Minjae leaned his head back against the cushion of his couch. He let the silence of his apartment settle in as the episode ended. The warmth from the episode still lingered in his chest.

Minnae was happy.

It had been a long day, but something about watching those two episodes made all his tiredness disappear.

After a moment of silence, Minjae finally reached for his phone. There were dozens of new messages on his screen. They were already stacked in his notifications.

[Jihoon:] I REWATCHED THE ENDING 3 TIMES ALREADY

[Jihoon:] Hyung! This episode is so nice.. You walked onto that stage like it was YOURS. 😭

[Jihoon:] I'm so proud of you. So proud of Taeyung. So proud of EVERYTHING 😭😭😭

Minjae smiled faintly as he typed back a short reply.

[Minjae:] Stupid. Let's watch the next one together next time.

A few more messages came from the drama's staff group chat.

[PD-nim:] It was a phenomenal episode. Let's meet on Monday to watch Episode 15. It will be my treat.

[Writer-nim:] Thank you, Minjae-ssi. Your acting brought that script to life. I'm really proud

[Minjae:] Thank you so much, PD-nim. I'll be there. And thank you, writer-nim… I'm just glad I could do justice to what you wrote.

He reread the messages once more before locking his phone and setting it aside. The smile on his face lingered, soft and content. For a long time, he just sat there in the quiet of his apartment, letting the last few scenes of Episode 14 replay in his mind.

It felt good to act in something that touched people.

And it felt even better knowing the story wasn't over yet.

- - -

The next morning, Minjae woke up a little later than usual. His body was still recovering from the full day before. He had become tired between the script reading for Winter's Ending and the emotional double-episode night.

It was also the reason why his sleep had come fast and deep.

The moment Minjae checkes his phone, he was met with the aftermath of the episode.

Social media was still in talks about the episode.

If anything, the online traffic had only gotten heavier overnight.

Fan pages, reaction videos, and even translated subtitle edits had already flooded his feed. There were even fancams made from the broadcast clips. There were also slow motion edits of Taeyung walking onto the stage, background music switched to soft piano tracks or emotional pop songs.

The trending list had been taken over by The Star's Secret completely.

#StarsSecretEp14

#MinjaeComeback

#IdolTYReturns

#YuraChoseToStay

#HealingInSilence

#ThisDramaWillBreakUs

Minjae scrolled for a few minutes, quietly watching the reaction in real time.

There were fans posting screenshots of the moment Yura handed him water in the studio.

"The way she takes care of him without asking anything in return… this is love."

Others zoomed in on Minjae's hands shaking slightly before going on stage.

"That detail?! Give Minjae the Best Actor award RIGHT NOW."

There were also nervous fans already preparing for what they feared was coming next.

"I love them. But I don't trust the writer. Episode 15 is gonna destroy me."

"K-dramas always do this. Just when they get close… misunderstanding arc enters."

"Betting Episode 15 starts with a hug and ends with a fight."

"Please please please let them just communicate for once 😭😭"

Minjae chuckled lightly at the chaos.

Then, a new notification popped up.

It was from Yura.

[Yura:] I can't believe people caught the water bottle scene. I didn't even think they'd notice that.

[Yura:] Also… I'm scared for Friday 😭

[Minjae:] Same. They're happy now… which means it's time to suffer.

[Yura:] This writer is too good, Oppa. I really commend, Unnie.

[Minjae:] You were amazing though. Last night, you really carried those scenes.

There was a pause before she replied again.

[Yura:] You too. That rooftop line… "I'll speak louder if I have to" was really good.

Minjae smiled again, this time slower. He locked his phone and stood up to start his day.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur of messages and updates. His manager Donghyun sent him a schedule update, confirming that they had a meeting later in the week to go over a potential brand endorsement—something small, a local fashion label, but still good exposure.

"Also," Donghyun wrote, "the CEO saw last night's episode and said you looked like you'd done this for ten years. He wants to take you out for dinner soon."

Minjae just shook his head and sent back a thumbs-up.

