Everyone was gathered backstage, waiting to leave for the hotel.
They had settled in the open lounge area, scattered across the sofas and chairs, still riding the excitement of the concert. The air was filled with overlapping conversations, occasional laughter, and the tired but happy voices of people who had spent the evening giving everything they had onstage.
Outside, the crowd had yet to disperse completely. Some fans were making their way home, while others lingered near the venue, hoping for one last glimpse of their favourite members.
Minji and her friends were there, too.
Jeon J. was stretched out on the sofa, his head resting against the backrest, eyes closed as if he intended to shut out the world for a few minutes.
Unfortunately, Taehun was part of that world.
And whenever Zoya was around, his ability to remain quiet seemed to disappear completely.
"You're looking different today," he remarked suddenly.
The conversation around them faltered.
One by one, everyone's attention shifted toward Zoya.
She blinked, caught off guard by the sudden attention. A faint blush crept across her cheeks, and she immediately lowered her gaze.
"N-No... I'm just..."
Her voice trailed off.
She glanced at Taehun, silently hoping he would spare her the embarrassment.
Instead, he burst out laughing.
"Ah, come on! Why are you looking at me like that? I haven't even said anything!"
"You didn't have to," Zoya muttered.
That only made him laugh harder.
The others exchanged knowing smiles, thoroughly entertained by the familiar scene.
Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.
Everyone except Jeon J., who remained motionless on the sofa, his eyes still closed.
Then Hosu suddenly leaned forward.
"Ah... the bracelet again."
His gaze settled on Zoya's wrist.
For a moment, nobody paid much attention to his remark.
But Jeon J.'s eyes snapped open.
He lifted his head from the backrest and looked directly at the bracelet.
His expression changed almost instantly.
The amusement in the room continued, but something in his face went still.
He remembered it.
Of course, he remembered it.
The day they had visited Ji-ho's office, he had noticed the matching bracelet around Ji-ho's wrist. He hadn't thought much of it at the time.
Or perhaps he simply hadn't wanted to think about it.
But now, seeing the same bracelet wrapped around Zoya's wrist, he couldn't stop the questions from forming.
Ji-ho has the other one?
His jaw tightened.
A familiar, unwelcome irritation began creeping through him, growing stronger with every passing second.
He pushed himself off the sofa and stood abruptly.
"Where are you going?"
Minji caught his hand before he could take another step.
Jeon J. stopped.
At the same moment, Zoya's gaze dropped instinctively to Minji's hand wrapped around his.
It was a small movement.
Barely noticeable.
But Jeon J. had been watching her.
He saw it.
Her eyes lingered on their joined hands for a fraction of a second before she looked away.
Something bitter twisted inside his chest.
A faint, almost mocking smile touched his lips.
So you do notice.
He turned back toward Minji, slowly curling his fingers around hers before giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
"It's late. The cars are ready outside. We'll meet again tomorrow."
Minji smiled at him, her fingers tightening around his as though she had no intention of letting go just yet.
Then, quite naturally, she moved closer to him.
Zoya saw that, too.
And whatever little strength she had been holding on to seemed to slip through her fingers.
Her eyes began to burn.
She lowered her head quickly, blinking several times, desperately trying to hold back the tears gathering behind her eyelids.
Not here.
Please, not here.
She couldn't let anyone see.
Not Minji.
Not the others.
And certainly not him.
Quietly, she rose from her chair and slipped her bag over her shoulder. Then she lifted her phone to her ear, pretending to answer a call.
It was a small excuse.
A desperate one.
But she needed somewhere to hide her face.
Jeon J. noticed everything.
The way she stood too quickly.
The way her fingers tightened around her phone.
The way she blinked again and again, refusing to let the tears fall.
For a brief moment, his smile faded.
His eyes followed her as she turned toward the exit.
Then he looked down at Minji.
He pulled her gently closer and wrapped his arms around her in a goodbye hug.
"See you tomorrow," he murmured with a smile.
It was a perfectly ordinary gesture.
Nothing unusual.
Nothing anyone could question.
