Back at Jake's penthouse, they had just put their suitcases down when Jake's phone rang, his manager calling him.
The company officially reached out and invited Ivory to their headquarters. They wanted to meet the woman who not only calmed a scandal but brought JungKook back to life.
They arrived at the HYBE headquarters, greeted by respectful bows and warm smiles. Ivory held JungKook's hand a little tighter-this world was loud, polished, and powerful, but she held her ground with grace.
Inside the sleek top-floor office, the door opened to reveal Bang Si Hyuk himself. He stood with a soft, proud smile.
"Miss Ivory, thank you. You didn't just protect JungKook-you reminded us what real support looks like. We owe you."
Ivory smiled back. "I didn't do it for you. I did it for him," she said honestly, glancing at Jake, who couldn't stop smiling at her.
After a brief conversation and a formal thank-you gift (a private invitation to an upcoming exclusive event), they left the conference room.
The heavy door to the studio swung open just as Jake and Ivory stepped inside, warm drinks in hand. Laughter spilled out first, followed by the familiar voices of Hoseok, Namjoon, and Jimin-all just wrapping up their session.
Hobi was the first to spot them, instantly breaking into that signature sunshine smile. "Look who finally showed up!" he beamed.
"Ah, the Jeju honeymooners," Jimin teased, pulling Jake into a hug and then giving Ivory an exaggerated once-over. "The infamous Ivory."
"I don't know about infamous," Ivory grinned, "but yes. And you must be the chaotic trio I've been warned about."
"That would be us," Namjoon laughed, setting down his water bottle. "You survived Jeju with him. That already makes you a legend."
Ivory snorted. "You think Jeju was wild? He folded my sweaters like they wronged him and tried to brush my hair with a fork."
Jake gasped. "It was a wide-tooth comb! And I was gentle!"
"Gentle my ass," she whispered, loud enough for the guys to howl.
Jimin leaned toward her. "Wanna have dinner with just us sometime? We'll tell you all the stories. I have footage."
Hobi wiggled his brows. "We'll take you somewhere fancy. Just don't let this guy-" He pointed at Jake, "-crash the party."
Jake playfully shoved them both, grabbing Ivory possessively by the waist. "Absolutely not. If she's going out, I'm going with her. Or better-" He turned to all three of them, eyes sparking. "Why don't we have dinner? All of us. At my rooftop."
"Ohoho?" Hobi raised a brow. "Someone's turning domestic."
"Bring your girlfriends if you want," Jake added, smirking at Namjoon. "Hyung, this could be your time."
Namjoon rolled his eyes but grinned. "You're not slick."
"I'll cook," Jake declared proudly.
Ivory leaned in. "And I'll make my signature pasta. With wine pairings, of course."
Jimin's eyes lit up. "Wait. Wine and JK cooking? Say less."
Hobi added with a wink, "I'm bringing dessert. And by that, I mean myself."
The group burst into laughter as Jake and Ivory exchanged a look-like everything was finally falling into place.
Friends. Food. A rooftop under the stars. A night of laughter waiting to happen.
***
JungKook's Penthouse Rooftop - Evening
The rooftop was glowing.
String lights twinkled like lazy stars, soft music played in the background, and the long table was set beautifully-pasta steaming in serving bowls, personalized wine glasses glinting in the light, and Jake in an apron over a plain black tee, looking entirely too domestic and too boyfriend-y.
Ivory was already laughing, wiping flour off his cheek while the rest of his friends trickled in.
"Yo, it smells like heaven up here," Seokjin announced, sniffing dramatically as he flopped onto one of the chairs. "If this is what being in love with a wine queen gets us, I approve."
"You've only had a bite," Jake muttered.
"But I've seen it," Jin countered. "And smelled it. My tongue is ready."
Hobi arrived last with Jimin, Yoongi, and Taehyung trailing behind-all slightly sun-kissed from schedules, all bearing desserts, snacks, and their usual chaos.
"Yahhhh," Hobi grinned, hugging Ivory with a spin. "We're finally all together! And you look more and more beautiful everytime I see you."
"I hope that's a compliment," Ivory laughed. "Considering one of them stole my hoodie."
Taehyung coughed loudly. "It was for scientific purposes."
"Yeah, sure," she said, pointing at him. "You still owe me coffee."
"I'll buy you the whole damn cafe shop."
JungKook then stood and play wrestled with V, asking for the hoodie back. And them running like teenagers while V giggled.
Just then, the elevator dinged-and Kim Namjoon walked in, adjusting his sleeves. "Sorry I'm late, the meeting ran over-"
He paused. There JungKook was, laughing, arm now around Ivory's shoulders, not a hint of the anger or weight he'd been carrying in months.
Namjoon blinked. "Did I walk into the wrong rooftop?"
Jungkook stood up, arms open. "Hyung! I'm fixed."
Laughter erupted around the table. wine glasses clinked and the night sparkled with genuine joy.
Everyone was settling in, sipping wine, passing bowls, when Jimin leaned toward Hobi with a sly glint in his eyes. "Hyung."
