And so the recap’s over and we get a little rewind, with Wan telling Joo Yun: You have a place to go with me. Joo Yun looks at him and nervously asks, “Where?” Wan responds with his hotel. Joo Yun asks him if he’s asking her to go to a hotel. As he thinks, “I can't handle this anymore. Now she's reading between the lines,” a slight smile escapes his lips but he manages to keep a straight face. Then, he asks, with a little kid voice, “Why? You don't want to?” Joo Yun laughs and so do I because it’s the perfect way to point out how full of herself she’s acting. After she chuckles for a moment, then she straightens her face and asks him if he’s hitting on her. When replies by asking if she would fall for it, there’s a slight smile on his face.
During the conversation, Wan has been holding Joo Yun by the arms. She pushes his hands off, trying to be dignified as she asks him if he’s perhaps interested in her. Without changing his expression, he asks what she’d do if he was. She nonchalantly tries to regally climb into the car. Wan suppresses a large laugh at how she’s acting. Once inside the car, she immediately flips down the visor to examine her appearance and to make herself look better (since her hair was crazy from the fight she got into with Se Ryung). She quickly flips it back up when Wan opens up the door and slides in. He pretends to not know what she’s doing. This whole part makes me love both of them more.
Joo Yun awkwardly asks Wan if she looks pretty right now. He again fights a laugh as he tells her that she has her own type of charm. She asks him if he likes women who play rough. He looks at her a little surprised but also wonder where Shing Shing’s mind is going. She elaborates by asking if he likes girls that hit people. Wan can’t hold back a laugh this time, which makes her frown and compose herself. He reminds her that she said she dislikes being hit. She tries to retain her dignity as she answers that compared to being hit, hitting someone is better.
Wan declares that they need to go to Hotel Maison de Flore. Joo Yun replies that he’s really weird. Regardless of his taste (for being interested in her), why should she go to a hotel with him. She just got dumped and she’s tired of dating right now. Wan nods as if everything she’s saying is perfectly logical. Then she adds that even if they assume that she’s interested, going to a hotel is not how they're supposed to start. Shouldn't they at least go on a date first? Dead pan, Wan tells her that they can go on a date later. For today, they should go to the hotel. Wan declares that he definitely has to go there right now. She can’t believe that he’s insisting. He looks at her with an almost pleading look on his face. And then he adds… that he doesn't have his car because of her and he lives at the hotel. She processes the fact that he’s just been *asking her for a ride home* and he smiles with a face that confirms that she should feel foolish and tells her that he’s asking her to drive him there. Even more lightly he asks her whether or not they’re going to go. She girts her teeth and smiles and answers in the affirmative. Wan has to smile again, in spite of himself.
As they drive, Joo Yun tries to act casually, as she wonders whether she should apologize . Wan knows she’s uncomfortable, but says nothing and just looks at the road ahead. She wonders if it would be better if she says that she’s ashamed of misunderstanding him, or should she just not say anything. She decides that she’s not going to say anything, so as to not reveal what she might be thinking, since it's cooler that way. She tries to casually slip a glance in Wan’s direction as she wonders *why* he makes her so uncomfortable.
Joo Yun tries to make conversation, asking why he's living at a hotel, when she thought he lived in her neighborhood. He replies that he *is* going to move into the neighborhood. When she asks when he tells her that it’s none of her business. Not to give him the upper hand, she tells him that he talks really strangely. She wonders if it’s because he lived abroad. He keeps using the term “dangshin” which might mean “you” but it’s like “yeobo” (dear/honey); they're words used between spouses and couples. He just nods like she’s told him something he didn’t know.
They arrive at the hotel. Wan gets out of the car and walks around to the driver side. Joo Yun is inside, combing her hair out with her fingers. He knocks on the window and motions for her to roll down the window. She does and he leans in, causing her to lean backward. He purposely calls her dangshin (dear/you) and pauses to reach in toward her head. She cringes slightly, looking at him like he’s crazy, but then he smiles and brushes off her shoulder and tells her to stay safe. And then he walks away, pleased with himself. Joo Yun sits in her car, unmoving, slightly stunned. She mutters, irritated, that he keeps coming onto her! Sitting up she growls with frustration and declares that she’s uncomfortable. She drives off and Wan laughs at how she must be reacting to everything.
