[THEORY]

Jungkook, Yoongi's First Love?:

a thread exploring BU Yoonkook and what you probably missed

#BTSTheories #BangtanUniverse #BU #BTS #Yoonkook @BTS_twt

TW // suicide, self harm, violence, death, child abuse, alcoholism, mental illness, depression, blood

Spoilers of ALL BU (videos, book, comic)

Doesn't mean to ship them irl or sexualize them!

Plz only quote (WITH TW) to not break the thread.

Some words to know:

- BU = Bangtan Universe
- Yoonkook = Yook (i'll use this cause shorter and cute )
- TN = The Notes (book)
- Save Me = comic (i won't talk about the song)
- Members names: NJ, SJ, YG, HS, JM, TH, JK

~CONTENT~

1) Introduction to the BU
2) Yook in TN and Save Me
3) Yook in the MVs
4) Yook in the songs/performances

I'd like to say already that this is long because I wanted it to be clear even for ARMY who aren't into theories I also had to write some parts like if it's "facts" to make it shorter but keep in mind it's all just MY theories!
Sorry in advance for my English

ENJOY!

I/ INTRODUCTION TO THE BU

YEAR 19

On the first day of school, the 7 boys arrive late. They don't know each other yet but are scolded by the Principal and forced to clean an old storage room. Ultimately, they turn this room into their hideout and all become friends.

YEAR 20

The boys' life is starting to become darker and school is finished for SJ. He leaves the country for US.

YEAR 22

SJ is back from US. He meets NJ and ends up learning about his friends' situation. JK and YG are dead, HS is in the hospital, NJ is in jail, TH just k!lled his father and JM is nowhere to be seen. Devastated, he goes back to the place of their happy moments, the sea.

There, he encounters a white cat/fox who gives him the power to turn back time and save his friends. Now, SJ will be stuck in a time loop until he succeeds to save his 6 friends. He's now the main character of the story.

[TIMELINE 1]

This timeline is what you can see in the majority of BU content. Most importantly in Save Me which focus on giving all the loops and attempts of SJ. It ends when he finally saves all of them.

My interpretation:

- I Need U and Run (MV) = bad version (SJ fails)
- Euphoria (MV) = good version (SJ succeeds)

- TN = good version (because they are saved)

- Save Me = both (shows the failures and the final success)

[TIMELINE 2]

After an argument at NJ's container, JK is hit by a car. It seems that SJ is the culprit but we don't have a confirmation. This timeline is what's in Highlight Reel. To this date, the end of this timeline is the end of what we know of BU.

Bonus:

The last chapter of TN is a dream of TH (he knew what was going to happened in Timeline 1 and 2 thanks to them). In this dream he sees NJ's container on fire and people screaming. Doesn't remind you of something...?

For a further explanation of the BU along with a deeper analysis of the psychological and artistic references it uses, I recommend this video of my friend @ItalianARMY_BTS!

II/ YOOK IN THE NOTES AND SAVE ME

YG's childhood

His mother teachs him the piano from a young age. When he is around 12 years, she dies in the fire of his house. From then on, he lives with his father with whom he doesnt get along. He feels trapped and unable to express himself.

JK's childhood

His parents never cared about him. When he was 7, his father abandoned him and his mother by cowardice. From that moment, he'll start to cut his fingers to feel alive from the rush of pain (and maybe to try to gain his mother's attention and care).

But she will never help him to physically and mentally heal. She marries a new man and his new blended family belittles him and makes fun of him all the time.

YG's mother character and role

We know she used to play piano at a good level and that it was really important for her. I think she was a professional musician and didn't want YG (as a baby) or didn't like to have a kid. His birth might have made it harder for her to +

keep playing at a good level or something of that sort. In the end, she k!lled herself "because of him".

Save Me confirms that she committed suicide. See this moment where YG thinks about his father's words. If it was really an accident and not intentional, was she too immersed and didn't realize while playing? Personally I don't think.

