The weekend that followed felt slower for Minjae. However, it was not not in a bad way.

After all the chaos from Episode 15, Minjae stayed in his apartment. He didn't go out. Didn't take on any other schedules. He just wanted time to rest, think, and focus.

Saturday morning came quietly. The city outside his window was already busy, but inside his place, it was still quiet.

Minjae got up, made coffee, and sat by his desk like he always did. The script for Winter's Ending was already open beside him. His highlighter and pen were placed neatly next to it. There was no music playing in the background, no distractions.

It was just him, the story, and his thoughts.

He took his time reading each line again.

He didn't just read the words. He asked himself what his character, Joon, would really feel. What kind of silence would come after certain lines. What kind of look he would give. What kind of weight would be in his voice.

Every time something felt unclear, he'd pause and scribble small notes beside it.

Look away here.

Quiet laugh—not real.

Feels like guilt—not anger.

Sometimes, he'd even repeat the same line three or four times out loud, changing his tone each time. Just to hear which one fit best.

In his own time, he wasn't rushing things.

Minjae moved between the table and the couch all day. He'd make coffee when he needed a break. Sometimes he'd stand by the window and let the light hit his face while reading through the monologues.

It was peaceful. A little tiring, of course, but still, in the kind of way that made him feel fulfilled.

At night, he opened his phone again, not for drama noise this time, but to check on his fans.

The comments under his post were still going.

Some were funny. Some were desperate. Most were just people trying to make sense of what they had watched. Some were even writing theories in the replies.

"I think Jiwoo will come back during his concert 😭 please I'm begging."

"Episode 16 better start with Taeyung sending her that song. I KNOW he wrote it."

Minjae liked a few comments. Then slowly, he started replying to others.

[Fan:] "Sir… we're still crying. Why would you post that?"

[Minjae:] "I warned you. Episode 15 wasn't going to be easy."

[Fan:] "Give us hope. Just one clue 😭"

[Minjae:] "Hope comes in strange forms. Let's see what happens."

He also replied to a fan who posted a black-and-white edit of his breakdown scene, captioned "his silence said everything."

[Minjae:] "Sometimes, silence is the loudest line."

That reply got over 100,000 likes in less than an hour.

By Sunday, the internet had calmed down a little. But people were still talking about it. Even with the silence though, more articles came out.

"Nam Minjae's performance in Episode 15 praised for quiet emotion and depth."

"Yura and Minjae break records as the most-talked-about K-drama pair of the month."

"Viewers beg for reconciliation after heart-shattering breakup in The Star's Secret."

Minjae saw the headlines, but didn't really react. He was grateful. But he didn't let it get to his head.

Instead, he kept his focus on Winter's Ending.

By Sunday afternoon, he had already finished going through two more episodes. His notes had grown thicker. There were more circles, underlines, even questions he wanted to ask the director.

Later that night, he posted a short update again.

It was a photo of his desk. A coffee mug, his open script, a pen in his hand—but his face wasn't in the frame.

The caption read:

"New story. New heart. Thank you for letting me grow."

The comments came in instantly.

"You're working hard again 😭 please rest too!!"

"Every time you post something it's soft and beautiful."

"From Taeyung to another character?"

"Oppa has a new project?"

"Can't wait! We're with you all the way."

Minjae smiled as he read each one.

He didn't need to say much. By the time Sunday night ended, he felt ready again. Tomorrow, Monday was already the last episode for their drama.

Because of it, director Hwang invited everyone for a dinner once again. It will be the last time they get together for the drama. It was also the time for everyone to bid goodbyes to the role they cherished for a few months.

- - -

Monday evening had arrived soon after.

For the past few weeks, the cast and crew of The Star's Secret had been caught in a whirlwind of emotions, schedules, and growing success. But tonight, in this final gathering, they were different.

It wasn't about working or promoting.

Now, it was about all of them, together, one last time.

The studio had gone out of their way to make it special.

