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[VOGUE EXCLUSIVE] INTERVIEW WITH BTS' JUNGKOOK AND HIS TIPS FOR SUCCESS - SETTLING DOWN AFTER A LIFE OF FAME, PERFORMANCE,…
The magazine is tossed somewhat mindlessly on Jeongguk's glass table in the foyer; he'd received the new issue through the mail following a virtual meeting earlier that day with the company. Vogue was kind to him, all things considered, and Jeongguk loves interviews, so reminiscing was a positive trail down memory road. The group's management complimented him on his public relations' abilities. Obviously, Jeongguk wasn't going to say it out loud, but of course his PR skills are best of the best. (Namjoon was also in the room for this meeting and definitely had differing opinions. He digresses.)
It hasn't been the longest day ever: there was a fair amount of rolling around in bed before eventually getting up, calling his parents while working out, attending the aforementioned debrief with the company, and now getting dressed to go pick up some groceries. For being an idol, Jeongguk was having an uneventful month. BTS was hitting charts unseen by ninety-eight percent of the entire music industry thanks to their recent comeback. Since all the members had returned from enlistment, comebacks have slowed down significantly due to a focus on healing through personal life and pursuing solo projects. That's not to say that BTS doesn't have group activities — they're just off-camera. Vacations every few months or so, weekly dinners at Namjoon's place, last-minute excursions in hopes that conflicts won't appear… It's enough for Jeongguk, and if it weren't enough for any member of the group, they could simply bring up their concerns in the very much active BTS group chat.
So, with idol activities slowing down, the only real commitments Jeongguk has are tied to his home life, his friends, and his family. "Those of which include picking up onions and green onions at the store," he murmurs to himself, pulling a beanie over his mussed hair and slipping a face mask on. Seconds later, the silent street comes alive with the loud revving of a motorcycle.
What's Jungkook-oppa up to today? What big plans do you have for the future? These are questions frequently seen when he scans fan mail or opens up the Weverse app on occasion. Jeongguk lets out an amused huff under his helmet, recalling the times he'd reply "it's a secret" or "big plans," as if he weren't just lounging around and scrolling on his phone. In fact, it was only recently that he'd started this routine of his on activity-less days: getting up earlier than usual, working out, making more efforts to speak to his loved ones, cooking and cleaning in the evening. For… other reasons, reasons that couldn't be told to lovely ARMY via Weverse. Certainly his brief responses are satisfactory.
He parks his bike, tucking his helmet under his arm. Jeongguk, respectful as always, bows his head in greeting to the people working at the grocery and chooses to nod in reply to their own welcomes. Sure, he can be particularly social when it comes to BTS and certain other things, but Jeongguk is an introvert at heart. It's one thing saying "night after night I'll be fucking you right" into a microphone and another thing saying it to a person. (Trust him. He would know.)
By the time he's ready to pay, Jeongguk has onions in one hand, green onions in the other, and a box of assorted sliced fruits. Everything is scanned and purchased with the swiftness of a man who has relived his routine a multitude of times, and before he knows it, he's putting the grocery bag into the basket attached to the back of his bike and heading home.
It was a significant change, going from idol-hood to enlistment to idol-hood again, and now this. This… mundane life of sorts, interrupted every now and then by more idol activities and a reminder of the lavish lifestyle he could live. But Jeongguk, despite his exuberant personality on camera and his affinity for all things grand (proven time and time again by his solo works), doesn't mind mundanity. He has all that he needs: a house that feels warm and homely, an outlet for stress through working out and his motorcycle and singing if need be, much more money than he could ever imagine as a child. He has this, and love too.
A… uh. A love for cooking, that is!
Minutes later, Jeongguk is tying the strings of a "Kiss The Cook" apron around his waist, motorcycle helmet resting on the table in the foyer and ingredients strewn about. After washing the rice and getting the rice cooker going, it's time for one of the later steps in his daily routine to commence. Kimchi jjigae is the meal for today. Jeongguk was craving a warm dish and looking for something to accomplish, so it feels only right to make both of those things happen.