Back at Jung Ho’s. Se Ryung’s holding a jewelry box. Inside is a necklace, the match for her own. She declares that Joo Yun must have really misunderstood, seeing her wearing the same necklace. Se Ryung marvels at how small the world is. Jung Ho isn’t really looking at her but some paperwork, Se Ryung wonders how the two every dated. Se Ryung starts prodding him to explain himself. Is he really moving? Because of Joo Yun? She asks him why he broke up with Joo Yun. He sighs and replies that he wasn't sure if Joo Yun really loved him so he broke up with her. Se Ryung sighs, understanding what that means: she didn’t hold onto him, confirming he was right. Jung Ho’s head drops, silently answering a crushed ‘yes.’
Joo Yun arrives home and switches on the television. It is, of course, tuned to a home shopping channel. She sighs and gets a flash of Wan calling her “Dangshin.” Realizing she’s thinking about it, she shakes her head, as if to shake the thoughts away, and leaves the room. She goes to the bathroom to wash her face and as she puts on her headband, she thinks of it again. In response, she slaps her forehead, as if telling the thoughts to leave. As she reaches into the medicine cabinet, she sees the glass with her ‘love’ rings. She tells them that she doesn't need love anymore.
Later, she’s doing some work and wanders up to the loft upstairs, only to discover that it has been set up as a little apartment for Sweet Potato. Oh, it was her upstairs office, because she freaks out that her computer is no longer on the desk. Mom has even been so nice as to put a very ‘patriotic’ red, white, and blue bedspread on the bed. Downstairs, she yells at her mother. She declares that she’s *not* living with Sweet Potato.
Sweet Potato is at his hotel. A text arrives, showing the nicely decorated attic. He smiles and starts to reply to the text when Joo Yun him. He smiles again and says that she's probably yelling a lot now. The minute he answers, she starts yelling into the phone, asking him if he’s really going to do this? He pulls the phone away from his ears and softly asks it what he did. Joo Yun doesn’t hear him, of course, so she asks him if he’s listening to her. He smiles and coyly asks her why she hasn't deleted his number. He tells her that she’s the one always calling him and seeing that she’s not deleting my number, she must not have been telling the truth when she said that she didn't want to see him. She sighs with frustrations and asks if he got the picture from her mother. He replies that all that's left is for him to move in. When should that be? His tone is almost doting as he talks. Joo Yun is practically incredulous. She tells him that if he dares to come there, he'll realize that he’s in hell. Wan replies that living with him, she'll realize that she’s in heaven.
Joo Yun is not appeased. She asks him where he learned to play with his words. He replies that he learned it all from her, but he added the play part. She sighs with frustration and tells him that he’s really become the devil! He smiles. There’s a pause and Wan decides to press his luck. He tells her that if they do live together, he'll be happy. And then he looks at the phone and mouths [Hang up]. And, of course, Joo Yun doesn’t disappoint and declares she’s hanging up! Wan laughs and sighs and then decides that it wasn’t so terrible; her anger is something that he could handle.
Now we’re at Joo Yun’s work. She and the team are going through potential stylists to approach with the boss, Tae Yoon. They get to Se Ryung. Neither Joo Yun nor Tae Yoon seem very excited at the prospect of Se Ryung. Woo Young declares that Se Ryung is the best fit, but her reputation isn’t the best. Min Jung declares that she doesn’t think Se Ryung is someone they can work with. Interestingly, Tae Yoon’s quick to defend Se Ryung, asking if Min Jung’s worried that Se Ryung would steal her man. Min Jung mentions how the rumors are basically that Se Ryung slept her way to where she is today. Joo Yun is bothered because of what’s happened between them in the past.
Wan’s at work, talking with Se Ryung. She tells him that she’s fine with Joo Yun misunderstanding her relationship with Jung Ho. She points out that even if she clarifies with the truth, it doesn’t change the fact that she shattered Joo Yun’s first love. Her being innocent isn’t going to erase the past. Wan asks Se Ryung if the other rumors about her are true. Se Ryung smiles and tells him that using scandals are a part of her tactics. But she doesn’t deny that they’re not based on things that she’s done. She points out that it wasn’t her skills alone that made her famous, but for a large part it was the scandals. Se Ryung is very matter of fact as she discusses what’s happened between her and Joo Yun. Joo Yun was the first person she befriended, but she stole Joo Yun’s boyfriend because she really wanted him. It made her realize that she values her own desires over having/keeping friends.