But from where Zoya stood, it was enough.
She turned away and hurried outside before the tears could betray her.
The moment she stepped through the doors, the cool night air brushed against her face.
She stopped.
Her phone lowered slowly from her ear.
And finally, the tears escaped.
One slid down her cheek.
Then another.
She pressed her lips together, drawing in a shaky breath as she quickly wiped them away.
"Zoya... hold on."
Her whisper disappeared into the night.
She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to steady herself.
"You can't lose control like this. Just one more day..."
She swallowed hard.
"Once everything is settled, you'll leave. You won't have to stay with them anymore. You won't have to see him. You won't have to face him again."
The words sounded reassuring.
They were supposed to be.
But the moment she thought about leaving, another ache rose inside her.
Her shoulders sank.
How can I leave these beautiful friends behind?
Her thoughts drifted to their laughter, their teasing, their small acts of kindness. To the way they had welcomed her without making her feel like an outsider. To the way they had protected her, cared for her, and made room for her in their lives as though someone had entrusted her to them.
They've treated me like family.
How can I forget people like that?
Her eyes filled again.
How can I walk away from them as if none of this ever mattered?
For a few seconds, she simply stood there, caught between the pain of staying and the sadness of leaving.
Then, feeling utterly exhausted, she lowered herself onto the entrance stairs.
Her bag rested beside her.
Her phone remained silent in her hand.
She sat there for several minutes, allowing the cool air to settle her breathing. Slowly, she wiped her cheeks, took a few deep breaths, and forced herself to regain control.
She couldn't change what she felt.
But she could choose not to let anyone see it.
Eventually, she stood up, adjusted her bag, and checked her reflection in her phone screen.
Her eyes were still slightly red.
She blinked a few times.
Then she practised a small smile.
It wasn't the same smile she had worn earlier.
But it would have to do.
She turned and walked back inside.
And there they were.
Still standing close together.
Minji's hand was still intertwined with Jeon J.'s.
For a moment, Zoya's steps slowed.
Only for a moment.
Then she lifted her chin and continued toward them, her face calm, her lips curved into a gentle smile.
The moment Jeon J. saw her, something inside him shifted.
The smile he had been wearing for Minji disappeared.
His eyes searched Zoya's face.
Her eyes.
Her cheeks.
The corners of her lips.
He had seen her fighting tears only minutes ago. He had watched her hurry outside because she couldn't bear to stay.
Yet now she was standing in front of him, smiling as though nothing had happened.
As though he hadn't hurt her.
As though she had already moved on.
His jaw tightened.
The calmer she looked, the more unsettled he became.
Every time he tried to provoke a reaction from her, she withdrew behind that quiet composure. Every time he expected her to show that she was hurt, she somehow managed to gather herself and carry on.
And it infuriated him.
No.
That wasn't entirely true.
It frightened him in a way he couldn't explain.
Because he didn't know what her silence meant anymore.
Was she hiding her pain?
Was she getting tired of him?
Or had she finally stopped caring?
The last thought struck harder than he expected.
He looked away, but the question remained.
Why do I keep doing this to her?
He knew when his words were cruel.
He knew when his actions hurt her.
And yet, whenever she appeared close to someone else, something inside him twisted until he could barely think straight.
Then, when he succeeded in hurting her, the sight of her pain hurt him, too.
It made no sense.
He was trapped in a vicious cycle of his own making, and with every passing day, he seemed to lose a little more control over himself.
Worst of all, he couldn't even admit what was happening.
"Minji, shall we go?" Zoya asked softly, stopping a few steps away from them. "It's getting late. Tomorrow is my first day at work, and I'd like to get some proper sleep."
Her voice was calm.
Polite.
Almost painfully normal.
Jeon J.'s fingers loosened around Minji's hand.
Without a word, he let go and stepped aside.
From across the lounge, Jinhun caught the movement.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
He had seen the way Jeon J. reacted when Zoya entered. The way his expression changed whenever someone mentioned Ji-ho. The way he watched Zoya even while pretending not to care.
And he wasn't the only one.
