Snow fell relentlessly beyond the tall glass windows, burying the city beneath a thick blanket of white. The wind howled outside, rattling the trees, while inside the house, an uneasy silence lingered in every corner.
The clock struck midnight.
Jeon J sat quietly on the sofa, his elbows resting on his knees, lost somewhere far beyond the room. His eyes remained fixed on the floor, but his mind was elsewhere.
Across from him, Jea carefully arranged the travel documents, checking every ticket and confirmation for what felt like the tenth time.
Neither of them spoke for a long while.
Finally, Jeon J broke the silence.
"If I don't make it before the concert..." he said quietly, "...Kim Joon is going to panic."
Without looking up, Jea nodded.
"Everything's ready, Jeon J. Your seat has been confirmed."
"Good."
Jeon J leaned back and closed his tired eyes for a brief moment.
"Before we leave, tell the animal tracker to continue searching."
His voice softened.
"If there's even the smallest update about Bamson... I want to know immediately."
Jea hesitated.
He lowered the file in his hands and looked at Jeon J with quiet concern.
"Jeon J..."
His voice was gentle.
"Please don't carry all of this alone."
A small silence followed.
"Bamson will be found."
"I'm sure he will."
"But if you keep blaming yourself... if you let this consume you..."
He paused.
"...how will you be able to stand on that stage?"
Jeon J slowly lifted his head.
For a moment...
He simply looked at Jea.
Then a faint smile appeared on his lips.
It wasn't a happy smile.
It was the kind people wore when they were too tired to explain their pain.
"You know, Jea..."
His eyes drifted toward the snow-covered window.
"This isn't the first time life has asked us to smile with broken hearts."
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
"We've stood beneath thousands of lights while hiding sleepless nights behind our eyes."
"We've performed with hearts full of wounds..."
"...and still managed to make people believe we were happy."
He looked back at Jea.
"We turned our pain into strength because stopping was never an option."
Another brief silence settled between them.
"So..."
He smiled again.
"I'll survive this too."
Jea lowered his eyes.
He wanted to say something...
But sometimes silence understands pain better than words.
After a few moments, Jeon J straightened his posture.
"Alright."
He rubbed his hands together lightly.
"Now tell me."
"What time is our flight?"
Jea unlocked his phone.
"The snowfall has delayed several flights. Tomorrow's forecast looks slightly better, but after that, another heavy snowstorm is expected for almost a week..."
Halfway through the explanation—
Jeon J raised a hand.
"Jea."
"Hm?"
"I asked for the flight time."
A tiny smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Not the weather forecast."
Jea blinked.
"...Sorry."
He scratched the back of his neck, looking genuinely embarrassed.
Jeon J couldn't help smiling.
"No, buddy."
He shook his head.
"Don't apologize."
"Just answer the question before winter ends."
Jea let out an awkward laugh.
"Four o'clock."
Jeon J's head snapped up.
"What?"
His eyebrows shot together.
"That's barely four hours away."
He stared at Jea.
"And you're telling me now?"
Jea cleared his throat.
"If we miss this flight..." he said carefully, "...I can't guarantee when the next one will be available."
Jeon J remained silent for a moment.
Then, without another word, he stood up and picked up his coat.
"Then we're leaving now."
He slipped his phone into his pocket.
"There's no point waiting any longer."
His eyes unconsciously drifted toward the window, where the snow continued to fall without mercy.
"Bamson will be found."
He said it quietly...
As though he wasn't trying to convince Jea—
He was trying to convince himself.
Jea watched him for a moment before speaking again.
"Jeon.J..."
"What if we post about Bamson on social media?"
Jeon.J paused.
"Within an hour, the whole city will be looking for him."
For a brief second, the suggestion seemed reasonable.
Then Jeon J slowly shook his head.
"No."
His answer was calm...
But firm.
He picked up his suitcase and looked at Jea.
"The moment I post anything..."
"...it won't be about Bamson anymore."
A bitter smile crossed his face.
"It'll become breaking news."
He could almost imagine tomorrow's headlines.
