get some swedish ass and let me nap.

V: *pic of him and Jimin doing the finger heart* cheering for u hyung!

He laughs, everybody is reacting as expected.

Getting back to the playlist he finally decides to add some BTS songs. Why not brag and prepare her for tomorrow night? He keeps on adding to the list, waiting for her to return.

“Wow, how many “favourites” do you have?” he almost jumps at the voice suddenly right behind him.

“You didn’t tell me there was a maximum number of songs allowed. I am making a playlist, putting in everything I like that you might like as well.” he turns around, facing her with a smile.

“I guess that’s valid…. But there’s no way I can listen to all that before our drink later. How ‘bout a top ten? And show me some of your band’s stuff, I wanna know what kinda concert I’m committing to before I say yes to you, stranger.” she laughs, picking up his empty coffee and putting down a notepad in front of him. “Write me a top ten list of songs you recommend by your band and some other stuff. I’ll put it on here at the store and then we can see what i decide.” she turns to leave with a wink.

He grabs her arm: “Wait, you believe me all of a sudden?”

“First of all, you can’t just grab me like that, I am still theoretically at work, even though there isn’t much to do. Secondly, I googled you, dumbass. Can’t really deny that you have the same face as RM… So I believe you. Its fucking weird, yes, but I guess the dude who’s album I have been spamming for days somehow found his way to me.” Another wink and she leaves him to sit alone… again.

A top ten list, with songs to convince her to come to the concert tomorrow? That’s surprisingly much pressure.

Eternal Sunshine by Epik High

Midsummer Madness by 88rising

So Far Away by Agust D

I can give you heaven by HONNE

U by HER

Personal by Kehlani

Make it Right by BTS

Spring Day by BTS

Baepsae by BTS

Mikrokosmos by BTS

It takes him a while but eventually he finds a way to narrow it down to 10 songs. Some of his general favourites but through the view of what y/n could like.

With a broad, dimpled grin, he waves her over. She just throws up a peace sign and nods, acknowledging his wave. A few minutes later she saunters over, two coffees in her hands.

“Thought we could both use some more caffeine, RapMonster.” she says with a small giggle. He flinches and she quickly continues “Anyways, I am ready for your list! I saw you redo it so many times I was afraid you weren’t gonna finish it today. So, hand it over and I will put it on. Any special order or just any of them? Is it a ranking?”

“Ok, so it’s not a ranking or anything, just the 10 songs I decided fit your taste best, or at least I hope so. BTS, as you know, is the group I am part of, so you can take those last. Agust D is one of the other members in the group and the song is from his solo-mixtape. Since you liked mine so much I thought you might like his stuff, too. Other than that it’s some friends of mine and general songs I jam to myself. I hope you like it.” He hands her the notepad, his 4 earlier drafts already in the trashcan closest to him. She takes it and smiles: “Oh, Kehlani! I love her! Let me just queue these and then I will be right back for the coffee.”

The two sit and drink coffee while the music plays, only occasionally interrupting the listening silence for some lyric explanations.

With the time being close to closing time, the store is empty once again, and unbothered by customers, y/n has slowly started swaying and occasionally dancing along to the music, fixing small things around the store or just dancing up and down behind the bar, just going along with the music. When “Make it Right” starts, she is fixing the last small things behind the bar. He can see her really jamming to the music and it makes him smile, he knows that ARMY loves the song and he has seen the stats and all that, but it’s something different to see someone in front of you, in such a casual way, just enjoying themselves and your music.

** Oh, oh, I can make it Right**

As the chorus hits, she is just grinning at him, dancing around him and actually singing along to it, messily since she doesn’t know the lyrics but still. A bright smile lights up his face at the view, as he watches her move through the room, putting away their mugs and lastly going to get her stuff, getting ready to leave. She emerges with a leather jacket over her arm and a bag on her shoulder. As the last notes of “Make it Right” are sounding out, she hits the pause button.

“Sorry, I’m gonna have to stop this here. I gotta lock up now so we gotta get going. Is it chill if we head to pub right away? I need to eat something before I can let you buy me a drink. I know a nice small place close to here, I doubt any of your fans would go there, so you don’t have to worry about getting recognized.” She shoots him an apologetic look as she turns off everything at the register. He gets up and gets ready to leave, waiting for her just outside the shop.

“Lead the way, you’re the local. I’ll eat anything and to be honest I am not picky with pubs, I would just prefer not to cause a scandal tonight by getting photographed at a pub with a girl.”

She laughs, “Oh god yea that would be bad. It’s just this way. Let’s go!”

[btskismet]

Kismet (Chapter 10): A BTS Jin imagines fanfic

First ever fanfic. Contains fluff and some smut. Please read sequentially as it is a long story arc. Please provide feedback! My IG is btskismet.

1330. The shinkansen and train rides for 6 hours wore them out that much to make them sink into the bed at Hotel Sonia Otaru that afternoon. They both gave out a large sigh when they lay on top of the bed. The trip was beautiful and scenic from Aomori to Otaru, especially when the train was close to the seashore and the sea stretched out from the side of the train before the port city of Otaru came into view.

However, it was slightly stressful from Sapporo to Otaru. They didn't expect that there would be many people at Sapporo station, given that it was a Tuesday morning but there seemed to be a rush of people leaving to get to the airport.

