"I saw you leave in such a hurry, so I thought..." his mother started, her voice trailing off.
"Nah, it's all good. Chill, Mom," he reassured her, waving off her concern.
Seeing her son safe and sound brought a wave of relief over her, and his father let out a sigh of relief, murmuring, "Alhamdulillah," grateful that everything turned out fine.
Jungkook settled into his room, opening his laptop to dive into the details of the workers. "How are we gonna find him? It'd be interesting if he loves to play games. I'm the Don of that," he smirked to himself, the thought drifting through his mind as he slowly began to drift off to sleep. "If I ever fall in love... I want it to be with you, Ms. Iliana," he whispered, a smile playing on his lips as he succumbed to slumber.
When he finally woke up, panic washed over him. "Shoot, freak no!" he exclaimed, quickly throwing on a casual white shirt and blue jeans that showcased his tattoos and well-built physique. Without wasting another second, he dashed out the door, determined to find the perfect baby blue abaya to replace the one that had been ruined by coffee.
Jungkook hit up five different shopping malls, roaming through each one with a singular focus. He approached receptionists, showing them the specific shade he was after, each time feeling a twinge of frustration until, at last, he found it. "Thank you, ma'am. I'll pay with my card later," he said, relief flooding through him as he secured the same piece.
Meanwhile, Iliana sat at her desk, sifting through documents, a hint of worry creeping in. "Why is he so late today?" she wondered aloud. Dressed in a light green abaya adorned with sparkling embellishments, she looked radiant, her blue eyes shining brightly. She crossed one leg over the other, sipping her coffee. "Jeon Archaeopteryx, you stole my favorite coffee cup... I swear, I'll kill you for that," she muttered, a playful annoyance in her tone.
Just then, the door swung open, revealing a visibly exhausted Jungkook. He approached Iliana, handing her a bag. "What's this for, Jeon?" she asked, her curiosity piqued as she took the bag from him. When she peeked inside and saw the same baby blue abaya, her eyes widened in disbelief. "Who asked you to bring this? Take it back; I can't accept this!"
"Green chameleon," Jungkook replied, a teasing glint in his eyes. "This is a gift. You can pay me back someday. Just take it. My mother had this brought for you," he said, his voice steady despite the little white lie.
Jungkook sank into his seat, taking a moment to steady his breathing.
"Wait, she knows me?"
"Yeah."
Iliana's eyes sparkled with a hint of excitement, and a small smile crept onto her lips, but she quickly returned her attention to her laptop. Jungkook, meanwhile, stretched his arms and began to sift through the documents scattered around him.
After two hours of intense scrutiny, Jungkook suddenly exclaimed, "Green chameleon? These two workers seem really strange. It says here that they were abandoned by their parents, but these pictures look edited. They're practically identical, and their parents' names are the same. How is that even possible? The information about them matches too closely..." He poked her cheek playfully while handing the documents over to Iliana.
She scanned the papers, her brow furrowing in concentration. "You're right! This is definitely suspicious. We should head to their location and find out what's really going on."
Jungkook nodded, but then he glanced at the clock and realized it was 1 PM-Salah time.
"Ugh, please! That voice is so irritating..." he groaned, covering his ears as Iliana listened attentively to the adhan.
As she made her way to the upper floor for Salah, Jungkook couldn't hold back his frustration any longer. He grabbed the hem of her abaya and said, "When will you stop this pointless ritual? It's useless; your Allah doesn't even exist. We can't waste any more time-let's just go to those workers' places!"
Iliana sighed deeply, closing her eyes in exasperation. She took the lift to the upper floor, feeling the weight of his irritation behind her, but Jungkook followed her, his annoyance still evident in his demeanor.
While Iliana was lost in her Salah, Jungkook's frustration bubbled over. " your prayers are dross, Iliana... it's just pathetic. Why waste your time bowing to a God who doesn't even exist?" he spat, hoping to provoke her. But Iliana remained as calm as the ocean, her focus unwavering despite his taunts.
"Don't insult my religion; if you want to vent, just aim it at me instead," she said quietly, folding her prayer mat with grace. A single tear slipped down her cheek, a painful reminder of how much his words affected her. "Pathetic Jeon Jungkook, don't you dare disrespect my faith," she snapped, her irritation finally surfacing. Without another word, she turned and walked away, leaving Jungkook standing there, feeling a mix of guilt and irritation. "Damn... I don't care if she's crying. I just spoke the truth," he thought, frustrated with himself for letting her get under his skin. To s
hake off the negative energy, he decided to escape to David's place for a movie night.
When he arrived at David's house, he knocked impatiently. "Open up, David! And bring Diana too. I need to unwind with some drinks and a girl; I'm really frustrated right now," he called out, his mood still sour from the earlier confrontation. David chuckled, clearly amused, and let Jungkook in, quickly dialing Diana, who was his go-to girl for a good time.
Iliana's heart raced as they drove toward the workers' home, the weight of uncertainty pressing heavily on her mind. Asma, ever the optimist, glanced over with a reassuring smile. "Mam, inshaAllah we'll catch up with them," she said, her tone light but hopeful, trying to lift the mood.
"InshaAllah, just pray, Asma," Iliana replied, her voice barely masking the anxiety that churned within her. She could feel the tension coiling tighter as they approached their destination, each passing moment amplifying her worries about the workers' fate.