That night, after moving some of his things back to the new apartment, Minjae didn't do anything else. He just took a warm shower, made himself a simple dinner, and sat on his new couch.

Even if it was a bit messy with bags and boxes still lying around, it felt peaceful. The place smelled faintly of wood and detergent. He glanced at the wall clock.

7:50 p.m.

It was already almost time.

Minjae reached for the remote and turned on the TV.

Tonight was the broadcast of the Off Track episode he filmed a a week ago. The one where he joined Jaehyun, Rina, Joohwan, Yura, and Jihoon in the countryside for missions and lunch games.

He wasn't sure how it would be edited or received, but he knew one thing. It was fun shooting it.

At exactly 8:00 p.m., the show started.

The episode began with bright background music and familiar graphics. The cast's arrival was shown first, one by one, along with playful captions.

As expected, the first mission was the shelter-building challenge.

The show cut to Minjae wiping his forehead with a rag, Sungbae sighing, and Yura groaning dramatically as their team struggled to put together a basic frame.

Then it shifted to Jaehyun and Rina's smooth teamwork, followed by Blue Team's hilarious fails like Joohwan tripping over the tarp and Jihoon laughing loudly behind him.

People started reacting immediately online as the episode played out

"THE WAY MINJAE LOOKS SO LOST IN THAT TENT SCENE 😭😭"

"I love how Jihoon and Joohwan are just walking memes."

"Minjae, Yura, and Sungbae have chaotic younger sibling energy. I love their

team."

But the part that really made waves came later was the lunch mission.

The wheel spins. The failed food guesses. The cold noodles scene.

Viewers laughed at Yura's over-the-top reactions and Sungbae's sarcasm, but many commented on Minjae's calm presence throughout the mission even if they were failing throughout.

"Minjae is surprisingly funny in a quiet way. I didn't expect that?"

"HIS LITTLE SMILE WHEN THEY GOT COLD NOODLES… 😭😭 He's so soft."

"Minjae isn't trying to be funny, but that's what makes him funny."

"I just love the three's chemistry."

"I love how they asked the questions to eager fans."

"Yura leading the two men were really surprising."

'Pft— I love how they kept eating and eating." The g!en&u.i&n#e! ar-t*i#c$l$e re*s&id.es on M*|$V#|L$&@E^M^PYR.*

Then, the Red Team's win aired. Jaehyun shouting in victory and Rina's shocked

face as the family recommended jjajangmyeon by pure coincidence.

And then came the ending of the episode.

The group photo under the Off Track banner. Everyone waving goodbye to the camera. But instead of ending it there, the show added behind-the-scenes clips.It was just a short part, barely even a minute.

The show do that when they have more to share, but doesn't have the time to

include it in the final cut since there's only a time limit allowed.

They showed Minjae and the others inside the tent afterward, laughing and chatting freely. Jihoon mimicking Joohwan. Yura teasing Minjae. Jaehyun telling the three rookies to come back again next time.

There was no dramatic music or heavy editing in the scene. It was just a natural moment. The way Minjae smiled without pressure. The way the cast looked at each other with ease.

People online felt it too.

"This feels like the first time I've seen Minjae relax on TV."

"The three really fit with the rest of the cast. They weren't trying too hard. They

were just being themself."

"Can we please get Minjae, Yura, and Jihoon as permanent members?!"

#OffTrack trended that night, along with #MinjaeOnVariety and #MinjaeYuraJihoon.

For Minjae, watching the episode alone in his apartment, it didn't feel lonely at all.

He leaned back on the couch, letting the laughter from the screen fill the room.

He had to admit that the scenes were funny, especially watching Joohwan and Jihoon together. The two were really chaotic.

Before sleeping, a smile still lingered on his face. The next morning, sunlight peeked through the curtains of Minjae's new apartment. It was quiet. All he could hear was just the sound of the city faintly humming outside and the occasional bark of a dog from people walking their dog downstairs.

Just as he woke up, his phone that was sitting on the small table near his bed, started vibrating.