Seokjin turned to her and started to move his hands across her body. She looked at him curiously. "Hmmm... ", she sighed. She gave him a soft peck on the nose when he moved up to face her. "I propose we stay in for now. This room looks so stately and refined and..." She was at a loss on the next word to describe the room.

"French?", Seokjin said as he lied flat on his back beside her, looking at the ceiling with her and noticing the gold chandelier she was looking at.

She smiled and said, "I didn't want to come off as too obvious but yes, French. Young, modern French. Not old, stuffy French."

"Neoneun wanjeon gwiyeowo!", she heard Seokjin say to her. It took her a couple of seconds to realize that she didn't get the translation to what he said and blurted out to him what did you say in English.

Seokjin's face looked confused and he realized too that he didn't get the translation. They both took their earpieces off and placed them on the bedside table as she took out the translator device and charged it.

They lied down again in the bed in silence. She ran through her head how important that device was to them. At any given time it had to be fully charged, they would have 30 minutes of silence together. This usually happened during the shinkansen trips wherein she would charge it and they would be asleep or using their phones. But she forgot to do so on their ride from Aomori to Otaru as they were constantly chatting about the places they would visit. Since they had 3 days to spare before they would separate, they discussed what they each wanted to do and what they can do together.

It felt a little awkward not saying anything as she knew they both depended on the translator. She was waiting for Seokjin to get his phone to play his games or listen to music but he didn't. Instead, he slid his arm under her head and cuddled her.

"I love you.", he said in English.

She knew that's how she felt about him too but she was a little scared to say it. What will happen on their last day? She would have to go back home and he would have to go back to SoKor. It made her really emotional thinking about it.

"I love you too, Seokjin. I'm scared to lose you though.", she admitted. Tears started trickling down her cheeks.

His fingers wiped away her tears. "Don't cry. I am here.", he said.

Seokjin then gave her a soft kiss. She was trying her best not to think of their last day. They were having so much fun together. Their travels were difficult but it showed them that they can rely on each other. Trips like these usually test couples to see if they could get along throughout the trip or tick each other off. The fact they were still smiling and alive proved to her they could go through even longer trips and more.

She experienced being with the real Seokjin: a crazy, goofy man who was also intense and sometimes stubborn and impatient yet nurturing and dependable. She thought he could do no wrong but his impatience and somewhat commanding aura, especially when he wanted something, irritated her sometimes.

He was so different from how he is onstage and she felt honored to know him this well. Then again, he felt somewhat familiar to her too so her adjustment to him wasn't so difficult.

He stopped kissing her to look at her. "No cry anymore, ok?", he said. She nodded and smiled at him. He smiled and closed his eyes and went back to kissing her.

In the number of times he kissed her, he was either so intense or passionate. But today, he was gentle with her.

He started making out with her on the bed, kissing her softly and breaking off from the kiss to lightly peck her eyelids, her forehead and neck. She felt a wave of calmness as he started to hug her tighter and continued to slowly kiss her lips and bury his face on her neck and cheek.

Seokjin took a deep whiff of her scent and said, "I will not forget...", and continued to bury his face onto her neck and shoulder.

"Me too...", she whispered, bringing him closer to her, as she etched into her memory that moment of their embrace.

~~~~~

A few travel blogs mention that it is best not to travel to Otaru in November. Otaru is known for being a picturesque city when blanketed in snow. So, the absence of snow makes the town pretty but not as Instagram worthy as how it would be if it was winter.

This was one of the reasons she chose this place as the destination for their trip instead of Sapporo. People would still flock to the city if they were interested to look at the quaint, historical buildings around but the snow is the biggest draw. Though Otaru would be chilly during Autumn, it may snow or not. As expected, there were less crowds today which allowed Seokjin and her to walk with ease and without masks.

She was happy that Seokjin was interested to see most of the architecture and was eager to visit the music box museum. She had to bargain this destination initially with him but after he saw the photos, he was sold. The Mt. Tengu ropeway is still a place they had to discuss about if they have time to go there the next day. He also had to decide if they would still go fishing at Shakotan sea on their last day or just go through the beer and sake tasting. JHope and their manager would be flying in to Sapporo in the afternoon so he wasn't sure if it was best to meet them right away when they arrive or not. Either way, Seokjin had to decide soon so they could book the fishing trip if ever.

They rented a car this time so they could go to places faster. Since Seokjin had a license, he also thought it would be the best time for him to drive without any of the members scolding him. "Yoongi thinks I'm too brazen as a driver. Not really paying attention to the road."

"I think I remember this. He was scolding you when you were driving around Malta for the missions.", she said.

He started laughing hard and nodded. "Ahh, Yoongi was nervous but he was trying to act cool about it. He couldn't complain so much on camera."

As they were approaching the car, Seokjin asked, "You also wanted to visit that temple, right?"

"Shrine and temple. Please?", she said sweetly. She was referring to the Suitengu shrine that had 100 steps to the top with a beautiful view of the sea and the Tenjoji temple, which was close to Sakamichi shopping street.

"Let's choose one. Honestly, I'm not too keen about the 100 steps to that shrine. It'll tire us out too much!", Seokjin exclaimed.

She said a soft aawww ok as a response. "What is it with you and these temples? You really like going to them a lot.", he asked as he was starting the car.

"Well, during my solo trip to Kyoto, I went to almost all the shrines and temples I could visit and prayed. I'm not really a religious person though I'm Catholic. But I prayed and wished for the same thing in each of these shrines and temples and my wish came true. Since then, I try to visit as many as I can. Plus, I like how soothing it is to go to one and just unload all your negativity there because you feel calmer after."

Seokjin was nodding as she shared, making sure to follow the GPS on his phone to the Otaru Shukutsu Panorama Observation Deck. "Ok, but your last visit wasn't so peaceful."

"Yes. I'd like to treat that as an exception. I hope we can leave at that.", she said quietly, not really wanting to discuss it further.

Seokjin stopped at a red light and looked at her. He reached out for her hand and squeezed it before driving forward when the light turned green.

