A Little While Later...
Yomin gave Bamson's leash a gentle tug.
He rose to his feet and smiled faintly.
"Come on, Bamson."
Bamson didn't budge.
Instead, he remained seated beside the bench, calm and stubborn, his tail resting quietly against the ground as though he had silently decided this was exactly where he wanted to stay.
Yomin let out a helpless sigh.
"Come on..."
He tugged once more, careful not to pull too hard.
Still nothing.
Bamson simply looked ahead, completely uninterested in moving.
A soft chuckle escaped Zoya.
"Let him stay with me for a while," she said gently. "He'll calm down. After that, he'll go with you without any trouble."
Yomin turned toward her, uncertainty written all over his face.
"But how can I leave him with you?"
His eyes shifted to Bamson before returning to her.
"He knows me..."
A small smile appeared on his lips.
"...but he doesn't really know you."
Zoya smiled back and pointed toward the drink stall a short distance away.
"See over there?"
Yomin followed her finger.
Under the warm glow of the streetlights, both groups had gathered around the small stall. Laughter drifted through the evening air as glasses clinked together and conversations overlapped.
"Our friends are all together," Zoya continued. "Just tell one of the girls that Bamson is with me. They'll tell everyone he's safe."
Yomin looked between the stall and Bamson.
He still hesitated.
"I'm sorry..."
His voice was quieter now.
"I still can't."
His fingers tightened slightly around the leash.
"A few months ago..."
He paused, remembering.
"...Bamson disappeared."
The smile faded from his face.
"It took us hours to find him."
He looked down at Bamson, gently rubbing behind his ears.
"I don't want to take that risk again."
For a brief moment, silence settled between them.
The sounds of the busy street continued around them—distant laughter, sizzling food, and the occasional honk from passing cars—but neither of them spoke.
Then a playful smile slowly appeared on Zoya's face.
"If you promise not to tell anyone..."
She leaned in slightly.
"Can I tell you a secret?"
Curiosity immediately replaced the worry in Yomin's eyes.
He crouched beside the bench, still holding Bamson's leash.
"What secret?"
Zoya lowered her voice until it was barely above a whisper.
"A few months ago..."
She paused, watching his expression.
"...I was the one who brought Bamson home."
Yomin frowned.
"...Home?"
She nodded.
"To Jeon J."
His eyes widened.
"What?"
A quiet laugh escaped Zoya.
"Yes."
Still unable to believe it, Yomin slowly sat down beside her.
For the next few minutes, Zoya told him everything.
How she had found Bamson wandering alone.
How attached he had become to her and her friends.
How difficult it had been to let him go.
And finally...
How she had secretly returned him to Jeon J through Jea.
When she finished, Yomin remained silent for a long moment.
His gaze rested on Bamson, who was sitting peacefully between them as if none of the conversation concerned him.
Finally, a warm smile spread across Yomin's face.
"So it really was you..."
Zoya smiled sheepishly.
"I guess so."
Yomin shook his head with a quiet laugh.
"All of you deserve our thanks."
Then he looked directly at her.
"But you deserve the biggest one."
She blinked.
"Me?"
"You even fed him your favourite two packs of biscuits."
Zoya laughed softly, embarrassed.
"It wasn't a big deal."
"It was."
Yomin's smile carried quiet sincerity.
"Bamson came home because someone cared enough not to keep him."
His words made Zoya lower her eyes.
She simply smiled.
"We'll repay this kindness someday," Yomin added.
"You don't have to."
"I know."
He chuckled.
"But we'd still like to."
For a brief moment, they simply smiled at one another while Bamson sat peacefully between them, enjoying the attention from both sides.
Eventually, Yomin stood.
"Alright."
He carefully placed the leash into Zoya's hand.
"I'll leave him with you."
Then, pointing playfully at Bamson, he added,
"But please keep an eye on him."
A grin spread across his face.
"If anything happens..."
"...Jeon J will never forgive me."
Zoya laughed.
"Don't worry."
She gently patted Bamson's head.
"I'll protect him."
Satisfied at last, Yomin turned and started walking back toward the others.
After only a few steps, he suddenly stopped.
Something had caught his attention.
