Offstage Secrets
Bad Ending: The Silent Storm
Weeks pass after JL decided to lighten the mood during Jeongwoo’s vulnerable moment. Their friendship remains intact, filled with casual conversations and occasional smiles, but there’s an invisible wall that never fully comes down. Jeongwoo keeps his deeper feelings locked away, hiding behind his usual silence. JL senses the distance but struggles to find the right moment to bridge the emotional gap.
AHOF’s debut grows more demanding, with relentless schedules and mounting pressure. The stress affects everyone, but Jeongwoo becomes increasingly withdrawn. JL tries to reach out, offering small gestures of support, but Jeongwoo responds with polite smiles, never letting JL get too close.
One evening, after a grueling rehearsal, JL finds Jeongwoo alone in an empty concert hall, staring at the stage with a distant look. JL approaches, heart pounding. “Jeongwoo, are you okay? You’ve seemed… different lately.”
Jeongwoo hesitates before replying softly, “I’m fine. Just tired.”
JL tries to push further, “You know you can talk to me, right? About anything.”
Jeongwoo offers a faint smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Thanks, JL. But it’s better this way. I don’t want to be a burden.”
JL’s chest tightens, realizing Jeongwoo’s walls are higher than ever. They sit in silence, the unspoken words hanging heavy between them.
…
Time passes, and AHOF’s success grows, but JL and Jeongwoo drift apart emotionally. They remain friends, standing side by side on stage, but the closeness they once shared fades like an echo in an empty room.
In the final scene, JL watches Jeongwoo from afar during a performance. The stage lights shine brightly, but Jeongwoo’s smile feels hollow, distant. JL wonders what could’ve been—if only they had reached out differently, if only they had broken through his walls when it mattered most.
And that lingering “what if” becomes JL’s silent regret, a melody that never found its lyrics.
THE END