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The Moon That Embraces the Sun: Episode 2

This entire episode feels like a light rom-com more than a sageuk, and though it’s not exactly subtle, it is adorably earnest. I wasn’t entirely won over with the first episode, but the second one is so full of cuteness. It’s still not very fantasy-esque, but the characters are bright and cheerful, and I can’t wait to get to know some of them fully.

Today’s ratings came in even higher, at a whopping 19.9%. That pretty much secures a 20% foothold for the show, with an opening week that high. Captain came in at 10.5%, with Wild Romance bringing in the rear at 6.7%.

 
EPISODE 2 RECAP

Prince Hwon gapes at the floating parasol, wondering if it’s a sign that he can see Yeon-woo again, but his aides freak out, calling it possessed by a ghost. Meanwhile, Yeon-woo sits in her yard still pondering the prince’s riddle, when she hears a shuffle.

She goes to the outer wall and finds a rock and a note, from Yang-myung, saying that she should stop worrying so much, and tell all her problems to this rock, specially designed to listen to all her problems. That’s so cute. I need one of those.

He tells her in the letter that it’s a gift from his travels, and though he doesn’t sign it, she knows exactly who it’s from. She sighs that he’s at it again, even though she expressly told him to stop. Ha, secret-admirer-bordering-on-stalker-boy, is he?

On the other side of the courtyard, her brother Yeom practices his swordfighting skills with his buddy Woon (Yeom’s in pink and Woon is in blue, if that helps, ’cause they look confusingly similar). Watching them from the shadows is Seol, who clearly has a vested interest in: (1) martial arts and (2) Yeom.

Woon calls his friend “young master” (meaning Woon is of lesser birth) despite the fact that Yeom chides him not to do so. Yeom sighs that he misses Yang-myung tonight, feeling the absence of his friend keenly.

Just then, Yang-myung creeps up behind them with a goofy self-satisfied grin. He bear-hugs Yeom, and then tries to jump-hug Woon, who evades the move swiftly. Damn, thwarted bromance.

Both Yeom and Woon in turn defer to Yang-myung, who is, after all, of royal birth. So basically it’s a trio of besties that straddles three massively different social rungs. (For instance, they speak to Yang-myung in jondae while he speaks to them in banmal.)

They wonder why he returned so late, and he says it’s because he had to see someone very important to him. Yeom wonders if he’s found yet another girl to admire, and then sighs, realizing he’s back to climbing his sister Yeon-woo’s wall. Ha. Okay, I love that this is a known fact.

Yeom’s got a million reasons why this isn’t okay, which he’s clearly said a million times over before. But Yang-myung is so used to being nagged about this that he just breezes past it. He changes the subject with their gifts – more rocks.

He tells them they’re good luck talismans that they should carry with them, and the very literal and humorless Woon replies, “It might be a little large to carry around.” So Yang-myung quickly gives him a smaller rock for more portability. I don’t know why, but the thought of him traveling from wherever with a sack full of supposedly mystical rocks just cracks me up.

He wonders aloud if now (that they’ve passed their civil service exams) they’ll become the Crown Prince’s people. Aw. They look at him uncomfortably, the meaning not lost on them. But Yang-myung quickly covers up his sadness with good cheer, which kind of breaks my heart.

The King receives a list of final candidates for the next phase of the Crown Prince’s education, and Prince Hwon rattles off the names on the list before his aide can even tell him, musing that the Queen dowager (aka grandma) did as expected.

He says it doesn’t matter who they are because they’re all the same – people placed there by Minister Yoon to shape his education accordingly. He readies himself to make his new teachers’ lives a living hell. Ha.

Apparently he’s already famous for this, and the handmaidens watch him go to his lessons, making bets on how long it’ll take him to go through all the teachers and make them quit, yet again.

Enter Yeom, who literally makes women faint with his fair looks. He bows to Prince Hwon and introduces himself as his new teacher, still glowing with rays of Pretty, even in Hwon’s eyes. At the same time, Yeon-woo finds out from her mother that Yeom will be the prince’s new tutor and can’t help but smile.

Prince Hwon’s jaw drops when he gets one look at Yeom, but not for the reasons we think. He finds out that Yeom is barely seventeen, and snipes that he’s certainly got some serious power behind him, for someone so young. Basically he’s assuming that Yeom is another of Minister Yoon’s puppets, while Yeom is just as confused at the accusation.

Meanwhile, the Queen dowager rips Minister Yoon a new one for letting Heo Yeom slip through the cracks and enter the ranks, when he’s not one of “their” people. He assures her that Yeom is just a young boy and has no staying power.

Prince Hwon fumes in his chambers, and his aide comes rushing in after having done a background check on Yeom. That quickly? What, did you google him?

He tells the prince that Yeom was a renowned scholar even in his Sungkyunkwan days, as flashback footage shows us that he walked around with the Backlighting of Glory even back then. Other students fell over to give him their seats, women fell over themselves at the sight of him. And even guys who were about to start fights with him… got up close and then swooned and asked if they could be friends. Hahahaha.

That just makes Prince Hwon even madder, to hear his aide gush about the perfect, the wonderful, the genius Yeom. He makes him stand in the corner, facing the wall. Okay, Petty Prince is my new favorite thing.

That night, Yeon-woo goes to see her brother for her nightly lesson (explaining how she came to be so educated), and notes the worry lines on his face. She offers her help and asks if he’s facing problems with the prince. Yeom says that the prince clearly has a misunderstanding of his character, but he doesn’t know how to clear it up or get the prince to open up to him.

