Ivory sat nestled on one of the lounge chairs, her legs tucked under her, swirling the last of her wine as Jin reclined beside her and Jimin perched on the armrest, balancing a plate of fruit.
They'd all sobered down into that warm, glowy phase—when laughter softened into low conversations and the sky above shimmered with stars and unfinished thoughts.
"I still can't believe you brought custom wine and scotch," Jin said, gesturing to the now-empty bottle of his personal vintage. "You're already mothering us more than Seokjin Industries™ can handle."
Ivory grinned. "It's what I do. Bribe people into liking me with food and alcohol."
Jimin giggled. "You didn't have to bribe us. You had us at 'Kook's smiling again.'"
Ivory's smile faltered for a second—just a flicker—but they caught it.
Jin glanced at her gently. "You worried?"
She nodded. "A bit. More than I thought I'd be, actually."
Her eyes drifted toward the edge of the rooftop where Jungkook sat with Yoongi, heads close, the city glowing behind them like a secret.
"He's told me everything about the enlistment. The dates, the plans, the protocol... but none of it prepares you for this, you know?"
Jimin reached out, patting her arm. "It's okay to be scared."
"I am," she admitted softly. "Not of him leaving. But of what happens in between. Will he forget how it feels to have me around? Will the industry pull him in again until there's no space for... us?"
Jin leaned forward, his voice firm but kind.
"When I was enlisted, I thought the same. But the truth is, people don't just fall out of love because of distance. What you two have—it's rooted. That boy looks at you like you're the only quiet in his chaos."
Ivory blinked, biting her lip.
"He's gonna be busy," Jin added. "And it'll get quiet on your end. The messages might slow down. But don't read into that. He's still Jake-your Jake. You just have to let him carry the weight while you hold the line."
Jimin nodded seriously. "And you're not doing it alone. You have us now."
Ivory's brows lifted. "Us?"
"Us," Jimin confirmed. "His best friends. His hyungs. And me—his honorary representative-slash-espionage agent."
She laughed through the mist in her eyes. "You mean you'll spy on him?"
Jimin shrugged. "Only for your peace of mind. And to make sure he doesn't start writing sad songs and crying in stairwells again."
Ivory's voice went soft. "Thank you... both of you."
Jin lifted his glass. "To long-distance love. And even longer group chats."
They clinked their glasses together.
Jimin leaned closer and whispered like it was a conspiracy, "And don't worry. When you're missing him most... I'll sneak you some unreleased photos. Maybe a thirst trap or two."
Ivory wheezed. "You're unreal."
"I'm devoted," Jimin winked. "To your happiness and my best friend's peace of mind."
Ivory looked out at Jungkook again, her heart wrapped in warmth and unspoken gratitude.
And in that golden hour between goodbye and not-yet, she realized:
She wasn't walking into this future alone.
***
Ivory's laughter slowly ebbed as her eyes drifted once more to the edge of the rooftop.
There he was—Jake. JungKook. Her everything.
Leaning back against the railing beside Yoongi, a half-smile tugging on his lips, and a cigarette between his fingers. The smoke curled like a ghost into the twilight sky, and something in her chest twinged.
Her voice was quiet when she spoke to Jimin, eyes never leaving Jake's silhouette. "The first time I saw him, he was smoking."
Jimin blinked, following her gaze. "Really?"
"Yeah," she said with a soft breath. "He was standing in front of a ferry dock. Pale. Still. Lost in his own head. I snapped a picture of him."
Jimin smiled faintly. "Of course you did."
"I thought it was poetic," she continued. "This quiet man, surrounded by people but so alone. The way the light hit him. The way the smoke curled around his jaw." Her voice cracked just a little. "But now..."
Jimin's brow furrowed.
"Now, I just hope I haven't broken that peace he found," she whispered. "He stopped, you know? The smoking. I didn't tell him, I didn't make him stop. He just did. Thinking maybe I did something that made him stop." Her voice faltered. "But seeing that cigarette again... it scares me."
"Why?"
"Because maybe," she swallowed, "maybe the pressure's coming back. Maybe I can't stop it this time. Maybe we're back to the chain-smoking JungKook who can compete with a pizza oven."
Jimin snorted, but sobered when he saw the storm in her eyes. "Ivory..."
She turned to him, vulnerability shimmering in her gaze. "What if loving me isn't enough to keep him from drowning again?"
Jimin gently touched her arm. "He's not drowning. He's just breathing."
She hesitated.
"And smoking doesn't mean he's slipping," Jimin added softly. "It might just mean... he's scared too. Like you. Like all of us."
Ivory glanced back. Jake laughed at something Yoongi said, running a hand through his hair. That smile—wide and boyish—still bloomed on his face. But the cigarette trembled slightly between his fingers before he stubbed it out.
Jimin leaned in. "Go to him. Let him see you looking. Let him know you care."
She nodded, heart hammering in her chest as she rose.
As she walked toward him, Jake turned like he'd felt her before she even got close.
He smiled.
She didn't.
Not right away.
