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Dal Ja’s Spring: Episode 22 (FINAL)

Episode 22: “Spring Comes Again, Flowers Bloom Again!”

If I had to sum up Dal Ja’s Spring’s last episode in one word, it would be “lovely.” So many sweet, funny, lovely moments! It made me laugh and cry, but did so without exaggerating any overly wrought drama, which I appreciated.

As we see a montage of all the scenes that have brought us thus far with Dal Ja and Tae Bong, Tae Bong narrates:

“That’s how we met… At first, I thought she was just an old maid clinging stubbornly to her pride. But… being together became more and more fun. And she’d get mad easily, too. She might come flying at you with her fists, but in actuality, she was more warmhearted than anyone. And as time passed, I kept wanting to see her… to be with her… “

And we see that it’s two years later, 2009, and Tae Bong is telling his mat-seon date about Dal Ja. (If you’ve seen a lot of kdramas, you’ll already know this, but a mat-seon is a formal blind date, usually arranged by parents, introducing two people with the hopes that they will marry.)

The date wonders, did Tae Bong just let her go? Didn’t he ask her not to leave?

And we’re back where we left off at the end of episode 21:

Tae Bong: “I love you. Don’t you understand?”
Dal Ja: “Thank you for saying that. So once in my life, I was loved. I’m so glad that it was with you… I won’t tell you to wait. And I won’t say that I’ll return to you either.”
Tae Bong: “Dal Ja.”
Dal Ja: “Let’s not make any promises, or any guarantees. And let’s not fool ourselves into thinking that our feelings right now won’t change in two years. If I tied you down with those promises, it would be my selfish greed… That one phrase you just told me is plenty for me. Those were the greatest words of my life… I love you, Tae Bong.”

Back in the present (2009), Tae Bong tells his date that he only came to the mat-seon because his mother pressured him, but he felt it was only polite to tell her why he’s not interested in meeting anyone. She asks him if he’s had any contact with Dal Ja, and he says he only received one postcard in two years. The woman wonders if he’s been waiting all this time for Dal Ja, and Tae Bong says, “I want to try believing in what she believes in.”

As we wonder what he means by that, we see the postcard Dal Ja sent him. You can’t read it well here, but it says: “If it’s fate… maybe?”

Meanwhile, we catch up with everyone else:

Seon Joo arrives, as glamorous as ever, for her first day back at work with her and Sae Do’s baby, Dong Hee. She’s fiercely overprotective but dotes on the baby… and snaps at the office workers when they say what a cute boy he is. Because Dong Hee’s a girl. Ha!

 
Tae Bong’s father and grandfather have a great relationship…

 
Tae Bong’s mother frequently goes to play Go-Stop with Dal Ja’s mom and grandmother…

And Dal Ja’s mother and grandmother have a lovely conversation when Grandma tries to set up Mom on a blind date herself. Mom’s not that interested, but understands that Grandma wants someone to look after her, instead of being stuck taking care of her old mother-in-law forever.

Gran: “Aren’t you tired, taking care of such an old woman?”
Mom: “Aren’t you tired, looking after such a unsociable person like me?”
Gran: “Why would I be tired? With a daughter-in-law like you.”
Mom: “Same with me. Why do you say that to me when I’ve got a mother-in-law like you? Enough with that. If you continue, I’ll really be disappointed.”
Gran: “It’s because I feel shameless.” (i.e., sense of honor has gone)
Mom: “Rather than any man, you’re much more reliable and comfortable to me. To me, mother, you mean more than a husband, a friend, or a lover. Don’t you know?”

 
And with that, Dal Ja returns.

Tae Bong is out on the Seoul streets when he sees Dal Ja off in the distance. He goes through the busy traffic trying to catch up to her, but keeps missing her. Finally, he has to give up, dejected, and goes into work. (I’ll have more theme-related stuff to say on this later.)

At work, Tae Bong is what appears to be an assistant chef at a fancy restaurant. The workers gossip about the “Wednesday Man” who’s on yet another mat-seon date. He comes in every Wednesday with a different woman (therefore he’s always unsuccessful — the guys think he’s completely sleazy), and the chef jokes that he’s thinking of providing the guy’s 50th meal for free.

Tae Bong looks out into the restaurant and sees the man’s date… she with the curly hair and dark nail polish… But rather than rush out, he just smiles as he watches from a distance.

