A few days ago....
"I apologize for coming here without informing you," Jeon.J said as he sat down on the chair, looking toward Mr. Donghyun, who was taking his seat on the head chair across the table.
Outside the mosque, there was complete silence.
It was around 3 a.m. Without telling anyone, he had taken a staff member's car from the studio and come here.
Things were troubling him—questions he needed answers to.
Mr. Donghyun looked at him with a warm smile."You don't need permission to come here.
The doors of this place are open for everyone—no matter who they are."
Jeon.J gave a small, slightly awkward smile.
"What would you like? Coffee, juice… or banana milk?" Mr. Donghyun added, smiling especially at the last option.
At the mention of banana milk, Jeon.J looked at him and smiled. "It means… you've seen our concert? I mean…" he trailed off, unsure how to phrase it.
"You are one of us, Jeon.J. You've taken our culture to every corner of the world. We don't need to attend your concert to know you—we've seen your interviews. By the way, my son is a huge fan of yours," Mr. Donghyun said.
Jeon.J looked surprised. Is his son his fan? During their last meeting, Mr. Donghyun did not talk about it.
"I'll prepare coffee. I'm sure you'll like it."
Jeon.J noticed the coffee machine placed in a corner of the office. Near his chair was a small curtain, barely covering a window. Yesterday, this place had been filled with sound—today, it was silent.
He turned and looked at Mr. Donghyun, who was adding a small quantity of milk into two cups, then pouring in coffee beans. Jeon.J already knew what he would do next—he would beat the beans repeatedly in the cups.
Jeon.J stood up and walked toward him.
Mr. Donghyun smiled. "Would you like to join me in beating the coffee?. Because I'm getting old.
Jeon.J smiled back. He felt that Mr. Donghyun was very friendly. He picked up a cup and began beating the coffee beans alongside him. "You're looking younger than me."
Both are smiling.
He noticed how professionally Mr. Donghyun handled everything. "You're making coffee very professionally," Jeon.J said.
Mr. Donghyun laughed ."Well, I have to be professional, Mr. Jeon.J. I used to run a coffee cart near my son's restaurant for a long time."
Jeon.J looked surprised. "You used to run a coffee cart?"
"Yes, my son… but once Ji-ho established his restaurant, he took my cart away from me," Mr. Donghyun said with a dramatic laugh.
Ji-ho is your son? Jeon.J looked at him, confused.
Yes, he is. Mr Donghyun smiled.
"My health wasn't very good. So Ji-ho strictly made me stop. But he promised—whenever I feel like it, I can go to his restaurant and serve coffee to his customers," Mr. Donghyun said, still smiling.
Jeon.J smiled too.
"But then life became very busy. Allah gave me this responsibility, and I forgot everything else. I found peace in this duty," he added, looking around the office—as if he were looking at the entire mosque.
"Come, the coffee is ready."
Before Jeon.J realized it, Mr. Donghyun had taken the cup from his hand and added the milk.
They both returned to their seats. Jeon.J placed his cup on the table. Mr. Donghyun took a sip and smiled at him. Jeon.J looked lost in thought, but Mr. Donghyun felt it wasn't appropriate to ask. He believed Jeon.J would speak when he was ready.
"Do you not like coffee? Oh, I should have asked. I just got excited seeing you—I finally had a chance to use this coffee machine. But if you'd prefer something else—juice, maybe…" Mr. Donghyun leaned forward, almost answering his own questions, noticing Jeon.J hadn't touched his cup.
"No, no—I like it. Please don't worry. I'm actually glad… I'm the lucky guest you made coffee for me," Jeon.J said, laughing softly.
Mr. Donghyun laughed too.
"Guests are gifts from Allah. Accepting them brings blessings into your sustenance," he said gently.
Jeon.J felt comfortable with him.
For a while, they sat in silence, sipping coffee. At one point, Mr. Donghyun stepped outside—perhaps someone had arrived. Jeon.J slightly shifted his chair and could now see clearly through the doorway.
People were greeting Mr. Donghyun warmly. Nearby was a water area where several taps were installed. People were washing their faces—but the way they washed was different, more deliberate, taking longer than usual. When they returned, their faces, arms, and feet were wet—even their hair slightly damp. Yet, none of their smiles faded. There was a softness on every face.
Jeon.J straightened up as Mr. Donghyun returned.
"So, young man… how is the coffee?" he asked.
"You want me to praise it, don't you?" Jeon.J replied with a smile.
Mr. Donghyun burst out laughing."Of course you have to! Otherwise, Ji-ho might shut the coffee section of his restaurant for me!"
They both laughed.
"In that case, I can't praise it—because I agree with Ji-ho. You should take care of your health," Jeon.J said playfully.
Mr. Donghyun gave him a gentle look. "One son can be strict… but the other should be soft, so that sometimes we can make coffee together—and drink it too." Mr Donghyun makes a plan.
Jeon.J smiled from the heart. Being called "son" by him… it felt unexpectedly comforting.
"Then we'll cheat the strict son only as much as he can tolerate—and not punish us," Jeon.J replied.
They both laughed again.
"Why are you standing?" Mr. Donghyun asked as Jeon.J got up.
"I should leave now. I have a lot of work," Jeon.J said, picking up his phone.
"When will you come again?" Mr. Donghyun asked.
Jeon.J paused, looking at him.
"I can't say… but I'll try," he replied, unable to refuse him.
"There is blessing in trying," Mr. Donghyun said with a smile.
Jeon.J looked at him, then hugged him—because in him, he felt something… familiar.
Mr. Donghyun walked him outside. Jeon.J adjusted his mask and cap as they walked together. Outside, about twenty to thirty people sat in rows on carpets. From the movement of their lips, it seemed they were reciting something—occasionally responding to one another. They all looked up at them briefly.
