Mrs. Donghyun checked the time on her phone, then picked up the bag resting beside the door.
"I should leave now. Ji-ho must be waiting for me."
Zoya glanced at the clock. "Only twenty minutes left."
"I know." Mrs. Donghyun slipped the strap over her shoulder. "Everything inside is arranged. If anything comes up, call me. I'll be at the restaurant."
"I will. Don't worry about anything here."
Mrs. Donghyun gave her a small, approving smile before turning towards the garden.
Minji, Hana, Ruhi, and Sophia were sitting in the little camp they'd set up outside. A few bags lay scattered around them, and Minji was busy sorting through a pile of papers that looked considerably less organised than she probably believed.
"And you four," Mrs. Donghyun called, "please take care of yourselves, too."
"We will!" Minji answered immediately.
Mrs. Donghyun raised an eyebrow.
Minji straightened. "We will. Seriously."
"Hm. I'll believe that when I see it."
Hana giggled. Sophia covered her smile with her hand, while Minji looked mildly offended by the obvious lack of trust.
Mrs. Donghyun shook her head, amused, and finally left for the restaurant.
For a moment, Zoya watched her go.
The weather was pleasant, with a gentle breeze moving through the garden. The preparations inside the house were nearly complete, and the little camp outside had become a quiet corner of its own. The girls could have gone to Minji's house, but none of them had wanted to leave. There was something peaceful about staying here, away from their usual routines, with the last ten nights of Ramadan just beginning.
They still had university classes and notes to manage alongside everything else. Sophia had already volunteered to prepare Zoya's notes, which meant Zoya had one less thing to worry about.
For now, though, Minji had another problem.
She held up a sheet of paper, examined it, then tossed it onto the pile on her left.
"Useless."
Another sheet went onto the same pile.
"Also useless."
Zoya stood beside her, watching the two piles grow.
"You know," she remarked, "you could just throw away the papers you don't need."
Minji looked at her as if she'd suggested something outrageous.
"And what if one of them turns out to be important?"
"Then you can retrieve it from the bin."
"Zoya."
"Hmm?"
"Please don't help."
Zoya pressed her lips together to suppress a smile.
Minji returned to her sorting with renewed determination. She shuffled through another handful of papers before pulling out a long sheet folded in half.
She opened it.
Her eyes moved down the page.
Then back to the top.
She turned the sheet over.
And checked it again.
"Zoya?"
"Hmm?"
"What is this?"
Zoya glanced at the paper. "Oh, that? It's the registration list."
"You know about this?"
"Of course."
Minji looked back at the page.
"Then why are there so many names?"
Before Zoya could answer, Minji pulled the paper closer and raised one finger.
"Wait. Let me count."
She began moving her finger down the list.
Her lips moved silently as she counted.
Halfway through, she lost track.
She started again.
Hana glanced over. "What are you doing?"
"Counting."
"Counting what?"
Minji shot her a look. "Hana, what does it look like I'm doing?"
"Having a very serious conversation with a piece of paper."
Sophia laughed under her breath.
Minji ignored them and continued counting.
A few seconds later, she reached the bottom.
Her eyes widened.
"No."
She started again.
"Absolutely not."
Ruhi finally looked up. "What happened?"
Minji lifted her head slowly.
"There are almost one hundred and fifty girls on this list."
Zoya blinked. "Really?"
"Don't say really!" Minji held the sheet up as if presenting evidence in court. "There are only ninety-seven girls inside. Ninety-seven! What about the other fifty-three? Are they still coming?"
Hana stopped arranging her things.
Sophia lowered her phone.
Ruhi turned towards Minji.
For a second, all four girls stared at the list.
Then Minji pointed towards the house.
"We have twenty minutes left! Twenty! Where are we supposed to put another fifty-three girls?"
Zoya stared at her.
Minji stared back, waiting for an answer.
And then—
Zoya burst out laughing.
Minji's mouth fell open.
"Are you serious?"
Zoya tried to speak, but another laugh escaped her.
"I'm asking you a serious question!"