Back at the HSN, Tae Yoon asks a conspicuously quiet Joo Yun what she thinks. Min Jung answers for her, saying that Joo Yun hates Oh Se Ryung, too. Joo Yun sputters at that statement. Min Jung tries to point out how uncomfortable it will be for them to work together. But Joo Yun’s mind is compartmentalized and she’s just thinking about what’s best for business. Joo Yun declares that she thinks there’d be a lot of positives to it being Se Ryung, including that she’s the only candidate who hobnobs with top celebrities, her skills are on par with those who studied abroad, and, most importantly, she fits perfectly with the image that we have for our multi-brand specialty store. Tae Yoon declares that she’s the one they should be targeting as their partner.
In the HSN’s kitchen, Min Jung gets a text. It’s her latest rendezvous with her not-boyfriend. Tae Yoon enters and Min Jung passes him some coffee. As he goes to leave, she asks him if it will really be okay, them working with Se Ryung, since *he* still hasn’t gotten over Se Ryung yet. Isn't that why he’s not dating? He smiles and raises the mug, telling her that he’ll enjoy his drink. He walks away and she sighs about how they’re just two bombs waiting to go off.
There’s a brief moment of Tae Yoon outside, drinking the coffee, thinking of Min Jung’s question regarding Se Ryung. He looks very sad and wounded.
Inside, Joo Yun is yelling at Hee Jae, who is trying unsuccessfully not to cry. Joo Yun asks her why she’s crying. Hee Jae sputters that she’s basically been killing herself, including staying up all night the night before, working. Joo Yun is unmoved and asks what any of that has to do with her crying. Will crying over them solve those problems? Is this school? Or... is she Hee Jae’s older sister? Wow. Joo Yun can be really cold and mean! Joo Yun concludes the yelling session by telling Hee Jae not to cry in front of her again, since she’s not a person who's tolerant of Hee Jae acting like a child. Min Jung waves for Hee Jae to leave, who promptly does after apologizing once more. Well, maybe she’s not that cold, since Joo Yun could have been a lot meaner. Maybe this is all tough love…
Hee Jae goes downstairs. She’s hidden some sort of drink, probably liquor, in with the fire hose. She pulls one out and goes out to the roof to yells at Joo Yun. Tae Yoon is also on the roof and observes Hee Jae cursing her boss, although she’s not really cursing her, because she’s just too nice of a person. Instead she’s calling her tea ingredients that sound like curse words. Tae Yoon smiles and walks off. Hee Jae finally gets her frustrations out and sighs with satisfaction. She turns around to discover a slack-jawed Woo Young, who had brought her a coffee to feel better. Woo Young comments that she must really be refreshed and Hee Jae smiles. And that’s a nice little beat, that he thinks the best of her when she’s not acting so dainty and demure. Does he like her?
Tae Yoon arrives downstairs and tells Joo Yun that Hee Jae is on the rooftop doing exactly what she did 9 years ago. Joo Yun’s shocked that Hee Jae’s cursing her. Tae Yoon is completely not phased, even adding that Hee Jae’s doing it just the way she did. She wants to know what Hee Jae’s saying and tells Tae Yoon that she only called him a “son of a b*tch.” Tae Yoon smiles and tells her that Hee Jae’s saying something 50,000 times worse. Min Jung wants to know why Joo Yun’s so hard on the girl. Almost in unison, Joo Yun and Tae Yoon reply that it’s because they can see her potential. They look at each other and give each other a high five while Min Jung shakes her head. And you can totally tell that they are a team and good friends to boot. But does she know about his past with Se Ryung? It seems like she doesn’t.
Min Jung asks Joo Yun if she can leave work early, since she’s worked really hard and all. Joo Yun’s not really moved and Min Jung tries to mention how it’s Friday. Tae Yoon doesn’t see why that should matter, but Joo Yun busts Min Jung for having a non-boyfriend. Tae Yoon asks if Min Jung has a boyfriend and Min Jung’s response? To yell at them about how hard she works and how it never gives her time for a boyfriend! Min Jung leaves and Tae Yoon asks what Min Jung’s answer was. Joo Yun declares that Min Jung said she was dating someone.
Scenes of Min Jung and her non-boyfriend getting ready for their date. And guess what? They live in the same apartment building on the same floor just a few doors away from each other. And barely miss running into each other at the elevator.
