Bts Enlistment - Tumblr Posts
SOBBING. CRYING. YALL JINXED IT 😭😭😭
(im not ready to see them all with buzz cuts…)
Do you realise that this is it for them?
Soon their relationship will be a criminal offence.
Jimin and Jungkook will enist when they return to Korea.
This little getaway will be the last chance they have to spend quality time together. These are the last few days they have to be young and in love and free to be together.
Dont ruin it for them.
I am BEGGING armys to leave them alone so they can be together. Don't follow them. Don't photograph them.
Please, let them be.
Who knows when they will see one another again?
The military criminalises same sex relationships, even outside the barracks and on leave passes.
Imagine that for yourself.
Imagine the person you love most in the world being taken away from you for 18 months, and even when you get to see them you can't be with them.
They've lived together for 13 years and loved each other for almost as long
They've been inseparable from the start.
Other enlisted men can go home to their lovers when they are on a pass but for same sex couples that's so risky.
The cruelty of it is palpable.
Stigmatisation and homophobia are scaled up to criminalise their love, when men in same sex relationships are in the military.
My heart breaks for them and for every man in a same sex relationship doing their MS in Korea.
With recent revelations that Jimin accompanied Jungkook to Qatar, we know for sure that even when we think they're apart they are not.
They've been there for each other through all the challenges and turmoil, from struggling to make ends meet, to dealing with the pressures of fame.
And soon they will be on their own.
So, how do you come to terms with spending 18 months far away from your person, knowing that if you're lucky and your leave passes line up, you can be sentenced to jail time for being with them.
No wonder Jimin won't let go of Jungkook for a single second.
So please, if you are trailing after them to take pictures or spy on them or even if you just want to catch a glimpse, please think twice.
Could JM & JK be stationed together?
My Korean friend just confirmed that friends can request to be stationed together when they enlist.
In reference to this tw, i asked her if they would be able to enlist together.
Her reply:
This could be awesome for them!
Maybe all four will be stationed together!!
**edited to add... Namjoon is too old to apply for companion enlistment ☹️
(Thsnks @kkhluvsbts and @coralcherryblossomnightmare)
Jinjikook chaos in 3...2...1
So it looks like this is really going to happen:
https://www.tumblr.com/andy-wm/735142042505773056/could-jm-jk-be-stationed-together
Jimin and JK are rumoured to be enlisting together. And at Jin's training centre no less.
In my head, I see the three of them being chaos mongers and the basic training period being one long RunBTS episode, but I know in reality that won't happen.
What WILL happen though is that Jin will be on Jikook duty for the next 3 months. Oh lord save him.
Do they issue medals or commendations for having patience and endurance? They should!
I have fond memories of Joon constantly getting between them. At every concert and interview he tried desperately to keep them in line while they tried desperately to get close to each other.
Sometimes Jikook duty has fallen to Hobi (who might try for the first few minutes and then give up).
I dont know if Yoongi has EVER been the chaperone... because he just does.not.care.
I dont think Tae has ever been assigned Jikook duty either, because he's totally complicit in their shenanigans...
But I think he'd do a thorough job if he was on duty 🤣🤣🤣
And the few times they were Jin's responsibility he seemed to actively encourage them more than anything.
Ah, these boys 🥰🥰
We know they can't keep their hands off each other at the best of times and they are so used to being observed that they don't even notice. Let's hope they don't do anything to attract more attention than they'll be getting already!
In all seriousness I expect them to be model citizens. Park Jimin will be class president and Jeon Jungkook will win every physical challenge, and by the time they're done the whole of the Korean Military will be jikookers.
💜💛
Everything you need to know, revealed in a single minute.
1. Jimin and Jungkook are fucking.
2. Jimin thinks it's a secret. Or he thinks it should be a secret, because decorum.
3. Joonie and Tae don't care that it's a secret, or forgot it's a secret, or forgot they're all supposed to pretend its a secret.
4. Jungkook knows damn well it's not a secret... because he's literally told everyone he meets. He LOVES that it's not a secret. He wants to hold up a big ass banner. But he pretends it's a secret because Jimin, and because it's funny as shit to pretend it's a secret.
Also...