"I know!" Zoya managed between laughs. "I'm sorry—"
"No, you're not! Look at you!"
"Why are you laughing? Fifty-three people are not a small number!"
"Minji," Zoya said, finally getting herself under control, "nobody else is coming."
Minji stopped.
"What?"
"These are the names of everyone who registered when we first announced the Ramadan Last 10 Days arrangements. Not everyone on the original list made it onto the final one."
Minji looked down at the paper.
"So some of them registered and then changed their minds?"
"Some of them had to change their plans."
"Why?"
Zoya gently took the sheet from her.
"Some realised later that their menstrual periods might fall during the days they'd planned to observe these days. So they withdrew from the final list."
Minji's expression changed.
"Oh."
She looked over the names again, no longer counting them.
"But… why would that mean they couldn't come?"
Zoya glanced towards the house. Through the open doorway, she could see girls moving about, settling their belongings and preparing for the nights ahead.
"It's because of the kind of i'tikaf they've planned to observe," she explained. "They've set these days aside for worship. Salah, fasting, Qur'an recitation, dua… they want to spend as much time as possible focusing on Allah."
She paused, choosing her words carefully.
"Under the rulings we're following for this arrangement, a woman can't continue ritual i'tikaf in the same way during her period. So some of them decided to withdraw rather than commit to the full stay when they weren't sure they'd be able to complete it as planned."
Minji's eyes returned to the list.
"Oh…"
Her voice was quieter now.
"They must have been disappointed."
"Probably." Zoya's expression softened. "Imagine looking forward to something for days, making all your arrangements, and then realising your plans might have to change."
"That's sad."
"It is. But it doesn't mean they've done anything wrong. Periods are a natural part of life, Minji. There's nothing shameful about them, and it doesn't mean Allah is displeased with a woman."
Zoya folded the edge of the paper between her fingers.
"And they can still worship Him in many other ways. They can make dua, remember Allah, give charity, listen to lectures, help others… There are so many things they can do."
Minji nodded slowly.
"So they didn't stop wanting to come. Their plans just changed."
"Exactly."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Minji sighed and looked at the list again.
"Okay. That's actually heartbreaking."
Zoya gave her a sympathetic smile.
"Insha'Allah, they'll have another opportunity."
Minji nodded once more.
Then her expression abruptly changed.
Minji thrust the sheet towards her.
"Zoya! There are almost one hundred and fifty names here! For the last five minutes, I thought fifty-three more girls were about to show up, and I was trying to work out where to put them!"
Zoya stared at her for half a second.
Then she started laughing again.
"I'm sorry!"
"No, you're not!"
Hana doubled over laughing.
"She was genuinely planning to accommodate all of them," Ruhi said.
"Of course I was!" Minji protested. "Someone has to think ahead in this group!"
Sophia calmly returned to her things.
"Next time, perhaps confirm that the emergency exists before solving it."
Minji turned towards her.
"I hope all of you remember this conversation when you have a crisis."
"I'm sure we'll call you," Hana replied sweetly. "You can arrange beds for us."
"Very funny."
Zoya was still smiling as she took the old registration sheet and placed it with the other records.
"The final list is ninety-seven girls. No one else is coming."
"Good," Minji muttered. "Because the roof was my last option."
Hana immediately pointed at her.
"See? I suggested the roof first!"
"And we were right not to listen," Ruhi replied.
Their laughter drifted through the garden, mingling with the quiet sounds coming from inside the house.
For a little while, everything felt easy.
Then a car pulled up outside.
And Zoya's smile disappeared.
She heard the car before anyone said anything.
The sound of its engine faded beyond the garden, followed by the faint murmur of voices as the girls turned towards the entrance.
Zoya didn't need to look.
She knew who had arrived.
Jeon J.
Her fingers tightened around the registration papers.
O'Allah…
She lowered her eyes and carefully aligned the edges of the sheets, pretending they needed her attention.
Please, grant me strength, O Allah. Grant me patience.
Her throat tightened.
Please make my heart strong enough that I don't become weak in the face of my feelings.
