Zoya…
She turned her head slowly at the sound of her name.
Minji was walking toward her from the kitchen, a small tray balanced carefully in her hands.
"Zoya, drink this… it'll soothe your throat. It's good for your health," Minji said gently, placing the tray in front of her.
Zoya didn't respond.
Her gaze dropped to the tray.
A small white ceramic bowl.
Inside, a light golden, slightly milky broth—samgyetang—steam rising softly from its surface.
It looked… simple.
Too simple.
Too plain.
Zoya lifted the bowl, her fingers still weak, still not fully steady.
For a few quiet moments, she just stared at it.
Silent.
Completely silent.
In the kitchen…
Hana leaned against the counter, speaking in a hushed but amused tone.
"Just watch… Minji took that soup to her—let's see what reaction Zoya gives."
Yomin shook his head lightly. "She's gone through such a big trauma… You really think she'll react to something like this right now?"
Hana smirked. "Oh, she will. She's been through trauma before, too—and even then, she never held back her unique reactions to Korean healthy food. Why would she stop now?"
Sophia laughed under her breath. "Honestly, her commentary on Korean food just… comes out on its own. She has no control over it."
Suddenly, Teahun froze mid-step.
He turned sharply toward Hana.
"Wait… what did you say?" His voice dropped. "She's been through trauma before? What do you mean?"
Hana glanced at Sophia.
Then at Ruhi.
Neither of them spoke.
Teahun's gaze hardened. "Tell me."
Hana exhaled quietly. "Something happened to her on Christmas… an incident. But don't ask what. Just… understand that she was in a similar condition back then."
Ruhi added softly, "Sometimes we tell her, 'Zoya, maybe Korea doesn't suit you… you should go back.'"
A faint smile touched her lips.
"But she always says, 'Korea suits me… it's just the people here who don't accept me.'"
Sophia nodded. "Since the day she arrived, something or the other has kept happening to her. But she still stands back up and says—"
She paused, then smiled warmly.
"'With every hardship comes ease. That's what my Allah says… so why should I be afraid?'"
A quiet chuckle spread among them.
"But this time…" Hana murmured, her voice dimming, "this time she broke… badly."
Ruhi's eyes filled with unease. "Sometimes I'm scared… what if this is the beginning of something worse?"
Hana straightened, forcing a light smile. "We're here for her. Until Korea accepts her… and she accepts Korea… we're not going anywhere."
Sophia grinned, pulling Ruhi into a side hug. "Out of all my friend groups… this one feels like soulmates."
Ruhi hugged her back instantly. Hana joined them.
"We are soulmates," the three said together.
Teahun groaned in irritation. "I asked one question, and you turned it into a whole friendship drama."
"Oh—Zoya!" He murmured.
" Let's come, Hana suddenly whispered, rushing toward the door.
Everyone followed immediately.
At the kitchen doorway…
They stood half-hidden behind the wall.
"Shhh… it's starting," Hana whispered.
"Zoya's still in trauma," Yomin said quietly. "She'll just drink it silently."
"There's not even a sound from her…" Minjo added. "How will she react?"
All eyes were fixed on the living area.
On Zoya.
Zoya slowly pulled the bowl closer.
She inhaled lightly.
Her face didn't change.
Then she picked up the spoon… and took a small sip.
The warm broth slid down her throat.
For a brief moment, her eyes closed.
A hint of comfort…
A trace of calm…
And then—
Her expression shifted.
Slightly.
Subtly.
But unmistakably.
Her lips tightened.
Her face twisted—just a little—
as if someone had forced her to swallow medicine…
without water.
In the kitchen…
"See? Totally normal," Yomin whispered.
Hana narrowed her eyes, then shot him a look. "Did you see her face? That wasn't normal. That was 'you gave me medicine instead of soup.'"
Back in the living area…
Zoya opened her eyes.
She looked at the bowl again.
This time, longer.
Her lips pressed together, like words were forming—but refusing to come out.
She lifted the spoon again…
paused…
and stared into the soup.
As if conducting a serious scientific analysis.
Then slowly…
Her eyebrows lifted.
Kitchen side…
"OHH—there it is!" Hana clamped her hand over her mouth.
Yomin straightened. "Wait…"
Zoya took another sip.
