hi! thank you so much for reading my posts, i'm so glad they bring you joy!!!
no, i wouldn't find that out of character within the context of the show. it was on the bottom of my wishlist of the finale, but as soon as i understood that the writer was going to be idiotic about them, i hoped to see them get back together later, and i endured the funeral scene up until it became obvious that we weren't even going to get this basic courtesy from the showmakers.
and yes, i absolutely agree with you -- the only reason the writer doesn't permit them to maintain any contact in her twisted-up version of events is because as soon as they have one calm conversation, they'll sort out their issue and realize they have the same goal. it's unrealistic for them to not run into each other on the bus or at a bar or in their neighbourhood shortly after the already out-of-character fight, especially since so many people around them support their relationship. there's no way heedo's mom doesn't confront yijin about the break-up at their workplace, or that seungwan, jiwoong, and yurim don't devise some elaborate plan to get them back together that involves setting them up on a drinking date and not letting them leave until they talk it out. can you imagine what a menace heartbroken baekdo would be for any friend gathering? the squad would split up, they'll talk to each of them individually, and as soon as they figure out the issue is miscommunication, they'll make it their mission to make them talk it out. it's what any friend group would do when their friends are suffering and pining away for each other.
i think fiction is only true when we believe in it, so whichever version of events you believe in will exist for you.
i personally think the story wrapped up all its plot points at the beginning of ep.15, when yijin transferred to another media department to safeguard his relationship with heedo. heedo's arc as a fencer finished in ep.7 to ep.9, with the episodes until 13 focusing on her romantic arc, while yijin's arc finished with his realization that love is the most precious thing in life in ep.15, just like his mom advised him to. from then on, i see them continuing to advance in their respective fields while cheering each other on from up close, having a beach wedding in pohang, and spending their lives together happily (as i've written about here).
whether yijin gets sent to new york or not is of no importance to his character arc, which was complete before this, but if he does it's only for a month or two like journalists did during the real-life 9/11, and he communicates with heedo during this time like he always does, while she supports him while encouraging him to take care of his mental health. because he's able to receive support from her and from therapy like she advises him to, he's able to preserve his hope and returns with a better understanding of the importance of balancing between his work and personal life. because of his journalistic integrity and his excellent reporting, he soon advances in his job and gains bigger control of his projects and his schedule, which he coordinates with heedo's. he picks heedo up from training in the evenings, they drive to picturesque towns on the weekends and try all the street food, and when summer comes they stretch out in their lounge chairs on the pohang beach and challenge each other to read each other's books while their two daughters splash around in the surf.