She pressed her lips together.
O Allah, don't let me walk down a path that was never meant to be mine. If he isn't written in my destiny, then please guide my heart away from him, too.
Her fingers went still.
Don't let me keep asking for something that was never written for me…
A tear slipped down her cheek.
Zoya froze.
She wiped it away immediately, looking around to make sure no one had noticed. Then she straightened the papers again, although their edges were already perfectly aligned.
She had promised herself she wouldn't do this anymore.
Wouldn't search his face for answers.
Wouldn't let the sound of his voice undo the progress she'd made.
But feelings didn't disappear just because a person begged them to.
And apparently, her heart hadn't received the message that she was done hurting.
Outside, Jeon J had already found her.
He stood beside his car while Hana spoke to him, greeting him with the easy familiarity she always showed him. He answered when necessary, even managed a faint smile at something she said, but his attention kept wandering towards the garden.
Towards Zoya.
She hadn't turned around.
Not when his car arrived.
Not when the others greeted him.
Not even now.
She was standing with her back partly towards him, arranging papers that didn't need arranging.
Jeon J shifted his weight.
Perhaps she hadn't heard the car.
Perhaps she was busy.
Perhaps—
Zoya lifted her head.
His attention sharpened immediately.
But she wasn't looking at him.
She was checking the time.
His expression changed, almost imperceptibly.
Then the Asr adhan began to echo through the speakers inside the house, its familiar call carrying into the garden.
The conversations softened.
Some of the girls lowered their voices, while others began gathering their things.
At the doorway, Ji-hye appeared with a small identification card in her hand.
"Zoya, come. It's time."
Zoya turned towards her.
"Yes, I'm coming."
Ji-hye nodded and disappeared inside again.
Zoya placed the papers on the table, took one last look at the list, and turned towards the others.
Minji, Hana, Sophia, and Ruhi had gathered near Jeon J. Hana was still talking to him, smiling as she explained something with animated hand gestures.
Zoya walked towards them.
She didn't look at Jeon J.
Not once.
"Minji," she called softly.
Minji turned. "Hmm?"
"Come on, it's time. I'm going."
For a moment, the girls fell quiet.
Minji's smile faded a little. She glanced towards the house, then back at her.
"Oh."
It was only one word, but the disappointment in it was unmistakable.
Hana, Sophia, and Ruhi moved closer, leaving Jeon J standing beside Hana's original spot.
He watched Zoya approach.
He'd been waiting for her to turn around since he'd arrived. He hadn't admitted that even to himself, but now that she was standing in front of him, he realised just how desperately he'd wanted some kind of reaction.
A frown.
A glare.
Even that cold, unmistakable look she'd given him before.
Anything.
But her face was blank.
Not angry.
Not visibly hurt.
Not even uncomfortable.
She looked as though she'd walked into a room full of strangers and was simply waiting for someone to finish speaking.
As if he wasn't there.
Zoya stopped beside Minji.
Minji looked at her with genuine sadness.
"Are you really going?"
Zoya's expression softened.
She gave her a small smile.
"I'm going inside the house, Minji. I'm not going back to my own home."
Minji let out a reluctant laugh.
"Still. I'll miss you."
"I'll be right there."
Zoya smiled again.
And Jeon J felt his chest loosen.
Finally.
He hadn't even realised how tightly he'd been holding himself until that small smile appeared on her face.
His own lips curved before he could stop them.
It was barely a smile, but for one brief moment, the tension in his expression eased.
Then he realised something.
Zoya hadn't looked at him.
Not before smiling.
Not while smiling.
Not afterwards.
Her attention remained on Minji, and the warmth in her expression belonged entirely to her friend.
Jeon J's smile faded.
Slowly.
So that's it?
She could still smile.
She could still be gentle.
She could still look at someone with that softness he'd been missing.
Just not him.
Zoya could feel his gaze on her. Every instinct in her wanted to turn her head, just once, to see whether he was looking at her.
But she knew herself too well.
One glance might be enough to bring everything back—the questions, the hurt, the foolish hope she'd been trying to bury.
