Yeah, that’s the face I’d be making, too, if I had a crush on an insufferable hottie who got particular pleasure out of thwarting me. Thankfully, those days of adolescent tumult are behind me. Phew for that!
Speaking of which, I think this drama does a good job of capturing the feelings of the youthful set, whether it’s giddiness, sulkiness, exuberance, or that heartbroken feeling after a crushing rejection that makes you think that nothing in the world will ever be right again, ever. That’s a huge plus for me as a watcher who doesn’t really relate with these personality types or their particular troubles, because at least I believe that the characters feel this way, and that keeps me with them.
SONG OF THE DAY
This is the song that plays in today’s episode, sung by Ki-young. God, I love Ki-young.
[ Download ]
EPISODE 5: “Confession”
Seok-hyun and Kyu-won witness the streetside kiss between Shin and his professor as they drive by, both of them disheartened by it. Yoon-su takes off the necklace right away, but Shin’s kiss still leaves her fretting.
Kyu-won puts hand to heart and wonders if it’s broken — in the literal sense, not the anguish of thwarted emotion, since she’s yet to clue in on the source of those feelings.
Seok-hyun wrestles with his jealousy as he arrives outside Yoon-su’s place, carrying the necklace he’d picked out as a present for her. She calls him just as he’s about to ring her doorbell and asks for a raincheck, and he lies that he was about to cancel, too, covering up his disappointment. Aw. I care not for the wet dishrag who’s the object of your affections, but I hate seeing you hurt. Boo.
That means Shin’s the only one who’s happy tonight; he goes home on cloud nine and begins composing a song.
In the morning, Kyu-won runs into Yoon-su at the coffee shop for her daily cappuccino run. The teacher greets her warmly, but Kyu-won’s uncomfortable and excuses herself at the first opportunity. Shin isn’t there in his usual spot to receive the coffee, but she spies him arriving on the quad, lighting up at the sight of Yoon-su.
Both Kyu-won and Seok-hyun see them walking off together, their faces darkening, not aware that Yoon-su is actually taking him aside to give him a firm rejection. Given his persistence, she’s purposely harsh, calling this child’s play and telling him that she needs a man, not a child. Ouch.
That hurts, but Shin isn’t one to back down and he calls her bluff — and I suspect there’s a bit of the bluff in there, because she seems to feel a flicker of attraction that she’s pushing away. Shin challenges her to say that she didn’t feel the slightest twinge of attraction, and she confirms it, returning his necklace.
He vows, “No matter what you think, this is how I feel. I’m going to act the way I want. One more thing: I’m not a child.” He’s in such a bad mood that when he sees Kyu-won’s coffee sitting there on the ledge, he ignores it.
Kyu-won practices listlessly, and when she steps outside to see the untouched coffee still there, her temper flares. She storms into Shin’s practice studio to declare herself done with his coffee errands, and that he’d better drink that coffee or there’ll be hell to pay.
He retorts that she’d better just do as she’s told and not pick fights about it, and with both in equally pissy moods, the conversation takes a turn for the antagonistic. Kyu-won gets to the point and asks point-blank if he likes Yoon-su, saying that’s ridiculous and impossible.
He challenges, “What’s so impossible about it?” He relieves her of errand duty, and tells her to butt out of his business from now on, leaving with a glare. She pretends she’s relieved, all while fighting angry tears.
Seok-hyun plays a song he’s working on for another professor, who recommends Shin for the guitar solo. This is his chance to rise above the jealousy, be the bigger man, and — no? You’re gonna go the grudging, I don’t think he’s all that route instead? Okay then. I do enjoy that Seok-hyun’s got that petty streak.
Shin is late to musical rehearsal, to everyone’s irritation, and walks in with a casual apology. Seok-hyun seethes, but has to concede that the band’s performance is “not bad.” But that’s all he’s going to give, and he says the guitar playing was lacking, prompting Shin to burst into a solo right then and there. Knowing he rocked it, he asks what’s wrong with it. Seok-hyun just says, “I suppose you’ll improve in time.”
After rehearsal, Shin approaches Seok-hyun and asks — amidst glare-off — for him to indicate exactly what is lacking in his guitar playing. Lordy, this boy has a pretty high-handed way of speaking to elders — I can see why the girls love it, but why he comes off as a punkass sometimes. Seok-hyun replies, “Don’t be late. And don’t be arrogant.”
Now for Ki-young, with his foot in a cast and an attitude simmering with resentment toward Seok-hyun, who all but kidnaps him from the hospital. He delivers Ki-young to an empty theater and tells him that he’ll eat, sleep, and breathe the theater for the near future, determined to ensure that Ki-young performs onstage again, no matter what.
