《The Proposal》A Spark

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Jimin runs at a fast pace deep in the woods. He's running hard, muttering to himself, and working out the aggression he's accumulated over the last thirty six hours. He's lost in his own world, until he sees smoke, and slows to a stop.

"What now?" Jimin follows the smoke, and hears a mysterious drumbeat. He soon discovers a tremendous bonfire by the water, and a shaman dancing around it. He is dressed in a loin cloth, and wears a carved bear's head mask and tribal makeup. His belly shakes as he frantically moves around the fire.

The shaman sings a song that sounds centuries old. Jimin hides behind a tree and stares at this man in a trance. He begins to yell at the fire and scream at the top of his lungs. Exhausted, he stops and catches his breath. He yells out again. "Jimin, welcome!"

Jimin looks around. Maybe another Jimin is in the vicinity.

"Come to me, Jimin of Seoul."

Nope, that's him. Jimin carefully steps out into the clearing.

"It is I, father Min." Sure enough, Gook is beneath all the makeup.

"What, ah, are you doing?" Jimin asks cautiously.

"My shaman Kevin told me to get out here and clear my head. As you know, things have been a little crazy around here. You should join me."

Jimin hesitates, "Ya know, I've got to get back."

"You closed minded southerners amuse me. Never willing to leave the nest and try something new."

"I'm a big fan of the nest."

Gook throws sand into the fire and it blazes higher. "Dance with me! You besmirch my ways if you deny my circle."

Worried he's going to really piss him off, Jimin relents. "Okay, okay. I 'accept your circle'."

Gook smiles and throws more sand into the fire. "Clear your mind and follow me." He begins dancing slowly, contorting his body.

Jimin follows, always a half step behind, and can't get into it. After a few moments, Jimin stops. "I'm gonna head back."

"We're not done."

"I think I am." Jimin begins to leave.

Gook calls after him. "Jimin?" Jimin stops and turns around. "I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot. But I'm making an effort here. Don't leave now." Much to his chagrin, Jimin stays. Gook is pleased. "Thank you." He then goes back to his weird chanting and throws more sand on the fire to make it go higher and speeds up his dance.

Jimin is getting better, but it is still painfully awkward.

Gook keeps chanting and speeds up his dance. "Now you."

"Me what?"

"Whatever comes out, just chant. It is the way. You'll feel better."

"I can't..."

"Close your eyes. Chant."

Jimin and Gook keep dancing. Jimin closes his eyes, but can't figure out what to say.

"Chant!" Gook demands.

"I don't know any chants!"

"Chant!"

Jimin lets out a guttural scream, and Gook freezes looking at Jimin. It's surprising he can make such a low noise.

"Chant!"

The drum beat continues.

They continue to dance, Jimin is getting into it. "...to the wall..."

More sand. More fire.

"...to sweat drop down my balls..." Jimin continues.

Gook stops dancing. What did he say?

"...to all these bitches crawl..." Jimin's eyes are closed, he doesn't realize that he's broken out into a Lil Jon song. He continues to dance. "...To all skee skee motherfucker..."

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Gook takes off the bear head mask off.

"...To all skee skee got damn..."

From the trees, the moment is broken when Du shouts out. "Gook!"

Jimin stops chanting Lil Jon.

"Oh Du, I didn't do anything." Gook is quick to defend himself.

Jimin sees Du and Grandma Areum in the clearing.

"Is he singing about balls?" Areum questions.

"He told me I had to chant!" This time it's Jimin who defends himself.

"Oh, you poor dear. Gook, you can't do this!" Areum turns to Jimin. "He's a Tagabawa, dear."

Ju takes pity on Jimin's confused face and steps in. "He does this to keep in touch with 'his people'.

"Don't make fun of my heritage! And it was helping. Don't you feel better? I feel better." Gook states.

"Come on sweetie, we need to get you cleaned up. You've got a suit to try on." Ju stops speaking and directs her attention onto her husband. "And Gook, put that fire out and come in and help us with the wedding."

Gook turns off the boom box that was hidden in the trees and the drum beat stops. "Fine." With a fire extinguisher, the bonfire comes to an end.

Now inside the Min Master Bedroom, Du and Areum wait outside the bathroom talking to Jimin through the wooden door.

"I am so excited. Aren't you excited?" Du gushes.

"This was my husbands suit from 1929. My mother made it by hand. Amazing how things come back into style. How does it fit?" Areum asks.

Jimin speaks through the door. "Just buttoning up here."

"Drum roll!" Grandma and Du enthusiastically make drum roll sounds.

Jimin opens the door and smiles. He's unsure of himself, but looks fantastic. The suit fits great, except...