He turned back.
His eyes settled on the glass in Zoya's hand.
"Aren't you joining us?"
Zoya looked down at her drink before smiling.
"It's just apple juice."
She lifted the glass slightly.
"I don't drink."
Yomin nodded with an understanding smile.
"Okay."
With one last wave, he headed toward the lively group.
Left alone, Zoya crouched beside Bamson and rested her chin on her folded arms against her knees.
The little dog looked up at her with calm, familiar eyes.
A gentle smile found its way onto her face.
"So..."
She reached over and softly scratched behind his ear.
"How have you been, Bamson?"
Her voice became almost a whisper.
"I missed you so much."
She smiled to herself.
"Actually..."
"We all did."
"Minji..."
"Ruhi..."
"Sophia..."
"Hana..."
"Everyone."
Bamson tilted his head ever so slightly, watching her with quiet curiosity.
"You know..."
She laughed under her breath.
"Minji was so angry when she found out I helped you go back."
Her fingers continued stroking his soft fur.
"But..."
Her smile softened.
"I knew you missed your father."
For a moment, Bamson simply stared at her.
Then his tail gave a slow, gentle wag.
Zoya smiled.
"...I knew you'd understand."
Yomin returned to the group with an easy smile.
"Hello, everyone!"
Hana, Ruhi, and Sophia immediately turned toward him.
They were still trying to process the fact that the people they were used to seeing only through screens were standing right in front of them—laughing, eating street food, and blending into the crowd as if they were just another group of friends spending the evening together.
Yomin looked around at the glasses gathered on the stall.
"Wow. Drinks are already on?"
He laughed and signaled to the stall owner.
"One for me too."
The stall owner reached for a bottle, pouring something that looked like red wine into a glass.
Jeon J glanced around.
"Where's Bamson?"
Yomin pointed toward the bench.
"Over there."
Jeon J followed his finger.
Bamson was sitting beside Zoya.
"With one of your friends," Yomin added. "I forgot her name."
Jeon J's lips parted slightly.
"Zoya," he murmured.
The name slipped out so naturally that he didn't even seem to realize he'd said it aloud.
"Yes. Zoya."
Hana quickly stepped in.
"Don't worry. Bamson's safe. She's just talking to him..."
She smiled.
"...maybe refreshing some old memories."
Jeon J looked toward the bench again.
Hana casually added,
"She's the one who fed him those two favourite packs of biscuits."
Jeon J's head turned sharply.
"Which biscuits?"
Hana froze.
"Oh..."
She suddenly looked very interested in her drink.
"Nothing."
Minji burst out laughing.
Yomin did too.
He had just heard the same story from Zoya.
Jeon J narrowed his eyes at them.
"What?"
"Nothing!" Hana repeated, trying not to laugh.
Yomin lifted his glass.
"Cheers!"
Everyone raised their glasses.
Sophia lifted her apple juice and clinked it against Hana's glass.
"Cheers."
The glasses met beneath the warm glow of the stall lights.
For a moment, it felt strangely ordinary.
No cameras.
No schedules.
No stages.
Just friends standing together on a busy Seoul street, surrounded by the smell of grilled food and the noise of strangers passing by.
All of TBS's souls had somehow ended up at the same little stall.
And one glass...
became two.
Two...
became many.
The stall owner kept apologizing to the customers waiting nearby as he moved between bottles and glasses, trying to keep up with the unexpected crowd.
Some glasses held red wine.
Others held beer.
And some contained whatever the stall owner had decided was appropriate for the person standing in front of him.
Yomin stopped after two.
Kim Joon wisely limited himself to one.
Taehun chose a light beer and seemed perfectly content with it.
Minjo took one drink, then quietly decided that was enough.
But soon, the real competition began.
Minji.
Jeon J.
Jinhun.
And Hosu.
Minji was already beginning to lose control by her third glass.
Hana had stopped after one and now stood beside Ruhi and Sophia, keeping a careful eye on her.
"Minji, that's enough."
"I'm perfectly fine," Minji insisted.
She immediately took another step and nearly walked into Hana.
Hana caught her arm.
"Of course you are."