In TN, YG has a flashback of his mother telling him she wished he was not born. This has been a traumatic event for him.
(However, he's not sure if it's his mom's words so maybe it could be only YG's understanding of her death? Maybe what his father made him believe?)

These elements are the FONDATION of YG's personality and fear of being emotionally attached. Like in this extract, we can see him multiple times saying that he doesn't want anyone to depend on him or to himself depends on someone. He sees himself as a source of suffering.

Yook's meeting

The first Yook moment is the OT7 trip to the beach. This moment informs us that they didn't talk a lot together before this moment. The whole scene is just JK reflecting on his life through YG (habit of biting his nails, not having a dream, etc).

When they arrive at the rock to make a wish and the loud noise covers their voices, JK feels the need to confess the dark thoughts he keeps inside to YG. Like said previously, they barely know each other at this moment. He just already knows something is different with him

SLA photoshoot

Idk where to put this but I'd like to include now the photoshoot of "Skool Luv Affair" and its really... gay Yook vibe The rose is the flower of romance but it's faded... Impossible love? JK is also doing a heart in the last pic with his right hand.

We know BU started with HYYH era but used elements of the School trilogy. Was Yook already a thing in the pre-BU concept? I think doing this with 2014 baby Yook was not out of nowhere. Could they be (one of?) the "Skool Luv Affair"? Many questions here....

Yook at school

Yook grows and spends more time in the storage room with the piano. There are many scenes of them playing and YG teaching JK, I think YG started playing just like that and somehow it became important to him because the boys and especially JK liked it.

Half through year 20, YG is playing piano while JK, lying on tables, listens to him. Suddently a teacher enters and starts to slap and insult JK. YG steps in and push the teacher to protect him. This event leads to YG being expelled and his decision to stop playing piano.

2 things are important here. Why was JK slapped and why did YG stop playing piano? JK says that YG told him he "was used to being hit and kicked by teachers"... In what kind of school are they fr??? We don't have any answer on this yet sadly....

So why did YG stop playing piano NOW? This main theory of the thread will be developed later but keep in mind that this moment is a strong demonstration of him being emotionally attached to JK and a contradiction with the fact he didn't want to protect anyone. He put his

life in danger because of this, especially since his father is strict with him. Btw, next time we will see YG in the book, he'll be homeless so we can guess he was kicked out of his house by his father because of this event. JK will not recover and keep going to the

storage room, trying to reenact YG's songs on the piano and missing him.

Timeline 1

They meet again 2 years after YG's expulsion. YG is drunk in the street and hears piano in the distance. This scene is exactly the events of First Love short film. He feels like he forgot "something priceless" which could be both JK or the piano

Even the car almost hitting him is in TN. The only difference is JK being the one who broke the window and plays piano. We'll only talk about the main theory that "JK = piano" in detail in the analysis of First Love's short film but keep this in mind.

4 days after this meeting, JK has "his wish" granted and is beaten up in the street. We can imagine that their meeting went bad, which is confirmed in Save Me. YG rejected him, it maybe reminded him of his own father and was too much too bear.

After this he goes to the top of the building to jump (represented by the car crash in the MV). Yoongi regrets his words and calls him over and over, which we learn thanks to SJ and NJ saving him in some timeloops.

In the bad version, JK doesn't answer the calls and we can see YG in his motel room with the image sequence: piano of YG's mother on fire > JK playing piano > YG setting his room on fire. Another JK and piano parallel you keed to keep in mind

We come to an important scene of TN. This time it's TN's version of INU. SJ tries to understand YG to save him and while YG surrounded by gasoline is about to let his lighter fall on the ground, a little bird enters from the window.

The poor bird agonizes on the ground covered with gasoline. But this little pure helpless creature will make YG stop his destructive thoughts and even tried to take care of him by giving him bread and water. And all this makes SJ realize that only JK could save YG.

He remembers this moment at the beach where JK "silently" confessed to YG his thought and that it looked really important to him. He realizes that "It was YG who saved JK. The two had the same look in their eyes."