"My husband was a lot bigger than you." Areum recalls.

"Yeah, it's a little snug." Jimin comments.

"Come over here." Du leads Jimin to a mirror and Grandma Areum follows.

"It's a lovely suit." Jimin admits not seeing himself in the floor length mirror.

Du looks at Jimin, and spontaneously begins crying. Through the tears she tries to speak. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just I never thought I'd get to do this as Yoongi is my only child and likes men. You're just so beautiful, and such a great match for my Yoongi. I know I've just met you, but a mother can tell. When Yoongi looks at you, I can tell he's in love. I'm so happy I get to share your day."

"Du, please." Areum chastises. "We've got work to do."

"You're right." Du collects herself, then starts crying again.

Areum tuts. "You go work downstairs, I'll finish this." Du tries to calm down, but can't. "Go!" Du nods in agreement, smiling from ear to ear she leaves in tears. Jimin and Areum watch her go. "Had to get rid of her before I gave you this. Don't think she would've recovered." Grandma Areum comes from behind and puts her arms around Jimin's neck. When she is done, a stunning blue necklace lays on Jimin's neck. "You needed something blue, and I noticed you wear jewelry. It's silly, but I didn't want to take any chances."

"It's beautiful."

"It's hematite. Korean diamonds. The blue ones like this are very rare. My great grandfather gave it to my great grandmother when they were married. They were quite a scandal, you know. He was Russian and she was Korean. Back then, you had to get approval from every person in the family before you got married. It almost broke them up."

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"How'd they stay together?"

"Don't know. But I'm sure happy they did, none of us would be here if they hadn't." Grandma and Jimin admire the necklace in the mirror. "I want you to have it."

This is awful news for Jimin. He might as well be stealing from Areum. "No, no, no. I can't. Really."

"I don't want to hear it. It's yours. Grandmothers like to give their stuff away to their grandchildren. Makes us feel like we'll always be a part of your life, even after we're gone. Take it."

Jimin puts his hand to the necklace, and for the first time feels like a complete fraud.

Areum notices his silence and apprehension. "Are you alright, dear?"

Jimin doesn't speak, but Areum patiently waits for his reply. "Well. Thing is..." Jimin deliberates spilling his guys to Areum, but can't. "...the suit is just a little warm."

"Oh don't worry about that. It's just hot in here is all, it will be a lot cooler at the venue."

Jimin smiles, but knows that Areum couldn't be more wrong.

Yoongi helps workers build a stage for the band. He's still in a foul mood when Jimin interrupts in a panic. "We need to talk."

"I'm a little busy."

"Well I'm freaking out. I need to get away from here. From everyone. Now."

"Go for another run."

"No! I did that. It did not help."

"I'm just a little tired of you making demands and me just jumping..."

Jimin indicates towards the stage Yoongi's building and to the various other wedding decorations around them. "We're not going to need any of this if I don't get out of here."

"Okay, high maintenance. Let's go."

Yoongi takes Jimin over towards the dock and climbs onto a speed boat. Unlike the bulky yacht, this boat is built for speed and maneuverability. Yoongi starts her up.

"Move over, I'm driving." Jimin cuts in front of Yoongi and grabs the wheel.

"You don't know where we're going."

Jimin opens up the throttle and they are off. "It doesn't matter."

Jimin and Yoongi leave everyone behind and take off for the horizon.

As they jet up the coast away from civilization, the green trees, blue water and wildlife that inhabit the coastline have a calming effect on both of them. On the island, it doesn't take long to leave humanity behind. Eventually, the boat travels through a channel with steep mountain walls on either side, and then a small beach is seen straight ahead.

"Where are we?" Jimin questions.

"Korea. Congratulations, we made it." Yoongi ignores the look Jimin shoots him. "It's a beach. You better let me take it from here."

"I'm fine."

"Oh. Okay. So like me, you've navigated a lot of rocky ocean? And not died?"

Jimin reluctantly moves aside and let's Yoongi steer.

"Man, you've got issues." Yoongi argues.

"Yeah. I'm a control freak. Fine."

"It doesn't stop there."

"This coming from the sociopath."

"Oh, please."

"I'd never bring me here."

"You drove!"

"I mean to the Philippines."

"Are you kidding me?" Yoongi pulls next to a large flat rock that's sticking out of the ocean and turns off the engine.

"You're sick. Doing this to them."

"I explained to you..."

"They love you. Do you get that?"

"Of course."

"And you're still willing to lie to them?"

"Like you didn't know."

"Didn't know what?"

"That we were going to lie to them."

"I didn't know!"

"Well that makes you either stupid, or ignorant."

"You think I'm stupid?"