The kitchen is big, complete with fancy appliances, an island in the center, and a skylight filtering light into the room. Jeongguk himself remembers the earlier days of sharing a dorm with the boys and eating some of the strangest meals he's ever had in his life, and now he's able to carry out his hobby of cooking freely. When he opens the fridge, many of the shelves are filled with containers full of his leftovers, alongside takeout containers and several containers of kimchi. Jeongguk snorts and takes out two. Truly a testament to how much he loves food, and how much he loves—
"If you wanna, if you wanna, I'll do the thing for you," is mumbled in between steps of kimchi jjigae preparation. Honestly, Jeongguk doesn't intentionally listen to BTS music, aside from performing it; he's got their entire discography mixed into a playlist that's currently six hundred hours long and will happily sing and dance along when one of their songs come up. It's another thing to purposefully listen to things that he's heard millions of times before and could dance to in his sleep. Yet, he found himself pulling up "Please" from their ARIRANG album a few years ago with specific feelings in mind. The song is about pure yearning, a promise to stay by one's side through the tough times as well as the boring ones forevermore.
Jeongguk smiles to himself — they're always generous with line distribution when it comes to him. These lines hold more meaning to him than usual.
He prepares the chicken broth, then begins to add the kimchi, kimchi brine, pork, and onion into the fray. Next up are the green onions and some other add-ins, so he licks the kimchi brine off of his pinky and gets to work on that. He's only done with the first green onion when his phone on the counter lights up with a notification.
It's a little far away. Jeongguk looks at the phone and then down at his hands, covered in kimchi brine and various remnants of ingredients. "Siri, read the notifications out to me!"
"From Wife That I Love Very Much: I'll be home soon!"
"Aw," Jeongguk says to himself. He appreciates being updated on everyday life like this.
"From Wife That I Love Very Much: I've been thinking about you a lot today."
Another smile graces his lips — even the song that was playing in the background of his cooking shenanigans is reminiscent of his partner. They have a lot in common in that way. Despite being lucky enough to see his literal soulmate every day, he still finds himself seeking bits and pieces of them in everything he does.
"From Wife That I Love Very Much: When I get home, I'm gonna pull your pants down and—"
"Siri, you can stop reading them now. Thanks."
Siri goes silent. Jeongguk is also rendered silent, before he clears his throat and going back to his tasks as "Please" continues to play. Wow.
Notifications aside, he goes through the motions of a kimchi jjigae recipe, occasionally checking the time. Combine the ingredients with the stock he'd prepared, then cover the pot so it can simmer. Add the seasonings. Chop up the tofu while he waits.
Kimchi jjigae is an easy recipe, one that Jeongguk has memorized since young adulthood. It's not like it's all he knows, either. He knows how to bake, cook, grill… every single appliance and tool in the kitchen has been used at least once or twice. Organizing galbi for Yoongi's birthday was light work, and when in Jin's presence, naengmyeon is the natural dish of choice. Jeongguk knows a multitude of recipes, all utilizing vastly different ingredients and cooking techniques, yet he brandishes the knife to cut up a green onion as a garnish for what's supposed to be a simpler Korean dish. He can flaunt his skills another time — he has reasons for preparing a larger pot of this food for the evening.
It's lost in the hustle and bustle of his cooking, but the front door opens quietly, and another person shuffles inside the house.
The rice cooker notifies him of its completion with a loud beeping noise as "Please" reaches its bridge. Jeongguk sprinkles sliced green onion on top of the kimchi jjigae, then opens the rice cooker and inhales the heavenly aroma of fluffy white rice. "Baby, oh, please…" he sings quietly, soaking in the combination of his finished dishes and the lovely song filling his senses. "I'll take another step closer…"
As soon as he puts down the knife he'd used to prepare the ingredients, two arms wrap around his waist, and a face buries itself into his shoulder. Jeongguk doesn't startle, not even for a second; tattooed hand atop soft skin, he rubs his thumb into the back of the other's hand. Against the savory smell that currently overwhelms the room, the new citrus aroma is a comforting interruption, one that Jeongguk would welcome countlessly.
There are the daily life questions that are asked on Weverse, and then the rare romantic ones. Jeongguk finds great amusement in scrolling through ARMYs' speculations on the group's love lives, occasionally screenshotting some of them to share with the group. Jungkook oppa, do you have a girlfriend? I think Jungkook oppa is writing some of these vulgar lyrics about a secret girl. Does Jungkook know that he has a crush on insert idol here? These are the questions that he won't answer or even entertain. He's received enough PR training to seriously answer things without missing a beat; Jeongguk is well-versed in reading tone and guessing how people perceive him.
No, no — don't get it wrong. He's not avoiding the answers because he's worried about how ARMY will take it. He's avoiding the answers because the personal and romantic side of him belongs to one person only.
Muffled through Jeongguk's shirt, the other person sings along with the ad-libs in the song: "On my knees…"
"Are you now?" He really cannot help the fact that his words are laced with fondness, despite intending to tease.