Across from them, Jeon J held his second glass, still perfectly composed.
Jinhun, however...
was a completely different story.
He leaned heavily against Jeon J's shoulder, squinting at him as if he had just discovered a mystery that required immediate investigation.
"Jeon J..."
Jeon J looked at him.
"What?"
Jinhun lowered his voice dramatically.
"Listen carefully."
Jeon J waited.
"Did Kim Joon come here with us?"
Jeon.J stared at him for two seconds.
Then he burst out laughing.
"Yes."
He pointed directly behind Jinhun.
"He's standing right there."
Jinhun slowly turned.
Kim Joon was indeed standing there.
"Oh."
Jinhun nodded solemnly.
Then he lifted his hand and waved.
"Nice to meet you."
Kim Joon blinked.
"We've met."
Jinhun smiled.
"Again."
"We've met like..."
Kim Joon thought for a moment.
"...a thousand times."
Jinhun's eyes widened.
"A thousand?"
He placed a hand dramatically over his chest.
"Wow."
A pause.
"Destiny."
Everyone around them burst into laughter.
Jinhun looked pleased with himself.
Then his attention shifted toward Hosu.
He leaned closer.
"Why is everyone so handsome today?"
Hosu laughed.
"Because you're drunk."
Jinhun immediately straightened.
"I'm not drunk."
He pointed accusingly at his glass.
"The glass is drunk."
Everyone stared at him.
"I'm just supporting it."
The laughter grew louder.
Jinhun seemed encouraged by the reaction.
He raised one finger as though he had suddenly discovered something deeply philosophical.
"I have decided..."
Everyone waited.
"...street food tastes better when you can't remember its name."
Jeon J nearly choked on his drink.
Jinhun leaned closer to him and whispered with complete seriousness,
"Promise me something."
"What?"
"If I fall..."
He paused dramatically.
"...don't let me fall alone."
And right on cue—
his balance shifted.
Jeon J immediately grabbed his arm.
Jinhun looked down at the hand holding him.
Then up at Jeon J
He smiled proudly.
"See?"
Everyone laughed again.
"I planned that."
"No, you didn't," Jeon J said.
Jinhun ignored him.
He looked toward the stall lights.
"Why are the lights dancing?"
Hosu followed his gaze.
"They're not dancing."
Jinhun frowned.
"Then why do I feel like they're dancing?"
"Because you are."
Jinhun went completely still.
He considered this carefully.
Then nodded.
"Ah."
He looked down at the pavement.
"That explains why the ground is disrespecting me."
He tried to take another step.
His foot landed slightly off balance.
He reached for the nearest thing.
Unfortunately, it was the stall counter.
He nearly hugged it.
Kim Joon caught him before he could.
"Careful."
Jinhun looked at him with wide eyes.
Then gasped.
"Wow."
Kim Joon sighed.
"What Wow?"
"The leader is touching me."
He looked around dramatically.
"Is this a fan sign?"
The entire group lost it.
Kim Joon closed his eyes for a second.
"Sit."
Jinhun nodded obediently.
"Okay."
He turned around.
Lowered himself toward a stool—
and missed it completely.
Instead, he landed halfway against Minjo's leg.
Minjo groaned.
"Hyung."
Jinhun patted his knee.
"Don't worry."
He smiled confidently.
"I distribute my weight equally."
Minjo stared at him.
"Please get off."
Jinhun ignored the request and raised his empty glass.
"Another drink!"
"No!"
Everyone answered at once.
Jinhun slowly lowered his glass.
He looked from one person to another.
His expression was deeply wounded.
"So..."
He whispered.
"This is how democracy dies."
Yomin covered his mouth, trying not to laugh.
Jinhun leaned closer to him.
"Blink twice if they're controlling you."
Yomin couldn't hold it anymore.
He burst out laughing.
"You're done."
Jinhun pointed toward Hosu.
"You."
Hosu raised an eyebrow.
"Sunshine boy."
"Why are you smiling?"
"Because you're funny."
Jinhun nodded slowly.
"I know."
He sighed.
"It's a burden."
Jeon J shook his head, laughing quietly.
For a moment, the entire group was simply lost in the chaos.