Yeon-woo bows her head, thinking to herself that it’s because of her (assuming that he’s somehow connected the dots between her brother and her political stance). He asks if she knows a way to get the prince to open his heart.

The next day Prince Hwon reads to himself, slouched and pouty, and Yeom waits patiently, and then finally gets up to declare today’s lesson over. Price Hwon declares him irresponsible for doing nothing and calling them done for the day, while Yeom says it’s because the prince doesn’t seem ready to learn. Prince counters that it’s because Yeom isn’t ready to teach.

So Yeom offers him a deal – if he gives the prince a riddle and he solves it, Yeom will quit as he asks. But if he can’t solve it, then the prince has to come to lessons with an open attitude, ready to learn. Oh how adorable—did Yeon-woo tell her brother that the prince likes riddles?

The question: What thing can make the world light in one moment, and dark in another moment? The prince declares it too easy a riddle and smirks that their next meeting will be goodbye forever. Yeom gulps.

But it turns out that the prince was bluffing, because he orders mountains of books brought to his chamber so he can figure it out. Little Sister Princess Min-hwa (later played by Nam Bora) comes running in to find out what all the fuss is about, and offers up her guess: eyelids! She demonstrates, and he shoos her away in annoyance.

The next day he gives his answer: the politics of the royal court – the decisions made by those who govern can either bring the world into light or darkness. The King and his ministers arrive outside just in time to overhear the prince’s answer.

Yeom tells him that’s incorrect. “The answer is… eyelids.” Hahaha. Prince Hwon fumes, wondering how such a silly childish answer could be right. But Yeom counters sternly: “If his Highness does not like an answer, does that make it wrong?”

Oh snap. I like his spunk. Outside, Minister Heo (Yeom’s father) bows to the King in apology, but the King just smiles, having placed Yeom there himself, and pleased at this line of questioning.

Back inside, Yeom explains that looking at the world through a child’s eyes means that everything can become darkness or light, or put more figuratively, that everything in the world has an equal chance of being right or wrong.

It’s his way to illustrate that a child’s perspective, without prejudice and arrogance – the two things he names as the biggest pitfalls against learning – is what he needs to adopt, because prejudice and arrogance have made the prince’s eyes clouded in darkness.

He asks pointedly how a leader expects to guide a nation with eyes that cannot see in the dark, and suggests the first thing the prince needs to do is adjust his attitude towards learning.

Prince Hwon fumes and stands up, calling out for his aide. But just as you think he’s about to have Yeom ousted by his coattails, he asks for a table to be set, so he can sit with his new teacher and have a discussion. Aw.

Yeom looks up in shock and quickly bows to accept the prince’s offer, and outside the King chuckles, “At last he has met his first true teacher.” Yay! Minister Yoon is not so pleased.

Princess Min-hwa hears about the prince’s lesson, and laughs hysterically at her haughty brother being brought down a peg or two, and runs out to see the face of the person who managed to do so. She catches a glimpse of Yeom as he walks out, and she’s so struck by him that she turns to hide her face.

Over tea and sweets, Prince Hwon asks Yeom if he was really prepared to give up the teaching position if he had gotten the riddle right, and wonders how he got the idea in the first place.

Yeom confesses that it was his little sister’s idea, that she told him he could probably teach the prince to get high marks noncommittally, or he could risk more to change his attitude and set it right from the beginning. She told him that the prince is a very clear person with definite ideas, and that Yeom’s sincerity would get through to him.

That piques the prince’s curiosity, and he asks her age (thirteen, the same as his), and then snatches the piece of taffy right out of Yeom’s hand. He says that the person who earned this is actually his sister, and asks his aide to wrap some up for Yeom to take to his true teacher, who remains hidden. That’s adorable.

Later he wonders to his aide how a thirteen-year old girl could be so witty and wise, and then also comes to find out that Yeom just barely passed his civil service exam days ago. Suddenly it clicks in his head, his meeting with Yeon-woo that day, her saying that she was there because of her brother. His smile grows wider and wider.

At home, Yeom gives his sister the gift from the prince, using the term for a gift bestowed upon a teacher. She says that’s Yeom, not her, but he confesses that he told the prince about her being his motivation.

She blushes and stammers at the thought that the prince might know that it was her, and takes the taffy out to the yard. As she looks up at the moon, cherry blossoms fall, reminding her of their first meeting.

She imagines Hwon standing next to her, and asks if he’s really the Crown Prince. He asks what she thinks, and she wishes he weren’t. But Imaginary Prince just smiles and tells her to eat her candy. He asks if she’s solved her riddle, and she asks him to tell her what it means, and then the vision disappears.

Minister Yoon and his colleagues fear the power that Minister Heo is gaining, considering this latest development with Yeom as a sign of him earning the King’s favor. But Minister Yoon doesn’t feel threatened and says that there’s no need to rush.

He stumbles home drunk and greets his daughter, Yoon Bo-kyung (later played by Kim Min-seo), asking if she wouldn’t like to go visit the palace. He tells her she can live there if she wants, already practically drooling at the power he’d have if he were the queen’s father. Well gee, that’s super comforting, you wanting to sell your daughter for your political gain. Not that we’re surprised, of course.

