Chapter Text
It wasn't supposed to end like this. It was supposed to be a magical, once in a lifetime opportunity to see his work adapted into a film. To help boost his friend's career as an actor. To help his other friend have more of a platform for representation and advocacy. It was supposed to be a dream.
He even remembered exactly when it started.
He was at Yoongi's apartment, sitting on the older male's lap while showing him the basics of developing a screenplay as it was his turn to share one of his hobbies as they had been doing over the course of the month they'd been dating in order to get to know each other better. "So whenever you introduce a new character for the first time, you have to put their name in all caps and include in parentheses any identifying characteristics that are necessary for the visual or development--like their race, their gender, their age--"
"So, the name is Fancy Pants, and he is a 100-year-old smurf." Yoongi said with such a serious expression that Jimin couldn't help but burst into laughter, nearly falling off of his boyfriend's lap as Yoongi reached around him to type that on the Word template Jimin had pulled up to show him. "Hey, I'm gonna make millions off of my smurf porno."
"Please do not actually write a smurf porno." Jimin was nearly crying from laughing so hard as an email notification appeared on his laptop screen. "Hold on…" He shifted on Yoongi's lap to be able to open the email, freezing as he read it over.
"What is it?" Yoongi asked, resting his chin on Jimin's shoulder to try to see around him.
"Kit Barker…" Jimin read off the name of the person who emailed him. "Says they're a representative from BigHit Film Studios, they saw my script in a selection from the competition I entered last month and they're interested in speaking with me about a possible film development!"
"Shit, is it legit?"
Jimin shrugged slightly as he opened a Safari window to look up the film company in question. "It's a real company…a small one under the Hybe Entertainment umbrella…" He looked through the company website before finding a list of employees and, sure enough, Kit Barker was listed as a talent agent who worked to find new voices for the studio. "Why would they want my script?"
Yoongi wrapped his arms around Jimin's waist and lightly squeezed him in a hug. "Because it's fucking good. And I would know, you made me read it at least 50 times before you finally submitted it."
"But if it's all some big practical joke-"
"Baby," Yoongi interrupted him, turning Jimin around in his lap so he was facing him. "No film studio would send out an email like this as a practical joke. They want your script. This is a good thing."
"But-"
Yoongi cut him off with a kiss that time, something that never failed to put a smile on Jimin's face. "This. Is. A. Good. Thing." It still took a moment, but Jimin eventually quietly repeated that back to Yoongi. "Now email them back and let's get this ball rolling."
Over the next couple of weeks, Jimin found himself sucked into a series of Zoom calls and late nights of editing and tightening up his script to get it absolutely ready for a shooting script, storyboards, and shot lists. Then finally, the day after Thanksgiving, he found himself walking into the Little Rock airport in the middle of the afternoon with a crowd of supporters to see him off on his trip to LA to officially sign a contract with BigHit Film Studios.
"My baby's leaving the nest!" His mother wailed as she engulfed him in a hug.
"Mother, I cannot breathe!" Jimin choked out, successfully getting her to release him. Then he gave her a proper hug before doing the same to his father.
"You got this, Minnie!" Taehyung exclaimed as he took his turn embracing Jimin.
"Hopefully." Jimin said a bit nervously.
"You do." Seokjin assured him, clapping him on the shoulder.
Jungkook nodded in agreement. "Just remember to accurate representation is the most important."
Jimin giggled. "I'll make sure to do you justice, Kook." He then turned to his boyfriend. "And you take care of my babies." He playfully poked him in the chest, as Yoongi was keeping his cats for him as he and Taehyung had agreed to take his name off the lease of their apartment since he didn't know how long he would be in LA for the film. "This is a test."
"A test?" Yoongi raised an eyebrow.
"Of course." Jimin nodded seriously. "If they don't like you then I can't continue a relationship with you."
"Then I guess I better spoil them as much as I can." Yoongi chuckled before cupping Jimin's face and pulling him into a sweet kiss. "You're gonna kick ass out there." He mumbled before kissing him again. Jimin quietly thanked him and stole one more kiss before waving goodbye to everyone as he made his way up to security.
He arrived in LA just before 10:00 that time but his body was registering it as closer to midnight due to the time difference, feeling the fatigue and need to sleep already starting to set in as he climbed onto the airport shuttle the hotel he'd booked provided. As he settled into his seat, he made sure to message everyone that he'd made it safely and was probably going to head to bed as soon as he got to the hotel. The first response he got was from Yoongi who sent a picture of Mochi and Chimmy curled up on top of Yoongi's pillow in his bed.
Is this how they assert their dominance?