Meanwhile, Dal Ja’s barely paying attention to her date in favor of her food. She asks the guy if he knows her age, and he assures her he does — she’s 33. Dal Ja corrects him; that was her age two years ago. The guy breaks out into a sweat realizing she’s actually 35, and retreats to the bathroom, where he complains to his mother that she got the age wrong. She’s a whole year older than him! How can this be??

Tae Bong overhears the conversation, and when the guy comes out to wash his hands (thank god; it’s a pet peeve when they skip that part in dramas. Or in real life, for that matter), Tae Bong poses a rhetorical question:

Tae Bong: “There are two women. One’s 28 but looks 35. The other is 35, but looks 28. Which would you choose?”
Sleaze, with furrowed brow: “Hmm…. That’s a difficult question.”
Tae Bong: “So I see, that’s a difficult question to you?”
Sleaze: “What’s the answer?”
Tae Bong: “Whichever woman you choose, age is unimportant. What’s important are your feelings. That’s the answer.”

Booyah!

Dal Ja, sitting alone while her date’s off in a tizzy over her age, receives a free cake from the server. The server tells her that the cook said Dal Ja looks like someone who’d enjoy cake. Accompanying the cake is a card.


“If it’s fate… Maybe!!”

 
Dal Ja tears up reading the note, and looks around, but no Tae Bong in sight. When her date comes back to the table, Dal ja’s gone. He grumbles to the server that it’s shallow of her, just coming for a free meal. The (female) server tells him, with an edge to her voice (hee), that the lady already took care of the bill. (So stick that in your pipe and smoke it, sexist pig. You know she was thinking that.)

Dal Ja is welcomed back to Handa Home Shopping. It’s all very lovely, to see her greeted with such open arms by everyone, who’s glad to have her back. Everyone’s also been promoted a level, so now Dal Ja’s the section head, and her former title is now held by one of her juniors.

They’re working with Eom Ki Joong on a new brand launch. She reunites with Soon Ae, too, who’s now pregnant with her third baby. She’s also looking really lovely herself.

Dal Ja talks with her mother, who asks carefully if she isn’t going to contact Tae Bong now that she’s back. Dal Ja says that if they’re meant to end up together, they’ll find each other eventually. Everyone has their time.

Dal Ja: “If Tae Bong and I are meant to meet, then someday, without even trying, we’ll meet. I believe that, mom.”
Mom: “Aren’t you worried about your age?”
Dal Ja: “Am I aging alone? If I age a year, so will he.”

And I think this ties back thematically into Tae Bong frantically trying to find Dal Ja on the Seoul streets. He worked himself up, anxious at the thought of not finding her, and wound up completely dejected… And then he walked into work and there she was. Simple and easy. I like to think that’s why Tae Bong didn’t run right to her immediately, too, because he said he wanted to try believing what Dal Ja believed. That if they are meant to meet again, it’ll happen, and when it does it’ll be simple and natural. (I don’t know how much I believe that in real life, but for drama purposes, it’s a lovely sentiment.)

Meanwhile, Tae Bong’s working hard — he found new space for lease, and is busy getting it in order to set up his own restaurant.

While he’s working, his chef friend brings by a card for him. Dal Ja had dropped by and asked for the cook who’d given her the cake, only to hear he’d quit two weeks ago. The card Dal Ja sends is an invitation to the launch of Handa’s new line. It says, “I invite you to spring!” (Meaning the spring collection, but it also carries, of course, the double meaning with the concept of life’s “spring.”)

The senior asks who the woman is, and Tae Bong answers, “She’s my fate.” The guy can’t believe Tae Bong believes in stuff like fate, and Tae Bong hardly can believe it himself.

As for Sae Do and Seon Joo, for the most part, they’re happy together, but Sae Do still wants to marry her. Seon Joo remains resolute in her intention not to marry. She doesn’t see much difference in how they’re living now, but marriage means something special to Sae Do, and he wants to share in it with her because he loves her. Seon Joo overhears him talking about it to Dal Ja, and perhaps realizes for the first time just how much it means to him.

So, after their big spring launch event, Seon Joo goes to Sae Do and, in her customary forward style, tells him: “I hate grand, showy things. Let’s just call both sets of parents and a few of our closest friends. I won’t wear a wedding dress either, I’ll wear what I want. That’s okay, right?” Sae Do’s speechless, so she continues: “Yes, I’m proposing. Let’s get married.”

Sae Do’s in disbelief, so Seon Joo tells him, “I love you.”
Sae Do: “What?”
Seon Joo: “I love you.”
Sae Do: “Can you say it… just one more time?”
Seon Joo: “I love you. I love you. I love you… I love you.”