The next morning, Yeon-woo goes to buy some colorful parchment with Seol in tow, who wonders what she’s going to do with such expensive paper. Yeon-woo says it’s for an apology, or rather a reflection of fault.

Seol gasps – why would she waste so much energy on an apology? Can’t she just say the words and be done with it? Yeon-woo says it’s not that easy to do, and it’s for someone important. Seol scoffs, what, is it for the Queen herself? Well, you’re not far off. Yeon-woo says that it’s really because of her brother, just in case he suffers by association.

Seol hears the sound of blacksmiths at work and runs off eagerly, bumping into Bo-kyung in her haste. Both girls get knocked down in the collision, but though her maid makes a fuss, Bo-kyung lets Seol go with an apology.

Seol watches the blacksmiths at work with wide-eyed wonder, asking if they’re not making any swords today. She’s so cute. Suddenly, Bo-kyung’s maid realizes that her purse is missing, and she jumps to the conclusion that Seol is a pickpocket. She runs off, not realizing that she dropped it where she was standing, which Bo-kyung discovers with a smile.

She slaps Seol across the face, accusing her of thievery very publicly in the street, and when Bo-kyung arrives, Seol kneels in front of her, swearing that she isn’t a thief. Bo-kyung asks her to prove it with a smirk.

Back at the parchment store, Yang-myung appears behind Yeon-woo, teasing her about which parchment would be fit for the king. She snaps that it’s not for the king, so he teases that if it’s for the prince, he can help, since he’s the prince’s hyung and all. She storms out, annoyed.

It starts to rain as soon as she steps outside, and Yang-myung appears again, this time to shield her from the rain with his sleeve. She looks up at him, startled by the closeness, and he urges her to run with a smile.

He takes her to a greenhouse, and she oohs and aahs to see the kind of place she’s only read about in books. She asks if it’s his, and he lies badly it’s his friend’s, a guy who has means but no future, so he threw a bunch of money into this place. She looks up at him sympathetically, Prince Hwon’s words now sinking in, about his hyung living that way because of him.

He shows her one of the King’s favorite flowers, and tells her to offer it up instead of her apology, and she asks what kind of person the king is. He says with a smile the answer he’s supposed to say – that he is a righteous, respectable king who always thinks of his people – all the while in flashback remembering how harshly he treated Yang-myung and how sweetly he treated Hwon.

She asks if he’s not going to return to the palace — people might be waiting for him, thinking to herself that Prince Hwon wants to see him so badly he was climbing the palace wall. Yang-myung asks who, and she starts to say “the prince…” and quickly says, yunno, the prince, the king, everybody.

He says that they’re busy people and they wouldn’t miss him. She snaps, “He does miss you!” He just smiles like a big ol’ flirt and says she ought to understand why he climbed her wall to see her then. Gah, I’m already over the moon at the thought of Jung Il-woo playing this cheeky boy.

She says that they’re entirely different things, so he gets all serious and leans in close, until she finally can’t take it and looks away awkwardly. She stammers that they’re totally different and anyway, he should go to the palace, and he breaks into a laugh.

He notes happily that it’s been a really long time since she’s looked him straight in the eye and talked with him like this, and flicks her on the forehead to add that she should still mind her own beeswax. Why are these two so cute?

Meanwhile, Seol gets beaten to a bloody pulp by Evil Servant Lady, while Bo-kyung looks on with a satisfied grin. She mutters to herself that she should’ve been running with her eyes open, literally feeling justified in this girl’s beating because her freaking dress got dirty. Oh boy.

Seol refuses to answer any questions about whose household she belongs to, and continues to get beaten senseless.

Yeon-woo and Yang-myung head to the blacksmith’s looking for her, where they find out what happened. Yeon-woo rushes to claim Seol, saying that there must be a misunderstanding, but to beat a girl like this…

Bo-kyung comes down, pretending to be angry at her own servants for beating Seol, and one of the guys mumbles, “but you told us to beat her…” hahaha. Her maid quickly steps up to cover for her mistress, taking the blame upon herself and apologizing.

Yeon-woo offers to pay her the amount that was stolen, but Bo-kyung says she laid a hand on her possession too, so they can consider it even. Bo-kyung apologizes for her servants’ mishandling of the situation, and sighs that it’s hard to get your slaves to act properly. She adds that before Yeon-woo’s girl becomes a bigger thief, she ought to sell her. Whoa.

Yeon-woo replies that Seol is not a possession to her, but a friend and a member of her family. She doesn’t know how much Bo-kyung might have lost in money today, but does it hold up to the pain that Seol has felt? Bo-kyung’s jaw drops. Yeon-woo takes Seol away, leaving her fuming.

Yeom returns to the palace with a present for the prince, from his sister. He opens it eagerly to find that she’s returned the box he sent her, but filled with dirt and something she planted. He asks what kind of plant it is, dying of curiosity, and Yeom says he’ll have to grow it to find out.

He tries to start the lesson but Prince Hwon relentlessly asks after his sister – what’s she like? Does he talk with her about his problems often? Surprised, Yeom just tells him that they read together every night, and the prince is floored at that.

Yeom says proudly that his sister is as smart and learned as any scholar at Sungkyunkwan. The prince kind of goes slackjawed, which is so cute. I mean, who doesn’t love a boy who likes a smart girl? He covers it up by saying that he’s so impressed that he has a sister who likes to read, murmuring that his own sister doesn’t know more than two words.

