Ron Does Stuff

At the end of the previous episode, we finally got some resolution for some of the idol world storylines that were introduced in the first few episodes. Senior songwriter has bid goodbye because his plagiarism finally caught up with him, while Syaon has gotten a reality check. Progress!

But now we have to deal with Eom Ji’s brother and quite frankly I am not looking forward to it. Especially when Do Ha has finally gotten comfortable enough to show his face in public!

But what can you do? Other than to watch the next episodes because as much as I dread the upcoming storylines, I am still enjoying this show overall. We move!

So like I said, Do Ha felt comfortable enough to show his face at the jazz bar where he plays and honestly would you deprive the world of this face? If you were a good person you wouldn’t! But surely that’s what’s going to happen when Eom Ji’s brother finally arrives in Seoul to do his thing.

Anyways, Eom Ji’s brother is still a distant threat as of now, and Do Ha and Sol Hee seem to have smoothed over their differences in the previous episode. After his time in the jazz bar, Do Ha takes Sol Hee to a restaurant and proceeds to stare at her, which naturally makes her uncomfortable. Do Ha says it’s because he’s grateful since she’s the reason why he’s even out here in the first place, and Sol Hee says he can pay her back by treating her to a meal. Which, honestly, if you pay for my food we are on good terms.

All of a sudden, Do Ha leans over the table and it looks like they’re about to kiss and honestly I can’t blame Sol Hee for expecting it because what else are you going to think when a hot guy leans in this close to you?

But no, our little recluse Do Ha is experiencing the outside world for the first time and thinks the people taking photos of their food for Instagram are actually taking pictures of him and Sol Hee. The writer really takes advantage of Do Ha’s lack of knowledge of social niceties with a few comedic scenes but thankfully doesn’t run it to the ground. When it’s clear that this is stressing him out, Sol Hee suggests that the two of them go somewhere else for dessert.

At the new location — with considerably fewer people — Sol Hee shows how attentive she is to Do Ha’s needs. Aside from taking him to this “safer” venue, she also remembers that she doesn’t drink alcohol, but Do Ha is feeling adventurous today and says he’s not opposed to drinking today.

However, the first stumbling block of the night arrives when Sol Hee asks what he should call him, since Do Ha is obviously recognizable in the “outside” world. Seung Ju is his real name, which Sol Hee already knows, but she doesn’t know all of the baggage attached to that name. Do Ha sticks with Do Ha, so does that mean that he likes this version of himself better than Seung Ju?

The night goes on and Sol Hee gets drunk and since In vino, veritas, she asks him point blank why he asked her to stay away from him after that night she took care of him. He said it was because he remembered something from his past and Sol Hee goes on to say that it was probably about a girl and oh boy Sol Hee you don’t know just how much about a girl it was.

She thinks it was about Syaon, since the whole kerfuffle between them started out because of Syaon being a mess but Do Ha answers truthfully that it’s not her. Do Ha then proceeds to peel shrimp for her and I immediately think about that MBTI video from BTS where they debate over this exact same thing.

Anyways, as he’s peeling the shrimp, drunk Sol Hee can’t help but compliment how pretty Do Ha’s hands are and our little recluse feels a tingle that maybe he might be feeling something for Sol Hee. And then things take a sharp left turn from there because Sol Hee has gotten really drunk and they start making it look like she’s being carried to a love hotel and it looks like Do Ha’s going to take advantage of her? What the fuck?

Like???

But as it turns out, Sol Hee just fainted over leftover food that conveniently(?) dirtied up her clothes right at the breast area. Do Ha is a gentleman who can’t make himself brush off the large food stain on her chest so decides to carry her on his back instead, resulting in his shirt getting stained, hence the two images up above. I know that the piggyback ride is a staple in K-dramas but did we really have to make viewers think the male lead tried to take advantage of her in the lead up to that reveal? This isn’t Meteor Garden (2001)!

CW: sexual assault

That misdirect that the writer just tried out really took the shine off from the flashback Sol Hee has of all the cute couple-y things she and Do Ha do as he attempts to take her home safely in her drunken state. I dunno maybe younger people find this okay but I have grown prudish in my old age. Even that Meteor Garden clip up above shocked me. I didn’t remember it being so violent! Or maybe I thought it was “okay” when I watched this when I was much younger.

Anways, now that that’s settled, we move on to the idol world again, where Syaon is acting like she’s been dumped, which she technically is. She’s singing sad love songs, eating fast food in bed, and just sulking. Which basically me is me on any given day. First time I’ve related to you girl!

Do Ha, meanwhile, is trying to move in the world without wearing his mask and honey, babe, sweetie, the way you’re walking around right now is the reason why people are going to be looking at you. He’s walking around like a frightened doe and you just want to put over your shoulder and pat his butt like a baby.