'Jeon J's Beloved Dog Missing!'
Reporters.
Camera crews.
Fans.
Curious strangers.
Everyone would rush to the same place.
"They'll crowd the streets pretending to help."
"They'll follow every lead."
"They'll ask questions."
"They'll record videos."
"And somewhere in all that chaos..."
His voice dropped.
"...Bamson will become the least important part of the story."
The room fell silent.
Jea slowly nodded.
He understood.
Sometimes fame didn't solve problems.
Sometimes...
It created them.
A vibration from his phone broke the silence.
He glanced at the screen before slipping it back into his pocket.
"We should leave."
"The roads are already covered in snow."
"If we wait any longer, we'll risk missing the flight."
Jeon J stretched his stiff shoulders before reaching for the suitcase.
Jea was already halfway to the door when—
"Jea."
His footsteps stopped instantly.
He turned around.
Jeon J hadn't moved.
Instead, he had quietly sat down on the edge of the sofa again.
For a few moments...
He simply stared at the floor.
Absentmindedly, he traced slow lines across the carpet with the tip of his shoe.
It wasn't something he even realized he was doing.
The silence grew heavier.
Finally...
He spoke.
"Will you do something for me?"
There was something unusual in his voice.
Not authority.
Not confidence.
Just hesitation.
Jea frowned slightly.
After years of standing beside Jeon.J...
He had rarely seen him ask for a personal favour.
"What is it?"
Jeon.J took a slow breath.
"It's personal."
He looked up.
"And... I don't want anyone else to know."
"Just you."
Jea nodded once.
"You have my word."
Jeon.J remained quiet for another second before finally saying,
"Can you discreetly find out who was sitting in the seat directly beside me on our flight to Busan?"
"For a moment, Jea didn't understand what Jeon J was trying to say."
His expression softened.
"I can."
"But it won't be easy."
He slipped his phone back into his pocket.
"We'll have to wait until we return."
"If I ask the airline staff here..."
He smiled helplessly.
"...they'll recognize me as your PA within seconds."
"And airports have their own version of social media."
Jeon J raised an eyebrow.
Jea shrugged.
"News travels faster than aeroplanes."
For the first time that night...
A genuine smile appeared on Jeon J's face.
It only lasted a second.
But it was enough.
"I'll handle it quietly," Jea continued.
"No one will know."
Outside...
The snowfall only grew heavier.
Inside...
Neither of them spoke again.
Some promises didn't need more words.
The house had fallen completely silent.
Only the sound of the wind echoed outside as snow continued to blanket the night.
Jeon J picked up his suitcase while Jea quietly reached for his own.
Just as they stepped toward the entrance, Jeon J stopped.
"I'll be back in a minute."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked down the familiar hallway.
The lights in his parents' room were still on.
He knocked gently.
"Come in."
His father looked up first, followed by his mother.
The moment they saw the suitcase in his hand, both understood.
He was leaving.
Jeon J stepped inside and bowed his head respectfully.
"Appa... Amma..."
"I should leave now."
His father slowly stood up.
"So soon?"
Jeon J nodded.
"If I don't leave now, I'll miss the flight."
A heavy silence settled between them.
Finally, his father spoke, his voice carrying quiet guilt.
"Jeon J..."
"Are you... upset with us?"
Jeon J frowned slightly.
His father lowered his eyes.
"We couldn't protect Bamson."
For a brief moment...
Jeon J simply looked at him.
Then he walked closer without hesitation.
"No, Appa."
His voice was gentle.
"Please don't blame yourself."
He placed a reassuring hand on his father's shoulder.
"This isn't anyone's fault."
"It just... happened."
He paused before continuing.
"And Bamson..."
A faint smile appeared despite the sadness in his eyes.
"He'll come back."
"I'm sure of it."
His mother watched him silently, her eyes already beginning to glisten.
Jeon J looked down for a moment.
Then he spoke again, this time almost to himself.
"Tonight..."
The house had fallen into complete silence.
Beyond the windows, snow drifted endlessly from the dark sky, wrapping the night in white.