The city moved around them
People came and went.
Food sizzled.
Glasses clinked.
And somewhere nearby, Bamson remained quietly beside Zoya—
while completely unaware that the humans he had left behind were turning one peaceful evening into absolute madness.
Jinhun suddenly squinted at Kim Joon.
He studied him for a few seconds as though he were seeing him for the first time.
"Wait..."
Kim Joon looked at him suspiciously.
"What?"
Jinhun slowly stepped back, trying to get a proper look at him.
"Have you always been this tall?"
Kim Joon stared at him.
He didn't even bother answering.
Jinhun's eyes widened.
Then he clapped once.
"Wow."
A beat.
"Evolution."
Jeon J laughed so hard that he had to turn away.
He reached for Jinhun's glass.
"Give me that."
Jinhun immediately pulled it against his chest.
"No!"
He hugged it protectively.
"This glass and I have history."
Jeon J raised an eyebrow.
"What history?"
Jinhun looked down at the glass with deep affection.
"I met it five minutes ago."
He paused.
Then whispered,
"...and it understands me."
Yomin covered his face.
Teahun shook his head.
Hosu was laughing so hard that he had to lean against the stall.
Jinhun, completely satisfied with himself, turned toward the stall owner.
He pointed at the menu with great seriousness.
"I would like to order..."
He paused, scanning the menu as if searching for the meaning of life.
"...whatever makes me forget my own name."
The stall owner stared at him for a moment.
Then, without saying a word, he handed him a glass of water.
Jinhun looked down at it.
His expression immediately became suspicious.
"This drink is clear."
He slowly raised his eyes toward the stall owner.
"Like lies."
Hosu burst out laughing.
"Just drink it."
Jinhun sniffed the water.
Then took one tiny sip.
His eyes widened.
"Oh no."
Everyone waited.
"It's attacking my throat."
Jeon J finally lost it.
He bent forward, laughing.
Jinhun looked around proudly, as though he had once again proven his point.
Then suddenly—
his expression changed.
He looked around the group.
"Wait."
Everyone looked at him.
"Where is Bamson?"
Yomin answered calmly.
"With Zoya."
Jinhun nodded.
For some reason, that answer seemed to satisfy him completely.
He relaxed against Jeon J's shoulder again.
But only for a few seconds.
Then he pointed toward the ground.
"Guys..."
His voice dropped to a serious whisper.
"The floor is moving again."
Kim Joon looked down at the perfectly still pavement.
"That's called walking."
Jinhun gasped.
"Who approved it?"
No one answered.
Jinhun seemed personally offended by the lack of accountability.
He leaned even more heavily against Jeon J.
"Hyung..."
Jeon J looked down at him.
"What?"
Jinhun's expression suddenly became serious.
"If I disappear tonight..."
Jeon J sighed.
"You're not disappearing."
Jinhun continued as if he hadn't heard him.
"...don't tell the world..."
He paused.
"...that I fought bravely against gravity."
Jeon J couldn't stop laughing.
And then—
Jinhun's foot caught on absolutely nothing.
His body tilted forward.
"Whoa—"
Everyone reacted at once.
Jeon J grabbed his arm.
Kim Joon caught his shoulder.
Hosu reached for his other side.
Teahun grabbed him from behind.
Even Minjo stepped forward to steady him.
For one second, all of them were holding Jinhun at once.
Jinhun looked around from the middle of their arms.
He smiled.
"See?"
Everyone stared at him.
"Teamwork."
The street erupted in laughter again.
Even people passing by turned their heads toward the strange group gathered around the stall.
Jinhun laughed with them.
Loudly.
Carelessly.
Completely unaware of how ridiculous he looked.
But nobody really minded.
Because underneath all the chaos, there was something warm about the way they kept catching him.
No matter how many times he stumbled—
someone was always there.
And perhaps that was why Jinhun never seemed afraid of falling.
He knew they would catch him.
The night continued around them.
The smell of grilled meat drifted through the air.
Steam rose from the food carts.
Neon lights reflected against the glasses on the counter.
And laughter kept spilling into the street.
Until, slowly...
Jinhun's laughter faded.
He looked down at the empty glass in his hand.