SJ actions to make Yook close again leads to RUN MV's argument scene even if once again different. YG's motel scene didn't take place already in TN and here it is. After their argument, JK follows him to the motel and save him from the flames. Timeline 1 succeeded for Yook!

Timeline 2

Timeline 2 starts with JK's accident after SJ, NJ and TH's argument at the container. On the morning JM text him to tell him about JK, YG wakes up from a dream about the burnt piano and JK. At the hospital, YG is unable to enter the room and has a panic attack.

Again and again, when there is JK there is the burnt piano and vice versa... The fact it's here at this specific moment is for me really meaningful. It's at this moment that YG remembers his mom telling him it's "his fault" and "if he wasn't born" like we saw previously.

YG totally isolates and stop seeing everyone. One day, HS bump into him in the street. He's drunk. HS remembers everything they did to make him feel better and says "But we were no importance to him. We thought at least JK must be different. He surely knew what he meant to JK".

Along with the famous "Don't you know what you mean to him?" once HS let all his frustration out on him. After this confrontation, YG reflects on this and, honestly, do you think it's normal to reach this level of self destruction for a friend? I mean all the boys have

a lot of hardships but he's destroying himself only because of JK. I'm sorry for repeating myself but it's all about repetition in this theory It's not several ideas but the same one repeated over and over, JK must not come close but what is "close" if other friends are safe?

The scene following is extremely touching and I'm sure everyone who suffered from depression can see what they meant with it. I'm sure none of this is happening but is a metaphorical description of YG's feelings. I don't really want to spoil this but I must so I'll do it quick.

YG is losing himself in a dark forest and decides to give up on life. But a piano melody from the distance gives him the will to keep going. He has been trying to recall this specific melody so hard for years. Read the following extract, I don't think caption is needed.

YG chose his path, now he walks "towards the direction where the sun rises". He'll complete the piece and name it "Hope".

I'll wrap up here for this part. Hope there were some connections you didn't notice before and that you saw all the JK = piano elements I meant to point out.

III/ YOOK IN THE MVS

In this part I'll enumerate the elements related to Yook that you probably didnt notice and compare the MVs with each other to show you how far BH pushed the story and the details... (honestly I mostly cry about them sorry)

Begin/First Love comparison

At 1:10

Begin: JK suddently turn his head

First Love: YG suddently turns his head

At 1:39

Begin: JK shakes his head

First Love: car brushes past YG

At 1:47

Begin: JK says "hyung"

First Love: Sound of the car crash and sentence "Would I have changed? If I had chosen a different path."

Those are the main points but I found this video with both next to each other You should really take the time to watch it and see how the videos were made to correspond.

WINGS Short Films: Begin

Like I told you earlier, there is a lot to say about JK and the piano in these short films. In Begin, we can see the appearance of this piano on fire two times, same one that is in First Love.

In this close up of JK's eye, it's clear that we can see a silhouette. I used to think it was 2 eyes in one (half JK half YG) but looking closely I think it's a reflect. Yoongi holding the brick? Himself in front of the car when he had the car accident?

The drawing JK holds here is this picture of YG from HYYH pt2...

... and you can see this picture (from the trailer of Run) hanging on the ceiling all over the room.

Is the left side of this couch burnt? Doesn't it remind you of somewhere?

This painting remains a mystery but some people like me think it's a mix of YG and JK's faces.

I must clarify that I haven't read Damian but I know this scene is from the book (as you can see on this extract) and there is a real connection but I can't elaborate.

WINGS Short Film: First Love

I guess it isn't new to anyone that the melody YG plays and the whistling he hears are both Begin's melody.

Like we saw, this scene took place in TN and is Yook's reunion after 2 years, when YG is drunk and almost hit by a car before meeting JK at the music shop. However, the big stain of blood means there was a collision so i think it refers to JK's accident too.

Another element shows that JK car accident is intended. The car crashes into the music shop and piano (where JK is in TN), so the car literally collides with him again figuratively. This crash leads to the piano catching fire. And this is why i think JK = piano = YG's first love.

