Suddenly, Minjo burst out laughing.
Everyone turned toward him in surprise.
Only a moment earlier, he had been seriously discussing what would happen after six days. Since TBS concerts in Busan were always recorded, the entire discussion had been completely serious.
Until now.
Jeon J shifted closer to Kim Joon and casually draped an arm across his shoulder.
Then he leaned forward, reading the comments alongside Teahun.
"What happened? Why are you laughing?" Teahun asked, still scrolling through the comments.
Jeon J shook his head, trying to control his laughter.
"You're reading the comments too, and you still don't know?"
Teahun looked at him in confusion.
"Know what?"
"There's one fan who's been commenting the same thing again and again."
Everyone immediately leaned closer.
Teahun cleared his throat dramatically and read aloud,
"Yomin, first of all, you don't get married, and on top of that, you're so innocent and so serious. If you're going to show us this much innocence, then tell us—is it really our fault? Fine, we'll write it again..."
He paused deliberately.
Then read the final line.
"Yomin, marry me."
The entire room exploded with laughter.
Yomin could only smile helplessly.
"Yomin, please don't smile," Hosu teased, looking straight at him. "Otherwise, I'll write it too. Yomin, marry me."
Yomin shot him a warning glare.
"Don't look at me like that," Minjo immediately joined in. "Or we'll have no choice but to write it again."
He grinned.
"Yomin, marry me."
Yomin let out a long, exhausted sigh.
"Oof! That sigh!" they all shouted together.
"Don't do that, Yomin," Jinhun added. "At this rate, we'll fill the entire comment section with it."
Yomin looked completely defeated.
He turned toward Kim Joon, silently begging him to make everyone stop.
Kim Joon only shrugged.
"Now you're trying to look innocent?"
He shook his head.
"Not happening. Even RAMY will start writing it."
Yomin covered his face.
Meanwhile, Teahun continued scrolling.
Then suddenly, he burst out laughing again.
"Look at this!"
Everyone turned toward him.
He could barely speak between laughs.
"The entire comment section is filled with exactly what you guys are saying."
He held up the phone.
"Yomin, marry me."
Another laugh escaped him.
"Yomin, marry me."
________________________________
The living room descended into complete chaos.
Everyone was laughing so hard that some could barely breathe.
The laughter was still echoing through the living room when the now-famous "Yomin, marry me" topic made its inevitable return.
"Give me my phone. I want to comment too!"
Hana reached for the phone, laughing.
But before she could take it—
Zoya stepped into the living room.
A plate of spaghetti in her hand.
She had expected... what?
She didn't know.
But it certainly hadn't been this.
Jeon J was laughing.
Really laughing.
His head was tilted slightly back as he said something that made Kim Joon shove his shoulder.
The TBS live was in Korean, so Zoya couldn't understand what they were saying.
But she didn't need to.
A moment later, she saw Jeon J grin and lightly swat Yomin's hand away from his food.
He looked completely at ease.
Completely unaffected.
As though nothing had happened between them.
As though her tears had never existed.
As though that silent exchange through the camera had meant absolutely nothing.
For one fleeting second, something tightened inside her chest.
But her face revealed none of it.
She quietly took her usual seat beside the others.
"Why is Jeon J suddenly so energetic?" Minji asked.
"Maybe he finally found some interesting comments to read," Ruhi replied.
A few people chuckled.
Zoya said nothing.
She simply twirled her spaghetti around her fork.
Before taking the first bite, she quietly recited,
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْم
Bismillāhir-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm
"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful."
Then she began eating.
Her eyes remained fixed on the screen.
Watching him smile.
Watching him laugh.
Watching him become the idol everyone knew.
And somewhere deep inside, a quiet truth settled over her.
He could never belong to her.
And perhaps she was finally beginning to accept that she could never belong to his world either.
Zoya twirled another forkful of spaghetti.
She lifted it toward her mouth.
Then, a few seconds later, her eyes suddenly began to sting.
Moisture gathered along her lashes.
One tear slipped free.
Minji noticed immediately.
Her brows furrowed.
"Zoya!"
Her voice carried equal parts concern and scolding.
"You used too many spices again, didn't you?"
Zoya didn't stop eating.
On the screen, the boys were already wrapping up the live.
A few final smiles.
A light laugh.
Then a cheerful goodbye.
The screen faded.
And just like that—
it was over.