For a moment, he simply stared at it.
Then, without warning, h slowly slid down behind the stall.
His back came to rest against the cold metal counter.
The others looked at him.
"Why are you sitting there?" Jeon J asked.
Jinhun didn't answer.
He simply leaned his head back.
The others gradually moved behind the stall as well.
From the front, customers continued arriving.
They ordered drinks.
Paid.
Laughed.
And walked away.
None of them knew that just a few steps behind the stall, something in the atmosphere had quietly changed.
Kim Joon looked down at Jinhun.
"Why do you always get this drunk?"
Jinhun remained silent.
Kim Joon sighed.
"You, Hosu, and Yomin drink too."
He glanced toward the others.
"But you're the only one who completely loses control."
Jinhun slowly looked up.
"And the worst part?"
Kim Joon continued.
"You don't even realize what nonsense you're saying."
Teahun laughed softly.
"Today is especially bad."
Hosu nodded.
"Five glasses."
Kim Joon looked at Jinhun.
"We all stopped after one or two."
Jinhun frowned.
"Five?"
Minjo nodded.
"Five."
Jinhun considered this information.
Then smiled faintly.
"That explains a lot."
Everyone laughed.
But this time, Jinhun didn't laugh with them.
He remained sitting against the stall.
His eyes moved slowly across the group.
One face.
Then another.
Then another.
Something in his expression changed.
The drunken smile disappeared.
For the first time that night...
he looked completely sincere.
Jinhun looked at them one by one.
His eyes were unfocused, but there was something strangely clear behind them now.
Something honest.
He swallowed.
Then smiled faintly.
"I love you all."
The laughter disappeared.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Jinhun looked from one face to another.
"Do you hear me?"
His voice was softer now.
"I love all of you."
Hosu's smile faded.
Kim Joon lowered his gaze.
Even Jeon J, who had been laughing only seconds earlier, became completely still.
Jinhun placed a hand against his chest.
"When you're all with me..."
He paused, searching for the right words.
"...I'm complete."
His voice cracked slightly.
Hosu crouched beside him.
"Hyung..."
Jinhun looked at him and smiled.
"When I'm alone..."
He took a slow breath.
"...you become my family."
Nobody interrupted.
"Sometimes..."
He chuckled softly.
"...you become my children."
A few smiles appeared.
"Sometimes..."
His eyes moved toward Kim Joon.
"...you become my mother."
Kim Joon let out a quiet laugh.
Jinhun pointed toward someone else.
"Sometimes my father."
The group smiled through the emotion.
Jinhun leaned his head back against the metal counter.
For a moment, he simply stared at the lights above the stall.
Then he spoke again.
"You know..."
His voice became quieter.
"...the house I'm building?"
Jeon J looked at him.
"Yeah."
Jinhun smiled.
"I made a hall."
"A hall?"
Minjo asked gently.
Jinhun nodded.
"A big one."
He looked almost proud.
"For what?" Minjo asked.
Jinhun's fingers moved slowly across the pavement beside him.
"In that hall..."
He paused.
"I kept everything."
Everyone listened.
"Everything we bought for our dorm the first time."
A small laugh escaped him.
"Every stupid thing."
Another pause.
"Every cheap thing."
His eyes softened.
"I'll arrange everything exactly like our dorm."
Jeon J's expression changed slightly.
Jinhun continued.
"Same things..."
He smiled.
"Same feeling."
He looked around at all of them.
"So whenever you come..."
His voice became softer.
"...you'll feel it."
Nobody spoke.
Jinhun placed his palm flat against the ground.
"Because..."
He swallowed.
"...my home is your home."
Silence settled behind the stall.
Not uncomfortable.
Not heavy.
Just full.
For a few seconds, nobody knew what to say.
Then Jinhun suddenly looked down.
His eyes landed on the glass he was still holding.
His expression changed completely.
He hugged it tightly against his chest.
"But this glass..."
He squinted suspiciously at it.
"...is only mine."
Jeon J burst out laughing.
Hosu, Teahun shook his head, smiling through the emotion.
Kim Joon let out a relieved sigh.
Yomin covered his face, laughing quietly.
