Can you do a commentary for the Welcome Home scene where they adopt yoongi? "Seokjin squeezed Namjoon’s hand. “Okay, are you nervous? I’m nervous,” Seokjin said, wringing his hands together. He’d been excited all week for Yoongi’s adoption hearing..." It's a long scene so just pick and choose whatever you want!
I was just going to do all of it, and then I actually LOOKED at this scene, and oh my goodness gracious, I may have to pick and choose. Up front, I can tell you that I did a lot of research and that some of this is probably incorrect, but admittedly, I didn’t really know how many people would end up looking at this story, and I maybe could have put more effort in. (I did try to learn as much as I can before writing but I didn’t easily find many materials, so maybe I could have searched harder for some video or something.) To begin, here is the section:
Seokjin squeezed Namjoon’s hand. “Okay, are you nervous? I’m nervous,” Seokjin said, wringing his hands together.
He’d been excited all week for Yoongi’s adoption hearing. Seokjin had been almost frantic, cleaning and baking and being productive. He had been in such a great mood; he’d turned the house over, looking for things to clean and laundry to wash. Every time he thought about finally having custody over Yoongi, he was filled with energy.
But now that he was here, he was so worried about something going wrong. What if he said the wrong thing? Or what if Yoongi changed his mind and said he didn’t want to live with them? What if they weren’t fit parents?
“Why are you nervous?” Yoongi asked.
Seokjin looked down at him. Yoongi was dressed up in his new suit, about to see a courtroom for the first time. Not for the first time, Seokjin was struck with how much he had grown in their short time together. Seokjin bit his lip. “I’m… Well…” he trailed off, unsure of what to say. He didn’t want Yoongi to be worried, but he also didn’t want to lie to him. “I’m just scared I won’t be able to explain how much I love you when the judge asks.”
“Yeah, we love you more than words can say, Sugar,” Namjoon promised, and Seokjin elbowed him in the side for being corny.
“But you think it’ll be okay, right?” Yoongi asked. “You think it’ll be okay?”
“Of course. We’ve made a good home for you, Yoongi. They’ll see that,” Namjoon promised.
“They’ll see that,” Seokjin echoed, trying to convince himself. He knelt down and fussed with Yoongi’s hair, trying to make it lie perfectly against his head. “And you’re sure you want to live with us, right? You’re positive?”
Yoongi nodded frantically. “Yes. Forever,” Yoongi said. He squirmed. His little suit looked stiff on his body. “And you think it’ll be okay? This is gonna be okay?”
Namjoon snorted and ruffled the hair Seokjin had just spent so long fixing. “Listen to both of you guys, double-checking over and over. Everything is going to be okay, I promise. We all want to be a family, and as long as we say that, it’ll be okay. I promise you,” he said.
Yoongi took a deep breath, seeming assured. Meanwhile, Seokjin couldn’t help but notice the tension in Namjoon’s shoulders.
“But you think it’ll be okay?” Yoongi asked, compulsively asking again.
Seokjin managed to pull himself together. “Yes, Yoongi, it’ll be okay.”
Yoongi grabbed his shirtsleeve. “I don’t want to get moved.”
“I know, Yoongi, it’ll be okay,” Seokjin promised.
They waited in the hallway for a while before they were called into the courtroom. Yoongi kept asking over and over if everything was going to be all right, and Seokjin felt terrible for mentioning he was nervous. Yoongi had already been worried, and Seokjin had known that before he spoke up, and now Yoongi was twice as scared.
Fortunately, the first half of the trial went smoothly. The judge reviewed their paperwork one last time and made sure that everything was in order. Yoongi was –in fact- up for adoption, and his caseworker had confirmed that Seokjin and Namjoon had a suitable house for Yoongi to stay in.
Seokjin had been relieved that everything had been filed correctly, but he hadn’t been worried about whether or not the judge would verify their petition.
He had been worried about the short answer portion of the process.
“Now why is this adoption in the child’s best interest?” Judge Baker questioned.
Namjoon fielded the question easily. “Yoongi has lived in five homes before coming to ours, three of which were state-assigned housing that were unsuitable. My husband and I agree with Yoongi’s caseworker that it would be helpful for him to have a stable home.”
“And what about his parents?” Judge Baker asked.
Seokjin cleared his throat. “Dead, your Honor. He lived with his grandparents for a while, who have now died as well.” Yoongi gripped at the table next to him, his eyes wider than Seokjin was used to seeing. He rubbed his back to help him relax.
The judge nodded, confirming with her notes. “And from whom were you awarded custody?”
“The state,” Seokjin answered.