Suddenly Princess Min-hwa bursts into the room bawling her eyes out, showing her true age. She totally wails through her tears, “I… hate… oraboni! (the formal word for oppa) *waaaaah*” It’s hysterical.

But what she’s really crying about is the fact that he said that about her in front of Yeom, and she runs over to him, clasping his face in her hands, insisting that she is totally not a dummy, she swears. Keh.

Yeom is so taken aback that he stays frozen like that for a second, and then quickly assures the princess that he understands, and to stop crying or else she’ll mess up her pretty face. He means it in the little girl way, but it stops her tears cold. “You… think… I’m… pretty?” Uh-oh.

After his lesson, Prince Hwon opens up the letter that came with Yeon-woo’s gift, and finds the prettiest parchment ever, covered in dried flowers. He recognizes her response as a poem by Lee Kyu-bo [An actual historical figure and renowned poet].

We hear her recite it as we watch her hand-dye the parchment with Seol, and apply the dried flowers while writing her response.

A monk living in the mountains
desired the moonlight
he saw it floating in his bottle of water and filled it
but at the temple he realized
that if you lean the bottle and pour it out
the moon disappears

[It’s a poem to reflect on the things you can’t have because they defy the laws the nature.] She continues in the letter to say that the moonlight is not something you can have because you want it, but she naïvely tried to bottle the moon. She tells him to forget what happened at the Silver Moon Building that day, and that she is reflecting on her mistakes.

Prince Hwon smiles to realize this means she solved the riddle he gave her. He ponders what she’s asking – that he forget her – and laughs that she’s a dummy after all. Aw. He looks over at her plant and smiles as he thinks to himself, “How could I forget you?”

Princess Min-hwa runs to the King, eager to learn how to read and write like her brother, or more specifically from her brother’s teacher. He’s surprised by her sudden interest, and agrees to let her learn, but he quickly says no to her learning from Yeom. She cries and kicks her feet, to no avail.

With his advisors assembled the King ponders on the princess’ education, and Minister Yoon and his cohort sneakily suggest that his daughter Bo-kyung is the best choice. The King agrees, and adds that Minister Heo’s daughter Yeon-woo should be brought in as well. Awwww yeah.

At home, Heo tells Yeon-woo about the offer, and though she hesitates, she agrees to become the princess’ teacher/companion. It doesn’t especially please her father, who worries that the palace isn’t a place where you can be free, and having both of his children there weighs on him.

His wife tells him that it’s just to be a friend to the princess, so what could be bad about that? But he worries that nothing happens in the palace that isn’t maneuvered strategically into place, not knowing what’s behind this move.

Mom tells him that Yeon-woo will be protected because there’s someone out there who pledged her life to keep her safe. He asks who, and she just says “someone.”

Nok-young tends to that someone’s grave, asking her friend to tell her who that person is, that she is to protect with her life.

The Queen apologizes to the Queen dowager (her mother-in-law) for the princess’ immaturity, but the Queen dowager assures her that having these girls around her will improve her greatly.

She asks to see them herself, telling the queen that they must be very discerning when bringing people into the palace. Besides, they never know – the Crown Prince’s future wife could be among them. Dun dun.

Outside the palace walls, the entourage of shamans arrive, Nok-young now ranking high among them, the only one carried in by sedan. Next to her arrives Yeon-woo, and they get out and meet eyes.

In one look, Nok-young recognizes her, the one who will “change the fate of the sun.” And then behind her, Bo-kyung arrives. One look at her, and Nok-young sees her dark energy.

She gasps, “Two moons.”

 
COMMENTS

Episode 2 felt much more like the show picked a direction, and though it’s a familiar one, it’s pretty clearly going to be a straight-up romance drama: the epic love square between two brothers, the two suns, and the two moons that enter their lives. Though half of the first episode was marked by light and cute, I was surprised at how rom-com-y the second episode felt, pretty much entirely light and funny from beginning to end. No complaints from me, because I’m sure we’ll eventually have plenty of angst to counter it, so I’ll take all the happy I can get.

What I like best so far is the teacher-student relationship with Yeom, as well as the brother relationship with Yang-myung, even though we have yet to actually see the brothers together. I love that it isn’t good vs. evil, but just two brothers who love each other, torn apart by fate. Both the characters are empathetic, thoughtful, and adorable, and already I’m torn because I want each of them to win Yeon-woo’s heart.

What drives me batty is Bo-kyung’s characterization, which just seems cartoonish to me. I mean, I know, thirteen-year old mean girls exist, but damn. Would it have been too much to make her at least start out sympathetic and layered, and then make her choose the path of badness to feed her ambition or whatever? I get that she was raised by the baddie, so she’s just going to adopt all his privileged, entitled attitudes, but seriously, girl is bordering on sociopathic.

Yeon-woo is fantastic, and recalls a lot of what I loved about the heroine in Sungkyungwan Scandal — a girl who defies the social order to read and learn, who thinks about how the world could be better rather than accepting it as it is. I adore that she loves words and poetry, and it just sets my heart aflutter when she and the prince write each other in riddles and poems. That’s one mark of the novelist’s work that I loved in Sungkyunkwan and here as well.

I was initially disappointed that we’d spend three weeks with the younger actors, but this episode changed my mind about the time we’ll spend with them. I can’t wait to see more of their young love in bloom.

