The soft airplane lights cast a faint glow across the cabin.
The gentle hum of the engine filled the silence, creating a strange sense of calm.
But Jeon J couldn't feel calm.
His heart felt unbearably heavy.
No matter how hard he tried to push the thought away, Bamson's face kept flashing before his eyes.
His worried eyes.
His familiar little face.
The way he used to follow him around.
Jeon J slowly leaned back against his seat.
He closed his eyes.
Where are you, Bamson?
He didn't even realize when his breathing became slower.
His eyelids grew heavier.
And eventually, he drifted into sleep.
He saw a girl dressed in white.
She was sitting on her knees.
Her face was glowing softly, almost surrounded by a strange peacefulness.
Tears shimmered in her eyes.
Her lips moved in prayer.
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِهِ وَاغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ وَاجْعَلِ الإِيمَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ نُوراً وَهُدًى
Allāhumma ihdihi waghfir lahu warḥamhu waj'alil-īmāna fī qalbihi nūran wa hudā.
"O Allah, guide him, forgive him, shower him with Your mercy, and fill his heart with the light of faith and guidance."
There was something different about the way she prayed.
It wasn't just words.
Her voice was sincere.
A softness.
A kind of faith that seemed to reach somewhere deep inside him.
Jeon J stood there in the dream, unable to move.
His chest tightened.
His heart trembled.
For some reason, the prayer felt personal.
As if those words were being spoken only for him.
As if someone was asking Allah to guide him.
Then—
Jeon J suddenly woke up.
His eyes opened wide.
For a few seconds, he simply stared ahead.
The cabin was still quiet.
Passengers were sleeping.
Some were wearing eye masks, some had headphones on, while others simply rested against their seats.
But Jeon J couldn't hear any of it.
His mind was still inside the dream.
He slowly rubbed his face and took a deep breath.
What was that?
He closed his eyes again for a moment.
And then it hit him.
His eyes opened.
"That voice..."
The words escaped in a whisper.
His heartbeat suddenly quickened.
"This... this was the same voice."
A memory came rushing back.
The flight to Busan.
The economy seat just ahead of him.
A girl had been sitting there.
He hadn't paid much attention to her at the time.
She had been reading something aloud in a language he didn't understand.
He hadn't known what she was saying.
But her voice...
He remembered it.
The calmness.
The softness.
The strange spirituality in it.
That voice had stayed somewhere in the back of his mind ever since.
And now...
It had appeared in his dream.
Jeon J slowly lifted his head from the seat.
An unfamiliar restlessness spread through his chest.
"Who is she...?"
He stared at the seat ahead of him.
"The same voice..."
His brows drew together.
"The same girl... in my dream and in reality?"
His voice was barely audible.
He wasn't asking anyone.
He was asking himself.
________________________________________
The dorm room had slowly become normal again.
At least...
As normal as life could be with a missing idol's dog living in your room.
Bamson had completely recovered.
And somehow, during those fifteen days, he had become close to everyone.
Even Zoya.
Although Zoya still avoided getting too close to him.
She didn't pet him often.
She didn't sit beside him.
And she definitely didn't trust him enough to turn her back on him.
But whenever the two of them were alone in the room...
She talked to him.
Softly.
As if she were talking to a person.
That afternoon, everyone was sitting together when Hana finally broke the silence.
"I checked all the websites again."
She looked down at her phone.
"Still nothing about Bamson."
Her expression slowly became serious.
"It's been fifteen days since he's been with us. How much longer can we keep living like this?"
She looked around at everyone.
"Honestly, I still think we should have taken him to the police station on the very first day."
Zoya immediately raised one eyebrow.
Hana noticed the look.
She sighed.
"Yes, yes. I know."
She lifted her hands.
"You were right."
Zoya leaned back.
Hana continued.
"We should have given him to the police. Jeon J's silence doesn't feel right to me anymore."
Her voice lowered.
"What if something happens and we get into trouble?"
There was genuine worry in her eyes.
Sophia nodded.
"Exactly."
She placed her phone on the table.
"Jeon J and his team are already back from the USA after their concert tour. I even watched a fancam of their arrival at the airport."
She looked at Bamson.
"They're in Seoul now."
Her expression became thoughtful.
"I'm sure Jeon J isn't just going to sit quietly. Maybe he'll make a public announcement about Bamson."
She shook her head.
"I just can't believe he has forgotten about him or accepted that he's gone."
Sofia glanced at everyone.
"Before he finds out anything from someone else, we should either return Bamson to them ourselves..."
She paused.
"...or hand him over to the police."
Minji was sitting quietly, gently stroking Bamson's head.
Ruhi nudged her shoulder.