Namjoon nodded. “Yoongi has been living with us for three years now.”
The judge grunted and leaned over her desk. She looked at Yoongi, her face open and friendly now that she was talking to a kid instead of adults. “And have you liked living with your foster parents, Yoongi?”
Yoongi nodded and clutched at Seokjin’s arm. He seemed pale. “Yes,” he squeaked nervously. Seokjin patted his head with his free hand, hating how pale Yoongi looked.
The judge smiled at Yoongi’s answer. “Okay, that’s good. You should like living with the people who want to adopt you,” she said. Her gaze lifted to Namjoon and Seokjin. “And why would you as parents like to adopt?”
Seokjin and Namjoon looked at each other, both ready to answer. Namjoon nodded at Seokjin, and Seokjin floundered for a second before speaking. “Ah, well, honestly, your Honor, we’ve both fallen in love with Yoongi during the course of his stay. He had a hard time of things before coming to our house, and I hate the idea of him going to another house that is unable to care for him properly. I think we know what Yoongi needs, and we want to be able to give that to him.”
“Plus,” Namjoon said, straightening his tie. “Growing up, I had a similar experience in foster care as Yoongi. So personally, I can relate to what he’s been through, and… and so I think I can be helpful to him, especially considering how much I care about him.”
“But you have four other foster children,” Judge Baker mused, flicking through their paperwork.
“But it wouldn’t impede on our ability to take care of Yoongi,” Seokjin promised. “We’re very purposeful about spending individual time with all of our boys.”
Namjoon put a hand on Seokjin’s elbow. “And Seokjin has done a great job of setting up a very structured household. The boys all have set responsibilities and schedules, so it’s very organized how we, like…, care for all of our kids, including Yoongi,” he assured.
The judge hummed. “Okay. Well, it seems as though everything is in order. Your caseworker has written you a glowing review, so as long as Yoongi is happy with the decision-“
“I am!” Yoongi helped, interrupting.
The judge looked at him. “Are you sure?” she asked. “You want Namjoon and Seokjin to be your parents?”
Yoongi nodded confidently. “Yes, I’m sure,” he promised.
The judge nodded. “Then it’s decided,” she said, taking out a pen and the proper form. Yoongi was still clinging to Seokjin, and Seokjin wrapped and arm around him in an awkward hug. “Congratulations Seokjin and Namjoon Kim. You’re parents.”
“He’d been excited all week for Yoongi’s adoption hearing. Seokjin had been almost frantic, cleaning and baking and being productive. He had been in such a great mood; he’d turned the house over, looking for things to clean and laundry to wash. Every time he thought about finally having custody over Yoongi, he was filled with energy.” This is one of those things that I would like to change and edit because like… I think Seokjin would likely be more exhausted than anything else, like the more I talk to moms of young kids, the more I realize they are actually just tired all of the time. But like in my mind while writing, Seokjin is like… super dad who can do everything and take care of any problem. And to be fair, I also do sometimes like that portrayal over realism just because, like, Welcome Home was mostly supposed to be something really cute and really warm and fuzzy? And I think the idea of Seokjin baking and getting laundry done adds to the homey feeling of it? So while I might not make the same choice now as I did then, I don’t want to change it because, like… it has it’s place. IT IS A WORK OF FICTION, LET ME HAVE MY SUPER DAD SEOKJIN.
“Not for the first time, Seokjin was struck with how much he had grown in their short time together.” Any time a kid wears a suit, they look so much more grown up. And he’s checking up on his dad in this scene, like a little adult, and he’s just a big boy, it is very sweet. Seokjin loves him so much.
“And you think it’ll be okay? This is gonna be okay?” This is early evidence of Yoongi checking, which is something that I had recently read up on for Yoongi’s OCD in BKYA. He asks the same question over and over, just to be sure.
“Namjoon snorted and ruffled the hair Seokjin had just spent so long fixing.” Namjoon, like… doesn’t let Yoongi or Seokjin’s anxiety rub off on him. He’s unaffected by it. Which doesn’t mean he isn’t concerned when his family is upset or that it doesn’t hurt him to see his family in pain, just that he doesn’t absorb other people’s hurt, he can stay calm in a crisis. He can snort and ruffle hair and relax, while Seokjin is more pent up and anxious. He absorbs everything everyone else is feeling, and also he’s like… worried about how Yoongi’s hair looks and everything else he could possibly be worried about all at once. (And honestly, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Namjoon is my dad, and Seokjin is my mom, like… Namjoon is cool as a cucumber and walks in to save the day. My mom is always three steps ahead and able to put out fires before they even start. Every relationship has a calm one and an anxious one, including Namjin here.)