Far from moved, Ki-young calls Seok-hyun out for acting out of guilt rather than for his benefit. An interesting point, if Seok-hyun has anything to feel guilty about; his reaction to the charge supports that accusation.
Seok-hyun drops in on Yoon-su’s office, and notices that she’s not wearing Shin’s necklace. Casually, he mentions Shin, sharing how he’d challenged Seok-hyun not to mess with her, and that he’d admitted openly to liking her.
Yoon-su calls it pity, saying that Shin’s too young to realize he’s mistaking that feeling for love. Seok-hyun asks if that’s all there is, and if the feeling is only on Shin’s side, which makes her toss out, “Are you jealous of him?” To her surprise, Seok-hyun replies, “Yes, I am.” Aw, I love when characters are candid, instead of spending precious time pussyfootin’ about the issue.
The Windflower girls are actually disappointed that Kyu-won’s slave/errand days are over, wishing they could take over for her. Kyu-won asks if they have no pride, and they waste no time replying, “Nope, we don’t!” Heh. What’s pride in the face of the campus hottie? And hormones?
Shin happens to see the coffee still sitting there on the ledge, bearing another of Kyu-won’s annoyed notes (“Are you training a dog?”). He intends to leave the cup there, but thinks again and ends up taking a swig of the now-cold coffee, per her orders.
His bike ride home takes him by the bus stop where Kyu-won sits, nodding off as she waits, which gives him an idea… And when she gets on the bus, people snicker at the Post-It note he’s stuck to her forehead: “Beware of mutt! It’s fierce! Do not disturb!” Oh, cute. I do like this pair best when they’re bickering like schoolchildren.
The next morning, she finds the cup still there, both annoyed and disappointed, and picks it up to throw away. But it’s warm — and there’s a note attached, addressed to her and saying that Shin has spit in it. A quick comparison of notes tells her that Shin’s the Beware of Dog guy, and that makes her smile.
She spots him with his bandmates and starts to call out excitedly…then calms herself and calls to him casually. Crumpling the Post-Its pointedly, she tosses it at his head and sticks out her tongue. He suppresses a smile of his own.
Musical rehearsals. Seok-hyun selects Hee-joo and Kyu-won to sing the lead role, and the other professor speaks up to suggest Shin sing the male lead. Hee-joo’s vocals are fine, Shin’s likewise, while Kyu-won’s… She’s kind of on key, but warbles. The others are unimpressed, while Seok-hyun stops her and instructs her to put more feeling behind it, to interpret the lyrics.
Afterward, she thanks Shin for the coffee, and they’re both in lighter moods now, ready to make up for the fight. She apologizes for overreacting, and he tells her they can reinstate the slave contract — starting with cleaning his practice studio.
Rolling up her figurative sleeves, Kyu-won gets to work cleaning up the mess. She takes a break to pluck the strings of a guitar, sing-songing along, “Lee Shin dummy…” and snickering to herself.
He happens by just in time to catch that, of course, and she hastens to assure him that she was totally smiling because of this really hilarious story Bo-woon told her, not ’cause she likes being here or doing his cleaning or anything! He asks for that story, so Kyu-won thinks fast to come up with one — only he knows it already, and mocks her for her corny sense of humor. (It’s full of cheesy puns.)
He adds a warning that her singing needs work if she wants to beat Hee-joo for the role, which is just the thing to provoke her into practicing. Which, I’m sure, was just his intention.
Hee-joo overhears people talking about Ki-young out of the hospital, and tracks him down to the theater. The rumors say that Hee-joo hates him, but it seems the opposite is actually the case because she talks to him with friendly concern and prods him gently about getting past his stagefright.
Seok-hyun arrives at the theater, full of resolve to get Ki-young onstage again. He’s ready to let loose a barrage of pestering, but promises to quit when Ki-young climbs up to the stage of his own will.
He shows him a video clip he’d dug up, shot years ago of Ki-young in rehearsal, meant to remind him how happy performing made him. Watching himself onscreen, all full of youthful dreams, Ki-young reaches out a trembling hand, then grabs his crutches to approach the stage.
Shin waits for Yoon-su again that night, and she treats him even more coldly, trying to convince him that she’s not interested. Yeesh, boy. I understand that you’re persistent, but you have long since crossed that stalker line. It’s a good thing you’re so pretty that nobody would consider you stalker material…
Shin grabs her arm and challenges her to answer what age would make him an adult, then — 25? 30? He asserts that he’s an adult, and yells, “Look at me!”
That gets her yelling, too, and she tells him to leave her alone. “You’re not a man to me.” She stalks off angrily.