She couldn't afford that.
Not today.
So she kept her eyes on Minji.
Sophia reached for her hand and squeezed it.
"Take care of yourself, okay?"
"I will."
Ruhi gave her an encouraging smile. "And don't worry about anything out here. We've got it covered."
Zoya nodded.
Hana stepped forward, trying to lift the mood.
"If Minji starts organising the clouds next, we'll send you a picture."
"Hey!" Minji protested.
Zoya laughed softly.
For the second time, Jeon J saw her smile.
And for the second time, it had nothing to do with him.
He looked away, jaw tightening.
One by one, Zoya hugged the girls goodbye.
When she reached Hana, she lifted her arms around her shoulders. The sleeve of her outfit slipped back slightly, exposing the bracelet around her wrist.
Jeon J saw it.
His eyes fixed on the familiar band.
For a moment, he simply stared.
Then his jaw tightened.
The matching bracelet.
The one Ji-ho wore.
It was still there.
Around Zoya's wrist.
Something hot and unpleasant twisted inside his chest.
He'd spent the entire morning telling himself he was here for Minji. He'd come to take her out for lunch, just as he'd told Jinhun he would.
That was the explanation he'd settled on.
It was reasonable.
It made sense.
Except that somewhere beneath all those carefully constructed excuses had been one small, selfish wish.
He'd wanted to see Zoya.
Just once.
He'd wanted to know how she was doing. Whether she looked the same. Whether she'd be angry when she saw him.
Whether she would look at him at all.
Now he'd seen her.
And somehow, he felt worse.
Because she'd looked at everyone except him.
And because that bracelet was still on her wrist.
Jeon J abruptly turned towards his car and pulled the driver's door open.
He was halfway inside when he stopped.
His hand tightened around the edge of the door.
Slowly, he looked back.
Zoya was already walking towards the house, holding a card with 97 written on it.
She didn't hesitate.
Didn't glance over her shoulder.
Didn't even slow down.
A moment later, she disappeared through the entrance.
Just like that.
Jeon J stared at the doorway.
Seriously?
A humourless breath escaped him.
He'd spent days telling himself that he didn't care. That Zoya could do whatever she wanted, spend time with whoever she wanted, wear whatever bracelet she wanted.
It had nothing to do with him.
So why did seeing that bracelet feel like someone had poured fuel over a fire he'd been desperately trying to extinguish?
Why did her silence bother him more than any argument they could have had?
And why was he still standing here, waiting for a reaction from someone who couldn't even spare him a glance?
He had no answer.
Only the growing, infuriating realisation that he wasn't nearly as unaffected as he'd been pretending.
"Jeon J?"
Minji's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
He straightened immediately and looked at her.
"What?"
She studied his face for a moment.
"What happened to you?"
"Nothing."
"Really?"
He gave her a flat look.
"Are you coming or not?"
Minji raised both hands.
"Okay, okay. I'm coming."
She walked back towards the camp to collect her bag, calling out to Hana that she'd be back later.
Jeon J watched her go for a second before getting into the car.
By the time Minji climbed into the passenger seat, he'd managed to put his usual expression back on.
Almost.
He shut her door, walked around the car, and settled behind the wheel.
As he pulled away from the house, he let out a slow breath.
"So," he asked, keeping his eyes on the road, "where do you want to have lunch?"
Minji leaned comfortably against her seat.
"Wherever you want. You can even take me to your house."
He glanced at her.
A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"You're awfully comfortable inviting yourself to my house."
"Why wouldn't I be? It's not like I'm asking you to build me one."
A quiet laugh escaped him.
For the first time since he'd arrived, his shoulders began to relax.
Minji watched him for a moment, then suddenly frowned.
"Wait. Where's your little shadow today?"
Jeon J glanced at her.
"What little shadow?"
"Jea!"
He gave her a look.
"Who else? And you came here without security, too. Honestly, thank God there wasn't a crowd waiting outside Mrs. Donghyun's house. Can you imagine what would've happened if people had spotted you?"