Wan is outside Joo Yun’s house. He calls her. She is driving in her car. He asks her where she is. She tells him she’s driving and asks if he wants to meet her in the tunnel’s she’s currently in. He coyly replies that she doesn't want to meet her anymore and hangs up. She sighs that he’s hung up on her again. Wan thinks and computes how far away she is: about 20 minutes. He uses her code and goes in the house. And I can’t believe they dressed him in a sweater that has hearts all over it. Who thought that was a good idea? He affectionately walks around the house where he spent his young childhood. He looks in her room, which is a mess, and declares, with a smile, that she’s messy and lazy. He goes to the kitchen and discovers the ginseng in her refrigerator. Just like Jung Ho, he can’t believe she doesn’t have food in there.
Wan goes to the room with the piano. He plays some notes and then takes the photo of the Shing Shing he remembers and sits in the window seat. Carressing the picture’s cheek with his thumb, he tells her that she used to be really pretty. He realizes that he’s sitting on something: a potato chip. He mutters about her not being clean and then asks her picture if the girl knew that Shing Shing would change like that.
Wan wanders up to what will be his room. I get a better view of the bedspread and it’s the Union Jack with a Stars and Stripes pillow. That’s an odd combination. And where would they get a Union Jack bedspread? Wan jumps to sprawl across the bed. I love him. He tells the picture that he came back and now they are going to live together.
Joo Yun’s still driving in her car. The phone rings and it’s Sweet Potato. She answers, frustrated, and asks why he keeps calling her. He tells her that it’s so strange. She says that she doesn't like his calls, but she keeps picking up the phone. He adds that he keeps calling so he can hear her voice. She doesn’t want to play and asks him why he hung up on her. He replied that he wanted to see if it was fun to hang up after just saying what you want (like she does). She sighs, annoyed, and asks him if it was fun. Instead of answering he asks about the playground in the neighborhood. She can’t believe that he’s in her neighborhood. He responds that she doesn’t own the whole neighborhood. She’s just about to hang up when he stops her and asks for directions to the playground. And I am surprised because she actually gives him directions to the playground. I was half sure that she would direct him someplace else. When he arrives, she hangs up on him and he goes and swings in one of the little kid swings.
Min Jung with her non-boyfriend, who thinks she’s 27.
Hee Jae is on the phone with her boyfriend. She asks if he’s at his room studying and discovers that he’s out doing something. It turns out to be volunteer work – although I have no idea what they’re actually doing or why they’re doing a line of tossing things ¬ and Hee Jae is not happy. Boyfriend is oblivious but she’s upset because she’s tired of things being so hard. She takes her bad day out on him, yelling at him for wasting his study time and not passing his exam and them not getting married! She calls him Oppa and tells him that she finds them more pitiful than the people who live in the neighborhood he’s volunteering in, because even though they want to be together, they don't even have an adequate room and end up having to met at a study hotel. He tries to pacify her, but his apologies and explanations only get her angrier, since his life isn’t that hard since all he has to do is study. And I don’t think that she’s that wrong with that one. He snaps back, implying that she’s all about the money and she replies that in order for them to live when married, they have to have *some* money.
Their fight is interrupted by Hee Jae’s mother calling. Hee Jae discovers that Omma is going to be leaving with a delivery, so immediately the fight is over, since this means that they can sneak up to her room for a little loving. She brings him a home cooked meal and then pulls out *three* savings accounts where she’s saved all the money they would have spent on things like going to a hotel or buying new clothes. He’s amazed at all the money she’s saved. They apologize for their fight.
Joo Yun’s still driving in her car. She’s arrived in her neighborhood and decides to check whether Sweet Potato made it okay. She arrives to find Wan, but still thinks he’s Allen Joo rather than Sweet Potato. He smiles when he sees her and for a brief moment you can tell he’s hoping she realizes that he’s Sweet Potato. But she calls him Allen and his smile quickly disappears. She asks him if he’s moved and he replies not yet. She asks how long he’s been there. He replies that he came a bit ago. She asks him if he’s seen a guy who’s a little ugly, sort of looks like a boiled sweet potato. Wan frowns and looks down and shakes his head. And he’s thinking what I’m thinking; I can’t believe that she still thinks he’d look like a boiled sweet potato. The kid didn’t look like that when he was younger. What is she thinking? She mutters, almost disappointed, that she didn't think he was joking. Wan asks who she’s talking about, pretending to be disinterested. She dismisses it as Sweet Potato being just a dongsaeng she knows. Another frown from Wan. Oi, and I have a feeling that there’s going to be quite a few more where that came from, Wan.