Tonight, every member seemed unusually aware of Jeon J.'s smallest reactions.
A glance.
A tightened jaw.
A sudden silence.
They were watching him far more closely than usual.
And Jeon J. hated it.
For the first time, he regretted ever sharing his feelings with them.
Now, every time he looked in Zoya's direction, he could practically feel them analysing him.
It was exhausting.
It was irritating.
And he had absolutely no intention of giving them anything else to discuss.
"Congratulations! You actually got the job!" Yomin exclaimed, breaking the silence with a bright smile.
Zoya turned toward him.
"Thank you."
One by one, the others joined in, congratulating her and asking a few questions. She thanked each of them with the same quiet sincerity, her earlier distress carefully hidden behind her composed expression.
Ruhi suddenly crossed her arms and pouted.
"Excuse me? Where did you get hired? You didn't even tell us!"
Zoya chuckled.
"I only told Minji because I wasn't sure I'd get it. I didn't want to say anything until everything was confirmed." Her smile softened. "Alhamdulillah... it worked out."
"Wow..." Taehun nodded solemnly, as though making an important professional assessment. "Talented girl."
Zoya laughed and shook her head.
"I'm not talented. I just kept trying. Finding a part-time job as a student isn't easy."
She adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder.
"I should thank Ji-ho, actually. He's the one who told me about , so I applied."
The effect was immediate.
The conversation seemed to lose its rhythm.
One by one, the members turned toward Jeon J.
His expression darkened.
His jaw locked, and the corners of his lips pressed into a thin line.
He didn't say anything.
He didn't need to.
The look on his face was enough to make Taehun's amusement die before it could fully emerge.
Taehun had been about to laugh.
Instead, he cleared his throat and suddenly found the floor very interesting.
Zoya noticed.
Her eyebrows drew together slightly.
"What?"
"Nothing," Taehun replied much too quickly.
She looked at him suspiciously.
He glanced at Jeon J.
Then back at her.
"So..." he began carefully, "Ji-ho lives in Seoul, right?"
Zoya nodded.
"Yeah."
"Then how did he manage to find you a job here in Busan?"
The question sounded casual enough.
But Taehun's eyes betrayed him.
He was curious.
Very curious.
And, unfortunately, he wasn't the only one.
Jeon J. had turned his attention toward Taehun, his gaze sharp and expectant.
He wanted to hear the answer just as badly.
Zoya blinked.
For one uncomfortable second, she seemed to search her mind for something that would end the conversation without creating another problem.
"I... actually don't know."
It was the quickest escape she could manage.
Before Taehun could ask another question, she turned toward Minji.
"Come on. We should leave."
But Taehun was not finished.
Of course he wasn't.
"Wait! You'll come tomorrow, right?" he asked, his familiar grin returning. "It's the last concert."
Zoya looked back at him, raising one eyebrow.
"It's the last day of your concert," she replied, adjusting her bag. "Not the last day of your life."
For one glorious second, Taehun said nothing.
Then he dramatically clutched his chest.
"Ouch... she rejected me so politely."
The entire lounge burst into laughter.
Ruhi covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking.
Hosu leaned back in his chair, laughing openly, while Yomin shook his head in disbelief.
"Taehun, one day your curiosity is going to get you kicked out," Yomin said.
"I was just making sure she'd miss us!" Taehun protested.
"Oh, she'll miss us," Hosu replied cheerfully. "Whether she'll miss you is a completely different question."
Another wave of laughter swept through the room.
Zoya couldn't help smiling.
Even Minji laughed, shaking her head at Taehun's endless attempts to get a reaction out of everyone.
Everyone was laughing.
Except Jeon J.
He stood quietly beside Minji, his expression unreadable, his eyes fixed on Zoya.
He watched her smile.
Watched her laugh.
Watched her respond to Taehun with the same easy confidence she had always shown around the others.
And for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to look away.
"Alright, at least tell us where you got the job."
Taehun's voice cut through the laughter again.
Zoya turned toward him slowly.
"Are you planning to interview me?"
"Maybe."
"Why?"
