The morning light sifted in gently through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse, golden and slow, like it knew the two souls inside had just shared something that couldn't be rushed.
Ivory stirred first, tangled in cool sheets that still smelled like him—vanilla, musk, a whisper of something uniquely Jake. She padded out of bed quietly, careful not to wake him, and made her way toward the warm smell of coffee coming from the kitchen.
That's where she found him.
Still shirtless, still barefoot, hair a soft, dark mess—JungKook sat at the piano by the window, a mug half-full beside him. His fingers moved slowly over the keys, coaxing a melody that was unlike his usual sound. It was light. Hopeful. A sunlit tune that reminded her of first mornings and first kisses.
Ivory leaned against the doorframe, watching. She didn't speak. Didn't want to break it.
JungKook glanced back, and smiled. "Hey."
"That's beautiful," she murmured.
"I think I'm writing again," he said, looking down at the keys. "Really writing. And I think it's because of you."
She crossed over to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind. "You're the one playing it, Jake."
He looked up at her, hand resting lightly over hers. "But you're the reason I feel like I have something to say."
***
They spent the morning lazily, swaying to music while brushing teeth, burning their toast, fighting over whether milk or water goes into instant coffee first (Ivory won—barely). Everything felt warm and domestic, like this wasn't just a vacation. Like this was a trial run for forever.
But then the phone buzzed.
First Jake's. Then hers.
"Sayuri posted."
"Is that... me? And you? Wow I look cute in that photo."
Jake looks at it and gasped. He scrolled the comments section. "But fans are already going wild in the comments."
Jake rubbed a hand over his face. "Of course she'd pull something."
Ivory stared at the screen, unimpressed. "It's blurry. Could be anyone with a jawline."
He smirked. "So I do have a jawline."
"You want praises now, idol?"
He leaned in, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Just your validation."
Few hours later, Jake had kissed ivory goodbye for another day of busy schedule. With Jake instructing her to text him on iMessage, since it's his personal phone. He'll know if it's urgent or not.
Ivory had an agenda that day. She knows that she needs to face her, now, for her stop.
***
Sayuri arrives, sunglasses shielding her expression, arms crossed. Ivory is already seated, a simple black dress and a small box beside her.
"You really dragged me out with that threat?" She spits her words like a venom.
"Don't test me, Sayuri. You know what I'm capable of." Ivory kept her composure, still fiddling on her phone.
A tense silence. Sayuri removes her sunglasses slowly.
"You think you know him. But he has a temper. A bad one. You'll see. One day, that smile will vanish. And what's left will ruin you. Like it did me."
Ivory's gaze doesn't waver.
"I haven't seen that side. Not once. Maybe... but I don't think that violent side of him will resurface anymore or any time. Do you know why? Because for the first time, he said he's safe. He's sane. He's protected. His feelings validated. The reassurance I've given him. That longingness that he craved—from you, but you only gave him neglect, and that made him violent. You caused that."
Ivory, now looking at Sayuri intently, "He just wanted someone. To be there. To be held during those times. To not walk away and burn everything in the process. And you were there and yet you made him feel alone, Sayuri. "
Sayuri scoffed. But her words hit her like daggers slivered in venom.
"You're naive to think you're different. The first time? Please, he did everything with me first—those forehead kisses, the late-night humming, even that Jeju trip." Sayuri says in spite. "The beaches? What, he gave you a ride on the island? We did that too. Sang me songs? Countless of times."
Ivory nods, calm. It stung, but what could she do with the past? Cry a river?
"I know. And I don't need to be his 'first' for any of it. What matters is the feeling. What I saw in his eyes. The peace. The sincerity. You know, he loved you, Sayuri. Truly. Deeply. You meant the world to him at one time. I think you know that. You felt that. That's why you're being spiteful with me."
Sayuri stiffens.
"But you didn't know how to hold it. You got scared. You destroyed it. And now you this—"She puts her phone on the table, letting her see her recent post, of them enjoying, smiling at a shopping mall they went to before going to Jeju. "Not because of me. But because I remind you of the love you lost. Regret cuts deep, like a salt to a wound, right? That regret is eating you alive, Sayuri. You regret letting go of that kind of love." Ivory says softly, gently, as if her voice was made out of the clouds in the sky. As calm as the breeze hitting the leaves calmly.
