Taeha felt a slight sense of tension as he checked the message from Seon Min-gi.
He thought he might finally hear the story that Seon Min-gi hadn’t been able to tell him.
But—
[Why haven’t you contacted me if we’re supposed to have dinner?]
The contents were quite different from what he had expected.
Far from being angry, Seon Min-gi simply brought up the dinner appointment, which Taeha had assumed was just a polite gesture.
“Is there really nothing wrong…?”
While somewhat relieved, Taeha didn’t completely let go of his nerves as he replied to Seon Min-gi’s message.
[I was just about to contact you.]
[When are you available? I’ll adjust to your schedule, hyung.]
Having dinner with Seon Min-gi wasn’t a difficult thing for Taeha at all.
In fact, he was curious.
He wondered how Seon Min-gi was doing after the filming ended.
How he was reacting to the current reception of as it aired.
Of course, these were things he could also ask at the wrap party scheduled after all 16 episodes had aired.
But for some reason, Taeha’s curiosity about Seon Min-gi only grew.
Perhaps it was because they had grown attached, living like brothers during filming.
So Taeha replied, thinking he would set aside a day to match Seon Min-gi’s schedule.
Unexpectedly, the reply came back almost immediately.
[The Monday after next.]
[Want to come to my place?]
Come to his house? What was this about?
“If it’s the Monday after next…”
That was the day episode 13 of would air.
***
Another week passed, and episodes 11 and 12 aired, with once again breaking its own highest ratings record.
The current viewership rating was 14.6%.
It was an incredible figure, with the drama on the verge of entering ITBC’s all-time top ten highest-rated dramas.
Every day, the media poured out articles related to it.
In addition, all sorts of TV programs and social media were flooded with parodies of .
It was clear how popular and buzzworthy had become.
And, surprisingly, what contributed most to the rising ratings was the conflict between Jinseong and Lee Jae-hyun.
In episodes 11 and 12, the tension in this conflict grew even more intense, causing the ratings to jump significantly.
Especially in episode 12, when Lee Jae-hyun was injured and collapsed, viewers’ anxiety reached an uncontrollable level.
Rumors circulated in online communities that Lee Jae-hyun might not get up again.
– Save our Jae-hyun ㅠㅠ
– Is there really no chance Lee Jae-hyun will wake up?
– Won’t he wake up only for the last episode? Looks tough until then.
– I think he might die while Jinseong fights the mastermind.
– But why? It’s so much better to keep him alive.
– Even so, shouldn’t Jinseong have a reason to risk his life fighting his father?
– So in the end, Lee Jae-hyun is a sacrificial lamb for Jinseong ㅠㅠ So cruel ㅠㅠ
– If I were the writer, I’d rewrite it right now to let Lee Jae-hyun live.
– Yeah, if he really dies like this, the viewer board will explode.
From the viewers’ perspective, it was hard to imagine Lee Jae-hyun staying down, struggling desperately to help Jinseong, only to lose his life.
It was easier to imagine him leaving quietly without waking, or reconciling with Jinseong after everything was resolved.
But Lee Jae-hyun’s role was to give Jinseong motivation for the final confrontation with the mastermind.
So, him rising again and sacrificing himself for Jinseong was the natural progression.
Indeed, some sharp-eyed viewers had already predicted this development.
– No way he dies just like this, right? Even if he dies, it’ll be a way more emotional scene, giving Jinseong a heavy sense of guilt.
But, unfortunately, opinions that were close to the correct answer didn’t gain much support.
For viewers immersed in , there was no time to think that far ahead.
“It’s a good thing. The further viewers’ thoughts stray from the answer, the more shocking episode 13 will be.”
With that, Taeha gathered his thoughts and quietly looked up.
What caught his eye was the appearance of a luxury apartment complex.
Located near Seoul Forest Park, this apartment was famous for its Han River view and steep prices.
Today, Taeha had come here to meet Seon Min-gi.
[Want to come to my place?]
Seon Min-gi’s message had been genuine.
Because of that, Taeha was currently holding a carefully packaged bottle of expensive wine in his right hand.
After finishing his script work last night, he had rushed to the nearest department store to buy it.
He had only managed to prepare it after asking Kim Nam-sun, Seon Min-gi’s manager, about Min-gi’s preferences.
With Seon Min-gi being so private, it hadn’t been easy to figure out what gifts he liked.
“He’ll like it, right? He has to like it.”
Taeha stared at the luxurious wine packaging for a moment, then steeled himself and pressed the bell.
After entering the apartment number he’d been given in advance, the bell rang, and as Taeha’s face appeared on the screen, the front door opened.
And so, he arrived on the 14th floor and finally made his visit to Seon Min-gi’s home.
As the doorbell rang, the apartment door opened, and Seon Min-gi, wearing his characteristic indifferent expression, greeted Taeha.
“You’re here? Come in.”
Following Seon Min-gi inside, the scene that unfolded matched the apartment’s reputation.
The modern and neat interior was impressive, but the house was so big it felt like there should be a hallway.
It even felt a bit like an annex.
Of course, this atmosphere was filled with the delicious smell of food tickling his nose, and the warmth of a house where a meal had just been finished.