"Oh?" Hoseok paused mid-bite.
"You never got the full Sayuri moment, did you?"
Yoongi snorted. "He wasn't with us that night."
"Say. Less." Jin clapped once and pushed back his chair.
Within seconds, the makeshift scene was set. Jin transformed into Sayuri with a napkin on his head. Jimin played himself-sassy and unbothered. Yoongi stood in as the manager, while Taehyung, dramatically hunched, mimicked JungKook with a brooding pout.
"Cut the cameras," Jimin called, pretending to hold an imaginary boom mic. "Scene: Sayuri Storms the Scene."
The table erupted in laughter as Jin flounced in exaggeratedly, flipping his napkin hair.
"Oppa!" Jin-Sayuri whined, "You left me. For this wine heiress-who-can't-even-speak-Korean! How could you?!"
Ivory choked on her wine as JungKook turned redder than the marinara sauce.
Taehyung-as-Jake tilted his head, deadpan. "Who are you?"
Jimin stood, crossing his arms. "You weren't even invited, Sayuri. I checked the guest list. Twice."
Yoongi-as-manager sighed loudly. "This is why we need better security."
"BUT I'M HIS FIRST LOVE!" Jin wailed.
Hobi was doubled over. "STOP-STOP-I CAN'T-"
"Security!" JungKook called out through tears of laughter.
Ivory buried her face in her hands. "I cannot believe this is happening."
Jimin walked over and mock-comforted Seokjin. "Sayuri, he didn't even share his tteokbokki with you. It was never love."
Seokjin gasped. "You mean... I was just content?!"
Yoongi patted his shoulder. "At best."
The whole rooftop was shaking with laughter by the time they took a fake bow. Even Namjoon, who had been quietly enjoying the show with his wine, wiped a tear from his eye. Them talking in Korean now since they have run out of their English, except for Namjoon, laughing-crying as they mock each other of their English accents.
Ivory then sips her wine and says, "what do you mean wine heiress-who-can't-even-speak-Korean?!"
"YA!" she snapped-in fluent Korean.
"나 지금 한국어 할 수 있어! 바보야!"
("I can speak Korean now! You fool!")
Everyone froze for half a beat.
Then the entire table exploded.
"WHOOOOAAA!" Taehyung banged the table like a proud dad.
"EXCUSE ME?!" Jimin gasped, jaw dropping. "Since when?!"
"I told you she was sneaky," Yoongi said, raising a toast with his wine. "Bilingual and deadly."
Jake looked like he was about to ascend. His mouth opened. Then closed. Then opened again.
"You've been pretending this whole time?!" he cried, mock betrayed.
Ivory shrugged innocently. "Maybe I just liked hearing you explain things to me. Real slow. Like a sexy tour guide."
Jin snorted wine out his nose.
Jake groaned, face in his hands. "You mean all those times I was explaining banchan like it was a documentary episode...?"
"I enjoyed every minute, don't worry babe, truthfully speaking, I wasn't even fluent by then yet." she grinned, sitting back down with a wink.
Namjoon raised his glass. "Alright. Respect. She's officially one of us."
"Agreed," said Yoongi.
"You're still not getting your hoodie back," Taehyung mumbled into his plate.
Ivory grinned wider, reaching under the table to lace her fingers through Jake's.
He was still pink, still processing, still ridiculously in love.
"You're unreal," he whispered to her.
"You're just slow," she whispered back.
He looked at her, his smile soft now-full of warmth and peace.
This-this-was what he'd longed for.
A full rooftop.
Laughter echoing.
Her, beside him, glowing from love and wine. Erasing the memory the last time he had with them, with him being moody, angry, almost had a fist fight with V and Jimin, his most closest friends just because they're thinking of him and pulling him from his fame whore ex.
And for once... nothing hurt.
The comforting scent of grilled meats and kimchi jjigae followed next. Laughter bounced between the walls as 6 dorks and 1 Lucky bastard reunited, welcomed JungKook back into their arms-not just as a member, but as the version of him they hadn't seen in a long time.
"This is how he used to be," J-Hope said, raising his soju glass. "Playful. Loud. Annoying."
"And way too competitive during karaoke night," Jin added, earning a nod from Jimin, who chimed in, "I'm just glad you're back, JK."
V leaned back with a dreamy smile. "You've been smiling all night. We missed this you."
Then came the inevitable question.
"So, how did you two meet?" Yoongi asked, giving Ivory a rare but intrigued look.
Ivory chuckled. "He was a walking vampire. Literally looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. I didn't even know who he was."
The table roared.
"Sounds about right," V said.
"Wait, you didn't know who Jungkook was?" Jimin gasped.
"Bless you," Jin muttered dramatically.
Ivory continued, "He kept insisting his name was Jake."
"You were using 'Jake' again?" Namjoon blinked.
Jungkook buried his face in his hands. "I'm never living that down."
