After everything had settled, Minjae slowly started to shift his focus to his upcoming drama.

He knew it was time.

He had said goodbye to Taeyung. Now, it was Joon's turn to step forward.

A few days after The Star's Secret finale, his schedule started to fill up again. But this time, it felt different. It wasn't the same heavy rush he used to feel before. He felt a little lighter, as if he had grown more as an actor inside.

The first big thing on his schedule was a few more seminars that he needed to attend. Next to it, was the second part for the script reading of the drama, and lastly, it was for the dress fitting.

Dress fittings were where he had to try in a lot of clothes in different styles so that the drama's stylist would be able to see what suits him the best.

The first on Minjae's schedule was the seminar.

It was Thursday when he arrived at the same studio building, he had visited before. The same hallway, the same quiet conference room with name tags and seats arranged in a circle.

When he stepped inside, he noticed that many of the attendees were the same — the supporting actors, a few extras who would play writers in Winter's Ending, and some new faces who looked equally nervous and excited.

The energy in the room felt familiar but a bit more relaxed this time. People recognized each other now. Some were greeting each other warmly, sharing snacks, or flipping through script excerpts while they waited.

Minjae found his seat and gave a few polite nods to those nearby. A junior actor, who had sat with him in the small group discussion last time, waved shyly.

"Sunbae, you came early today," the junior said.

Minjae let out a small laugh. "I didn't want to rush. It's better to take it slow before a long session."

A few minutes later, the seminar officially started. This time, instead of famous and successful writers, the speakers were now a popular TV show host and a seasoned field reporter.

They entered the room with bright smiles and carried an energy that instantly shifted the atmosphere.

"Hello, everyone! We're so happy to be here today!" the host said, clapping her hands together. She had a friendly voice, the kind that made people lean forward without even realizing.

The reporter followed up, his voice calmer but warm. "You might wonder why a host and a reporter are here today… It's because writing stories is not just about words on a page. It's also about how we share them, how we deliver them to the world."

The two began to talk about how small moments become big stories — how even the simplest gestures or quiet pauses could carry meaning.

As they spoke, Minjae found himself nodding quietly. He thought of Joon, his new character. Someone who lived mostly in the background, observing, writing, collecting pieces of life without shouting them out loud.

There was a part when the host shared a personal story.

"There was this one guest on my show," she said, eyes softening. "He wasn't famous. But he said something I'll never forget. He said, 'I write because I'm afraid of forgetting how something felt.' And isn't that what all of us are doing here? Trying to remember feelings, trying to show them to the audience."

A quiet hum of agreement moved across the room.

Minjae glanced around. The junior actors looked thoughtful. Even some of the staff members who came to observe were leaning forward, listening intently.

Later, they were asked to write a short 'character moment' on a small piece of paper — something that wasn't in the script, but could belong to their character's private world.

Minjae took a pen and thought for a while.

Then, he wrote simply:

"Joon likes to leave the window open when it rains. He says it feels like the world is talking to him."

When the papers were collected, the host read a few out loud. When she read Minjae's, she paused and smiled.

"Beautiful. It's quiet but says so much about who he is," she said, glancing around to see who had written it.

Minjae just lowered his head slightly, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

After that, they split into smaller groups to discuss what they wrote and why. Minjae found himself surrounded by three extras and a supporting actress. One of them shyly said, "I think your line about the rain… it made me think of my grandmother. She used to say rain was like old stories visiting us."

They continued talking, sharing small pieces of their thoughts, sometimes serious, sometimes laughing at their own awkward ideas.

By the end of the seminar, people seemed even closer than before. The host and reporter thanked them, encouraging everyone to hold onto these quiet observations in their acting.

As they all started to pack up, the junior actor from before came over again.

"Sunbae, thank you… your line gave me a new idea for my small scene," he said earnestly.

Minjae patted him on the shoulder lightly. "I'm happy it helped. Let's keep learning together."

When Minjae finally stepped out of the building, the late afternoon sun felt warm on his face. He breathed in deeply, feeling calm but quietly inspired.

That same day, after the seminar, Minjae headed home for a quick rest. He thought about skipping dinner plans altogether and just staying in, but his phone wouldn't stop buzzing with notifications.

Ever since their last big dinner three days ago, Jihoon and Yura had been bothering him almost nonstop.

[Jihoon:] Hyung, dinner. Tonight. No excuses.

[Yura:] We said we'd meet again before schedules get busy. You promised!

[Jihoon:] I already made a reservation. You have no choice.

[Yura:] Please? 😭😭😭

At first, Minjae ignored them. But the messages kept coming. At some point, they even started sending him random crying gifs and pictures of sad puppies.

Finally, he sighed and replied:

[Minjae:] Fine. Stop sending me dog pictures. I'll come.

So that evening, he found himself standing outside a cozy, small Korean restaurant that Jihoon had chosen. When he walked in, he immediately spotted them.

Jihoon was already waving wildly. "Hyung! Over here!"

Yura turned in her seat, smiling wide as she saw him. "I thought you'd ditch us again."

Minjae shook his head, taking off his jacket. "I almost did. But I didn't want more crying puppy photos in my inbox."

Jihoon laughed so hard he nearly knocked over his water glass. "We knew it would work! Emotional blackmail always works on you."

Minjae just gave him a flat look. "That's not something to be proud of."

They all laughed. In just seconds, they immediately became comfortable with one another.

Soon, they were ordering food — kimchi jjigae, spicy pork, and side dishes that kept piling up. The table filled fast, and so did their plates.

Yura leaned over, eyes wide. "So… how was the seminar today?"

"It was good," Minjae said simply. "Different speakers this time. But I liked it. It made me think a lot about Joon."

Jihoon leaned in, interested. "Already diving deep, huh? You really don't rest, Hyung."

Minjae shrugged his hsoulder, picking up a piece of grilled meat. "It's part of the job. And… it helps me let go of Taeyung more easily."

At that, Yura softened a little. She nodded, playing with her chopsticks. "I get that, Oppa."

There was a small silence before Jihoon let out a dramatic sigh and raised his glass.

"Hays alright, alright. Let's just eat,."

Minjae and Yura burst out laughing.

They clinked glasses together, and for a moment, it felt like time slowed down.

The rest of the dinner was easy and warm. They joked about the finale, teased each other about old bloopers, and even shared small worries about upcoming work.

At one point, Yura showed them a behind-the-scenes photo she hadn't posted yet — a blurry shot of Minjae and Jihoon messing around during a break. Jihoon looked horrified. "Don't you dare post that!"

"Too late," Yura said with an evil grin.

Minjae just shook his head, quietly laughing at their chaos.

After dinner, they stepped outside into the cool night air. Yura wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck, and Jihoon stretched his arms over his head.

"So, same time next week?" Jihoon asked with a hopeful look.

Minjae pretended to think hard. "Hmm… I'll check if I have any more emotional blackmail images to receive first."

Yura shoved his arm lightly. "Just say yes!"

Minjae finally smiled, soft and real. "Alright. Let's do it."

They all stood there for a moment, breathing in the city night, feeling strangely light despite the long journey they had just finished together.

Then they parted ways — each heading toward new schedules, new characters, new stories.

But tonight, they were just three friends, sharing a simple dinner and a few good laughs under the streetlights.

And for Minjae, that was more than enough.