And The Games Begin

Chapter 3

Jimin has just spent the last hour and a half getting ready for his close up, unsurprisingly, there were men that took significantly longer, and now that he had nothing to do or focus on, the nerves are starting to settle in.

He's standing amongst the other contestants, everyone a bit louder than necessary, and he just wants to get a move on, get the first night over with. Nothing about this has been fun so far, and every time he thinks about what he has to do over the course of the next ten hours....and ten weeks, give or take....he wants to rip Tae's limbs off.

He's been giving himself a constant pep talk since he stepped off the plane. It's an experience, a challenge, potentially, and it is what it is. Jimin wouldn't be himself if he wasn't up for it. If anything, he'll meet some hopefully interesting people, he'll get to gawk at Jungkook in real life. And if he makes it far enough, he'll get to travel and see parts of the world.

Added bonus, maybe he and Jungkook will flirt a little. Maybe they'll have a good time.

Deep breaths, in and out. He's going to make the best if it.

All twenty-five men gather in the studio about a mile away from the mansion before they enter their respective limo's. Each man trying to assert his dominance in one way or another, and the producers go over the ground rules whilst attaching mics to all of their dress shirts.

A woman in her early thirties with jet black hair pulled into a tight bun stands before them. She's holding a clipboard, has an earpiece dangling from her left ear, and her stance screams that's shes in charge, and comfortably so. Jimin appreciates the hell out of that. Some of the other men visibly do not. Jimin rolls his eyes. Good grief. " Hello, gentlemen, I'm Lydia."

A collective Hi Lydia goes around the room and she smiles, flipping through the pages on her clipboard.

" All of the details for the first cocktail party were listed within your contract, but we're going to briefly go over them again. To start, you will exit the limo the way we tell you to. If we ask you to jump out of the limo and sing a song, you will jump out of the limo and sing a song. Got it?"

Everyone in the room grumbles a Yes, and Jimin's sure the look on his face is not pleasant.

Lydia continues. " Number two, for the first night only we will tell you when it is your time to chat with Jungkook, or Jungkook will come get you himself. It gets too confusing with so many people running around and our cameras aren't able to capture everything if we don't know where anyone is. And I know you guys have probably seen guys ask, " Can I steal you for a bit?" Those are guys we've asked to do that, to stir it up a bit. You'll be able to 'steal' all you want, but not the first night. We will guide you where he is, the camera will follow you, and you cannot directly look at them. Just at Jungkook. We will pull you away for interviews, and in the interview room, you will also be advised to not look directly at the cameras. Number three, the rose ceremony in which five of you will be eliminated will take place over a span of about 2-3 hours. It seems quick on TV, but we have to make sure we get every shot, at every angle. Also, it would be impossible for Jungkook to remember all of your names, so we have him say two names at a time, and then we stop filming to give him two more names. And fourth, this cocktail party will most likely go until sunrise. It usually does. Be prepared for that."

" Alright, have fun!"

Jimin knows his jaw is hanging open slightly...he can't find the strength to close it...and he has a new surge of anger towards Tae. On TV, this all looks so simple and flawless.

In real life, it's like surgery, and Jimin has zero experience in the operating room.

Basically, this sucks, and he's already so, so tired.

An older man who's wearing an old faded black polo approaches Jimin and starts hooking him up to a mic, which he tucks inside Jimin's jacket and turns it on. " Alright." he says,

" I'm Dale. I'll be in the interview room just about 90% of the time. If you have any questions, you can come to me about it."

Jimin nods. " Okay."

" We're going to start your first interview now. Let's head this way."

Jimin nods again. " Okay." he repeats.

They walk down a corridor and enter a small room, candles flickering everywhere, an aggressive amount of flowers in glass vases, and the lights that are shining on the chair are nearly blinding. Jimin takes a seat and squints at the small group of people standing before him.

" Jimin, sit up straight and tall, put your feet in the X of tape on the floor, and we'll tell you when to begin talking. Just read directly from the cue cards." The look on Jimin's face must have been a combination of shock and disgust because Dale backtracks immediately.

" The entire show isn't this scripted. Just the first week. This is just kind of a formality, and everyone will be asked the same questions. It's just easier for us to hold up the cue cards. This way, we don't have to repeat ourselves a thousand times in one night."

Jimin relaxes, his shoulders slumping a bit. " Alright, that's better. I thought you were trying to turn me into a robot."

Dale smiles. " Just a little bit. The further you get, the more freedom you have."

It makes sense, but Jimin still hates it. Instead of voicing his displeasure, he simply says, " Okay." for the third time. " Let's do it."

A woman next to the camera holds up the first cue card. " Whenever you're ready, Jimin."

He straightens his back and looks at the words on the poster. It's just some basic information with blank lines, which he assumes he's supposed to fill in as he talks. Okay, that's not so bad. " My name is Park Jimin, I'm twenty-eight years old, and I've been living in Chicago for the past ten years but I'm from South Korea. I work for an advertising firm." He looks down at his hands and then back up again. " I never thought in a million years I would end up on The Bachelor as a contestant. I guess that's what happens when you have a friend that meddles, yeah?"

Dale stops the recording. " Jimin, tell us about your friend and why they convinced you to enter." He hits record again, and the red light, lights up once more.

" My friend from back home listened to me rave about Jungkook for the entire duration of last season and thought this would be a good idea, for whatever reason. It's definitely out of my comfort zone but...." He trails off and looks to Dale, who's waving his hands, encouraging him to go on.

" But I'm getting really excited about it." That part isn't actually fabricated and doesn't feel scripted.

The producers must feel the same because they turn off the camera again. " Awesome Jimin. Thank you. If you exit the room and head back down in the main hall, there will be someone down there who should direct you to your limo. You're all set to head to the mansion."