[Donghyun Hyung 📞]

Still half-asleep, Minjae reached out and answered the call, his voice still rough from sleep.

"Hyung?"

"Minjae!" Donghyun's voice was unusually cheerful. "Are you awake?"

"Just now…" Minjae sat up, rubbing his eyes. "What's going on?"

"I have news. Good news."

That got Minjae's attention fast. He sat up straighter, fully awake now. "Yeah?"

"The drama. Winter's Ending. It's confirmed."

Minjae blinked. "Wait—what?"

Donghyun laughed at his confusion. "The production team got back to us this morning. The writer agreed to the changes we asked about. They're reworking the character background."

"So… he's not a pianist anymore?" Minjae asked slowly.

"Not anymore. They're rewriting him into a writer this time—still someone who lost his purpose, but in a quieter, more grounded way. It still fits the tone."

Minjae didn't say anything for a moment. Then, finally, he let out a breath. A small smile formed on his lips.

"That's… really good."

"I knew you'd be happy. The script will be finalized this week. They'll send the copy

to your email early next week. Filming starts next month."

Minjae leaned back against the couch and looked up at the ceiling, a soft laugh

escaping his lips.

"Finally…"

"Yeah. Finally," Donghyun echoed.

There was a beat of silence between them, but it wasn't awkward. It was quiet relief.

"I'll forward you the meeting schedule later," Donghyun said. "But just relax today. We've got time."

"Okay. Thanks, hyung."

After the call ended, Minjae set the phone down slowly. His fingers rested on the edge of the coffee table, his eyes still fixed on nothing in particular.

Winter's Ending.

A new drama. A fresh start. A story about someone who lost his way.

Minjae stood up and walked over to the window. He pushed the glass open, letting the cool morning breeze drift in.

For the first time in a while, it felt like something new was beginning again.

And this time, it wasn't scary.

This time, he hoped to succeed more.

Minjae stood by the window for a while, the cold breeze brushing against his skin. His fingers gripped the edge of the window sill as he watched the people outside.

There were kids walking to school, shop owners setting up for the day, people jogging with a coffee in hand.

It was just a normal morning. And yet, to him, it felt different now.

He closed the window softly and turned around.

His eyes wandered across the apartment. There were still things to fix, but it was slowly coming together.

He headed to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. While drinking, his phone buzzed again. This time, it was a text.

[Yura:] Oppa! I saw Off Track's trending. You looked so serious in the tent, LOL. Everyone loves your calm chaos.

Minjae smiled as he typed back.

[Minjae:] I looked lost, didn't I? 😂You and Jihoon were also nice.

[Yura:] Yeah. I was also shocked that a lot was praising me, oppa. Still, Jihoon is jus a different breed. He really fits variety show doesn't he?

Minjae couldn't hep but chuckle at that.

[Minjae:] Yeah. It was fun. Let's hope we get more variety show appearance.

As soon as Minjae sent that message, he put his phone down and leaned against the counter, still smiling. It felt good to be surrounded by warmth again. Not just the kind that came from the heater or the sun, but the kind that came from people.

From work.

From having a few genuine friends.

Later that day, Minjae grabbed his small notebook and sat at the table. He opened a blank page and wrote at the top:

Things to prepare for Winter's Ending

Below that, he started jotting down things he needed to focus on such as acting notes, character preparation, things he wanted to ask the director once the meeting schedule came. He also listed things he personally wanted to bring into the role. He hadn't even read the full revision yet, but he was already thinking about how he wanted to build the character.

It had been a while since he felt this excited about a project.

And for the first time in a long time, it wasn't about proving anything to the world.

It was just about doing something he loved.

Telling a story that mattered. Acting to show emotions. And, becoming someone else so that others might feel seen too.

Acting is really complicated, wasn't it?

It's not just about portraying emotions, but also embodying the character given to him.

Maybe that's why he loved acting.

As the day went on, Minjae continued working on his list, quietly planning ahead.

All that's left was finally getting the script so he can start studying.