He gave a subtle signal.
He stood a short distance away, pretending to be busy, but his eyes never left them.
As Jeon J walked out of the studio, he was certain Jea would follow him. He had already noticed Jea watching—alert, attentive, and ready, as always.
The moment Jea came closer, Teahun looked at him as if he were about to devour him alive.
"Will you ever let us go anywhere alone?" Teahun asked with a mocking smile.
"At this rate…"
He shook his head dramatically.
"Even after Jeon J gets married, you won't leave him alone in his own room. You'll probably tell his wife too—'Sorry, I can't leave Jeon J alone.'"
Everyone burst out laughing.
Even Jea couldn't stop himself this time. A brief smile crossed his face before he lowered his gaze, quietly accepting the teasing.
"Jea," Jeon J called calmly.
His voice was firm but controlled.
"Drop Minji and her friends off at home. She's not in a condition to go alone, and the others are new to this city."
"Okay," Jea replied immediately.
"You know the address, right?" Jeon J asked, just to make sure.
"Mr. Han Sung-Ho's place?"
"Yes."
"I know it. Don't worry."
Jea gestured for the girls to come.
Hana and Sophia supported Minji from both sides. Minji was laughing for absolutely no reason, barely managing to keep herself upright. Ruhi picked up Minji's bag and followed them.
Between Minji's drunken state and the stressful situation surrounding Bamson's disappearance, everyone was already overwhelmed.
In the middle of all that chaos, no one noticed that Zoya wasn't with them.
Voices overlapped.
Doors slammed.
Everyone hurried toward the car.
One by one, they climbed inside with Jea.
But Jeon J didn't move.
He remained where he was, silently watching the car pull away.
Only when the vehicle disappeared into the traffic did his gaze slowly drift toward the pool.
Bamson was sitting nearby.
Every now and then, he wagged his tail. Then he scratched at the ground absentmindedly before settling down again.
Beside him, a girl sat quietly on a bench.
Jeon J narrowed his eyes slightly.
From a distance, it didn't look like a girl and a dog.
It looked like two souls who had somehow found each other after a long separation—sitting quietly together, sharing an understanding that required no words.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Clever Bamson," Jeon J murmured.
Inside the Car
The girls were still laughing.
"Minji, you promised us a full DMC tour," Hana joked.
"But you spent half the night walking in circles around the same drink stall," Sophia added.
Everyone laughed again as the car merged into the traffic.
For several minutes, everything seemed normal.
Then—
Barely ten minutes later, Ruhi, sitting in the front seat, suddenly screamed.
The scream startled everyone.
Jea tightened his grip on the steering wheel, barely keeping the car steady.
"What happened?" Hana shouted.
Ruhi slowly turned around, her teeth clenched.
"Why are you screaming like that?" Sophia asked nervously.
Ruhi gave her a sharp, sarcastic smile.
"If I remind you of something," she said, "you'll scream even louder."
"What?" Sophia asked.
Ruhi leaned back slightly.
"Where is Zoya?"
Silence.
The laughter disappeared instantly.
Hana froze.
Sophia's eyes widened.
Minji suddenly sat up straight.
"Not again…" Sophia whispered.
And then—
All of them screamed at once.
"STOP THE CAR!"
Jea slammed on the brakes.
"What now?" he asked irritably.
"Our friend…" Hana said, her voice trembling. "She's still there."
Jea slowly turned his head.
"Was she a friend or a bag?"
The girls stared at him.
"You forgot her like luggage," he added dryly.
Sophia's eyes immediately filled with tears.
"Please," she said softly. "We can't go without her. She'll panic."
Jea looked at her through the rear-view mirror.
"So you didn't think about that when you were leaving?"
His voice was cold.
Then he added,
"Drama queen."
"Look—" Sophia tried to explain.
"No. You look."
Jea pointed toward the road ahead.
"See this traffic? I need a U-turn to go back, and it's packed. Either I call Jeon J, he brings your friend, and I drop you home first."
"No!" Sophia said immediately.
"She's different. She'll start crying."
Jea narrowed his eyes.
"You should've thought of that earlier. There are no options now."
He picked up his phone and called Jeon J.
The phone rang.
Once.
Twice.
No answer.
The girls exchanged nervous looks.
What they didn't know was that Jeon J was deliberately ignoring the call.
The vibration alone had already told him enough.
Someone had been forgotten.