Jimin giggled as he typed back.
It shows they feel safe and trust you.
It's a good thing.
Well that's great but how am I supposed to sleep now?
Just do your best to get comfy without disturbing them
You're no help
I'm glad you got in safely. I'll call you tomorrow before your meeting
Sure enough, Jimin crashed as soon as he got into his hotel room and slept straight through the night until his alarm went off for him to get ready for the day. After his shower, Yoongi FaceTimed him and they talked as Jimin got himself ready for the day up until it was time for him to leave to head to the production company. He was greeted warmly by Kit and a few other representatives from the company as they went over the terms of the contract and their hopes for the film.
"We hope to start filming in the spring and be done by the beginning of summer, have it set to release around Halloween time."
"There's gonna be a lot of horrors and thrillers coming out then." Jimin pointed out as he skimmed over the contract just to make sure there were no red flags.
"Seamus Murphy is highly interested in this screenplay and is fully set to take it on once the contract is signed." Kyle informed him, making Jimin's eyes nearly pop out of his head. Seamus Murphy was an Irish director who, while not a household name, had definitely been taking the slasher genre by storm with his technique of combining traditional elements with new revolutionary traits and was well known among film buffs like Jimin. Just the knowledge that Jimin had the chance to work with the director was enough to have him wanting to sign without any other questions.
But he forced himself to wait, talking out compensation, how much influence he would get to have since it was, in fact, his screenplay and he wanted it treated with respect, and given a guarantee that the company would produce two more projects for sure over the next decade from Jimin's writing. Only then did he sign his name.
Unfortunately, things went downhill pretty fast from there. Over the next two months of pre-production right before they began casting the film, the script was picked apart by the upper execs of Hybe Entertainment until Jimin could barely recognize his work. But he convinced himself it was a hazard of being an amateur screenwriter in Hollywood--he'd have to make some sacrifices until he had a reputation built up. So even though he was struggling internally with reality not matching his expectations for the world he'd created, he tried to see the benefits he'd still get from this experience. Especially when BigHit offered him three conditions of his choice that they guaranteed would never be affected from the moment it was put in writing.
First, he insisted that the lead role of Luke remain at least Asian American. While he had given in to changing the races of most of his characters despite the significance some of them held--Hybe had not been amused when he'd reminded them that everything was political in their current climate so changing things like that wouldn't really affect anything--he refused to budge on Luke. Then he requested there be an autistic person hired as a consultant to make sure Nicki, his autistic character, was as accurate of a representation as was possible and also mentioned he had someone in mind. Finally, he asked if it would be possible to get his friend an audition set up, as he knew how difficult it was to get a break in acting, seeing as Seokjin had settled on teaching after failing all throughout his college career to get any opportunities. That last one they said would be tough but that they would do the best they could. Eventually they couldn't get a formal audition, but they offered him a bit role as one of the EMTs which Jimin found as a better alternative as it meant Seokjin would actually be on screen.
Five months after Jimin signed the contract, pre-production was officially concluded, and they were set to start principal photography as soon as Gabriel Woo could arrive in LA after concluding filming for another movie in London. Jimin took it upon himself to pick Jungkook and Seokjin up from the airport the night they got in even though it was nearly midnight by the time they got in. Seokjin was practically a nervous wreck as Jimin spotted them, knuckles white as he clutched a stack of papers that was no doubt a copy of the script. Jungkook didn't seem to be much better, studying everyone and everything around him with that same wide-eyed gaze he'd had that first night outside the Conway Police Station, but he had still taken it upon himself to guide the older male through the crowd until they reached Jimin. "Oh, thank god!" Jungkook sighed in relief. "Hotel. Now. Please."
Jimin chuckled as he led Seokjin and Jungkook out of the airport and to the car he'd rented. "Not a fan of flying?"
"I was in a middle seat." Jungkook said with full horror in his voice. "Between two extroverts. They wanted to be friends. Why do neurotypicals want to befriend everyone they see?"
"Because we're wired to only see things as they affect us and not question every possible outcome of a decision." Jimin said as he'd learned was the appropriate answer to questions like that.
As they were driving to the hotel, Seokjin finally managed to speak up after being given reassurances that he was going to do great. "So I noticed the script is…a bit different."
Jimin sighed. "Big production company, they get the most say, not much I can do." He put a smile on his face. "But it's gonna be great. I have two of my best friends here with me and we're about to have the experience of a lifetime."
Jimin had no idea that experience was having his and his friends’ names blasted all over social media as the death of the star of the film pushed everyone involved in the project to the forefront of everyone's attention and suspicions.