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Flower Boy Ramyun Shop: Episode 10

The theme for today is Desire. Someone’s got his pants on fire, and it’s not from lying, that’s for sure.

 
EPISODE 10: “A Streetcar Named Desire”

We wind back a little to see Chi-soo gingerly cleaning off the egg from his face (best prank ever), growling at the eggshells, “With this I’m sure. My feelings towards you are contempt!” Okay seriously, his dainty highness screeching over being dirty just never gets unfunny.

He drives over to the ramyun shop, ready to exact his revenge (it’d be funnier if he had a carton of eggs in the passenger seat), but finds Kang-hyuk and Eun-bi hanging in mid-kiss. The look of heartbreak on his face is crushing.

Kang-hyuk leans in close, eyes closed, and Eun-bi stares in shock, and then closes her eyes for a second… until she sneezes, right in his face. Ha. Oh honey, couldn’t you have held it in a few seconds more? Damn.

She’s mortified, but Kang-hyuk laughs at her adorably, and lets the moment go, suggesting that she go inside before she catches cold. And then he picks her up again (gah, swoon) and sets her back down from the railing.

Chi-soo slumps down in his seat, hiding from view, near tears.

Eun-bi goes inside and starts rummaging for medicine, the kind you take when you’re in shock that’s supposed to calm you down. I always think of that medicine as pre-smelling-salts, like what you take to prevent the fainting. But smellier. Way smellier.

Ba-wool helps her find it, and then wonders what’s up with her. Still swooning, she sighs that it’s in preparation because she thinks a tsunami is coming. At the same time, Hyun-woo finds Kang-hyuk doing push-ups in his room. (To work off the sexual tension? Rawr.)

He asks why the push-ups this late at night, and Kang-hyuk says that a tsunami is about to hit. I love that the tsunami they refer to is love, not realizing that the real tsunami headed their way is one very pissed off Cha Chi-soo.

He’s still stewing in the exact same position, until a parking attendant comes by to warn him that he can’t park there. Chi-soo ends up having a one-way conversation with him by picking up on his phrases, and speaking mostly to an imaginary Kang-hyuk.

Parking Guy: “You can’t park here.” Chi-soo: “You’re right. I shouldn’t have parked here.” Parking Guy: “Ajusshi, back out your car.” Chi-soo: “So you won’t back out, will you?” Parking Guy: “Do you want to get a ticket?” He finally turns to parking guy: “Not here. Give them a ticket over there!”

Inside, Eun-bi is giving herself tickets, by writing clues about Kang-hyuk’s feelings and sticking them on her face. Right cheek: “Special.” She flashes back to the moment on the beach, when he told her she was special. Left cheek: “Jealousy.” Flashback to him grumbling about being jealous of Chi-soo.

Forehead: “Hot.” Bathroom brawl, declaration that wifey is hot. She wonders if it could mean that Kang-hyuk… really… And then the final ticket: “Bingo,” which she sticks on her lips. Heh. She puts on her coat and decides that she will never get sick again.

Kang-hyuk whines that he can’t wait, can’t resist any longer… as he does the pee-pee dance in a line for the bathroom, behind Ba-wool and Hyun-woo. It’s morning, and Eun-bi takes her sweet time, not realizing the havoc she’s caused outside.

Embarrassed, she tries to run off, but Kang-hyuk stops to tell her that she’s unbelievably pretty, even in the morning. She scratches her chin and heads to the store, swooning to herself about how he didn’t have to say she was unbelievably pretty, not realizing that Chi-soo is standing right in front of her. He backs her up into a planter, saying he’s here to work on their recipe project.

At the Cha estate, Daddy’s secretary reports that after much research, data gathering, and complex algorithms, they have discovered that the commonality to all of Chi-soo’s ailments as of late is: “That Woman.” Cue whiteboard with flowchart. Pffft.

They don’t know exactly what to make of it, (What? You don’t have an algorithm for that?) but hearing that Chi-soo goes to his ramyun shop job every day even when he doesn’t go to school, Daddy says to let him keep going, both for the good PR, and the connection it’ll give him to Eun-bi when they’re ready to buy out the place.

Chi-soo and Eun-bi work on their ramyun recipe, or she tries to, while he takes jabs at her. Displeased, he wonders why she looks so tired. “What were you doing all night?” She says she was studying, which he takes as a euphemism for hanky panky, and growls, “You must’ve studied really hard.”

Eun-bi ignores him and says that she’s thinking of using cheese as a base for his ramyun dish. Chi-soo: “Cheese is good. You like stuff like that. Stuff that’s greasy.” Hahahaha. It’s extra hilarious because he’s way greasier than Kang-hyuk is, but he’s not the one who pulled moves on her last night.

She ignores him again, saying that to cut the greasiness, she’ll have to add green onions and chilis, which Chi-soo pointedly calls “Hot,” and then says she’ll finish it off with black pepper. Chi-soo: “No, no pepper won’t do. You might… SNEEZE.” Hahahaha.

That totally goads her, but she doesn’t know that he’s doing it on purpose, and wonders what’s got him so twisted around today. She calls him a twisty donut, and he does this really lame dance that consists of turning in a circle, as if trying to mock her. Mostly it makes him look ridiculous, and the whole thing leaves her confused.

Kang-hyuk pulls him aside to ask if he fought with Eun-bi again, calling him Jja Chi-soo, or Salty Chi-soo today. He says that it’d be nice if he stopped being mean to wifey. Chi-soo asks why it’s any concern of his, “Do you really like her or something?”

Kang-hyuk stares blankly, murmuring that if he asks such direct questions in the morning… And Chi-soo smirks, thinking he’s got him rattled… But then Kang-hyuk sighs and puts his hands on his face: “…then I’ll be embarrassed! Is my face red? Can you tell my face is red?” Hahaha!

It totally backfires on Chi-soo, as he has to stand there and watch Kang-hyuk go googly-eyed, not even trying to hide how much he likes Eun-bi. He wraps his sweater over his head and lies down, all giddy and embarrassed, and Chi-soo stalks off more annoyed than ever.

It gets even worse when he sits in his radish corner at work, and witnesses Kang-hyuk putting his hands all over Eun-bi to “fix” her apron, which was in no need of fixing. Swoooon. Eun-bi melts, while Chi-soo has a meltdown.

He storms up to her angrily, and picks up on her chin-scratching nervous tick, wondering if she didn’t wash her chin today, and why she’s scratching it and being dirty. He says he’s going to wash his hands and gets in his car and races down the street, blowing past Ba-wool and Hyun-woo who get flour in their faces, and note symbolically, “Did something just pass by?” “It was something… hot…”

Cut to Chi-soo on fire, trying to get a grip. He gets a text from Eun-bi: “Did you go to the Han River to wash your hands?” He buries his head in his hands, and then asks Hyun-woo what it means when someone and someone else are always stuck together, and then when you see them, your eyes get all fiery.

Hyun-woo asks if someone threw pepper in his eye. Heh. He says no, it’s a feeling, like when you see those two people together, and your eyes go ’round the back of your head, and your head gets all hot, and it’s like a train is running right through you. What’s that?

Hyun-woo thinks for a moment… “It’s jealousy!” Two points for the slightly more aware Hyun-woo. Chi-soo: “Jealousy?”

At the shop, Eun-bi is busy working on her Chi-soo ramyun, by making… a flowchart? Ha. This one has “Dog Chi-soo” at the center, and isn’t that different from Daddy’s chart, in that it lists different places and events where they had big fights. She wonders to herself what the commonality is. She knows there is one, but can’t see it…

So-yi comes by the shop, and Eun-bi sits down with her, asking who she’s here to see – Chi-soo or Ba-wool? So-yi answers in her typical way, “Whoever comes first.” Oy. Between that and her idea of eating as munching on the chives off the top of her ramyun (and nothing else), Eun-bi and I have the same reaction to her: eyeroll.

Eun-bi asks how long she’s known Chi-soo, and when she says about ten years, Eun-bi asks if she’s cried in front of him before. So-yi gasps, saying that you can’t cry in front of Chi-soo. If you do, from that day on, you’re poop.

Eun-bi asks what it means to be poop, and So-yi clarifies that it means you are on the outs with Chi-soo from that day on. Eun-bi’s reaction is telling, as her heart suddenly sinks, and she scratches out the section on her flowchart that reads: “Don’t cry > Hot.”