~~~~~

The Otaru Observation Deck is 70 meters above sea level and has a beautiful view of the Sea of Japan. Hotels Neuschloss is right brside the deck and it was one of the hotels she was eyeing for their trip. Unfortunately, it was fully booked for their dates. So, a trip to the deck was the closest thing to do to enjoy the view.

The hotel, the Otaru Aquarium and lighthouse could be seen on the deck but the seaview is the reason people go up there. It stretched out as far as the eye can see and its blue water had a similar color as the blue sky, as if they were connected as a seamless piece of blue cloth.

Seokjin placed his arm on her shoulders and pulled her close. They stood on the deck, admiring the sight silently, listening to the waves, the sounds of people from afar and the birds around the cliff.

She looked at him and saw his eyes were closed, breathing in the salty, fresh air. "I'm glad you're here with me to see this.", she said. "I was close to doing this alone but I'm happy I'm not."

He looked at her and smiled, "I wouldn't even be here if I didn't meet you. I wouldn't even think of doing this. You made me experience a lot of things these past few days. I'm grateful."

"Didn't you ever travel a lot before being a part of BTS?", she asked.

"Well, when I studied in Australia, I got to visit a couple of places. Also a few areas in my country. I travelled with my Dad to other countries during his business trips but I was younger then so I don't remember everything. But the most amount of travelling I've done that I really remember is with BTS.", he shared. "I like staying at home, I guess. But it's great to travel without so many people telling you where to go and what to do. I like it that you asked me what I want in this trip and we did them. It felt... refreshing."

She smiled. "I could put up my own travel agency then. So glad that you are a satisfied customer."

He laughed and hugged her. It was heartwarming to know he was enjoying the trip. She worried about the commute, the room and everything else. Knowing he would remember this as a happy vacation made her feel content.

"Ok, so I am getting really hungry . Where are we going to get some food?", Seokjin asked, rubbing his tummy.

She smiled slyly and said, "Are you up for some all-you-can-eat buffet? There's a buffet restaurant near the canal that serves lobster."

Seokjin's eyes grew wide and he took her hand to walk her back to the car. She was laughing all the way as he dragged her quickly and kept asking her to hurry.

--- to be continued ---

[jimin-bangtan]

BTS’s Solo Chapter - Part 7 (Continued)

NOTE: This post is mainly a documentation of 2024+ events as I saw them. Forgetting that I had already written about some of these events in my last solo era summary, I repeated some events before adding updates to them. HOWEVER, this version also has more details & links (official, of course) included. If you’d rather skip the review, consider skipping to the end of this part 7 and the next Part 8 for my overall thoughts about the solo era events, although some thoughts are included throughout the entire piece. I decided to post it as is in spite of the overlap. My apologies, but enjoy. 

*Part 7 includes Jin, JK, V, & JHope’s 2024+ summaries.  Suga, RM, & Jimin’s summaries as well as my overall thoughts are in the next Part 8 of this series.

INTRO

Wow. I really did not expect to have another very full cycle of BTS's solo efforts before they returned. However, it does make sense since 6 of the 7 members had already released solo albums before enlistment. Even Jin, who left early, was able to release a solo collaboration song before entering the military. (Fans knew they'd have to wait until his return before receiving his complete solo album.) So there was still the entire 18 months ahead to fill before they could all be back together again. And fill it they did.

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*Not in the order of release

Seokjin (Jin) didn't have time to complete much material to be used in his absence. He did film a video for each month of his absence to speak directly to fans for any holiday or event occurring in the month or just to say hello. We also saw him in occasional photos or events in the military or when he was on leave. For example, he and JHope attended one of Suga's encore shows while on leave. They could not participate in any way due to military restrictions, but they were happily acknowledged in the audience.

Once released from the military, Jin immediately got to work. He signed numerous luxury ambassador deals. He began filming the Run Jin [playlist] activity series. He also immediately did a showcase for Festa 2024 and to reunite with fans. At the showcase he committed to, and did, hug 1,000 fans. He sang songs and did extremely well with what he called a rusty voice. He sounded great.

In a few short months he released his first solo album, Happy [playlist]. It was a 6-song, pop rock (EP) album. His vocals sounded strong and well-suited for the songs, many of which he had co-written and co-composed. The theme was, in fact, about being happy or at least seeking happiness. The style was refreshing and surprisingly different from any of the other members' work. Jin again successfully found his own niche within the crowded group of 7.

In addition to all of the usual promotional materials such as videos, behind the scenes sketches, a pop-up location, and remixes [playlist], Jin also had 2 days of live showcases, which was broadcast for free on the WeVerse platform. One of his collaborators, Wendy from Red Velvet, did show up to perform their duet song, Heart on the Window. He also released a collaboration for a remix of his song, Falling, with Taka, a Japanese Rock singer. This version would have fit well on the album, since both versions are equally good.

