ice skating was an escape from the home that never truly felt like one. every doubt, every tear, every piece of yourself you never showed lives on the rink. you were a girl who moved in silence and only spoke when spoken to. but on the rink, beneath the bright white beaming lights, you feel the weight you carry break free. now, as you stand representing your country at the Winter Olympics in Italy - you expect nothing less than the same isolation you’ve grown accustomed to. so, why would Jeon Jungkook suddenly be so intrigued?

pairing - idol!jk x figure skater!reader

genre/trope/au- romance, angst, slice of life, idol!au, olympic!au

you started skating before you could even form a proper sentence.

that’s what your grandmother would tell people. she would always talk about how you were just four years old when you first stepped onto an ice rink. a stubborn little girl who would refuse to hold her hand. that when you fell for the first time, you glared at the rink as if it had personally offended you.

you don’t fully remember that day. just the nostalgia it brought - the smell of cold air, the sound of blades scraping the floor, and the way her voice echoed across the rink, cheering you on when you wobbled towards her.

when you started competing, she was there. front row, bundled in layers of clothing, holding a cup of coffee that always went cold because she was too busy standing or too busy bragging to the family next to her that you were her granddaughter.

your parents weren’t there that day. hardly ever. you could count on your hand the number of times they came to any of your competitions. running a company wasn’t easy. they were always overseas, handling company matters, or smiling on magazine covers. people knew them as inspiring, powerful, and admirable.

at home, they were distant.

you learned at an early age to never expect anything from them. not at competitions. not at birthdays. not even at the dinner table. when they were home, it was brief. the scent of their expensive perfume and cologne lingered longer than their presence. and somehow, with barely being there, they always found something to criticize.

the way you answered. the way you didn’t answer. even going as far as to critiquing the competitions they were never there for.

“second place isn’t first.”

“what’s the point of competing if you can’t place first.”

“you should’ve rotated faster.”

praises came rarely. silence was expected. disappointment was predictable. compliments were backhanded. your grandmother, though, never asked for you to be better. she asked you if you were happy.

and for a long time, that was enough for you.

you eventually ended up falling in love with figure skating.

—

you’re twenty-seven now.

the rink is no longer small. the air isn’t filled with the smell of worn-out crappy rental skates and cheap hot chocolate.

you’d never thought it would become this.

sharper. intimidating. colder.

going from something so local, doing twirls on a quiet rink. just spinning in circles until you were dizzy. just a little girl running away from her loud thoughts. you’d never imagine that those twirls would turn into medals. that those small competitions would turn into national rankings, into people knowing your name. that something you loved would become the one thing that carried you out of the house some days. and now, you stand on Olympic ice, representing the United States. thousands cheering you on, chanting your name. millions watching your every move, every spin, every slide, every jump.

your heart pounds with excitement, pride blooming inside your chest. you felt alive.

there is only one thing missing. one person.

the one whose laugh lit up a whole room. the one who clapped and cheered you on the loudest. the one who’s smile made the world feel easier, safer, brighter.

your grandmother. she’s not there.

not physically. two years have passed.

nothing could bring back her warmth, her love. you can still feel her, not in the crowd, not in the lights. but in every spin, every jump. she’s with you.

you skate for her. for the little girl she saw. for the potential she saw. for the unconditional love that carried you this far. tonight, you practice your routine one last time. the arena is empty, in silence except for the scrape of your skates.

the music isn’t playing yet. it doesn’t need to. you feel routine in your bones, like it’s imbedded into you.

tomorrow, the world will be watching. but tonight, it’s just you and the ice. just you and her.

—

the plane hums beneath jungkook, the white noise in his ears louder than the cheers that still echo in his head.

he just finished a concert in the Belgium an hour ago. now he sits in a window seat somewhere over Europe on route to Italy.

his voice feels sore. body aching in ways it didn't yesterday. every muscle hurts from the stage, yet there’s no time for rest. not when the Olympics are waiting. whoever told his manager that in the middle of their world tour, they’d make a pit stop to go to the olympics for a sponsorship deserves jail time.

he should feel excited. he should feel proud. but all he feels right now is exhausted.

he leans back, closes his eyes, and lets his thoughts consume him.

beside him, the members talk in low, excited voices.

