As Jeon.J entered the hall, a strange silence filled the space. Zoya was sitting quietly beside Minji. In his hand was Zoya's scarf. Without saying anything, he walked to the wall and gently placed it on a chair nearby.
Minji noticed the scarf. Jeon.J gave her a small signal with his eyes. Understanding immediately, Minji stood up and walked toward Zoya.
"Zoya, come on. Let's go freshen up. Come with me."
Zoya slowly lifted her head, looked at Minji, then picked up her bag and stood up. She walked away with her. Jeon.J watched them until they were almost out of sight.
Then he called out, "Minji, come back quickly. Everyone is hungry. We'll start dinner."
Minji turned and replied, "Okay, you all start. We're coming."
Jeon.J shifted his gaze back to the others. Kim Joon was lying with his head resting against the back of the sofa, half asleep, while the rest were busy on their phones.
"Come on, let's have dinner."
At Jeon.J's voice, everyone looked up. Even though he was the youngest, he always managed to handle situations like this.
"Teahun, help Minjo warm the food," he said while walking toward the dining area.
Teahun, who had been about to get up because of hunger, sat back down after hearing him.
"We are guests at your house, Jeon.J. Looks like you've forgotten how to treat guests."
Jeon.J sat on a dining chair, turned on the table flame, and started heating the spring chicken Minji had brought. Smiling lightly, he replied,
"Teahun, if you visited once a month, you'd know what kind of host I am. But right now, you guys come here three times a week. So you're not guests anymore — you're part of the house. Now get up and take care of the household."
Hearing Jeon.J's sweet teasing, Teahun made a face.
"You're saying this because you don't want us to come to your house anymore."
"If that's a question, then yes. And if you're saying it emotionally, then your sadness will disappear in five minutes. So instead of wasting those five minutes, quietly help Minjo warm the food. Look at him — he's not arguing. Only you are."
Jeon.J glanced toward Minjo.
Teahun turned to him."Why aren't you saying anything?"
Minjo replied calmly, "What's the point of arguing? In a little while, we're the ones who'll have to clean the dining table… and wash the dishes too."
A soft laughter spread through the silent hall, and slowly, the warmth of home returned to the atmosphere.
"Hosu, you come with us too," Teahun said. He couldn't tolerate the idea that he would be the only one working while the rest relaxed.
"Why me? You go and do your duty," Hosu replied casually. Saying this, he stood up and walked toward the drink area in the kitchen. Jeon.J had a collection there — arranged as neatly as a wardrobe. Hosu started looking through the bottles and selected one for the evening.
He had just picked it up and was about to walk out of the kitchen when Yomin stopped him.
"Drinks later — and not here. We'll go to the basement for that, okay? Right now, everyone will be here."
Jeon.J glanced in their direction. He had already noticed Hosu heading toward the drink area, but before he could say anything, Yomin had stopped him.
Understanding the situation, Hosu quietly placed the bottle back and walked with Yomin toward the dining area. Extra chairs had been placed side by side so everyone could sit together comfortably.
Meanwhile, Jinhun stepped forward to help Jeon.J, while Yomin went to wake up Kim Joon.
After a while, Teahun and Minjo came carrying the warmed dishes. Teahun's face was still slightly upset.
"I've made more than a hundred reels with you girls, and not once did you think of coming to help me?" Teahun said, glaring at Sophia, Hana, and Ruhi.
"You should finish your grief now," Hosu said teasingly.
By then, Kim Joon and Yomin had also joined them. The food was ready, everything was set — they were only waiting for Minji and Zoya.
Once they came, they would start dinner together.
The atmosphere was slowly filling with warmth again, as if the house itself was waiting for everyone to gather at the same table.
The moment they entered the room, Zoya placed her bag and phone on the sofa without looking at Minji.
"Minji, you go. I'll come in a while," she said quietly.
"No. I'm staying here. You go freshen up," Minji replied gently.
"Minji…"
Zoya turned toward her. Her eyes were tired, but steady.
"I'm fine. Yes, I'm upset — you know I get upset easily. I'm not as brave as you… or Sophia, Hana, or Ruhi. But right now, here with all of you… I feel safe."
Her voice softened.
"A little while ago, I was really scared. For a moment, it felt like I had no one. But now I'm okay… I just need some time."
She blinked back the tears, holding them with all her strength.