Ba-wool waits outside So-yi’s house with the giantest teddy bear ever, adorably excited to see her. But she walks up with yet another guy. Ba-wool comes up to confront him, declaring that he’s her boyfriend/husband/jagi/yeobo.

The other guy, “an oppa she knows,” calls him poop and leaves, and Ba-wool screams at So-yi, wondering how she’d like it if he went around meeting other girls. She says it wouldn’t make her very mad, she thinks, and beams at the teddy bear, “Is it for me?”

Ba-wool: “NO! It’s mine! Starting today, THIS is my girlfriend!” HAHAHA. Oh Chicken, you are so cute. So-yi just laughs and waves after him, totally unfazed.

Chi-soo waits for Eun-bi in the house, and jumps at the chance to sneak a peek at the dictionary lying on the table. Omg, he’s taken to looking up emotion-words now? He searches for “Jealousy,” reading that it means being angry at someone for being better than you.

Chi-soo yells at the dictionary, like it’s clearly mistaken, that there’s no possible way that Kang-hyuk is BETTER than him. Hmph. And then he continues to read, and finds a definition that says “Between husband or wife, or people who love…”

He gets interrupted by Eun-bi, asking what he’s doing. He drops the dictionary like he got caught looking at porn or something, and she suggests they go eat before working. He starts to follow her out, and then runs back in to reopen the dictionary… and rip out the page with “jealousy” on it. Pfffffft. You don’t have dictionaries at home, billionaire boy?

They sit down to eat, and Chi-soo stares and stares. Flashback to the rest of the conversation with Hyun-woo, where he had described his ailment: So, you see her everywhere, hate seeing her with someone else, and seeing her laugh with another person makes you angry with jealousy?

Chi-soo agrees that that’s exactly it: “So then… what you’re saying is, I hate Intern SO MUCH that I’m feeling this way?” Hahaha. Okay, this is veering on gag concert ridiculousness. I might be concerned that you’re actually just dumb, save for your rare moments of insight.

Hyun-woo laughs, “No, it’s the opposite.” He starts to wonder what it all means as he stares, and then he’s jolted back to reality at the sight of what she’s ordered: chicken feet. He involuntarily gathers his hands in the form of claws, asking how a girl could eat such things.

He sighs that this is why she breeds such contempt in him. He asks point-blank (such a refreshing trait, I have to say) what her relationship is to Kang-hyuk. She ponders it a moment, and replies, “Um… an oppa I know?”

Chi-soo: “O-o-oppa?” HEE. Hee hee hee hee hee hee hee.

Chi-soo scowls, asking how long she could have possibly known Kang-hyuk, for him to be an oppa to her. He scoffs that at this rate, she’ll be saying, “Let’s date, Oppa.” She agrees, sure why not.

He scoffs that she sure is cool and casual all of a sudden, reminding her of her words, that you can change phones, but you don’t change love. He puts his hand over his heart, “You said that love is something you do here, here!” AW.

She points at her heart (with the hand not currently holding a chicken foot, heh) and says that she WILL love, and with her heart too. Just differently this time. She’s not going to let her love boil alone anymore, and instead approach something that makes her heart bubble over.

Eun-bi: “I don’t want to eat cup ramyun at the convenience store anymore. Ramyun is supposed to be cooked together and shared with someone else for it to taste good.”

He grumbles that Kang-hyuk is the one she’s going to share her ramyun with. (This metaphor of ramyun as Eun-bi’s heart is so cute, but then it’s coupled with the hotter interpretation of sharing her ramyun as having The Sex.) She counters that Kang-hyuk is a real man who knows the heart, “not a fake who decides his emotions from a machine.” Oh, snap.

He stands up, declaring that she can share her ramyun with Kang-hyuk as much as she wants. He suddenly sticks out two fingers in the shape of an A. “I don’t know how much there’ll be to eat… A-cup.” Pwahahaha. Dying… need… to breathe…

Besides the insult to her cup-size, it’s freaking hilarious the way he twists the ramyun metaphor from her meaning (the heart place) to his desire and one-track mind (the other place).

Ba-wool sits outside the convenience store, sipping yogurt across from his new girlfriend the teddy bear, who has her own yogurt. So cute. He screams, “An oppa I know?! Raaaaaaaaaugh. You once only called me oppa! OPPA?!”

And then behind him appears Chi-soo, in the same frame, “What? An oppa I know?!” He pounds his heart. “You once called me oppa! OPPA?!” Love it. God, I love when the A and B stories converge like this.

Ba-wool sees Chi-soo pounding his chest, wondering what’s up with him. He muses that he looks familiar like that… who does he remind him of… “That’s me!” He crawls into the ramyun shop, complaining of chest pain, and goes looking for the medicine that he gave to Eun-bi earlier that day, causing him to crouch behind the counter.

Chi-soo comes in behind him, still pounding his chest. Kang-hyuk comes out from the back and asks what he’s doing here. Chi-soo offers him a warning: “Your wife. If you’re just taking at stab at her, give it up. She doesn’t know the difference between real and not, between poop and soybean paste, and just gives her heart first.”

Aw, that first part is so sweet. But then he twists it, of course, to say that he’s saying this for Kang-hyuk’s benefit, because he ought to know what poop he’s stepping in. And Kang-hyuk, the nice guy that he is, wonders if Chi-soo is worrying for him.

“Don’t worry. From now on, I’m going to become Wifey’s real pillar now.” Aw. Yay for silly nicknames becoming meaningful declarations. Chi-soo shouts in surprise, I guess not having anticipated that Kang-hyuk’s feelings could be real.

Kang-hyuk in turn asks Chi-soo to play nice with wifey from now on, “because I like you, as much as I like wifey.” I love it. The more Kang-hyuk loves Chi-soo, the more Chi-soo’s hatred and jealousy becomes infuriating and impotent. This is exactly the kind of relationship I wanted for them.

Kang-hyuk smiles after Chi-soo, totally moved at his concern (ha) while Ba-wool comes out of his hiding place scratching his head. He writes it out in his room, wondering what on earth is going on, to make Cha Chi-soo act… so unlike Cha Chi-soo. He suddenly turns to Hyun-woo: “Does Cha Chi-soo LIKE Eun-bi noona?!” Well I’m glad somebody‘s faster on the uptake around here. Hyun-woo denies it, of course.

Dad stops Chi-soo on his way in to ask if he likes Yang-yang, his nickname for Eun-bi that means “that Yang girl.” Chi-soo denies it, wondering why everyone’s asking him that lately. Dad sighs in relief, which makes Chi-soo stop to ask why he’s relieved. “Can’t I like her?”

Dad says no, because she smells of home-cooked rice. Chi-soo doesn’t understand what’s wrong with that (which speaks to the progress he’s made). Dad says that Chi-soo is caviar. “Do you know what happens when you mix caviar in rice? You become laughable, like me.”

Dad says heartbreakingly, “Women who smell of home-cooked rice do not like men who smell of money.” Aw, what starts out as a statement that you think comes from a snobby place is actually the opposite – he was clearly rejected by the love of his life for being caviar. Chi-soo says, “Don’t worry. I have no intention of eating caviar with chicken feet. I don’t like that kind of fusion.”

Eun-bi heads home mumbling to herself about this being Dog Chi-soo’s revenge on her, shouting out loud, “Do you know infuriating it is for an A-cup to be called an A-cup?!” Kang-hyuk: “Are you an A-cup?” Ha.

They sit at the kitchen table, and Eun-bi brings up the question of age. He evades at first, and she tries to breeze that sure, in this day and age, who cares… but then insists that she’s just that old-fashioned and has to know. Otherwise, how will she know what to call him?

He says that he’s the year of the chicken. Flashback to her first traumatic mistake with that dreaded astrological sign. She’s gotta be sure this time: “’81 Chicken, or ’93 Chicken?” Kang-hyuk: “’93 Chicken…” Eun-bi deflates.

“…do you think I look like one? Me? They say love is blind, but if you’re already like this, then what’s going to happen later?” Hahaha. She rattles off how you don’t know when people confuse you and say they’re one chicken when they’re another, and you don’t know hen from rooster…

Kang-hyuk gets up and leans in, hovering above her face, “Don’t worry. I’m a very healthy rooster.” LOL. How is “I’m a rooster” hot?? But it is, and she blinks nervously. He adds, “So I’m gonna go to bed now. Otherwise… I think it’ll be dangerous. Good night.” Goddamn, that’s hot. Auuuuuuggh.

