⠀⠀☀⠀⠀IAN is invited to the party!
- his father is the ceo and chairman to stallion drinks, one of the top liquor corporations in the us, with his family being large shareholders.
- ironically, he isn't a big fan of liquor as he doesn't enjoy the taste of alcohol.
- is usually a quiet and reticent man that keeps to his own circle.
- only bothers using his social energy around friends and in formal events.
- when he does open his mouth, he has a sharp tongue, but a soft heart underlining his nonsugar-coated words.
- never one much for partying and taking part in wild shenanigans, but he still did back in mandela days. peer pressure man.
- was basically the drinks supplier to all parties.
- although he secretly hated gabriel and his gang, he unwillingly stuck to them just to make sure none of them would take advantage or hurt his cousin who (to god he'd know) was part of their friend circle.
- now, he's a vice president, unsurprisingly working in his father's company, and engaged to the lovely stella yeon.
- let's collab! he's open to being an ex, hookup, friends, enemies, or whatever.
✱ ian : short for his name and is what he goes by.
✱ sebby : a cute nickname his late mother first started calling him by and when his cousin audrey heard it and saw ian's dislike to it she started using it as well to occasionally.
✱ grinder : a nickname he truly wishes to disassociate himself from for it originated from this one drunken party night in freshman year where he started stripping and then grinding on a pole. this scene, to his midfortune, was videotaped and went viral among the campus. ever since then, ian always made sure to monitor his intake in the solemly chances he does drink. some of his mandela mates still call him by this and everytime ian hears it he just wants to bury himself a hole at the memory.
charming, charismatic, assertive, quick-witted, innovative, tender, protective, observant, calm, reticent, blunt, opinionated, two-faced, hypocrite, workaholic, insecure, grudgeful
✱ ian is a quiet, calm, and reticent man in regular days. not one to speak of himself much and open up. he reserves that to only his close social circle. if you’re not part of it, don’t expect to know much about him other than surface level.
✱ however, he doesn’t mind hanging out or socializing, especially in business settings where he turns on his charms to captivate others and be in their favor.
✱ is straight-forward to the point it’s often taken badly. he ignores all social cues for he thinks people need to know the facts and hear what he truly thinks. some people hate him for his honesty while others appreciate this side of his taking it as him being genuine and transparent.
✱ despite his sharp tongue, he has a tender heart underlining his non-sugar-coated words. those who don’t know him well think he’s being mean, but he just doesn’t mean it badly and sometimes doesn’t know how to properly word his thoughts to not hurt others.
✱ he’s often perceived as someone who constantly looks angry but behind his stoic expression, ian is actually soft inside. if he likes you, he’ll be compassionate to you in his way, tougher to others.
✱ very protective of and self-sacrificing only to the ones he deeply cares about. he would go through hoops for them and that is strongly showcased in two instances: 1- when he unwillingly stuck to gabriel and his gang in his college years just to make sure none of them would take advantage or hurt audrey. 2- when he stood his ground regarding marrying stella despite his father's disapproval.
✱ likes very opinionated and determined people who commit deeply. others might say that they’re too feeling driven but ian doesn’t see that as a bad thing and respects that.
✱ with creative and innovative ideas, assertiveness, and charisma; those traits make him a very good leader and is showcased in his role as vice president.
✱ one can describe him as a workaholic for when he gets deep in his work, he can spend hours and even restless days just working which helped him quickly prove himself to his father and climb the business ladder. although, he does enjoy resting as well, doing his hobbies, traveling, etc.
✱ he might appear as a confident and know-it-all guy who’s set to be the heir to stallion drinks, but there are moments, unseen by others, where he’s pretty unsure and insecure of himself. blame this on his father who often put him down and set high expectation upon him growing up. this makes him desperate for his father’s approval where he can throw his morality if it’s for the sake of gaining it.