And somehow, the thought made the corner of his mouth lift.
"What happened?" Hosu asked from nearby.
"Nothing," Jeon J replied quietly.
A moment later, Yomin's phone rang.
It was Jea.
Yomin answered.
"Okay… fine. Drop them home."
He ended the call and looked at the others.
"One of Minji's friends was left behind. If Jea goes back, it'll get late."
"A friend or a wallet?" Teahun laughed.
Everyone laughed again.
"She's near the pole with Bamson," Yomin added. "I'll go get Zoya."
Something in Jeon J's expression changed.
He looked toward Yomin.
"What's with you and this her?"
Yomin blinked.
"You keep repeating her name."
"That's her name," Yomin replied casually.
"That's what I'll call her."
He turned and walked away.
Jeon J watched him go.
Zoya.
For some reason, the name lingered in his mind.
Near the Pole
Zoya sat quietly on the bench beside Bamson.
The city continued moving around them—lights flickering, voices blending together, distant music drifting through the night.
But here, beside the pool, everything felt strangely peaceful.
Zoya gently stroked Bamson's head.
"Do you think he read the letter?" she asked softly.
Bamson stared at her.
Zoya smiled faintly.
"But how would he?"
She lowered her gaze.
"He doesn't even know the language."
A quiet sigh escaped her lips.
"Or maybe…"
She hesitated.
"He threw it away."
Bamson tilted his head.
Zoya smiled sadly.
"Maybe."
Suddenly—
"Zoya."
Yomin's voice startled her.
She immediately stood.
"Oh…"
She looked at him and smiled politely.
"Thank you," she said quietly. "For giving me time with him."
Yomin nodded.
Her phone suddenly rang.
It was Hana.
Zoya glanced at the screen before answering.
She had left Yomin and Bamson back near the pool.
"Hello?"
"Where are you?" Hana asked quickly. "How long will you be free?"
Zoya frowned slightly.
"I'm here…"
She started walking toward the drink stall while answering.
"I've reached near the stall."
She slowed down and looked around.
"But where are you guys?"
There was no answer she could see.
She reached the stall and glanced around carefully.
The lights from the drink carts flickered across the pavement. People moved past in small groups, their laughter and chatter blending into the night.
But her friends were nowhere to be seen.
Only they were standing there.
For a brief second, an uneasy feeling passed through her.
Her fingers tightened around the phone.
"Hana…"
Her voice dropped.
"Where are you all?"
Suddenly, realization hit her.
"You left me again?"
Her voice cracked.
"How could you forget me every time?"
"Enough," Hana said firmly.
"Jeon J will drop you."
"What?"
Zoya's eyes widened.
"No!"
"Think of him as a taxi driver."
Hana laughed and hung up.
Zoya stared at the phone in disbelief.
"I'll take a taxi," she muttered.
"If we're dropping you, why take a taxi?"
Jeon J's voice came from nearby.
Zoya slowly looked up.
Teahun laughed.
"We'll drop you safely."
Zoya looked between them.
She clearly wasn't impressed.
After a few minutes, she reluctantly got into the car.
Bamson settled calmly beside her.
The car pulled back into traffic.
For a while, no one spoke.
Then Yomin, sitting beside Zoya in the back seat, glanced at her.
"You're from Busan?"
"No. I study there."
She looked out the window.
"I'm from Pakistan."
"Oh," Teahun said.
"So, you like Korea?"
Zoya turned slightly toward him.
"As it should be."
Teahun raised an eyebrow.
Zoya continued calmly.
"But I don't get attracted by beauty."
She looked out the window again.
"My country is beautiful too."
Teahun blinked.
Then suddenly—
"Wait."
He looked at her.
"You don't know TBS?"
"No."
"You don't know us?"
"No."
Teahun stared at her as if she had just announced something impossible.
Then he hit the steering wheel lightly.
"This is unbelievable."
He looked at Yomin.
"There are millions of fans around us, but—"
"My phone isn't a fan box," Zoya interrupted calmly.
Teahun went silent.
Zoya continued,
"I don't waste it on celebrities."
"What?!"
Teahun looked genuinely offended.
"What did you say? You don't like us?"
"I'm not saying that."
Zoya looked at him calmly.
"You said you don't waste your time…"
Teahun stared at her.
"So?"
Zoya shrugged.
"So?"
Poor Teahun.