Dong-joo squees at the news, and tells Eun-bi to seduce him at the movies later that night. Coach sticks his head in, having joined the girls for a hair treatment (heh) and asks Eun-bi if she knows who Dong-joo’s first love is. Eun-bi shakes her head nervously.

Chi-soo sits at home, rereading the dictionary entry for “Jealousy.” He slams it down, dissatisfied at its bald-faced answer that he likes someone who likes someone else. I don’t know what’s funnier about this scene – his reaction, “Who wrote this stupid dictionary?” or the row of cologne bottles stacked to high heaven on his desk.

He points to himself in disbelief. “I? Me? I’m jealous?” He scratches his chin. Aw, I love how he adopts all her gestures one by one.

He storms into the ramyun shop on a Sunday, demanding to see Intern. Ba-wool eyes him suspiciously, asking why. He gives the excuse that it’s for the recipe project, but Ba-wool presses it, asking what he wants with Eun-bi noona.

Hyun-woo arrives to see them arguing, and Chi-soo asks if he knows. Hyun-woo says she went to the movies with Kang-hyuk. Chi-soo screams, “the two of them?” What he means is, “ALONE?”

He runs to his car, but Ba-wool blocks his way, refusing to give him an inch where his precious noona is concerned. I’m really torn right now, because I love Ba-wool’s love for noona, and want Eun-bi to have a nice date, but damn if I don’t desperately want Chi-soo to run to her and make some kind of declaration.

He screams at Ba-wool to get out of his way because his “eyes are on fire,” which is his physical symptom to describe his jealousy. One of Chi-soo’s friends arrives on his motorcycle, and Chi-soo drives off with it. So-yi arrives just as he takes off. And then in a moment to top the earlier adorableness, Ba-wool gets on his ten-speed, and chases Chi-soo down on his bike.

Meanwhile Eun-bi and Kang-hyuk have an adorable date. He gets up in the middle of the movie to go to the bathroom, and then stops in the aisle. He takes her hand, “Now that I’ve grabbed your hand, I’ve grabbed your heart too.” Aw, it’s so cute, but Eun-bi’s reaction is telling. She’s not smiling.

It looks like she’s waiting for that feeling… that never comes. But she swoons when she thinks about it, and buries her face in her hands.

Kang-hyuk stops to buy the hairpin that he saw Eun-bi picking out before the movie. When the clerk asks who it’s for, he says shyly, “My girlfriend.” Aw. Chi-soo arrives, passing right behind him.

He runs into the theater with his helmet still on, and then stops when he finds her. She stares curiously at first, not realizing that it’s him, but he takes off the helmet and tells her they’re leaving. He grabs her wrist and drags her all the way back outside.

Ba-wool arrives and sees them leaving through the lobby, but then So-yi appears out of nowhere, having followed him there. Nice interference.

Eun-bi screams up and down, asking what he’s trying to do, if he thinks her so laughable. Without a word, he pulls her in for a kiss, as the bell chimes in the distance.

*SPLAT*

 
COMMENTS

Am I supposed to say something coherent now? Because Cha Chi-soo’s lips pretty much made that an impossibility. *Takes cold shower, resumes recap.*

Today’s episode title, based on the Tennessee Williams play A Streetcar Named Desire is (of course) a pun on the original title. The Korean word for streetcar is jun-cha, but they’ve replaced cha with Chi-soo’s particular exaggerated pronunciation of his name, as chwa. So it’s more like a streetcar named Cha Chi-soo, who learns just how hot desire can burn.

I like where they’ve taken the idea of hotness, this time to become Chi-soo’s burning eyeballs of jealousy, and of course his desire for Eun-bi. It fits nicely with the whole ramyun boiling over metaphor, which is love for Eun-bi and sex for Chi-soo. I’d say it’s probably sex for Kang-hyuk as well, given his cheeky inclinations, but he seems to be the healthier well-rounded one, who can maybe see and feel both.

I love that everything boils a little hotter for Chi-soo, everything from love to hate to jealousy. It feels right for his age, where everything burns a little hotter and a little brighter, and scars a little deeper. The intensity of all these emotions, coupled with their newness (oh so entertaining) makes him such a great character. Jung Il-woo is really playing him to the hilt, as someone who feels more intensely because it’s his first time at everything, at life, and it comes through viscerally. It’s adorable how Chi-soo and Ba-wool run around with chest pain like it’s more physical for them than emotional, which I distinctly remember as a real thing. I love that Chi-soo is so readable to everyone but himself, and how much that encapsulates the experience of being young.

And yes, Pillar is swoonworthy and hot and perfect… but the whole thing about A Streetcar Named Desire is the opening of the heroine’s eyes to sexual desire. It’s all-consuming and even destructive, but it’s a force that cannot be contained. Sound like someone you know?

 
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Girlfriday, there aren't words to describe my love for you. Thank you so much for this EPIC recap!

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...but the whole thing about A Streetcar Named Desire is the opening of the heroine’s eyes to sexual desire. It’s all-consuming and even destructive, but it’s a force that cannot be contained.

Although I certainly hope the literary allusions stop there, because the last thing I want to see is either Eun-bi or Chi-soo destroyed by this overwhelming -- and not entirely appropriate -- desire. Please don't let anyone be led off to the bin, depending only on the kindness of strangers.

Also, I don't know that A Streetcar Named Desire is so much about the opening of the heroine's eyes to the sexual desire, as it is said heroine being helpless to fight against the path drawn for her by her desire. She can only go wherever it takes her, like the eponymous streetcar. And in the end, she goes mad. Plus, come to think of it, wasn't Blanche fired from her teaching job for having an affair with an underage student ... an underage student like Cha Chi-soo? Ewwwwww. Is he Western 19 (sort of OK) or Korean 19 (less OK)? Why do I even care? Why am I rambling?

OK, so moving on to the episode itself, I loved it. I thoroughly enjoy Chi-soo, and while I'm not completely sold on his romance with Eun-bi (mainly because he still has so much evolving to do), I really enjoy watching him undergo literal growing pains. And that kiss was amazing on Jung Il-woo's part. I could feel all of the frustration and yearning in him poured into that kiss. I get the feeling that the writer was trying to convey that Eun-bi wasn't quite sure how she felt at that moment in time, because I honestly didn't get much from her. By the end of round two of kissing, she was into it, but Chi-soo still seemed to be doing most of the work. I had hoped she would really go at it, but I give the actress kudos for conveying Eun-bi's ambivalence.

Also, Kang-hyuk is too cute. He needs to cut that shit out because I can't handle how cute he is. Although he could do with upping the ante. I'm torn because I appreciate how respectful he is of Eun-bi, always sussing out her comfort level before he makes honest advances, and I MUCH prefer that to being grabbed and kissed at a guy's whim. But I have to admit that while I like Kang-hyuk more for Eun-bi, I can't blame her to being hung up on Chi-soo. With that amount of passion and raw emotion coming at you, you can't help but respond, be it positively or negatively. I gotta give handsome Cha Chi-soo props for taking action. It's more than I can say for Kang-kyuk.

But why is Chi-soo so damned young? God, that shit is going to bother me, and it's bothering me that it's bothering me because I love this show so effing much! GF, do something!!!

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Kang-hyuk is adorable beyond measure, but I do wish he would turn up the heat more. And you're right, I prefer a guy like Kang-hyuk that can respect my space over a guy who feels the need to just grab and kiss - hot as he may be and as good a kisser as Jung Il-woo. Oi sole!

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True, but so hot on a television show!

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OK I figured it out.

CCS was always tall for his age, but not that bright.
So his handlers, I mean, parents, decided to subtract 5 years from his age.

That makes him a nice SAFE tall and dumb 24 year old...hmmm....I guess this is a case of be careful what you wish for...

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Hmmmm... methinks it's time to use the dreaded Time Jump plot device. I have a feeling Writer-nim has that up her sleeves for Episode 15 or 16.

OR

They don't really end up together after all. Like she's just his first love or something and that she was just there to teach him how to be human and then they move on with their lives (ahem, preferably with a certain Panda Pillar).

I'm counting on the Time Jump because I'm starting to feel the squick of fun sexy times with Jailbait.;)

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I like the first love only bit. Because Pillar is so perfect. I hate that the writers made both characters so loveable. But, I'm actually tired of arrogant lead characters right now so I'm all for Kang-hyuk!

