As soon as Jeon J settled into the car, worry clouded his face.
His assistant, Jea, quietly closed the car door while Sangho—his father's trusted driver—started the engine and pulled away from the airport.
Gunwoo, his personal guard who lived with his parents, turned slightly from the front passenger seat and looked at him.
"Jeon J, don't worry. Bamson, "His beloved Doberman", will be fine. We'll find him."
But Jeon.J only shook his head, tension tightening every word.
"Sangho... any update?"
Sangho kept his eyes on the road, his hands gripping the steering wheel.
"Still no sign of him. We're searching everywhere."
Jeon J pressed his lips together, fighting the rising panic.
His heart pounded painfully.
Bamson was alone somewhere...
Scared.
Confused.
The thought alone was suffocating.
"I didn't even think," he muttered under his breath.
"I just... left."
His fists clenched tightly on his lap.
Leaning forward slightly, he spoke again.
"Sangho, take me to Appa's house first."
"I need to check everything myself."
Without another word, Sangho nodded and gently pressed the accelerator.
The car sped through the night.
The streets and narrow alleys of Busan carried countless memories of Jeon J's childhood.
Whenever work took him abroad for concerts, Bamson always stayed at his parents' house.
It was the only place he ever trusted.
His mother adored Bamson, often calling him her "third son," while his father never missed their evening walks around the neighbourhood.
Knowing Bamson was there had always given him peace of mind.
But tonight...
Nothing felt certain.
Jeon J leaned his head back against the seat and slowly closed his eyes.
Outside, the city lights slipped past the window one after another.
Inside...
His mind refused to rest.
Only one question echoed over and over again.
Where could Bamson have gone?
Was he safe?
Jeon J leaned his head back, closing his eyes as the city blurred past the car window.
His mind refused to rest.
One thought after another crowded his heart.
Where could Bamson have gone?
Was he safe?
Had someone found him... or was he still wandering alone?
Then—
A voice.
Soft.
Gentle.
Almost like a whisper.
Yet clear enough to send a shiver through him.
Jeon J's eyes snapped open.
His breath caught.
He looked around the car instinctively.
The passing streetlights briefly illuminated Sangho, Jea, and Gunwoo.
No one had spoken.
Silence filled the car once again.
But the voice...
It still echoed in his mind.
It felt strangely familiar.
His brows furrowed as he searched his memory.
Then suddenly...
The airplane.
Hours earlier, on the flight to Busan.
A girl had been sitting in the seat just ahead of him.
He had been too exhausted and distracted to pay much attention at the time.
But now...
Her voice returned to him with surprising clarity.
She had been speaking softly.
Her tone carried sincerity...
And emotion.
It was the same voice.
Jeon J slowly turned his face toward the window, but his thoughts refused to move on.
Why am I remembering her now?
Why is her voice still in my head?
He closed his eyes again.
Little by little...
The words came back.
Almost exactly as he had heard them.
"Ya Allah, guide him. Bring him to the right path. Make his heart recognize the truth. Give him peace, Ya Allah. Help him find the way to You..."
His fingers tightened slightly.
Then another memory surfaced.
She hadn't only been making dua.
She had also been quietly reading the lines of one of their songs.
The lyrics Yomin had written for Blend.
Jeon J frowned.
Confusion settled deep inside him.
Who was she?
Why did her voice stay with me... out of all the people on that flight?
He let out a slow breath and shook his head.
"No..."
He whispered to himself.
"Not now."
"Bamson comes first."
He leaned forward, resting his forehead lightly against the back of the front seat.
Everything else...
Could wait.
After an hour and a half, the car finally pulled into the driveway of his parents' house.
Before it had fully stopped, Jeon J opened the door and stepped out.
The staff greeted him respectfully, but he could only manage a brief nod.
His mind was elsewhere.
"Bamson!"
His voice echoed through the yard as he hurried inside.
Without wasting a single moment, he began searching.
Every room.
Every corner.
Every closet.
The garden.
The backyard.
Even the places where Bamson loved to hide.
But...
Nothing.
The house felt unusually quiet.
Jeon J stopped in the middle of the living room, his breathing uneven.
His mother slowly walked over and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"We've searched everywhere."
Her voice was calm, but the worry in her eyes was impossible to hide.
Jeon J lowered his head, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
Looking at his father, Jeon J spoke emotionally.
"When you called me, Appa... my heart started racing. You don't know... Bamson is like a son to me. The moment I heard he was lost, I didn't know what to do."
The staff exchanged understanding glances before nodding.
"Bamson is family."
Earlier...
After informing the members about Bamson, the practice room fell unusually quiet.
No one spoke for a few moments.
Everyone knew what Bamson meant to Jeon J.
Kim Joon was the first to break the silence.
"Jeon J..."
He stepped closer and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry."
"We'll find Bamson."
The other members nodded in agreement.
"He'll come back," one of them said with a reassuring smile.
"If there's anything we can do, just tell us."
Another member added,
"We're with you."
For the first time since receiving the news, Jeon J felt a little less alone.
Kim Joon looked at him for a moment before speaking again.
"But..."
"We also have a responsibility."
"The concert is only a few days away."
"Our fans have been waiting for a long time to see all seven of us together."
"If you want to go and look for Bamson yourself..."
"Go."
"No one will stop you."
"But promise me one thing."
"Be back before the concert."
Jeon J nodded without hesitation.
"I'll come back."
"I just hope Bamson is okay."
"I'll find him and return in time."
Kim Joon smiled and gave his shoulder a gentle pat.
"I know you will."
Jeon J immediately booked the nearest available flight.
Unfortunately, there were no direct flights.
The only available route was a connecting flight through Thailand.
Every business-class seat had already been booked.
Only three scattered economy seats remained.
He didn't care.
He booked them instantly.
Gunwoo and Jea joined him, doing their best to keep him away from the crowd.
Back at his parents' house...
Jeon J stood silently in the yard, his eyes fixed on the ground.
Then he looked at Jea.
"Call an animal tracker."
Jea hesitated for a moment.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Within minutes, the tracker arrived and began searching.
Jeon J remained standing in silence.
His heart was heavy.
His mind was restless.
Not only because of Bamson...
But because that girl's voice still echoed in his memory.
Why had he heard her prayer again?
Why now?
He pressed a hand against his forehead and let out a slow breath.
But none of it mattered right now.
Only one thing mattered—
Finding Bamson.
To Be Continued...
Regards,
ZK 💌