Crushed, Shin turns around…and sees Kyu-won standing there, watching. (Speaking of stalking…)
He walks right by her, ignoring her attempt to say something. Seeing him so hurt stirs pangs of sympathy in Kyu-won, and she loses herself in thought.
When Seok-hyun finds her there brooding, she hesitantly asks about his relationship to Yoon-su. Flashback time!
Back in their university days, Yoon-su was the untouchable ice princess beloved by many a male student, who were all too gutless to make their declarations of love. Only one guy had the nerve — Seok-hyun — to step up and declare himself. By and by he’d won her over, and they’d become a happy couple.
Seok-hyun drops Kyu-won off at home, and Grandpa naturally asks about Seok-hyun’s relationship with his granddaughter. Since her participation in the musical is a secret, she hurriedly explains that Seok-hyun is the director of the musical’s gukak section — to ingratiate him to Grandpa, no doubt — and the plan works a little too well, because Grandpa starts questioning him like he’s a prospective grandson-in-law. HA. He says he’s a little old, but all in all he’s better than that other punk (Shin). Hilarious.
Just one door over, who should be looking at a house for sale but Shin’s mother and sister? They’re upgrading from apartment living to a free-standing house, and OH MAN, I actually really like this plot turn. Shin and Kyu-won are going to be next-door neighbors? Sure it’s contrived as all get-out, but I LOVE it.
At musical rehearsal, Kyu-won’s practice has paid off as she performs the song about heading for your dreams despite your fears. [ Download ]
Her performance is enough to have Hee-joo looking over in alarm and the Bumbling Bitch Trio stuttering nervously that she’s not so great. Hee-joo needles her in the only way she can think of: to make a snipe about her bloated ramen face. Ha. Hee-joo has a way of revealing her greatest insecurities in her attempts to be cutting.
On the other hand, Shin’s back in a black mood after his crushing setdown. He broods, almost throwing the necklace aside in the grass, but stops himself at the last minute.
Ki-young arrives at school with a changed attitude, and it’s a lovely thing to see hope alive on his face again. He tells Seok-hyun that he wants to give it a try — and that even if he ends up messing up again and running away, it’ll be better than regretting giving up. Aw. These boys. I just love them as besties.
With him back, he takes the mic at a club show, singing the same song as above, and now the lyrics have extra meaning:
I was afraid
I’d lost my way
I couldn’t see ahead of me
I didn’t what tomorrow would bring
I was scared
I just wanted to hide
I wanted to conceal myself
But today is different
Now I’ll stand
I’m going to sing again
I’ll forget yesterday
and sing for tomorrow
To cold days spent in empty rooms,
Goodbye
Overflowing and trusting in me,
My heart races
For tomorrow
For my dream
I’ll run
Seok-hyun comes to see Yoon-su that night, and admits, “I think I still have feelings for you. I want to stop feeling jealous of other guys, pathetically.”
Startled, Yoon-su tries to shrug it off, even though his words bring tears to her eyes. He asks her to give their relationship another shot: “I love you, Yoon-su.”
Oh no, biker boy, walk away, walk awaaaaay! Shin arrives to take in the reunion — as does Kyu-won, who walks by a few moments later.
She stops Shin, trying at first to greet him cheerily, then dropping the act to ask, “Did you not know it would turn out this way?”
He picks up on her particular interest in his feelings, and asks her in turn, “Do you like me? Do you think that if you keep this up, I’ll like you instead of the professor?” He tells her in a steely tone that he doesn’t give the teeniest damn about who she likes, and tells her to do the same for him.
COMMENTS
It’s interesting that I don’t care the teeniest bit for the ballerina downer, but I do actually feel the emotions from both men — Shin’s frustration and youthful ardor, and Seok-hyun’s hurt and jealousy. So in that respect, she’s doing a decent job in this role, I guess, because while I don’t feel for her, I believe that the guys love her, or fancy themselves in love with her.
I enjoy that they show both sides of Shin, and haven’t made him this perfect hottie who gets everything he wants. He has that side to him, but his crush on the teacher really humanizes him and shows us his vulnerabilities. That takes him from being merely a careless jerk with a chip on his shoulder to a guy who’s indifferent to things he doesn’t care about, but fiercely passionate about the ones he does.
For a drama that’s pretty low on conflict, I feel like it’s got a nice breezy tone and pace to it, peppered with some hints of more interesting relationships that I’m hoping get explored more. Like Ki-young — who kills me every time he’s onscreen — and Hee-joo, who’s becoming more interesting, particularly when we see her being considerate and softer with Ki-young. There have been hints that she’s friendless because her extreme insecurities push people away, so that’s a facet I’d love to see more of. Maybe for all these reasons — and a much-appreciated lack of parental angst — I thought this episode was a nice step forward.