He straightened, flicking the cigarette away quickly like a guilty schoolboy. "I—"
"I thought you stopped," she said, quiet and firm.
Yoongi quickly excused himself with a tiny smirk. "I'll go check on Jimin and his wine. Again."
Jake stepped toward her. "I'm sorry. I just... talking to hyung got heavy and—"
She reached for his hand.
He took it instantly.
"Are you pressured?" she whispered.
His expression softened. "I wasn't. I just needed a second to feel something familiar."
"I guess... I understand. But you have me now." she said. "I'm your familiar."
He exhaled, pulling her into his chest with a thud. "You're my everything."
They stood there in the gentle breeze, arms locked, breaths shared, stars above.
And as she buried her face in his shirt, Ivory murmured, "Next time you need a fix, just tell me. I'll burn something in the kitchen to remind you what smoke really smells like."
Jake laughed into her hair.
That was all he needed.
Not a cigarette.
Not the silence.
Just her.
As the evening wound down, the rooftop buzz mellowed into contented sighs and empty wine glasses. The stars blinked quietly overhead, as if nodding in approval of the night's magic.
One by one, the boys began to say their goodbyes, lingering like family that never quite wanted to leave after a hearty reunion.
Yoongi was the last to walk past JungKook, smirking as he nudged him lightly with an elbow.
"Poetic, my ass," he muttered just loud enough for Ivory to hear. "You flicked that cigarette stick as if your mom caught you."
JungKook blinked as Yoongi passed by with that signature smugness only a hyung who's seen too much could carry.
Ivory, sipping her water, let out a snort so hard it nearly went up her nose.
"You did look like a kid getting caught sneaking cigarettes behind the gym," she teased, walking over to him with that amused glint in her eyes. "Did you panic and hide it behind your back too?"
JungKook groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "I did not panic."
"You looked like your conscience punched you in the chest," Jin added from across the room, unhelpful and thoroughly enjoying himself.
"I just didn't want her to see me like that," JungKook muttered, voice low, but not low enough.
"I did see you," Ivory smirked, poking his side. "And you looked... tragic. Hot. But tragic."
"That's how I like my brand," JungKook quipped, looping an arm around her waist, pulling her close. "Mysterious. Brooding. Slightly embarrassed."
"Former chain smoker who competes with pizza ovens?" she offered.
"Was a chain smoker," he corrected quickly, narrowing his eyes.
"Tell that to the poetic cloud you exhaled like a sad villain in a drama," she deadpanned.
Jimin let out a wheeze from the couch, nearly choking on his drink. "Sad villain! I can't breathe—stoppp!"
"Next time, make sure the lighting hits your jaw better. If you're gonna brood, at least make it cinematic." Yoongi's signature iconic roast came like a bulldozer.
Everyone burst into laughter again as Jake buried his face into Ivory's shoulder, groaning into the fabric of her shirt.
Ivory just kissed the top of his head and whispered, "You're still my Jake. Tragic, poetic, pizza oven lungs and all."
Jake laughed, ruffling the older man's hair—earning a playful growl.
"I said what I said," he replied smugly.
"Yeah, yeah. Just don't start writing sonnets and crying in the rain."
Yoongi gave Ivory a wink. "Good luck with Mr. Romance here. And thanks for the scotch. I might name my future child after you."
Ivory snorted. "Please don't. No child deserves that curse."
They both shared a laugh as Yoongi sauntered off, mumbling something about looking for Jin's personalized wine bottle to steal.
A few feet away, Jin and Jimin stood with Ivory, holding her in a warm cocoon of support. They'd found an unexpected bond—two older brothers who instantly adopted her, not because she belonged to Jake... but because she felt like theirs, too.
Jin had a hand on her shoulder, his voice soft and sincere.
"Military enlistment is rough. For him, and for you. Write letters. Send snacks. Keep his Spotify streams alive. And when it gets hard—and it will—remember the reasons why you stayed."
Ivory nodded, eyes glassy again, but smiling.
Jimin stepped closer, gently taking her hand in his.
"If you ever need anything. A favor. A distraction. A voice on the other line. Someone to eat instant noodles with at 2 a.m.—" he leaned in conspiratorially, "—I'm your guy."
She squeezed his hand. "Thank you."
"I mean it," Jimin said with all the weight of a promise. "For both of you. I'll be here. That's what kind of friend I am."
From across the rooftop, Jake watched the scene unfold with a soft heart. His family—his real one—was forming right in front of him.
He could leave someday, and she'd still be safe. Surrounded.
When Jimin finally gave her one last hug and waved his goodbyes, Ivory slipped back beside Jake. The rooftop now quiet again, lit only by soft fairy lights and the flickering city beyond.
"You okay?" he asked, gently wrapping an arm around her.
She leaned into him. "I think I'm more than okay."
"Yeah?"
She looked up at him, eyes gleaming. "I'm in love with the poetic ass you."
He burst into laughter, pulling her in closer.
And under the soft city sky, with the remnants of friendship and found family lingering like perfume, they stayed wrapped up in each other—hearts full, future uncertain, but surrounded by people who'd help carry them both forward.
Together.