"I'll wait," Mr. Donghyun said.
Jeon.J only smiled in response.
He turned toward the gate… but stopped. He came back, stood in front of Mr. Donghyun, and said:
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِهِ وَاغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ وَاجْعَلِ الإِيمَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ نُورًا وَهُدًى
"Allahumma ihdihi, waghfir lahu, warhamhu, waj'alil imana fi qalbihi nooran wa hudan."
Mr. Donghyun froze. His eyes widened in shock.
Jeon.J looked at him—the earlier warmth on his face replaced by surprise.
"Jeon.J… these words…?"
Jeon.J gave a soft, pained smile to see Mr Donghyun's shocked face. "That means you know what these words mean, don't you?"
"How did you…?" Mr. Donghyun asked, almost whispering.
"These are the words I've been hearing in my dreams for a long time," Jeon.J said, looking at him. "At first, they haunted me… then they frightened me… then they took my sleep away. But with time… I started feeling a pure, calm connection with them. Now, if I don't hear them in my dreams, I wake up and read them myself… as if they've become my companions. You know… companions in loneliness."
He said it simply—unaware of how extraordinary it truly was.
"But now… these words are haunting me again," he added.
Mr. Donghyun looked at him, stunned.
Jeon.J shrugged lightly, turned toward the gate, and said as he walked away:
"Because this time… I heard these words in reality—from someone."
He paused briefly.
"And you know who that is… and what these words mean. But I won't ask."
Then he walked out.
Mr. Donghyun stood there, watching him leave in disbelief.
"These words are not ordinary, Jeon.J… nor is the one for whom they are recited… nor the one who recites them."
He whispered, almost to himself:
"You are two shores of different rivers… but there is power in prayer."
Then he turned back.
It was time for Salah. Time to call the servants of Allah… back to Him.
________________
A long silence settled between Jinhun and Jeon.J.It felt as if Jeon.J had spoken so much… that he had finally run out of words.
Jinhun placed a hand gently on his shoulder. Jeon.J was standing near the window. He turned, looked at him, and smiled faintly.
"You must be thinking… what kind of filmy things I've started saying now."
Jinhun looked at him with quiet sorrow.
"But I'm fine now. I'll live like an idol… and I should remain an idol," Jeon.J said, forcing seriousness onto his face as he ran a hand harshly through his hair.
Jinhun couldn't find any words. Nothing felt right to say.
So he left… silently.
Jeon.J watched him go. Then he turned back to the window, placing both hands on the sliding frame, and pushed the glass open.
"Who are you…?" he whispered to himself.
"Why does your connection keep tying itself to me… even when I don't want it?"
Then his expression hardened.
"But you should remember this from today… I am an idol."
He said it to himself… like a rule he was forcing his own heart to obey.
Then he walked away to freshen up.
Living Area
"Minji, we should go home," Zoya wrote on a piece of paper and showed it to Minji.
Minji read it, leaned closer to her ear, and whispered,"Zoya, we'll leave in the morning. It's already late."
Zoya looked at her, surprised.She wondered—is it really that easy… to stay at someone's house like this?A boy's house…?
But she said nothing. She felt comfort… because Minji and others were here.
"You must be tired. Come, I'll take you to the room. You should rest. You're so stubborn—you've been sitting in the same position since you came," Minji said, helping her up.
At that moment, Jeon.J stepped out of the room.
"Where is everyone?" he asked, noticing the empty living area.
Minji held Zoya's hand—but as soon as Zoya put weight on her feet, a soft cry escaped her lips.
Minji immediately looked down.Jeon.J saw it too—but he quickly composed himself.
"What happened?" Minji asked, worried.
"My leg is injured… and the soles of my feet… they suddenly started hurting," Zoya said softly.
"How will you walk?" Minji asked.
She was just about to call Jeon.J for help—to support Zoya to the room—
But Zoya spoke first.
"Minji, I can walk."
Her tone was firm.
Jeon.J, who had been standing behind Minji with his hands in his pockets, simply shrugged. He walked past them and sat on the sofa.
"Minji, take your friend to the room and come back. I need to talk to you," he said casually.
Zoya looked at him—surprised.
He had never been open with her before… never really spoken.But right now… something in him felt different.
Cold. Distant.
Zoya gently pulled her hand away from Minji's support.
"I'll go myself. Support makes people weak," she said quietly.
Jeon.J's voice came, calm but sharp—"Strange… when you got out of the car, did you remember that support makes people weak?"
He didn't even look directly at her—but his expression clearly showed… something had deeply bothered him.
Zoya pressed her feet down despite the pain. It shot through her—but now she too chose coldness.
She began walking on her own.
Minji glared at Jeon.J."What was the need to say that? Seriously…"
But he ignored her.
"You didn't tell me—where did everyone go?" he asked.
"They're all upstairs on the terrace," Minji replied."Everyone wants to see the cherry blossoms tomorrow… before they're gone. Luckily, we're all together, so we thought we'd go."
Jeon.J's eyes shifted to Zoya's feet—bare against the floor.
"We'll see," he said quietly.
Then he turned and walked toward the terrace.
Minji helped Zoya to the room.
Terrace
"Why are you all sitting so quietly?" Jeon.J said.
They were all sitting in a line along the wall of the terrace.
"Oh, should we shout so your neighbors know there are guests at Jeon.J's house?" Teahun said sarcastically.
"As if people don't already know. You're the one acting like it's your first time here," Jeon.J replied dryly.
"I'm not here for the first time—but this whole Minji caravan is," Teahun said dramatically."Tomorrow morning, the news will be: Jeon.J spotted at home… with a girlfriend."
Girlfriend, not girlfriends, Minjo added.
Everyone burst out laughing at his tone.
To be continued.......
Regards
ZK