The tension broke.
Jinhun leaned his head back against the stall and smiled lazily.
"Okay..."
He closed his eyes for a moment.
"Now you can laugh."
And they did.
Quietly at first.
Then louder.
Soon, the whole group was laughing again.
Behind a small street-food stall, under warm lights and surrounded by the sounds of Seoul, they stood together like they had done countless times before.
No cameras.
No stage.
No audience.
Just them.
A group of people who had somehow become more than friends.
Family.
And for a few precious minutes, the world outside didn't matter.
Then Jinhun suddenly opened his eyes.
"Teahun..."
Teahun looked toward him.
"Yes?"
Jinhun shifted, trying to sit a little straighter.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
Teahun lowered himself beside him, carefully planting both feet against the ground so he wouldn't lose his own balance.
Jinhun leaned closer.
His voice dropped to a strange whisper.
"Teahun..."
Teahun waited.
"Jea is around us."
Teahun's expression changed.
"Jea?"
Jinhun nodded seriously.
"Like a protective mother."
A pause.
"I saw him."
For a moment, Teahun thought Jinhun was about to say something meaningful.
Something important.
"Where?"
Jinhun slowly raised his hand.
"Stand up."
Teahun frowned.
"Why?"
"Turn around."
"You'll see him..."
Jinhun whispered.
"...right in front of you."
Everyone looked at one another.
Jinhun pointed somewhere beyond Teahun.
"There."
Teahun slowly turned.
Nothing.
Jinhun smiled proudly.
"See?"
Teahun stared at him.
"There's no one there."
Jinhun blinked.
Then shrugged.
"Maybe he disappeared."
Jeon J laughed quietly.
But before anyone could say anything else—
Minji's voice suddenly cut through the air.
"Jeon J..."
Everyone turned.
Minji was standing a short distance away, supported by Hana.
Her eyes were half-closed.
Her balance was unsteady.
But her voice carried something that immediately changed the atmosphere.
"Bamson was with us."
Jeon J's smile disappeared.
He turned toward her.
"What?"
Minji took a slow breath.
"I wanted to bring Bamson back to you myself."
Hana tightened her grip around her arm.
"Minji..."
But Minji continued.
"I really did."
Her words came slowly now.
Heavy.
"I wanted to."
She swallowed.
"But..."
Her eyes drifted toward Zoya's empty place beside the bench.
"He got attached to us."
A pause.
"To her."
She gestured vaguely toward the bench.
Hana immediately reached for her arm.
"Minji, don't."
But Minji wasn't listening anymore.
The laughter from moments earlier had completely vanished.
The music from the nearby stalls seemed distant.
Even the sound of passing cars felt muted.
Minji looked at Jeon J.
"So I thought..."
Her voice cracked.
"...maybe a few more days."
Jeon J didn't say anything.
Minji lowered her gaze.
"But then..."
She swallowed hard.
"She called Jea."
Silence.
"And Jea came..."
She looked back at Jeon J.
"...and took him."
Jeon J's face went still.
"She...?"
His voice was barely audible.
He pointed toward the bench.
Minji nodded slowly.
"I think..."
Hana pulled her closer.
"...we should go home."
Jeon J looked around at them.
"But how will you go?"
No one answered.
Minji simply leaned her head against Hana's shoulder.
The lights above the stall flickered softly.
Customers continued coming from the front.
Ordering drinks.
Laughing.
Leaving.
Completely unaware that only a few steps away, a truth had just been spoken aloud.
Jinhun remained seated on the ground.
His drunken smile was gone.
He looked up slowly.
Jeon J didn't move.
His gaze drifted away from Minji.
Away from Hana.
Away from everyone.
Until it stopped at the bench where Bamson had been sitting only moments earlier.
The bench was empty now.
And suddenly...
The night didn't feel the same anymore.
The bench remained empty.
Jeon J kept looking at it.
For a few seconds, he seemed unable to move.
The noise of the street continued around them, but somehow it all felt far away.
Minji's words kept repeating in his mind.
She called Jea.
And Jea came and took him.
His fingers slowly tightened around the glass in his hand.
"Who...?" he finally asked.
His voice was quiet.
