Her Astronaut

no. 3

When Seokjin entered the ROKA base that chilly December morning, he officially traded in his title as Jin of BTS for Private Kim.

After a two-year postponement, it was finally time to fulfill his civic duty. A rite of passage that he and his fellow group members were willing to honor. This next phase of Bangtan had officially begun as he stepped away from civilian life.

For the next 18 months, he would be the property of the Korean government.

His life was on hold until the summer of 2024, when the rest of Bangtan planned to follow in Hyung's footsteps by the end of 2023 to ensure their group could reunite sometime in 2025. 

They promised ARMY and would stop at nothing to follow through.

He stood by his mantra, "Hyung will do it first," as he was the eldest with no time to waste. It was still nerve-wracking to be the first member of his group to take this next step.

Everything revolving around his entrance ceremony was bittersweet. It meant everything to Jin that his parents and the rest of Bangtan were there to send him off that day. He could not have done it without all of them by his side. 

Jin had made it to where he was today because of the six other men he considered family.

Yet, he had a gaping hole in his chest as the other half of his heart was not there.

It was not an easy decision to postpone his enlistment, but it was something his group collectively agreed was the best choice since COVID forced the cancellation of their MOTS tour. They took advantage of that time to work on various projects for ARMY.

Ultimately, this unexpected path opened the door to a new galaxy for the idol singer. He now existed in a universe that shone brightly because of a brilliant star.

Nova Elise Kim.

After two long years, his group was finally able to plan an in-person concert for ARMY. Through careful planning and execution, they secured a four-day concert residency at the brand-new SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The venue had a block of dates opened right around the time the American Music Awards were scheduled - the same award show that helped launch their US domination.

After their long flight from Seoul to Los Angeles, Jin walked into his hotel room only to discover the most beautiful woman he had ever seen setting up a welcome basket for him. Through a series of missteps, she accidentally fell into his arms as he figuratively fell for her.

Kim Seokjin was smitten from the start.

It was five months before they finally made their relationship official.

Only one year after that fateful encounter in which he was introduced to the love of his life, the singer had to abandon her for 18 long months. 

They both took solace in all the time they could spend together in the months leading up to his enlistment. The dreams he had envisioned for their future together were something they both held onto as well. Hopeful thoughts tucked away in the depths of their hearts.

A reminder that the best was still yet to come.

Jin and Nova had already overcome so much in the short nine months of their relationship. This separation was a simple roadblock compared to what they had already conquered together.

As he made his way to the field where the entrance ceremony was held, his heart was heavy as he said his final goodbye to his family and brothers.