The day after Minjae got the news from Donghyun about his new drama, the next double episode of The Star's Secret aired.

Episode 7 and 8.

Minjae didn't have any shoots that day, so by the time evening came, he was already settled in his living room. The apartment still had a few unpacked boxes lying around, bue his focus was not on that.

He had a smiple set up with his blanket folded neatly on the couch, a glass of water on the table, and his phone resting beside the remote.

He was lying own on the couch and was watching on the television he had bought.

As the clock hit 8:00 p.m., the familiar opening of the drama began to play.

But unlike the previous episodes that focused on the main plot and tension, these two episodes leaned into something more subtle.

It was the beginning of a shift.

The start of something softer.

The slow turn of their character from strangers to something more.

The episode opened with a new location in Jeju. It was a quiet beach far from the city. It was filmed weeks ago, but Minjae remembered that day clearly. The weather had been warm, and the scene had gone so smoothly that they only needed a few takes.

And then, the moment came.

The screen filled with the image of Minjae and Yura's character walking barefoot by the shoreline. The waves lapped softly at their ankles. The golden light of the sun made their silhouettes glow gently.

Yura picked up a seashell, holding it to the sun, and the scene began just like they rehearsed.

"Taeyung, do you believe that seashells carry the whispers of the ocean?"

The dialogue continued. It was sweet. Playful. And Quiet.

Minjae, watching it now, noticed how the camera lingered on their faces longer than usual. The director must've seen something between them during filming.

As the scene continued longer, Minjae found himself being amused at his scenes with Yura. They looked effortlessly good and nice. He could also feel the tension and chemistry between them.

"This is honestly good," Minjae let out a sigh.

And then it came—the part that wasn't in the script.

The stone toss.

On-screen, Minjae bent down, picked up a smooth rock, and without a word, tossed it into the water. Yura's character blinked in surprise. Her unscripted reaction brought a soft laugh from the audience.

Even now, watching it from home, Minjae found himself smiling again.

And online, the reaction exploded within minutes.

"WAIT THAT BEACH SCENE??? WHO ALLOWED THEM TO BE THIS CUTE???"

"I CAN'T GET OVER MINJAE'S STONE TOSS. That wasn't in the script, was it??"

"Yura's reaction was so real omg."

"This is the kind of romance that sneaks up on you. No forced tropes. Just soft, natural chemistry."

"The way they walk in sync. The way they look at each other… I'm crying."

"THIS is the slow burn I signed up for."

The hashtags began to trend again, but this time with a twist.

#TheStarsSecretEp7

#MinjaeYuraChemistry

#SeashellWhispers

#ThatStoneTossScene

Even non-fans of the drama began talking about it. Reviewers on drama forums praised the way the scene was handled—not overly romantic, but intimate in a way that felt real.

Back in his apartment, Minjae placed the remote down as the credits rolled.

He sat there in silence for a few seconds before checking his phone. A new message had just come in.

[Jihoon:]

Bro. You and Yura. That scene. I was smiling like an idiot.

[Yura:]

Oppa… You really threw that stone like it was nothing! You didn't even warn me! 😂 But it worked… the scene looked nice, right?

Minjae chuckled to himself and typed back.

[Minjae:]

It did. It really did. You looked surprised though.

[Yura:]

Because I was! But maybe that's what made it natural hehe

After reading the messages, Minjae leaned back against the couch, his heart feeling a little lighter. These kinds of moments was small but it was warm, and unexpected.

Soon after, Episode 8 picked up right where Episode 7 left off.

The warm beach lighting faded into the soft glow of a quiet evening scene. Minjae and Yura were back in the small seaside café that Yura and he sister manages.

Minjae, watching from his couch, sipped his water quietly as the next part began. The scene was simple. Yura was closing up shop for the day, wiping tables while humming a quiet tune. Minjae sat in the corner, writing something in a notebook.

Then, Yura reached for a box behind the counter. It was filled with cups and napkins—light, but bulky.

There was a scene cut as Minjae stood up.

"I'll help," he said, already walking over.

"It's fine," Yura smiled, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"I didn't ask if it was fine," Minjae replied casually, lifting the box with one hand like it weighed nothing.

