As the cast returned to their seats, the soft sound of the script pages resumed. There was a different air to the room now. Everyone was still focused, yet they seemed to have more fun.

The tension from earlier had melted away. It was replaced by familiarity and shared fun from the actors. Everyone had eaten by now. Everyone had laughed. And now, they were ready to dive back into their work.

The director stood once more at the front of the room, clapping his hands lightly.

"Let's continue. Episode four."

Minjae quietly flipped to the new episode, settling into his seat once again. He tapped his pen softly against the edge of his folder as the first scene began.

"Scene one. Interior. Guesthouse hallway. Early morning."

It was a light scene. Joon was brushing his teeth in the shared bathroom when he bumped into the teenage part-timer, Siyoon's character.

Their conversation was awkward. Joon accidentally used Siyoon's toothbrush, then tried to cover it up with a straight face. The scene was short, just a few lines, but the cast couldn't help but chuckle when they got to it.

"Oh no," Siyoon mumbled under his breath, trying not to laugh as he read his reaction. "Hyung! That was my toothbrush! Not yours!"

The room laughed softly. Even the director cracked a grin.

Minjae kept his delivery dry and deadpan. "

Don't look at me like that. I thought it was mine."

The scene set the tone for the first half of the episode. There were more slice-of-life scenes, filled with small and charming interactions between the actors. It was moments that didn't push the plot too hard but made the characters more known and lovable.

By episode four's midpoint, the script's tone changes again.

More scenes between Joon and Sooyeon followed. They weren't romantic, not in the traditional sense. But they were still scenes that would make you laugh and smile. There was something comforting in their silences.

"Scene fourteen. Interior. Library. Late afternoon."

In this scene, Hayeon was sorting through old books. Minjae would sit on the floor beside a stack, flipping through a collection of novels without saying much.

"You should talk more," Hayeon said.

"Why?"

"You have a nice voice. Makes the quiet feel less lonely."

Minjae glanced across the table at Hayeon. She didn't look at him this time. She just read the line with a small smile tugging at her lips, letting it rest there like it was nothing.

But it landed on everyone's heart. Everyone felt it.

As the reading continued, supporting characters were given more room to grow, too. The café owner had a heartfelt monologue about losing her mother. The retired teacher shared a story about how he once gave up music for a girl who never came back.

Minjae listened quietly through those scenes, absorbing the tone and texture of the world he was about to step into. The Winter's Ending wasn't flashy, but the scenes were fun and light to watch.

When his next scene came, it was a short one. It was just him and Hayeon sitting on the steps outside the library. The sky was supposed to be dark, stars barely peeking out.

Joon: "Do you think some people are meant to stay in the background?"

Sooyeon: "I think some people just don't want the spotlight. But that doesn't mean they aren't seen."

The script didn't ask for anything more than that. But when Minjae read it, something caught in his throat for half a second.

It wasn't just Joon he was thinking of.

It was himself.

He glanced down at the page again. He couldn't explain it. But something about those words stuck with him.

Across the table, Hayeon looked over. She didn't say anything. But her expression softened, just briefly.

The reading carried on for another thirty minutes until finally, the last scene was read.

"Scene thrity-seven. Interior. Guesthouse room. Midnight."

Joon, who was unable to sleep, opened his journal.

Minjae read the words on the script slowly.

"Some days feel harder than others. Some memories cling harder. But then someone offers you a book. Or an ice cream. Or a reason to stay a little longer."

The line wasn't overly dramatic. It wasn't even long.

But again, silence followed.

Until the director finally spoke, his voice steady but pleased.

"Let's stop here for today."

Light claps followed again, followed by a few audible sighs of relief. The cast placed their scripts down, some stretching their arms, others leaning back into their seats.

"That was a good flow," the producer said. "We'll keep this momentum going into rehearsals."

The writer stood then, adjusting her glasses as she looked out at everyone.