✱ can be two-faced when he has to and play an act. having grown up around socialites who can be unbearable to handle but they have to keep a good relation for business and beneficial purposes, ian learned to put up a facade and by now it has come as a second nature to him. afterall, he's done that for years with gabriel. if he doesn't like a person, he'll sweet talk them in front of their face and think about them internally.
✱ a total hypocrite as well. however, this mainly derives from the clashing of beliefs stemmed from his father with his own. he often obliges himself to act in a certain way that he knows his father would approve of, ignoring what he thinks or believes instead. in some cases though, he'd follow through with what he thinks and therefor make himself seem like a hypocrite.
✱ not the least bit forgiving, cross him once and he’ll remember it for years to come. taught by his father that mistakes are unforgivable and just shows the true wickedness in people. then again, he does hold grudges but not ever forgiving? that's his father's belief that he obliges himself to agree with and enforce.
BACKGROUND
✱ ian is born as the only son to the jeong family back in seoul, south korea when his mother was visiting her family. although he was raised in greenough, montana, in his family’s huge mansion. there, his family owned acres of land where they’ve secured their ranches and e of them to a luxury resort. however, the jeong’s main business and income source comes from the family started business way back in the 40’s, stallion drinks. it first started as a winery but in the years, they’ve expanded to producing multiple other liquors. the company is now one of the top liquor corporations in the us, with his father being the ceo and chairman and his extended family being large shareholders and/or holding high positions.
✱ as an only son, his father put a lot of stress and pressure on him, expecting his son to be ideal in his eyes and fit as his heir. thus, ian was stripped of developing his own self and individual persona (making him boring in a lot of people’s eyes) and adapted to capturing the traits his father seeked in order to please him. he was quick-witted and observant at such a young age, so he was able to do just that. ian wasn’t naturally smart so he had to put the effort in his academics. his hard work paid off when he got accepted into mandela university in new york where his father is an alumni.
✱ his entry to university was delayed though when his mother was diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer. the doctors said that it was discovered too late and with her refusing to go through treatment, she only had about a year to live. devastated by the news, ian wanted to spend every last moment with his mother. while he did have a strained relationship with his father, he was a total mama’s boy. so, for a year, the two spent traveling around, completing his mother’s bucket list. then the next couple months, his mother became bed-ridden and spent her last days in the hospital. ian got to make his peace with his mother’s death for he mentally prepared himself since he received the news of her illness.
✱ finally starting university, ian thought it was going to be a fresh new start. however, his plans were diverted when he saw that his close cousin, audrey, got involved in a, to his opinion, leery social circle that involved gabriel yang. the thought of his airhead cousin spending so much time with those people whom he doesn’t trust and gets bad vibes from made him feel uncomfortable. so that’s how he found himself roped up in that social circle himself. playing the part as a bro and friend while he internally disfavors most of them. but as they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. his university years was a rollercoaster, to say the least. he made new friends, had some fall outs, and fell in love to who is now his darling fiancé.
✱ after graduation, ian was placed as the head of stallion drinks new york division by his dad and he was so desperate to seize that chance to prove himself worthy as his successor. however, in his blinded ambition he lost his morals. when he started a project where he launched his own twist to korean fruit wine, incorporating his roots, that was his lucky big hit. the wine became one of their top sellers and even got featured in the cover of beverage world magazine. his first project was a mega breakthrough and boosted the start of his career where he made a name for himself in the business sector. he was even studying for his mba whilst working. in four years, he slowly climbed the business ranks to currently being newly appointed as the vice president of stallion drinks. ian is happy with his current fulfilling life; his father is pleased with his accomplishments so far and he’s engaged to the most beautiful and darling woman.
TRIVIA
✱ within four years in his rise in the business ladder, ian garnered a few accomplishments under his belt, but if you ask him, he'd say that his most notable, other than his specialized korean wine launch, is being featured in fortune magazine.
✱ ironically, he isn't a big fan of liquor as he doesn't enjoy the taste of alcohol. the only time he does drink is in formal events when he’s offered by a client, investor, or other important higher-ups.
