A few days after the housewarming, life slowly began to settle again for Minjae.

For the past few weeks, Minjae spent most of his time reading, cleaning up, and jotting notes in his small notebook. The buzz around The Star's Secret was still there, but as expected, it had quieted down a little.

The numbers were still high, and the fans were still around, but the drama had entered a steadier rhythm now. And Minjae was fine with that.

He knew that once a new episode aired, the hype around it would return.

However, today, that's wasn't his focus. His focus was on something new.

His next project.

Winter's Ending.

It was finally time for the first official meeting of the drama.

Minjae stood in front of his mirror, adjusting the collar of his shirt. He was dressed neatly in a soft beige coat over a black turtleneck and slacks.

It was clean and simple. It was nothing flashy, just something that made him look professional.

He checked the time on his watch and sighed.

It was almost time already.

Just as he reached for his phone, a message came in on it.

[Donghyun Hyung:] We're already downstairs, Minjae. Come down when you're ready.

[Minjae:] Yes, hyung. I'm coming down now.

Minjae grabbed his coat and stepped outside. The wind was cold but not definitely less cold than when it was winter.

He made his way down his new apartment's elevator and found the black car waiting for him in front.

Donghyun was in the driver's seat, sipping coffee, while Chanhyuk sat quietly in the next seat reviewing something on his tablet.

"Good morning, hyung," Minjae greeted the two as he climbed in.= the passenger's seater. Love this story? Show support at MV2LEMPYR.

"Good morning, Minjae," Donghyun replied, glancing at him. "You look nervous."

"I'm not."

"You are."

Minjae sighed and shook his head a little. "Fine, maybe a little."

Chanhyuk looked up with a calm smile. He chuckled and gave him a thumbs up.

"Don't worry, Minjae-ssi. It's just a meeting. But yeah, it's an important one. The team behind this drama is one of the most trusted in the industry."

Minjae nodded. "Yes, hyung."

He knew that.

Winter's Ending wasn't just any other project. It was his next project.

It was one of those quietly ambitious dramas. The kind that didn't rely on flashy plot twists or over-the-top tropes.

It focused on people. Emotions. Subtle changes. And for someone like him, who had just come off a warm romantic drama, it was something appropriate for him.

His image right now for the viewers was a gentle and romantic guy. If he wanted his name to continuously soar high, he need to stick to it for a few more dramas before he could have a drastic one that would surprise the viewers eyes.

It was a tactic that a lot of actors have been doing in the field.

"It will take us 30 minutes to arrive at the location." Donghyun informed Minjae as he adjusted his own seatbelt after bringing the coffee down to the holder.

"Alright, hyung." Minjae abruptly nodded as he sighed. He settled in his seat and stared outside.

After a few seconds, the car finally made its way through the busy morning traffic. As they drove, Minjae looked out the window, his thoughts already drifting toward the drama.

He was informed that the character's background had been changed.

This time, it was about a writer who had once been brilliant, but lost everything. He returned to his town. And tried to search for inspiration, while relearning how to live, away from work, once again.

As Minjae thought of it, he couldn't help but emphatize with the character. There was something personal in that. Something he couldn't quite explain.

After about thirty minutes, the car pulled into the entrance of a tall building. The name "Hana Entertainment Studios" stood cleanly at the front. It was a well-known studio that produces mid-sized to large-sized dramas.

The lobby was wide and well-lit, with clean marble floors and glass walls. A few posters of past successful dramas lined the hall, and several staff members walked briskly through with clipboards and cameras in hand.

Minjae followed Donghyun and Chanhyuk inside.

A staff member greeted them at the front desk.

"Nam Minjae-ssi? You can follow me. The others are already inside."

They were led through a short hallway and up a flight of stairs before stopping in front of a glass double door.

On a plaque beside it: Conference Room B.

The staff opened the door.

Inside was a large rectangular table, surrounded by chairs. The lighting was soft and warm, and a few cameras were set up near the back. It was probably for internal documentation or early promo materials.

Minjae recognized a few people immediately.

One of them was the director—an older man with kind eyes and a warm smile. He had done several critically acclaimed dramas in the past, often praised for his quiet storytelling and strong character work.

Beside him sat the writer. The writer was woman in her forties with short hair and a serious face. She was known for writing grounded, emotional stories. The kind that left a mark to the people's emotions.

And next to them, the producer was a young woman in her thirties who looked sharp. She was holding a thick binder in front of her.

The fourth chair across from them was already taken.

A woman was seated there with her legs crossed, flipping through a script.

Minjae blinked when he saw her.

It was probably his co-star.

Someone he had seen once or twice on his past life but never got the chance to work with her.

The woman was Song Hayeon.

She was quiet in the industry but highly respected. She was known for her theater background and good performances. She had this calm presence, like she didn't need to try hard to be noticed—but always left an impression.

"Ah, Minjae-ssi," the director stood up to greet him. "Thank you for coming."

Minjae quickly bowed. "Thank you for having me, director-nim."

Donghyun and Chanhyuk also exchanged greetings with the important people around. After a few introductions, they all took their seats.

"We'll begin shortly," the producer said, placing a pile of scripts on the table.

Everyone was given a copy.

Minjae opened his, flipping through the first few pages.

The title on the front: Winter's Ending.

A few minutes of silence surrounded them after it. However, the director cleared his throat and smiled.

"We're very happy to have you onboard, Minjae-ssi," the director started. "I've seen your work in The Star's Secret. Your performance was subtle and honest. That's exactly what this drama needs."

"Thank you, director." Minjae nodded quietly. "I'll do my best."

The writer leaned forward. "As you know, this drama centers on a man named Joonha. A once successful novelist who disappears after a personal tragedy, only to return to his hometown years later, unable to write anymore."

Minjae's eyes stayed on the script.

The name "Joonha" was underlined several times.

"The drama doesn't rely on grand moments," she continued. "It's about healing. And silence. The people we meet when we're at our lowest, and the small things that bring us back."

The producer took over. "We've already revised the character from a pianist to a writer, as requested. The musical elements will now be reflected through ambient scores and sound design, rather than performance."

"We're also keeping the setting as originally planned—a quiet rural town by the mountains. The filming will start at the last week of next month, mostly on location." The director also added.

Chanhyuk looked up. "What's the filming length?"

"Eight weeks," the producer replied. "It's a longer run. However, as normal, there will be day offs every weekend."

"I see. How about the other preparations?"

As Chanhyuk continued to ask, Minjae found himself flipping back to the first scene.

Joonha. Train station. Snow falling.

There will be a suitcase by his side. It was nothing dramatic. Just a man returning home.

However, he could already imagine the scene in his head.

His fingers tightened around the paper slightly.

Hayeon spoke for the first time.

"I'll be playing Sooyeon," she said, glancing at Minjae. "I hope we can have a good time working together."

Minjae met her gaze and nodded. A small smile took over his lips.

"I look forward to working with you."

She smiled lightly. "Same."

The conversation continued with questions about filming dates, costume fittings, and early script readings.

Everything was still in pre-production, so there still might be changes with the dates.

However, they were informed beforehand, that Mnjae wold have to attend a few workshops about being a writer. It was to help him be more familiar with his role.

Minjae gladly said yes to it because he knew that it was needed. There were also some same experiences like this in his last life. It would be tiring, but he knew that it would be worth it in the end.

That's why by the end of the meeting, Minjae felt something settle inside him.

Anticipation.

"So? How do you feel?" The director smiled at Minjae as they slowly wrapped up.

Minjae exhaled, looking down at the script in his hands.

"I'm excited for this one."