Jeon J picked up his suitcase while Jea quietly reached for his own.
Just as they stepped toward the entrance, Jeon J stopped.
"I'll be back."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked down the familiar hallway.
A soft light still glowed beneath his parents' bedroom door.
He knocked gently.
"Come in."
As soon as he entered, both his parents looked up. The suitcase in his hand said everything before he could.
He bowed respectfully.
"Appa... Amma..."
"I should leave now."
His father slowly rose from his chair.
"So soon?"
Jeon J gave a small nod.
"If I don't leave now, I'll miss my flight."
Silence settled over the room.
His father lowered his eyes.
"Jeon J..."
"Are you... upset with us?"
Jeon J looked at him, confused.
His father's voice grew heavier.
"We couldn't protect Bamson."
For a moment, Jeon J simply stared at him.
Then, without a second's hesitation, he walked over and gently placed a hand on his father's shoulder.
"No, Appa."
His voice was calm.
"Please don't blame yourself."
"This isn't anyone's fault."
"It was simply Allah's will."
He glanced toward the snow-covered window before continuing.
"And Bamson..."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"He'll come back."
"I don't know why..."
"But my heart refuses to believe anything else."
His mother watched him quietly, tears beginning to gather in her eyes.
Jeon J took a slow breath.
"You know..."
"Tonight, for the first time..."
"I think I finally understand Teahun."
Both his parents looked at him.
"I can't bear being away from Bamson even for a few days."
"I know he's somewhere out there."
"I know he's alive."
"And deep inside..."
"I still believe he'll find his way back to me."
He smiled weakly.
"Even with that hope..."
"I haven't been able to sleep."
"I can't focus."
"I can't even pretend everything is normal."
His eyes slowly dropped to the floor.
"Then what must Teahun have gone through..."
"...when he lost Yeonan forever?"
The words barely escaped his lips.
"I was with him."
"I comforted him."
"I told him time would ease the pain."
A quiet laugh escaped him—one filled with regret.
"But today..."
"I realized I never truly understood him."
"Because I still have hope."
"He didn't."
The room fell silent once again.
Snow continued to fall outside, covering everything beneath its quiet embrace.
Jeon J looked at his parents with eyes full of emotion.
"So please..."
"Don't blame yourselves."
"Bamson is still somewhere under this same sky."
"As long as he's breathing..."
"I'll keep believing he'll come home."
He lowered his head respectfully.
"Pray for him."
"That's all I need."
His father stepped forward and gently embraced him.
"We will."
"And when Bamson comes back..."
"We'll welcome him home together."
Jeon J closed his eyes for a brief moment.
A small smile finally appeared on his face.
He stepped back, bowed once more to both his parents, and quietly walked out of the room.
The headlights of the waiting car pierced through the darkness.
Sangho was already behind the wheel.
Gunwoo sat in the front passenger seat.
Jea placed the luggage inside the trunk before opening the rear door.
Jeon J turned around one last time.
His parents were still standing at the entrance, watching him leave.
He gave them a reassuring smile.
Then he quietly got into the car.
The door closed.
The engine hummed to life.
Slowly...
The car disappeared into the snow-covered night.
The next morning...
A faint ray of sunlight slipped through the curtains, gently brightening the quiet room.
Zoya stirred beneath her blanket before slowly opening her eyes.
Still half-asleep, she reached for her phone on the bedside table.
There was still enough time before Fajr.
She sat up lazily and stretched her arms.
The moment her feet touched the floor, her gaze instinctively fell toward the mattress beside her bed.
Bamson was still asleep.
Curled into a little ball beneath the blanket, he looked completely at peace, his slow, steady breaths the only movement in the room.
Zoya blinked.
She looked toward Hana and Ruhi, both fast asleep in their beds.
A tiny smile escaped her.
"These girls are unbelievable."
She looked back at Bamson.
"Yesterday he arrived like a lost guest..."
"And today..."
"He already has his own mattress..."
"...and my favorite biscuits."
She placed a hand dramatically over her heart.
"My poor biscuits."
"They travelled all the way from Pakistan..."