In addition to his album, which performed well on charts, especially in Japan where it reached platinum certification, Jin also released a longer, updated version of his classic SuperTuna song as well as an OST called Close To You for a film.

Presently, in addition to fulfilling ambassadorship obligations, Jin is still releasing RunJin episodes and is starring in the NetFlix variety show Kian’s Bizarre B&B.

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Jung Kook (JK) released a fan song, Never Let Go, for the 2024 Festa celebration. Since it was released at Festa, it was expected to be for the BTS fandom, but a sloppily written announcement stated it was for only JK's fans, which JK politely corrected. JK also explained to fans that he wanted to leave a dance video with it, but he ran out of time before enlistment. Fans can likely look forward to that dance performance when he returns.

Since JK was the last to release his solo album before leaving, the promotions were somewhat still continuing in 2024 with the release of his album's documentary, I Am Still [playlist], which was globally played in movie theatres. It was later also put on Disney+. Like his album, the documentary was well received and successful in South Korea and overseas, in both theaters and on Disney+.

JK's traveling exhibition, GOLDEN: The Moments, is still making its ways around the world. It is next to open in New York, U.S.A in the coming days. The exhibit displays and celebrates his wardrobe, pictures, and awards from the GOLDEN and solo era.

While speaking of traveling, JK filmed a travel series with Jimin, (Are You Sure?!), where they took time to have fun and make memories before enlisting in the military. They visited multiple countries, showcasing multiple meals and activities.

Finally, JK’s Jung Kook brand was registered as an international trademark. Before leaving he wore an earring in the shape of the brand symbol, which looks like his JK initials in cursive.  There will likely be many products promoted with his brand that can serve to expand his wealth and his musical reach. 

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After Taehyung’s (V) solo album debut, he released several successful singles, all 3 which made the Hot100 chart. Fri(end)s was the first to be released with a theatrical-looking and surprising video. The song was a well-produced ballad with the vocal layering and adlibs BTS fans are accustomed to hearing in their songs. It showed V's vocal ability and range well.

The video was a new direction for the veteran idol group. V included multi-dimensional representation of gender, sexuality, age, and race in the video. He had a love interest, who at one point was in bed with him. The promotions were also very interesting and creative. V did a few live performances as well as filmed friends’ and colleagues’ reactions while watching the surprising video, since he wouldn't be there for the viewings. Some of the friends were celebrities so the reaction videos served as fun promotional draws as well.

The Fri(end)s video was done in a cinematic style that V would also provide and appear in for his next releases. Yes, V surprised all by appearing in well-known Korean singer/actress IU's video Love Wins All. He had no speaking lines, nor sang in the song, but his acting was convincing and impressive. He also appeared as a love interest in the story.

At Christmas, V released a duet with the late American singer Bing Crosby to the holiday classic White Christmas, which broke historical Jazz streaming records. This duet was done at the request of Bing Crosby's family and estate. V's final release at this time was Winter Ahead, a duet he sang with his friend, Park Hyo Shin. The video was another creative masterpiece with cinematic quality. This song was another Jazz style song, which is one of V's favorite genres.

At the time of this writing, V has yet to release a documentary about the making of his album. It may be that he chose instead to put out 2 photo albums instead: Type 1 and Rêvé. These photos show V in various locations and moods. The first photobook had a traveling exhibition to display the photographic creations. It is unclear if a documentary will be released as well.

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Hoseok (JHope), who presently is on his international solo concert tour (!), also previously released another solo EP album in 2024. Hope on the Street, Vol.1 [playlist] was released with a variety of dance-themed songs along with surprising collaborators. The most surprising was JK from his own group, but J.Cole, Gaeko, Yoonmirae, Huh YunJin of Le Sserafim, Benny Blanco and Nile Rodgers also appeared.

An impressive part of the album release was the accompanying Hope On The Street docu-series [playlist] that showed JHope traveling the world to dance with and speak with dancers who influenced different styles of street dancing. In each location with each guest, JHope learned and performed dances that matched the style of a song on the new album: Popping, Locking, House, etc. It was very well filmed, and it showed JHope's passion for and skill at street dancing.

The most touching part was that he traveled with another dancer and ended up with the dance group, Neuron, with whom he first began his dancing education and exploration. They were so proud of Hoseok, as they called JHope back then, and reminisced on the person they knew so long ago. They were impressed, but not surprised, about how far JHope had succeeded with the dancing that they all loved. He touchingly invited them on the tour as his closing act, at least for the Seoul shows he has already completed.

Before JHope’s tour began, but almost as a kick off for his already sold out concerts, he did a charity event in Paris that was a huge success.  He expressed that he got a lot of motivation and confidence from the fans’ attendance and reaction to his performance. He plans to conclude his solo period by book-ending the tour with another independent show by doing a 2nd Lollapalooza stage in Europe once his tour is completed. Ironically, his very first solo performance was the record-breaking, headlining stage at the U.S Lollapalooza in 2022.

Instead of another album JHope chose to release a few singles as he travels from region to region for his tour.  To promote the concert and the songs, he has been releasing entertaining WeVerse & TikTok posts and doing informative and entertaining Lives. The 2 songs released so far Sweet Dreams (Korea debut) and Mona Lisa (North American debut) have achieved Billboard Hot100 placements. Both have allowed JHope to explore new genres and new, more adult themes that show more sides of JHope as an artist and person.