His expression practically screamed betrayal.
Zoya suddenly looked toward the road.
"Stop the car."
Teahun blinked.
"What?"
"I'll walk."
Jeon J remained silent.
The car continued for another moment before slowing.
He watched her through the mirror.
She wasn't impressed.
She wasn't pretending.
She wasn't trying to act cool.
She simply didn't care.
And somehow, that irritated him more than he expected.
Soon, the car stopped outside Mr. Han Sung-Ho's house.
Zoya opened the door.
"Thanks for the ride."
Teahun leaned slightly toward her.
"No autograph?"
Zoya looked back at him.
"If I wanted one," she replied without a smile,
"I would've asked."
She stepped out.
The door closed.
She walked away without looking back.
Inside the car, silence lingered.
Yomin finally broke it.
"That girl isn't normal."
Jeon J watched Zoya disappear into the distance.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Interesting…"
The car moved on.
But Zoya Khan's presence stayed behind.
Back at the House
Zoya stepped into the hallway—
And stopped.
All four girls were sitting on the floor like schoolchildren waiting outside the principal's office.
Zoya raised one eyebrow.
"Oh wow."
She folded her arms.
"Full meeting? Or do I need to file a complaint?"
Sophia instantly pointed at Minji.
"She started it!"
Minji hugged the cushion tighter.
"Don't look at me like that."
Zoya tilted her head.
"Should I even watch?"
She paused.
"Or should I forget you all like you forget me?"
Ruhi let out a short laugh.
"Okay, okay. Shot fired."
Zoya walked a little closer.
"By the way…"
She smiled innocently.
"Even at Christmas, you left me like this."
Everyone froze.
How could they ever forget that day?
It was the day Zoya had been hit so badly that, thankfully, no bones were broken—but the muscles throughout her body were badly affected. It took nearly two weeks for her to recover.
Those two weeks had been difficult for everyone.
Zoya cried from the pain.
But more than the pain, she cried because she missed her family.
She would lie awake thinking about them, quietly breaking down as the ache in her body reminded her how far away they were. Slowly, the emotional weight began affecting her mind too.
Yet there was something strangely beautiful about Zoya.
She could show her pain through tears one moment…
and in the very next moment, she would wipe them away and smile as if nothing had happened.
That was her strength.
She was, perhaps, the strongest girl among them.
And yet—
She was also the one who cried the most.
She cried in happiness.
She cried in sadness.
She cried when she was hurt.
She cried when she missed home.
Sometimes, she even cried over the smallest things.
When autumn leaves fell from the trees…
when birds disappeared into the endless blue of the sky…
when she saw something beautiful…
when she remembered something painful…
Was there ever a moment when Zoya's eyes did not carry at least a little moisture?
It seemed as if her heart was simply too full to keep everything inside.
Once, Ruhi finally couldn't hold back.
"You cry so much," she said, staring at Zoya with a mixture of amusement and concern. "Why?"
Zoya looked at her.
For a moment, she said nothing.
Then she smiled.
A small, helpless smile.
"What can I do?"
She lightly touched the corner of her eye.
"My tears don't know how to hide from me."
Ruhi laughed softly.
But deep down, everyone understood.
Zoya wasn't weak because she cried.
She cried because she felt everything deeply.
And somehow, after every tear…
she still found the strength to smile.
For half a second, nobody said a word.
Zoya continued calmly.
"After shopping. Outside the café."
She looked around.
"You were all inside…"
She pointed toward herself.
"And I was outside."
Hana pressed her lips together.
"And today," Zoya added, counting on her fingers, "same pattern. Same drama. Same girls."
Sophia groaned.
"Please don't start counting dates."
Zoya smiled slightly.
"I remember dates."
She looked at them.
"You don't."
Minji raised her head.
"That's not true."
Zoya shrugged.
"Maybe every time I slip out of your minds…"
She paused dramatically.
"Like an extra file that gets deleted."
Ruhi pointed at her.
"See? Emotional blackmail."
"Facts," Zoya corrected.
Hana finally stood and walked toward her.
"Okay."
She raised both hands.
"We admit it. You're our group's quiet member, so sometimes—"
"Invisible," Zoya completed.
Sophia clapped once.
"THANK YOU."
She pointed at Zoya.
"That's the word."
Zoya nodded.
"Exactly."
She smiled faintly.
"Invisible people often get forgotten."
Minji quickly stood.