"Sooner or later, I will be." Park Jimin runs his hands up and down Jeongguk's core, giving his stomach an affectionate pat before stepping away from their embrace. His cheeks are flushed — whether from makeup or natural rosiness, Jeongguk can't tell — and he's got one of Jeongguk's nicer jackets wrapped around his shoulders. Jimin has his signature bag over one shoulder and a bag of something in one hand. "Why didn't you answer my texts?"
"Can't you see that I'm being kind," Jeongguk whines, just as Jimin moves beside him to peer at the simmering pot on the stove. If Jimin weren't already a fine indicator of Jeongguk's happiness, it becomes clearer now. As soon as his hyung takes a deep sniff of the kimchi jjigae, his entire face lights up, pretty lips breaking out into a prettier smile. Jeongguk takes a step back. Absorbs the domesticity of his boyfriend coming home from a busy schedule and appreciating the food that he's prepared for them.
Jimin turns to him then, his eyes walking up and down Jeongguk's body. He lets out a snort at the apron of choice and moves his hands to Jeongguk's cheeks. "You're always kind, Jeongguk-ah."
"Right? I tell this to you and the hyungs, but—"
"Kind of a loser," Jimin finishes. He's biting down on his bottom lip, as though he can't take anything around him seriously. "Please" is still playing in the background, but for a moment, Jeongguk's entire world goes silent.
Suddenly, he turns his head with the swiftness of an Experienced Boyfriend™ and nips Jimin's wrist with his very polished, very nice teeth. As expected, Jimin squeals and bolts from him. "Yah," Jeongguk yells, all pretend anger and annoyance but he's smiling, of course he is, "come back here, Jimin-ssi!"
"I'm going to change out of the photoshoot clothes!" Jimin's response echoes throughout their otherwise empty house. The emptiness is a reminder of their intimacy, of how nobody else can truly see their relationship in this light. It was easygoing in nature and a brief gesture, but he can feel all of the feigned irritation leave his body, replaced by what he can only call intense attraction towards Jimin. His Jimin. From day one, his magnetic pull to Jimin has gotten stronger with time and more frequent in presence.
God, maybe he is a loser.
Adept fingers meet the ties of his apron, and when he takes it off, he tosses it onto the counter. Jeongguk reaches into familiar counters, pulling out utensils and plates for two. He can't dwell on what his hyung calls him out of amusement and equal parts fondness for too long. Jimin hasn't eaten dinner yet.
"I heard that some fans saw you out today?"
Jimin is talking and chewing at the same time. Generally, he's the most practiced, most perfect example of manners and positive appearances on camera and in the deep crevices of the Internet. Jeongguk could not give less of a shit that he's being what most would call "impolite," because it means that Jimin is truly comfortable in the environment he's sitting in. In this case, that would be across Jeongguk at their fancy dining table, in front of his favorite dish and smelling a lot like fresh oranges.
Jeongguk finds himself softening upon the thought of Jimin's familiar and homely smell. He's only brought out of his momentary trance with the sound of the Jimin in question swallowing, then whistling to him. "Yoohoo. Jeongguk-ah?"
"Wasn't aware that they saw me. I was also kinda focused on getting groceries, so… Hello to them, I guess."
"You're usually the type to really greet our fans, you know?" Jimin waves his fork around with one hand, dabbing a napkin around the corners of his mouth with the other. A piece of tofu is stabbed onto the fork's prongs. Jeongguk's eyes follow like that of a puppy's. "I'm surprised you didn't this time," Jimin continues. The tofu on his fork is dutifully slipped into his mouth, and when his plump lips close around the utensil, Jeongguk has to force himself to look away out of sheer preservation of his Pure And Holy Mind.
He's long finished his portion of kimchi jjigae — apparently doing absolutely nothing all day and missing your boyfriend does a lot for your appetite. "I was focused on the task at hand! Locked in," he adds in English, which gets a laugh out of his boyfriend. "Besides, nobody came up to me and said hi. I like when they're thoughtful about my space. Our space, as a group. But I wouldn't have minded if they did."
Across the table, Jimin shoots him a smile. One that reads, I am extremely fond of you. Please never change. "Ahh, always so considerate. My Jeonggukie."
Jimin always makes him embarrassed in some aspect — whether he can control how explicit the reactions are is dependent on his mood and the situation they're in. This is a private situation, so Jeongguk reaches up to tug on one of his piercings, toying with his earlobe. It appears that Jimin notices this and laughs before shoveling another forkful of food into his mouth.