"No, but what's behind door number two..."

Jimin screams. "I forgot! Okay? I forgot!"

"Forgot what?"

"What it was like!"

"What what was like?"

"To have a family! I forgot what it was like to have a family. I've been on my since I was thirteen, and I'd forgot what it was like to have people that love you, and make you breakfast, and give you necklaces..." Suddenly, Jimin has a hard time speaking and is short of breath. He goes to the side of the speed boat. "I'm going to take a walk."

"We need to head back."

"Alone. I need alone time."

"What?"

Jimin looks at Yoongi with a scared and confused look. "I'm, uh, about to lose my shit. Big time. I need a second."

"But..."

Jimin sounds panicked. "Stop right there!" Yoongi puts up his hands in surrender and stays put. "I'm going to be over there. Away from you. Just sit down, turn around, and act like you're not here."

Yoongi goes to speak, but Jimin motions for him to sit down and turn around, so he does. Jimin gets off the boat and manages to climb onto the rock, walking away from Yoongi on the flat surface.

On the rock, Jimin tries diaphragmatic breathing to calm down, giving himself a manic pep talk. "You can do this. Couple more hours, and then you'll never see these people again. Eventually you'll write a letter. Apologize. Send the necklace back."

"Jimin!" Yoongi calls from where he is on the boat.

"No talking!"

"Watch your step, okay? It can be dangerous."

"Again, you're supposed to be..." Jimin doesn't finish his sentence.

Yoongi sits with his back turned to Jimin, waiting for his reply. He doesn't hear anything. That's weird. With his back still turned he calls out to him. "Jimin?" Yoongi then turns around and looks for Jimin. He doesn't see him. He gets out of the boat and goes onto the rock, walking in the direction he last saw Jimin. "Jimin? I know I'm breaking 'the rules' here, but where are you?" He takes one more step before he hears...

"Yoongi!!! Help!!!"

Yoongi still can't see him, but runs in the direction of his voice. He soon rounds a piece of rock that was sticking up and sees that Jimin has slipped and been swallowed by the sea. His upper torso sticks out of the ocean, trying to keep afloat with his arms that are clinging onto the edge of the slippery rock. His eyes are wide, and he's almost hyperventilating. It's a bizarre sight.

"Oh, thank God!" Jimin shouts, when he spots Yoongi.

Yoongi tries to control himself, but bursts out laughing.

Jimin is really scared. "Wh-, wh-, why are you laughing?"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Just relax. I'll get you out of there. You've just got a mound of seaweed on your head, you look hilarious. No biggie."

"Don't do that."

"Don't do what?"

"The thing that doctors do in E.R. when they tell the gunshot victim who is bleeding to death that they're going to be okay. Don't do that!"

"It's not like that. Really. We do need to be careful here though, I don't want us both to fall in. Stay still, okay?"

"Uh-huh."

Yoongi is ten feet away from Jimin now. He's checking that the rock is stable, and slowly walks his way. "So, I'm going to walk up to you and very slowly pull you out. Okay?"

"I'm really cold."

"Yeah, that's normal when you just fall into the sea." Yoongi stands over Jimin, whose head just comes up to his ankle. He calmly looks down on him. "So I'm going to pull you up by your armpits. I'm probably going to touch ass. But don't freak out."

Jimin shakes his head yes, just wanting to get out of the sea. Yoongi reaches down and slowly lifts him out the ocean. Jimin doesn't say a word.

"When I get you all the way out, I need you to hold on to me. I'm going to carry you over there."

Jimin nods yes as he puts his arms around Yoongi. Yoongi's strong, so it isn't difficult for him to slowly carry him 'over the threshold' style from the rock to the boat.

Yoongi speaks once Jimin's safe from the water. "I've, uh, never done that before."

"You said it was 'no biggie'."

"Yeah. Well. You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

Yoongi smiles and Jimin smiles back. Yoongi walks very comfortably with Jimin in his arms. He fits just right.

Jimin looks up to Yoongi gratefully smiling. "You shouldn't of laughed at me."

"You woulda laughed at me."

"Yeah. While I was getting my camera."

The two stare at each other for a beat. There's a real spark. They might kiss.

"Gab-Do wants me back."

Whoah. Not what Jimin was expecting. He looks down. "And?"

"Well. It seemed like you were having... second thoughts."

"Yeah. I was."

"Maybe we should do it. Come clean."

"Put me down." Yoongi puts Jimin down near the boat. Jimin tries to regain his composure. "You wanna call it off?"

"If you do."

"Fine. It's over. We'll tell them when we get back." Jimin sits hunched over with a blanket around him. Yoongi drives the boat. They don't talk.

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