Chapter 44 – A Fire That Doesn't Fade
Behind the Gold: AUREUS Unfiltered – Episode 4 (Final Part)Live Global Viewership: 931,406,284Trending #1 Worldwide – #JaeheonBurntHisMask
The set is dimmer now.
No one turned down the lights. But it feels like someone did.
Jeon Mira (host) takes a breath, rubs her fingers together as if grounding herself, then gives the final prompt of Episode 4.
QUESTION 4 – "What's the one thing you hope never changes about you?"
They all pause.
It's an innocent question. On paper.
But not for people who've had to give up everything just to become someone.
Eunjae (lightly):"My stubbornness. Even if I'm wrong, I don't give up."
Yeonwoo:"My belief that music means something."
Rin:"…My sense of humor. Even when no one laughs, I want to keep it."
Hyunjae (smiling faintly):"I hope I never stop being protective. Even if I look stupid doing it."
Minjae (quiet):"I want to keep trusting people. Even though I know better."
Then all eyes drift to the one person whose silence has begun to shape the identity of the show itself.
Jaeheon.
He stares at the floor for a moment.
When he speaks, his voice is low. Almost... disbelieving.
Jaeheon:"I hope I never forget her."
The air freezes.
Jaeheon (continued):"Even if I never see her again. Even if I lose everything. Even if I'm erased."
A pause.
Jaeheon:"I hope I still remember her."
The silence that follows is not empty.
It's full of a million imagined faces. Of a woman no one knows. Of a love they're just beginning to understand is far from ordinary.
And as the camera zooms out—Episode 4 ends.
No applause.No outro music.Only the shattering of breathless awe.