Nobody was surprised when they started dating. There were the necessary reactions: Hoseok's concern for the group dynamic, Taehyung's lighthearted but important jokes about spilling secrets on camera, and Namjoon worrying about nearly everything regarding the two men. Once the waves of surprise subsided, everyone was frankly unbothered by their new relationship status. The only real concern was how annoying they'd become as a couple — the angelic prince who always gets his way and the most annoying little brother on the planet, as a thing? Yeah, from that lens, nobody was excited about the transition.
The point is that nobody was surprised they were a couple. Because Jimin dotes on Jeongguk with an intensity that historians haven't seen in millennia, and Jeongguk has bore the responsibility of having a secret endearment for his older group mate for years. The world is Jimin's oyster. Jeongguk's world is Jimin; he's grown into his adulthood, grown into someone that Jimin could truly view as a reliable partner. Grown into someone confident enough to nibble on the tip of his ear in front of thousands. Grown into someone honest enough to admit that he would hide him away from cameras if possible and have Jimin to himself. Unexperienced maknae who?
Jeongguk is, by all means, a possessive man with an unreal partner. When the last forkful is swallowed, he gets up from his chair abruptly, pushes it neatly back towards the table, and makes his way to Jimin without a word.
"Jeongguk—" Jimin can only start to say before Jeongguk is hovering over him, nearly crowding him towards the back of his chair. Jeongguk plants one hand on the surface of their dining table and the other on the back of Jimin's chair.
"We didn't kiss today, hyung."
Beautiful, wide eyes blink once. Twice, until Jimin can manage a word out of his mouth. "Huh?"
It hits Jeongguk at this moment that maybe he's overreacting just a tad bit, but because he's a little bit stupid and a little bit too arrogant for his own good, he surges forward: "You left for your schedule before I could kiss you goodbye, and. And when you came home, I couldn't kiss you hello like I usually do." His voice is wavering by the end of the sentence — look at him, a grown man with tens of awards to his name and his bare body plastered all over social media, and he could barely confess his disappointment without pouting. Jeongguk feels like a sad puppy. (He is a sad puppy.)
The following moments of silence feel like throwing his beating heart out to Jimin and hoping that he'll catch it. He watches as Jimin's eyes dart from his belt to his tattoos to the hands gripping both surfaces to his pouted lip, and the reverse. There's only confusion in Jimin's gaze, followed by a brief wave of guilt, and then — it clicks.
His entire body softens. Just as he did before, he reaches up to cup Jeongguk's face, letting out a deep sigh of relief while Jeongguk closes his eyes and nuzzles into his palms.
"Oh, baby… I thought you were annoyed at me, I—" The words are cut off as Jimin cracks a smile and huffs a small laugh. How Jeongguk loves that laugh, relishes it, wants to put a ring on its finger and ride with it into the sunset. "I'm sorry Jeongguk-ah," he murmurs. He's using the voice he uses when he coos at Jeongguk for being overly cute. He wants to tell his boyfriend that he's not just cute, he's sexy and handsome and cool and all things unequivocally Jeongguk, but he lets it slide for now. "I'm sorry for not being fair."
"It's okay, but I'll only forgive you on one condition."
One of Jimin's perfectly sculpted eyebrows is quirked in interest. "Oh?"
"The condition is…" Using his hands to balance himself, he leans forward, cutting down on the distance between them and letting his breath ghost Jimin's cheeks. "… that I get a kiss right now?"
"You big baby."
"But hyung's gonna kiss me anyway," Jeongguk breathes defiantly. He moves closer, his lip piercing bumping gently against Jimin's bottom lip. "Isn't that right?"
It's certainly proven right, with how Jimin buries his fingers in the roots of his hair and tugs him forward to meet his lips with a soft groan. They part and embrace a countless number; Jeongguk tilts Jimin's chair so he can rest his knee between Jimin's thighs and lean his weight against it. The enthusiasm in which Jimin closes his kisses outweighs the pleasant sting of his hair being pulled. Eventually, Jimin's hands fall from Jeongguk's cheeks to graze his shoulders, then squeeze at his biceps, and flutter over his clothed abs.
"Jeongguk… Jeongguk-ah, bed," whimpers Jimin directly into his mouth. Ah. This is his favorite time of the evening routine, whenever it can happen; they may be slowing down on their activities as idols, but God knows if that same logic applies to bedroom activities. The heavens acknowledge Jeongguk's unholy libido for a twenty-eight-year-old man. He kisses Jimin one last time, then scoops him up with an arm around the waist and the other under his thighs.
Jeongguk grunts — once he has a good footing, he starts walking towards their bedroom. Jimin is pressing insistent kisses to his cheeks and neck, because he's the most tempting sin a man could ever do in great faith. "Doing good on your promises from earlier?"