1. Joonie is adorably good natured but doesn't quite grasp the social intricacies of 'a secret'.
2. Tae is the most literal and direct person in existence.
3. Jimin drops hints the size of bombs and thinks he's being subtle.
4. Jungkook is just here to have fun.
Find the clip here:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0i_IIqN2Dj/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Hold that hand tightly Jungkookie. Dont let go.
Hold on for the next 18 months.
Keep holding on for the rest of our lives.
Please love me is Jimin's line today
The hardest few seconds for me to watch, were these...
Jimin was absolutely dreading appearing on screen without his trademark beautiful hair.
We know he left it as late as he could and didn't want to show anyone.
He looked like he was barely holding it together when he called attention to his hair being shaved. He must have genuinely been scared of the reaction he would get, even from Kook.
"It looks good on you"
Jungkook, you absolute fucking LEGEND 💜
He knew exactly what to say.
When Jungkook told Jimin he looked good (even with no hair) Jimin turned his face away <those feels choking him up> and when he turned back, the almost desperate look of gratitude mixed with relief was so clear.
Please love me is Jimin's line today.
This is not about vanity, ego or pride.
It brings home how fragile his confidence is. His need for approval and the assurance of being loved is strong. It’s so heartbreaking, but we know he hasn't had an easy road.**
Thankfully he did stand a little bit taller once JK reassured him...
But it wasn't an easy moment for Jungkook either.
Whether because he had to witness Jimin's fear and could do nothing more than pet his head, or because he was facing his own misgivings (probably both) he looked equally lost in that moment.
Remember that these boys have left their home once before and journeyed to a place that was less than welcoming. They've had to face the grim, disproving faces of unkind critics and a system that didn't support or value them.
I don't doubt there were echoes of that feeling on this day, that same sense of trepidation they've known before.
We know how the military treats men like them.
And then...
we got this:
You can take the boy out of Busan but you can't take Busan out of the boy.
(People say this about my home town too...)
The shadow of fear is still there in his eyes but.... he looks like a (very hot) backstreet thug who will absolutely fuck you up no questions asked.
It does occur to me that MS might be the reason Jimin has been learning to fight.
I mean really learning to fight.
Yes he's probably doing boxing too but i suspect something more than that ... you shouldn't get torn knuckles from boxing lessons unless you aren't wrapping your hands properly, just saying.
<Gotta love a person who can hold you and cradle your head, and also knock down an aggressor when they have to.>
If all else fails (words before fists, right?) I hope he can handle himself.
If he must defend himself, and someone (not him) looks like they've had a close encounter with his fists, I saw nothing.
I hope for both of them, their background will serve them well. In any case they will support one another and their love will see them through this. It's exactly why they are enlisting as companions.
🐰🐥
This is no easy journey, for these young men (all seven of them) or for their families, their friends, and their loved ones. Yes, it's reality of life for every person in Korea, but that doesn't make it easier when it's YOU or YOUR person who is going away.
I am seeing them off with an in ache in my chest - I know we all are. But I'm toasting their successful military service, and their quick return.
짠 지민아, 정국이! We love you 💜💛
See you soon, Angels.
** 'Hurry up and be me soon' ...
Some of us know how much it costs to put our authentic self out into the world. The sacrifices you have to be willing to make are huge. You're not only exposing your own vulnerabilities, but the flow on effect for your family and friends is real.
<talking specifically about Jimin here... how many times do you think his parents will have to say 'no, Jimin doesnt have a girlfriend, and no he isn't looking for one... No he doesn't plan to marry'.>
It's a long journey to self love and acceptance...
We know Jimin has been through a number of iterations of himself. He's been through the tough guy phase, the closed book, the siren, aloof and sophisticated, and the gently feminine.
The image he presents to the world is as much a construct as any person's is - and whether you're aware of this or not, all our public selves are social constructs.
"One size does not fit all" for queer people
For cis gendered heterosexual people, society has a few different ready-made constructs you can adopt, and the rest of society automatically understands the message you're sending. Most of them maintain the status quo of heterosexual cultural norms.
For anyone who DOESNT fit those norms, it's honestly never going to feel good expressing an image that isnt really you. Its like trying and make your circle self fit in a square box.