“i can’t wait to see her,” jimin squeals.

“she’s amazing, really. the way she moves on ice, it’s unreal,” namjoon adds.

“i’ve watched her videos a dozen times. i swear, she’s so talented,” yoongi says.

jungkook opens his eyes, curiosity tugging at him despite the exhaustion. he turns to see what they’re talking about. looking up at the tv, and your face appear, the video paused mid-spin.

jungkook feels a tug in his heart.

his chest tightens in a way he doesn’t expect. he shifts, blinking at the screen again, trying to shake off the feeling. but the pull doesn’t fade.

beside him, taehyung glances at him, grinning. “i thought you were tired,” he teases.

“i am, you guys are just being loud,” jungkook replies.

he leans back against the seat, looking out at the sky.

jimin chuckles, “that’s y/n, she’s on the figure skating team.”

jungkook hums, shrugging, pretending to be uninterested, like the pull isn’t still there.

y/n.

hearing your name makes him even more intrigued, feeling a sense of urgency to know more about you just from the paused clip he just saw.

his thoughts get interrupted by some turbulence on the plane, realizing he’s been thinking about you for an oddly amount of time. but the thought of you still doesn’t fade, and for the first time in hours, the exhaustion in his bones doesn’t feel as heavy as it did.

—

the next day comes quickly, sunlight filters softly through your hotel curtains. your phone buzzes instantly on the pillow next to you. groaning, you grab it and scroll through the notifications. endless messages from friends back home wishing you good luck. your aunt and uncles congratulating you for making it this far and to bring home that gold medal.

you scroll down until reaching the bottom and notice you haven’t received any messages from your parents.

you set your phone down, biting the inside of your cheek. you try not to think too much on it. after a moment, you pick your phone back up and dial your mothers number first. it goes straight to voicemail. then you dial your fathers. straight voicemail as well.

you exhale and let out small smile. no point dwelling on the expected. not today at least.

you swing your legs over the side of the bed and get up. quickly making your bed before walking towards your bathroom. the day ahead will be long. press interviews start soon, you have to mentally prepare for the same questions you’ve answered thousands of times. “what do your parents think about all of this?” “will your parents be present today?” “how are your parents?” and then finally, the ice.

you shower, get dressed, and fix your hair. your stomach flutters, your heart pounds.

when you walk into the lobby, dozens of reporters and cameras are waiting for you. you smile politely, answer their questions, pose for photos. and through it all, the nervous energy in your chest grows.

once you are escorted back to your room to prepare for warm-ups, you feel the grin creeping across your face. despite the nerves and the weight of everyone’s expectations, you feel it: the excitement.

unfiltered, true, exhilarating excitement.

today, you skate for yourself.

—

when you enter the arena, you follow your team down the long corridor, blades clicking against the polished floor, heart racing at an abnormal pace, excitement actively growing in your chest. warm-ups begin with long glides across the ice, stretching your legs, waking them up. you move through your spins with precision, starting small, just to feel the balance, then larger, faster, letting your body remember what you’re capable of.

after twenty minutes of practice, you sit on a cold metal bench alongside your teammates. taking a moment to catch your breath. the chatter of your teammates float around you. the quiet praising, nervous laughter, and last minute tips echo across the rink. the adrenaline still buzzing in your veins doesn’t let you pay much attention, your heart hasn’t settled, and the excitement you feel is still buzzing.

you pull out your phone from your backpack. a message notification pops up: Mom & Dad.

for a second you hesitate on opening it, already guessing what they said. you open it anyways.

“good luck today, try not to embarrass the family name, yeah? make us proud. bring it home.”

your chest tightens.

their congratulations always came with a backhanded comment. their love filtered through criticism. you stare down at your screen, rereading the message, a bitter taste rising, but force it down. at least they texted you? that’s something.

you put your phone away, take a long, deep breath, and glance back at your team. one of them gives you a reassuring nod, and you return it. you get up and walk towards the locker room to get changed. a flicker a determination sparks inside of you.

you inhale slowly, deeply, letting yourself feel the cold air. regardless of the lack of support from your parents, your still proud of yourself.

you made it here. to the Olympics. through early mornings and bruised knees. the lonely dinners and empty seats in the crowd. you’re twenty-seven, standing on Olympic ice. about to perform to millions.

you’ve spent months preparing for this. sleepless nights. perfecting every spin. repeating every jump until your body remembers it without thinking. you feel confident. you have nothing to lose. because by just being here, representing your country, doing something you love; you’ve already won. you’re an olympian.

a real genuine smile spreads across your face as you walk into the locker room. today, you’ll prove to yourself that you were and will always be capable.

