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She Was Pretty: Episode 4

Secrets only get harder to tell the longer you keep them, as Hye-jin and Ha-ri are finding out. The pressure starts to get to them, leading to uncharacteristic behavior from both of the best friends. And as we start to learn more about all of our main players, it starts to seem as though the ladies may not be the only ones keeping very old, very serious secrets.

EPISODE 4 RECAP

Sung-joon sees Hye-rin in the cafe and smiles, seeing how much she resembles the Hye-jin he remembers. The real Hye-jin comes in looking for her wayward sister, sees the two of them meeting, and hurriedly rushes out. She watches from behind a sign as Sung-joon tells Hye-rin that he knows her sister.

She makes her escape and calls Sung-joon, hoping to get him out of there before Hye-rin says anything to give away Hye-jin’s true identity. Her story that Chief Editor Kim wants to talk to him works, and after he leaves she scurries in to confront her sister.

Luckily Hye-jin got there fast enough, and Hye-rin didn’t tell Sung-joon anything personal about her, such as where she really works. She tosses some money at Hye-rin for food and rushes back to work.

Sung-joon scares the daylights out of Chief Editor Kim, who didn’t really call for him, and Hye-jin has to quickly apologize to Sung-joon for her “mistake.” Chief Editor Kim notices that Hye-jin still looks unkempt, and asks her to try to look a little more Most-like.

Sung-joon is frustrated by the messy reports he’s given by the team, and he decides that from now on, the three-minute rule applies to project proposals as well. What’s this guy’s obsession with three minutes?? He shoots down anyone who tries to defend their current system, until Shin-hyuk asks how he expects anyone to offer honest opinions in this kind of environment. That’s what I’m sayin’.

Sung-joon barks that if he wants to be comfortable, he can stay home. He throws out all of the proposals and asks Reporter Cha if she’s contacted James Taylor for the collaboration, insulting her when she says she hasn’t been able to reach him. He takes the project from her and sails out, and Hye-jin wonders what happened to Sung-joon in America to make him like this.

Sung-joon must be more unsettled than he’s letting on, because he listens to “Close To You” in the car later that day. He notices that the sky is particularly beautiful today and takes a picture, while at the office, Hye-jin notices the same pretty sky outside the building window.

She pulls out her own phone, but her shot gets photobombed by Shin-hyuk, hee. He watches her take pictures of the sky and smiles at her, and remembers seeing her on the bus recently. He’d smiled at her then, too, watching her head loll as she fought sleep. He’d seen her give up her seat to the elderly ajumma, and the expression on his face is a mixture of amusement and admiration. So cute.

Back at the office, Shin-hyuk watches Hye-jin take pictures of the sky and repeats her words as he studies her face, “That’s right. It’s pretty.” Oh ~swoon~.

Ha-ri sees a family celebrating a birthday in her hotel, and remembers when her own mother was alive and her family was happy. She ignores a call from her father, still upset over his slap the other night, but she smiles when Sung-joon texts her the picture of the beautiful sky.

That night she asks her date if he noticed the sky today, but he’s annoyed that she interrupted his groping. She admits that those kinds of girly things aren’t like her and disappoints him by leaving without allowing any skinship.

Hye-jin scolds her for her short skirt, but Ha-ri says it’s her body, her life, and she’ll do what makes her happy. Sing it, sister. Later Hye-jin tells her about Hye-rin’s near slip-up with Sung-joon, and she’s confused when Ha-ri seems more upset at the idea of being caught than she is herself.

The girls play listlessly on the playground while Hye-jin natters on and on about hiding from Sung-joon, and how she’d be so humiliated if he knew that the person who he looks down on is his old friend. Ha-ri asks what she thinks would have happened if she’d just gone and met him herself that first night.

Hye-jin isn’t sure, but she does know that it would have been awkward if they’d met, then found out they were working together. She admits it’s probably better this way, still thinking that Sung-joon thinks she’s gone. Ha-ri starts to tell her that she’s seen Sung-joon again but Hye-jin cuts her off — he doesn’t like her anyway, so it’s probably best to stop thinking about him so much.

The next morning Hye-jin recalls Chief Editor Kim’s request to be “more Most-like,” wondering exactly what she means by that. She takes some time to try a few new things with her hair, but when she gets to work and runs into Sung-joon, he asks if she’s playing a joke. Damn, he’s so mean.

Okay, to be fair, when we see how much makeup she’s slathered on I can see his point, but the hair isn’t so bad. Not any worse than her usual frizzy mop.

Jun-woo yells in excitement that Sung-joon got the meeting with James Taylor. It’s only for an hour at the airport between flights, so Reporter Cha mutters that he’ll never get him to agree to collaborate in that small amount of time — just as Sung-joon walks in. Awkward. He barks at her to let him handle it.