But theres nothing else that's readily available...
You really have to construct your public image from scratch.
When you aren't part of that typical demographic, figuring out how you want to be seen by the world can be an arduous and complex process.
How much do you reveal? How much do you risk?
You'll experiment with styles, behaviours, and social groups until you find a safe space you can occupy.
Jimin's safe space is with ARMY or his members, but it requires looking perfect.
Think about Jimin's hesitance to appear on camera without makeup. How carefully he chooses his clothes - whether for airport appearances, stage performance or out on the street. He usually has a team of people making sure he looks perfect. His hair is a trademark feature. It's always beautiful.
Remember that he's used to EVERYONE LOOKING AT HIM, ALL THE TIME.
Imagine how it feels to go out in public - against your will - with a shaved head.
Without hair, he would have surely felt naked. Plus, he's no longer in the safe embrace of ARMY, and his buffer of security and managers keeping him out of danger is gone.
He's immensely famous, but not universally loved (don't even go there) and bald, and small, and an IDOL, and very gay ... lets go with unlikely to be heterosexual.
No wonder he was feeling vulnerable.
Ngl, it broke my heart to see him so afraid but I'm sure he'll have a substantial group of supporters around him. I can only hope.
💜💛
Season's Greetings, ARMY!
Since we probably won't get a Season's Greetings this year, I made my own. Happy holidays ARMY!
Wishing all ARMYs - especially those who believe in true love - a safe and happy end to 2023. May 2024 bring you good health, prosperity, and the return of Jin and Hobi!
What we know now, after they have started MS
This is a short post, because life is a lot right now and i have very little emotional energy. But this felt important, so here I am.
Tonight I revisited an older post and realised I'd never completed the thought process i began there...
When Jimin released his solo album, FACE, I wrote this analysis post.
Part of that analysis talked about my impression of JK's backing vocals on Letter.
We had seen Jimin's Production Diary, and based on the clip of JK in the recording studio I thought he didn't know he would be asked to sing backing vocals.
Here's a screen grab of that post:
After watching the docuseries, BTS Monuments: Beyond The Star, we know that was correct...
It was a surprise to him when Jimin asked him.
In fact both aspects of that prediction were right, he didn't know about the song at all.
I have two questions:
Why would Jimin have kept the song a secret from JK?
And
Why wouldn't Jimin himself ask Jungkook to sing it? Why get PDogg to ask him? Jimin was RIGHT THERE.
Actually, make that three questions.
Why did Jimin scurry away as soon as JK asked to listen to the song?
Jimin earnestly said, "I made a fan song", while holding Jungkook's face in his hands.
That's such an intimate gesture, by the way. If my Best Friend held my face that way while they told me they'd done something, I'd take it to mean that the something was significant for/about me.
Jungkook asked to listen to the song, and Jimin... vanished. He retreated to the sofa to sit out of Jungkook's line of sight.
He's suddenly shy? Shy of Jungkook's reaction?? Wierd, but ok...
Unless the song is REALLY significant to JK....
In short, yes, it is REALLY significant. We already kinda guessed that right? But now, in light of their situation, it's more significant...
So, Jungkook recorded his part of the song.
Lets think about the lyrics...
Bear in mind this was written and recorded long before they had confirmation that their application for companion enlistment was successful...
These lyrics are even more significant in that context.
Plus
This is the part of the song that's in banmal. The switch from polite to familiar signals a change in the relationship, (I wrote about that in a previous post) and since Jimin always talks to ARMY politely, we can asume this part of the the song (at least) is directed at... someone else 👀
"We dont know what the future holds, don't worry I'll stay by your side."
Now consider that Jimin has written these words for not only himself to sing. He's asking Jungkook to sing them with him.
He's asking Jungkook to sing this love song with him.
With no hesitation, Jungkook says yes. He does the recording there and then.
And when JK is finished recording...
He tells Jimin that the song is really nice. Immediately, Jimin is a limpet. He's all over Junkgook like he's made of Velcro. A stark contrast to his earier behaviour when his vulnerability made him scurry away.
Jimin jokes that Junkgook should record a message for ARMY and Pdogg calls him out on that lie. Of course JK refuses. "It's your song." he tells Jimin.