Joo Yun asks Wan if he’s hungry and asks if he wants a roasted sweet potato. He replies that he’ll go buy them. Then he tells her she should wait in the car since it’s cold. She smiles slightly, because he cares whether she’s cold. She doesn’t go get in the car but goes and sits on their bench. She texts Sweet Potato. Wan sees the text, where she asks where he went and tells him he wasn’t at the playground. He smiles and texts back, asking her why she went there, when she said she didn't want to see him. Joo Yun is offended and talks to her phone, replying that she came there because she was passing by, not because she wanted to see him, so she stopped by for a SHORT time. She puts her phone away and mutters that he should've left after staying a bit longer.
Wan arrives back and asks Joo Yun why she’s sitting out in the cold instead of in her car. She asks after his car, which he’s getting back tomorrow. He asks for her hand and she wants to know why. Again her mind goes to something intimate. Man, she totally likes him in spite of herself. She tells him that they’re not in a relationship to hold hands. He laughs slightly and grabs the hurt hand, caressing it with his thumb as he declares that she’s healed. Then he pushes a drink into it and tells her to hold it since her hand is cold. And she’s also sitting with her coat OPEN. Joo Yun takes the drink and holds it to her cheek. He asks if she’s very cold and she declares that she can handle it. He scolds her for trying to be tough instead of being real and saying that she’s cold. She doesn’t say anything.
Wan sighs and takes off his scarf and wraps it around Joo Yun’s neck. She’s very surprised. He tells her to just stay like that. Then he takes off his hat and puts it on her head. It makes her face barely visible. I’m reminded of how she did that to him as a kid. She protests, asking what he’s doing. He laughs and tells her to stay like that and she'll stay warm. She admits that it is warm. Trying to give her another hint at his identity, he tells her that somebody a long time ago used to do that to him all the time. She asks who, but he chickens out from admitting he’s Sweet Potato. He thinks about how all she remembers about him is how ugly he was. And he wasn’t an ugly baby at all. Instead of fessing up to be Sweet Potato, he gives her a sweet potato to eat.
The next day we see Wan at work, producing for a k-pop band. He keeps stopping their recording and tweaking things. Se Ryung comes buy, so Wan tells the group to come out. They bow a greeting. And I have no idea what group they are. There’s four of them. Se Ryung’s there to help style the group. While they’re working, an assistant tells Se Ryung that she got a call from J Home Shopping, requesting a meeting to discuss their proposal for a multi-brand clothing store, with her name on the front. Se Ryung barely glances at it before tossing the proposal aside and declaring that that kind of thing cheapens her name. She’s Oh Se Ryung, South Korea's top style director.
The assistant gives Hee Jae the news, that Se Ryung’s schedule is busy for the full year. Joo Yun can’t believe that they won’t even take a meeting and when Joo Yun presses a little, Hee Jae adds that they refused even 30 minutes at a location of Se Ryung’s choice. Woo Young sets out to ‘bump’ into her and when he does, she’s out with Wan. Wan recognizes Woo Young and Se Ryung realizes that he works with Joo Yun. She gives him a message for her: She needs to come see Se Ryung in person. And, bam! Then she leaves, arm and arm with Wan.
As they go, Wan asks Se Ryung if she’s actually planning on working with Joo Yun. Se Ryung isn’t. And Wan is playing his cards very close to his chest. I wonder why he hasn’t told Se Ryung about his relationship with Joo Yun. I wonder what that means. When he asks her why she gave them hope, Se Ryung says she did it because it’s amusing. Wan wrenches his arm free and tells her that it’s a horrible thing to amuse over. Then he walks off. At least he’s loyal.
Joo Yun and the team arrive at Se Ryung’s offices, ready to do their presentation. It’s a huge building, but Joo Yun isn’t intimidated. At least she’s acting like she’s not. Se Ryung takes each of their business cards, but Joo Yun holds her card back. Se Ryung tries to make some small talk but Joo Yun wants to get down to business. Se Ryung counters with them going to get a drink together.