 
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Thank you so much for recapping! I'm looking forward to story development and the characters growing up :)

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sorry to intrude on the first comment >.<
but is this drama not gonna be subbed? does anyone know if the eng sub is out anywhere?

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darksmurf are subbing it ;)
and I think viki too but not sure

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Yes, it is subbed, but to wait one week for an episode is painful. I am looking forward for each and every episode. Moreover, if I seem to grasp a word or two from modern dramas, in the historical ones it seems they speak a totally different Korean. That makes the waiting even more difficult!

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why do you think no one is subbing it? I mean other sagueks are maybe 3 days tops, does no one want to sub Moon Sun?

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The drama is being subbed. Try it on EpDrama.com. Or also, in youtube.

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Finally recap is here!
Thank you...I'm off to read.

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Can't wait for the subs for this!

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thanks so much for the recaps GF! you made my day... such a wonderful drama :)

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lols after reading both softy's and ockoala's did i realize that fact that you mentioned when they did a background check on Yeom, i was rofl, 'did they google him?" awesome!

likewise... so anticipating the blooming first love between Hwon and Yeon-woo but is so torn on Hwon and Yang-myung. *swooning moments*

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Nonski me loving it too :)
thanks GF for the recap :)

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oi! rainyrain... i've been reading the recaps since last night so that when i watch the raw i'd be able to understand, i already downloaded it and just biding my time to watch.

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I also downloaded both epi and eventhough I read the recaps but I will wait for the subs so I can enjoy it even more , epi one subbing on darksmurf is about to finish and I think till next wednesday inchallah epi two will also be finished then I will watch both epi
ahhh eagerly waiting for the upcoming episodes but especially for YEOM-MH scenes , I'm shipping this couple lool

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Wait, I thought Yeom was the one in blue...

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nah blue is woon. his adult counterpart, song jae rim, actually looks quite similar to him too(the long haired friend in ramyun shop)

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I'm enjoying this drama...if anything, introducing the adult actors late will only push the ratings up, and by that time the backgroud stories of the characters have already been established, it's a smart move...will see how high it gets...

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please where i can watch this with english subtitles?is only my country (mexico) or my computer?but epdrama and dramacrazy aren't working for me,other option?downland? etc

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I've actually seen more of the younger actors' projects so in some ways I'm a bigger fan of theirs than I am their older counterparts. So I look forward to the next couple of weeks with them. But I also understand that the heavier the subjects become, the more critical it becomes that they grow up. X)

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ikr! this kids are just so good in what they do... much better than other older wanna-be's

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Yes I totally love ALL of the younger kids. I feel sort of sad for Bokyoung's characterization because I KNOW she is capable of more depth than what she is given!!

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Aw man I'm totally hooked!!

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I love the child actors! Can't wait till this subbed. I hate angst maybe I should wait till the ending to watch it. :)

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We'll be able to see the child actors for 3 weeks??!! That's the best news I've heard all week, lol.

I just finished watching episode 2 and can't wait for more!! This is seriously my new crack drama. I can't believe how lucky we are that we get another great sageuk right after Tree With Deep Roots!!

I'm expecting the fantasy elements to surface once Yeon Woo becomes a shaman. And while the first two episodes do seem slightly lacklustre compared to the phenomenal ratings (which I think is currently due to the weakness of its competition), if you read the synopsis and character descriptions, you'll realize that you're in a for real roller coaster ride!!! I'm absolutely dying with anticipation for all the preliminary major events to unfurl.

I may be the only one, but personally I prefer Lee Minho to Jung Il Woo. Does Lee Minho have to be replaced by Jung Il Woo, lol?? I was on Team Yeo Jin Goo (Hwon) on the first episode. (He seriously grew up so much and his acting is amazing!!) But I found myself on Team Lee Minho (Myung Goon) on the second episode. The sweet moments between Yeon Woo and Myung Goon sent my heart fluttering away while simultaneously twisting it with the knowledge that his love for her is to be unrequited~~

I'll probably be back on Team Hwon once they transition to the adult cast b/c I like Kim Soohyun more than Jung Il Woo. Thus, while the love triangle is killing me right now, all conflicting feelings will disappear for me once we transition to the adult cast.

Meanwhile...Waaahhhh.....My heart is already breaking at the anticipation of the next episode where Myung Goon spots Yeonwoo's handmade apology letter with the dried flowers he gave her. I don't even want to imagine his face when he finds out that Hwon and Yeon Woo are going to be engaged TT_TT

LEE MINHO-MYUNG GOON, WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO HEARTBREAKING??!!

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Omg... You took the words right out of my mouth. I'm on Team Lee Min Ho at the moment, and I'm reluctant to see him get replaced in two more weeks. =[
It doesn't help that I like the actor for the child version of Hwon. I'm confused who to support to be with Yeon Woo right now! Things will definitely get easier for me once they transition into their adult counterparts, right? KIM SOO HYUN ALL THE WAYYYY~!!! Unless Jung Il Woo (or his character) manages to wriggle its way in......
Gawd, I have high expectations for this drama.

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Unfortunately they're both equal levels of pretty too! I love KSH from Dream High but I also love JIW!!!

But if it were just the child actors, Im on Team Lee Minho too :)

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Hey! Where did you go to for the synopsis and character descriptions? The only information I knew prior was that the king fell in love with a shaman ...

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This seems like my kind of drama. I might check it out soon! thanks a lot GF!

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Ok, that's it. I'm officially hooked. Thanks for the wonderful recap.