He says that he’ll need a driver to the airport later so he can review on the way, and everyone hunkers down and hides. Shin-hyuk whispers to Hye-jin that she’s got a hole in her shirt, and when she raises her arm to look, it looks like she’s volunteering to drive, HA.

He actually had a reason to do it — the way she’s so nervous around Sung-joon, he thought it would help them get closer so she could relax. But when Sung-joon realizes who’s driving he’s not at all happy to see her.

He settles in to read while Hye-jin drives, and the silence makes her nervous. He ignores her weird attempts at small-talk, he finally asking her to stop talking so he can concentrate. The problem is, he concentrates so hard that he doesn’t hear her ask if they’re going to Incheon Airport, so she just assumes and heads that way.

It’s the wrong airport, of course — they should be going to Gimpo. And once you’re on the road to Incheon it’s very difficult to turn around, and there’s only one place they can get off the road, so Sung-joon urges Hye-jin to drive fast. Naturally, they hit traffic.

Sung-joon calls Reporter Cha to meet James Taylor at the Gimpo airport, but she’s gone to an event. He tells the office to send whoever can get there fastest, but falters when Hye-jin jumps out of the car and appears to be buying food from a streetside vendor.

But instead she practically drags him out of the car, grabs his wallet out of his pants, and gives a man on a scooter some money. She plunks Sung-joon onto the scooter and screams at them to GOGOGO, and she’ll meet him at the airport when he’s finished. That was pretty quick thinking.

Hye-jin arrives at the Gimpo airport just as Sung-joon is leaving, but he’s on the phone and ignores her when she asks if he got here in time. He tells the person on the phone that the meeting was successful, causing Hye-jin to bounce with excitement.

Despite Hye-jin’s save and the fact that it’s not her fault they went the wrong way, Sung-joon starts to berate her, asking if she’ll take responsibility if the project fails. He’s yelling by the time he’s finished and refuses to listen when she tries to say that she asked him where to go. He snarls that people who work hard but have no accomplishments are pathetic. Like her.

Fed up, Hye-jin gets her things out of Sung-joon’s car and says she’ll find her own way back to the office. But she stops him and offers to tell him the kind of person she hates the most — people who don’t listen to others and who look down on those who aren’t as skilled as they are. Like him.

She says that she asked him several times which airport to go to, and it was him who didn’t listen or answer her. She tells him this wouldn’t have happened if he didn’t ignore and belittle her at every turn. Good girl.

Ha-ri’s father comes to see her at work, and she looks wary but joins him for dinner. He apologizes for the slap, but when his wife calls Ha-ri notices that he doesn’t say he’s with her. Dad says that Ha-ri should apologize to her stepmother but she interrupts him — she was taught that the person who was wrong first should apologize. Dad says that Ha-ri should make the first move, and that’s enough to make Ha-ri stand and leave.

After work Hye-jin texts Ha-ri to meet for drinks, and sighs at the pouring rain. She watches as Sung-joon also leaves but jerks back out of the rain, and they both stand awkwardly, reluctant to step out into the downpour.

Hye-jin finally opens her umbrella, and it’s the same one that Sung-joon bought for Ha-ri/Hye-jin the night they met. It’s very distinctive, with a print of the Renoir painting “Dance in the Country” that reminds him of Hye-jin. Ha-ri had given it to Hye-jin, its rightful owner, and she only realizes that she’s using the umbrella from Sung-joon after she walks out into the rain. She turns back, but he’s already gone back inside.

She stops at a pojangmacha to wait for Ha-ri, but Ha-ri is swimming laps at the gym. She stops in the middle of the pool and slowly sinks to the bottom, curled into a tiny ball of hurt. On her way out she runs into Sung-joon who just joined the same gym, but she’s in no mood to talk. She starts to walk to her car, but Sung-joon pulls up and asks her to hang out a while. She tries to decline but he begs, so she finally relents.

Shin-hyuk apparently loves the rain, skipping through puddles and singing on his way home. He spots Hye-jin at the pojangmacha and joins her. She’s pretty drunk and attacks him for getting her stuck with the driving duty today.

Ha-ri notices a set of rackets in Sung-joon’s car, and he takes her to a grassy area to play. She tries again to tell him she’s not in the mood to hang out but he doesn’t listen, so she hits the ball with him.

Ha-ri drops the ball several times and complains that she’s at a disadvantage in her short skirt, so Sung-joon wraps his jacket around her waist. His close proximity seems to affect her, but he doesn’t make any other moves and they continue playing.

Later, Sung-joon mentions that he met her younger sister. Ha-ri plays along and even agrees to go out to dinner some time, the three of them, but the reminder that she’s not the real Hye-jin deflates her mood again.