Her face stayed neutral—
But her eyes said everything.
Is this… just water?
Minji caught it instantly.
She leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing just a bit.
"Drink it quietly."
Zoya looked at her immediately.
Minji's tone was firm now. "You won't get anything spicy. This is it… for a few days."
A few days.
Zoya froze.
One second.
Two seconds.
Then—
Her mouth dropped open.
Eyes wide.
Brows raised.
Her entire face screaming—
"A FEW DAYS???"
No sound came out.
It didn't need to.
Kitchen side…
Hana slammed her head lightly against the wall, trying not to laugh.
"Right now she's thinking," Hana whispered dramatically, "I should've stayed in my own country… at least I wouldn't be forced to drink this."
Minjo blinked. "How do you know?"
Hana sighed. "Daily story."
Ruhi and Sophia both stifled laughter. "Every time she tries Korean food… same reaction."
Living area…
Zoya stared at Minji—
shock.
betrayal.
pure disbelief.
Then slowly…
she looked at the bowl.
Then Minji.
Then the bowl again.
She lifted the spoon halfway—
paused mid-air—
and dropped it back into the soup with exaggerated heaviness.
As if saying:
So this is what my life has come to…
Kitchen side…
That was it.
No one could hold it in anymore.
Their laughter stayed silent—
But their eyes gave them away.
Zoya finally took another sip.
This time, her face was completely blank.
But her eyes clearly said:
"I'm only drinking this to survive. I can get better by eating noodles too…" she muttered weakly, pouting slightly.
Minji shot her a sharp look. "Don't even think about it. No noodles. No spicy food."
From the doorway, the group quietly dispersed, still laughing.
Zoya frowned, confused, watching them leave.
Then her gaze shifted back to Minji—
who was now walking toward the kitchen.
Zoya's expression softened.
Her eyes followed her.
And in the quiet of her own thoughts, she whispered—
"Maybe Korea doesn't suit me… But this friendship… It's becoming something very precious."
Her grip tightened slightly around the bowl.
"Minji… May Allah bless you with everything good for you… even if he comes a big happiness for you."
Her eyes filled.
Just a little.
"Yeah, he is too."
And this time—
The warmth in her chest wasn't from the soup.
_______________
"Why are you behaving so strangely, Jeon.J? I'm starting to feel scared of you… What are you becoming?" Jinhun asked, his voice filled with quiet concern as he sat beside him.
Jeon.J was already on the bed, elbows on his knees, his head buried in his hands.
"Honestly, hyung… I don't even know what's happening to me," Jeon.J murmured, his voice strained.
"Every time I try to go back to normal… but she says something, and it just… triggers something in me. I lose control."
"You should ignore all of that.
She's a good girl," Jinhun replied gently. "And whatever happened to her… I feel like we're somehow connected to it."
His tone softened further. "This time… what she went through was really bad. Seeing her like that… it hurt."
Jeon.J stayed silent, listening.
After a pause, Jinhun spoke again, more firmly this time.
"Jeon.J, we're leaving for Busan in two days. We have a concert. You need to focus. Kim Joon is already there. Hosu and Yomin are leaving tomorrow. Maybe Minjo will go with them, too. Teahun, you and I will leave in two days."
He leaned closer, his voice dropping into a warning. "Listen to me. Before you say anything… before you react… look around you. We cannot afford a scandal. Do you hear me?"
There was no response.
Jinhun frowned and shook him lightly. "Jeon.J?"
Slowly, Jeon.J lifted his head, his expression shattered.
"She was asking Teahun… what a physical date means…" His voice broke as he spoke.
Jinhun stiffened.
"Hyung… can you imagine?" Jeon.J let out a hollow, painful laugh.
"A graduate student… who doesn't even know what that means?"
His smile was wounded, almost mocking himself.
"Through Teahun… she was accusing me. Ji-won… the one who kept her trapped… must've told her I was involved."
Suddenly, he laughed—wild, unsteady—before collapsing back onto the bed.
"How can you be so sure all of this is about you? It could be about someone else," Jinhun said, his tone firm but still trying to stay calm.
Jeon.J looked at him.
And then… he laughed.
Not a normal laugh—something quieter, heavier, almost like it carried exhaustion within it.