"Because I'm a very curious person."
"We noticed," Kim Joon remarked, laughing.
"Leave the poor girl alone," he added, shaking his head.
Hosu glanced through the glass doors toward the waiting vehicles.
"The cars are here."
He stood up, and Kim Joon followed him outside to make sure everything was ready.
The others began collecting their belongings.
But Taehun, apparently determined to get himself into trouble before the night ended, leaned toward Zoya again.
She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes.
"What would it take for you to stay quiet?"
Taehun gasped.
He placed a hand over his heart, looking genuinely moved.
"Finally! You've asked the right question."
Zoya stared at him.
"That wasn't a compliment."
"Doesn't matter. Just one post."
She frowned.
"A post?"
"Yes." His grin widened. "Write that you're Taehun's biggest fan."
Zoya didn't even pause to consider it.
"Not even in your dreams."
The lounge erupted.
Taehun stumbled back dramatically, one hand pressed against his chest.
"You really know how to break a man's heart."
"At least I'm not someone's daily headache."
Her comeback landed so perfectly that even she couldn't hold back her laughter.
The members practically lost it.
Ruhi had to lean against Minji, laughing too hard to stand properly, while Yomin covered his face with both hands.
Taehun pointed at Zoya in disbelief.
"See? She's bullying me in front of witnesses!"
"Because you never stop talking," Minji replied between laughs.
Taehun let out a long, defeated sigh.
"I deserve better friends."
"You deserve a mute button," Yomin called from outside.
That was the final blow.
Even the people who had already started leaving burst into laughter again.
Taehun looked around the lounge as if searching for a single person willing to defend him.
He found none.
"Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable."
Zoya shook her head, still smiling.
For a few seconds, the lounge was filled with nothing but laughter and the familiar warmth of friends teasing one another.
Then, as the noise gradually settled, Minjo's eyes drifted toward Zoya's wrist.
His attention caught on the bracelet.
His smile softened with sudden curiosity.
"By the way..."
He pointed toward it.
"Where's the second piece of that bracelet?"
The question stopped Zoya just as she reached the door.
Her fingers paused on the strap of her bag.
Slowly, she turned back.
For a moment, she looked at the bracelet herself, as though she had momentarily forgotten she was wearing it.
Then a gentle smile appeared on her lips.
"Ji-ho has the second piece."
Silence.
Not complete silence, perhaps.
Someone shifted in their chair. Another person drew a quiet breath.
But for Jeon J., the room seemed to fall strangely still.
Ji-ho has it.
There it was.
The answer he had been trying not to think about.
Taehun, naturally, was the first to recover.
"Ouch..." He sighed dramatically. "So you're not single anymore?"
Zoya shot him a warning glare.
The kind that clearly said, Don't you dare.
Taehun pressed his lips together, looking far too pleased with himself.
Zoya didn't give him the satisfaction of a reply.
She simply turned around and walked out.
Minji immediately pinched Taehun's arm.
"Will you ever stop teasing her?"
"Ow! What did I do now?"
Ruhi, Hana, and Sophia burst into laughter.
"I wish we could pinch him too," Hana giggled.
Taehun's eyes widened.
He immediately grabbed his injured arm and tucked it beneath his coat as if protecting it from an approaching army.
"Violence..." he announced solemnly. "I'm surrounded by violence."
That set everyone off again.
But Jeon J. barely heard them.
His attention remained on the doorway through which Zoya had disappeared.
She hadn't answered Taehun.
She hadn't denied anything.
She hadn't even looked back.
And that bothered him more than it should have.
He could still picture the bracelet on her wrist.
The matching piece on Ji-ho's.
Her quiet smile when she admitted that Ji-ho had the other one.
What exactly are you to each other, Zoya?
The question formed in his mind before he could stop it.
He hated that he wanted to know.
He hated even more that he couldn't ask.
A few minutes later, everyone gathered beside the waiting cars.
The night air had grown cooler, and the last traces of the concert excitement were gradually giving way to tiredness. Drivers waited beside the vehicles while the members and their guests exchanged goodbyes.