✱ ian's the wild type of drunk. he'll be super confident in himself and will ramble on and on about everything. some would he'd become fun but most would describe him as annoying.
✱ he does smoke cigarettes and vapes. he tried the cigars once with his father and other shareholders but it was too strong for his liking.
✱ never one much for partying and taking part in wild shenanigans, but he still did back in mandela days. he was feeling the peer pressure and wanting to try the true college experience everyone talked about.
✱ ian was basically the drinks supplier to all the mandela parties. when he looks back at it now, that was a stupid move business wise. he wanted to show off his wealth so other socialites wouldn’t think to look down on him.
✱ before meeting stella and getting engaged, ian had a messy love life. you can't blame him though with the example his family set him with where most just got married for business purposes. in high school, he dated girls left and right without putting any of his heart into it. he dated any girl who expressed a liking and wanting to be with him, all of them only lasting short-term. once he entered mandela, that’s when he started his experimenting phase. he hooked up with not only females but males as well and he found out that he wasn’t repulsed or turned off by it. however, he still preferred being with women. in his sophomore year, he decided he was going to start taking dating seriously. he wanted to be with someone he geniunely loves and will be there for him, not like how his mother was alone even in her death bed. he first thought of (his former friend) but that went down the drain. that’s when he started seeing stella in a new light and asked her out. that was his first time ever initiating a relationship himself.
✱ in his free leisure time, ian enjoys posh hobbies like golfing and sailing. his favorite though is horseback riding for it reminds him of his mother who used to love horses and even had a horse stable in their ranch.
✱ just like his father and many others in his family before him, he’s a big watch collector and has a wide knowledge. is a vip client and often gets early intel and dibs on new releases.
✱ usually spends holidays either back at his main ranch in montana where his family mansion is located or at stella’s family in florida.
✱ upon receiving gabriel’s invitation, ian’s first instinct was to make up an excuse just like what he has done for years ever since the other discovered his secret, wanting to avoid him. he resisted audrey’s attempt at convincing him, not caring if it’s the ‘event of the year’. however, when stella voiced how much she wanted to go and catch up with some friends, ian gave in. nothing bad will happen if he just plays cool with gabriel like he always had, right?
ian and gabriel knew of each other before college since both came from aristocracy and so they’ve bumped occasionally in formal events and gathering. though none of them made effort to befriend the other, especially ian whom always got fishy vibes from him. he wasn’t sure what it is; if it’s his farfetched smile or the way he looks at people as if he’s searching for a deeper darker meaning or his nonchalance of who he befriends and associates with. all in all, he just noted to keep his distance from him. so to say, ian never thought he’d associate himself with gabriel until he entered mandela with his cousin audrey and the other decided that it’s a good idea to be part of gabriel’s circle. he knew there’s no point in talking her out of it, so he bit the bullet and decided to stay by her side, which meant him entering the friend circle himself. ian was good at disguising himself through the friendship where even his distaste and disinterest were taken and understood as his distant personality. “oh, that’s just how ian normally is don’t take it personally.” is what they’ll say. he established himself as one of gabriel’s permanent friends during mandela days and known as the quiet chill guy. they both shared casual conversations and kept each other company. ian grew to enjoy teasing gabriel and poking fun at him and that became the gist of their interaction with each other. there are moments where ian would lose himself in their conversations and jokes. but overall, he keeps his guard up when it comes to gabriel. when gabriel came to discover his secret though that’s when ian seriously distanced himself from the other with a façade of constantly being overloaded with work, skipping any friend outings as much as he could. he knows he is now under gabriel’s mercy and is more cautious to not get on the other’s bad side, where in hope he'd be hush on his secret that way.
