That night, Minjae was finally back in his apartment. When he arrived back, the city outside his window had already begun to dim. He had taken a quick shower after returning from the script reading, changed into his usual loose sweater and sweatpants, and settled into his usual spot on the couch.

A warm drink sat untouched on the coffee table beside him, already losing its heat as Minjae took his time to just lay down.

He was waiting for the time.

The time when Episodes 13 and 14 of The Star's Secret will be airing.

After a few minutes of waiting, the familiar opening sequence played on his television. The internet lit up again. As usual, hashtags were already trending hours before the episode.

#StarsSecretEp13

#YuraSeesTheTruth

#IdolMinjaeReturns

#MinjaeAndYuraHeartbreakAndHealing

#CanTheySurviveFame

Minjae reached for the remote and turned up the volume.

Episode 13 opened right where the last one ended—the hospital. Minjae's character, Taeyung, sat quietly outside the emergency room. Yura's character was beside him, silent, with her hands folded on her lap.

Neither spoke for the first minute. But the silence wasn't awkward. Instead, it was heavy and meaningful.

Eventually, Yura looked at him. "You've been carrying this all alone."

Minjae's voice onscreen was low, a whisper.

"I didn't know how to say it… or if I should."

She didn't answer right away.

But she stayed.

The next scene cuts to them arriving at Minjae's apartment. Yura looked around slowly. Her eyes landed on old awards, faded fan letters, photos from concerts—all of which had been tucked away in boxes or placed face down on the shelves.

She walked through the space like she was seeing him for the first time.

"I was really someone else back then," Minjae said.

"I don't think you ever stopped being him," Yura replied. "I think you just forgot how to be both."

The fans online were in shambles at their lines.

"She's seeing his whole life and not running away. This is love."

"I can't believe we're seeing Idol Minjae again… it's bittersweet."

"This is the most vulnerable he's ever been with her."

The episode continued with Yura staying the night, not out of romance, but concern. She watched over Minjae and even helped him sort through old things. They found a CD he once made for a fan event. Yura insisted on playing it.

"You wrote this song?" she asked.

He nodded.

"It's kind of cheesy."

"…Thanks," Minjae muttered, embarrassed at it.

Yura laughed.

"I didn't say I didn't like it."

That scene ended with the two of them sitting on the floor, backs against the couch, music quietly playing in the background. It was soft, sweet and kind of nostalgic.

Minjae's phone buzzed beside him. He glanced at it.

[Jihoon:] Wow hyung! This episode is nuts! 😭

Minjae chuckled at it. He smiled faintly.

The moment that scene ended, the internet exploded.

Within seconds, every platform was filled with reactions from fans who were now practically glued to their screens.

"He let her listen to his old fan CD. That's like showing someone your diary from high school 😭"

"This episode feels like being let in on a secret that wasn't meant to be shared."

"They're not even being romantic-romantic but I'm crying like it's the most romantic thing in the world."

"HELP I CAN'T BREATHE. THEY'RE SITTING ON THE FLOOR LISTENING TO HIS OLD SONGS 😭"

#TaeyungExposed

#YuraListeningToHisHeart

#StarsSecretEp13

#SomeoneHoldMe

#TheyAreSoSoft

Minjae blinked in disbelief at how fast the reactions were coming in. He hadn't even reached for his drink yet when he noticed that a 12-second clip from the "fan CD" scene had already garnered over fifty thousand views within ten minutes. One fan had even added captions over it:

"me: i'm fine

also me: 🥹"

And the most-liked comment beneath it?

"This scene will live rent-free in my chest forever."

Minjae just chuckled as he watched it. The fans were truly unbelievable, but he was happy that they were enjoying it.

However, as soon as episode 14 starts, Minjae set his phone down and quietly watched the next scene unfold onscreen. He didn't want to miss a second of it.

Then Episode 14 began.

And things shifted again.

The episode opened with the announcement.

Minjae's character received a call from his agency. An offer to return. A solo comeback. It was something big.

He didn't answer right away. He just stared at the phone.

