Theory time about what could have happened to Seok-Ryu to take a break from work!!!

So, as we are progressing with Bae Seok-Ryu past, the reason she left her work was because of toxic workplace environment and the exhaustion she felt. But there is more to her story and I know writers know when to explode the mystery behind her break which she took 3 years ago before she left the company.  And in what way it gonna affect Seokryu and Choisseung relationship!!!!

I am curious to know all your wild imaginative theories~~~

i think she experienced severe burnout  and depression at some point that led her to going to rehab or something for a year

Oh yass!! I also feel that  it would  be more on work exhaustion and depression side and the highlight where the clip showed SeokRyu crying and telling SeungHyo that he doesn't know anything and what's her feelings might be related to the things which she had gone through in the past. I am excited for the revelation~~

Sure. You can refer to the timestamp @3:43 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n1AHT-XwvA

At first, I thought it was pregnancy/miscarriage, bullying, work stress.
But now, after EP 6, I find the sudden nose-bleeding VERY suspicious.
So now, my theory is that she was diagnosed with a serious illness and was hospitalised and got treatment (when Chris trashtalked behind her back, he mentioned "poor girl" - why does it sound so pitiful?

So, she might not have much time left, which is why she suddenly wanted to find her dream and come back to Korea to spend the little time she has left with her loved ones (in Ep1, she told Choi Seung that "it was time for her to go back before she didn't have any courage later, discourage bc of what?)

She also has had troubles to give the real reason for giving up her job and cancelling the wedding, for the wedding she even said that "it was her fault". Her ex seemingly cheated on her, but she might have called off the wedding bc of her sickness?

ALSO, the scene in the beginning; Choi Seung wanted to create a "Shelter for Memories in the lobby": When the other lady says "They are all beloved friends and family members"; Choi Seung has a sad expression and replies with "We'd fill the shelter up with things that the departed used to love. So the people who are visiting their loved ones can reminisce. Ofc they'd be sad, but I want their tears to be interspersed with warm smiles, too". Throughout the whole scene, he seems sad and going through a hard time to me (like a loss?

WHY is he talking like he can relate or went through it? The writers could've chosen any kind of theme that he could've designed, but WHY something memorial-related? It seems like foreshadowing to me.

Could it be that the scene we saw in the beginning is ACTUALLY the end? Did she die after all and he decided to design the shelter for memories, and dedicating it to her?
When the lady asks him, "How did you come up with this idea?", he gets interrupted before giving his reason bc of the phone call, so never got to hear his reason. He won the Award in 2024 right afterwards. Does it mean that In Atelier finally became successful and gained recognition at the end of the show???

Afterwards, the scene cuts to the beginning when she arrives in Korea which starts the whole show.

PLEASE debunk my theory and prove that I am WRONG bc I literally can't think of anything else??
I REALLY dont want another Queen of Tears bc I was emotionally stressed out. I just want a HAPPY ENDING?

Wow @lenaachi now I can't think of anything else but the fact that your theory makes a little TOO MUCH sense for my liking (⁠ノ⁠T⁠＿⁠T⁠)⁠ノ⁠ ⁠＾⁠┻⁠━⁠┻

But I mean in the beginning when the mothers were talking , choisseung's mother is bragging about her son winning another award that day right so it couldn't have been from the future bc mi suk is also bragging about her daughter still working for Griep

Please do not let your theory be true because Iove these guys too much i couldn't take it BSR dies ༼⁠;⁠´⁠༎ຶ⁠ ⁠۝ ⁠༎ຶ⁠༽

Lets hope its not a terminally ill kind of thing. I don't know why but I have a slight feeling that SR might have had feelings for SH before as well. Maybe she did go home back, back then and that was when she saw SH and the woman from the pottery that is now his Ex in the car. it woudn't make sense for her to take a whole year off for that though. Given her personality  back then, she might even had worked more to forget the jealousy if that was the case.

This theory is mostly based on a theory i saw on instagram, that SR actually did not talk about her ex-fiancee when she answered that she still loves him but was actually talking about SH. Its quite the jump and probably not realistic but sometimes screenwriters purposefully mislead the viewers together with the protagonist to set up a plot twist for later.

All in all, my first thought was also miscarriage or something like that, but in the end i have absolutly no idea.

PS: Maybe the Father of her has something to do with it. Didn't the mum hint at a past event when he really f*ed up financially? Also, he doesn't look all to healthy especially all the fainting in the first episode.

It couldn’t be miscarried because  her only relationship is mentioned is engaged to be married. She had not been home for 10 years so her parents couldn’t be the issue either. My guess is tiredness. I can’t think of anything else. Is tiredness too simple?