Jeon.J had to take Bamson to the care center today.
After lunch, everyone was busy talking. They were all sitting in the practice room, relaxed and unguarded. Jeon.J sat among them, casually tracing straight lines on the floor with his finger. He looked as if he was listening to everyone, but in reality, he seemed lost in deep thought.
Just then, Jae entered the room and reminded Jeon.J.
Jeon.J nodded slightly, picked up his phone from the floor, and stood up.
"There's no more practice, right? I have to take Bamson," Jeon.J said to Kim Joon.
"But we were supposed to go out somewhere," Kim Joon replied. "You're leaving?"
"I have to go," Jeon.J said as he put his things into his bag.
"We'll come back," Minji said sadly. "You all will get busy anyway. Today is the only day you're all free. I'll come with you. We'll drop Bamson at the care center and then come right back."
She said this because the more she tried to bring her relationship with Jeon.J back to how it used to be, the more distant he seemed. There had been a lot of change in Jeon.J compared to before. Minji thought maybe this change came with growing older. Before, they were teenagers. But now, nothing felt the same to her.
"Alright, I'll take Bamson and come back," Jeon.J replied. "You all decide where you want to go till then. I'm going with Jae. You stay here. Your friends might feel awkward."
Minji looked toward Ruhi, Hana, and Sophia. All three of them didn't look awkward at all. They had blended in completely with everyone.
She looked back toward Jeon.J—but he was already gone.
"What happened to you, Jeon.J?" Minji whispered."You were never like this."
.....
"Why did you ask me to say that in front of everyone?" Jae asked Jeon.J.Jeon.J had messaged him to enter the room and announce, in front of everyone, that Bamson had to be taken to the care center.
Jeon.J didn't answer.
Jae looked at him again and said, "I can take Bamson myself. You stay with your friends."He tried once more to get a response from Jeon.J—but Jeon.J remained silent.
"Take a right turn," Jeon.J said suddenly, scrolling through his phone as Jae started the car and drove out of the studio.
"But your house is on the left," Jae said, confused. "The care center is also on the way."
"We're not going home," Jeon.J replied.
"But Bamson is at home."
"Yes, I know."
"Then why did you ask me to take a right turn?"
"Just do what I said," Jeon.J said, ending the conversation.
Jae took the right turn and continued driving in silence.
Meanwhile, Jinhan had come toward the table near the practice room's glass window to pick up a water bottle. Through the glass, the entire view outside the studio was visible. He saw a car turning right instead of left, but it was not Jeon.J's car; I think it's one of the staff members' cars.
Why Jeon.J take this car?.
"Bamson is on the left side," Jinhan muttered to himself. "Why are they going right?"
What is going on in your mind? You've been behaving strangely for the past few days—since Minji and her friends arrived… or maybe since Zoya came, Jinhun thought.
Jeon.J's house was on the left. Bamson was at home. Instead of taking him to the center, they had gone to the right.
But what happened to Bamson? Jinhan thought. He just came back from the care center.
Something didn't sit right.
He pulled out his phone and searched quickly. Turning on the location, he saw that the central mosque was about twenty to twenty-five minutes away from the studio—and it was on the right side.
Jinhan lifted his eyes from the phone and looked outside again, toward the direction the car had disappeared.
"Why did you go there, Jeon.J?" he whispered.
"Jinhan—"
At the sound of Teahun's voice, Jinhan turned around. He placed the water bottle back on the table. He wasn't thirsty anymore.
But the unease in his chest had only grown stronger.
.....
"Why have we come here?" Jae asked as they reached the location Jeon.J had given.
Jae looked up and saw a large gate in front of them. Something was written on it in big letters, shining under the lights, but he couldn't clearly read what it said. Still, Jae knew exactly what kind of place this was.
"Jeon.J…"When there was no response, Jae turned to look at him.
Jeon.J had already covered his face with a mask and pulled a woolen cap down over his head.
"Jeon.J…" Jae called again, looking at him carefully.
Jeon.J said calmly. "It's getting evening, and there aren't many people here right now. Before anyone starts recognizing me, take the car and park it somewhere to the side. I'll message you when to come back."
As Jeon.J opened the car door to get out, Jae caught his arm.
"Jeon.J," he said anxiously. "Whether there are fewer people or more, if anyone notices you here, you know what will happen."
But Jeon.J didn't respond to that concern.
"Jae," he asked instead, "what was the name of the girl who was sitting behind my seat on the Busan flight?"
Jae froze in surprise.
Instead of answering, Jeon.J was calmly asking something else—bringing up the Busan incident again. Jae had thought everything was settled now. Bamson was found. Everything was fine.
Then why was Jeon.J still stuck on that one point?
He had asked about it in the morning, too. Now it was starting to feel very strange.
Jae didn't understand what was happening or what he was supposed to do.
"Jae, I asked you something," Jeon.J said, then paused. "No—leave it. I'll find out myself. You just do what I told you."Saying that, Jeon.J stepped out of the car.
Jae needed to leave immediately. His mind felt completely numb. He had to park the car first—and then think about Jeon.J's behavior today.
Because nothing about it felt normal anymore.
....
"I was almost eaten alive…"
Zoya began rubbing her hands again and again, as if trying to scrub something away. She was crying uncontrollably. Her hands were already clean, yet she kept wiping them, trying to remove filth that could not be seen. Finally, she wrapped her arms around her knees and lowered her head onto them, curling in on herself.
"Zoya, my daughter, look at me," Mr. Donghyun said gently.
Zoya didn't lift her head. She only shook it repeatedly in refusal.
"You are very brave," he continued softly. "Look—Allah protected you. Allah did not abandon you. First, look at me."
Mr. Donghyun was getting worried now. Since Zoya had arrived, she had been crying continuously for two hours. At first, he had let her cry so her heart could feel lighter—but crying without pause for so long was not good.
Slowly, Zoya lifted her head. Her eyes were red from crying, slightly swollen.
"Listen, Zoya," Mr. Donghyun said calmly. "Now take a deep breath. Then go wash your face, make wudu(ablution), and come back. It's time for prayer, and the time will pass. Perform your salah first. We can talk after. Everything else can wait, but fulfilling the obligation of prayer is necessary."
Hearing his words, Zoya suddenly realized she hadn't prayed.
She stood up and went to make wudu. After completing it, she stood for prayer—but nothing would leave her mind. She kept crying even while praying. After finishing, she raised her hands for dua, then covered her face with them and cried intensely.
What would have happened if Hana hadn't stopped it today?The thought shook her from the inside again and again.
"Allah, forgive me… How could I be so unaware? Allah, forgive me," Zoya kept begging for forgiveness over and over in her dua.
Watching her, Mr. Donghyun smiled softly.
You are very unique, my child, he thought seriously as he looked at her.what you carry in your heart, you ask Allah for a halal relationship for yourself with him. May the one you love never fail to value you.
"May Allah grant peace to your heart," Mr. Donghyun prayed silently for Zoya.
To be continued....
Regards
ZK💌