And under those same fireworks, Dal Ja thinks to herself, “At one time, I thought that when my twenties ended, my youth [the springtime of my life] would be over. But even at 35, my youth hasn’t ended yet, and spring has come back and found me. And also… He once again drew near to me.”

He takes her to his shop, and treats her to his very first lunchbox. He waits nervously as she tries it, and she deliberately takes her time tasting. Finally, she tells him it’s good, and Tae Bong, relieved and happy, kisses her on the forehead.

Dal Ja looks at him in surprise, then after a moment, grabs his shirtfront and pulls him in for a kiss.

“There was nothing like an end, or conclusion. And so, there was no ‘happily ever after’ either. There was only, ‘Every day, we start today together again’….”

And Tae Bong’s revised postcard says: “If it’s fate… It must be!!”

 

And we get a final rundown of many of our recurring characters, like Eom Ki Joong’s ex-wife, who has her own pie business…

 
Tae Bong’s pretty-man friend, still working his clothing shop…

 
Announcer chick, whose name I’ve already forgotten, who appears to be auditioning for a film…

 
Hee Yeon, who starts a new job (perhaps her first ever)….

 
Even Soo Jin, who gets asked out by a co-worker who isn’t deterred by her lack of interest… which of course sparks her interest… (haha)….

 
And Dal Ja’s co-workers goof off with a song (and dance!) about the return of Dal Ja’s spring……

 
And there we have it! Dal Ja’s Spring.

This was such a great show… It was funny, heartwarming, meaningful, subtle… and without being heavy-handed or overly dramatic. It was realistic but still fulfilled our romantic fantasies, and gave us a satisfying, lovely send-off — even if there is no “Happily Ever After”!

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dal ja was addictive and so were your recaps!
Eps 22 felt different from the others tho - did they film it after some time? the cast chemistry was a bit weird (awkward or off?)
taebong + dal ja were so passive to meet up, i thought the episode was a bonus to extend the run - especially when ALL the turbulent relationships were so carefully spun before.
oh well, being 35 and single looks very doable now :D

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PS - the watercolors are so beautiful - every series should have them:)
very talented artist they had working.

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hi javabean! i came across this link while i'm searching for dalja's spring episode guides. when i opened it, i found your summaries interesting and beautifully written. i also learned you are a korean who's really fond of how do you call it, kdramas? forgive me if my term is wrong. anyway, thanks for sharing your fondness of these dramas by creating this wonderfully created site. thanks a lot. i am a first time reader of your summaries but since i liked how you creatively and articulately put those words together with the pictures, i'm surely doing to visit this site again. thanks again and more power to you! have a nice kdrama viewing and reviewing!

i just love this site! :)

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oops! soory for the typographical error. hi there 'javabeans'! i wrote earlier in my comment, which i realized was wrong. i'm sorry for that one. once again, thanks a lot! have a nice day.

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this is so very happy movie ive seen..maybe someday my daughter gonna watch it..

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oh ,, i rEaLLy enjoyed watching Dalja' s spring ..

its so fuNny and its rOmantic with a v'Ery nice sOng

aCtors and aCtreSs Are grEat and i Love Lee MIn ki and chaE rim ..
i wILL nevEr ever forget "daLja's sPrinG" coz its reflEcted my lyf .. and i wisH daLja's sPring haS a pArt 2 ..

dAtz oL !!!

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I like this kdrama so much! Of all the kdramas I've seen, this is the best.
I guess because I was deeply moved by the story. Why? Because everyhing about it is just me and my life. No kidding but , watching it is equivalent to watching myself and my life. I see my self in dalja---Its like looking at myself in the mirror. Oopps! So that obviously made clear that i am now in my 30's (but I'm not as old as Dalja yet, alright! but I am as pretty, young-looking and appealing as her. hahahahaha).

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hi wlang kwnta wla yng weding?
fuck you

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lmfao...

seems like I'm not the only one who noticed the homage to Jdrama.

Maybe? Must Be. from Pride (one of my other top dramas)

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yes, the whole time I was reminded of the way Halu says "maybe?". KimuTaku was so hot in that drama lol. I love that drama too.

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I just finished watching this drama and it was great. I always wondered if I would prefer watching a drama first and then reading your reviews. I like reading your reviews first!

Thanks for loving Kdrama so much that you started this blog!

