Jungkook's kind eyes betray his inner desire for connection.
I adore his open stare. Confident and unafraid of its reception being unwelcome by the subject of his honest gaze.
“Hearts are connected when we lock eyes”
What Jungkook sees when he looks Jimin in the eyes is a mirror reflection of his own emotions.
Research has shown that gazing at one another stimulates mirroring behavior and even the synchronization of various unconscious physiological processes. For social animals, eye contact is important for alignment.
'Cooperation is pivotal for society to flourish. To foster cooperation, humans express and read intentions via explicit signals and subtle reflections of arousal visible in the face. Evidence is accumulating that humans synchronize these nonverbal expressions and the physiological mechanisms underlying them, potentially influencing cooperation.'
"He’s a very strong person. I'm encouraged and motivated by him. We're similar, including the stage-loving part, and we're in a relationship where we can understand each other. I’m thankful for you always being enthusiastic and moving towards your dream"
During episode 5 of AYS?! Jungkook and Jimin, as they shared the same single braincell, mused: 'Imagine if we had met as same age friends'.
'We would have been copies of each other', Jimin says. 'Annoying our teachers.' There is a pause before he says that, a wealth of possibilities, different timelines floating in his head. They laugh it off,.... but to me, that idea stuck.
Jungkook’s initial thought intrigued me. I couldn't completely grasp his meaning. Sure, he said it because, at that moment, they were telepathically synced up. Yes, they're a lot alike. They share history. But to be the same age? What lay behind this 'desire', so freely expressed?
I suppose it runs deeper than what my superficial knowledge of Korean culture can discern. Meaning: To me, it felt like I couldn't grasp it fully because the rules of hyarchigal age structures in Korean society are not ingrained for me. I superficially understand honorifics. The rest must be lived to understand fully. The closest I can understand is that there is a certain power an elder holds over you, and you hold over a younger person. As one Korean food blogger once said, and I am paraphrasing: "Once people [at the gathering] knew I was the youngest of the group, the tables turned, all former deference and admiration vanished and they ordered me around like I was their lackey."
Rules one must live by because society says so. Does that sound familiar? Something someone might want to, at times, do away with? 🤔
To Jungkook, this comment about wishing they had MET as the same age friends must have run deep. It hinted at a scar, a wound healed years before. It's a very intimate comment, imho. Probably a great conversation starter for another night, but here, in this tiny restaurant on a snowy day in Japan, it was a glimpse of the various layers their relationship is cocooned in.
Friends, brothers, partners, and perhaps even lovers.
As I was watching or reading or trying to parse my thoughts regarding Jikook, this comment kept nagging at me. And I think I'm settling on this:
What Jungkook is expressing is the fact that with Jimin, he already feels like the same age friend. What if these arbitrary barriers society has rigged up around them weren't there? This hierarchical structure demands subservience and patronage in equal measure and that became uncomfortable once Jungkook realized that with Jimin, their relationship demanded something completely different.
It hinted at a certain freedom they could have had If he had a choice. The freedom to have something malleable and wholly their own. Something to cherish in a society that demanded you follow the arbitrary rules.
Jungkook doesn’t do well with rules. He loves to pave his own way. Especially once you outgrow the rules. When the rules don't serve your desire.
In that moment, he's saying something to Jimin that I am sure Jimin already knows. So his 'confession' is towards us, the viewer, 'I already feel like those barriers are non-existent when I'm with Jimin.'
“When I naturally meet eyes with Jimin and high five him after a concert. I feel like I’m especially connected to Jimin in some ways on stage and off stage too”
Jungkook's wish, his desire, was to have been Jimin’s equal. To have been standing on the same level of the hyarchigal structure of society. So that there had been 0 boundaries to cross and maneuver around when it came to their relationship. Maybe just less boundaries, because there were boundaries a plenty between them.
Because I really do feel like overcoming those issues was part of what caused them friction, especially in the beginning. He might have wanted to have a semblance of normalcy when it comes to their relationship. So much of what they deal with is mired in secrecy and obfuscation. Hiding and pretending. Those are not things that go well with Jungkook’s personality. He's pretty straight in that regard... 😌
What a relief to have had someone you could feel at ease with. Someone to look up to. Who's work ethic is impossibly high, as high as yours is. Someone who's driving force is to share, to love, to perform. I'll never take anything away from either of them in regards to other members, but this has to be said:
'When Jungkook looks at Jimin, he sees his equal.'
‘Even if i don't say it, i’m watching you Jimin-ssi’
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