Minji slowly held her hand.
"I'm sorry. If I had answered your call, none of this would have happened."
Zoya shook her head slightly.
"You're a very caring friend. I'm lucky you gave me a little place in your life," she said with simple, honest emotion.
"Zoya… I'm really sorry," Minji said again.
"Minji, don't say sorry again and again. If you had heard the phone, you would have definitely picked up my call."
Minji lowered her gaze.
"No… I'm not sorry about that."
She walked toward the window that opened to the street outside.
Zoya looked at her, confused.
"Minji… I don't understand."
Minji turned back toward her. A faint, sad smile appeared on her lips.
"Zoya… a few days ago… I started feeling jealous of you."
Zoya froze.
"I don't know why. I'm not like that — you know me. But when I saw Jeon.J being a little careful… a little concerned for you… It bothered me."
She quickly held Zoya's hand tightly.
"I swear I'm not that kind of person. I don't know how I even thought like that."
Something inside Zoya's heart broke.
The pain was deep — the kind that couldn't be spoken… and couldn't be endured either.
So this was it.
The journey… was incomplete.
Her heart cried. Her eyes filled.
But Minji thought the tears were because of her.
She didn't know…
These tears were for a journey that might never be completed.
"Zoya, please don't cry like this," Minji said, worried."I'm sorry. It was just a moment. After that I even scolded myself. How could I think like that about my Zoya?"
Minji tried to comfort her.
Meanwhile, outside in the dining area, everyone had slowly started eating.
"Jeon.J, where are you going?" Jinun asked as Jeon.J stood up from his chair.
"I'll call Minji. If the food gets cold again, Teahun won't heat it," he said lightly, and walked toward the room where Zoya and Minji had gone.
Inside the room, Zoya wiped her tears and held Minji's hand again.
"Minji… you're very kind. And very beautiful," she said with a faint smile.
But the tears wouldn't stop anymore.
Today, she had too many reasons to cry.
Jeon.J reached the door and pushed it.
It wasn't locked.
The door opened quietly.
Zoya and Minji were standing near the window.
He was about to speak —
But Zoya's words stopped his feet.
He remained standing there, holding the doorknob.
"Minji… how can you even think about me and Jeon.J together?"
Her voice was calm, but every word cut deep.
"We belong to completely different worlds. No one who looks at me could ever imagine me with him. Not even from a distance."
Jeon.J's fingers tightened around the knob.
"Even if he was being careful or kind to me… it wasn't just for me. He treated Sophia, Ruhi, and everyone the same. In fact, all of them treat us equally."
Her eyes filled again.
"If we're getting any special treatment… It's because of you. For them, we are nothing. We are just Minji's friends. That's our identity."
Jeon.J's expression turned cold.
"You and Jeon.J look good together. You belong to the same world. Same country. Same city. Same culture. Same language… and the same religion."
She slowly let go of Minji's hand and turned—
And froze.
Jeon.J was standing at the door.
His eyes were cold. Silent. Unreadable.
There were hardly six steps between them.
But to Zoya, the distance suddenly felt endless.
For the first time, she didn't look away.
She looked at him fully.
As if she wanted to see him once… properly.
Her gaze dropped to his hands — the hands she had once prayed to hold.
Then back to his eyes.
She wanted to look away.
But she couldn't.
And just then, Minji's words echoed in her mind.
Zoya spoke again — this time looking at Jeon.J, though speaking to Minji.
Each word burned inside him.
His grip on the door tightened. The veins on his hand became visible.
"Minji… if you like Jeon.J, why don't you tell him?"
His breathing slowed.
"You should tell him today. It's a good opportunity. Everyone is here. You both are old friends. You understand each other."
Tears gathered in Zoya's eyes, ready to fall.
"You should tell him how much you like him."
His jaw tightened.
"And… tell him that you want to marry him."
That was it.
Jeon.J's patience broke.
He released the door abruptly and walked away.
Luckily, the door didn't slam.
Otherwise, Minji would have turned.
Minji, still unaware, turned toward Zoya with a small smile.
"Zoya, don't think so far ahead. Marriage is too early… but yes, I'll confess to him. Then we'll see what happens next… and when."
She smiled, hopeful.
And Zoya stood there…
With a heart that had just quietly shattered.
To be continued.......
Regards
ZK