Restaurant. Joo Yun and Se Ryung is across from each other, arms crossed, both wearing hard cold faces as they stare at each other. Finally Se Ryung smiles and reaches for the tea pot. She remarks that it’s been a long time since they've had a drink together. Joo Yun picks up her cup, but Se Ryung disses her and pours herself a drink. And that’s a major diss! For those of you who don’t know, Korean culture dictates that in a situation like this, you pour for the person you’re drinking with. You never pour for yourself, unless you want to insult the person you’re drinking with. Joo Yun non-verbally reacts and pours her own drink. Se Ryung asks if they should toast, but Joo Yun disses her back by drinking instead. Se Ryung chuckles again and drinks.
Joo Yun pours another drink for herself and drinks. Se Ryung does the same. Joo Yun cuts to the chase and asks Se Ryung to work with her. Se Ryung tells her that she needs to apologize first for Lee Jung Ho situation and she should ask him again why he broke up with you (she’s not the reason). Joo Yun’s surprised and a little bit of Se Ryung’s anger comes out. Joo Yun processes this, blinking several times and then they finally talk about what happened way back when. Joo Yun asks her why she did it and Se Ryung basically replies that it was the only way she’d every beat Joo Yun.
Joo Yun can’t believe that Se Ryung took her sunbae in order to beat her. Se Ryung replies that Joo Yun always won. Both in studies and in her personal relationships. Plus, Joo Yun took him first. What? Se Ryung’s anger peaks out a little more as she declares that Joo Yun knew she liked John Park and *still* dated him. Joo Yun protests that Se Ryung thought all the boys were cute and she didn’t think that Se Ryung was serious about any of them, since Se Ryung liked them all. Good point. If someone is boy crazy, then they’re not really serious about anyone. But Joo Yun should have told her about liking John Park because she started dating him, just in case. I can see how Se Ryung could look at it like it was all fair play, since Joo Yun broke the friend code first.
Joo Yun and Se Ryung glare at each other, even though Joo Yun’s face shows her hurt more obviously. Se Ryung asks Joo Yun if she wants to hear why Jung Ho broke up with her: because she was never sincere, not even once. Se Ryung adds that the same applies for their friendship: if Joo Yun had been sincere in her friendship, she wouldn’t have just ignored Se Ryung’s feelings. Joo Yun’s throat quivers as this hits home. More staring and finally Joo Yun sighs. She say that they should stop talking about the past. Se Ryung replies that Joo Yun’s the one that has been holding onto it. Joo Yun impatiently asks for them to just resolve things and not bring it up again. Se Ryung smiles and then holds out her cup. She motions for Joo Yun to fill it and Joo Yun obliges. She drinks and then she offers to fill Joo Yun’s cup so that she can drink.
After a moment, Joo Yun asks Se Ryung to forget everything and work with her, to try beating her this way. Se Ryung smiles as she says that she’ll win simply by not doing it and she declares that she’s *not* going to do it. She gets up and walks out, leaving Joo Yun fuming. And I can understand that, since Joo Yun *did* just bury a big painful hatchet. After a few moments, Joo Yun screams that Se Ryung makes no sense (and messes up her hair into a rat’s nest). Then she tries to drink some more tea, but the pot is empty. Even more frustrating!
Tae Yoon calls and Joo Yun whines to him about how she just got completely rejected by Se Ryung. She declares that she could go crazy from her damaged pride! Joo Yun asks him where he is – presumably to come join him ¬ and Tae Yoon lies and says that he’s at home and can’t go out at the moment. He’s really sitting in a bar. What’s he doing in a bar?
As he hangs up with Joo Yun, Tae Yoon asks for a refill of his drink (actually a whole new bottle). He slides forward his card, so that if he doesn’t finish the bottle it can be held for him. And that’s a handy thing that they do in Korea. He mentions the old bartender quitting and the ‘new’ guy says that the old guy left almost a year, so it must have been a while since Tae Yoon last visited the bar. Tae Yoon asks about the dog. The bartender is familiar with the dog and Tae Yoon says that he gave it to the owner after finding it on Christmas Eve. Bartender says that when the owner comes in, he'll bring the dog. Presumably so Tae Yoon can see it. Tae Yoon fondly thinks about the dog and how he must have grown.
