After dinner, everyone had settled into light, easy conversation.
Everyone except Teahun.
He had been drinking so much water that Minji could barely keep herself from laughing. Every few seconds, she either burst into laughter at his suffering or pushed the water bottle toward him, telling him to drink more.
Hosu was no better.
He was laughing so hard that he could barely catch his breath, occasionally taking a sip from the bottle before breaking into laughter all over again.
The rest of them behaved normally, but the empty water bottles scattered across the table were beginning to tell their own story.
"Are you planning to finish the entire restaurant's water supply?"
Teahun lowered the bottle only long enough to glare at her.
"I'm thirsty."
"You've been thirsty for twenty minutes."
He ignored her and took another long drink.
That only made Minji laugh harder.
Then the glass door opened.
Zoya stepped inside.
Her eyes immediately found Minji.
"Minji, I'll be gone for a little while. You guys stay here, okay?"
Minji stared at her.
"Excuse me? We're the guests here, and somehow the hosts keep disappearing."
Zoya smiled apologetically.
"I really need to go. Ji-ho is waiting in the car. We're already ten minutes late."
"Wait." Minji smiled, clearly amused. "Where are you two going? Tell me first."
At the words you two, Jeon J froze.
Then Minji's teasing smile made something inside him burn.
He immediately looked away, trying to regain control. His fingers moved through his hair as he forced himself to appear unaffected.
But he couldn't stop himself from listening.
"Where are you going?"
"We're both—"
Jeon J's head snapped toward her.
Both?
Zoya wasn't looking at him.
She was looking directly at Minji, completely focused on her conversation.
For a moment, Jeon J simply stared at her.
He couldn't believe how effortlessly she could ignore him.
"We're both going to the mosque," Zoya continued with a small smile. "Taraweeh (the special night prayers Muslims perform during Ramadan) has already started. We want to get there as soon as possible so we can at least join whatever is left."
"Taraweeh?" Hana asked, looking confused. "What's that?"
"I'll explain it later. I really have to go now."
Zoya gave her a quick smile and turned to leave.
"Okay, go. But come back soon," Hana called after her.
Zoya had barely taken another step when a voice stopped her.
His voice.
The same voice that had unsettled her only moments ago.
She stopped.
But she didn't turn around.
She simply remained standing, continuing to face Minji as if she hadn't heard him.
"Wow."
Jeon J slowly spun his phone between his fingers.
"They invited everyone, and now the hosts are disappearing one by one."
Silence fell around the table.
Everyone's eyes shifted between Zoya and Jeon J.
Zoya said nothing.
But somehow, the words wouldn't come.
Instead, she turned back to Minji with a blank expression and a faint smile.
"I'll send coffee over. You guys enjoy it until we get back."
Then she walked away.
Zoya had barely taken a few steps toward the exit when Jeon J's frustration finally snapped.
Without thinking, he reached for the only glass still sitting on the table.
He picked it up and threw it toward the wall.
But at that exact moment, Zoya reached the doorway.
She stopped and turned back toward Minji, as if she had forgotten to say something.
One step.
Then another.
She was about to take a third when—
The glass struck her foot.
It shattered instantly.
"Ahh!"
Zoya let out a sharp yelp as the glass struck her foot.
Everyone turned.
Jeon J did too.
And the moment his eyes found her, he froze.
Zoya had dropped to the floor, one hand gripping her painful foot.
For a second, Jeon J couldn't breathe.
He hadn't even known she was standing there.
He had been angry.
He had wanted to release his frustration—not hurt her.
But now she was sitting on the floor because of something he had thrown.
"Zoya!"
Everyone rushed toward her.
Jeon J was already there before anyone else could reach her.
He dropped to his knees in front of her, staring at her with wide, shaken eyes.
She didn't look at him.
Her head remained lowered as she held her foot tightly.
A tiny piece of broken glass had caught the skin, and a thin line of blood had appeared.
Jeon J stared at it.
Pain crossed his face.
Then his eyes lifted to her face again, waiting.
Waiting for her to look at him.
Maybe yell at him.
Maybe ask him why he had done it.
Anything.
But Zoya never raised her eyes.
She simply kept staring down at her foot.