"...only to sacrifice themselves for His Highness."
She sighed deeply.
She was about to head toward the washroom when her footsteps suddenly slowed.
She turned around.
Her eyes found Bamson once again.
This time...
She quietly walked back.
Carefully...
Silently...
She sat down on the floor, leaving a small distance between them.
Bamson remained asleep.
His ears twitched slightly before becoming still again.
Zoya watched him for a long moment.
Without all the chaos...
Without Minji...
Without Hana...
Without everyone calling him their precious prince...
He simply looked...
Lonely.
A sadness quietly settled inside her chest.
She lowered her voice until it was barely a whisper.
"Bamson..."
"The one you've been searching for these past few days..."
"...I've been searching for someone too."
Her eyes slowly filled.
"The only difference is..."
"You'll probably find your person."
She smiled...
A smile that broke before it was fully formed.
"I'm still waiting."
A single tear escaped, slipping silently onto the floor.
It shimmered for a brief second before disappearing against the wooden surface.
Zoya quickly wiped her eyes.
She looked toward Hana and Ruhi.
Thankfully...
Neither of them had woken up.
She quietly stood, picked up her towel, and walked toward the washroom to perform wudu.
She returned quietly and sat down on her bed.
The room was still wrapped in silence.
She leaned against the wall for a moment, closed her eyes...
Just for a little while.
Sleep claimed her almost instantly.
"Zoya!"
A hand shook her shoulder.
"Zoya... wake up!"
She frowned, pulling the blanket over her face.
"Hmm..."
The shaking became stronger.
"Zoya!"
She jerked awake.
"What happened?" she cried out, her sleepy voice echoing through the room. "Why is everyone shouting?"
Blinking several times, she finally focused on the face in front of her.
Hana.
"What happened?" Zoya asked again, still looking confused.
Hana stared at her for two whole seconds before sighing dramatically.
"You tell me."
"You woke up...
"...and slept again!"
She folded her arms.
"Do you have any idea how difficult it is to wake you up the second time?"
Zoya rubbed her eyes and yawned.
"I couldn't sleep properly last night," she mumbled. "That's why..."
She was about to explain further when Hana raised a hand.
"No speeches."
"I've already worked hard enough waking you."
Zoya pouted.
"So rude."
Only then did she look around the room.
Ruhi's bed...
Empty.
Sophia wasn't there either.
She frowned.
"Where are Ruhi and Sophia?"
"They left a few minutes ago," Hana replied while searching for something in her cupboard.
Minji was sitting cross-legged on the floor beside Bamson.
One hand was gently stroking his fur.
The other was carefully checking the bandage on his leg.
She looked so focused that anyone walking in would think she was examining a royal patient.
Zoya blinked once.
Then twice.
She looked at Hana.
Then back at Minji.
Then at Bamson.
"...Unbelievable."
Hana already knew that expression.
"What now?"
Zoya pointed toward Minji.
"Look at her."
"If someone walks into this room right now..."
"...they'll think Bamson gave birth to Minji."
Hana burst into laughter.
At the exact same moment, the door opened.
Ruhi and Sophia walked in.
"Good!" Sophia clapped her hands once.
"Sleeping Beauty is finally awake."
"Perfect timing," Ruhi added.
"Let's hurry to the mess before breakfast disappears."
Zoya climbed out of bed with a dramatic sigh.
"I've been awake for barely thirty seconds..."
"...and you people have already assigned me a schedule."
"Welcome to hostel life," Hana replied.
"No one here is allowed to enjoy their sleep."
The four girls laughed together.
Only Bamson remained peacefully asleep...
Completely unaware that he had already become the center of everyone's morning.
"How's Bamson?"
"Did he sleep well?"
"You checked him, right?"
"He didn't feel cold during the night?"
Minji asked the question.
Zoya narrowed her eyes, watching the scene with amusement.
Hana was just about to answer when she noticed the mischievous smile forming on Zoya's face. She immediately pressed her lips together and stepped back.
Better let Zoya handle this.