"You won't understand…" he said softly.
Jinhun's expression hardened slightly. He stepped closer, eyes narrowing. "Don't say that. I'm older than you. I understand things before you do."
But this time…
Jeon.J didn't react.
No argument.No smile.No frustration.
Nothing.
"We've faced so many rumors over the years," he continued, staring at the ceiling. "Every day, there are clips of our so-called 'dates' on social media. But RAMY knows they're fake. We know they're fake. We never took them seriously."
His voice turned quiet. Fragile.
"But hyung… for the first time… I feel like explaining myself. I feel like I need to."
He swallowed hard.
"The pain I saw in her eyes… it shook me. I wanted to tell her everything… so she would believe me. Because these past few days… her eyes always held something… or maybe nothing at all. But today…"
He closed his eyes tightly.
"Today, there was only distrust."
Silence filled the room.
"I couldn't say anything," he whispered. "So I took my frustration out on everything else. When she stopped Teahun… I couldn't control myself."
"Jeon.J," Jinhun interrupted softly, trying to ground him. "You're overthinking. We've always had these rumors—about girlfriends, dates—everything. Some fans get upset for a while, but once the truth comes out, everything settles. Did we ever explain ourselves before? Then why now?"
Jeon.J shook his head, a sad smile forming.
"That's the problem, hyung… she's not like the others. She's not RAMY. And she's not… ordinary either."
He stood up abruptly, running a hand through his hair, and said I'll try....
Then suddenly, his knees gave in.
He dropped to the floor.
Silently.
Head bowed.
Tears began falling, one after another, hitting the floor in soft, broken echoes.
"I'll try…" he said after a long pause, his voice hollow. "I'll try to stay just an idol. Because that's what we are. We don't get to belong to anyone."
He turned and started walking toward the bathroom.
"Leave Minji, Jeon.J," Jinhun's voice stopped him.
Jeon.J froze.
Slowly, he turned back.
Jinhun looked straight into his tear-filled eyes and shook his head. "You're losing control."
Jeon.J pressed his lips together tightly, turning his face away as if trying to suffocate his sob.
Jinhun felt his chest tighten.
Among all seven of them, Jeon.J had always been the youngest—the one who received the most love. Like a child protected by six guardians. They had been his family… his safe place. He cried easily—over failed performances, harsh comments, even overwhelming happiness.
But today…
This was different.
Today, something deeper had broken inside him.
Jinhun stepped forward and pulled him into a hug.
That was all it took.
Jeon.J clung to him tightly and broke down—silently, helplessly.
Jinhun didn't stop him.
"She's been haunting me… not just now… but for a long time," Jeon.J whispered through his tears.
Jinhun pulled back slightly, confused. "What do you mean?"
Jeon.J stepped away and walked toward the window, staring out at the street below.
"You know I've been disturbed lately," he began. "I didn't tell any of you. I didn't want to worry anyone. I couldn't stay home alone.
Jinhun nodded slowly.
"I used to hear a voice," Jeon.J continued. "I told you about it."
"Yes… But what does that have to do with Zoya?"
Jeon.J inhaled deeply.
"I heard those same lines… from a girl on the plane. And then… I heard the same lines again… from her(he never speaks the name of Zoya)… at the central mosque."
Jinhun's expression darkened.
"I was shocked," Jeon.J said. "I wanted to ask her why she was about these lines. I even asked Jea to find out about the girl from the plane. The appearance of the girl… matched with her. And the lines… the same."
He clenched his fists.
"That can't be a coincidence."
"I wanted to ask her everything… but Jea called, and I had to leave."
Jinhun stayed quiet, listening.
"The next day, I went back to the mosque," Jeon.J continued. "This time, I went to meet Mr. Donghyun. Luckily, I found him. I only remembered the first two words of those lines… I wasn't even sure he'd recognize them… but I had to try."
Jinhun exhaled deeply, his heart heavy as he watched Jeon.J—lost in his own storm.
Then, softly… almost like a whisper filled with regret, he said:
"I wish you had never grown up, Jeon.J… You should've stayed that little boy."
He smiled sadly.
"You were in such a hurry to grow up… and now you have. And look at you… carrying the biggest pain… all alone."
To be continued.....
Regards
ZK