"And now you're telling me this moody, snapping, brooding man was actually fun and calm in Iceland?" Yoongi asked, half in disbelief.
Ivory shrugged with a smirk. "Didn't seem moody to me. Though he did pout when I stubbed his toe during grocery rush hour. The hiss was venomous."
Jungkook groaned. "Hyung, make her stop."
"Let her speak," Namjoon grinned. "This is healing."
"And did we hear correctly?" J-Hope asked, wide-eyed. "You own like, a wine empire?"
"She's being modest," JungKook said proudly. "She's a damn heiress. Has her own wine label. I think she owns half of Iceland."
"Only a quarter," Ivory joked. "Babe, can you take the boxes I prepared for them?"
He took another sip of his wine before disappearing in the kitchen, only to come back carrying a crate of vintage wine and a few mysterious wooden boxes on the table. Ivory handed each of them their wine, tailored to their preferences. Namjoon's had earthy notes, Jimin with a Merlot, Ivory took to her notes when she saw Jimin enjoying the Merlot back at the VIP dinner, Hoseok's was fruity and bold as with V's but in white.
"From the legendary Icelandic vineyard herself," he declared. "Boys, tonight we drink like royals." JungKook says as if he's the president of ivory's fanclub.
Ivory then turned to Yoongi. "And for you, I had something special flown in. Scotch-aged, smoky, from a distillery my dad keeps in Italy. Just for personal use."
Yoongi blinked. "You're kidding."
She shook her head. "Overnight air. Worth it."
"I'm going to cry," Yoongi muttered, hugging the bottle like a newborn.
"Marry her," Jin said under his breath, sipping the wine.
The party had dimmed into a warm buzz-half-empty wine bottles, soft laughter echoing under the night sky, Taehyung humming an old ballad in the background. Most of the guys had migrated to the couch, half-drunk and bickering over karaoke scores. Ivory was seated with Jimin and Jin, explaining the flavor profile of one of her wines with passionate hand gestures.
Jungkook stepped aside, two beers in hand, and settled beside Yoongi, who was seated at the edge of the rooftop, looking out over the city skyline with a stick of cigarette on his lip.
He handed one over wordlessly.
Yoongi took it with a quiet nod. "Thanks. Still smoking?"
Jungkook didn't pass on that and the familiar bond they had before backstage with their endless bickering and smoking made him reminisce that time.
"Does she know?"
"She knows."
"Well, she doesn't give you an earful about it?"
"She never did. She once caught me smoking on the port in Iceland, took a picture and called it poetic." Both of them laughed.
"That's rare. I would always get an earful with mine when she smells it." Yoongi shrugged. "Women."
For a moment, they just sat in silence, like they always did when something heavy sat between them.
Then JungKook spoke, voice soft. "Hyung..."
Yoongi turned to look at him, one brow raised. He knew that tone. He waited.
"I think I'm in love with her."
Yoongi blinked, then chuckled. "You think?"
Jungkook laughed lightly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Okay. I know. It's just... it happened so fast. She doesn't even know the industry. Doesn't care about the fame or the chaos. She didn't know who I was, hyung. Not even after I gave her my fake name."
"Jake?" Yoongi smirked. "Seriously, man, you need to retire that alias."
They both laughed, but JungKook's smile faded after a beat. His voice turned soft, hesitant.
"She's going back to Iceland soon."
Yoongi nodded slowly. "It's her home."
"And I'll be... I'll be enlisting soon."
The words hung heavy between them.
Jungkook clenched his jaw. "Two years. I won't be allowed to leave. I won't even be able to message her like I used to. No dates. No lazy mornings. No surprise wine deliveries. Nothing. There would be vacation days, but that's not enough... I don't want her flying across the globe just for 2 days worth of time..."
Yoongi stared at him, quiet for a long time before finally saying, "Do you think she'd wait?"
Jungkook didn't answer right away. Then, "She's not the type to promise something she can't keep. And I won't ask her to wait. That's not love either."
Yoongi nodded slowly. "But if it's real... she'll still be there. And so will you."
Jungkook swallowed. "I'm scared, hyung. For the first time in a while, I'm not just scared of the career stuff. I'm scared of losing her."
Yoongi rested a hand on his shoulder. "You won't. What you two have... I can see it. Everyone can. And for what it's worth, I think she already decided to stay... even if she goes."
Jungkook turned toward him. "You think so?"
Yoongi gave him a look. "She flew rare scotch overnight for me, Jungkook. From Italy, from her dad's distillery. She's in."
That made Jungkook laugh, the kind of full, relieved laugh that tugged at Yoongi's heart a little.
"Whatever happens," Yoongi added, "you just live this moment. Make good memories. Give her enough love to hold onto until you're back."
Jungkook's eyes softened. "Thank you, hyung."
Yoongi smiled, the rare kind. "Now go back to her before Jin steals her for wine lessons."
Jungkook stood, but before walking away, he paused. "You'll... check in on her for me?"
Yoongi raised his bottle. "I'll make sure she doesn't forget the annoying maknae."