"I won't do anything at all if you keep that up," Jimin huffs, so he laughs. That's absolute bullshit, and at any other hour, Jeongguk would call him out for it. This hour, Jimin is in his arms and being carried bridal-style, though, so Jeongguk hauls him into their bedroom and shuts the door with his foot.
WHAT DO YOU DO TO KEEP YOURSELF BUSY IN YOUR FREE TIME?
I mainly focus on my health — I do some working out, some badminton and jogging when I can. My routine isn't all that interesting: working out, taking care of myself, cooking when I can instead of sitting down and ordering something. It can be mundane, but I don't mind it. The quiet is rare. Time to myself, entirely focused on myself, is rare.
Jimin, tucked into his side and smelling more like Jeongguk's Bleu de Chanel after an hour or two, makes a small noise of interest at this section of the page. Jeongguk had gone downstairs to get Jimin a cup of water and retrieved the magazine from the foyer as an additional gift.
"Does Jimin hyung have any thoughts on this?" It's a useless question and he knows it. Jimin always has thoughts on things, but needs to be prompted on occasion to express them. Jeongguk doesn't mind. At first, he'd prompt him under the guise of being annoying — now, he can freely ask and Jimin will even more freely answer.
There's a resolute hum from the blond man beside him. Jimin is drawing stars into his skin with his finger and toying with the piercings lining his ears. "Do you ever feel like you're downplaying your life," Jimin starts to ask, then tangles their legs together so he can be even closer to Jeongguk's warm body, "like, you're only saying the minimum amount so you don't have to say more than that?"
"Not at all," Jeongguk says. It's the truth.
"Really?"
Jeongguk ponders for a second. He knows that it sounds "basic" and "plain" for him to admit that he isn't always out and about when he has a couple of hours on hand, and he knows that the idol persona he lives is significantly different than his habits at home. There are people that swear up and down that he's in another country every waking hour with a gradually increasing body count. There are people that swear he smokes twenty packs of cigarettes and can out-drink a man four times his weight. Both kinds of people are certainly in his screenshots folder and stored away for a good laugh when he needs it.
He tells his all to Jimin, who hums, and then some. "I think my life is fine the way it is. I'm focusing more on things that have more of an effect on Jeongguk, and not Jeon Jungkook from BTS. I had a good day today."
Their bedroom lights are dimmed, but the way that Jimin is looking at him is undeniable. His big eyes are filled to the brim with fondness and affection that could only come from someone who has seen Jeongguk at his most vulnerable and at his best. "Did you, Jeongguk-ah?" Fingers stop tracing his chest, and tuck a piece of hair to the side.
"I did," he responds obediently, then: "I didn't have a long day. I did some work for the job that I enjoy, I took care of myself, I participated in some hobbies, I guess, and then… Well. I'm in bed with you, Jimin hyung. I think that will always be what I want most. Going through the worst is fine, as long as we can be together like this in the end."
"Jeongguk," Jimin whispers.
He continues. "I made you kimchi jjigae, which is your favorite. And I think I made a pretty damn good one, too. But I'm happy. I hope you're happy as well."
Part of having a completely normal personal life is the change in admiration. Once Jeongguk was able to separate his personal desires from his idol experiences, the shift was noticeable — crowds of admiring fans and loyal ARMY, to entering home quietly in the deeper hours of the night. It's not something that bothers him to the point of craziness, but it is something that made him uncomfortable for its unfamiliarity. There's something a little bit eerie about coming home to a silent environment while knowing your face from an hour ago is plastered all over social media.
Jimin has been there for both circumstances. Jimin has been the reason why his house is not always silent, the reason why he can shift so easily from idol to human being. The reason why his mundane life has a healthy amount of excitement, a good source of motivation to work out (otherwise some other hot guy will snatch him up), and the reason why he cooks kimchi jjigae despite knowing so many other complex recipes that take hours on hand to prepare.
Jimin is a step back. A deep breath, a reminder to slow down and stop. Jimin is smiling as Jeongguk verbalizes this thought to him, flipping onto his back and pulling Jeongguk on top of him. Jeongguk finishes his words with a soft breath, honing in on the way Jimin's nails graze his bare back with utmost gentleness. They might have sex, they might not. But Jeongguk knows that Jimin will give him anything without asking him to change. He knows that if he takes a step back, Jimin will too.
"Kiss me," Jimin tells him.
Jeongguk's tattooed hand finds the magazine and tosses it onto their bedside table without another thought.