No dramatic answers.
No new revelation.
Not even a moment anyone could call significant.
Yomin's repeated "marry me" had once again gone unanswered, while Jinhun's turn had never even arrived.
As always, the joke remained hanging in the air—
half joke,
half question,
with no real answer.
Yet the live had ended on a bright note.
A small, joyful moment shared between the boys and their fans.
As if nothing heavier had ever existed beneath it.
Minji set her plate down with a dramatic huff.
"I specifically told you to keep the spices light!"
She shook her head.
"But do you ever listen? No. Of course not."
She pointed toward Zoya's face.
"Now look at you. Your eyes are watering. Your throat is probably burning too."
The others chuckled softly.
To them, the explanation was obvious.
The spices.
That had to be the reason for her tears.
And perhaps...
that was for the best.
Because only Zoya knew the truth.
These weren't tears caused by the food.
They were tears for something slipping quietly out of reach.
For an ache she couldn't explain.
For a loss she couldn't name.
She didn't even know exactly what she had lost.
And strangely enough, she was grateful for the spices.
Grateful that Minji had an explanation.
Grateful that no one was looking any deeper.
It was easier this way.
Safer.
At Minji's scolding, Zoya simply smiled.
A small, quiet smile.
Then she lifted her eyes toward the screen.
Jeon J was still seated beside Kim Joon.
Composed.
Relaxed.
Effortlessly at ease.
Meanwhile, Hana had minimized the live and was enthusiastically reading fan comments aloud, making everyone laugh every few seconds.
Zoya watched him for another moment.
His easy smile.
His practiced comfort.
The way he existed so naturally in that world—
as though he had been born to belong there.
Then, somewhere deep inside herself, she finally admitted what she had been trying not to understand.
I am ordinary.
And ordinary is all I will ever be.
Ordinary people disappear into crowds.
They get pushed aside.
Lost.
Forgotten.
Her eyes lowered.
But idols don't disappear into crowds.
Crowds part for them.
Crowds make way for them.
A sharp ache twisted quietly inside her chest.
She drew in a slow breath.
Then lowered her gaze back to her plate.
This time, she gave all her attention to her food.
As if concentrating hard enough on finishing her spaghetti could silence everything she was desperately trying not to feel.
_________________________________________
"Hana, if you don't get up right now, I swear we're leaving without you."
Sophia stormed into the bedroom for the fifth time.
Hana still showed absolutely no intention of leaving her bed.
"Sophia came to wake Hana with remarkable patience," Sophia muttered sarcastically.
"Okay... okay... I'm coming."
Hana barely managed to open one eye.
"No."
Sophia walked straight to the bed.
"Get up. Now."
She yanked the blanket away and tossed it aside before grabbing Hana by the arm and pulling her upright.
The moment Hana's feet touched the floor, she collapsed dramatically onto the carpet.
She curled up, shut her eyes again, and pretended she had never been disturbed.
"HANAAA!"
Sophia's sharp yell echoed through the room.
Hana shot upright.
"What? I'm up, aren't I?"
Sophia folded her arms.
"If you're not fresh and outside in ten minutes, you're not getting breakfast."
Hana's eyes widened.
"Your next meal will be in Busan."
Sophia paused.
Then a dangerous smile appeared.
"And if you still want food before that, you'll make it yourself..."
She leaned closer.
"...and clean the entire kitchen afterward."
The threat worked like magic.
The moment Hana heard the words clean the kitchen, she bolted toward the bathroom at lightning speed.
Sophia stared after her.
Then laughed.
Of course.
Mention anything involving kitchen duty, and Hana moved faster than a professional athlete.
It was precisely why she preferred working as a waitress—
far away from the kitchen.
After quickly straightening the room, Sophia stepped outside.
"Hana's still not up?" Ruhi asked.
"She'll come."
And she did.
Ten minutes later.
By then, everyone else was already scattered around the dining area, each having whatever breakfast they wanted.
Minji had filled her plate with fresh fruit.
Ruhi sat quietly with a glass of milk.
Sophia returned from the kitchen carrying juice.
Zoya had grabbed toast and juice for herself.
A few minutes later, Hana finally appeared.
But the moment she entered, confusion spread across her face.
She had expected some grand breakfast setup—
a long table covered with food, perhaps even something specially prepared for the trip.
Instead, everyone was casually sitting around with their own plates and glasses.
Hana looked around.