"Thank you for your time, everyone," she said. "I know not having the script beforehand was unusual. But this is how we wanted it. To see how your instincts played with the material."

She paused for a moment before continuing.

"And you've all done it beautifully today."

Minjae bowed his head slightly in appreciation. Around the room, actors began thanking one another, offering soft praise and friendly exchanges.

He turned to Hayeon once more. "You really made Sooyeon shine."

Hayeon tilted her head slightly and smiled at Minjae. "And you made Joon feel like someone I'd want to know."

They exchanged a look quick look before letting out a laughter.

"You'll do great with him," Hayeon added, standing slowly and gathering her things. "He's in good hands."

"Thanks," Minjae said again.

Donghyun and Dongwook, who had stepped in near the end, approached him after things settled.

"Good work, Minjae-ssi" Donghyun said, patting his shoulder. "You looked focused the whole time."

Dongwook nodded in agreement. "Let's meet later to talk about the next few preparations. But for now, take the win. You made a solid impression today."

Minjae smiled quietly at them.

He looked down at the stack of pages in front of him—his script, already filled with pencil marks and folded corners. Joon was becoming clearer to him.

Minjae took a moment before standing from his seat. He ran his hand gently over the pages of the script, letting his fingers rest against the words he had just read minutes ago.

After a few minutes, he quietly stood and slipped the script into his folder.

Then, before leaving, he made his way toward the front of the room where the director, writer, and producer were gathered. They were speaking softly among themselves, but they paused when they saw him approaching.

"Director-nim," Minjae bowed politely, voice calm but steady. "Thank you for today."

The director looked up with a warm smile. "You did well, Minjae-ssi. You understood the script well. That's not something we can teach."

"Thank you. I'll keep working on it."

The writer adjusted her glasses and gave a soft nod toward him. "You gave Joon the kind of weight I imagined. I would like to commend you on that."

Minjae bowed again, deeply. "Thank you, writer-nim. I'm honored. I'll do my best to stay honest to the character."

"Keep doing what you're doing," the producer happily said, arms folded in front of her chest. "And I think we'll have something very special."

Minjae offered them all a final nod of gratitude before taking a step back. He didn't say anything else, because there wasn't really much more to say. Not right now.

He turned and began making his way out of the conference room.

Along the way, he passed by several of the staff members who had been moving in and out of the room throughout the reading session. There were script supervisors, camera crew, audio techs.

A few of them gave him small nods or smiles as he passed.

"Thank you for your hard work, Minjae-ssi," one of the younger staff said as she handed out boxed leftover food to those heading out.

Minjae gave a small bow. "Thank you, too. You worked hard today."

"You did really well," another staff chimed in. "Joon feels alive already."

Minjae only offered a small, modest smile in return before he reached the end of the hallway and stepped out through the double doors.

Donghyun and Dongwook were already waiting in the corridor, leaning casually against the wall.

The moment they saw him, they both straightened.

"Finally," Donghyun said, pushing off the wall and eyeing him with a grin.

"Yes, hyung." Minjae let out a soft breath as he nodded. "Honestly, It didn't feel that long."

Dongwook stepped forward, with the usual calm expression on his face. "That's probably a good thing. It means you were focused."

"Seriously. That delivery in episode three? Even I felt that ice cream scene hit somewhere in my chest." Donghyun nodded in agreement

Minjae laughed a little, running a hand through his styled hair. "It was a good script. I just followed what it gave me."

"That's the thing," Donghyun said, patting his shoulder. "Some people read words. Others live them. You were doing the second."

Minjae's smile lingered this time.

For a second, he just stood there, surrounded by the quiet hallway and the fading warmth of the conference room behind him.

He still had a long road ahead with Winter's Ending. There were still rehearsals, filming, press.

But still, he was feeling a whole lot of excitement already.

"I'm excited, Hyung." He turned to Dongwook and Donghyun, voice steady.

Donghyun smirked.

"You got it, Minjae."