We finally arrive at the theory explanation!

So it's really clear now that JK and the piano (especially the burning piano) are strongly and intentionally linked. Why would this be the case and what does it say about Yook's relationship?

"First" has 2 meanings: first in time and first in a rank. The "first love" (#1 love) of YG's mother was the piano and it made her go crazy and attempt suicide. YG probably doesn't want to have (or be) a "first love) (first in time) because of this.

If we assume that his mother never liked him, YG's idea of love is the one of his mother and her piano, which is a strong destructive bond. JK by being his first love would be someone meant to destroy him and to be destroyed by him.

JK's accident is one of the BU elements with several versions. In the good one of TN it's just an accident at the end of Timeline 1. But in the bad version of Save Me and MVs, it happens after JK leaves YG's and intentionally ends up beaten up at the start of Timeline 1.

In this second version, YG feels responsible for JK's accident because he didn't want to be attached and protect him. Losing, like his mother, his first love would explain why YG decides to use the same way she used to end his life, fire.

I'd also like to point out that the lyrics of First Love are about meeting his first love, growing apart from it to finally realize he needed it when they meet again. Which is exactly what happened with Yook... :')

HYYH MVs comparison

(I understand if you're doubtful with these comparisons but remember it's at the same SECOND in ot7 MVs)

At 1:21

INU: lily on fire

INU jap.: lily appears
(I'm not a flower expert but after research i think it's 2 different varieties of lily)

At 2:51

Run: YG throws a chair at the mirror

INU: YG lights his lighter

INU jap.: JK sets on fire the lily (followed by the lily picture starting to burn behind YG)

At 3:07

RUN and Run jap: zoom out of JK's face

At 3:15

INU: JK about to be hit by the car

INU jap: flower is entirely on fire behind YG

(again, it could be a coincidence but both scenes last only a second....)

What is all this concretely saying about Yook? Well, nothing. It just aims to show you how intricate this story is and that it's not a coincidence. Such a big number of intended elements linking them, even through the timing of their appearance in different MVs, says a lot

Lily

Lily symbolizes innocence, maternity, and pure love.

I won't develop this further. There are MANY interpretations of its meaning in BU. It's not Yook centered and represents all members. It's mostly associated with SJ. It could be meaningful but it's not the topic.

INU (kor. and jap.)

The MV starts in YG's motel room. On the wall you can see a shirt hanging. It's the same shirt JK wears in Euphoria.

Also has the famous scene of Yoongi longing for the person on the empty side of his bed. JK as always been suspected to be this person, thankfully Save Me came to confirm

Always together they are so cute

The Japanese version doesn't have a lot of content apart from the burning lily scene and the fact it's intricate with other MVs like we saw previously.

RUN (kor. and jap.)

RUN gave us probably the most emblematic Yook scene, their argument at the container

We saw that this scene took place with different circumstances in TN.

Since it was just released at the moment I write this, I want to remind you that just after YG breaks the mirror with the chair, SJ's house of card falls apart.

In the Japanese version, several elements link them. Both have a face drawn on their sweater but with total opposite styles. White and pink are also reversed between the background and the sweaters.

YG looks at himself in broken mirror and JK crushes a blue flower. This might be a reference to their argument in RUN kor. version.

Prologue

This video is so cute and it will mostly consists of me crying over their cuteness :')

They just... yeah no quote needed.

This is so adorable and sad at the same time, who decided to make them suffer like that?

"Why was it YG? I suddently realised. It was YG who saved JK. The two had the same look in their eyes."

SJ - The Notes

I'm crying there is so much content in this video look at them

This... honestly has the same energy as Taejoon eye f*cking each other when they are arrested by the cops Bros looking at the dawn (or not that much ) when others are still sleeping...

...and then looking like kids/teens who just confessed to each other They are so awkward and their little smiles, I need a minute

I think not a lot of ARMY know this so I really need to point out that the end of this video changed since its release I find it honestly creepy I leave here a reaction video from 2017, you can compare yourself (it's a good reaction channel!).

