hi! first off, thank you for the compliment 💚. as for your question, no, i don’t think the author will be able to cover all the side stories along with the main story by the second half of 2025. she actually mentioned herself that she’s prioritizing the main story, and the side stories will be released indefinitely after the main plot wraps up (i’ll attach the translated announcement in the replies).

honestly, I’m struggling to gather my thoughts about the recent chapter because I’m not sure where things are headed anymore. i don’t want to sound negative, but it’s true that it’s starting to feel repetitive. resolving the tension between cheol and jisu is necessary, of course, but i think a lot of people are upset because we thought this arc would be part of the side stories. most of us were expecting to head straight into the final arc, where cheol and mi-ae confront the bully.

that said, if jisu ends up playing a big role in that confrontation—like we theorized with the magpie and scholar folklore reference—then maybe this arc is setting the stage for something crucial. if that’s the case, we just need to get through this, and then we’ll reach the finale.

i can’t help but feel a bit hopeful that the author might extend the deadline, though. i know she put a lot of thought into her decision to end it by mid-2025, especially considering her health, but i can’t wrap my head around how the story will conclude in ~30 chapters. unless the chapters get significantly longer after this arc, it feels like there’s still so much left to cover 😢