A beat has passed.
"You don't hate Jungkook. You don't hate me. Let's face it, you hate yourself. Your ghost. The one that stayed behind after everything ended."
Sayuri opens her mouth to retort—but nothing comes out. Her hands curl into fists.
Ivory slides the box toward her. Inside is a bouquet of red Bulgarian roses—lush and fragrant.
Ivory looks at it, her eyes twinkling at how beautiful the roses she had personally purchased. "Your favorite, right? Let this be your reminder. You're a woman, too. You've failed. Been hurt. But that doesn't make you unworthy of kindness."
Sayuri blinks fast, visibly shaken. Her walls begin to tremble.
Ivory stood and placed a hand on Sayuri's shoulder. "Maybe next time... you'll let someone love you right. Like he did—flawed, angry, but with his whole soul. I kinda understand, loosing someone like JungKook, that kind of love, I think I'd just do somersaults straight to a volcano."
Ivory walks away, leaving Sayuri alone with the flowers. Sayuri stares at them. She looks over the city—and for once, she isn't angry. Just quiet.
Realizing that how this woman's understanding is light years away from her. Because she knew if it were her, the other woman wouldn't be able to see the sun the next day. Instead, she was given understanding and roses—her favorite even. Now she understands, why Jungkook had a different kind of glow now.
Ivory was mistaken that Sayuri had gotten all of Jungkook's first, but as far as Sayuri knows, it was Jungkook's singing and busking for the first time public. Smile. Free. She had never shared ice cream with him in a convenience store and held her hand in public.
Ivory had gotten Jungkook's first a lot than her... because she was too busy being selfish...
A whisper in her heart finally admits: He really did love her.
***
Earlier In JungKook's penthouse
Ivory texts JungKook.
Ivory: Heading out for a bit. I'll be safe, promise.
She barely sets her phone down when it buzzes again—Jake.
Jake: Out? Now? Are you serious? Ivory, your face is all over the internet.
You're not going anywhere without someone watching you.
The next moment, there's a knock at the door. When she opens it, a tall, stoic man in black tactical wear gives her a slight bow.
Mr. Lee:
"Miss Ivory. I'll be accompanying you today."
Ivory blinks—and then lets out a soft chuckle.
Ivory:
"You again? You're the one who body-slammed me on the tarmac when I first got here."
Mr. Lee's ears tinge pink.
Mr. Lee:
"I deeply apologize for that."
She waves it off with a smirk, grabbing her coat.
Ivory:
"No need. You were just doing your job. Besides, I'm still standing."
***
In the SUV, after the meeting
The car was quiet as it glided through the Seoul evening. Mr. Lee drove with practiced focus, eyes on the road—but his voice broke the silence after a few blocks.
"Miss Ivory," he said.
She looked up from the window, brows raised in curiosity.
"I just wanted to say... I'm sorry. Again. For that day at the airport."
Ivory smiled faintly. "You were doing your job. If I had a stun gun and a strange woman came running toward JungKook, I'd have tackled me too."
That pulled a short, almost embarrassed laugh from the man.
He hesitated, then added, "I heard some of what you said. To Sayuri."
Ivory blinked but didn't respond right away.
"You didn't yell," Mr. Lee continued. "Didn't even raise your voice. But the way you stood your ground... the way you protected our JungKook without turning cruel—it was..." He trailed off, clearing his throat. "Impressive."
Ivory turned back to the window, a soft smile playing on her lips.
"I just spoke the truth," she said. "Sometimes that's the loudest thing you can do."
Mr. Lee nodded. "Now I understand why Jungkook was so angry when I threw you down. That wasn't just some girl he met. That was... you."
Ivory looked over and met his gaze in the rearview mirror. "He's got that face, doesn't he? Like he's two seconds from turning into Batman."
Mr. Lee chuckled. "He was furious. But not like before... This time, it was personal. Protective."
"I didn't meet him expecting to be protected. I just wanted to cook him pasta."
A pause.
"But now... I'd walk into fire for him."