Jeon J chuckled.
"Jea had other things to do."
"Other things?" Minji repeated suspiciously. "Since when does he let you wander around without him?"
"He doesn't let me wander around. I came here on my own."
"That's exactly what I'm asking about!"
Before he could respond, Minji suddenly snapped her fingers.
"Wait a second."
She reached for her phone.
"You posted a story earlier, didn't you?"
Jeon J glanced at her.
"Check it."
Minji opened his profile and tapped on his latest story.
She read it once.
Then again.
Her lips parted.
A second later, she burst out laughing.
"Oh, my God!"
Jeon J shook his head, already regretting whatever she was about to say.
Minji turned towards him, laughing so hard that she had to stop halfway through her sentence.
"Han River lunch plans? Seriously? You posted that you're going to have lunch near the Han River, and then you mentioned Jinhun?"
She looked at the screen again.
"No, wait—this is even funnier! First, you've confused RAMY. Now you've dragged Jinhun into it, too! Do you have any idea what he's going to do when he sees this? He might already be on his way there!"
Jeon J laughed and shook his head.
"He's not going anywhere."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because he's at my house."
Minji's laughter stopped for half a second.
Then she erupted all over again.
"WHAT?"
"Jinhun was preparing lunch with Teahun," Jeon J explained, grinning now. "I left them there and came here."
Minji slapped a hand over her mouth.
"You abandoned him in the middle of cooking?"
"I didn't abandon him."
"You absolutely did!"
"I had somewhere to go."
"And then you mentioned him in your story!" She could barely get the words out. "Jeon J, he's going to kill you!"
Jeon J laughed along with her.
"First of all, I'll apologise to the fans later. I needed to come here, and if I hadn't posted that story, people might've started gathering around the house. That would've created a whole mess. So, yes, the story was necessary."
He paused, his grin widening.
"And secondly, Jinhun is probably swearing at me right now because I left him and Teahun to deal with lunch. And now I've posted a story that makes it look as though we're having lunch near the Han River."
Minji slowly turned her head towards him.
A mischievous smile spread across her face.
"Okay."
Jeon J glanced at her.
"Okay, what?"
"Let's go home."
His smile vanished.
"What?"
"Take me to your house," she repeated sweetly. "I want to see Jinhun's reaction in person."
"No."
The answer came so quickly that Minji burst out laughing again.
"Why not?"
"Because I don't want to listen to him."
"Well, I do."
"Then listen to him on the phone."
"No, no." She shook her head. "That's not the same thing. I want to see his face when you walk through that door."
Jeon J shot her a disbelieving look.
"You're enjoying this way too much."
"Of course I am!"
"Minji."
"Jeon J."
He stared at her.
She stared right back.
"Let's go home," she repeated.
"No."
"Jeon J, take me home."
"I'm not listening to his nonsense today."
Minji folded her arms and turned towards the window.
"Fine. Drop me off, then. You can go wherever you want."
He glanced at her.
She didn't look back.
For a few seconds, the only sound inside the car was the low hum of the engine.
Then Jeon J sighed.
A long, defeated sigh.
"Unbelievable."
Minji's lips curved, though she kept her face turned towards the window.
"I know."
He shook his head and changed direction.
"Fine. We're going home."
Minji immediately turned back.
"Thank you!"
"Don't thank me yet."
"Why?"
"Because when Jinhun starts yelling, I'm leaving you there to deal with him."
"Deal!"
She looked entirely too pleased with herself.
Jeon J rolled his eyes, but he was smiling again.
At the next red light, he picked up his phone and opened his social media account.
Minji leaned towards him.
"What are you doing now?"
"Fixing the mess."
He quickly uploaded another story, apologising to his followers for the sudden change of plans and explaining that something important had come up.
He checked the post before setting the phone aside.
"There. Happy?"
Minji glanced at the screen.
"Very."
"Good."
The light turned green, and he returned his attention to the road.
For a few minutes, their conversation drifted to other things. Minji continued making jokes about Jinhun, and Jeon J occasionally answered with a dry remark that only made her laugh harder.