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Heh, only you, Jomo. Where do you come up with these ideas?

Although they have to do something. Chi-soo needs to age up or Eun-bi needs to move on, because he's 19. Nineteen! Hell, nineteen isn't even legal in Korea! I mean, it might be old enough for consent, per se, but it's still squicky for an adult to be mackin' on a high-school student who hasn't reached the age of legal maturity.

(Please, writer-ssi, all I'm asking is that you age Chi-soo up to adulthood so he's not the same age as my baby cousin, and then you can go all rated-X on this drama.)

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Guys, I wouldn't worry too much. For one, he's perfectly legal. For two, it's a convention of this sub-genre to play on that very idea -- the wrongness, the can't-have-it-ness, the hot-for-teacher thing (See: Biscuit Teacher for best example).

And it's also a convention of this sub-genre that you get a time jump. It's the one case where it fits, where it's necessary, and where it's welcomed, with open arms. :)

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I seriously wonder if I'm the only one who does not have a problem with the age thing. Hell, maybe if he was 16 or 17 than I might have a slight problem with it, something that can be easily solved with waiting a year or two for legalness to jump in.

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Hmm, I've never seen Biscuit Teacher. I'll have to look into that.

And thank you, Girlfriday, for responding. Now your favorite sheeple (that would be I) can sleep happy. Also, did you just advocate for a time-jump??? This drama is just too awesome if it made you do that.

@Ani As a quick answer to the question you didn't actually ask, no, you're not the only one who "does not have a problem with the age thing." I'm willing to bet that the vast majority of viewers have absolutely no issue with it since there's nothing wrong with said age-difference in and of itself, as Girlfriday has said. He's at the age of consent. I'm just not familiar enough with this sub-genre to be at ease with this level of age-play, but I'm certainly open to trying new and exciting -- and kinda-wrong-but-totally-hot -- things!

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Naughty git.

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Naughty for you. Oh, yeah....

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You behave! I am only naughty for Jung Il-woo!

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WHAAAAAAAAAAT? You'd choose him over me, your loving, loyal Lahlee? What's he got that I don't got??? Sure, Cha Chi-soo may have a blingin' car and a fancy dye-job, but at least I've got a high school diploma!

Game.

Set.

Match.

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Biscuit Teacher is ah-mazing. I watched it based on Girlfriday's recommendation and loved it. Minus the second lead male, but whatever. Gong Yoo's what matters. :)

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@Ani: I think you're still too young.

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take it from someone who fooled with her high school student once, the morality dilemma really sucks! it haunts no matter how many years pass by. hence, em glad eun-bi isn't chi-soo's teacher now.

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@gingeranna Trust me, I am past college age, raised 5 of my parent's children, worked 60 hours a week every summer and 3 jobs at a time during the school year for as long as I can remember. I have more 50+ year old friends than I do my peers these days, and have seen wife beaters, gang fights, school brawls, gun fights, hell just fights in general happening in church buildings, DURING mass). I have seen families torn apart, children starving, elders suffering and schools burn down and seen enough people die to last a lifetime. Anyone would tell you that I'm an old soul for someone my age. Trust me, it's not that I'm too young. It's that I am open minded. There's enough hate and bad shit happening in the world. Love is a welcome change of pace to someone like me.

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@Ani: I like your way of thinking, I really do. I'm just jealous!!! XD
Maybe it's just because I started watching kdramas in my early 20es, and now that I'm (sadly) very, very near to the big 3 I start to see things differently! I wish I would think differently, but I can't. I also kinda like that this love has some more drama with the age gap. (By the way who cares if he doesn't finish high school when he's a chaebol? He's going to be rich anyway. They could even marry now, if only he had feelings.)

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@Ani I agree with you 100%! I also have no problem with the age thing at all...for me, I graduated high school at 16 and was already in University by 17 and I was already in third year at 19...so in my books Cha Chi Soo is totally grown up :)

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My father is 8.5 years older than my mother. When they married, he was 30, and she was one week shy of 22. Of course, this was 35 years ago so nobody batted an eye, and they are still married and very happy, but my father did say that if he had met her when she was 19 he wouldn't have looked twice. As it is, they met and were married within a six month period (he was in the Army, time was short!), so he never had to think of her as a student or a "kid." I guess what I'm trying to say is all of these things are more complicated and individualized than we'd like to admit. Chi Soo being a high school student IS a problem, and it is a problem we have already seen manifest itself--he acts like a high school boy. Then again, he's clearly the person Eun Bi is drawn to, and not the Pillar (oh Pillar, don't you know? "Supportive" never gets the girl.) so I'd like to see him mature so we can get our happy ending. If this requires a Time Jump, so be it.

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Whoa, talk about coincidences. I just handed in a literature analysis of Williams' play last night. And yes, Blanche was fired for having an affair with a boy, one of her students, and then there was also that really awkward scene when she kisses the paper boy telling herself afterward that she should not touch children/boys. Ick.

I'm sure the title is strictly used for the pun rather than a foreshadowing because there is one scene in the play I do NOT ever want to see in any drama/movie.

Besides, Eunbi technically isn't Chisoo's teacher anymore.

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IKR. I wish he's not a highschool student who's 12 friggin years younger than Kang Hyuk. That bothers me.

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oh my! Now you mention it! I have not even thought that KangHyuk and ChiSoo is like 12 YEARS APART!!! *head spun* I'm still okay with EunBi Chisoo being like 6 years apart, with Chisoo being 6 years YOUNGER (for movie and drama: yes, I can still accept it. But in real life? Gah, that's a big no no!)
At least I calm myself down with seeing them in their real age, as in KiWoo born in '81, Chung-Ah born in '84 and Il-Woo born in '87, so it didn't bother me THAT MUCH.

Really, I don't know what to say. Yes, when that feelings / lust as raw as ChiSoo comes at you, yes, maybe it can be a really passionate fling. But, .... if she is thinking of marriage (as in, dating with marriage in mind) .... won't she choose KangHyuk?

And why oh why.... KangHyuk!!!???? Why don't you make a bolder move?!!!!! Eunbi has given you the chance. She went out to date with you, she is giving you access for her. WHYYY!!!! WHYYYY?!?

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After you I should be in jail that I dated with a 12th grader while I was a 3rd year intern (of course for teaching but in another town) and married him after 4 years. We are 4 years apart (I'm 31 he is 27)

Thank you but real life doesn't work after everyone's prejudices.

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I think the issue is not really who's older and by how much, but their maturity. In this show, not only is Chi Soo 18-19, but his maturity is no more than a 13 year old :P Well the same goes for her, she's suppose to be 25, but her personality gives me the impression that she's barely 18 (not that I find it an issue since I'm 25, but i sure don't feel like it and i get along well with 16 year olds :P & never really get along with ppl my age)
So at this point, what they both need is some more growing up b4 thinking of a serious relationship
As for what Leona said, I have to agree since I always say there's isn't one way to live your life, some goes for relationships, there isn't really 1 rule for it, and real life can be more surprising than any drama if you give it a chance ;)
But I understand where the stereotype came from, since it is known, and pretty evident for me too, that guys r usually less mature than girls...
well if Enu Bi was my best friend, I'd encourage her to go after Kang Hyuk if she was aiming for stability

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I just looked up their real ages too because I was taken aback by the idea that Lee Chung-Ah is younger than me (when she said she was an '88) because (even though I supposedly look young) she most certainly doesn't look like it as she is noticeably older than Il-Woo who looks about 4 yours older, not younger, than he really is. Funny thing is, KiWoo is oldest but he looks younger than both Chung-Ah and Il-Woo to me. KiWoo has something of a baby face.

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I thought Kang-hyuk was now established to be about the same age as Chi-soo, as a '93er? Did I misunderstand something?

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yes you did!
Kang Hyuk is a '81 rooster while Chi Soo is a '93 rooster

I love that the writers yells in our face:

Why is it ok for Kang Hyuk to love a 6 years younger and EunBi can't? She is 6 years older than Chi Soo.

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Leona -
My first reaction is - Exactly!
Then I think, it isn't really the number of years between them. It is where they currently reside in the great timeline of life, or better yet, it is how much they have grown up in their completed years.

YEB is not as mature as some folks her age, but either is CCS. Let's give him more time in the pot, more time to become what he is going to be.
He really is that raw egg that sheds selfish tears now.

