"Yes… this is Zoya… this is Zoya—ahhhh!"
Minji suddenly screamed, her voice tearing through the room. But the moment her eyes caught the moving video on the screen—someone slicing into Zoya's arm with a sharp tool—she jolted back in horror.
Not just her.
Everyone shot to their feet at once.
Everyone… except Jeon.J.
He remained seated, completely still—his eyes frozen on the screen, as if his soul had been ripped out of him.
"How can you be so sure it's Zoya? It could be someone else—look, the face isn't even clear!" Sophia said, wiping her tears, trying to reason with Minji.
"No! It's Zoya—I know it's her! Why are they doing this to her? What did she ever do to anyone? She doesn't even know anyone here!" Minji cried, her voice breaking apart.
"Where is she? Why isn't she moving? They made such a deep cut—look, there's so much blood…" Hana sobbed uncontrollably.
Hana… Ruhi… Sophia… Minji…
All of them were shattered, crying helplessly.
Jeon.J was still frozen—until suddenly, he was the first to snap back to reality.
"Minji… please, be quiet. Let us think…" Jinhun said, his voice low but firm as he stood up and started walking out after Jeon.J, he saw him and immediately ran after him.
Jeon.J was just about to get into the car when Jinhun grabbed him from behind, stopping him.
Jeon.J turned sharply, anger flashing in his eyes.
"What's wrong with you? Where are you going?" Jinhun demanded.
Jeon.J stood there, holding the car door, his head lowered… silent.
"You're not going anywhere. Come inside. We're already worried—don't make it worse by acting like this," Jinhun said, trying to control his voice.
"Jeon.J… are you even listening?" he shook his arm.
When Jeon.J finally looked up—
Jinhun froze.
His eyes…
They were filled with tears.
Yes, he had seen him cry before—on stage, while talking to RAMY… when he felt their love.
But this?
This wasn't the same.
This wasn't tears.
This was pain.
Deep, suffocating pain.
Jinhun stepped forward and pulled him into a tight embrace.
And that was it.
Jeon.J broke.
Silent tears streamed down his face, soaking into Jinhun's shirt—no sound, no sob… just a quiet collapse.
"Jeon.J… what have you done to yourself?" Jinhun whispered, holding his face. "We don't belong to these paths… you know that. Then how did you let yourself fall into this?"
No answer.
Jeon.J just stood there, head lowered.
Jinhun's own eyes filled with tears. Among all of them, he was the youngest… yet carried the heaviest pain.
He hugged him again.
This time, both of them cried in silence.
Moments passed like that.
Then Jeon.J slowly pulled away and moved toward the car again—
But Jinhun stopped him once more.
Jeon.J turned back.
"You said you're bad luck for her… fine. But let me go. I'll bring her back… and after that, I'll never stand in front of her again. We'll stay away—even from each other's shadows," Jeon.J said softly.
"But… what if she's already dead?" Jinhun said, his eyes fixed on him.
Those words—
Hit like a blade.
Jeon.J looked at him in shock. No one could see it, but inside his chest, something shattered violently.
He shook his head slowly.
"Jinhun… don't use such harsh words… please."
"I'm just saying what we saw in the video…" Jinhun replied, his voice heavy with sorrow.
"No… please…" Jeon.J whispered.
"…Fine. But you're not going anywhere. Call Jea first," Jinhun said, calmer now.
Jeon.J shook his head.
"I'm going myself."
"You really think whoever did this to Zoya is just her enemy? Or maybe… they're your enemies. Or Minji's. Or all of ours?" Jinhun said sharply.
Jeon.J froze.
"Our haters…" he muttered. "It could be a stalker… someone must've seen her with us. If there are people who love us… some people hate us too. Don't create a bigger problem right now."
"I can't just sit here! I have to do something!" Jeon.J insisted.
"Call Jea. Then we decide," Jinhun said finally.
Jeon.J took out his phone… handed it to Jinhun… and sat on the open car seat, lost in his thoughts.
What if she's dead…?
The thought shook him to his core.
He didn't want to think it.
He couldn't.
Jinhun stepped aside to make the call.
Meanwhile, Jeon.J leaned forward, his hands gripping his head.
"Who are you…?" he whispered to himself.
"What are you…?"
"You thought I didn't know? That day in the mosque office—I heard your entire dua… You were praying for someone… for their guidance. But why? For whom?"
His breathing grew uneven.
"I recognized you on the flight too… You prayed the same way. And that day… again, the same words… the same dua. That's when I knew—it was you."
"I tried so many times to prove myself wrong… to find even one reason that you weren't that girl from the flight… but no… It's you."
"If Jea hadn't called… I would've asked you everything."
"Who are you praying for…? What is this 'guidance' you ask for…? And this MJ… these four MJ… what does it all mean?"
"I don't understand anything…"
"You're like a puzzle I can't solve…"
He buried his face in his hands.
"…Are you okay?" he whispered into the silence—
As if she could hear him.
Jinhun ended the call and turned back.
Jeon.J was sitting on the edge of the car seat, completely lost in his thoughts… unmoving… distant.
"Jeon.J… come inside. Otherwise everyone will come out. Let's sit and think calmly," Jinhun said, his voice filled with concern. "Jea is gathering all the information. He'll be here soon."
Jeon.J nodded faintly and stepped forward—
But Jinhun's voice stopped him.
"Jeon.J… you can't ride two boats at the same time. You'll reach nowhere… and you might drown too."