"Enough."
She shook her head.
"Before you start another lecture—tell us."
Sophia leaned forward eagerly.
"Yes!"
She grinned.
"Who did you come with?"
Zoya paused dramatically.
Then she adjusted the strap of her bag.
"Hana told me to treat him like a taxi driver."
The girls leaned in.
"So…"
Zoya continued seriously.
"I came with a driver."
Ruhi burst out laughing.
"Driver?!"
Zoya nodded.
"Then a guard."
The hallway exploded.
"WHAT?!"
Zoya raised one finger.
"There are rules."
She said it completely seriously.
"With a guard, there's also an assistant."
She smiled.
"Assistant…"
Minji dropped the cushion.
"And…"
Zoya added, keeping a perfectly straight face,
"A companion, too."
Sophia blinked.
"Who?"
Zoya pointed toward the stairs.
"Bamson."
For a second—
Silence.
Then—
"HAHAHAHA!"
Ruhi almost fell backward laughing.
Sophia held her stomach.
Minji covered her face.
Hana could barely speak between laughs.
"You're saying…"
She wiped her tears.
"You came home with a driver, a guard, an assistant…"
She pointed toward the door.
"And a dog?"
Zoya shrugged.
"Very secure ride."
She smiled.
"VIP protection."
Sophia wiped her tears.
"Next time…"
She shook her head.
"We'll forget you on purpose."
Zoya smiled sweetly.
"Please do."
She adjusted her bag.
"I get free security."
Everyone burst out laughing again.
Then Zoya suddenly pointed upward with a playful glare.
"By the way…"
Everyone looked at her.
"How can you call Bamson a dog?"
She shook her head dramatically.
"He's your idol's son."
A beat.
"Your nephew."
The girls stared at her.
"You're all his aunties!"
Before anyone could answer, Zoya dashed upstairs.
Behind her, the girls started teasing Jeon J again, loudly calling him their brother.
The hallway exploded with laughter.
The tension disappeared.
The night suddenly felt lighter.
And Zoya—
For once—
Was very hard to forget.
The car rolled back onto the road.
For a full thirty seconds, no one spoke.
The silence inside the car was almost unnatural after the chaos of the evening.
Then Teahun finally broke it.
"Guys…"
He shook his head slowly, as if he still couldn't believe what had just happened.
"What a girl."
Jeon J glanced at him briefly.
Teahun continued dramatically.
"She didn't give us even a minute of idol protocol."
Yomin immediately burst out laughing.
"Protocol?"
He leaned back in his seat.
"Brother, she didn't even promote you to guard."
He pointed toward Teahun.
"You were literally the driver."
Teahun shot him an offended look.
"Not a driver."
He straightened proudly.
"Temporary transport service."
Jeon J smirked faintly.
Yomin laughed again.
"She didn't even blink."
"No autograph. No photo. No 'OMG.'"
Teahun lightly hit the steering wheel.
"Exactly!"
He sounded personally betrayed.
"I gave her the full setup—comfort seat, safety talk, everything—and she says…"
He mimicked Zoya's calm voice.
"'Stop the car. I'll walk.'"
Jeon J chuckled.
"That part hurt you the most."
Teahun looked at him.
"It did."
Yomin leaned back, grinning.
"Honestly, she treated us like background noise."
"Not even background noise," Teahun corrected.
"She treated it like a normal taxi ride."
Jeon J glanced at him.
"She roasted you."
Yomin nodded.
"Without even trying."
Teahun groaned.
"Exactly!"
He ran a hand through his hair.
"Everyone goes crazy over us… and her?"
He shook his head.
"She looked at us like we were asking for directions."
"She called you extra," Jeon J reminded him.
Silence.
Teahun slowly turned toward him.
Yomin's face immediately twisted with laughter.
Then—
"HAHAHAHA!"
"Extra!"
Teahun pointed at Yomin.
"Enough."
He sighed dramatically.
"Ours ego is already in the ICU today."
Jeon J smiled faintly.
"She didn't come to see us."
He looked out through the windshield.
"She came to go home."
Yomin raised an eyebrow.
"And still…"
He paused.
"We were completely under her control the whole ride."
Teahun laughed despite himself.
"Guys…"
He shook his head.
"I have to admit…"
He paused.
"I've never met a girl like this before."
Jeon J remained quiet.
His eyes stayed on the road ahead.