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such a witty episode! just like sungkyungkwan scandal. I like the wisdom and riddles. It's puzzling but entertaining and amusing. I'm loving historic dramas :D

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thank you! reading your recap is like watching the drama already! hehehe ^^

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Oh man, I'd better stock up at kleenex at Target for the heartbreak ahead! These young actors are so excellent that I too am greatly enjoying the backstory they are establishing. They really do all look like they are the younger counterparts of the older actors!

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The adult actors better not ruin it for the child actors cause they're doing an incredible job. Lol

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minhwa is soooo cute!
I really don't want the adults to take over. specially for yeo woon. cuz I don't really like han ga in.
but well, can't wait for the rest!

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Hmm does Lee Min-ho remind anyone else of Jae Hee from Sassy Girl Chun-hyang ??

GF you arent the only one torn atm, but i feel for Yang-myung more.

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ABSOLUTELY. I was thinking that all today. Couldn't shake it. Not that that's a bad association at all, in my mind.

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He can be your back-up I LUB YOU, whenever Jae Hee's off duty.

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Jae Hee is way more legal.

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yep, thats definately true ;)

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amen to that ;)

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OMG, so I am not the only one who thought that!

Not only does he resemble Jae Hee, his facial expressions are also similar. The way his lips move when he talks is similar. The way he walks around in that Joseon suit is also similar.

The two of them could seriously be brothers.

Ha ha ha ha! Princess MinHwa cracks me up.

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Thanks for the recap!

Can't believe it, but I'm defending a second female lead's nasty action. This is because I can actually see what she did to Seol making sense within the context of society then. Slaves aren't people, they're things. So, it was the equivlent of a child throwing a toy in a temper tantrum for that time period. So, I was instead surprised Yeon-woo wasn't angry at the abuse of her property (Though she probably thought some punishment deserving as she basically said she believes Seol stole from Bo-kyung without hesitation. So much for being part of the family unless she meant as the family pet.), but I guess how Bo-kyung was dressed along with how she handled the situation defused that. It's just a little odd since this is a fusion, but this one character isn't quite running around with modern values so far. If it was modern times she'd be a pyscho, but not during that time period.

This is probably me projecting (unless the writer just failed to convey this properly), but I also think Bo-kyung's lashing out is due to her conversation with dad. Well, more like when he talked to her. Otherwise, why use that scene as her drama introduction? Having Seol beaten would've served as one or when the girls are brought to the palace. So, I'm left to assume that while it's showing home life it's also to explain what really caused her reaction to Seol. The dirty dress was just what set off her bottle rocket. Granted, not well done as I need to make assumptions and project instead of possessing a clear picture.

Be watching/reading to see if my hypothesis is on more solid ground if this is her tendancy since she can't lash out at her dad. Certainly make life interesting as the drama kicks into high-gear and she gets invested in the prince.

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Dude, she's psychotic.

You have a point that slaves weren't seen as people at that time. So it's not that she punished Seol for knocking her down that makes her scary -- it's that she smiles, acts nice, lets her go, and then sets her up for a frame job while acting innocent. Girl knows how to play the world and manipulate people for no reason other than, it seems, her own amusement. She's a weird mix of blank and scary, like a child born with a warped moral compass, like Macaulay Culkin in The Good Son. Or a sadist who likes to maim cute animals. That makes her super creepy.

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When you put it like that, you have a point. And you also make her sound like a psychotic serial killer LOL

Guess Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde will make this drama more amusing, though. She'll be necessary from plot development when their adults.

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she's evil. but it seems like she wants to act nice because she wants to be the princess after what her father told her.

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I have to disagree that the set up was for Bo-kyung's amusement and I think you're giving her too much credit. The set up only happened because her maid happened to drop the purse when Seol bumped into them and jumped to conclusions. If the maid hadn't done all the work and given Bo-kyung the opportunity she wouldn't have taken her pissy mood out on Seol. Plus, if another person had seen her pick up the purse earlier and said something she would've been forced to take full responsability for her actions. That's luck instead of planning. Not to mention this entire situation Bo-kyung spurred on was because of impulse. Anyways, the property owner, Yeon-woo, showed up Bo-kyung did what any child typically does when caught doing something they're not supposed to. She was trying to not get in trouble. It was pretty easy too as Bo-kyung was the only person there and she even said sorry. Doesn't take any real manipulating to get Yeon-woo to accept this. Even in today's world when children say, "Sorry" it's considered some magic word that will get them out of trouble, whether they're sincere or not. And sincere or not the child it's directed at will usually accept it. If there had been a real adult there this would have gone down much differently. Or if they were somewhat older as the power of the word sorry would've worn off. But Bo-kyung and Yeon-woo are children. Besides, Yeon-woo wasn't even angry about Seol being beaten after she found out why. Yeon-woo even took it one step further and offered to pay the amount, which means she believes Seol is a thief. Which makes her statement really weird for the time period as she said she'll keep a known thief in her household. However, that's the modern values showing up. Plus, children today do these exact same actions to those considered people, but aren't labeled psychotics. Instead they're called bullies. Bo-kyung would've been considered a bully and a product of poor parenting if she caused this happen to another person today. But Seol isn't a person. She's property, so instead Bo-kyung was just being a brat to someone else's stuff.

Now when she's an adult is when label possabilities will become really interesting.