when they first met, ian only thought of esme as audrey’s best friend as his cousin was the one to introduce them. knowing that esme is more mature and calmer than his cousin, he felt like he can at least rest assure knowing that there’s someone taming audrey and keeping her grounded and out of trouble as much as possible. many peers constantly talked about how appealing esme is, but personally, ian was never captivated by her charms or viewed her as enticing as others made her out to be. sure, she’s eye-catching with her beauty but that’s it. then, when he knew of gabriel and esme dating, ian found it weird. nothing the supposed “couple” did seemed genuine and out of love and so it made ian question why they were maintaining or even pursued the relationship in the first place. he didn’t bother with them though since their business is theirs and let them be. he knew the relationship wouldn’t last long and when it ended, ian was not the least bit surprised. the outcome was evident to him. the two are just so different and in his opinion incompatible. so, after the breakup, he started seeing her less, or at least not when he’s around gabriel and his circle. though he’s aware, from audrey’s whining, that esme keeps telling the wild girl to beware of gabriel, and ian couldn’t agree more with the supermodel. that is something the two share in common; their desire to protect and keep audrey away from gabriel’s potential exploitation. till this day, he would occasionally come across esme when she’s with audrey and hear a bit about her from stella.
✱ cousin : audrey jeong : 25y : app : fc kang seulgi : 9 out of 10
audrey is his paternal uncle’s daughter and they, along with all his paternal family, lived and were raised together in the same mansion in montana. as they both are only children to their parents and are close in age compared to their other cousins, they naturally relied in each other. despite having many differences and contrast in personalities, rey learned to adapt to ian while he learned to accept her. ian was glad when audrey entered the same university as him until she started hanging out with gabriel and his group did he wish she hadn’t. he couldn’t get his stubborn cousin to stop hanging out with them no matter how much he nagged. with that, he enforced himself into the very same social circle to keep an eye on his cousin and make sure no one in the friend group would think for a second about doing anything to her. it wasn’t until years later that he caught on to the fact that rey has a crush on gabe. this fact came as a surprise to him because ian couldn’t figure out just what his cousin saw in the guy. sure, he’s handsome but he isn’t boyfriend material. and one thing for sure is that ian can’t trust gabe, so he can’t and won’t accept the two being together. he (almost) accepted her being friends with him but dating him would be a red line for him. he's glad that rey’s respect to esme is at least preventing her from doing so. after graduating from college and getting busy with balancing work and his personal life, ian couldn’t keep an eye on rey like he used to before. so, whenever there was a family dinner and she didn’t show up, he got worried thinking what she’s up to and hoping she doesn’t cause trouble. he knows that despite many people’s warnings (him and esme), rey still hangs out with gabe. when the two hang out together, rarely does their combination end with good news. thus, ian never stops badgering her to stop closely associating with the other man, especially partying, which just causes rey to be irritated and call him a hypocrite every time. “oh, so it’s okay when it’s you hanging out with him and acting all buddy but when it’s me, you come pegging me to stay away. how does that work?” she’d say. just like any cousins, they have their up and down moments together but at the end of the day they try to understand each other and make up. ian just really wishes her to be with someone upright who deserves his cousin and brings out the best in her, and that is definitely not gabriel yang.