Sung-joon finally asks why she was crying earlier — he could tell from her face. Ha-ri says it was nothing important, but when they see a happy little family walk by, Ha-ri asks what Sung-joon remembers most about his mother. He says he remembers her cutting his fingernails, which he still struggles with since he’s left-handed.

Ha-ri says softly that it must have been difficult not to have his mother, especially when he was young. He says that it helped that a nice girl named Kim Hye-jin was with him at that time. He smiles at the memory, but Ha-ri looks guilty.

Hye-jin is well and truly drunk by now, and she slurs to Shin-hyuk that she’s drinking because of that crazy Sung-joon. She stomps on the umbrella he gave her and vows to “tell him everything,” which prompts Shin-hyuk to note that she talks like she’s known him a long time. Hye-jin hollers that she does know him, but she passes out before she can say how.

Dying of curiosity, Shin-hyuk follows her as she staggers home, bellowing about Sung-joon all the way. She dumps out her entire purse on the ground looking for her phone, determined to call him right now and tell him the truth.

When Sung-joon takes her back to her car, Ha-ri tries one more time to come clean, but she ends up fibbing that she’s engaged. His face falls when she says she can’t see him anymore, but he suddenly asks when she’s taking him out for dinner, since she lost a bet on their game. Ugh, he doesn’t ever listen. After he leaves Ha-ri tells herself that she can just tell him the truth next time, but it seems to be getting harder for her to justify delaying it.

Hye-jin finds her phone and drunk dials Sung-joon, and she slurs at him in banmal while Shin-hyuk tries to keep her from falling over. He really should take her phone away, but he’s curious to hear what kind of past she has with their boss. She yells down the phone to Sung-joon that she’s Kim Hye-jin… THE Kim Hye-jin. He’s so shocked he has to pull over, and tells her to repeat that.

Hye-jin has the hangover from hell in the morning, and she doesn’t remember a thing from the night before. Ha-ri tells her that she came home making a loud scene and that she threw up all over Shin-hyuk, who took her all the way home. Ha-ri hadn’t quite seen his face as she’s wrestled with the flailing Hye-jin.

Hye-jin heads to work still feeling awful and takes a call from her mother, who tells her they’re having a little party to celebrate her employment. When Hye-jin hangs up and sees her call history, she’s horrified to see that she called Sung-joon last night. She suddenly remembers telling him that she’s the true Kim Hye-jin, and when Shin-hyuk walks past her, she asks him if she really called their boss last night.

He says that he does remember something, but he assures her that she didn’t say all that much. We see that she’d just yelled her name several times, which didn’t sound like much to Shin-hyuk, but he took her phone away when she started slinging insults. He’s still curious and digs for information, but now that she’s sober Hye-jin just tells him that she did it because Sung-joon is so mean.

Sung-joon sees them bickering and remembers the call last night, but of course all he heard (because he doesn’t listen) was Hye-jin calling him names. He’s cornered in the Most office by Chief Editor Kim, and tries to decline a party celebrating his collaboration success with James Taylor, but she says that she has something important to tell him.

For some reason she specifically tells Jun-woo that he has to come, which makes So-ri think that he’s the secret chaebol. She decides to focus her gold-digging on him from now on.

Hye-jin is told to take some files to Sung-joon, and she gathers her courage and apologizes for last night. He just says that she made a drunken mistake, and that he’ll pretend that nothing happened. He adds curtly that they’ll forget the airport incident as well.

That morning his regular barista had told him that when he’s focusing on something, he doesn’t hear or see anything else. Now he remembers Hye-jin saying that she asked him multiple times which airport and he didn’t answer her.

At the party that night, Chief Editor Kim notices that Sung-joon isn’t drinking, but he says he has things to do and needs to leave soon. She insists he have one drink before he goes and, annoyed, he kills it in one shot and leaves.

Shin-hyuk follows Hye-jin out when she gets a call from Ha-ri, so they both witness Sung-joon collapse like a rag doll. Shin-hyuk piggybacks him to his hotel, complaining the entire way, and whines for water when Hye-jin just wants to get out of there. She’s surprised to see nothing but water in his fridge.

Shin-hyuk somehow ends up with Sung-joon’s card key but decides to give it back to him later. Hye-jin is concerned with seeing only water in the fridge, realizing that she’s never seen Sung-joon eat. Shin-hyuk bounces around her trying to get her attention, and Hye-jin finally blows up at him.

She wails that he jokes all day and even got her in trouble by joking around, and he looks chastened as he stammers that he thinks of her as a little sister. She firmly tells him that she does NOT think of him as an oppa, and Shin-hyuk apologizes. Okay, puppy Shin-hyuk is annoying, but kicked-puppy Shin-hyuk makes me want to give him a hug.

Hye-jin continues, telling him to go bother his own little sister and leave her alone. She begins to storm off, and a small voice says from behind her, “She died. When she was six years old.” Oof.