Minji took out her phone.
"I'll book a cab."
Before she could open the app, Taehun leaned out of the car window.
"We'll drop you!"
Minji looked up at him.
"No, thank you."
Taehun blinked.
"Why?"
"Because you should leave before Zoya actually breaks your bones."
A burst of laughter followed.
Taehun grinned shamelessly.
"Come on! We should celebrate. Zoya got a job."
"The job hasn't even started yet," Zoya replied, giving him an unimpressed look. "And you've already arrived for the free food."
"Exactly!" Taehun said, nodding as though she had finally understood his intentions. "Professional eaters never miss an opportunity."
Hosu laughed from inside the car.
"At least he's honest."
"Honesty is a virtue," Taehun declared.
"Knowing when to stop talking is one, too," Yomin added.
"Why is everyone against me tonight?"
"Because you keep giving us reasons," Minji replied.
Zoya laughed softly.
For a moment, everything felt easy again.
The familiar teasing.
The ridiculous arguments.
The warmth of being surrounded by people who could turn even a simple goodbye into a comedy show.
Jeon J. watched her from beside the car.
He had been about to get inside when Minji reached out and lightly caught his wrist.
"Tomorrow, after the concert, all of you are coming to our place."
Jeon J. turned toward her.
Minji smiled brightly, apparently pleased with the plan she had just announced.
"We're throwing a party for Zoya's new job."
For a second, neither Taehun nor Zoya reacted.
Then they froze at almost exactly the same time.
Taehun's mouth fell open.
Zoya stared at Minji in disbelief.
"Wait... what?" Taehun exclaimed. "You already planned a party without asking the person it's for?"
"Of course," Minji replied proudly. "Because she'll say no if I ask first."
Zoya immediately opened her mouth.
"Minji, I—"
She stopped.
She hadn't even told them her working hours yet.
What if she had to work?
What if her shift ended late?
How could she possibly attend a party when she was supposed to be starting a new job?
Her mind began racing through the possibilities.
Then she remembered something.
Tomorrow's concert would end late at night.
And for the first few days, her working hours were scheduled for the second shift.
By the time she finished work, the concert would probably be over anyway.
The realization slowly settled in.
She closed her mouth.
Oh.
She had been worrying for nothing.
Or at least, that was what she told herself.
Minji was still smiling, already looking forward to the celebration.
Taehun had recovered from his initial shock and was now enthusiastically discussing food options with Hosu.
Ruhi and Sophia began suggesting things they could bring, while Hana reminded everyone that a celebration didn't necessarily require an enormous amount of food.
Nobody seemed to have noticed Zoya's brief moment of hesitation.
Nobody except Jeon J.
His gaze shifted toward her.
She had gone quiet again.
Not upset.
Not exactly.
Just thoughtful.
He wondered what she had been about to say before stopping herself.
He wondered why she had looked so relieved a second later.
And, most annoyingly, he wondered why he cared.
Zoya lifted her eyes and caught him looking.
For one brief moment, their gazes met.
Neither of them spoke.
Then Zoya offered him the same small, composed smile she had worn inside.
The smile that gave nothing away.
Jeon J.'s expression hardened almost imperceptibly.
She looked away first.
And somehow, that bothered him even more.
"Alright, everyone, go home and get some rest!" Kim Joon called, drawing their attention back to the waiting cars. "We have another concert tomorrow."
The goodbyes resumed.
Doors opened.
Engines started.
One by one, the vehicles prepared to pull away.
Zoya stood beside Minji, watching the members settle into their cars, listening to Taehun's voice carry through an open window as he continued arguing about the party menu.
She smiled at something Ruhi whispered beside her.
Then she turned toward the road, ready to leave.
Tomorrow was another day.
Her first day at work was approaching.
There were new responsibilities waiting for her, new challenges to face, and a life she was determined to build for herself.
She had no idea what the next day would bring.
Nor did she know that, for someone standing only a few feet away, the sight of her walking away so calmly had become an increasingly difficult thing to bear.
To be continued...
Regards,
ZK💌