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I don't have any problem with the age difference. My problem with the relationship was there when she was a teacher and he was her student.
It is the exact same problem I had with biscuit teacher.

Though I understand that both Chi-soo y Eun-bi need to mature to be able to have any future together, I do enjoy the relationship.

I have only one complain about the show, there are only 6 episodes left. :\'( I'm defiantly not asking for extension since those have been proven disappointing lately. But time goes so fast when one is having fun.

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I don't think I really worry about the guy's age if he is Jung Il Woo. My brain tend to forget how old he is when he is SO HOT and what A KISSER !!! WOW !

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totally!!! lol

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Like Eun Bi, I forgot all about age the minute he pinned her up against the wall in the gymnasium. I've been blissfully unaware ever since.

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yes, my mind has a built-in filter that keeps that age info out of mind when watching. It's Jung Il-Woo, my mind can't do math when I'm staring at him.

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Totally with you, Lahlita. I get the whole Chi-Soo thing, but it makes me feel icky. I keep saying 'but she CAN'T end up with him. She HAS to end up with Kang Hyuk.' It's just WRONG for it to be Chi-Soo.

I'm having this problem with Glee right now, too, with the whole Puck/Teacher thing. Gah!

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@Lahlida some more Oh, I know we aren't on opposite sides of the issue. I'm just expanding on the issues a bit, trying to make sense of why we might feel squicky about the relationship in the context of cultural backgrounds, even if it's not necessary. Because I like to pick apart Korean romantic comedies/ hear myself talk, if you couldn't tell, heh.

That's also my issue with her, especially since she started out being assertive and a little impulsive and now seems to be waffling, which indicates a sliiiight chink in the otherwise entirely awesome armor of the writers. I know she can't move the pillar that is Kang-hyuk, but she can definitely try, and I think she could totally take Chi-soo if she wanted to. The previews look hopeful on the Eun-bi Being Assertive front.

Thanks for the convo! Don't lose your job!

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@Lahlida Sometimes I get a gut feeling that something is wrong, but I don't have that kind of reaction with Chi-soo/ Eun-bi. Eun-bi knows what the emotions are but is afraid to express them honestly, while Chi-soo just doesn't know what they are yet. They're both blocked for different reasons, but are in similar situations emotionally. The whole thing is being explored carefully in the drama, as exhibited with all the flow charts (how much do I love this drama? SO so much!)

Intellectually, I don't know about you, Lahlita, but I can't think of one instance in Western media where the older woman/ younger man thing worked out. So, in the US, at least, we've got The Graduate and probably other media where the portrayal of such relationships falls to the far side of pessimism, so we have this ingrained cultural aversion. How Stella Got Her Groove Back might be positive-ish, but I don't think he was a teenager.

This type of relationship seems to be portrayed more often as a potentially positive growth process in Asian media, a la The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry in Korean media, or Anego (excellent) and Suppli (not so excellent) in Japanese media, which I find really interesting. Possibly because western media tends to go straight for the physical relationship, and all the turmoil that creates. It becomes a morality tale, and falling for someone much younger than you becomes a weakness. Maybe it's a throwback from our Puritan roots.

In my still narrow experience with Asian media, the emotional side of things is more likely to be explored without necessarily dipping into the physical, so I don't think it's as taboo to portray it as a fantasy. I don't think either of these ways is entirely good or bad, but I think they are extremes on the same spectrum. There is so much more to mine from this topic, but I am tired.

Culture post, O Most Knowledgeable Blog Queens? I'd love to see more detail on the portrayal of this in media. If I meet the Doctor, I'll use the TARDIS to watch the rest of this drama and then send him your way so you have more time. Also I must find Biscuit Teacher Star Candy...

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@jubilantia Yo! Love your post, and it's definitely food for thought. I actually have the opposite idea, that the older-woman/younger-man trope has been well-established as acceptable in the West, and therefore no one makes too terribly big a deal about it. Well, let me qualify that statement. I do think that it is a non-issue unless the age-gap is close to a decade or more, in which case the age-play becomes co-opted by and exaggerated in pop-culture, and turned into a yawning chasm freak-show with unappetizing labels like "cougar" and "cradle-robber" coming into play. Media examples of older woman/younger man? Let's see. Bull Durham, Water For Elephants. I'm sure there are more.

You mention the Puritan roots of our country (I'm assuming you mean the U.S.). Ugh. Do not EVEN get me started on the hypocrisy and general sexual hangups of this society. We're so in-your-face about sex, and yet we're really ashamed. At least in most of Asia and the non-Western world they have the decency to be straight-up sexist and awful (joking, but not really). The U.S. has this weird blend of fetishism and Puritanism that combines to form this melee of shameful fuckery. I can't even begin to explain it. It's gross.

In my anecdata, almost half of my friends are married to men who are younger than they are. So am I. Mr. Lahlita is 2 1/2 years younger than I am, and it's all good. I have no problem with older women being with younger men. I think noona-killers are hot, and I Crush On Much Younger Men with the best of 'em. I LOVE The Woman Who Still Wants To Marry, Dal-ja's Spring, and other dramas that deal with the subject in a fun, sensitive way. I agree with you that most times in the U.S. these age-play relationships are explored as sexual morality tales, but I'd wager that that's because EVERYTHING here is explored as a sexual morality tale. Girl meets boy? Sexual morality Tale! Man Meets Woman/Man? Sexual Morality Tale! Teacher meets student? Sexual Morality Tale! Seven-year-old child selling lemonade at a lemonade stand on a hot summer day? SEXUAL MORALITY TALE! It's endless.

My own personal hang-up with Flower Boy Ramyun Shop is seeing a kid in high-school in a "relationship" with a grown-ass adult who really should know better. I mean, Jesus, back that shit up for a year or two and wait for the kid to reach the age of majority, ey? But, you know what? I'll just have to get over it. Cha Chi-soo is at the age of consent. I'm not writing the drama, and I'm enjoying the hell out of it, so I'll deal.

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a road less traveled topic... nice... love how such issues are tackled... not the usual i love JIL... OMG what a hot kiss, comment...(no offense meant)

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Yay discussion!

I hadn't seen either of those examples, but I will check into them. I'm always ready to expand my view of what's out there, and I made the comment with the knowledge that there are always exceptions.

I definitely agree about the whole Puritanism thing, and it's not good (horror movie? No! SEXUAL MORALITY TAAAALE hahahhahaha). Not trying to be America-centric, but that's my experience so far. I also don't think I was clear about what I mean by "younger man"; 2 years is not a lot and it's mainly where the age gap falls, the respective positions in life and personality that matter. As in, 4 years isn't a huge gap. If the people involved are 19 and 15, then it is a little sketchy, but should still be taken on a case by case basis. I've met (and been) an immature 24 year old, and also met really mature 18 year olds.

I would argue that there is still a certain amount of misogyny in our culture, which is a slightly different issue, where older men can date younger women but older women can't date younger men without the abominable cougar monikers you were mentioning. There are definitely exceptions, and I don't necessarily agree, but I get the feeling that's still the general consensus. And I'm not sure about the movies/ books you mentioned, but I definitely think we tend to take it to extremes rather than the middle ground like it is in this drama.

Despite not having as much of a problem with it in context, I do see your point about Chi-soo being on the cusp of squickiness. However, they are showing Eun-bi backing off once she realizes Chi-soo's age. Also, it's mostly been him pursuing her for the last couple of episodes (you know, now that he knows what's going on in his own head*facepalm*). Now, that opens up a whole 'nother can of worms concerning her, and other heroines like her, asserting themselves or just letting it happen, which is also not okay. Still, people make mistakes and get caught up in the moment (especially when you've got Jung Il-woo smoldering in your space), so I think that's realistic to show, too. And again, they are showing Eun-bi as a flawed, growing person, so I am looking forward to seeing where they'll take it.

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@1.1.7.1.2 jubilantia Discussion indeed. Discussion is da ish! I read your response and I don't even think we're on different sides of the issue. LOL.