Yomin looked between them.
"Be careful."
A teasing smile appeared on his face.
"Your idol status is at risk."
Teahun laughed.
"No."
He leaned back.
"Not that."
He thought for a moment.
"Just…"
A small smile crossed his face.
"Respect earned."
Jeon J said nothing.
But somewhere in the back of his mind, the same thought returned.
She hadn't pretended.
She hadn't performed.
She hadn't cared.
And somehow—
That was the most dangerous part.
The car disappeared deeper into the city traffic.
Streetlights passed one by one, casting moving shadows across their faces.
For a few moments, nobody spoke.
Teahun was still sulking when Yomin suddenly leaned forward with a grin.
"By the way…"
Teahun glanced at him.
"Did you notice?"
"Notice what?" he muttered.
Yomin tilted his head toward the front seat.
Jeon J didn't react.
"What about him?" Teahun asked.
Yomin's smile widened.
"You were unusually quiet."
Teahun straightened immediately.
"Yes!"
He pointed toward Jeon J.
"Exactly!"
"The whole ride, you said one line."
He imitated Jeon J's calm voice.
"'Teahun, enough.'"
Jeon J glanced at him.
"That was enough."
"No," Teahun said dramatically.
"That was suspicious."
Yomin burst out laughing.
"Honestly…"
He leaned forward.
"Were you taking guard duty seriously?"
He paused.
"Or studying Zoya Khan?"
Jeon J sighed.
"Focus on the road."
"Oh ho."
Yomin leaned back, delighted.
"Deflection."
Teahun grinned.
"Remember when she said…"
He paused deliberately.
"'Interesting things are not loud.'"
Jeon J remained silent.
Teahun looked at Yomin.
"Brother…"
He shook his head.
"That line hit him directly."
Yomin nodded enthusiastically.
"Exactly."
He pointed toward Jeon J.
"You're not loud…"
He paused.
"You just are."
Jeon J finally looked at them.
"You two are bored."
"We're entertained," Yomin corrected.
Teahun laughed.
"You're exposed."
Jeon J shook his head.
"Unbelievable."
Teahun was still smiling.
"Honestly…"
He leaned back.
"When she said, 'If I wanted an autograph, I would've asked'—"
"—your heart said, 'ouch,'" Yomin finished.
Both of them burst out laughing.
Jeon J shook his head.
"She wasn't rude."
His voice was calm.
"She was just honest."
The laughter slowly faded.
For a moment, both men looked at him.
Then Yomin smiled.
"That's what makes it worse."
Teahun nodded.
"What a girl…"
He laughed softly.
"Idol protocol straight to character analysis."
Jeon J turned his gaze toward the window.
"She didn't care who we were."
His voice was quieter now.
"She only cared about getting home."
Yomin smiled knowingly.
"Dangerous quality."
He folded his arms.
"People like that are unforgettable."
Teahun nodded.
"Yes."
He looked thoughtful for a moment.
"Fan or not…"
He smiled.
"The impact was real."
Silence settled over the car again.
The city lights continued to slide across the windows.
Then, suddenly, Teahun's expression changed.
A mischievous smile appeared.
"By the way…"
Yomin looked at him.
"Place your bets."
"For what?"
Teahun leaned forward.
"She'll meet us again."
Yomin laughed.
"That's your bet?"
Teahun nodded confidently.
"And…"
He raised a finger.
"She'll refuse to recognize us again."
Yomin laughed harder.
"I'm in."
Both of them looked toward Jeon J.
He didn't answer immediately.
His gaze remained fixed on the road ahead.
Then, calmly—
"The next meeting won't be by accident."
Silence.
Yomin slowly raised an eyebrow.
"Ohhh…"
Teahun's grin widened.
"Game on."
Jeon J said nothing more.
The car moved ahead, disappearing into the endless stream of city lights.
And somewhere between teasing, laughter, and thoughts no one dared to say aloud—
Zoya had officially entered their space.
Whether they liked it or not.
But what none of them knew yet…
was that the girl they had just met for a few minutes would leave a much deeper mark than any of them expected.
Especially on the one who had spoken the least.
Jeon J.
The night continued.
The city kept moving.
And somewhere in Seoul, Zoya Khan was completely unaware that three men in a passing car had just made a bet about her.
A bet that had already begun to feel less like a joke…
and more like a promise.
To be continued…
Regards
ZK💌