Highlight Reel

Not a lot to say here apart from the girl with YG confirming Yook is real with the lighter (Y.K. for yoonkook) Lol no I'm sorry I guess K is her initial but I couldn't stop my brain from having the thought

Also look at JK recognizing the song the girl is playing and has a flashback of them playing it in the storage room.

He also recognize the lighter and who knows why he is so surprised... This tiny element is also in TN it makes me really curious.

I think the timeline of each member was adapted for the purpose of the video because it's strange that the "bad turning point" is for YG the text of JK being at the hospital and for JK... well leaving the hospital? It's not interesting to develop so let's move on

Euphoria

Like I said in the BU introduction, Euphoria is the good version of the events. This scene of JK, supposed to be about to jump from the building, turns into a feeling of freedom like if he was flying and enjoying the moment. (So no argument with YG!)

Well according to how cute and comfortable they are I think we can confirm yes

"My last sight of this world was this dirty, isolated room, the red-hot flames and rolling heat, and JK's twisted face."

YG - The Notes

BH I'm not dropping hints that i'm totally Yook deprived and begging for new scenes in the next BU content haha

BST Japanese ver.

Hi YG's motel Is this fire at the window?

I don't think anything could be more devastating than this In Wings era JK is paired with NJ and not YG. Regardless of eras, YG is always the one coming to save him and look after him.

Ok.

Danger

JK with piano again. At the beginning he tries to play on this old piano (like in the storage room after YG was expelled) but then destroys it with a baseball bat and throw it. Reminder that we are still before the official BU...

There is a really interesting poster that you can find two times in this MV. Guess when? Only in YG and JK's scene. This poster was made by Shepard Fairey to raise awareness against a law stating that "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California".

My friend @btsmal made a thread about the symbolism of raised fist in @BTS_twt artistry check it out https://twitter.com/BTSmal/status/1135572527932235778?s=20

Heartbeat

In every single universe *sigh* JK listens to a CD where it's written "Min Yoongi" so it's YG's piano CD

Light

Ok last one just cause they're cute sorry

IV/ YOOK IN MUSIC AND PERFORMANCES

MMA 2019 - Dionysus

YG's fire is put out by JK's water

Just.... No comments...

Wing's tour VCR

As always in this VCR you can see them happily play the piano

RUN Choreography

I just find the fact the choreo starts with JK leaning on YG's leg really cute

This poster of Love Yourself

Trans: "We were all alone after returning from the ocean"

Just One Day

When I watched videos on YT to check some parts I found this interpretation of YG's verse in Just One Day. I link the video with a timecaption so you'll have directly this part All the video is good and talks about the important things.

So Far Away (ft. Jin and JK)

I could say I kept the best for last. It's a tiny and probably meaningless detail but it's the starting point of this thread. This is the thing I'm the most proud, especially because i've have NEVER seen anyone pointing it out.

In this version made for Festa 2017, the end is different and includes JK and SJ adlibs. And what does JK says in those adlibs: "First Love". Coincidence ? https://soundcloud.com/bangtan/sofarawayfesta

Special non BU related mention to Shooky and Cooky being best friends They even were presented to the boys as a duo and not seperately...

~ CONCLUSION ~

I hope you'll be able to make your opinion with this thread. Pairings changed with eras but this one stays relevant before and after HYYH. Jihope and Taejoon also have strong bonds so it could be a strong brotherhood and nothing more.

What makes me think there is more is that YG seems to only have this conflict of "being too attached" with JK and not with the other members who are also his friends... Too many factors lead to this conclusion but I'd like to know what is your opinion

As for me, Yook gay good fore them but now BH I need a confirmation, more details and them to live happily ever after please

I'm sorry that it was so long, I hope you enjoyed anyway It was more for fun and to summon Yook content but I did my best to make it interesting Don't hesitate to leave your comments or opinion