"No, Minji," Zoya replied with a perfectly serious face. "We all slept peacefully. Bamson also slept peacefully. After all, he had a mattress... a blanket... and three whole night bodyguards watching over him."
The corners of Hana's lips twitched.
Zoya continued innocently,
"And yes, don't worry. We checked him every second."
She gestured dramatically toward Bamson.
"But now that you're here, you can inspect your 'nephew' yourself while we go to the mess."
Minji immediately looked up.
She gently rubbed Bamson's head before saying with complete sincerity,
"Stop calling him my nephew."
She paused.
"I want to be his Amma."
The room fell silent.
For a moment, Zoya simply stared at Minji.
She blinked once.
Then again.
Inside, her heart was screaming.
Outside, she somehow managed to keep a straight face.
Slowly, she looked toward the ceiling.
"Ya Allah..." she whispered under her breath.
"Please... give me patience."
No one had any idea what kind of battle was going on inside her.
She wanted to respond.
She really did.
But for the sake of her own sanity, she decided silence was safer.
Before she could think of a reply, Ruhi clapped her hands once.
"Okay, enough. Listen, everyone."
The girls turned toward her.
"One of us has to stay here with Bamson while the others go to the mess."
She pointed toward Bamson.
"And whoever stays will also need breakfast."
Everyone nodded.
"The problem is..."
Ruhi lowered her voice dramatically.
"...we're not allowed to take food outside the mess."
A brief silence followed.
"So..."
She leaned in a little closer.
"...someone will have to steal it."
Zoya's eyes widened so much that everyone almost laughed before she even spoke.
"Steal?"
She looked from one face to another.
"Have all of you lost your minds?"
Minji shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal.
"So what?"
"What's wrong with stealing a little food?"
Zoya pointed toward Bamson in complete disbelief.
"Meaning... for your so-called nephew..."
"...we're all going to become thieves now?"
"Stop, Zoya!"
All four girls shouted together.
"He's not our nephew!"
Zoya almost jumped.
She placed a hand over her heart dramatically.
"Ya Allah..."
"One wrong word..."
"...and these people are going to strangle me someday."
She quickly raised both hands in surrender.
"Fine, fine!"
"I take it back."
She pointed toward Bamson again.
"Your idol's son."
"There."
"Happy now?"
The four girls continued staring at her suspiciously, as if they still expected another joke.
Zoya sighed dramatically.
"Tough audience."
She folded her arms.
"Fine. I'll stay here."
"You all go to the mess."
"Steal food..."
"Complete your mission..."
"And while you're risking your bright futures for His Highness..."
She smiled sweetly.
"...don't forget to bring my breakfast too."
Minji narrowed her eyes.
"Whatever we bring will also be stolen."
"Perfect," Zoya replied without missing a beat.
"As long as you people commit the crime..."
"...I'll happily enjoy the evidence."
Sophia burst into laughter, clapping both hands.
Even Ruhi couldn't stop laughing.
Minji simply shook her head.
"I've never met anyone like you."
The girls began walking toward the door.
Just then—
"Wait!"
Everyone stopped.
Zoya pointed toward Bamson, who was sleeping peacefully without caring about the chaos around him.
"First explain everything properly to your nephew..."
She paused the moment four pairs of eyes landed on her.
"...I mean..."
She cleared her throat.
"...your idol's son."
"Tell him to behave himself until you all come back."
Minji looked lovingly at Bamson.
"That won't be a problem."
"He's smarter than all of you combined."
Hana laughed and walked out of the room.
Zoya's jaw slowly dropped.
She looked at Bamson.
Then toward the ceiling.
Then back at Bamson again.
"Really?"
"He's smarter than us?"
She folded her arms.
"If he was really that smart..."
"...how exactly did he manage to lose his way home?"
She threw both hands into the air dramatically.
"Wah!"
"We're about to steal food for this genius..."
"...and the entire mess started because of him in the first place."
Still asleep, Bamson let out a tiny yawn, stretched one paw, and curled deeper
Completely unaware...
...that he had just lost an argument without even opening his eyes.
To be Continued.....
Regards
ZK💌