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javabeans...this is soooooo great...
a million thanks to you, for posting this on your blog... :)
keep it up...
always waiting for your next posts....
good luck :D

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Such an amazing drama!!! I utterly (tell me if i make a mistake) swallowed the episodes (i hope it is some good english!)...
I loved everythong in this drama but the problem is that it had everything to be an atypical korean romantic comedy without the real triangle love and so on but hen later in the drama "someone" comes back and it is a pity but a little pity beacause it does not spoil the drama.

Well, i will stop now: DAL JA'S SPRING POWAAAAAA

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Started on this after reading ur '07 recommendations...Didnt waste abit of my time!!was smiling my way through the whole of this last episode and even so reading ur recaps..=D THANKS FOR THE GREAT WORK!

what a superbly sweeT show!! loved the both couples!

=DDDDD

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AH!! I've been searching for an episode guide for dalja's spring. i watched it up to episode 20 and wanted to cry. i'm a sucker for happy endings so i wanted to know how it would end so that i could watch it with a peaceful mind. Now i can watch the last two episodes. Thank you!!!!!

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OMG watched the series soo good!! =)) Lee Min Ki iss soo hawwt in this!!
BTW its 29 not 28...

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I enjoyed the series. It might not be my favourite EVER, but it's near the top.
Mr. Eom is THE awesomeness. Loved the pairing of Sae-Do and Seon-Joo too, even without the bond of marriage they are still so sweet towards each other and are able to raise a child together.
Lee Min Ki was great - this was the first thing I've ever seen him in and I gotta say I was pleasantly surprised that he is such a promising, if not good already, actor.
Chae Rim was adorable as always.
Great job with the writing and directing, it was worth the 22++hours I spent in front of the computer ruining my vision, hehhehe!

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i`m very happy about the ending....kuraeyo...i am hopping that kang tae bong wil fall for oh dahlja......chromn....saranghae ...annyonghaseyo....love from SJJ

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I watched the Dal Ja's Spring on KBS by chance couple of weeks ago, which is airing every saturday morning and fell in love with the drama right away..

next week will the the end of the drama (episode 22) but, i can't wait that long,
so i ran into the dvd store in the nearby shopping mall and bought the whole set
of the drama, only to find out that the last episode which i'm expecting to watch was in error disc condition...

so i went for another option, mysoju, but the loading hardly can move
in the midst of part 1, 2,3, 4 of episode 22..

and i came to my worst frustration.. until then i found your website here which got
the summary of the last episode which is written so clearly and beautifully..

i was touched reading it and happy as well..

Thanks a million!!!

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Man, javabeans, it's fun for me to read over dramas you've return over the last couple of years. I can totally see a change in the writing style, and yet the familiar technique that is you. I'm no expert, but I just notice the subtle differences because I started from your newer blogs and moved backward in time. I would come across a line or an obsession of yours, and i would be like "so that's what JB meant in this and this blog"... Yeah, lame I know.

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I meant to say *written or *wrote instead of "return over the last"... Typos...

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can i know where video final episod

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what is d english old song played when the fashion show start?
i cant remmeber the title for it..

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I just finished watching this drama. I love how Dalja and Tae Bong makes the age gap issue dissipate. :)

Though I was expecting a grander ending for the main couple, I'm satisfied with the how this drama ends.

Thanks for the recaps Javabeans!

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why do they always need somebody abroad for some long period???

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perhaps the best drama i've ever seen, definitely the most enjoyable! dal ja's spring is the definition of awesomeness, and a truly wonderful series...plus chae rim/dal ja is a knockout!

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i love this show but i was thinking when are you going to do recaps on episode 7-12?

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I know! There are some of the best scenes in those particular episodes. Tae Bong and Dal Ja's first kiss, Grandma finding out that they live together ...

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So. Good.
Love Tae Bong.
Love Dal Ja.
Love Dal Ja + Tae Bong!

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i watched this when it originally aired and four years after it is still one of the best kdramas i know. this series is just so relatable and romantic! Tae Bong is one of the dreamiest k-drama heroes imo

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one day while at the shop, i just randomly picked up this drama. was attracted to it 'cos it's been a long while since 'all about eve' that i've watched another korean drama with chae rim acting in it.

i loved this drama 'cos it's not your typical korean type of drama.

sweet and lovely, i just simply enjoyed it.

thanks for the recaps, it's a walk down memory lane :D

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i luv al ur recaps and i wish u wud finish al of'em coz it makes d series complete and a great read on any given day! thanks again & God bles!!