The entire restaurant, located just a few minutes from the broadcasting station, had been rented for the whole night. It wasn't anything flashy but just a cozy, modern Korean spot with wood paneling, soft lighting, and big tables meant to be shared.

There was no red carpet, no media, and also no official cameras.

In the restaurant, it was just people who had made a story together.

Minjae arrived just after six. He was dressed in a dark blue jacket and plain white shirt. His hands tucked into his pockets as he stepped out of the car. Even from the outside, he could already hear music playing faintly through the restaurant's glass doors and laughter filtering out to the sidewalk.

Donghyun followed a few steps behind. "Go on in. I'll catch up," he said. "Looks like your co-workers are already celebrating."

Minjae smiled faintly and nodded before walking toward the entrance.

Right by the front door, a simple banner had been hung:

"The Star's Secret – Final Episode Celebration Night."

And just beneath it, in a small font:

"Thank you for making this story unforgettable"

He smiled as he read this words.

After reading, Minjae stepped inside. The staff from lighting were the first to spot him.

"Minjae-ssi! You came just in time. We're opening the second bottle of soju!"

"Second already?" he laughed.

"You know how emotional editors get," one of them joked, nudging the man beside him who had already gone red in the face.

Minjae waved and made his way inside. The room was already filled with chatter. The stylist team was gathered near a mirror, complimenting each other's outfits and taking group photos. The makeup team had claimed a full table near the bar and were shouting across to the camera crew who they had always worked with.

Minjae passed by one of the editors who clapped him on the shoulder.

"You better brace yourself for the ending, Minjae-ssi."

He laughed softly. "I'm already scared, Hyung."

Then he saw Yura.

She had just arrived a few minutes before him and was still taking off her coat near the entrance. She looked up and smiled when their eyes met.

"Oppa," she called out softly, already walking toward him. "I thought you weren't coming."

"I almost didn't," he teased. "But then I remembered someone owes me a drink for that crying scene."

Yura narrowed her eyes, but smiled anyway.

"Oppa, did you mean the scene where you destroyed half the country's hearts?"

"Exactly that one."

They both laughed and moved toward one of the long tables, already half-filled with supporting actors. One of them, an actress who played Taeyung's manager, reached out to give Minjae a side hug.

"I still can't believe it's ending," she said, leaning her head on his shoulder briefly. "What are we going to do on Fridays now?"

"Sleep," someone from across the table answered.

"Cry," another chimed in.

Laughter erupted again.

Soon, more people arrived. There were script supervisor, the boom mic operator, one of the junior interns who had carried coffee for everyone during early shoots. Each of them was greeted like family.

There were no divisions tonight.

No job titles.

No hierarchies.

Tonight, they were just people who had worked hard and cared deeply about the same thing.

When Jihoon finally walked in, he didn't even make it past the front door before someone shoved a drink in his hand.

"You're late," Yura said.

"I was emotionally preparing myself," Jihoon replied with a dramatic sigh. "I rewatched Episode 15 in the car."

"You're hopeless, Jihoon-ssi" Minjae muttered.

"Tsk. Tsk. Coming from you hyung," Jihoon shot back.

Minjae just laughed at it.

As people began to fill the space, the food also began to arrive in groups. There were grilled beef, bubbling kimchi stew, fried dumplings, and endless side dishes. The table filled quickly, and so did everyone's glasses. A few people began proposing toast after toast, some funny, some sincere.

"To the lighting team who somehow made us look good even after twelve hours of shooting!"

"To the intern who ran in the rain for battery packs—three times!"

"To Minjae and Yura for making all of Korea cry!"

Each time, everyone raised their glasses, cheered, and clinked bottles together.

Minjae looked around, watching everyone interact. The second male lead was arm-wrestling one of the prop assistants. The script coordinator was being forced to sing along to a trot song by one of the sound engineers. Even the shyest staff members were smiling, talking, taking photos, and sharing food.

It was strange, this feeling.

It felt like an ending. And yet, it was full of love.