His trip outside of the apartment complex was to go to a convenience store to find a hangover cure and we get a row of them in the shot. I’m assuming this is product placement and I have to say at least it makes sense in the story. As he pays for the hangover cures he gets waylaid by the neighborhood baker who insists that he try out one of his cream buns. Two other members of the shop owners association get to see him unmasked as well, so I wonder how this is going to affect things moving forward.

Back at the apartment complex, Do Ha and Sol Hee face each other again and Sol Hee tries to act all cool but her resolve immediately crumbles when Do Ha presents her with the hangover soup they had in episode 3. He even tells her to change her passcode because he knows the current one and Dear Reader in the single digits let me you I was smiling. You bring me food and a hangover cure I am yours.

While all of this is happening Kang Min — the ex-boyfriend — has been getting his own admirers at the police station. Like literal admirers not some twisted serial killer/nemesis admirers. This is still a romance! But of course, as is the fate of all doomed second leads, he only has eyes for Sol Hee.

Sol Hee, as dictated by K-drama rules and the rules of romance, only has eyes for male lead Do Ha. She’s even ironing his shirt! And Do Ha, wouldn’t you know it, is planning to take Sol Hee to watch a football game at a pub because she mentioned the night before that she likes the atmosphere of people all cheering for one team. They may support opposing teams, but what they’re going to watch is Korea v Uruguay, so the loyalties aren’t going to be divided.

However, the cute flirting doesn’t last for long as Deuk Chan’s scumbag brother is back to ruin the mood. BUT! Do Ha has become tougher and pushes back against the blackmail. He finally realizes that if his secret comes out, no more money is going to come in for Deuk Chan’s brother, and that’s something Deuk Chan’s brother can’t have. Do Ha makes it clear that he’s not going to be blackmailed for money anymore and we all cheered.

And again that happiness is short-lived because Eom Ji’s brother is now in Seoul. Damn that efficient public infrastructure! If it was set here Eom Ji’s brother would either still be stuck in traffic or in a flooded area and wouldn’t be able to afford the move to the capitol.

Eom Ji’s brother manages to sneak into Deuk Chan’s car and from the looks of it they know each other very well. He’s trying to get confirmation from Deuk Chan that Do Ha and Seung Ju are one and the same and he gets that confirmation from the way that Deuk Chan reacts to his suspicions.

Deuk Chan calls Do Ha to check up on him, but doesn’t tell him that Eom Ji’s brother is in town. With Do Ha and Sol Hee about to spend the night together with Do Ha possibly unmasked, I can already feel that Eom Ji’s brother is going to make his move at the end of this episode.

Eom Ji’s brother isn’t the only problem on the horizon. One of the members of the shop owners association is getting curious about what it is exactly that Sol Hee does. She almost finds out what it is when she sneaks into Sol Hee’s tarot card cafe, but thankfully Sol Hee and her colleagues manage to stop her in time. It doesn’t stop her from spreading a rumor that Sol Hee’s a shaman though!

Adding to my personal frustration is the return of Sol Hee’s mother subplot. It’s just not working for me! I just can’t stand it. From the musical cues it’s supposed to be humorous but I just can’t get myself to care about this. And I can’t even articulate why I can’t stand it. It just rubs me the wrong way. I literally skipped the whole thing just so I could get to the next scene, which is Kang Min raiding a gambling establishment. He gets his own action scene, but I have to admit it wasn’t as cool as Do Ha’s at the start of the season.

While Kang Min is out there kicking butt, Do Ha and Sol Hee are having pre-date jitters as they prepare for their first date. Is dressing up in the jerseys of your favorite teams who just happen to be rivals the best idea? Maybe not! So the two doll up to watch a football game in the pub. It’s ridiculously cute that it’s too bad it’s going to be spoiled by Eom Ji’s brother. Because you all know that’s what’s going to happen!

However, it turns out that Eom Ji’s brother isn’t needed to ruin the night because the pub where they planned to watch the game was closed, so after looking around they finally find one where they can watch it — the same establishment where the shop owners association meeting was held during the first episode. The nosey lady that tried to find out what Sol Hee’s hiding at her cafe is also there, so you already know there’s going to be trouble.

But nothing happens! Oh my god so is it really going to be Eom Ji’s brother ruining the night? It looks like it because we shift to the police station where Kang Min is looking at files. But it doesn’t seem like the spoiling isn’t going to come from him either because the scene is just to show a flashback of him deleting Sol Hee’s number and possibly moving on from that relationship. Which of course we know didn’t happen because he’s still hung up on her.

Then the real spoiler appears — the Sol Hee’s mom subplot. I’m so sorry but I just can’t. I can’t. This is a slog to go through. The daughter of the guy Sol Hee’s mother is trying to con has hired Sol Hee to check her out. I. DON’T. LIKE. THIS. If this becomes an important plot point later I am going to be so confused because I barely watched it.

And thankfully its importance to the overall plot is shown immediately because Sol Hee’s mother throws a tantrum at her cafe and Do Ha witnesses it. Sol Hee finally comes clean to him about her powers!

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