Yura blinked, a little thrown off. "...Okay."

The audience didn't miss it. Help us continue by reading at the source: MV2LEMPYR.

"He just carried that box like it's nothing. What is this K-drama bare minimum boyfriend energy 😭😭"

"HELP MINJAE'S CHARACTER IS SO SMOOTH WITHOUT EVEN TRYING"

"This is literally the kind of love that builds off small moments. I'm screaming."

And it didn't stop there.

Later in the episode, Yura was seen struggling to keep up during the weekend café rush. Two part-timers had called in sick, and Yura was the only one left running the counter as Seojin made the coffee at the back.

Then came the unexpected twist.

Minjae, in a clean white shirt and apron tied around his waist, stepped behind the counter.

The camera zoomed in on Yura's shocked face.

"You're… volunteering?"

Minjae shrugged.

"I worked in a place like this before."

"No, you didn't."

"I didn't. But I learn fast."

The scene cuts to Minjae awkwardly holding a tray, struggling at first to balance the drinks, before finding his rhythm.

He took orders quietly, handed out coffee with a polite smile, and even laughed once when a customer asked if he was new in town.

Minjae groaned from his couch, covering his face for a second. "I can't believe they kept that part in…"

Online, it was chaos again.

"MINJAE AS A WAITER???? YES THANK YOU DIRECTOR-NIM"

"Why does he look good doing the most normal things 😭😭"

"The way he kept glancing at Yura while she worked... I AM INVESTED."

One of the most replayed moments of the night came when the café had finally calmed down. Yura stood by the sink, washing the last few mugs while Minhae dried them beside her. Their movements were quiet and in sync.

Then came a small moment.

Yura dropped the cloth by accident. She bent down to pick it up just as Minjae did the same.

Their heads bumped lightly.

"Ah—sorry," Yura mumbled.

Mijae blinked. "Oh, sorry…"

She looked at him.

He looked back.

The music slowed just a bit.

It only lasted two seconds, but it was enough.

"THE HEAD BUMP. THE LOOK. I'M SCREAMING."

"WHY ARE THEY JUST STANDING THERE. WHY IS THIS SO ROMANTIC."

"Who needs kisses when you've got this kind of tension 😭"

By the time the end credits rolled, Episode 8 had cemented the duo as the couple to watch.

#MinjaeYuraChemistry

#TaeyungAndEunbi

#TheStarsSecretEp8

#WaiterTaeyung

#SoftRomanceDoneRight

Minjae turned off the TV and sat in the silence of his apartment.

He didn't know when it happened exactly, but their characters—his and Yura's—were really starting to come together.

And so were they, maybe.

His phone buzzed again.

[Yura:]

Oppa. People are seriously going crazy.

[Minjae:]

Hahaha i know right. It was good.

[Yura:]

I love that they're loving it 😭😭

[Minjae:]

Yes me too. The scene looked really good.

After replying to Yura's message, Minjae leaned back into the couch and stared at his phone for a moment.

He wasn't sure why, but he opened the drama's official hashtag and began scrolling through the live reactions again. His thumb moved slowly, eyes scanning the countless posts that poured in from fans.

Most of them had screenshots and gifs—of the stone toss, of the café scene, of him wearing the apron, and even of that small head bump.

"Minjae's side profile during the shell scene is illegal. That man is unreal."

"The little things he does—like drying the cups in silence? Peak soft boyfriend behavior."

"Can we all agree that the chemistry between him and Yura is just… too natural???"

"Minjae's acting is so grounded. He doesn't try to act charming, but he just is."

"Okay but when he looked at Yura after the head bump… I was holding my breath. 😭"

Minjae smiled at the comments.

He didn't expect people to notice all those tiny details. The way he looked at her, the way he moved. He didn't expect them to feel something from it.

But they did.

"I used to watch for the plot, now I'm watching for Minjae and Yura's little moments."

"They haven't even hugged yet and I already ship them harder than any couple this year."

"If they don't end up together by the end, I'm throwing my phone."

Minjae let out a breath of laughter and shook his head.