Jeon.J froze.
Slowly, he turned back.
"Do you really think I'm that kind of person… Hyung?"
Jinhun walked closer, holding his hand firmly.
"No… but the way things are right now… it's not right either."
Jeon.J looked away, helplessness written all over his face.
"I don't know what's happening to me… I told Minji about dating just so I could stay in one direction… because the other direction… it scares me…"
He paused.
"But even then… I can't pull myself away from it…"
And without waiting for a response, he walked inside.
Jinhun watched him go—his eyes deep in thought—before following him in.
Inside…
"Minji… are you sure it's Zoya?" Teahun asked quietly.
"Yes…" Minji whispered, her head lowered. "If you watch carefully… there's a mark on the back of her hand. I never asked her about it… but it looks like a burn mark. That's how I recognized her…"
Tears kept falling from her eyes.
Teahun replayed the video.
Everyone gathered around.
The video had already gone viral—spreading everywhere—but because the face was blurred, no one could identify her. Still, the internet was flooded with reactions…
Some cursed the attacker.
Some mourned for the victim.
A wave of grief… everywhere.
And then—
They saw it.
That mark.
On her hand.
The room fell into deeper silence… heavier… darker.
Teahun turned the video off.
But Hosu immediately played it again.
The video kept playing.
No one spoke.
"Wait…" Hosu leaned closer to the screen. "Look at this…"
He pointed subtly.
"See the frame… it's shaking. Very slightly."
Everyone focused.
At first, it looked normal.
But then—
They saw it.
A faint vibration.
Not random.
Rhythmic.
Teahun narrowed his eyes. "That's not just camera movement…"
Hana whispered, "Then what is it…?"
"Movement," Hosu replied. "But controlled."
They watched again.
And this time, more details began to surface.
The walls.
Metallic.
The narrow space.
The faint echo in the background.
Each of them started thinking—processing.
"Could it be some kind of basement?" Sophia suggested.
"No…" Jinhun shook his head. "Basements don't move like this."
"Maybe… a ship?" Ruhi said unsurely.
Teahun crossed his arms. "No water sound… no sway like waves."
Silence fell again.
Everyone was trying to connect the dots.
Everyone—
Except Yomin.
He had been quiet all along.
Watching.
Observing.
Thinking.
Minjo suddenly spoke, "What if it's a plane? Some kind of private cabin—"
"Train."
Yomin's voice cut through the air.
Sharp.
Certain.
Everyone turned toward him instantly.
But before anyone could say anything—
The video ended.
Black screen.
"…What?" Minji quickly grabbed the phone.
"It's only two minutes…" she whispered, frustrated.
Without wasting a second, she replayed it.
This time—
She slowed it down.
Every frame.
Every second.
Her eyes scanned everything.
Again and again—
Slower.
Slower.
Until—
For a split second—
The camera shifted toward the attacker's face.
And then—
Gone.
Too fast.
But not fast enough anymore.
Technology had its own power.
Minji slowed it further.
Frame… by frame…
And then—
She froze.
Her body went still.
Then suddenly—
She stood up.
Her eyes burned with anger.
"Ji-won."
The name dropped like a bomb.
Everyone turned toward her—confused.
"What do you mean?" Jeon.J was the first to step forward. "Ji-won…? You're saying—that's Ji-won?"
Minji couldn't even speak properly.
Jeon.J moved closer, grabbing her arms tightly, his jaw clenched.
"The one who complained to the dean… that Bamson was with Zoya…?"
Minji nodded weakly—
And collapsed back onto the seat.
Jeon.J shut his eyes tightly, trying to control himself.
"…So this…" Jinhun muttered, "…this is connected to Bamson's disappearance."
"No…" Minji whispered, staring at the paused screen. "She's Jeon.J crazy fan… a big fan…"
Her voice turned cold.
"…Just let Zoya be safe. After that… I'll deal with her myself."
Hosu exhaled. "We'll get information from the university. That's where she is."
"But it's late… offices are closed," Teahun said. "We'll have to wait till tomorrow."
"…One more day?" Hana's voice broke.
"I shouldn't have brought her with me…" Minji said, guilt crushing her. "Since she came… something keeps happening to her…"
"What if her family calls?" Minjo said worriedly. "If she can't answer… they'll panic too."
"They won't."
Ruhi's soft voice cut in.
Everyone looked at her.
"Why?" Jinhun asked.
Ruhi hesitated for a second.
"…Because Zoya hasn't spoken to her family since she came here."
Silence.
"We noticed it… " But never asked," Sophia continued quietly. "She's always smiling… but she lives inside a cage of pain."
Hana added softly, "Every day… at exactly 12… day and night… she calls one number."
"She waits… hoping it'll connect… that someone will answer…"
"But no one ever does."
The room felt heavier than before.
"And if she ever finds out that we knew… that we noticed everything…" Sophia said, her voice trembling, "…she'll feel embarrassed… or even more broken."
"That's why…"
"We never asked her anything."
A heavy sense of helplessness hung in the air, as if every path had suddenly closed off. Everyone felt trapped, frozen, waiting. Then—out of nowhere—the sharp chime of the doorbell pierced the silence.
All eyes snapped to the main screen, where the house's control camera feed flickered to life. There it was—a sleek car parked outside Jeon.J's house. A figure stepped out, pressed the doorbell, and then quietly slipped back into the car. The engine hummed. The moment passed.
But the question lingered in every mind.
Who was?
To be continued...
Regards
ZK