But beneath it all, his thoughts kept returning to the garden.
To Zoya's face.
To that bracelet.
To the way she'd walked inside without looking back.
His fingers tightened around the steering wheel.
The smile slowly disappeared from his face.
He'd come here wanting nothing more than to see her.
He'd seen her.
And somehow, that single glimpse had left him more restless than before.
What the hell is wrong with me?
For once, Jeon J had no answer.
And that frightened him more than he wanted to admit.
________________________________________
After offering his Asr prayer, the afternoon prayer Muslims offer in the late afternoon, Ji-ho headed to the office, where he found Mr. Donghyun seated behind his desk, reviewing a stack of papers.
Ji-ho pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down, the questions he'd been holding back finally spilling out.
"Appa, how did everything go? Did the boys settle in all right? Was there anything difficult to manage?"
Mr. Donghyun looked up. A faint, reassuring smile touched his face.
"Everything went smoothly. The boys settled in without any trouble."
The tension eased from Ji-ho's shoulders.
"I'm glad." He leaned back, letting out a quiet breath. "Honestly, I was relieved when I saw that most of them were young boys. We didn't have to make the same kind of arrangements we did at home."
His gaze drifted briefly towards the door, as if he were picturing the mosque.
"It's different there. The mosque already has a designated space for worship. They have somewhere to pray, recite the Qur'an, rest, and sleep. Depending on the mosque, meals and washing facilities may be arranged, too. We didn't have to turn the entire house upside down just to make room for everyone."
Mr. Donghyun chuckled.
"That's true. Mosques are generally equipped to accommodate worshippers, though the arrangements differ from one place to another. We only had to make sure the boys had what they needed."
"Still, I kept wondering whether everyone would adjust," Ji-ho admitted. "Spending the last ten nights of Ramadan away from your normal routine isn't easy for everyone."
"Most of them seemed happy to be there," his father replied. "And the younger boys were helping each other settle in. That made things easier."
Ji-ho nodded, looking genuinely relieved.
"Good. That's what matters."
He hesitated, then leaned forward.
"Appa, Amma mentioned that Zoya's friends want to arrange iftar and suhoor meals for the boys and girls during these ten nights. Apparently, they want to start tomorrow."
Mr. Donghyun set one paper aside and gave him his full attention.
"My first thought was to ask Amma to refuse," Ji-ho confessed. "We already have enough funds to cover everything. Even if we didn't, we would've found a way to arrange the meals ourselves. They shouldn't have to take on that responsibility."
His father let him finish before answering.
"Ji-ho, refusing them outright might hurt their feelings. Let them arrange the iftar and suhoor with their own funds if that's what they want to do." He paused, considering the figures. "We have ninety-five boys and ninety-seven girls observing i'tikaf this year. That's one hundred and ninety-two people—and two meals a day."
Ji-ho's brows lifted slightly at the reminder.
Mr. Donghyun continued, "We also need funds for their other necessities. If we can make sure they're comfortable and don't have to worry about basic things, they'll be able to focus on their worship."
Ji-ho thought it over, then nodded.
"And the money we save on meals can go to families who genuinely need help," he said. "We can look at each family's circumstances and support them according to their needs. That way, more people can share in the blessings of Ramadan."
"Exactly," Mr. Donghyun said.
Ji-ho pushed his chair back, ready to leave—but then paused.
"Appa… there's one more thing."
His father glanced up. "What is it?"
"Jeon J has asked if we can help arrange something for the people observing i'tikaf."
A flicker of surprise crossed Mr. Donghyun's face. It was there for barely a second before a small, knowing smile replaced it.
Then, without offering an explanation, he lowered his eyes to the papers again.
Ji-ho stared at him.
"Appa?"
His father turned a page.
"Why are you smiling?" Ji-ho asked, baffled.
"Ji-ho," Mr. Donghyun replied calmly, still studying the papers, "my son Jeon J wants to do something. Let him have his way."
Ji-ho leaned forward.
"How do you know what he wants? I haven't even told you yet!"