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No, she's a sociopath. A psychotic can plan ahead. She got the idea on the moment and then acted on it. That's a sociopath.

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Oh is there a limit to how many times I can write ' they are so adorable and cute and they act so well?'

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Thanks for the recap girlfriday.

these child actors are amazing. i love most of the characters already, they're all interesting and cute. Princess Minhwa cracks me up!

just one thing i find lacking. the soundtracks. this episode sounded so quiet most of the time, is it just me.. since they get super high ratings this week, i hope they can have more and better soundtracks later on.

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I have always loved Kim yoo jung...! She, for me is te next IT star...?!?!
But seeing her and lee Min hool together brings back all my uber love for the grudge: the tale of the fox child...!
Their love story in that drama was so heart breaking that I literally wanted to shoot whoever made Kim yoo Jung with my own hands...!
And knowing that lee min hoo is playing the illegitimate brother who is the 2nd male lead brings tears to my eyes and make my heart bleed...

Why Ooohhhh why are the drama gods Crüel in separating those two yet again....! Their needs to be something to be had so that these two should be together...! I am super mooning over their -ship that I am gonna literally forget for the next two weeks that I love Kim soo Hyun and i will have short term amnesia for these childhood phase and stop thinking that crown prince is gonna be my baby soo Hyun ...!
So until Kim soo Hyun, I am all for yeon woo and yang myung...!

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Exactly! i'm in the same dilemma myself.

Lee Min Ho and Kim Yoo Jung were uber adorable in gumiho. And seeing them together again just makes my heart flutter.

I didnt like Jung Il Woo's character in Ramyun Shop. so he moved down 1 spot in my books leaving Kim Soo Hyun higher on my list. XD

But seeing Lee Min Ho as Jung Il Woo's childhood counterpart in this drama....~♥

Now i'm back to square one.....KSH or JIW?? aaaaa........ T_T

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Sigh. Yang-myung should just go ahead and tear my heart out. (can't wait for Jung Il-woo! Ahh!) These child actors are awesome though :) I'm looking forward to the next two weeks. (and the rest of the series. Yep.)

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GAH... those child actor& actresses all are so great!!!
i thk the guy as yeon woo brother is good looking!

ATM i'm rooting for yang-myung with yeon woo...

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Wait... Isn't Lee Hwon 15?

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Totally love the 1st pic. I absolutely ship this chibi couple!

I'm all for Kim Soo Hyun but when you throw in Lee Min Ho as the child counterpart to Jung Il Woo's character, it just messes with my resolve. I had a hard time deciding which "camp" to set up tent at before this drama started broadcasting.....

aaaa........what's a girl to do when you get so much bishies thrown into 1 drama? where does thou loyalty lies?
T_T

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"...and his aide comes rushing in after having done a background check on Yeom. That quickly? What, did you google him?"

And... there goes another coffee splattered monitor. GF you gotta give us some warning, ok? :)

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this recap just sealed the deal for me to watch this. As much as I can't wait for the main actors to come in, i'm going to enjoy watching these kids play it out. all so cute!!

thanks for the recaps!

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My first thought is dramabeans is going to recap both this and 'wild romance' ... But it seems like currently there is no recap on WR ...

based on the ratings, can someone tell me whether WR is good?

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Well if you really really like LSY and LDW ratings shouldn't matter...as for the drama, it's a little heavy on slapstic and overreaction for me...i like the subtle kind...or the naturally funny (Kim Suna's style)...this one's a little 'trying too hard' kinda funny...but it's still too early to tell...I'm sticking to Moon for the time being...the chemistry is better here,,,even among the child actors!!!

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Oh my god, you have to give Captain a try...the first ep itself was awesome...and i'm not even a fan of GHS...just wanted to be fair and watched all 3, WR, Moon and Captain...the shots, music and plot...it was a rollercoaster right...give it a try!!!

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Eeeeeeee my new crack is here. Thanks for the recap!

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3 weeks with the young actors?? it's too long.

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hrmm... can you please tell us why?? Oh, we all know the adult cast will come soon.. so, please do not use that as an answer.....

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I'm pretty much happy about this episode! while i was watching this last night young king lee hwon was on twitter (yeo jingu) sooo adorbs!!! i called him 이훤 왕자님~~ and replied 저 부르셨나요? omg at that age he acts well! i like leeminho too! i can imagine jungilwoo ahaha omg

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Not like that, but wow, these child actors are all gorgeous.

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Thank you! I'm loving this drama so far. I'm usually not a fan of the start of dramas when there is a young cast for a while cos I'd prefer 2 eps max where they are young and then straight to older but I don't mind with this. For some reason I think Seol is going to be my favourite character in this so I hope she gets a bigger role. Can't wait for the epic love stories too! :D

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That girl who played YEON-WOO is seriously beautiful. No matter what angle, she's pretty. Damn.

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I know! When she's on screen, I'm like this *__*
She's going to be a beautiful woman when she's older.

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I honestly think yeon woo is way too perfect. It's irritating, really. I think princess minhwa is gonna be my favorite character.

I'm gonna miss lee minho when jiw takes over.

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i really love your recap.. it makes me want to watch this drama...
the child cast didn't disappointing...
hope it english sub will release because i already start download this drama...

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I lovee yeon and princess minhwa!!