Throughout JHope’s tour and promotional activities, he is also representing his Louis Vouiton ambassadorship brand well, looking very stylish in the different situations we have seen.  His style also matches the newly-released song, in which he featured with Don Toliver and Pharrell Williams, called LV Bag. 

JHope just successfully completed the North American leg of his tour, where he received rave reviews from fans and the media for his sold out performances. He became the first Korean soloist to sell out a stadium in the U.S.  He is now on his way to Asia where fans are excitedly awaiting their turn to witness JHope’s outstanding show.

OUTRO

This solo period has been a time for BTS members to explore and investigate. Whether you like the chosen music or not or whether you like the reasons for their attempting new styles, it is a great opportunity for artists to have the courage and interest to investigate new choices for themselves. In my opinion, their fans ought to support and encourage this exploration. This period hopefully has allowed the members to freely stretch their boundaries in order to minimize any fears in working with different people, in different countries, in different genres, and even in different languages.  These efforts will help them discover more about themselves as humans and musicians. It will help them determine what works or doesn’t work for them in the future.  

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The 2nd leg of the solo era had so much material that I needed another post to complete it.

Continued in Solo Chapter Part 8: Suga, Jimin, and RM

[jimin-bangtan]

🧡💛 MASTERLIST #1 💛🧡 ** Chapters 1 & 2 **

These 3 sections are links to my own written posts.

All of the underlined items are clickable links.

These links and other items, such as reposts and photos, can be found on my Jimin-Bangtan Archive Page in calendar form.

See my BTS Official Content and Social Media Links: COMPANY PAGE A and MEMBERS' PAGE B for new fans and for quick reference to official music, events, activities for the company & members.

⭐JIMIN⭐ #JiminsDanceTime Clips (Promo BTS dance medleys) Pre- & Post- Release of FACE (1st solo album) thoughts After Promos for FACE (1st solo album): My thoughts My thoughts about Jimin's LETTER (hidden track) The Significance of Jimin's Achievements Jimin's FACE EP - 1 Billion Spotify Streams🎉 Chameleon Park Jimin Part 1 (Jimin BTS "Biography") Chameleon Park Jimin Part 2 Chameleon Park Jimin Part 3 Chameleon Park Jimin Part 4 As Information Unfolds Jimin's Production Diary Documentary Jimin Breaks Glass Ceiling? REPOST WITH ADD Jimin //\\//\\// Military Duty #ThisIsJimin dance clips Closer Than This Thoughts Closer Than This MORE Thoughts 

Jimin & Bangtan7 2024 Chameleon Park Jimin: Your Filter - Afterthoughts LIKE CRAZY, Jazzy Version: Vocal Review LIKE CRAZY, Jazzy Version: Performance Jimin's Tattoos REPOST WITH ADD Jimin's Thorns & Studs REPOST WITH ADD Jimin's SGMB - The Comedy 🌺 MUSE, Jimin’s 2nd solo album: My Thoughts How Did I 1st Notice "JiKook"? 🤔 (Re: "Are You Sure?") WHO, Acoustic Version: Vocal Analysis Video Jimin's MUSE EP - 1 Billion Spotify Streams🎉 Jimin, A Man of Messaging📝 REPOST WITH ADD WeVerse Magazine Articles About Jimin Jimin's Daesang Win -> SMF, Pt.2 Connection Jimin's FACE and MUSE or FACE vs. MUSE

Jimin & Bangtan7 2025 🎊 Chameleon Park Jimin Part 5 ("Biography") Continued Chameleon Park Jimin Part 6 Chameleon Park Jimin Part 7 Chameleon Park Jimin Part 8 Chameleon Park Jimin Part 9 Jimin's LETTER (Dear.Army): Vocal Review What are Jimin's New Dreams? REPOST WITH ADD Jimin With Vogue in New York City Reaction Videos: Jimin's Set Me Free, Pt.2 PDogg called it -> Jimin's Impact on KPop Jimin: Unlikely Hero video - Jimin's Impact follow up The Grit and Persistence of Jimin & His Fans Jimin's Back Home!

💜BTS💜 Cheers to the Whole Gang - Part 1 (Hyung Line) Cheers to the Whole Gang - Part 2 (Maknae Line) Cheers to the Whole Gang - uncut (Maknae Line) BTS Solo Chapter - Part 1 BTS Solo Chapter - Part 2 BTS Solo Chapter - Part 3 BTS Solo Chapter - Part 4 My BTS Solo Chapter WISHLIST 1.0 - BONUS My BTS Experience - Part 1 (How I came to know BTS) My BTS Experience - Part 2 A BTS Chapter 3 Idea REPOST WITH ADD My Bangtan Love (Things I love about each member) BTS Solo Chapter - Part 5 (Continued?) BTS Solo Chapter - Part 6 My BTS Solo Chapter WISHLIST 2.0 - UPDATED BTS Solo Chapter - Part 7 (Continued) BTS Solo Chapter - Part 8 BTS's Permission to Dance > re-imagined BTS's Long Overdue Conversation ⏰ The Boys Are Back In Town! 💥🔥💥🔥 B.U.L.L.E.T.P.R.O.O.F.