Se Ryung is riding in her car. She’s thinking back to her meeting with Joo Yun, the comment about how Se Ryung didn’t seem serious about any of them, which makes her think of the one guy she’s ever actually been serious about: Tae Yoon. Really? I’m interested as far as what their relationship was. Flashback to when they were together. He’s upset that she met with a guy who has a reputation of using women, that it would look like she’s sleeping with him to get ahead and that she doesn’t seem to mind people talking about her and her reputation. Her face reads that she’s hurt at his words. His face says that he’s hurt by what people are saying about her. She says that she hasn’t thought about. He responds that she’s too easy. She repeats, “Easy,” obviously very shaken that he could call her that, think of her that way. He can see she’s hurt. He sighs and tries to rephrase but the damage is done. Now wearing no expression, Se Ryung suggests that they break up.
Back to Se Ryung in the car. She asks her driver, Nam Hyuk, to turn the car around. She ends up at the same bar that Tae Yoon was at earlier. As he exits the bar, she exits the car and they miss each other. In true K-drama style, slow motion and everything. Inside, Se Ryung orders the same Galliano liqueur. She notes how the place has changed and a man arrives with the dog, Eve. She’s very happy to see the dog. She mentions to the guy walking the dog that the owner must have changed. The man wonders how Se Ryung knows the dog. She says that she and her boyfriend found her as a stray and since they both had allergies, they gave Eve to the owner. The bartender hears her story and tells her that Tae Yoon was just there. He even shows her the business card Tae Yoon left. Se Ryung looks at it sadly.
Next morning, Joo Yun wakes up, having fallen asleep on her couch with the tv on. She answers the phone and Se Ryung is on the line, telling her that she’ll do the job, be their designer. Joo Yun can’t believe it and asks Se Ryung why she changed her mind. We know it’s because of Tae Yoon and that he’d be their boss, but Se Ryung says that she’s doing it because it looks like it'll be fun. She asks when they will get together to do the contract. Joo Yun immediately blurts out Monday! Then she turns on the recording device on her phone and tells Se Ryung that’s she’s recording everything, so that if Se Ryung backs out, she can sue Se Ryung for breach of contract. She asks Se Ryung to repeat what she’s said. Se Ryung smiles and tells her that they should do well. Joo Yun silently screams in excitement and dances on her couch for a second before going back on the phone.
Joo Yun tells Se Ryung that their company doesn’t sign contracts elsewhere and that Se Ryung will have to come to them to sign the contract. Se Ryung is about to argue, but she looks at the business card (that she’s taken from the bar) and decides to go there. Presumably so she can run into Tae Yoon. Again, Joo Yun momentarily celebrates her victory on this point before acting all cool again. She bids Se Ryung farewell and as she’s turning off the recording, she excitedly wonders why Se Ryung changed her mind. Could it be drugs?
Joo Yun’s stomach growls so she goes and grabs some of her ginseng drink. She looks over some takeout menus and thinks of Wan. She texts him and asks if he’s eating well. She invites him out to eat and says that it will allow her to see his face. Wan chuckles at her with affection. He texts her back and tells her that he’s busy. Then he calls her on the hotel phone. She doesn’t recognize his voice, so he says that he’s Allen and there’s something wrong with the car that he just got back. He tells her to come to the playground immediately. Then he hangs up the phone, scared at himself. Joo Yun thinks his request is strange but she complies.
When Joo Yun arrives at the playground, Wan is standing, leaning on his car. And nothing looks like it’s wrong with it. When he sees her coming, he gets in the car and shuts the door. She pulls on the driver’s side mirror and asks what the problem is. He motions for her to get in the car, smiling to himself at his secret as she walks around to get in. She looks a little perturbed. When she gets in, he wipes the smile off his face and tells her to put on her seatbelt. She instead asks him what the problem is. He frowns slightly, not answering and reaches over and straps her in. Meaning close proximity of faces. Heh. He tells her to wait and see because it’s a *serious* problem. She’s a little bit taken aback at what he’s done. He hands her some food and tells her to eat as he drives off.
As they drive, Joo Yun says that Wan’s story – that the engine is turning off every 2 hours – doesn’t make any sense. And how does what she broke on the car cause what he’s describing? He tells her that it does have to do with her, so she should just be quiet and wait and see. She sputters that if it turns out that he’s pulling her leg, she’s not going to leave him alone about it. He’s smiling as she’s frowning. He tells her that she’s too noisy and turns on the radio. She says that she is not too noisy. But after a moment, she listens to the song and asks what song it is, because it's nice. He replies that it was Number 9 on the Billboard Charts, ‘Now and Forever.’ Oops. She doesn’t put it together that this is the song that she said that she knows. She bobs her head to the music as he smiles and tries to not laugh at it all.