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Thanks, javabeans and Dramabeans, for the recaps of Dalja's Spring and also for the year-end reviews. That's how I decided to watch DJ and am so glad I did. I've seen quite a few dramas already with the thirtysomething-woman being paired with a younger man. Only two of the younger actors have really convinced me to suspend disbelief enough to enjoy the drama and the romance (Daniel Choi and, now, Lee Min-ki). This drama is what I consider a "repeater" because it made me laugh enough that I would watch it again, especially after a heartwrenching sageuk. I also loved the soundtrack, always a must for me. Now, on to the rest of the year-end dramas recommended!! Thanks again. Saludos desde Puerto Rico.

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Lovely. Took me too long to run into this drama.

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Omg..is it some kind of a joke??haha.. I just noticed dalja's blind date in the final episode..he used to play as chae rim's older brother in "oh phil seung, bong sun young" and now he's complaining about her age...haha.
Thanks for the photos it made me realize who he is.. i've been wondering why he looks so familiar.

I'm glad i came across your recaps, i really enjoyed reading it..it may be too late but can you still post your recap for ep.7-12.pleaseeee...ty.:)

this is one of the BEST kdrama for me, mainly because of chae rim..lovely. TB and DJ so cute.

More powers to you...Godbless.

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for me Dalja's Spring is one of my Fave 2 Noona-oppa Korean drama...next is Foxy Lady.

Chae Rim and Lee Min Ki have a superb chemistry on-screen...i actually did'nt notice the 6-year age gap between the two.

Just hope Chae Rim and Lee Min Ki will l be reunited in another drama...one of my top 10 K-drama wishlist this 2012. I've already got 5 of them,huh!

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P.S

I also don't have the last episode in my dvd copy...thanks to dramabeans for the recap of its final episode...but i'm still looking for its complete episodes in our own tagalog dub.

For me, Dalja's Spring is a classic story...it's producer (whose now a director) and its screenwriter have been successful and won recognitions after said drama...

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My favourite thing in Dalja's Spring is the opening song, Miraculous Love. The vocal harmony of the chorus is so pretty, lively and sweet. It is just like this drama.

Dalja and Taebong are an older-woman-younger-man pair who meet in an awkward situation and fall in love as television couples are wont to do. This love is put through the usual wringers, plus or minus a few. These include the age gap, significant difference in social standing, parents' rage over career switch, parents being former sweethearts (ooh, tough one), and overseas job posting. The story is unoriginal, but told with charm. I particularly enjoyed the home shopping business setting and the depiction of office friction and friendship.

The older couple story also provided depth to this sweet drama. Seon Joo was a delight to watch. She is the confident career woman who can make and own her decisions. Whether to stay pregnant, how to raise the baby, her love for Sae Do, and whether to marry him - these are decisions that can entail loss of freedom, so she proceeds reluctantly and carefully. Through it all, Sae Do waits, not always quietly or patiently, but with endurance.

Like the bottom notes of the vocal harmony, these mature notes balanced out the pretty melody on top and made the whole thing a delicious dessert.

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WOW...!!! After thoroughly getting hooked to KDramas back in 2007, Dal Ja's Spring was the first (of many) that I marathoned watched and loved... How could this simple story be able to touch me who at the time was in my 40s. I recommended it to my fellow female cousins who also loved it and of course Lee Min Ki , who was added to their Korean hit list (of actors)!! I loved Chae Rim and still do.

And now it's 2012, Dramafever has just added this on it's list of Kdramas (I'm soo glad...), this is still one of my favorites, and I can rewatch and rewatch because of Dramafever... and of course JB who initially recommended it...

Thanks JB... you have opened up so much and still I am a fan--a huge fan... more power to you and your ever growing staff... and of course the awesomely insightful, emotion churning, laughter filled, smile enducing, how much more can I describe the recaps... Fighting for 100 more years... Even if I become a bedridden Kdrama fan I will demand my daily dose if not 24/7 dose of Kdramas and Dramabeans recaps... Fighting!!

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Finally completed this......loved it ♡

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I'm going voting crazy!

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dunno what to watch, and i remember Dal Ja's Spring, and it's so addicting! this is not my first time watching Dal Ja, but how it still gives me new feeling... now that I'm around same age with Dal Ja, and love to fantasize my love story.. I feel more related to her. I have my happy laugh and happy tear watching this drama.. it is so good..

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