🌠MISCELLANEOUS🌠 Selective Hypocrisy BTS Fandom As Information Unfolds BTS Official AUDIO Pages BTS Official Solo Albums VIDEO Pages Official BangtanTV folder highlight: BTS Episode BTS Discography Highlight: iBigHit.com Did you know...BTS Content not on BigHit's page? Official BTS Content: BangtanTV Playlists page BangtanTV YouTube Highlight: Releases BTS Official Paid Content: WeVerse Platform

***Colors are random, just to break up the visuals. ***

[jimin-bangtan]

BTS’s Solo Chapter CONTINUED? - Part 5

BTS’s solo chapter just gets richer and richer. It feels like at least 5 years ago since the Festa 2022 dinner, where BTS announced the forced hiatus and solo period we are now experiencing. Fans had no idea what to expect.  Not only have the fans been stunned by the planning, preparation, and products BTS has revealed, but the general public and especially the KPop industry were blown away. Every one of us is watching in awe at what else Bangtan could possibly have in store.

No other group, who was forced to pause their careers in order to serve military duty, has managed their absence like BTS. There has been so much released, and still to come, before all 7 members return from their military service. As a result, I have now needed to write a follow up to my original solo chapter posts. The question mark in the title indicates my surprise in having to continue the series with so much content that I had to divide this current update into 2 parts (See the continuation in part 6.). 

Once all the members had put out solo albums and projects, I thought we were pretty much done with major content until Jin’s return. If you recall, all members, including Jin, had already put out solo material prior to enlistment. However, since Jin was the first to leave, he only had time to release a collaborative song with the group Coldplay. Fans understood that Jin would present his full album when he returned. He mentioned during the Festa 2022 dinner that he was already working on songs (1 minute) before he left, so when he was discharged, he would just have to finish up his album. He didn’t rush to slap an album together as some have suggested. Jin returned in June 2024, and as it turns out, his album will be released in November of the same year!  (At the time of this writing, Jin and JHope have returned from their duty.  June of 2025 is when the remaining 5 will be discharged.) 

BTS is also the first group in history to have all members of their group, all 7, to have successful solo projects, where all 7 have sold 1 million units of their work. Their achievements as soloists have been historic, while the group continues to reach historic heights as well. During the hiatus, they have become  the first group in history to have 123 songs with over 100 million streams on Spotify. They were included in the top 25 greatest pop stars of the 21st century by Billboard. They are the first K-Pop act to have multiple songs sell over 5 million units in the U.S. And they are the first Asian act and only group to ever surpass 40 billion streams on Spotify. So while the K-Pop industry expected BTS’s aura and influence to diminish while they were gone (so they could have an opportunity to top the charts and win awards), BTS’s soloists maintained the quality and success that helped BTS continue to distance themselves from the rest. Their historic legacy is firmly in place no matter what they do from here on out.

Do you really think music industry domination would be enough for BTS? Not a chance. A worldwide pandemic didn’t slow down their growth and achievements, and now they continue to thrive and grow - even in their temporary absence. The solo period still has legs (strength and time), so I may end up having to do another solo chapter summary for the 3rd phase of their solo period.  For now, I wanted to update what has happened since I last wrote.

WHAT CAME NEXT?

I am actually shocked to say that after all members rolled out their first solo work, members began releasing their 2nd round of solo projects. This feat was even more shocking because by this time all 7 members had enlisted and were serving in the military. So far Jimin, JHope, and RM all released 2nd albums!! Considering RM had prior solo experience with mixtapes, he released a full LP album in the first phase then released another full LP the 2nd time around. JHope, who had released an LP the first time, and Jimin, who had no prior solo or rollout experience and released an EP album in the first phase, both released EPs the 2nd time.

While being in the military, unable to actively promote their work, neither in person nor via social media due to military restrictions, JHope, RM, and Jimin had left enough promotional material behind to support the rollout in their absence. The company may have reflected on the initial unbalanced promotional support for the members and realized how badly the first promotional neglect looked and how it also impacted outcomes. Jimin and RM definitely had better promotional periods in phase 2 than they had for their first albums. And as a result, both of these 2nd albums performed exceptionally better than their first.   

Here is a brief description of the 2nd wave of successful BTS solo activities:

V released a single called Fri(end)s (playlist) that has a very entertaining video, where he ended up being the first BTS member shown in bed with a romantic interest. He used a clever promotional tactic, where he had friends and other idols record reaction videos of them watching his music video. Fri(end)s became V’s highest debuting solo song on the Hot100 chart. V also performed a dramatic, silent, acting feature as a love interest in IUs music video, Love Wins All. It shocked & delighted fans of both artists and definitely opened the door for more acting possibilities when V returns. In addition, V released a photobook, called Type1, that was promoted with a traveling exhibition (Artspace: Type1 [fan visit]), showing very artistic photos of V in attractive settings. V also made a guest appearance on Jimin and Jung Kook’s travel series, Are you Sure?! (playlist).

Some fans were disappointed that JHope didn’t dance more with his first solo project. He had said he wanted people to focus on the music and message more than his dancing that time. He also may have known he had plenty of dancing stored up for his 2nd album, Hope on the Street, Vol.1 (playlist). Along with the album, an intricate docuseries (Hope on the Street [playlist]) was released, which showcased modern street dancing styles (popping, locking, house, etc.) each which connected to a song on the album. For the docuseries, JHope traveled to different global locations and danced with and spoke to dancers who impacted him and/or the given dance genres. The documentary also showed JHope’s process of recording the songs, including the people who featured or collaborated on the music. For phase 1, fans had also wished that BTS had worked more with other BTS members, so a nice surprise was that JK was one of JHope’s featured artists.