—

the sponsorship event ended earlier than jungkook expected.

the cold italy air hits his face as he step into his car. he exhales, finally letting his shoulders drop. It’s been a long morning, endless handshakes, flashes, and smiles that feel practiced but polite.

he slide into the backseat, adjusting himself.

jimin is already talking.

“we need to get there early,” he says, almost bouncing in his seat. “i want to see the rink before it fills up.”

yoongi agrees, “yeah, and i heard some of the skaters will be around warming up. it’d be cool to meet them.”

jungkook chuckles, raising his eyebrow. “since when were you two ever interested in figure skating?”

jin chimes in, “since they saw y/n”

yoongi doesn’t look up from his phone, “you’ll understand when you see her in person.”

jungkook hums, leaning back against the leather seat as the car pulls away from the curb. there’s a quiet anticipation building in his chest. he’s excited to see all the performances, but he’s most excited about the one skater his members won’t stop talking about.

by the time they arrive to the arena, even through tinted windows, flashes immediately appear, cameras everywhere. screaming. chaos erupting.

“they’re early, the competition doesn’t even start until an hour from now,” hoseok mutters, fixing his hair.

the doors open and security moves fast.

jungkook steps out, bowing, smiling waving. bright lights everywhere he looke, microphones being pushed, paparazzi calling his name.

“jungkook! right here!”

he maintains a calm expression, offering a small wave. jimin flashes a grin. the rest keep their heads down. once they make it inside, the doors shut and the noise dies instantly. they immediately follow their guide through long hallways, walls lined with Olympic banners and flags from every country. when they finally step into the rink area, the cold hits first. then the sound - clean scrapes of ice. he sees a few skaters already warming up, gliding across the massive rink.

namjoon turns to the guide. “is she here yet?”

the guide chuckles knowingly, “you’re talking about y/n, right?”

jimin and yoongi immediately nod, “yes!”

“she finished her warm-ups not too long ago, if you’d like to meet her, i can ask her team manager if she’s available to meet you guys before the competition starts.”

the members all look at each other.

“if it’s not a problem, please,” namjoon says.

the guide walks off towards the locker room.

yoongi lean against the railing, “this is insane, meeting an olympian before they compete. this is so cool.”

jin chuckles, “if she even agrees.”

jungkook doesn’t say anything. he watches the ice. his heart unknowingly beating heavy. not from exhaustion, but from anticipation.

the guide returns shortly after, smiling.

“she said she’d love to meet you.”

the members smile, following the tour guide to your room. jungkook follows from behind, feeling a sense of nervousness he can’t quite shake.

—

you sit in front of the mirror, retouching your makeup for what feels like the hundredth time while chatter continues around you. reminders about timing and techniques, complaints about the temperature, jokes to ease the tension all fade as you stare at yourself in the mirror.

in. out. in. out.

the adrenaline you felt from earlier still buzzing beneath your skin.

“yknow, you’re shockingly calm right now, i thought you’d be panicking,” your teammates jokes.

you look up, shrugging, “if i panic, then ill for sure throw up.”

that earns a few laughs throughout the room. conversation is cut short as the locker room door suddenly opens.

your team manager comes in, slightly out of breath, “sorry to interrupt,” he says quickly, looking around the room before spotting you and pointing at you, “y/n, there’s a group here asking to meet you before the competition.”

you blink. “me?”

he nods, “the BTS members.”

a few gasps immediately fill the room.

“are you for real?” your teammates almost chokes.

another one follows, grabbing your arm, “oh my god, you have to say yes!”

you let out a quiet laugh, shaking your head at their reactions. you knew BTS, of course you did. it was basically impossible not to. they were everywhere. articles, social media, billboards. your younger cousins used to force you to watch the same stuck in a car video of them during family gatherings.

you didn’t think much of it, they’re celebrities. this was probably one of those publicity thing tied to the olympics.