"Who called Jea?"
Minji lifted her head from Hana's shoulder.
She stared at him for a moment, as though she were trying to understand the question.
Then her eyes moved toward the empty bench.
"Zoya."
The name settled between them.
Jeon J's expression barely changed.
But his eyes did.
They moved back toward the bench.
Zoya wasn't there anymore.
Neither was Bamson.
Only the quiet space beside the pole remained.
Hana immediately stepped forward.
"Minji's drunk. She doesn't know what she's saying."
"I know what I'm saying."
Minji frowned, trying to stand straight.
Hana held her tighter.
"Minji..."
"I know."
Minji's voice softened.
"I just..."
She closed her eyes for a moment.
"...wanted him to stay."
Jeon J looked at her.
"Why?"
Minji opened her eyes.
"Because he was happy."
That answer made Jeon J go silent.
Minji gave a small, tired laugh.
"He became attached to us."
Her eyes grew heavy.
"And she..."
She paused.
"...she cared about him."
Jeon J didn't respond.
He looked toward the direction Zoya had gone.
Something unfamiliar had settled in his chest.
Not anger.
Not yet.
Something more complicated.
A question.
A memory.
And a strange feeling he couldn't name.
Yomin, who had been quiet until then, finally spoke.
"Jeon J..."
Jeon J turned toward him.
"Zoya didn't take Bamson."
Yomin's voice was calm.
"She only stayed with him."
Jeon J looked at him.
"I know."
"She was talking to him."
Yomin smiled faintly.
"She missed him."
Jeon J's eyes flickered.
"You know her?"
Yomin hesitated.
"Not well."
Then he smiled.
"But apparently..."
He glanced toward the empty bench.
"...Bamson knows her pretty well."
Jeon J didn't smile.
He lowered his gaze to his glass.
For some reason, the words Hana had said earlier returned to him.
She's the one who fed him two favourite packs of biscuits.
He remembered the way his head had turned when he'd heard it.
The strange curiosity he'd felt.
And now—
he wanted to know why.
Why had Zoya remembered Bamson?
Why had she cared enough to find him?
Why had she returned him?
And why had she called Jea?
Behind him, Jinhun suddenly spoke.
"Jeon J..."
Jeon J turned.
Jinhun was still sitting against the stall, but his eyes were no longer playful.
"Don't be angry."
Jeon J looked at him.
Jinhun swallowed.
"She didn't do anything bad."
Nobody spoke.
Jinhun rubbed his eyes.
"She just..."
He searched for the words.
"...wanted Bamson to go home."
Jeon J stared at him.
Jinhun smiled faintly.
"That's what you wanted too, right?"
Jeon J didn't answer.
Jinhun leaned his head back again.
"So..."
He whispered,
"...don't be angry."
The words hung there.
Jeon J looked away.
Across the street, a bus passed, its lights briefly washing over the group before disappearing into the night.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Hana quietly said,
"We should really go."
Ruhi nodded.
Sophia gathered their things.
Minji barely reacted, still leaning against Hana.
Yomin looked toward Jeon.J.
"We can talk about this later."
Jeon J nodded once.
But his eyes remained fixed on the empty bench.
Somewhere inside him, a small question had already taken root.
And he knew—
he wasn't going to ignore it.
A little distance away, Zoya was still with Bamson.
She had no idea what had just been revealed behind the stall.
She had no idea that her name had just become part of a conversation she wasn't there to hear.
And she certainly didn't know that Jeon.J was now looking for an answer to a question she hadn't even realized existed.
The night had started with laughter.
With street food.
With drinks and ridiculous jokes.
With friends who had forgotten, for a few hours, about everything outside that little circle.
But sometimes...
all it took was one sentence.
One name.
OAllne old memory.
To change the entire night.
Jeon J finally looked away from the bench.
"Let's go."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
Everyone slowly began gathering their things.
Behind them, the stall owner continued serving customers as though nothing had happened.
The city continued moving.
Cars passed.
Lights flickered.
People laughed.
And somewhere among all that noise...
two paths that had once crossed without either person realizing their importance were quietly beginning to move toward each other again.
To be continued.....
Regards
ZK💌