Even though Suga has been characteristically quiet as far as new material and communication, even he had a phase 2 solo item to present. A film of his D-Day concerts was released to theaters globally and on DVD. People who didn’t get to go see his exciting, well done concerts in person were able to join many, who went and couldn’t get enough, to see his concert on the big screen and on DVDs.

Jimin originally planned to release all of his solo music for both albums together as one LP, but the tones of each set of songs was so different that they decided to release them separately as 2 smaller albums instead. I feel that was ultimately a great idea. Jimin’s first album told a story of him working through a difficult moment but coming out triumphant at the end of the story. The tone was overall heavier and darker. Jimin had promised to return with lighter work. His 2nd album, MUSE (playlist), for which he also wrote and composed all but one song, did not disappoint. MUSE was a story of searching for inspiration, using love as a familiar metaphor. The album is light, fun, romantic, and uplifting. While his first album contained no features on the main songs, the 2nd album included 2 featured artists, who matched seamlessly with Jimin’s style and voice. The promotional period between the two albums could not have been more different. It was like night and day. The company even made a concerted effort to gain radio play this time, and it worked.  In addition to several creative Live performances that Jimin left behind, one clever promotional idea was where RM and Jimin sat down for 2 conversations to discuss each of their respective 2nd albums (Mini Moni Music/MMM2 for Jimin’s). I enjoyed that footage a great deal and really gained more insight into their albums and thoughts. It was especially nice since Suga’s Suchwita is not around at the moment to present insightful conversation for promotional purposes. In spite of how successful Jimin’s first album had been, his 2nd album did even better. The 2nd album’s achievements are almost eclipsing the outstanding 1st results - largely helped by company-led promotions. Jimin is again breaking records globally, and 14 weeks after release, his single WHO and the album MUSE are still sitting pretty high on important charts (including the Hot100 chart). The company finally acknowledged the success by putting out pop up locations for MUSE and a full exhibition (called The Truth Untold) displaying both of his projects. So far the exhibition is only in Korea but perhaps it will eventually travel. Speaking of travel, Jimin and JK released a travel series! This show, Are You Sure?! (playlist), was probably one of the biggest surprises that came out of the solo era for me. We all expected music, videos, & pictures, but I didn’t see something like this coming. The show allowed them to enjoy travel and fun moments before enlisting, while also creating content to leave behind for fans. Their trips to New York/Connecticut (U.S.), Jeju Island (Korea) and Sapporo (Japan) were a big success on Disney+ and hopefully its results will inspire Hybe to invest in more of these types of subunit activities going forward.

NEXT: BTS Solo Chapter CONTINUED - Part 6.

ADDITIONAL RELATED POSTS

**See also my Updated BTS Solo Chapter Wishlist.** *** Refer to my BTS Official Content & Social Media Links posts that are a directory of links, which lead you to all of the mentioned activities and solo work on official pages. ***

[sugagimmesugar]

Only Fools fall for You Chapter 2

The second chapter of my ReaderXNamjoon fic. First chapter is here. Hope you enjoy! Please give me some feedback if you can spare a minute! Thank you 💜🤟

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“Why are you laughing?”, she asks, confused by his reaction.

His face drops, unsure whether to tell the girl he just met about RapMonster. Why can’t he just be Namjoon for a day? A few seconds of silence as he struggles to decide who to be today…..

Both. Both Namjoon and RM.

“ Actually, that’s me, I am RM. I am kind of on holiday right now, at least I have the whole day today and until tomorrow at 12 off, but in general I am in town for almost a week cause my band is playing some shows here. I was trying to be just Namjoon today but… I am RM too. Thanks for the compliment by the way, nobody’s ever recommended my own music to me.” He shoots her a shy smile, taking in her shocked reaction. Seconds later her expression changes to a mocking grin.

“Yea sure. Hozier my old buddy just popped by last week. I should really start a wall of fame in this place, with all these international celebrities dropping by all the time.” She rolls her eyes at him and leaves him sitting at the bar alone.

With a sigh, Namjoon takes out his phone, opening Spotify and starting up a playlist. “only fools fall for you” he hadnt missed everything from her recommended album after all. While fixing a playlist he was lost in thought. He really liked this girl, hopefully he didnt scare her away. Suddenly he comes to a solution, how he can easily convince her that he isnt just some dickhead being cocky. He quickly checks with his manger, who reluctantly agrees.

A few minutes later, she returns, an annoyed expression on her face.

“Show me your music then, RM.”, she says, dragging out his name in a mocking manner and looking him straight in the eye.

“I am working on a proper playlist right now. But, I actually have a little, well, lets say a proposal for you.” He smirks, taking in her surprised and questioning expression. “How about, I repay you for this coffe tonight? As in, I buy you a drink. And we actually talk a bit. If you end up liking me and we enjoy each others company as much as I think we could… I fixed a backstage pass for the show tomorrow for you. It’s just an opportunity, I dont wanna push anything on you. I just think you could have a fun night out.” She is looking shocked… again… So after a few seconds of awkward silence he decides to get back to the most important thing: “...Please, show me some more of your music! I’m really liking it so far.”, he laughs. He can see her processing what he just said. He cant help but smile at her overwhelmed look.