When Hye-jin turns back around, Shin-hyuk smiles and says it’s nothing, and turns to go. Hye-jin is desperate to apologize but she can’t find her phone, and remembers that she set it down up in Sung-joon’s kitchen. The key card is in Shin-hyuk’s pocket so Hye-jin is reduced to trying random key codes on Sung-joon’s door, with no luck.

She gets a sudden idea and tries the date for International Left-handers’ Day, and it works. She creeps in and quickly grabs her phone, but knocks the glass from Shin-hyuk’s water off the counter. Moving fast, she catches it in midair.

Ha-ri is working late, and a coworker notices that an MP3 player that was reported lost was never claimed. She decides to return it to the customer’s room herself. On the way to the customer’s room, Ha-ri sees a man in sloppy clothes shuffling down the hall. She assumes he’s homeless and hustles him out, but a coworker sees her and tells her to apologize immediately — this is the long-term guest from the room that Ha-ri was just heading to.

Ha-ri realizes her mistake, and we only now see the man’s face… it’s Shin-hyuk! He doesn’t hold her slip-up against her and just takes his MP3 player back, but before he goes he comments that her voice sounds familiar.

In voice-over, Hye-jin says that when two people first meet, an intersection is created between them. At some times, those intersections are hard to see clearly — you can’t predict that a person’s existence will make things more complicated in the future.

In Sung-joon’s suite, Hye-jin notices his framed puzzle of “Dance in the Country” with the one missing piece. She leans down to gently touch the puzzle, but Sung-joon suddenly comes up behind her and demands to know what she’s doing. In surprise, Hye-jin knocks the frame off the table, shattering it and the puzzle inside.

She whirls around to find Sung-joon standing very close, and she starts to step backwards — into the broken glass, with her bare feet. Sung-joon quickly grabs her and yanks her forward, right into his arms.

COMMENTS

Shin-hyuk is still killing me, especially now that we’re learning a bit about him personally — this guy is just the sweetest thing. I love how he already likes Hye-jin so much, just exactly how she is. He seems to find her more endearing the quirkier she is, which is fantastic and wonderful because it means he sees who she is and appreciates her. He doesn’t need her to change in order to like her, not like SOME people, and I love how he seeks her out so often. It speaks highly of the person Shin-hyuk is under all that silliness and immaturity, though I’ll admit that that childlike, carefree air that he has about him is a big part of what makes him so adorable. Now I’m ready for Hye-jin to see it, and stop thinking of him just as that weird guy at work, which I hope this misunderstanding will accomplish. Ooooh crap, there it is — the Second Lead Syndrome. It’s got me.

I’m getting a little less tolerant of Sung-joon’s treatment of the Most team, who really seem like a talented and nice group of people. I know that his strategy is to push them hard to do their best because he believes they can, but it’s making me uncomfortable how abusive he can be (though I believe it’s supposed to, for reasons I’ll explain soon). Constructive criticism is one thing, and being a tough boss is sometimes necessary for the sake of success, but calling people names and refusing to even read their reports if it takes longer than three minutes isn’t the way to motivate people. I was willing to let him slide for a few episodes thinking that we’d see him relax a bit once he’d settled in at Most, but he really doesn’t seem to be getting any better. Shin-hyuk has a point and I’m glad he voiced it — how are they expected to feel comfortable enough to do their work in such an atmosphere?

But Sung-joon’s biggest fault, that’s already driving me crazy, seems to be that he doesn’t listen — not to his employees, not to Hye-jin, and not even to Ha-ri. She’s made several huge slip-ups that would make anyone wonder if this was really their childhood friend, and he’s just not hearing her. Even when she tried to tell him multiple times that she didn’t feel like hanging out, he ignored her wishes and did what he wanted anyway (and I don’t think it makes it better that she eventually relaxed and enjoyed herself — the lady said no, more than once, and he should have respected that). He didn’t listen when Hye-jin asked where she should drive him and it nearly caused a huge problem at work, then he didn’t listen when she tried to explain. He’s got a bad habit of ignoring people, even putting himself in danger by blocking out the world (he’s going to break his nose if he doesn’t stop walking into windows), and he’s not going to ever make a connection with anyone until he breaks that habit and starts to engage with others.

I’m starting to think, especially with the few little hints we’ve had, that something terrible happened to Sung-joon in America (not to mention possibly developing an eating disorder). We know he’s a sweet person deep down, because he was such an adorable little dude when he was a kid and seemed quite sensitive, so seeing him grow up to be this man who seems to have no compassion whatsoever just feels wrong. We see him soften around Ha-ri, so that side of him isn’t completely gone, but I’m guessing that he had something happen to him while he was away that made him put up all these walls. It sounds mean but I actually hope that’s the case, because he’d better have a damn good excuse for the way he treats his coworkers, and especially Hye-jin. I want him to be wounded, because without some really extenuating circumstance, if I see him being hateful to people much longer I’m going to have a hard time forgiving him later. He’s lucky that he does have that history with Hye-jin because I think that, by the time he realizes who she truly is and wants to make amends, that history is going to be the only reason she’s willing to give him the time of day.