Is there a certain amount of misogyny left in U.S. culture? Jubi, PLEASE! We have misogyny ALL UP in this culture. Victim-blaming, sexual shaming, virgin/whore dichotomies, double standards and all sorts of other nonsense. I mean, Hugh Hefner can continue to do ... whatever the hell it is he does to barely-legal identical twins (Geezus, I just cannot EVEN with that shit), while Demi Moore gets flack because what did she expect? It's her fault. I mean, she should have known this would happen marrying a younger man, amirite, amirite?? It's sick. It's twisted. And unfortunately, it's still better than the vast majority of the world, Korea included. For being the part of the "developed" world, South Korea's sexual culture is at a unique level of fubar. Oh well, we can't all be Scandinavia.

But taking it back down to the drama itself, you're right. There's nothing inherently wrong with the lead pairing. There's really nothing wrong at all, and I'll fully admit that this is where personal prejudices come into play. There are immature 25-year-olds and super-mature 18-year-olds in the world, and if the two halves of a couple are both at the age of consent, and no one is in a position of power over the other (boss, teacher, etc), then it's fine.

One thing you mentioned about Eun-bi, she seems to be rather passive in this, letting things happen. Chi-soo tries to kiss her, she lets him. Chi-soo throws her up again the wall twice. She let's him. Chi-soo grabs her arm and literally drags her where he wants her to go. Repeatedly. She lets him. Kang-hyuk picks her up (hot), puts her down (also hot), and tries to kiss her (lukewarm). She lets him, at least until she sneezes. Kang-kyuk grabs her wrist and forcefully drags from a stall. She lets him. Granted, there is only so much she can do to deter physically bigger, stronger menfolk from their possessive man-handling, but she could at least try to be more than just a passenger on the streetcar named DaFcuk. If she doesn't like it, tell them to quit. If she does, make an advance. To be fair, she does sometimes. She has moments of awesomeness that make me adore her. And like has been noted, people are different, they grow, they have different experiences, they react differently and I need to quit seeing this stuff only through the lens of my own experience, unless it's something really egregious.

This site is going to make me lose my job. Dang it.

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(ahhhh clicked the wrong "reply")
@Lahlida some more Oh, I know we aren’t on opposite sides of the issue. I’m just expanding on the topic a bit, trying to make sense of why we might feel squicky about the relationship in the context of cultural backgrounds. Because I like to pick apart Korean romantic comedies/ hear myself talk, if you couldn’t tell, heh.

That’s also my issue with her, especially since she started out being assertive and a little impulsive and now seems to be waffling, which indicates a sliiiight chink in the otherwise entirely awesome armor of the writers. I know she can’t move the pillar that is Kang-hyuk, but she can definitely try, and I think she could totally take Chi-soo if she wanted to. The previews look hopeful on the Eun-bi Being Assertive front.

Thanks for the convo! Don’t lose your job!

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Why back up? Life is too short to back up. Cha Chi-soo has passed the majority, hasn't he, he is 19, right? I was just in the business law class, a minor usually a person under the age of 18 may dis affirm any contract anytime because they are unable to make the legally sufficient consideration by law. As long as they reach 18, they are liable for any contract they enter, in this case since he is 19 Chi-soo can just go ahead sign the marriage contract if he wants to, because according to law every decision he makes is supported by legally sufficient consideration protected by law and binded by law. Chi-soo and Eun-bin, you guys are legally protected by the US UCC and common law, so feel free to get married in next week's episode!

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Some things:
In both BTSC and FBRS, the actor chosen to play the high schooler is so obviously not 19. I mean, Gong Yu looked like a MAN when he played that role. Pretty JIW is slightly more believable than GY.

What if they cast an actual slight of frame, less manly 19 year old? Yoo Seung-ho comes to mind (OK!OK! He has never actually left my mind.) but even he has played older already because of his looks.
What if they cast Taemin next year?
THAT would be squicky!!!!!
I would definitely worry about YEB romancing HIM than JIW!

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i agree with you that in FBRS and BTSC they have chosen actors who obviously are NOT 19 base on looks. i guess that's why I never felt something is not right while Im watching FBRS because I guess I always see Jung Il-Woo as nearer to age 25 than his character's age of 19.

but yeah, given another actor who is 19 and who looks REALLY 19, then yeah... feelings of discomfort might spring in to mind.

But since i don't see Il woo as 19, plus he is SO damn pretty, plus the blessing of suspended reality since this is FICTION, puts the issue of age gap at the backseat... so i'm just enjoying the ride... on a streetcar named Cha Chi Soo.

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You have a good point... if the actor clearly looked 18 - 19, there would be more of a ick factor. But pretend that Chi Soo is really Il Woo's age in which case they are both full grown adults.

And actually, when I watched the first episode, I had a hard time believing that Il Woo was 19 and thought, why did they cast someone who doesn't look 19? But now I know why.

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I don't have a problem at all with this age difference within the context of this drama. That's why it's fiction. We're allowed to enjoy it because it ain't real.

Chisoo is close to being 20 and Eunbi is not that old compared to him in terms of age. But, I think, maturity-wise and in terms of experience ( lack-there-of) they are peers. Like what Chisoo told Eunbi's ex, age doesn't matter when it comes to love between a man and a woman.

In terms of the teacher-high school student thing, in real-life this would definitely be a no-no . But, then again, Eunbi's no longer working as an intern. Also, their ages aren't that far from one another. Now, it would be more unimaginable if let's say Eunbi was same age as Kang Hyuk--> 31, as opposed to Chisoo's 19... mainly because we tend to equate actual age to level of maturity. However, that's not always the case. It really depends on the people involved.

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Too bad there's no like button in here. I so love your interpretations of this episode :)

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my day is now complete!!!! :) They finally did it!

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thanks for the speedy recaps. :) made my day! :) YOU ARE AWESOME. I would take off my cap to you, but I'm not wearing any. :)

LEE KI WOO -drools-

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I was waiting forever for this! Thanks, girlfriday :) You just made my week.

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thanks!! this drama keeps getting better!

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Kya!!! This drama is killing me.

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squeeeeeeeeeeeee!

thanks for the fastest recaps ever, GF!

off to read... i watched the raw last night and dying to read what you wrote about it.

and that was a damn hot kiss!

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* must * douse * head * with * cold * water. One of the best on-screen kisses in memory, especially as it rolled into the credits [swoon!]

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seriously hot kiss. although, it would have been better if she had reciprocated a little.

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I'm seriously hoping we will get a proper kiss at the end of the series. Gosh WE NEED TO!!

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Yeah, I sooo agree *_*

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Just finish up watching this super hot episode, feel I’m dead… over dozed…

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LOL YAY!!! Thank you <3 I've been refreshing drama beans since i got home for this recap :P

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Thank youu so much GF!! i know im pushing my luck by refresh-ing the page every 10 seconds.. on to read

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OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG he kissed her <3

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thanks for the recap!

seeing Jung Il-woo on a motorcycle again reminds me so much of the Scheduler...now I really have to watch this episode as soon as I get a chance :D

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Which reminds me, he DID have a kiss or two in 49 Days, didn't he? Nothing like this one, though.

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yep---he did! but you're right, not like this :)

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Yup, first time I'm seeing him do a proper kiss! His technique reminds me of Lee Min Ho - lots of open-mouth kissing. (yes, yes, I conducted a thorough research and analysis)

Maybe he got drama-kissing pointers from his buddy. :)

Which then... makes me wonder if Kim Bum will kiss like this when given the chance... hmmmm *spins off into happy fantasies*

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Heck, JIW's character fathered a child in Return of Iljimae and didn't get a kiss like that. Maybe there was no foreplay in the Joseon era. ;-)

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Stellaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

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+79 good!

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'ey, Stellaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Wow. What wouldn't I give to see Cha Chi-soo screaming Eun-bi's name in a torn, wet shirt? The Pillar can join in too. Hell, ALL the flower boys can join in. I wouldn't complain.

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I once played (pit orchestra) the André Previn opera. I'm happy to say that this episode did not remind me of that show one bit.

But here's some food for thought on Streetcar, thanks to SparkNotes:

Themes: Fantasy’s Inability to Overcome Reality, The Relationship between Sex and Death, Dependence on Men

"They told me to take a street-car named Desire, and transfer to one called Cemeteries, and ride six blocks and get off at—Elysian Fields!"

Yikes. Too much bedtime metaphor. On the whole, I find a Streetcar Named Desire to be quite disturbing. Well done, Mr. Williams.

Anyway, be prepared for a detailed comparative analysis of the play and this episode of epic term-paper-like proportions! (Just kidding. I think I'll just watch the kiss one more time before bed.)

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"Am I supposed to say something coherent now? Because Cha Chi-soo’s lips pretty much made that an impossibility."