"Where's my breakfast?"
Without even looking up, Minji lazily extended one arm toward the kitchen.
"There."
Hana stared at her.
"The kitchen. Go in and grab whatever's left."
Then Minji checked the time.
"And make it quick. We're leaving in five minutes."
Hana froze.
Minji continued calmly,
"I already booked the cab to the restaurant location."
She took another bite of fruit.
"Before it gets there, we need to go home, pack our bags, park the car, and then start our journey to Busan."
Hana blinked.
Minji continued as though explaining the simplest thing in the world.
"That's why I booked it there. We'll walk from home to the restaurant."
Then she gave Hana a pointed look.
"Oh, and while you've been standing there listening to me, you've already wasted another five minutes."
She smiled sweetly.
"The house is huge, but empty. You could have been in the kitchen making your breakfast while listening to me."
Hana immediately pulled the most pitiful expression she could manage.
But instead of sympathy, laughter erupted around the table.
Everyone knew Minji's unexpectedly sweet sarcasm could hit hard sometimes.
And Hana fell for it every single time.
_______________________________________
"Forty-eight..."
"Forty-nine..."
"Fifty."
The moment he finished the final push-up, Jeon J collapsed flat onto the gym floor.
His chest rose and fell rapidly as he took long, heavy breaths.
"You okay?"
Teahun chuckled from nearby.
"You actually finished in one take today."
Jeon J let out another deep breath.
"Yeah. I'm fine."
He waved a tired hand.
"Leave it."
Then he turned his head slightly.
"Tell me, what's the plan for today? There's no practice, right?"
Teahun shook his head.
"Not that I know of."
"Workout's done too..."
Jeon J closed his eyes.
"So what now?"
Teahun grabbed the towel hanging around his neck and wiped the sweat from his face.
"I think there's probably a Run TBS shoot."
Jeon J immediately shook his head.
"No."
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Don't say that."
Teahun laughed.
"Why?"
"Because honestly, all I wanted today was to sleep like crazy..."
Jeon J stared at the ceiling.
"Then wake up and go see Amma."
His voice softened.
"Eat proper food made by her hands."
After a moment, he added,
"In fact..."
He looked toward Teahun.
"All of us should go."
Teahun dropped down beside him.
"Yeah."
He stared up at the ceiling.
"It's strange, isn't it?"
Jeon J glanced at him.
"We're in our own city," Teahun continued, "yet meeting our parents like normal people still feels impossible."
Neither spoke after that.
The cool hum of the air conditioner filled the gym.
The scent of sweat lingered in the air.
Their bodies were exhausted after the workout.
And somewhere between one breath and the next, both of them drifted into sleep right there on the gym floor.
______________________________________
"Wait..."
Hana finally looked up from her half-finished breakfast.
"Where exactly is the concert happening?"
Minji glanced at her phone.
"In Busan's Asiad district."
Hana's eyes widened.
"That huge one?"
"Obviously."
Minji gave her a dry look.
"It's their biggest stop this month. Did you seriously think they'd perform somewhere smaller?"
The others laughed.
Minji ignored them and continued scrolling.
"The gates open at six in the evening, but fan entry starts much earlier. Security has already been tightened because of the crowd expected."
"What about TBS?" Hana asked.
Her curiosity grew.
"Where are they staying?"
Minji looked up.
"The entire TBS production team, staff, and artists are booked at a private luxury hotel in Haeundae."
"Haeundae?" Ruhi repeated.
Minji nodded.
"Yeah. It's close enough to the arena for quick access, but far enough from the main crowd to avoid chaos."
Ruhi leaned back in her seat.
"The top two floors have been reserved for them. Private elevators, separate security access, restricted entry..."
She sighed.
"The usual celebrity treatment."
Hana gave an exaggerated sigh.
"Meanwhile, we're out here fighting over breakfast."
"That's because unlike them," Minji replied without missing a beat,
"we still have to function like normal humans."
A wave of laughter moved through the cab.
Zoya remained quiet.
She stared out of the window.
Busan.
The concert.
The same city where he would be.
The thought alone stirred something uneasy inside her chest.
She looked down at her hands.
Until now, the distance between their worlds had always felt enormous.
Impossible.
But now—
for the first time—
they would be in the same city.
And in just a few hours...
the distance between her world and his would no longer feel quite so impossible.
To be continued...
Regards,
ZK💌