Mr. Donghyun's smile only deepened.
Ji-ho waited.
His father said nothing.
"Appa!"
Another page turned.
Ji-ho let out a long, helpless sigh. "Fine. Keep your secrets."
He settled back in his chair and finally explained.
"Jeon J said the members observing i'tikaf want to give the boys and girls Eid gifts. He wants to arrange something for everyone."
Mr. Donghyun looked up again.
"Then let them."
"But—"
"Ji-ho." His father gave him a gentle, knowing look. "They want to do something good for other people. Why would we stop them?"
Ji-ho pressed his lips together. He couldn't find a reasonable argument against that.
Mr. Donghyun picked up his papers once more.
"Now go. You have plenty of work waiting for you."
Ji-ho shook his head, surrendering at last.
"All right, Appa. I'll leave you to it."
He stood, gave his father a respectful nod, and stepped out into the corridor.
He was barely looking ahead when he nearly collided with someone coming from the opposite direction.
"Oh—sorry!" Ji-ho said, quickly moving aside.
The young man in front of him was older than most of the boys observing i'tikaf. An identification card hung from a lanyard around his neck.
Ji-ho's gaze dropped to it.
Jihan Kim — 95
He stared at the card for a beat.
Then he looked up—but Jihan was already walking past him.
"Sorry again," Ji-ho called after him.
Jihan gave a brief nod and continued down the corridor.
Ji-ho turned towards the exit. He managed to keep a straight face until he was out of sight.
Then a laugh escaped him.
One laugh became another, and soon he was shaking his head, trying unsuccessfully to contain himself.
Mrs. Donghyun had told him about the identification cards Minji had organised. Apparently, she'd approached the whole arrangement with such determination that the house now sounded less like a home hosting i'tikaf and more like a university running an extremely organised class.
Names. Numbers. Individual cards.
One hundred and ninety-two people—labelled, numbered, and accounted for.
Ji-ho could only imagine Minji explaining her system with complete seriousness while everyone else tried to keep up.
He started laughing again.
________________________________________________
"By the way, where are those friends of yours? The ones who are always up to something?"
Teahun asked the question with a teasing grin as he ate lunch across from Minji.
Minji slowly lifted her eyes from her plate.
"Stay away from my friends."
Teahun blinked at her with exaggerated innocence.
"What? I only asked!"
Beside them, Jeon J sat quietly, his attention moving between Minji and Teahun. He wasn't contributing much to the conversation, but he hadn't stopped eating, either. At the moment, food seemed to be the one thing he could focus on without effort.
He took another small bite, looking almost indifferent to their bickering.
Almost.
Teahun leaned back in his chair, clearly not ready to let the subject go.
"I'm just curious. Where are all your friends hiding?"
"I know exactly what you're doing," Minji said, pointing her chopsticks at him. "You're not asking about all my friends. You're asking about Zoya so you can find another excuse to tease her."
Jeon J's chopsticks stopped halfway to his mouth.
It lasted barely a second.
But Jinhun, seated across from him, noticed. His gaze flicked towards Jeon J's face, lingering just long enough to catch the tiny shift in his expression.
Teahun, meanwhile, looked delighted.
"Oh? So where is she, then? Bring her over. I miss her."
Jeon J slowly turned his head and sent him a look sharp enough to cut the conversation short.
Teahun caught it.
Naturally, his grin only widened.
"What?" He glanced from Jeon J to Minji. "Did I say something wrong?"
Jeon J gave him another warning glare.
He still didn't say a word.
Minji, however, looked far too exhausted to entertain either of them.
"They're all busy," she said, twirling a mouthful of glass noodles around her chopsticks. "I'll be leaving after lunch, too."
She took a bite and chewed while mentally running through the mountain of things waiting for her.
"Zoya's been gone for ten days, and everyone else has their own responsibilities. I've got more than enough to do myself. I need to help Ji-ho."
Jeon J's chopsticks paused again.
This time, he looked straight at her.
"Why do you need to help Ji-ho?"
Minji's eyes shifted to his face.