---pretty much. I was almost late picking up my kids because I could only sit and gape at my computer screen.

I so loved that Ba wool's bear had it's own drink. It's those little details that really make this show even more amazing.

Quick Question: What does the sign on the fridge say? It was really bugging me the whole episode.

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Laughing out loud throughout the entire reading of this post. Can't wait to watch it! This show is hilarious!

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i seriously need to catch up!

marathoning ASAP.

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Maaaaaaaan, I really want to smack Soyi. Please introduce a girl for Crazy Chicken and make him soooooooo desirable that Soyi will die of envy and regret. And then have her ask for Bawool back and let him stomp on her heart and ride off into the sunset. THAT's how much I dislike her.

As for Panda and Chisoo? Hot damn they're freaking HOT. Poor Panda, I wish I were there to pick up his heart for him. *opens her arms* Come to me Panda, I'll make you some ramyun.

P.S. Yo, Chisoo. I love Chicken feet. That stuff is the best.Nom nom nom~

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I honestly want another cute girl to come along and snatch Chicken away :) he's so lovable, he shouldn't end up with such an awful girl. And yes. Stomp her heart and ride off into the sunset. Or he can pair up with Hyun-woo, that's cute too :)

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I know, right? I'm fervently hoping her perplexity this episode is her getting a brain. I would also accept kidnapping by aliens at this point, or the Wizard of Oz giving her brains.

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We definitely need good girl for Bawool. He deserves someone better than the user clueless Soyi.
He is the cutest most caring dongsaeng, closely followed by Moon-kwon character from TDP.

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It's possible So Yi turned a corner in this episode. For the first time she looked pretty upset when she found Ba Wool trailing after Chi Soo trailing after Eun Bi.
Earlier in the episode she said she'd be alright if Ba Wool dated someone else. What if she misunderstood Ba Wool running to protect his Noona from Chi Soo, and she's actually started to NOT take Ba Wool for granted??

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Wow that thought NEVER occurred to me. Would be interesting though! That girl needs a serious wake-up call about not stringing as many boys along as she likes.

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OH my, this episode has all the right ingredients--sweet, hot and spicy!!

That passionate kiss at the end slayed me! (*Faint*)

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Honestly... the extended kiss and chisoo going in for SECONDS at the end/preview has me bowled over. Thanks for your excellent recaps-- Supplementing the episode with your commentary is now a necessary part of my drama-viewing experience!

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Loved the extended preview! Unbelievable.

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i seriously regret watching the extended preview... makes me want to watch it now... never mind being ODed. T.T

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This episode = OMG. The preview at the end = OMFG. Just watch it, please, even if you don't like spoilers!!!

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Gah, Eun Bi can keep Chi-Soo - I want Lee Ki Woo!

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HOLY OF ALL KISSES. That looks real hot.

I love all the words games and puns and your sense of humor is awesome.

Thank you so much for making my day today.

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Gah, been waiting for that kiss. *Swoon* =)

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I loved the part when Ba-wool and Chi-soo both exclaimed the same thing outside the convenience store. This drama does so well to take small details and not only tie them together but blend them to make it flow with each of the characters. They do such a good job with timing for both the comical and moving scenes. And this episode definitely kicked the hotness bar up like ten notches. It was hotness overload from both the male leads. This show proves such a thing is possible in a 45-min-long episode. Love it.

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I thought the parallels between them were awesome, too. I want to see some Chi-soo/Ba-wool bromance! (Unfortunately, that means Hyun-woo stands alone, but he has his knitting....)

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thanks for the recap :)

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Okay, its 3am and i have work in 5 hours - but God DAMN i have to read this before i go to bed!!!

I've just come back from 3 weeks holiday - this drama hadnt even started when i left, but i watch all episodes and read your recaps so far in three days.

Hello K-drama crack - how i've missed you!!!

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Thanks for the recap and the explanations of all the meanings behind the meanings.

I am officially REALLY mad at KH now.
What is he waiting for?
He did the push ups to work off the tension he created by almost kissing EB, so we know he's feeling it.

WHY WAIT, Chopsticks? Wae? Wae? Wae?
Just think about what an awesome kiss he could plant on her.

Speaking of awesome kissing.....Jung Il-WHOA! comes through with the lips. Thhhhhhhhhank queue.
Since KH saw it, hopefully this means he will up his game.

Still not sure where CCS is going with all of this lust.
Strategically, he is exactly where he was with her in the first episode. She has already admitted to herself he is HOT, and that kissing him would be good. Those feelings are confirmed. But she also thinks he is a child, and mean, and not nice to her - except for the MUCH NEEDED kiss.

He's got six episodes to try to beat the seemingly perfect man, who, if EB doesn't get a spark off soon when they touch, it is GAME OVER for the Pillar...

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I'm as frustrated as you Jomo. WHY WHY WHY did KH not make his moves when he could? But then again, if it came down to it which one would you girls choose? Fast and hot or slow steady burn???? Hmm? And I ain't talking about ramyun making.

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I would ususally go with SSB, hajiman,
no matter how slow and steady, it can't burn if it DOESN'T TOUCH YOU! Arrrrgghhhh!

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yessss!!! Jomo, he really need to touch her, SO BADLY!!!! GAHHHH!!!! KangHyuk, please, please speed up your game, be more bolder, I know you can do it!

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But he did touch her... As in he held her hand in the cinema, no? And he declared that, "Now that I hold your hand, I hold your heart"... I know, I know, holding hand doesn't quite add up to skinship... Sigh!

Row, row, row your boat, gently down the streams...

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Hey Jomo! :)
First of all...
Yay! Kisses!! (I am quite shallow, as my mom tells me seeing me squeal at the screenshots. Yep.)
and...no time skip. Yay! I think the preview's just misleading.
Anyways, why didn't bean pole kiss her? I mean, I still wholeheartedly ship Chi-Soo and Eun-bi (once my mind's set on it, it never changes. Hee. Which is why I never try to catch Second lead syndrome), but one kiss couldn't have hurt. Beanpole still seems more "papa" like to me, he's sweet and such, there when she needs him, and though does make some suggestive moves, but he never...actually does anything. I mean by now Chi-soo has already almost kissed Eun-bi twice, and DID kiss her at the end (*swoon) . I kind of think it's "game over" for Kang-hyuk, since Eun-bi is probably really confused by now. Of course she'll probably still want to believe that Kang-hyuk is her "destined one" (not to mingle with fate, just...I don't know how to describe it. Her boyfriend. There.) but Chi-soo's set a wildfire in her. Huh. I think I'm really biased. ...Yep. But the fluffy and cuteness and teddy bear girlfriend (so. cute!) is making me all giddy :)

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LOL. Yeah, game over for KH. Seems like EB doesn't feel the chemistry with KH.
I mean, if we go back to when EB saw that psychic and how she told EB about her hearing bells, the only one she heard bells with was CCS--more then once. heheh!

I can't wait to watch these to episodes!

Thanks much for the recap~!

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Agreed about the chemistry bit - she doesn't necessarily resist Chi-soo, whereas with Kang-hyuk, she's always the one to put an end to it. Not that he was aggressively going after her, but the difference in reaction is telling.

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You are right!

I just went back to Ep 1 to check what the fortune teller said.
I was totally wrong about CCS + YEB ≠ Destined

Madame Fortune reels Eun-bi in with one last tarot card reading: the card for Fate. It depicts lovers kissing with bells over their heads; the saying goes that when she meets her soulmate, she’ll hear bells.

The writers have established that soulmates exist already, if we are to believe that EB believes the pretty lady.

More math:
CCS + YEB = Destined * (Time jump + CCS Growth)
ONLY if
KH = NO heat, KH = NO Kiss ∴ YEB ♥ CCS > YEB ♥ KH

----> Which I guess is OK
----> because OMG, the kisses they can share into their old
----> age are very good for the soul

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Yup. There you have it. If EB believes the fortuneteller then she and CCS is meant to be...just that CCS needs to grow up a bit more is all. LOL

But with that hot (second) kiss.... welll, he's mature in some area. ^^

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I like this kinda math ^^

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i hate math... but with CCS thrown in the equation...I'm all ears.