I’ma bit disappointed that we have four episodes under our belt but our main couple still hasn’t done much besides yell at each other. They’ve spent more time with the second leads at this point, especially Sung-joon and Ha-ri. If I didn’t know better, I’d think the show was going in totally different directions with the pairings, and I hope that Sung-joon and Hye-rin’s relationship kicks in soon. Sung-joon does seem to be at least thinking about how he treats Hye-jin, which is good. But not much has happened plot-wise since the first episode, and we aren’t any closer to Sung-joon discovering the truth about Hye-jin and Ha-ri than we were three episodes ago. It’s to the show’s credit that I almost didn’t notice there’s been very little forward plot-movement, because whatever faults it may have, the show is just so darn cute that I’m enjoying it anyway. But as Shin-hyuk just learned, cute only gets you so far, so I hope that next week we start to see something actually happen to bring Sung-joon and Hye-jin together.

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I love Shin-hyuk! He can be a bit childish at times but I find him really sweet. And I love his interactions with Hye-jin. Gettin' really tired of Sung-joon's attitude to be honest. That guy just has no chill...

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I am thinking if Shin hyuk is more than an editor and chabeol . Maybe, he is someone high up in Most and pretends to be a mere editor? His background intrigued me after it was revealed that he lives in a SUITE, which so happens to be in the same hotel Sung joon lives in.

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Isn't he Chief Editor's nephew? AKA the heir of Most.

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I think so, too.

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he is the heir, its so obvious :)

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How do you know? When is it revealed?

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It was very obvious from the moment the Editor was on the phone with her nephew...

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Yeah hes the so called nephew whos heir of Most. I mean a bum looking guy who ACTUALLY sleeps in a suite? Yeah hes not carefree without a reason. And I really want to know what happened to him.

As for Seong Joon, I really dont like his attitude thus far. But the part where Lollypip said that he ignored Ha Ri's wish to be alone, I understand that he has the tendency to ignore people, but Ima give him slack on that one. He knew she was sad, so he wanted to cheer her up. But I need this story to proceed onto the more important things because I will get tired of this drama easy if they continue on this charade.

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agree

not her look but her attitude is annoying

i hope the main actor falls for supporting actress

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i am starting to not like the lead actor, i hope the show starts to turn around or i'll have 2nd lead syndrome

i don't get how the sung joon judges a book by its cover when he was judged during his childhood and hye jin looked beyond it - just really disappointed by the lead right now

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Yes!!! I hadn't put much thought into it, but what you said totally makes sense. Like he was the outcast in his childhood but now somehow he put all of that behind and now he's the one who makes the outcasts, part of the reason why I have second lead syndrome and would prefer if the leads did end up together, but as mentioned, we all know that won't happen.

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Thanks for the wonderful recap...
Until yesterday, I thought this second-lead-syndrome will soon fade.
This episode sealed it.
I'll be broken bcuz of Shin-hyuk, won't I?

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I hoped that sung-joon would step up this episode, so I wouldn't be so on board the Shin-hyuk ship. But alas, Shin-hyuk is the one who stepped up his game. I'm a total goner...
Cry tears together? :(

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Add me in to that group because at this point I've decided I will love Shin Hyuk more than I ever will Sung Joon, and I don't even care what kind of wounds the latter has, it doesn't give him an excuse to be such as ass.

Can we all petition for this to be the drama where the second lead gets the girl?? I mean, wouldn't that be AWESOME? I'm delusional, right?

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I agree to that. I'm shipping Shin Yuk - Hye-Jin!!!

Sung-Joon should treat others equally, regardless of past relationships or none. You cannot single out people who have deep impact on you in the past to treat well; everyone deserves to be treated well.

I love K-dramas but why do they always have this character that is only nice to one person. Surely there's enough love to share around.

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Second Lead Syndrome is making the rounds here too...I don't think I want the leads together at this point...Shin Hyuk is such a cutie!

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Am I the only one kind of rooting for Ha-ri and Sung-Joon to become a couple and our other pair to get together?

Maybe because Sung-Joon is only nice when he is around Ha-ri.

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I admit I did think Shinhyuk-Hyejin and Sungjoon-Hari might be a better fit because Shinhyuk seems to like Hyejin the way she is now. He seems to understand her actions and was able to read her. And their both quirky in their own way. While despite Sungjoon & Hari starting off in a lie, I do think they may be a good match if they just be honest with each other. They both can heal and understand each other's family issues and also personal issue. Like how both of them have a problem of letting other people in etc. And they are both in to their work and seems to loves fashions and can both jive in to each other pace.