Jimin is pushing his luck here, first asking JK to record a message, and then asking him to claim ownership (or share responsibility) for the song.
Jk has no trouble saying no to that.
It seems like more than a meaningless joke to me. One of those suggestions alone might be, but both? It left me wondering if Jimin suddenly felt scared that he was revealing too much with the song?
I'm kinda impressed that JK, for all his love and support, wasn't prepared to rescue Jimin from his choices. He simply, but gently, said no. It tells me a lot about their relationship.
It also tells me a lot about both JK's honestly and his belief in Jimin.
eta, I was tired and once my thought bubble popped i just hit 'post' and fell asleep. But it's exactly a year since Jimin released FACE and i think it's a pretty cool coincidence that i came back to this randomly on this day.
Happy FACE day, ARMYs. 💛💜
This Jimin ... with this Jungkook
#theFanFicWritesItself
"Jimin was, up until recently, a professional soldier. Now, at the request of his grandmother, he's the glorified babysitter of a spoiled rich kid who thinks he's such an icon that he doesn't even use his last name.
Jungkook is a charismatic trust fund baby and a self-described ethical slut. He's trying to launch his celebrity career but he needs capital to do that, and grandma's money comes with conditions. One of those conditions is Park bloody Jimin, the most uptight, humourless man Jungkook has ever met.
They're both about to learn a few things about themselves, each other, and the subtle art of negotiation."
(no i dont intend to write this, it was purely for this post. I am too lazy haha)
Jimin gives us this gift in his own handwriting.
The gravity of this is huge.
"When it rains, I'll think of the time we sang under the rain. When it snows, I'll think of you smiling for me because you know I like the snow."
Who did he run to in the rain?!
JUNGKOOK
Who brings him chunks of snow?!
JUNGKOOK
"I know that if I cry, you'll be sad, so I wont. So don't you cry either."
Who else, like Jimin, lets his tears flow when he is emotional?
JUNGKOOK
Do you see what is coming?
He was writing this in the lead up to their departure for military service.
You know what this album will be, right?
He's handing over his softly beating heart, into our care, and saying,
"please don't crush this, it's fragile."
i have dealt with a lot of grief, already, throughout my not very long life and yet i remain surprised by all of the different shades of it i still find myself experiencing for the first time.
processing the final members leaving today feels like a large, deep bruise i was ignoring but can no longer pretend isn't there, so purple it's almost black.
i wasn't expecting this level of emptiness? how it already feels like a long, dark corridor in a once full house that should give back an answer when you shout and yet only your own voice echoes between the doors.
maybe that sounds melodramatic, i know i don't know these people irl but i know other army get it when i say the amount of comfort bts provide as this steady, background hum in the trudge of daily life cannot be understated. just knowing they're out there, existing, together, maybe making more amazing music, pursuing their own forms of existential happiness is really grounding. it's inspiring. those are my long distance besties, i don't give a parasocial fuck.
so in contrast, knowing they have been fully removed from that individual pursuit, forced into a mandatory conscription to appease a government who they don't personally seem to agree with and who also would happily expend them for it's own gain feels like thorns. like knives. like an unwanted reminder of our helplessness in the knowledge that even the best and brightest of us are not exempt from the bullshit powers that be's whims while they look at all of us like pawns on a chessboard. low value and consumable.
for me right now, it's honestly just boiling down not to the fact that they're gone necessarily, if they were on a vacation of their own choosing, i would happily wait however long, but that they've been forced to leave. you can for sure keep any tirade of "it's an honor to serve, they always planned to do so, blah blah blah" to yourself too because their intrisinc loyalty and integrity does not make the system as a whole less fucked up.
bc mandatory military enlistment is fucked up. the military industrial complex is FUCKED UP. if you are sad today but also not a little bit angry at the system that has gotten us here, and i'm talking look past the blue house, the color you're searching for is white, i hope you can find a little bit of space at some point for some healthy indignation.
tweet. (not me, i just like and agree with it)
it feels better than grief and sure as hell mobilizes better, but per usual, i digress.
the grief is still insistent.