“Did he really cook himself?”
It was an unexpected welcome.
Stunned, Taeha belatedly came to his senses and handed over the wine he was holding.
“Here, please take this. I brought it for you.”
“What’s this? Wine?”
“Yes. White Wine. I heard you liked it, hyung?”
“Mm. I do. Perfect timing. It’ll go well with the food I prepared.”
Seon Min-gi smiled, looking satisfied.
So, the food would pair well.
Feeling like he was looking at a true chef, Taeha asked,
“Did you cook all this yourself?”
“Mm. It’s my hobby. You haven’t eaten yet, right?”
“Well, if you’re cooking, of course I’d wait. Not just because I hadn’t eaten, either.”
“That’s good. Hang your coat over there and have a seat. I’ll bring out the food.”
Following Seon Min-gi’s instructions, Taeha hung up his coat and sat down at the eight-seater dining table.
Then, one by one, the dishes began to appear.
There were so many, it seemed like more guests should be coming.
Watching Seon Min-gi carry out a steak and shrimp cream pasta in both hands, Taeha asked,
“Is someone else coming today besides me?”
“No. Is the amount not enough?”
“No, it’s plenty.”
While Taeha was staring in a daze at the dishes filling the eight-seater table, Seon Min-gi finally opened the wine and poured it into their glasses, then sat across from Taeha.
“Let’s fill up before the drama starts.”
That was it.
The reason Taeha and Seon Min-gi had agreed to meet on the day episode 13 aired.
It was to watch episode 13 together.
But Taeha had never imagined today’s dinner would be like this.
He had expected they’d just order something simple to eat.
“But for it to be this formal… And not a word said.”
Surprisingly, Seon Min-gi barely spoke throughout the meal.
He seemed like someone who truly enjoyed cooking and eating, wearing a faint smile as he focused solely on the meal.
On the eight-seater dining table, the only sounds were the clinking of silverware in the dining room.
Unable to stand the silence, Taeha finally broke it.
“What have you been doing since the drama ended?”
“Not much. Just reviewing my next project…”
“I see.”
“I’ve been practicing cooking. This is good, isn’t it?”
When Seon Min-gi pointed at the Potato Gnocchi, Taeha unconsciously nodded.
“What chef are you, hyung?”
It was hard not to let that slip out.
Having survived that brief crisis, Taeha brought up a new topic.
“How are the people around you, hyung? Everyone’s probably reacting well because of the drama, right?”
While eating Spain-Style Octopus Sashimi, Seon Min-gi nodded readily and answered.
“Yeah, that’s true. But these days, people talk about you a lot more.”
Click.
As soon as Seon Min-gi finished speaking, the fork and knife in Taeha’s hand clattered weakly against the plate.
He pretended to be nonchalant, but he could almost guess what Seon Min-gi would say next.
Taeha steeled himself for what was to come and asked,
“Me?”
But—
“Yeah. They say you stand out a lot. I heard some people are even thinking about casting you as a main lead in their next project.”
“Oh.”
“So I recommended you. Told them you’re a really good actor. That you could be a lead right away without a hitch. Who would know better than me, after working with you?”
Seon Min-gi’s words were completely different from what Taeha had expected.
He’d anticipated blame or resentment, so he was all the more surprised.
He hadn’t imagined hearing such things from Seon Min-gi tonight.
And yet, Seon Min-gi wasn’t done.
“So don’t let all this attention get to you. Like you said, I got the result I wanted.”
“For someone of your caliber to not get noticed would be the real strange thing. So don’t worry about it. You walk your path. I’ll walk mine.”
You walk your path.
I’ll walk mine.
Hearing those words, Taeha felt his chest tighten.
He couldn’t help it.
Those were the very words Lee Ho-jun had once wanted to hear from Baek Seung-chul.
“To think I’d hear these words from Seon Min-gi.”
Maybe because of memories from his previous life, the older Seon Min-gi, who had always seemed a bit young, now looked different.
It truly felt like he’d gained a good hyung.
***
After finishing their meal, Taeha and Seon Min-gi moved to the living room to watch episode 13 together.
It was an episode filled with an intense acting showdown between the two characters.
The immersion was so strong, it felt as if no one else was in the room.
As Jinseong sobbed and episode 13 ended, the two sat in silence for a long time.
It was because the powerful thrill they’d felt on set was coursing through their bodies once again.
How much time had passed?
Seon Min-gi was the first to compose himself and cleared his throat.
“It’s over. Want more wine?”
Taeha snapped out of it and shook his head.
“No, if I drink more I’ll get too drunk. I’ll call my manager and head home.”
“Yeah, that’s for the best.”
“I’ll help clean up.”
A moment later.
A message arrived from Im Chan-hyung saying he’d arrived, and Taeha said goodbye to Seon Min-gi.
During that, it naturally came up that they should get together again soon.
Taeha saw no reason to refuse, as he enjoyed talking with Seon Min-gi.
“See you next time, hyung.”
“Yeah. Get home safe.”
With that, Taeha got into the car.
And at that moment, Im Chan-hyung brought up something important.
“So what will you do? Are you really going to take the lead role in ?”