She shakes her head, a cautious smile on her lips, and turns to help some customers who just entered the store.

As he picks up his phone again he sees it blowing up.

*BTS GroupChat*

Hobi: RM youre bringing a girl tomorrow?

Jin: When did you meet a girl?

Jin: You havent even been out that long? Why bring her to the concert already?

JK: oooh hyung met a girl!

JK: Is she cute?

JK: Is it a date?

JK: Send a pic!

Joon: I met her today, we are getting along great and she doesnt believe me that I am RM so I decided to prove it to her. Also maybe its a date? We will see! She hasnt even said yes yet…..

Hobi: She hasnt even said yes yet? Well done, bro.

RM: JK I cant just take a picture of her, thats creepy.

Suga: why are you guys blowing up my phone like this? let rm try to get some swedish ass and let me nap.

V: *pic of him and Jimin doing the finger heart* cheering for u hyung!

He laughs, everybody is reacting as expected.

Getting back to the playlist he finally decides to add some BTS songs. Why not brag and prepare her for tomorrow night? He keeps on adding to the list, waiting for her to return.

“Wow, how many “favourites” do you have?” he almost jumps at the voice suddenly right behind him.

“You didnt tell me there was a maximum number of songs allowed. I am making a playlist, putting in everything I like that you might like aswell.” he turns around, facing her with a smile.

“I guess that’s valid…. But there’s no way I can listen to all that before our drink later. How ‘bout a top ten? And show me some of your band’s stuff, I wanna know what kinda concert I’m committing to before I say yes to you, stranger.” she laughs, picking up his empty coffee and putting down a notepad in front of him. “Write me a top ten list of songs you recommend by your band and some other stuff. I’ll put it on here at the store and then we can see what i decide.” she turns to leave with a wink.

He grabs her arm: “Wait, you believe me all of a sudden?”

“First of all, you can’t just grab me like that, I am still theoretically at work, even though there isnt much to do. Secondly, I googled you, dumbass. Can’t really deny that you have the same face as RM… So I believe you. Its fucking weird, yes, but I guess the dude who’s album I have been spamming for days somehow found his way to me.” Another wink and she leaves him to sit alone… again.

A top ten list, with songs to convince her to come to the concert tomorrow? That’s surprisingly much pressure.

1. Eternal Sunshine by Epik High

2. Midsummer Madness by 88rising

3. So Far Away by Agust D

4. I can give you heaven by HONNE

5. U by HER

6. Personal by Kehlani

7. Make it Right by BTS

8. Spring Day by BTS

9. Baepsae by BTS

10. Mikrokosmos by BTS

It takes him a while but eventually he finds a way to narrow it down to 10 songs. Some of his general favourites but through the view of what y/n could like.

With a broad, dimpled grin, he waves her over. She just throws up a peace sign and nods, acknowledging his wave. A few minutes later she saunters over, two coffees in her hands.

“Thought we could both use some more caffeine, RapMonster.” she says with a small giggle. He flinches and she quickly continues “Anyways, I am ready for your list! I saw you redo it so many times I was afraid you weren’t gonna finish it today. So, hand it over and I will put it on. Any special order or just any of them? Is it a ranking?”

“Ok, so it’s not a ranking or anything, just the 10 songs I decided fit your taste best, or at least I hope so. BTS, as you know, is the group I am part of, so you can take those last. Agust D is one of the other members in the group and the song is from his solo-mixtape. Since you liked mine so much I thought you might like his stuff, too. Other than that it’s some friends of mine and general songs I jam to myself. I hope you like it.” He hands her the notepad, his 4 earlier drafts already in the trashcan closest to him. She takes it and smiles: “Oh, Kehlani! I love her! Let me just queue these and then I will be right back for the coffee.”

The two sit and drink coffee while the music plays, only occasionally interrupting the listening silence for some lyric explanations.

With the time being close to closing time, the store is empty once again, and unbothered by customers, y/n has slowly started swaying and occasionally dancing along to the music, fixing small things around the store or just dancing up and down behind the bar, just going along with the music. When “Make it Right” starts, she is fixing the last small things behind the bar. He can see her really jamming to the music and it makes him smile, he knows that ARMY loves the song and he has seen the stats and all that, but it’s something different to see someone in front of you, in such a casual way, just enjoying themselves and your music.

** Oh, oh, I can make it Right**

As the chorus hits, she is just grinning at him, dancing around him and actually singing along to it, messily since she doesn’t know the lyrics but still. A bright smile lights up his face at the view, as he watches her move through the room, putting away their mugs and lastly going to get her stuff, getting ready to leave. She emerges with a leather jacket over her arm and a bag on her shoulder. As the last notes of “Make it Right” are sounding out, she hits the pause button.

“Sorry, I’m gonna have to stop this here. I gotta lock up now so we gotta get going. Is it chill if we head to pub right away? I need to eat something before I can let you buy me a drink. I know a nice small place close to here, I doubt any of your fans would go there, so you don’t have to worry about getting recognized.” She shoots him an apologetic look as she turns off everything at the register. He gets up and gets ready to leave, waiting for her just outside the shop.

“Lead the way, you’re the local. I’ll eat anything and to be honest I am not picky with pubs, I would just prefer not to cause a scandal tonight by getting photographed at a pub with a girl.”

She laughs, “Oh god yea that would be bad. It’s just this way. Let’s go!”