Ibuki could not have seen himself becoming successful as a fashion designer, especially after getting a chance to work under Mok Myong-Ok. Yet there he was, creating a name for himself. There was no doubt about his identity. No one doubted his abilities and talent. His life might not have been the same had some events in his life never transpired. His father's death left him wounded, but it was what drove him to end his life and meet Misao. In Misao, he found the friend of a lifetime. Through Misao, he met Rui, who helped him at times, believing he could achieve his dreams.
Ibuki took, at points, decisions he regretted but even they brought him ever closer to his life. The thoughts of death never came to him again, but he did not fear death either. He saw death as the prize he would get for having endured the struggles in life. He saw life beyond death, a life of peace and serenity.
That day, the first time he met Misao, he was bullied in school. He was called out for not having done well on the test by the teacher, for not playing well in a team match by his classmates and for not being rich enough. He was utterly broken that day. He wanted to head back home, but he could not drive himself to do so. All he did was stand outside the street opening for a long and eventually decided to end his life. He went around looking for the best place he could find to end his torment. Finally, he decided upon the old, rusty, abandoned building. He climbed up, scared and nervous. He dropped his bag to the side and went near the edge. Yet something kept pulling him back. A voice inside his head telling him not to take a step ahead. He hadn't seen Misao come and run up to stop him. When he heard her calling out to him to stop, he felt his inner voice take the shape. There was no turning back after that. His life was changed forever since that day.
After returning from Japan, after his final training days, Ibuki met the Park family. He thanked them for all they had done for him. He went and met Joon-Woo and Youra. Then he had lunch with his family. At the end of the day, he went to the small diner. It wasn't small anymore. It had expanded. It could accommodate more customers. Ibuki went in and sat down in a corner. He placed an order, and while he waited, he keenly observed the place. He felt the place had changed drastically. He recalled Rui saying that it would have changed when he returned to this place after years, and Ibuki would have changed, too. But the taste of its food hadn't changed for the place.
Ibuki smiled while eating.
Ibuki may have changed, yet at his core, he remained the same as he was the day he stood on the edge.