"What are you thinking?"
Minji didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she looked toward Zoya.
"Zoya..."
Zoya looked at her.
"How's your job going?"
Ruhi frowned.
She didn't answer my question.
But Minji seemed to have something else on her mind.
Zoya shrugged.
"My job is going well, actually."
A small smile appeared on her face.
"I've always liked kitchen work, and I got exactly the kind of job I wanted. The staff is nice, the work suits me, and I'm happy there."
She tilted her head.
"But why are you asking?"
Minji turned toward Hana and Ruhi.
"And you two? How are your jobs going?"
All three girls exchanged confused looks.
Minji was suddenly asking questions like a teacher taking attendance.
Hana smiled.
"Our jobs are going well too. It's not a lot, but we earn enough to pay our fees and manage our expenses."
She shrugged.
"At least we don't have to send money back home."
Zoya's smile disappeared.
"Well..."
Her fingers slowly tightened around the edge of her sleeve.
"I do."
The room became quieter.
"I have to send money home."
She took a breath.
"I came here after taking a big family loan."
Her voice was softer now.
"Honestly, it wasn't easy."
She looked down.
"My relatives didn't exactly support me. They gave me the loan, but every time we talked, they reminded me that I had to return it quickly."
A bitter little smile touched her lips.
"I've heard a lot of harsh words from my own family just because I wanted to come here."
She swallowed.
"But I endured it."
Her eyes lifted.
"Because I wanted this dream."
She looked at her hands.
"Every time I get my paycheck, the first thing I think about is that loan."
A pause.
"It's difficult..."
She gave a small shrug.
"But I don't really have a choice."
Minji watched her quietly.
Then she looked at Sophia.
The two exchanged a glance.
"We've decided something," Minji said.
The other three girls looked at her.
"What?" Ruhi asked.
"Why don't we rent an apartment?"
Zoya immediately frowned.
"Apartment?"
Minji nodded.
"Think about it. Our biggest problem here is food."
She started counting on her fingers.
"If we're late in the morning or evening, the mess is closed."
She sighed.
"So we end up eating outside."
"And the whole point of the mess is that food is free if we actually eat there," Sophia added.
Minji nodded.
"Exactly."
Then she looked toward Bamson.
"And most importantly, we need somewhere safer for him."
Zoya shook her head.
"But we can't afford an apartment."
She paused.
"And we can't take Bamson to the police now either."
Her voice sharpened.
"They'll get suspicious of us."
Minji's expression changed.
"That's what I kept saying!"
She sat straighter.
"I told you all from the beginning to inform the police."
Zoya looked at her.
"But you all refused."
Minji's patience finally snapped.
"Zoya, don't interrupt me like that!"
Silence.
Zoya stared at her.
For a moment, she didn't even react.
Minji had never spoken to her like that before.
Zoya's expression slowly softened.
"Okay..."
She looked away.
"Sorry. Go ahead."
Minji immediately regretted her tone.
Her shoulders dropped.
"No..."
She spoke more softly.
"I'm sorry. I became rude."
Zoya gave a small nod.
Minji continued.
"Many students aren't satisfied with university dorms. They rent apartments or share houses nearby."
She looked around the room.
"We can do the same."
Her eyes moved toward Bamson.
"Bamson will be safer."
Then she smiled slightly.
"And we'll have more freedom too."
Ruhi shook her head gently.
"Minji, it's easy for you and Sophia."
She looked at the two girls.
"But the three of us are strugglers."
Her tone wasn't bitter.
Just honest.
"We have to cover our fees and living expenses with these jobs."
She paused.
"You two can afford it because your families support you."
Her voice became quieter.
"But we burned all our boats to come here."
She gave a faint smile.
"There's no going back now."
Sophia immediately said,
"Then we'll pay the rent for you."
Zoya's head snapped toward her.
"No."
Sophia blinked.
"It's not a big deal—"
"It is."
Zoya's voice was firm.
"We have our self-respect too."
She looked directly at Sophia.
"Please don't say that again."
Minji gave Sophia a quick look.
She clearly didn't approve either.
Then she turned back to Zoya.
"Our intention wasn't to hurt you."
Her voice was calm again.
"We'll find a place near the university that everyone can afford."
She smiled.
"And nobody will be paying anyone else's share."
A small silence followed.
"What matters is that we stay together."
She looked at each of them.
"Equally."
Hana finally nodded.
"Okay."
She leaned back.
"Find a place first. Then we'll think about it."
And with that, the discussion ended.
__________________________________
Snow had covered Korea like a white blanket.
The university had officially announced the beginning of winter vacation.
Classes would continue online for now.
Minji, however, hadn't forgotten her promise.
She kept searching.