But in truth this is Sungjoon and Hyejin story and they will end up with each other so I just forget the idea. You will only end up disappointed if you root for a 2nd lead with the main leads. So I just push that out of my mind and root for the main leads and the second leads to be together instead.

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I agree 100%- although Hye Jin and Sung Joon had their history, I fell like Sung Joon and Ha Ri can understand each other better now. And especially with the way Sung Joon treats Hue Jin (no matter that he doesn't know who she really is) makes me feel like he never loved the true Hye Jin, hence why I want Shin Hyuk and Hye Jin together.

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If the drama ends next week, then yeah they deserve each other.

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But he's only nice when HR is around because he thinks she's HJ. He's treating her better than he treats everyone else because of those old feelings for HJ. If those didn't exist, I doubt he'd even notice her because he's too busy/distracted to notice anything. That's been proven repeatedly and that's why the situation seems kind of wrong to me. SJ wouldn't freely give that affection and kindness without their history.

As a comment below mentioned, HR is smart. She knows how he acts at work and how he is with her is very different and I'm sure she knows why, but it seems her character is starved for real affection. The problem is that the affection she's receiving from him right now isn't real, so I don't know how that's supposed to work out for her.

There's probably a reason they made it clear that she doesn't know what love is/doesn't think about it in the first episode. Life lessons aren't always easy.

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That's a great observation. I've been trying to put a finger on why I hated this so much, when I still totally love Ha Ri as a person. That explains her boring backstory and makes me very sad for her. I really hope the drama doesn't drag out Ha Ri keeping Hye Jin in the dark about her dating SJ for too much longer. I want SJ to start to notice Hye Jin before he finds out she's his Hye Jin.

I desperately need this beautiful friendship saved.

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No, you're absolutely right but I just think that the dynamics of their character's might work better together if he found out the truth. Ha-ri is extremely starved for attention which we see why based on her relationship with her father and his wife. I think he could provide a different type of relationship.

Part of me knows that a relationship based on someone thinking you are someone else will never work but still..
I just can't root for Sungjoon having a relationship with our lead since to me there is no way they can redeem his character after him being such an a-hole.

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I'm with you. I am praying that the couples switch because I'm hopelessly in love with Shin Hyuk and Shin Hyuk already adores Hye Jin for who she is, they make a lovely pair. For once, the lead in the Korean drama should make the sensible choice and choose the nice guy instead of trying to change the jerk into an angel. Can't we have that just once.

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@Sharene

"Am I the only one kind of rooting for Ha-ri and Sung-Joon to become a couple and our other pair to get together?

Maybe because Sung-Joon is only nice when he is around Ha-ri."

I'd prefer that outcome as well.

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@ ?????? Susan
A question on the inconsistent characterization of Hye Jin:

Before the actors start, there would have been much discussion on the entire arc of each character I'd imagine, so that the actors can flesh out their characters somewhat... and somewhat consistently even if acted by more than one person. If this was so, would the child actor's interpretation of Hye Jin have been so different from Hwang Jung Eum's interpretation of the adult Hye Jin? Or do you think Hwang Jung Eum is just going her own merry way and the director is just letting her?

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All the main actors would be given all of the script that is completed + the concept for the overall story arc so that they could develop their characters.

Before shooting, the main characters would gather for a table read of several episodes so that each could get a sense of how the other actors would handle their parts and everyone could adjust. If something wasn't quite working at this point, the actors could meet together to work out their ideas and then with the director as well. During a table read, actors can discuss with the director freely about the direction of the story and how she/he is planning on shooting it. All principal actors can also meet separately with the director.

" If this was so, would the child actor’s interpretation of Hye Jin have been so different from Hwang Jung Eum’s interpretation of the adult Hye Jin? Or do you think Hwang Jung Eum is just going her own merry way and the director is just letting her?"

The director has control over this - while actors create their own roles, when something is this jarringly off its because the director wants it this way. The director has control of casting and can reshoot on set (within time constraints) if a scene isn't working. Actors are generally quite free - but when something's not working, the director can and will ask for another take.

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@ ?????? Susan

Thanks for your detailed explanation. So it's the Director, then ... Then it seems we will continue to have a rambunctious Hye Jin, except perhaps (and I hope) when she is thinking through her options properly and going for honesty. :)

There are times I find her fun and funny and I do laugh with her or at her over-the-top reactions, but it will be a nice contrast to see her more sedate and calm again, once the truth is out *fingers crossed*.

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I guess the director just has this taste. It's not mine. Some beanies like it, others don't.