Wan and Joo Yun arrive at the beach, the one he called her from, the one they went to together. He turns off the car and pulls out the key, declaring that he told her that the engine turns off every 2 hours. Dork! She gets out and protests that he turned off the engine! She asks him why he would do something like that and he replies that she has no imagination. Why does she think he did this? He continues, asking her why he would have brought her here on such a nice weekend. She protests that she hates conversations like this because they’re uncomfortable. She likes clear, definite, light and easy. He responds that she doesn’t like sweet, tickly things. She looks at him, not smiling. He looks back at her. As we get images of them together when they were younger, his voiceover tells her that there's something filling up her heart, but she can’t seem to be able to bear it, the thought that she can't control her emotions.
As Joo Yun thinks about what he’s just said, he tells her that what she’s feeling isn’t discomfort, it's her heart fluttering. He declares that he’s started to like her. What! I can’t believe that he’s making his declaration so soon. Then he looks at her, waiting for her reply. She can’t seem to believe it, asking him since when has he started to like her. She wants to know why he likes her. They haven’t known each other very long and her first impression was terrible and she is not a lovable person. Plus he said that her personality is twisted. He smiles to himself as she’s protesting why he shouldn’t like her and then chides her, asking if she usually starts dating with arguing. She shakes her head and asks him if she’s not supposed to start with that, then do they just start? He steps forward, causing her to step back, but he grabs her and pulls her close. Really close! Less than in inch between their faces, close. He tells her that he starts dating with a kiss. And then he plants one on her! Phew! And the episode ends.
Thoughts
I'm surprised that they're kissing so soon! Not that I'm complaining, but I'm surprised that they're kissing so soon.
A lot happened in this episode, mainly delving more into Se Ryung's relationship with both Joo Yun and with Tae Yoon. I'm really hoping that they don't do the whole best friends turn romantic object thing, because I really like Joo Yun's relationship with Tae Yoon. And he's obviously still as hung up on Se Ryung as she is with him. It will be interesting to see Tae Yoon and Se Ryung interact, since there's all that unresolved love between them.
Basically from the beginning of their relationship, Wan has been wooing Joo Yun, simply by the way that he treats her, flirting with her but in a way that leaves you guessing as to whether it really is flirting. It is really funny how she likes him and is attracted to him in spite of herself. But who wouldn't be? Since he loves her in spite of all her flaws and she knows that he likes her having seen her really ugly side.
And I think that's one thing that will make this relationship really work, *because* Wan hasn't seen the pretty, put-together facade that she likes to put up, but has seen the yucky, ucky, obnoxious part of her who will fit with another woman, smash a car, and attempt to seduce someone to get revenge. Not exactly the person you typically want to take home to introduce to mother.
I do find it interesting that he's perpetuating this Allen Joo facade instead of coming clean about who he is. Although it's understandable that he'd be afraid to reveal himself, since she's been mean to him practically any time she speaks to him and imagines him to still be rather ugly and looking like a sweet potato. I wonder when the truth is going to come out?
Thinking back at the episode, we really did get a lot more fleshing out of Se Ryung's character: she *didn't* have an affair with Jung Ho but seems only to be his friend. But she didn't have a problem with Joo Yun *thinking* that she is still a man-stealing slut. For all of her acting like she doesn't care, when she let her guard down - with Joo Yun in the restaurant and with Tae Yoon at her apartment - you can see how much it actually hurts her when those she loves think badly of her and how the bravado covers for these things.
There was also a little development of Joo Yun's work gang: Min Jung has a boyfriend in spite of herself and it turns out that they live next door to each other. Oops. Hee Jae, for as much as she cares for her boyfriend, is unhappy because their relationship is stuck in a continual holding pattern as the boyfriend studies for the civil exam. And I'm sort of getting a vibe that best buddy, Woo Young, might have more feelings for Hee Jae than he's letting on.
I really like how Wan does all these little things to take care of Joo Yun, like make sure she's not hungry or cold. He keeps doing little things that show that he's paying attention to this sort of stuff, that he genuinely cares about how she feels and her well-being and it's one of the reasons that I think she likes him in spite of herself, because someone else is taking up the job that she's had to do for herself for over ten years.
And what is going to happen after that kiss?
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