The next few scenes showed Minjae weighing the idea silently. He was walking through the city, talking with his manager, revisiting an old dance studio late at night. There were no lines with Yura.

For the first half of the episode, it was just him. Alone.

And then… he said yes.

The scene cut to the agency releasing a formal statement.

"Former idol TY confirms return to music. Comeback preparations underway."

Yura saw it on her phone while walking. Her expression froze.

She later found Minjae sitting quietly in his aparment, his phone face down on the table.

"You said you left that world," she said, voice calm but uncertain.

"I did," he replied. "But… I think I want to try again. Not for the fans. Not for the noise. Just for me this time."

Online, chaos erupted.

"NOOOOO WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S COMING BACK"

"I'm happy but I'm scared 😭 They just got stable!!!"

"Is this going to ruin what they have?"

But the episode didn't end there.

Instead, it gave the audience something rare, a quiet montage of the two of them adjusting to this change.

Yura watching Minjae rehearse in secret, silently mouthing his lyrics in support.

Minjae waiting for her after work, umbrella in hand, the way she used to wait for him.

A rooftop scene where they just sat, shoulder to shoulder, staring at the skyline.

"I'm scared I'll lose you in all of this," Yura whispered.

"You won't," he answered.

"But the world's loud."

"I'll speak louder if I have to."

The rest of Episode 14 played like a soft but steady. It was the episode that showed Minjae's return to the spotlight not as a sudden leap, but as a cautious and hopeful journey.

The second half of the episode showed Yura quietly becoming his support. Not just as a girlfriend or a love interest, but as someone who truly saw him, both the part of him that wanted to disappear, and the part of him that still longed for the stage.

She helped him warm up before practice.

She stayed behind in the corner of the dance studio when he rehearsed late into the night, bringing him water without a word.

There was one moment, right before a pre-recorded interview shoot, where she helped him fix his collar and smooth down a wrinkle on his blazer. Her hands were gentle, but her eyes gave her away.

She was nervous.

Because she realized then how he loved this. How he loved being on stage.

And something about that scared her.

She wasn't afraid of the spotlight itself, but of what it meant: the inevitable noise that would come with it. The cameras. The people. The opinions. The expectations.

She had only just gotten to know this quiet, grounded version of him.

And now, she was watching him fly again.

Still, she didn't stop him.

Not once.

Instead, she stayed.

Near the end of the episode, Minjae's character stood behind a stage curtain, dressed in black, mic in hand. The lights were bright even from the side.

He peeked out to see the audience. His chest rose and fell once.

And behind him, just out of the camera's focus, stood Yura. Watching him. Not as a girlfriend. Not as a fan.

But as someone who chose to believe in him.

"You look scared," she said quietly.

"I am," he replied. "But I want to try."

The final scene showed him stepping onto the stage. The lights swallowed him whole. The camera panned slowly to Yura's face, watching from the wings.

Her eyes were soft.

Then the screen faded to black.

"THE STAGE SCENE. THE LOOK ON HIS FACE. HE MISSED THIS LIFE SO MUCH 😭😭"

"She's scared… but she's still holding space for him."

"He came back for himself this time. Not for fans. Not for anyone. Just… him. That hits."

"Can we talk about Yura's acting??? The way she showed fear and support at the same time?? Incredible."

"Best episode of the season. Hands down."

"Give these two ALL the awards right now."

Hashtags flooded every platform.

#StarsSecretEp14

#HeChoseTheStage

#YuraChoseToStay

#MinjaeComeback

#SoftestSupportSystem

#TheyAreHealingMeToo

One fan post went viral instantly:

📝 "He didn't ask her to wait. She chose to. And that's what makes it beautiful."

There were even international fans posting real-time translated reactions.

"Yura saw how much he loved the stage and stayed anyway… She didn't try to stop him. She just stood with him. That's love."

Minjae sat on his couch in the dim light of his apartment, staring at the final frame of the episode.

His phone buzzed endlessly beside him.

But he didn't check it yet.

He just sat there, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, heart still steady from what he'd just watched.