Something about her silence made the guilt inside him twist even deeper.
Minji hurried over and crouched beside her.
"Zoya, let me see."
The others stood around them, looking down anxiously.
Before anyone could say anything else, the entrance door opened.
Ji-ho walked in.
"Zoya, it took you so long—"
His words died immediately.
Everyone was gathered in one place.
His eyes moved across the room.
Then he saw her.
Zoya was sitting on the floor.
And Jeon J was sitting directly in front of her.
Her hand was wrapped around her foot.
Ji-ho's expression changed instantly.
"What happened?"
He rushed forward.
Hana and Sophia quickly helped Zoya to her feet and guided her toward a chair.
Jeon J remained where he was.
Jinhun noticed.
He reached down, grabbed Jeon J by the arm, and pulled him to his feet.
Kim Joon stepped in front of him.
He looked at Jeon J for a long moment before slowly shaking his head.
Jeon J couldn't meet his eyes.
He turned his face away and drew in a long, unsteady breath.
It felt as though the air inside his chest had suddenly become too heavy.
"How did you hurt yourself?"
Ji-ho looked down at Zoya's foot.
Zoya immediately pulled it slightly behind the other.
Jeon J noticed.
His eyes flicked toward Ji-ho.
Something dark and furious passed through them.
Before anyone could ask another question, Zoya spoke.
"Ji-ho, let's go. We're already very late."
"But how are you going to go like this?" Ruhi asked worriedly. "You have a cut."
"It's not that bad."
Zoya slowly stood.
"I can still go."
"You stay here," Ji-ho said gently. "I'll go. You rest."
"No."
Zoya shook her head immediately.
"I can't sit here over such a small injury. I'll come with you."
Jeon J's eyes turned red.
He clenched his jaw.
Every word coming from her mouth seemed to make something inside him burn.
Ji-ho, however, only smiled softly.
"Allah loves you very much."
Zoya looked at him.
"Look at this. This is Allah's love too. He gave you a little pain, and you're still calling it insignificant because you want to stand before Him."
Zoya's smile slowly disappeared.
Her eyes became glassy.
Everyone noticed.
The room fell strangely quiet.
Zoya lowered her gaze.
"I only try."
Her voice softened.
"And I believe Allah will accept my effort."
Ji-ho smiled.
"Then come on."
Zoya nodded.
They began moving toward the entrance.
Jeon J couldn't take it anymore.
He abruptly turned toward the table, grabbed his keys, and walked out.
Jinhun watched him disappear through the door.
Then he exchanged a look with Hosu.
"Go."
Hosu immediately followed him outside.
Back inside, Ji-ho looked toward the door Jeon J had disappeared through.
"What happened to him?"
"Nothing," Jinhun answered casually, trying to smooth things over. "You two should go. We'll handle things here."
Zoya turned toward everyone with a warm smile.
"Please stay here."
She glanced around the table.
"We'll feel really happy if you stay after having iftar with us. And if you can, stay for sehri too. We can talk about everything else later."
Despite the pain in her foot, she smiled as she spoke.
Then she slowly walked out with Ji-ho.
They had barely reached the entrance when Hosu came back inside, one arm stretched casually across Jeon J's shoulders as he guided him back in.
Zoya stopped.
She looked at Jinhun.
"Coffee is coming. Until we come back, please enjoy it."
The word we hit Jeon J like another blow.
His jaw tightened.
His blood seemed to boil all over again.
Hosu only smiled and squeezed Jeon J's shoulder.
"Alright."
Then his expression softened as he looked at Zoya.
"But get that wound cleaned, okay? You don't want it getting infected."
Zoya gave him a grateful smile.
"Thank you."
She turned and walked away with Ji-ho.
Jeon J watched her leave.
His eyes followed her until the door closed behind them.
Only then did he lower his gaze.
His hand slowly curled into a fist.
The mosque was overflowing.
____________________________________
The congregation had been unusually large that night.
There was barely enough inside for everyone, and the crowd had spilled beyond the mosque's main doors. They had been arranged wherever there was space, with additional prayer mats carefully laid outside so that those who had arrived late could still pray with the congregation.
The men's section extended beyond the main entrance.