“okay,” you replied, grabbing your skates, “i’ll meet them.”

your manger smiles, “okay, come with me”

you nod, getting up from your seat before following your manager towards the door. behind you, your teammates groan dramatically.

“no way you’re seriously going to act normal about this,” one of them complains.

“they’re just people.” you laugh, shaking your head.

“just people? if jeon jungkook asked to meet me i’d pass out on the spot.” another says, pressing a hand on their forehead.

you roll your eyes, ignoring the last comment as follow your manager down the hallway. the sound of their complains slowly fading behind you, replaced by the sound of scrapes alongside the ice somewhere in the arena.

your manager walks beside you, glancing over you with a small smile.

“from what their guide told me, they seemed actually excited to meet you.”

you raised a brow, “really?”

he nods. “apparently the younger ones watch your competition videos.”

a laugh escapes you, “that’s random.”

your manager stops in front of one of the private suites near the rink. you could hear muffled voices and laughter coming from behind the door.

he looks at you, “ready?”

you nod. “sure.”

he steps aside, letting you open the door yourself.

the moment the door opens, several heads turn your direction.

“oh—!”

“hi!”

“she’s here!”

the room suddenly fills with greetings all at once. your eyes widen slightly at the overwhelming energy thrown at you all at once. still, you shyly smile, bowing your head.

“hi,” you greet, “it’s nice to meet you all.”

you greet the members one by one, with them introducing themselves to you, offering friendly smiles and greetings that immediately ease the awkwardness. jimin looks the most excited, while taehyung beams at you like he knows you personally.

the room feels lighter than expected. easier.

then suddenly, the door behind you opens again. everyone’s attention shifts towards it immediately.

“there you are.” yoongi mutters with amusement.

you turn slightly just as the figure steps into the room, he pauses near the doorway after noticing everyone staring at him.

“what?” he asks, evidently confused.

then his eyes scan the room. past the members. past his manager. past your manager, until they land on you.

and stops. the air changes in a way you can’t describe.

jungkook freezes for half a second, visibly caught off guard by your presence. his expression softens instantly, eyes widening before he quickly tries to compose himself.

meanwhile, you blink back at him quietly. for a moment, neither of you say anything to each other.

then jimin grins knowingly beside you.

“jungkook,” he says loudly, breaking the silence, “this is y/n.”

jungkook clears his throat, heat immediately growing across his face.

“right,” he says, stepping forward, “hi, i’m jungkook”

“hi,” you reply softly.

you extend your hand towards him. the moment he wraps his hand around yours, he stills.

his grip remains gentle, but he doesn’t let go.

a second passes.

then another.

and another.

long enough for the entire room to notice.

taehyung bites back a laugh. yoongi hides away to hide his growing smirk. hobi looks visibly uncomfortable.

realizing a little too late, jungkook finally lets go, scratching the back of his head, mumbling a quiet, “sorry.”

but even after pulling away from you, his eyes never leave yours.

the silence afterwards lingers for a moment. not unbearable. just noticeable.

jungkook steps back beside his members while you nervously bite your cheek. the room feels warmer than before despite the cold air you were just complaining about.

thankfully, the members don’t let the tension sit for long.

“haha, okay. enough staring at her. you’re creeping her out,” yoongi says flatly.

“i wasn’t staring,” jungkook rebuttals almost immediately.

jimin snorts beside him, “sure.”

small laughter immediately erupts in the room, changing the atmosphere almost immediately. you smile quietly to yourself, shaking your head as namjoon dramatically throws an arm around jungkooks shoulder.

“he’s just shy,” namjoon tells you.