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Hey it's math again! Now, who was it who said that math is useless??? *innocent wave to JB*

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I'm not mat at Kang Hyuk. In fact, I feel so bad for him (mainly because I'm rooting for him). Thing is, I can't blame anyone but him. He's so slow with everything. He's adorably sweet and gentle; he's really the perfect guy. However, if he don't do anything, all his sweetness and adorableness will go to waste. I want him to be a real rival to Chi Soo. I hope he man up in the next episode and start rattling Eun Bi's heart.

Otherwise, I'll feel so bad, I'll cry. D:

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Finally here! Have been refreshing the site and finally watched the raw!

loved it!! such a hot title to match the hot young guy!

BTW, does anyone know the song that's playing during the kiss? It sounds like Il Jungwoo...Is it him singing for the OS?

can't wait till next week!
xoxo

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It is JIW. It is the song JB put up on the Ep 9 recap:
“너란 사람” (Someone like you)

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thanks.

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And what is the title of song (not exactly a song, it's music only) just before the kiss and the song 너란 사람? it started when Chi-soo arrives to the cinema and is playing when he finally finds Eun-bi..

thanks for help!

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Ha ha ha, OMG, the scene of BW drinking yogurt across from his new girlfriend Mrs. Teddy Bear who has her own freaking yogurt drink had me dying with laughter! Am I the only who wants BW to totally ditch SY? He can hitch up with Mrs. Teddy Bear, or join the love shack with EB, KH, and, CS. I love his noona love!

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I loved that, too! Ba-wool/Teddy Bear for the win!

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Or menage a trois with Hyun-woo. No, at the moment So-yi is totally on my ditch list.

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yes, pls. ditch So-Yi! any scenes with her makes me want to press the forward button

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just saw the raw epi, and WOW. Im sick and i got a fever, after seeing that one HOT sizzling kiss, my head got really hot and i got a bloody nose.

FAIL! but i dont care!! La la LOVED this episode!! Beautiful! Thanks GF!

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ROFL. That was literally a nosebleed moment.

O Jung Il Woo, Y U SO HOT?!

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This drama is hot hot hot!!!!!!!!! Gotta watch it all! Thanks so much for the excellent recaps!

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I was seriously refreshing the page every 10 min. Thanks :) Hey the preview does someone know the meaning ... its going to be an eternity waiting for Monday. LOVE the Ending

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I loved how almost the entire preview for the next episode focused on the kiss!! I literally went into the hyperactive mode, with flailing arms and all!! heh

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i squealed over twice after watching this. my heart's already breaking for kang-hyuk because the intensity of cha chi-soo is really taking over. lol.

my thoughts exactly, "...everything boils a little hotter for Chi-soo, everything from love to hate to jealousy. It feels right for his age, where everything burns a little hotter and a little brighter, and scars a little deeper. "

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squeee!!!!!!!!

I think i need a breather or something...

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Chi-Soo owned that kiss he school her, it's so tiresome to see the man having all the fun. I have been ruined by " Me Come Flower" and I'm not going back without a fight. I want to see it all the man who think he in control and the woman that makes him lose it. I want more "Lie To Me", Secret Garden and Goong. I would have lost my mind the minute Chi-Soo head turn to the right and he parted his lips slighly, Oh My GOD I would have went crazeeeeeeeee, omo-omo.

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And Kim Sam Soon...

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LOL, you right I originally had My Lovely Sam-Soon but my insert was off and I type over it with Secret Garden.

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Nooooo! I want her to like kang Hyuk, I always fall for the second lead even though I know they never get the girl ):
Thanks so much for the recap! Your comments give me a much better insight into what's happening ^_^

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me too! why does it always have to be this way???? lol

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I tend to fall for second leads too, but that kiss... wow, that's gotta be one of the best kdrama kisses out there and I'll admit my heart dropped like a ton of brick with the kiss!

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the KISS! *faint

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There must be something about the combination of hot guys, a food-related store, a tomboy heroine and of course some magic awesomesauce that does me in - Coffee Prince has always been my favorite k-drama, but this is quickly becoming a contender. Everything about this show is just insanely amazing!

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I... There are no words. Just. So. HOT.

I agree that Cha Chi Soo's actions make sense to me because he's just so young. Arguably he's too young to be in a relationship with someone Eun Bi's age... But that doesn't stop me wanting it to happen anyway!!!

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Yeah! At least someone doesn't care about how young and how old people can be! It's LOVE for crying out loud!

Love knows NO boundaries! So if Chi-Soo and Eun-Bi end up with each other. Then the heck with it, LET them end up with each other!

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WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Finally, the KISS!

Man, what a great episode! Loved it!

Thanks for the recap, Girlfriday!

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WOW girlfriday, you are the bomb!! Totally awesome recap on top of the speedy delivery....thank you thank you!!! Yum! pretty hot kiss there Streetcar.!

So is Kang-hyuk really nineteen? Yikes!

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It gets me confused, too. Because I thought he said he is a '93 Chicken, right? So, he's younger than Eb still..

Aww, that makes me want to be a COUGAR!!!!

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Yeah, I thought he said he was a 93 Chicken too! And Amen to wanting to be a cougar with these boys!

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I misunderstood this too, but he was just kidding. That's what I get for reading the summary and not waiting for the subtitles :)

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Craaaack-tastic! How evil of them to make us wait ONE week for seconds. Argh!

Cracktastic things I loved this ep:
1. Ba Wool's multi straw yogurt drink attack. I'm doing that.
2. Eunbi's clue post-its - so crazy and so funny
3. KH - move already argh! you are so FRUSTRATING!!!
4. ChiSoo jealous. Oh I could watch SO MANY episodes of his burning eyeballs of jealousy. And other balls too. ;)

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That kiss was so worth the wait. *gasp* And the preview? What he says!? Gah! I swear it was so hot my corneas felt like they were fogging up.

I can't imagine what Kang-Hyuk could do now that could compete with that kiss. He might as well just pack it up.

This drama seems to be moving so fast I can barely catch my breath. It gets better with each episode. It's like scary good.

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"That kiss was so worth the wait. *gasp*"

It really really was. This usually doesn't happen for us, either!

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What did he say????????

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I'm new here, so I hope I don't get in trouble if I spoil a bit. I read on another site that she says something along the lines of 'Do you think this will make me close my eyes?' I guess referring to their previous encounters and then he says, " But I'm not done yet" and then goes in for round two. Dear Lord.

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Wow. OK, that's, like, totally hot. The boy has got moves, yeh?

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No kidding. For someone that has no concept of human emotions, he's certainly got lusty down to a science. He is what kdramas are made for. In real life who wouldn't want a Kang-Hyuk, he seems to be the practical choice, but in Dramaland I'm all about illogical, impractical and totally improper.

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That would work on me. And I've, uh...been kissed a few times already.

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Some hard.core moves, from the BTS I saw that kiss apparently bruised Lee Chung-ah's lips.

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wow. swoon.

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squeeeeeeeeeeeee!! GO Chi-soo!! Show Eun-bi how it's done!!

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...oh, but I have to admit I kinda felt bad for Kang-Hyuk who's the onlooker to the kiss (in the preview for Ep 11)!! Come 'ere Kang-Hyuk-ahhh, you can solace in my arms!! kekeke

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Ohmygod. I'm dying right now. It wasn't enough that the kiss was incredibly hot and he still wants more?! AAAAAAAAAAAAH!

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I would like to hear that if that is what he actually said... HAWT HAWT HAWT!!! *sheeeez, i need a shower*

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There are no words for how much I love this recap. It makes a great show even better. :)

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Yup! Second that! hehehe. Aww, love the drama.

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I must be cursed with always falling for the second lead, only to end up in disappointment when the first lead wins. Oh Kang Hyuk, why do you do this to me?

*sob sob sob*

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Finally the real kiss ! X'D hahaha
but nooo Kang Hyuk D': </3

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Thankyou so much GF...
"Because Cha Chi-soo’s lips pretty much made that an impossibility. *Takes cold shower, resumes recap.*"
I laugh so hard... ^^

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Well I'm surprise that Cha Chi Soo is not calling Eun Bi from his phone now... that he is the one coming over to see her all the time. And he is not putting his perfume either ,, also he's adapting to her mannerisms more and more..ohh Chi Soo you're so OBVIOUS !!!
Can't get enough of this show... 5 days more to go!!! Go Chi Soo show your real feelings to Eun Bi.I'm rooting for you both...

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I can't wait for this weekend when I can watch these episodes. Until then, I must write four papers. T_T

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