they met through mutual friends and unlike stella, ian didn’t think much of her at first. sure, he thought she was pretty, but he merely viewed her as a friendly acquaintance. maybe a friend. though, they gravitated towards each other when they were in a group setting with gabriel and a combination of their friends. they came to discover that they both don’t consider gabriel a genuine friend and it eventually became a bubble they had whenever they needed a break from dealing with the other man. he only grew closer to stella when his ex-close friend was out of the picture. as he distanced himself, stella was able to break through his barrier and act as a trusting leaning shoulder. she reached out first and kept offering her company, letting him decide times and places, and didn’t insist and keep prying on his change of behavior like how others did. all this slowly got ian to start trusting stella and she became part of his support system. and it was from then that ian started seeing stella in a different light. the more they met, the more their outings seemed like dates. he liked the way she holds herself highly and appreciates her eye for detail and attentiveness. he found it interesting how he never noticed before that they have lots of similarities and common ground. with her unrelenting support and fun-loving self that she's shown him, he started viewing her as a pure and precious diamond amongst the socialites. and so, for the first time in ian’s dating history, he initiated the first move and asked her out. after getting together, the two haven’t been shy to initiate skinship and show their affection for each other in public. despite being busy with work most times, ian always prioritized stella and made sure to go on date nights at least once a week. he doesn’t mind stella’s lack of ambition when it came to her career life for after all he saw no shame in a woman wanting to put her full effort in her relationship and personal life just like his mother did. so, he decided to support whatever stella does and if she ever desired to quit, he wouldn’t fret about it and raise to be her provider. seeing her delighted as he pampers her makes him feel content. after dating for five years, ian decided to propose. his father was actually against it at first for he thought his son was going to eventually break up with stella and didn’t expect them to last long or even be serious about their relationship. he wanted to set up ian with their top shareholder’s daughter, but ian stood his ground on his decision. he backed down of a lot of things for his father but for this he wasn’t going to. he truly does love stella and wasn’t going to give her up, not even for his father. his father saw that and so after a few arguments, he let the two be. what stella doesn’t know is that in return for letting the two get married, ian agreed to his father’s promise of a long-term commitment to the top shareholder. his future heir will be set to marry a member of the top shareholder’s family chosen by them. so, a business marriage is arranged between the two families, if not through him then through his future child. that is another secret he has kept from his beloved since he knows she wouldn’t be fond of the agreement, and ian decided to face her wrath afterwards when the time is right.
they were once close as ever until one reveal that shattered it all. ian wouldn't risk being associated with someone with a messy rep so he ended their friendship. she was ian's first secret crush for a short while where he even thought of asking her out. the loss of the friendship he thought of the most geniune he had did affect him and he felt down for awhile. that dejection led him into the compassionate arms of stella. (check stella's app - the background and secret section for more back info)
ian met monty through gabriel as he joined the said's social circle. with ian not putting much effort to befriending those who don't approach him first and monty purposefully keeping everyone at arm's length, its no surprise the two didn't have much going on other than basic measly friendship and everyone knew that. so, when they're seen more in each others presence casually interacting and even working together after graduating, everyone found the situation odd. what first started as mutual friends then to business mates after the deal, ian somehow eventually found an unlikely real friendship in the other. he tolerates a lot of the others random witty conversations and teasings, especially when the other keeps calling him grinder. though ian finds monty to be the most tolerable out of all his other college peers. he senses the other man's unwillingness to open up about his family so ian doesn't push his boundries. their friendship is either strictly business when working or them casually hanging out. ian once invited monty to go sailing with him and the other hesitantly agreed. it was there when he playfully pushed monty into the ocean, waiting for the other to drift back only to end up jumping in panic after him when he didn't. that day, ian learned of the other's incapability to swim. the two spent the day lightheartedly with ian laughing at monty who kept cursing in his brooklyn accent. so to say, ian at least knows more about monty than most people do.
with rachel being gabe's long standing friend and in his social circle, ian naturally became associated with her as well. he was never too impressed with the way rachel acts and behaves. clearly too irresponsible, selfish, self-absorbed in his eyes. though, just like he does with gabe, he'd facade a sort of friendship with her just like the rest. and as they both have had some commonly shared business classes, he did witness first-hand rachel be amorous and act seductively to professors and always found it shamelessly lewd. but that's to the extend he knows, "it's just rachel being her flirtatious self, liking to keep people at the palm of her hands" he'd think. that aside, befriending rachel did have its upside where she supported her friends family/personal businesses. in all of her uni parties, which are way too many, she always ordered the drinks from stallion drinks through ian. boosting sales and served as marketing of sorts between the students. but overall having not much liked rachel, he did wish to lose touch after graduation, but to his personal dismay but professional gain their business relationship continued. business is business so ian kept the friendly facade to maintain her as a loyal customer. they don’t see each other as much as they used to other than in professional settings. ian likes it that way and would prefer it remains as it is.
lets collab!
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