By the time the afternoon rolled in, several online entertainment outlets had published articles.

"The Star's Secret Breaks Its Own Viewership Record with Episode 14"

Episode 14 of The Star's Secret has achieved its highest viewership yet, hitting 16.5% nationwide. The emotionally nuanced performance of Nam Minjae, in particular, has received praise for his portrayal of a quietly struggling idol returning to the stage.

"Viewers React to Idol TY's Comeback: 'This Story Feels Personal'"

Fans say the drama's take on burnout, healing, and rediscovery is "more realistic than most," praising the grounded chemistry between Minjae and Yura.

"Episode 15 Preview Leaves Fans Anxious: Is a Misunderstanding Coming?"

With the preview clip showing Minjae overhearing a conversation he wasn't meant to hear, netizens are already speculating that the next episode will bring a turning point.

Minjae hadn't seen the preview yet. His agency had sent it to him through a private link, but he hadn't clicked on it.

Instead, he returned to his couch with a fresh cup of coffee and quietly opened his messages again.

He tapped on the fan app, where messages and fan art were flooding in.

A new fan drawing caught his eye. It was his character, standing onstage, with a bright light behind him, and Yura in the distance, her hand extended. The caption beneath it read:

"It takes courage to come back. But it takes love to wait for him."

Minjae's heart softened again.

It was amazing how people could understand things so deeply. Things that, during filming, had felt so simple and quiet were now being unpacked and interpreted like poetry.

He left a short comment under the drawing:

[Minjae:] Thank you for watching and feeling with us.

Evening came slowly, and Minjae found himself pacing his apartment. It was quiet again, but not in a lonely way. He watered his plants, cleaned his desk, and checked over some of the early lines for Winter's Ending.

Still, his mind kept drifting back.

He thought of that moment on stage. The fake stage, the real feelings.

He thought of Yura's steady gaze, how her hands didn't shake when she fixed his collar.

He thought of all the fans, strangers he would never meet, who still cared enough to stay up late just to watch two fictional people try their best to understand each other.

And he thought of what was waiting on Friday.

He knew the story well by now.

He knew what Episode 15 held.

There would be a misunderstanding.

A misheard conversation. A choice that would be taken the wrong way.

And for the first time since they'd started growing closer, Minjae and Yura would take a step back instead of forward.

Minjae didn't want to spoil it for anyone. But he could already feel the weight of it.

Minjae moved to the window as the sun dipped behind the buildings. The sun casted golden-orange shadows across his living room. He stood quietly for a moment, watching the slow movement of cars below and the occasional flicker of neon signs coming to life.

Despite the heavy arc awaiting in Episode 15, a small grin tugged at his lips.

It was working.

Everything was working for him—the story, the performances, the connection with the viewers. And most of all, the tension. The way people were already emotionally invested enough to fear what came next, even before it aired.

Suddenly, an idea struck in his head.

Minjae quickly returned to the couch and picked up his phone again, this time swiping over to his camera. The apartment light was low, just enough to cast a soft glow on one side of his face. He tilted the phone, leaned slightly into frame, and took a quick photo.

The picture was good so it didn't need filter. It was just him, with his eyes slightly shadowed and the faintest curl of a smirk on his lips.

He opened his social media app and uploaded the picture with a simple caption.

"Are you ready for what's coming?"

He didn't add hashtags. He didn't need to.

It was the kind of post that said everything without needing to explain.

He barely had time to set his phone down before notifications began buzzing. There were notifications of likes, shares, comments, reposts. The fans picked it up instantly.

"He KNOWS what he's doing 😭😭😭"

"STOPPP. WHAT IS HE IMPLYING?? I'M NOT READY!!!"

"Minjae you better not be smiling like that before emotional DAMAGE"

"Everyone be calm. Be cool. Don't panic. …I'M PANICKING."

"He's smirking because he knows we're about to cry."

"Oppa! Why do you look so good?"

"4 days till heartbreak."

"#AreYouReady = emotional war coming. Brace yourselves."

"That smirk… yeah. It's about to blow."