There it was. Again.
That sudden, unmistakable interest whenever Ji-ho's name came up.
She sighed, took a sip of her drink, and answered as casually as she could.
"I collected funds from some friends for the next ten days. We're arranging two meals a day for the ninety-seven girls and ninety-five boys observing i'tikaf. The food will be prepared at Ji-ho's restaurant."
Teahun stopped chewing.
"Wait. What?"
Minji continued, as though he hadn't interrupted.
"And that's not all. Muslims Festival comes right after Ramadan, so we're planning gift boxes for everyone, too. I still have to decide what goes inside them, work out the budget, and make sure everything is ready on time."
She took another sip.
"That's why I need to help Ji-ho."
Teahun narrowed his eyes, trying to piece it all together.
"Hold on. You've been talking for thirty seconds, and somehow I understand less now than I did before."
Minji stared at him.
"Would you like me to explain it again?"
"No!" Teahun said immediately. "I want you to explain why you're organising meals for almost two hundred people!"
"Because they need to eat, Teahun."
"I'm aware of that!"
"Then what's the problem?"
Teahun opened his mouth.
Paused.
Then closed it again, apparently unable to find a response that wouldn't make him sound ridiculous.
Across the table, Jinhun lowered his glass, hiding a smile.
Jeon J, however, had stopped pretending not to listen.
Minji set her drink down and leaned back in her chair.
"Look, the last ten nights of Ramadan are especially meaningful for Muslims. During these days, people set aside their usual routines and spend an extended period in a mosque or another designated place of worship. They focus on prayer, Qur'an recitation, remembering Allah, and reflecting on their faith."
She paused to make sure Teahun was following.
"They still need food and other basic necessities, of course. We're helping with that so they can focus on worship instead of worrying about arranging meals. The Eid gift boxes are something extra we want to give them once Ramadan ends."
For once, Teahun had nothing to say.
He leaned back slowly, looking at her as if he'd just discovered that she'd secretly taken on the work of an entire organisation.
"So, let me get this straight." He began counting on his fingers. "You collected money, organised meals for one hundred and ninety-two people, and now you're planning almost two hundred Eid gifts?"
Minji nodded.
"Exactly."
Teahun stared at her for another second.
Then he turned to Jeon J.
"Hyung, do you understand anything she's saying?"
Jeon J took another bite.
"More than you do."
Jinhun snorted into his drink.
Teahun looked personally betrayed.
"I'm asking a serious question!"
"And I'm giving you a serious answer," Jeon J replied, perfectly calm.
Minji shook her head, picked up her plate, and stood.
"You three can sit here and argue all afternoon if you want. I've got work to do."
She carried her plate into the kitchen.
Teahun watched her disappear through the doorway, then called after her.
"Fine! But tomorrow, bring Zoya with you. You can leave the other three behind. Actually, better idea—confiscate their phones and lock them somewhere!"
Minji's answer came from the kitchen before he'd even finished speaking.
"Have you lost your mind? Zoya is away for the next ten days, and the others are busy, too!"
She returned a moment later, wiping her hands.
Teahun smiled as he looked at Minji. "They're all doing this by choice, right? They've stepped away from their usual routines to spend these nights in worship. So you're making arrangements for them."
"They didn't ask me to," Minji replied. "I don't know why, but I just felt like doing something for them."
She paused, then continued, a little more thoughtfully.
"Ji-ho wasn't even accepting our funds at first. He already had enough money to cover everything, and honestly, even if he didn't, he would've arranged it all himself. But then I realised that the number of people gathering this time was much bigger than anyone had expected. In fact, Mrs. Donghyun told us it had never been this crowded before. Ever since the announcement, people just kept coming."
A small smile appeared on her face.
"And Zoya was the one who made all this happen. She wanted to do it because people in her hometown used to gather like this for worship. I think she missed that feeling, so she wanted to create something similar here."
"Oh, that's actually really interesting." Teahun nodded, genuinely intrigued. "If you need any help, just let me know."
Why not? Minji smiled.
To be continued...
Regards,
ZK