On the other side, the women's section was equally crowded.
Women and girls sat and stood in quiet rows, their prayer garments covering them as they waited for the final moments of the prayer. Mothers kept their younger daughters close, while older women prayed beside them. Some had come with their families, some with friends, and some alone—yet within the walls of the mosque, they all seemed to belong to the same quiet gathering.
Even outside, the atmosphere remained remarkably peaceful.
People had gathered together, yet the only sounds were the soft movements of prayer, the occasional whisper of a child, and the gentle recitation flowing through the speakers.
Zoya carefully sat in the women's section.
Her injured foot still hurt, but she ignored it.
The imam's recitation continued.
Then the final rak'ah came to an end.
The imam completed the prayer.
And finally—
"Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah."
The congregation turned their heads to the right.
"Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah."
Then to the left.
The final salaam echoed through the packed mosque.
For a few moments, no one moved.
It was the kind of silence that came after something deeply meaningful had ended.
Then the microphone came alive.
Mr. Donghyun's familiar voice filled the mosque.
"Alhamdulillah…"
His voice carried warmth rather than formality.
"Another night of Taraweeh has come to an end. May Allah accept every rak'ah, every dua, every tear, and every moment of worship that you offered tonight."
A soft murmur of Ameen travelled through the congregation.
"Congratulations to all of you on completing tonight's Taraweeh."
There were gentle smiles among the worshippers.
Mr. Donghyun continued.
"And tonight is especially meaningful because we are standing at the doorway of something very precious."
A pause.
"The last ten nights of Ramadan are about to begin."
The atmosphere seemed to grow quieter.
"These nights are considered among the most blessed nights of the entire year. They are nights when believers turn even more deeply toward Allah—seeking His mercy, His forgiveness, and His nearness."
His voice softened.
"And somewhere within these nights is Laylat al-Qadr—the Night of Decree. A night described in the Qur'an as better than a thousand months."
Another wave of Ameen rose through the mosque.
"So, if your heart has been telling you that you want to do more this Ramadan… listen to it."
A gentle smile could almost be heard in his voice.
"If you want to pray more, pray.
If you want to make more dua, make more dua.
If you want to spend these nights away from the distractions of the world and closer to Allah, then come."
He paused before explaining the next part.
"And for those daughters who wish to observe i'tikaf…"
The women listened attentively.
"I'tikaf means choosing to remain in a mosque—or, for women in circumstances where it is arranged appropriately—within a dedicated place of worship for a period of devotion, stepping away from ordinary worldly routines and dedicating those days and nights to prayer, Qur'an, remembrance, and dua."
His voice became gentler.
"If there is a daughter among you who wishes to make i'tikaf, please come to the mosque and speak with us so that the arrangements can be made properly."
A small pause followed.
Then his tone changed.
It became lighter.
Almost playful.
"And now, I have some good news for our Princess of Faith."
Several women smiled.
Even some of the men outside exchanged amused glances.
Mr. Donghyun continued warmly.
"My wife and our very dear daughter have already made arrangements for all of you."
A ripple of happiness moved through the women's section.
"And by the grace of Allah, my home has been chosen for my princesses."
His voice carried unmistakable pride.
"So, to every daughter who wishes to spend the last ten nights of Ramadan in i'tikaf…"
He smiled through his words.
"My doors are open to you."
The women exchanged surprised, touched looks.
"You will be welcomed with love, with care, and with the hope that these nights become something you remember for the rest of your life."
His voice softened one final time.
"Because sometimes, all a heart needs is a quiet place to turn back to its Creator."
The mosque fell completely silent.
"May Allah allow us to reach the last ten nights.
May He give us the strength to worship Him sincerely.
May He forgive what we have done, accept what little we offer, and allow every one of us to leave Ramadan closer to Him than when we entered it."
"Ameen."
This time, the response came from almost everyone at once.
"Ameen."
Zoya sat quietly among the women.
Her eyes had filled with tears.
She lowered her gaze, letting the words settle somewhere deep inside her heart.
Outside, the night remained still.
And somewhere beyond the mosque's glowing doors, the final ten nights of Ramadan were waiting.
To be continued...
Regards,
ZK💌