Side dish: Han Gyul did not give in to temptation while on the beach with Eun Chan, so he might appreciate a stiff drink afterwards. How about the popular fruity vodka cocktail, Sex on the Beach? The recipe can be found here.
Episode Recap
Eun Chan wakes up the next morning at Han Gyul’s, newly minted with a pierced ear as his sworn brother. What exactly this entails is unclear, but Eun Chan and Han Gyul are giddy. When they can’t stop calling each other ‘brother’ at work, it raises eyebrows, and causes talk.
Yoo Joo meets up with Eun Chan, who reassures Yoo Joo that she no longer has romantic interest in Han Seong. When Yoo Joo sees Han Seong, he promises that he will rid himself of his feelings for Eun Chan.
Eun Chan must clean Sun Ki’s apartment as part of the agreement to keep him silent about her true sex. She also tends to Ha Rim’s wounds, which are the result of an escape from his family who are pressuring him to become a doctor. Eun Sae is present on the pretense of helping Eun Chan out, but spends her time ogling Sun Ki and ordering Min Yeop around. An embarrassed Min Yeop finally loses his temper.
Han Seong and Yoo Joo go on a trip to mend their relationship. Yoo Joo asks if he kissed Eun Chan, and Han Seong plays dumb. He ignores Eun Chan’s call, but chooses to read Eun Chan’s text message in private, which is witnessed by Yoo Joo.
Sun Ki spots his former girlfriend and her child getting onto a school bus, and tracks down the associated kindergarten. An oblivious Min Yeop tries to pick a fight with Sun Ki about being receptive to Eun Sae’s attentions.
A mystery man’s landing in Seoul for a business trip prompts Han Gyul’s father to have lunch with his son. Han Gyul’s father asks him what he knows of his birth, and Han Gyul believes that he is his illegitimate child with another woman. Han Gyul’s father reveals that he dumped his birth mother under family pressure, because she was an orphan and a mere math teacher. She died in a car accident before Han Gyul was a year old. Han Gyul is furious with his father.
Later, Han Gyul’s grandma expresses approval of his father’s decision to play the bad guy. Han Gyul’s mother is adamant that her son should never meet the mystery man. Han Gyul’s father is not so set against the idea.
Eun Chan tries unsuccessfully to reach Han Gyul all day, but is woken up in the middle of the night by his call then finds him waiting outside her home. They go to the batting cages, then Eun Chan drives Han Gyul’s car to the beach. He ends up holding her hand, but tries to pass it off as normal sworn brother behaviour. They decide to stay on the beach to watch the sun rise. When Eun Chan falls asleep, Han Gyul tentatively attempts to embrace her, but is tortured by his feelings for another man.
When Han Gyul drops Eun Chan off at home, he tells her that they are no longer sworn brothers. Eun Chan ignores his words and shows up at work early only to find Han Gyul cold towards her. He reiterates his order for her to quit, she calls him fickle, and he leaves.
Mr. Ku is pressuring Eun Chan’s mother to commit to him, but she refuses to. He goes marching to confront his perceived rival, Mr. Hong at the coffee house. However, Mr. Hong proves that Eun Chan’s mother has no interest in him with a phone call then chases Mr. Ku away.
Han Gyul holes up in his apartment, ignoring texts and knocks on the door from Eun Chan. Eun Chan labours over how honest to be in her text messages, repeatedly erases them, and cries in frustration.
Comments
Junggugeo Kaenada 중국어 캐나다: Before we tackle THE SCENE on the beach, let’s get everything else out of the way first.
Only 만: Sure, we can do that, though everything happening around Eun Chan and Han Gyul just feels like filler at this point.
Junggugeo Kaenada: I am surprised at how measured the relationship crisis between Yoo Joo and Han Seong was. Yoo Joo accepts Eun Chan’s claim that she has no interest in Han Seong. Then, Yoo Joo and Han Seong attempt to save their relationship with a mini-vacation, but Han Seong just can’t help sabotaging their efforts thanks to his lingering feelings for Eun Chan.
Only: Yoo Joo and Han Seong are definitely acting their age. Sadly, the same can be said for overgrown teenagers, Eun Sae and Min Yeop. Their unhealthy relationship annoys me and that’s all I’m going to say about it.
Junggugeo Kaenada: Enough said on Eun Sae and Min Yeop. I’ll add that I find Sun Ki stalking his love’s child creepy, not admirable.
Only: Agreed. Finally, I will say that I find the mystery regarding Han Gyul’s parentage a little overwrought. Why couldn’t they have revealed the truth to Han Gyul sooner? He’s a grown man.
Junggugeo Kaenada: Han Gyul is rightfully pissed that details about his biological mother are being withheld from him. Fortunately for us, his foul mood after meeting with his father leads to a major turning point in his relationship with Eun Chan.
Only: I cringed at Han Gyul and Eun Chan’s transparent display of sworn brotherhood at the coffee house. Though, it was hilarious to see the reactions of the coffee house staff.
Junggugeo Kaenada: Their embarrassing display of brotherhood was thankfully short lived. The urge to engage in skinship ramped up way more quickly than I’ve seen in any other K-drama.
Only: Also, when was the last time we saw a character convey such palpable inner conflict given the ridiculous Kdrama premise? Gong Yoo really goes for it in that beach scene, and he basically helped make this Kdrama a classic in the process.
Junggugeo Kaenada: I cannot believe how vulnerable Gong Yoo made Han Gyul. His tenderness towards Eun Chan was just heartbreaking.
Only: Sadly, Han Gyul is not ready to give in to his feelings for another man. So, we can look forward to a hearty helping of angst in the next episode.
Noonas Over Forks 