“hyung,” jungkook groans while everyone else laughs again.

conversation begins to flow, they ask you questions about skating - like how long you’ve been competing, whether spins actually make you dizzy. hobi looks genuinely horrified when you explain how skaters have to practice through injuries. namjoon listens attentively while you speak, while jimin and taehyung excitedly ask about outfits and choreography.

it feels easy talking to them. comfortable in way.

but somehow, throughout conversation, your attention keeps shifting elsewhere. towards jungkook. every single time your eyes wander across the room, they meet jungkooks instantly - like he’s been looking at you first.

and everytime it happens, you swear your heart does a backflip. he’s quieter than others, mostly listens while everyone else speaks, but his attention never seems to fully leave you. even when someone else is talking, you can feel him in the corner of your eye.

it would’ve made anyone else uncomfortable. it should make you uncomfortable. instead, it does the opposite. and you find yourself looking at him just as often.

conversation continues for a while. the awkwardness from earlier slowly fading away beneath teasing comments and casual conversation. making you almost forget where you were for a moment.

than your manager glances down at his watch, his expression shifting immediately.

“y/n,” he says gently, getting everyone’s attention, “you have just about 20 minutes until you go on,”

the atmosphere changes almost instantly - not negatively, just sharper. the competition.

it’s almost like you’re brought back to real life. making your stomach flip at the reminder.

“right,” you murmur, nodding once.

“i guess we lost track of time,” namjoon jokes.

“we’ll be watching,” jimin says quickly.

you smile at them softly, warmth blooming in your chest despite the nerves. somehow, within the short amount of time you’ve known them, they’ve made you feel almost lighter - more relaxed than you’ve felt in a while.

before you can excuse yourself, taehyung speaks up.

“wait,” he says, “we’re going out to dinner tonight after the competition. we’d love for you to join.”

your brows lifts slightly, “dinner?”

“yeah,” jimin agrees, “if you’re not too exhausted, of course.”

you laugh quietly at that.

“it’ll be fun,” namjoon adds.

you hesitate for a second. not because you don’t want to - you do. but because you’re not used to things like this. casual invitations. people actually wanting to hang out with you outside of ice skating.

looking around the room at their hopeful expressions, you find yourself nodding.

“okay,” you say, “i’d like that.”

for some reason, your eyes flicker at jungkook after saying it. and the small smile that appears on his face makes your stomach flutter unexpectedly.

you bid your goodbyes with each member, bowing your head politely, “thank you for inviting me.”

“of course,” taehyung smiles.

your eyes land on jungkook.

the room suddenly feeling quieter around him.

you offer a smile, a genuine one.

“it was really nice meeting you,” you say.

jungkook looks caught off guard for a second before smiling back.

“yeah,” he says gently, “you too.”

you stare at each other for another second before finally turning towards the door and leaving with your manager beside you.

as you leave the room, you can almost hear your heartbeat pounding through your chest. the hallway feeling colder after the warmth of the suite.

you’re halfway back to your locker room when you hear hurried footsteps behind you.

“wait—!”

you stop abruptly. turning around just as jungkook jogs towards you, slightly out of breath like he just rushed out without thinking first.

jungkook slows once he reaches you, scratching the back of his head nervously.

“sorry,” he begins, laughing awkwardly, “you just— you never gave me your number,”

you blink. visibly caught off guard. why would you need his number?

“for the dinner,” he adds quickly, “so i can send you the location. the details.”

you can’t help but giggle at how visibly nervous he suddenly seems.

“right,” you say, pulling your phone out of your pocket, “that would probably be helpful.”

he laughs quietly, the nerves instantly disappearing as he takes your phone and puts his number in.

once he finishes putting his number in, he hands you your phone back, smiling ear to ear.

“and…good luck today. i know you’ll do really good.” he praises.

a hint a red instantly spreads across your cheeks. “thanks,” you reply.

for a second, neither of you move.

then after what feels like forever, your manger lets out a fake cough, immediately bringing the both of you back into reality.

you blink, realizing you both had been standing in the middle of a cramped hallway staring at each other in complete silence.

“ill text you,” he saids, “about the dinner.”

“okay,” you agree, “i’ll be waiting,” you add.

another pause.

“oookayy,” your manager says clearing his throat, evidently uncomfortable. “we really need to head back so you can change into your outfit.” he adds.

“okay,” you chuckles.

“right,” jungkook mumble. “you should probably go and get ready.”

you nod, “yeah, i probably should.”

“bye y/n.” jungkook says softly

“bye jungkook.” you grin.

with one last smile, jungkook turns and walks back to the suite. you watch him slowly disappear, your eyes lingering a second longer before turning away.

a smile my tugging at your lips before you can stop it.

now you definitely have to win first place today.