Mr. Lee glances at her through the mirror, the respect in his eyes quiet but real. "Then I'll make sure you never have to."
"Guess that means we're good, huh?" she said with a wink.
Mr. Lee chuckled. "We're good."
The bedroom was quiet, bathed in the soft amber glow of a single bedside lamp. Jake sat at the edge of the bed, his leg bouncing with restless energy. The moment he heard the door click open, he stood up fast.
"You okay?" he asked, his voice tight with concern.
Ivory smiled as she stepped inside, kicking off her boots near the door.
"I'm fine," she replied, brushing her hair back casually.
Jake didn't seem convinced. He took a step forward, eyes immediately dropping to her hands. Her fingers were still polished—a soft lilac shade, perfectly intact. Then he gently reached out, cupping her face, tilting it slightly as his eyes searched for any scratch or bruise.
"No scratches..." he murmured, finally letting out the breath he'd been holding.
Ivory chuckled, amused. "No cat fight, if that's what you're worried about."
"I was, actually," he said flatly.
She placed her hands over his, grounding him.
"We talked," she said softly. "Woman to woman. That's it."
Jake blinked, letting her words settle.
"She showed up?" he asked.
"I gave her a reason to."
He didn't ask what reason. He didn't need to. He knew her well enough to trust that she handled it with fire and grace, just like always.
"Did she hurt you?" he asked quietly.
"Not in the way you're thinking," Ivory whispered, her voice steady.
Jake leaned forward, resting his forehead gently against hers.
"Don't go off like that again," he murmured.
"Then don't look at me like I'm breakable," she whispered back.
They stayed there, suspended in stillness, wrapped in the unspoken comfort of each other's presence.
But Jake could tell—Ivory wasn't done.
She pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes. "I want to tell you everything," she said.
Jake nodded, sliding his thumb gently along her cheek. "Okay."
They sank into the bed together, knees brushing beneath the blanket, fingers laced between them. Ivory exhaled, then started.
"I told her I knew what she did. About the photo. And I gave her a choice—to meet me, or I'd expose her NDA with the director." She paused, watching his jaw clench. "She came."
Jake didn't interrupt, even though his grip on her hand tightened slightly.
"She tried to rattle me," Ivory said softly. "Told me things about you. That you used to have a temper. That you'd eventually go back to being angry and violent. That you're just pretending right now."
Jake's shoulders stiffened. His eyes dropped.
"I know I was," he murmured. "Back then, I—"
"I don't care who you were," Ivory cut in gently, reaching up to cradle his cheek. "I've only seen you now. Who you are now. And even if those parts of you come back, I'll still be here. I'll still help you. Because unlike her... I don't walk away when things get hard—but please don't unleash that inner Hulk."
He chuckled then, and looked at her like he was seeing the sun rise after a long winter.
"She needed to hear that you loved her," Ivory continued. "And I told her you did. I told her that yes, maybe you'll do things with me that you once did with her. But I'm okay with that. Because I know what we have is real. I know what I feel when I look at you is pure. I know we'll do a lot of those firsts, and I know you'll do it all with me."
Jake swallowed hard, biting a lump forming on his throat. He didn't have the courage to tell her before that he had already knew some things because he had done it with his first, but never did he imagine how Ivory could have taken those words. And she did like a champ. "You said that?"
"I did. I also told her that the person she hates isn't me—or even you. It's her own ghost. The one who let something precious slip through her fingers. How you just wanted someone. To be there. To be held during those times. To not walk away and burn everything in the process. And she was there and yet she made you feel alone."
Silence fell again, but it wasn't heavy. It was reverent. She told him word-by-word, repeating what she said earlier.
Jake stilled. Didn't know what to say.
Then Ivory smiled a little. "I gave her Bulgarian roses."
Jake blinked. "What?"
"Her favorite," she said, stretching slightly. "I just... wanted to remind her she's still a woman. Hurt and failed, maybe. But not unworthy of being understood."
Jake leaned over, pressing a quiet kiss to her temple. "What did I do in my past life that I deserve to have you woman?"
Jake proceeds attacking her with kisses, which she playfully deflects. Muttering about firsts and not doing it again to her, to which Jake takes it as a challenge and lifts her up the bed to shower with her.