And two days later, on the first day of vacation, she finally came running into the room with a smile.
"I found one!"
Everyone looked at her.
"A place?"
Minji nodded excitedly.
"A cheap share house."
She pulled out her phone.
"It's actually really nice."
She started showing them pictures.
"One large hall, a small but modern kitchen, a bathroom with a gallery-style wash area..."
She swiped again.
"And there's even a little balcony."
Hana leaned closer.
"Really?"
Minji nodded.
"I want all of you to come and see it before we decide."
Everyone agreed.
Everyone except Zoya...
who still looked uncertain.
She stared at the pictures.
Can I really afford this?
She didn't want to say it aloud.
But the worry remained in her chest.
___________________________________
Meanwhile... Jeon J
Back in the USA, Jeon J kept himself busy.
Meetings.
Schedules.
Rehearsals.
Travel.
There was always something demanding his attention.
But no matter how busy he became...
That voice never disappeared.
The voice from the flight to Busan.
And the same voice from his dream.
Sometimes, he wondered if he had imagined the connection.
Other times, he was certain he hadn't.
The team was finally traveling back to Korea.
Inside the private jet, the members were scattered across their seats.
Jeon J suddenly stood.
Instead of calling Jea over like he normally did, he walked toward him himself.
A few members glanced up curiously.
Jeon J stopped beside Jea.
"Jea..."
Jea immediately stood.
"Yes, Mr Jeon J? Is everything alright?"
"Yes."
Jeon J's voice was quiet.
"Do you remember what I asked you to do?"
Jea's expression became thoughtful.
There were too many things on his list.
He tried to remember.
Bamson?
Maybe that was it.
He looked at Jeon J.
"Mr Jeon J, don't worry. We'll find Bamson."
Jeon J looked at him.
"No."
His voice was almost a whisper.
"I'm not talking about Bamson."
Jea blinked.
"Then..."
Jeon J waited.
Jea searched his memory again.
"Sorry, Jeon J. Can you give me a hint?"
He gave an awkward smile.
"I have too many things on my list right now."
Jeon J was about to turn away when Jea suddenly snapped his fingers.
"Oh!"
He looked at him.
"You asked me to find out about the person who was sitting in the seat ahead of you on the Busan flight."
Jeon J stopped.
Then slowly turned back.
"Yes."
Jea smiled.
"Got it."
Jeon J corrected him calmly.
"It was a girl."
Jea's smile faded for half a second.
He looked at Jeon J.
A girl?
But he didn't ask why.
He nodded.
"Understood."
As Jeon J walked away, Jea watched him for a moment.
His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
Bamson is missing.
And now he's searching for a girl from a flight?
He shook his head.
Which one is more important to him right now?
The missing Bamson...
or the girl?
When the flight finally landed, the airport was already crowded with fans.
The members made their way through the arrival area and eventually reached Seoul safely.
That night, Jeon J sat with Kim Joon.
"I'm going live."
Kim Joon looked at him.
"Tonight?"
Jeon J nodded.
"I'm going to announce that Bamson is missing publicly."
His expression became serious.
"If anyone has seen him or knows anything about him, they can contact Jea."
Kim Joon nodded.
"Alright."
He placed a hand on Jeon J's shoulder.
"I'll do everything I can to help you find him."
Jeon J said nothing.
His eyes lowered.
For fifteen days, he had searched.
And now...
he was finally going public.
Later that night, around 2 a.m., Jeon J called Jea.
Jea answered almost immediately.
"Yes, Jeon J?"
"If there's a flight to Busan tomorrow morning..."
Jeon J looked toward the window.
Snow was falling outside.
"...book my seat."
Jea was silent for a moment.
"You're going to Busan?"
"Yes."
"But Jeon J—"
"Once the snow gets heavier, flights could be delayed or cancelled."
His voice remained calm.
But there was something unshakable behind it.
"I need to get there as soon as possible."
Jea sighed.
"Jeon J... don't worry."
He tried to reassure him.
"Everything will be handled."
Jeon J didn't answer.
His fingers tightened slightly around the phone.
He looked out at the falling snow.
His mind went back to Bamson.
Then, unexpectedly...
to that voice.
That soft voice.
The girl sitting in the seat ahead of him.
The girl he had somehow seen in his dream.
He didn't know why she had appeared.
He didn't know who she was.
But something inside him kept telling him...
Find her.
Jeon J finally spoke.
"I'll find Bamson."
A pause.
"And I'll find her too."
The call ended.
Outside, snow continued to fall over Seoul.
And somewhere far away...
five girls were preparing to leave their dorm—
unaware that their quiet little secret was about to become much harder to hide.
To be continued...
RegardsZK💌