Check out the ratings, though: http://wiki.d-addicts.com/She_Was_Pretty/Episode_Ratings Solid for TV, huge for on-line.

The thing about humor is that it doesn't always translate culturally. Korean audiences may have a real taste for crazily overreacting people - something that normally isn't acceptable within the bounds of normal societal behavior.

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You might not get a rambunctious Hye Jin the whole time - the director and actress may have planned for a personality change part way through the drama.

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@ ?????? Susan

Yes, that's my hope... "... it will be a nice contrast to see her more sedate and calm again, once the truth is out"... was when I thought, she might tone down and be more introspective or less extrovert.

I was thinking that her over-the-topness now is meant to act as a contrast for later. It would make the point that being honest from the very beginning, no matter how hard, would have been the best policy. Returning to her calm, confident and in control youth, would be a sign of being at peace with herself.

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That would be nice. Not interesting, but nice. I like to see characters evolve, not change. Because that honors what is great about them now.... as their world view expands and self view evolves.

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I think you can make the case for life effecting a change on personality. The drastic change in her family's situation and how people treat her now that she in considered unattractive altered the way she approached life. She is still a kind, optimistic person, but has lost the calm security of a privileged child. Think of all those years of grubbing part time jobs, rejections and petty humiliations. It would be hard not to become a little desperate, overeager and shrill at times.

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I would have liked it that way of Hari and Seong Joon's relationship wasn't built in lies.

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It's sweet that Shin Hyuk sees Hye Jin as a li'l sister. I am totally up for that kind of a relationship between the two esp. if/when SH and Ha Ri start dating.

Also, I reckon Ha Ri fake-confessing her engagement was only in her mind - she doesn't actually do it... or there would have been more of a response from Sung Joon. If not right then, at least the next day... how could he be so unaffected?

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Watch that part again. When she says she is gonna get married, its only her imagination.

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yeah, I thought so too.

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It was definitely in Ha Ri's mind. Think LollyPip was mistaken coz pissed off by Sung Joon not hearing others, lol :)

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First off, question: When Ha Ri told Seong Joon about marrying another guy, did she actually say that or was it just her imagination? The editing made it kind of confusing, so I'm not really sure.

As for Mr. Jerkface, yes, I understand why everyone's hating on him, but I honestly find him to be a very interesting character. Like Hye Jin, I want to hate him, but I can't help but feel concerned for instance, when she discovered he had nothing but water. I really hope Oppa isn't starving himself....

And the listening...does anyone remember the rain scene when they were kids? He kept calling out for his mom and seemed to be in some kind of trance that Hye Jin couldn't break him out of (until she put the earbud in his ear). I wonder if that has anything to do with his mysterious listening problem. We shall see.

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Yes, sadly, it's only in her mind.

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I assumed it was an imagination until i saw the recap but yeah it was definitely confusing when i went back to see it again.

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Thank you for the reminder about his childhood trancelike state during the rainstorm, I'd forgotten that.

Yes, Ha Ri imagined that she had the nerve to use one of the options she had pre planned (engaged to another man), it didn't really happen. Not made super clear by the editing.

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Was anyone else surprised that the only thing in sung Joon's fridge was just water? Seriously he's so stressed that he isn't eating anything :(

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Maybe he wouldn't be so much of a jerk if he ATE!

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LOL I could hear my mother's voice saying"of course he's cranky, he's not eating right!"

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I know, right? I'm the nicest when I'm full. Bother me when I'm starving and I'll bite your head off.

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maybe he's just hangry and that's why he's such a jerk. "you're not you when you're hungry"

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someone give him a snickers candy bar.

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rotf!!

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He was fat as a kid. He passed out on only 1 drink. She's never seen him eat. I am assuming he is on a strict ultra-low-cal diet to maintain his trim weight. And yes, not eating enough can really mess with you and leave you feeling very unpleasant and even affect mood and concentration.

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#SLS

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I couldn't care less about the main couple. Shin-hyuk+Hye-jin foreverrrrrrr!!!!!

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Thank you for the recap:)

Shin-hyuk such a teddy bear. He can be silly and funny all the time but deep down he is definitely a grown-up responsible man. So cute:)
And Sung-joon, what is wrong with him? I mean no food only water?! As much as i hate his "professional" attitude, i don't ant him to starve, no matter what! Did he get himself into some deep trouble? Mafia types? Like LAST's Operating-room-types?!
Hye-jin being overly panicky and Sung-joon being overly mean are pissing me off! Hmph.

I get on cloud nine with Choi-Siwon's scenes, and immediately lie flat on the ground due to his upcoming army-duty. He gonna break my heart twice!. Oof..

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i wish Hye-jin would tone down a bit. She's too frenzied.