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I like the story..and the end makes me exited about the next episodes "Two moon's" So fates of these 2 girls are the same but different directions/intensions?.. Whahaha well we all know the other chick is EVIL.. really TWISTED.. I hate her already and thinking her adult version it makes me more angry..XD

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Thanks for the recap, gals! I've got this queued up and waiting for me once I get back to the States...

I'm hoping that this production may finally be the one to pull MBC's ratings back up to the high levels they were over 2009-2010 -- it was almost like the network had the plague or something in 2011, since only a small handful of offerings made it onto our collective radars.

Anyway, as much as I lust after my Veggie Boys, I'll definitely make time for this show as well!! :)

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I thought seol had a crush on woon,but it's yeom instead?
And is the evil girl going to be the next queen?I hope not;hate her so much already!

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I love both episodes and I love the first one due to Hwon/ Yeon Woo and second episode love Prince Yang Myung/Yeon Woo... I am sooo torn.. It will be definitely harder when the adult cast will be here too.. aigoo... Wow.. that evil girl is scary.. You know she will get even scarier when she is a crown princess and marry to King....

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Love this drama. So much foreshadowing/symbolism. Well written, definitely. I would like to read the novel in chi-translation/english translation, however cannot find it.

Anyways, rocks often come with connotations of being sturdy and dependable. With that said, Lee minho giving rocks to his best friends is just so much more adorable.

Though Yeom's perfection may be a tad overdone, radiating light shows how he is a good influence for the future King. He is a light that blocks the bad influence of Yoon.

Hope Bo isnt particularly evil to YW in the future if Bo becomes queen because the incident with Seol may be foreshadowing (sadly) of a similar event where YW cannot do anything. But perhaps someone (Hwon?) will step up and help her?

Goodness, the foreshadowing possibilities with this fantasy theme-ed drama : ) *IN loveeee*

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Jolly,

"I would like to read the novel in chi-translation/english translation,..."

Good news, there is a website which started an electronic book club on Moon/Sun in which the chapter summaries/reviews are in english! To date, chapters 1-3 have been reviewed.

I've found the writer's summaries as compelling as the drama.

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I like Princess Minhwa in this episode. She is really cute and innocent unlike Yeon Woo and Bo Kyung who are really mature in terms of their attitude.

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Thanks for the recap! I cannot stay away from this drama. There is no ha-way!

(Also LOL'ed at googling yeom)

You think, you THINK that we are going to be heartbroken because JIW won't get the girl...for long.
You THINK that his attachment to his childhood friend will be so strong it'll break us when he loses her, don't you?

BUT, I have been down these well worn paths before...of deep friendships that nothing can break. Of love that refuses to choose and wants both and expects both, but doesn't get one of them.

It is when KSH and JIW have to be broken away from each other that I will cry the most. I JUST know it. I can see the future flashbacks through my tear blurred eyes already.
When Woon and Yeom have to pick a side and we see JIW hanging all by himself. Shhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeee---it! It's gonna hurt, isn't it?

I have already decided this is going to be my all time future favorite, so writers, do not bail on us in the last eps!
❍ ♥ ☀
☁ ❄

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I wish they'd just keep Lee Minho as Yang Myung - he's has so much more charm than Jung Il Woo.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure Bo Kyung is going to end up as one of Lee Hwon's wives - you can tell she gets into the royal family by the costume Kim Min Seo wore to the press conference. What I'm curious about is how Yeon Woo will leave the palace scene, come back as one of their shamans, and even manage to get up a romance with the king (clearly Lee Hwon's dad will die when she comes back - the red clothing Lee Hwon wears in the previews tells us that).

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yhhhhh @mendokuse i was thinking that as well i mean i was wondering how yeon woo will become a shaman and it's obvs that bo kyung becomes some queen but i guess that just makes more complicated since i wonder how hwon will be with yeon woo since there supposed to be the vocal lead couple

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Haha, I have to disagree...I think that Jung Il-woo has tons of charm ;) But yes, LMH is so cute. I'm gonna enjoy these three weeks so much.

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Another interesting fact: the female actors in this drama are older than the male actors, even though they're supposed to be slightly younger. Could this be a movement to a new era in Korean casting? Hmm...

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wow this is getting me more excited i c heck out the ep on thursday i am still waiting for subs but i am love the lead girl yeon woo i love how she's elegant but so intelligent and wise i reckon she will end up being the strong-willed character (not that she isn't already) and i just love the poems and the way the yeom talks with prince hwon and the way they talk about all this sun and moon thing and making it political it is seriously getting me hooked it's like looking at life in a different way i am still confused as to where the fantasy aspect is supposed to come in to it but i guess thats when we start like from when nok young says at the end two moons and she senses bo-kyungs dark energy i'm guessing maybe yeon woo is the good moon and sun and bo kyung is the bad one but i guess will just have to see and bo kyung i also can tell she'll either be more the antagonist role or maybe she'll have multiple layers to her personality if the writers did that for bo kyung i reckon it will be better but i am going to wait and see how bo kyung well end up being like after all this is only ep 2 COMMON SUBS!!!!!!!

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Oh my God, all these child actors are so adorable. I can't wait to see the adults, though.

I'm feeling more sympathy for Yang-myung than Hwon at the moment, but I like them both. Obviously Hwon is the lead so he'll probably end up with Yeon-woo. I also hope that Bo-kyung will get some redeeming qualities and deserve a guy.

Also, the little princess is so cute! I like that she has such a crush on Yeom, it's adorable.

Thanks for the recap, Girlfriday!

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