“Yoongi nodded and clutched at Seokjin’s arm.” (Okay, sorry to skip so low, but I mentioned how I wanted to show Yoongi checking, we all know the backstory, and most of these were questions I read that people should be prepared for during adoptions in family court, so that’s the explanation for all of that dialogue, and Seokjin and Namjoon were ready to answer those questions because their social worker informed them they’d be coming. ANYWAY.) I never had the chance before, I don’t think, to show it, but Yoongi was very shy as a little kid. He had trouble forming attachments and making connections, and he was a little distrusting, so like… strangers intimidated him. Seokjin is definitely used to Yoongi nervously clinging to him. Just another reason they should be together.
“Ah, well, honestly, your Honor, we’ve both fallen in love with Yoongi during the course of his stay.” Like… Seokjin lists a lot of ways they take good care of Yoongi, but honestly, Yoongi has been in some ways a big help to Seokjin. He is the oldest, and therefore the most capable at helping Seokjin when Namjoon is away. And like, as Dr. Phil says, you NEVER burden children with adult problems, it makes them feel helpless. And Seokjin never asked too much of Yoongi; he never left him responsible for his siblings or gave him too big a task, but like… Once Yoongi warmed up to Jungkook, he liked giving him bottles and being a good big brother? And he could run and get Taehyung a pillow if Seokjin asked. And he liked trailing around Seokjin and mirroring him, so I’m sure he helped with things like clearing the table or putting dishes in the dishwasher. Like little things that a seven-year-old could do, and nothing that would BURDEN him, like no expectations, just Yoongi being helpful because he wanted to be or because he was capable. Kids should have responsibilities they can handle, and I think Yoongi rose to the occasion in that regard. Additonally, like… he was a warm snuggly body who loved Seokjin back. Like in I Have You, just Yoongi’s presence is enough to calm Seokjin down.
Like Yoongi is a little person, and he and Seokjin have a good father son relationship. Seokjin loves him. They mean a lot to each other. It’s reciprocal.
“We’re very purposeful about spending individual time with all of our boys.” EXTREMELY PURPOSEFUL. Like as soon as Jungkook came, Seokjin realized he needed to now be thoughtful about how he spent his time. He didn’t want to let all three boys blend into one despite Jungkook’s ailments, and so he started being very careful about giving each kid one on one attention, and that was what allowed him to take on Taehyung and Hoseok. Without that individual attention (which is possible due to Namjoon coming home at a reasonable hour and things like a structured nap time and also the little activities they signed the boys up for, like My Gym and painting classes), it wouldn’t have been possible. But also, Seokjin and Namjoon have the money for Namjoon to be around and to pay for classes for toddlers, so. They could also afford that individual time that some parents can’t.
(But a good example of them being purposeful is I think in Vulnerable is when Namjin talks about these little classes, and I think that’s when Seokjin finds time for one of the kids, geez, maybe Yoongi? They all blur together.)(Also taking Jimin to Target is another good example. He loves Target because he gets to spend time with his daddy all alone, it’s their special time.)
“The boys all have set responsibilities and schedules…” That also makes having five kids possible, and like honestly I have been learning that lesson a lot lately from this YouTube channel, Our Tribe of Many. The mom has 9 kids and counting, and they are all BEAUTIFUL LET ME TELL YOU. But she has such a really set routine and she makes sure to give her kids responsibilities. And I wish I would have included that more in the series because when I read through, it seems like it’s all on Seokjin’s shoulders. But I think he would have died, like I should have shown the kids in BKYA cleaning their own bathroom or vacuuming because I think in a healthy household, the kids help out? Like chores have to get done by someone, and it shouldn’t all fall on one person. These are all some belated thoughts I am having…
“I am!” Yoongi helped, interrupting. Yoongi pays attention when people are talking, and he follows adult conversation very well. He’s extremely smart; hopefully that comes off well.
“Yoongi was still clinging to Seokjin, and Seokjin wrapped and arm around him in an awkward hug.” Yoongi actively seeks Seokjin out when he needs comfort, and Seokjin will always, always provide that for him. He will always protect him, even wordlessly like in this moment. And THAT is why their caseworker gave them a glowing review, like that gets down to the heart of it. Because while individual attention, schedules, and responsibilities are all important for kids, like… it can’t happen without that parental love and support. Seokjin and Namjoon both instinctively want what’s best for their kids, even if they’re not biological, that was obvious in every visitation they had with a social worker. Like they were clearly good parents, it’s in their genetic makeup, I swear to you.