i cried when jimin took off his beanie in that live this morning. he had already said he didn't want to show us and yet the comments were full of people demanding he do so. ultimately the decision was his and i respect what he chose. i also hope he found some comfort in the flood of comments calling him cute and beautiful but it still broke my heart knowing what hair to someone like him (self expressed gender fluid, likely queer), how much of your identity can be wrapped up in it, probably meant. how it probably feels representative of this larger thing he is not eager to do as a whole.
hell, the idea of namjoon having to pick up a gun and point it at a person shaped target, edges not eroded but sharp and distinct, breaks my fucking heart.
i could go on for each of them individually tbh but i don't want to add to anything you may have not already considered, we don't all have to be victims to my imagination here.
i just need the world to not blow up between now and 2025. i'm begging. or even after that, really. what if we lived a few years in precedented times? is that even possible at this stage?
is this our monkey's paw? you get to live at the same time as bts but you're also gonna experience the (deserved, burn it down) collapse of the colonial empire? good luck!
i don't even know how to end this, i just needed to get some of it out. my biggest comfort in all of this right now is knowing there are people taking this just as well as i am at least. and by well i mean not very well at all, obviously lol. misery does love company, it's true. but i think because much like seokjin's views on embarrassment, it's easier to bear when shared.
and yet, please just step over my sad, fetal position body till i can get it together. i'm gonna need a moment, or ten. go on, i'll catch up.
if you're unfamiliar, anton is a korean to english translator who actually did the english translation for bts' book beyond the story. from what i understand, he has been on pretty good terms with army since and has not fallen into any of the traps a lot of other people who find themselves in the army spotlight usually do? but feel free to correct me if i'm wrong. though, even if i am, i don't think it detracts from his statements above.
i felt the need to highlight this opinion over here because i maintain the (unpopular, i guess?) position of if you're not being radicalized by this experience even just a little bit, then you need to widen your overall focus.
i do not want to be the bearer of only doom and gloom and please cope as you see fit within reason, but i have seen enough romantic takes on this whole situation that i kind of wish i could shake a few people.
the risk level here for the boys isn't zero. what happened to seokjin already proved that. all of them being strong both physically and mentally doesn't negate people's valid concern for their well being. it is not a lack of confidence in them or some form of "coddling grown men" to express distress over a situation that can go sideways at a moment's notice.
if you don't believe me, by all means, don't take my word for it and go find your own sources, that is something i will always encourage. but here's a freebie for you to start with.
some extra insight on this topic if you're just now seeing this post or are still interested! it's worth the watch.
if you're unfamiliar, anton is a korean to english translator who actually did the english translation for bts' book beyond the story. from what i understand, he has been on pretty good terms with army since and has not fallen into any of the traps a lot of other people who find themselves in the army spotlight usually do? but feel free to correct me if i'm wrong. though, even if i am, i don't think it detracts from his statements above.
i felt the need to highlight this opinion over here because i maintain the (unpopular, i guess?) position of if you're not being radicalized by this experience even just a little bit, then you need to widen your overall focus.
i do not want to be the bearer of only doom and gloom and please cope as you see fit within reason, but i have seen enough romantic takes on this whole situation that i kind of wish i could shake a few people.
the risk level here for the boys isn't zero. what happened to seokjin already proved that. all of them being strong both physically and mentally doesn't negate people's valid concern for their well being. it is not a lack of confidence in them or some form of "coddling grown men" to express distress over a situation that can go sideways at a moment's notice.
if you don't believe me, by all means, don't take my word for it and go find your own sources, that is something i will always encourage. but here's a freebie for you to start with.
well, now I go back to crying in the bathroom
POV: me just this morning
And Just Like That…
I was fortunate to be so busy at work today. I received a Weverse notice and opened it quickly, to find JK doing his last Live. I could only watch for a split second. On my drive home—it was sinking in. I am so grateful Hobi and Yoongi were with them. 💟
I just kept thinking, they’re going to be okay, they’re going to be safe…
Goodbyes are always hard—I hate goodbyes. 😢💜💟🐥🐰
P.S. the tweet was released at 10:13 PM in my timezone PST—not lost on me Jimin 💜
THIS IS SOOOO GOOD!!
💜BORAHAE💜