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Choi Siwon is perfect for his role. Loved him in King of Dramas, love him more here :-)

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He was awesome in KoD... and yeah, he is better here 'cos Shin Hyuk has the smarts too :)

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Agree.
I love Shin Hyuk. And Siwon is perfect in this this role !

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I wonder if Korean viewers feel the same way that we do. It seems like the director's letting her overreact, like just lets her and not asking her to tone it down. Are Korean viewers fine with this much overreaction and loudness? I'm really curious.

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I think the reason why SJ has so many water bottles in his fridge is because he is somebody who is conscious of his weight. That's what I think, I'm a bit unsure.

Yes, SH is amazing. And I love him the most too, but I realized that SJ kept looking at HJ in a new light this episode. Might be because she actually spoke up. HR is an amazing friend, but I don't think I like where her heart is going at. HR and HJ have sister solidarity like hell (and the two girls' chemistry is off charts) and I really hope HR won't fall for SJ just because he's good to her. He thinks that she is his first love.

I just want SJ to be aware of HJ more. I hope that weird hug (and the fact that SH has the key card with him and ohmygawd! HJ knows his password!) will finally open SJ's eyes. She looks ugly now, but she has a lovely heart for sure... SJ-ah, open your eyes!!!!

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Totally shipping Hye-jin & Shin-hyuk right now, but we knew who ends up with whom, or maybe not ;-)
Still hanging here just to see Sung-joon's face when he finally learns the truth about Hye-jin.

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Aigoo. Im not suffering with SLS. Why is ShinHyuk so adorable? He's childish but I love the fact that He sees HyeJin as who she really is and likes her for that.
I can't stop laughing when he was walking her home, she keeps on stumbling and barks at ShinHyuk not to push her. LOL.
ShinHyuk's face is just priceless. I lurrrrv him!

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The plot is finally moving. Very little unfortunately.

I will start with Sung Joon. He's still clueless about who Hye Jin is. But i see something new. He kinda has an obsession with the perfect image of young Hye Jin. I'm guessing he's in strict diet (the empty fridge) which explain the hilarious glass hits and drinking from flower vase. He can't focus well i guess haha

Next up, Hye Jin. Oh Hye Jin...Still screaming and overreacting. I'm sorry but it's annoying
and frustrated. On the bright side, she's finally able to stand up for herself to Sung Joon at the airport. I don't agree with the way Sung Joon yelling at her but IMO it's her fault to not knowing which airport to go. She should have know which airport to go to beforehand. At work, ain't no boss gonna tell you that kind of detail. But well this is dramaland...

Ha Ri, to me, is the only one who's doing it right at the moment. She's fast thinking (throwing away her name tag at the hotel, coming up with relatively convincing reasons to cover Hye Jin). I love that she's the one giving Hye Jin tough love about not trying to learn for the magazine job. Now that she's falling for Sung Joon. Some might be angry bcs she doesn't end it with Sung Joon while she's Hye Jin friend. But i don't think it's anything wrong with what she does. Sung Joon is the one keeps running into her , giving her comfort while she's not asking. And how can any girl not falling for the handsome perfectly
gentleman like Sung Joon. I hope Hwang Jung Eum fans won't effect Writer nim. SIDE NOTE: I LOVE HA RI STYLING. I want all her outfits. I wish i could be that pretty to rock her hairstyle.

Shin Hyuk finally has a story for himself beside being the comedy. Now we know that he has feeling for Hye Jin and he's the rich but lonely guy living in fancy hotel suite. I really want him to end up with Hye Jin.

I'm not into first love destiny but who am i kidding. Hye Jin and Sung Joon is the leads. There's no other way around. But i hope Ha Ri gets what she want and doesn't have to sacrifice for Hye Jin. Ha Ri deserves happiness even though she seems to be the perfect girl already (minus the family issue).

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My problem with Ha Ri is that she hasn't told Hye Jin. Also that she's trading on Sung Joons memories of someone else when she at that age found him repulsive and was mean to him. I don't fault her for not being able to tell Sung Joon though cos he's cut her off from doing so on multiple occasions. Still it doesn't sit well. Though Ha Ri the adult is awesome and her friendship with Hye Jin is the best, I really hope the friendship gets stronger from this. Ha Ri has definitely damaged the friendship in this episode.

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I agree with what you said except the part where Hyejin is at fault about not knowing at which airport to go. I mean how is she suppose to know she should go to Gimpo Airport and not Incheon when Sungjoon did not tell her. Hello?! He ignored her when she is asking. The only thing I would fault her maybe is that she should have kept asking Sungjoon on which airport to go until he answers her instead of just assuming immediately. But then I excuses her for it because she was scared of him (wait.. Terrified!!) since he told her not to be noisy since he wants to concentrate. Although I am not saying it is Sungjoon's fault too since he genuinely did not hear her asked but people are pointing fingers at him because of how he reacted. He shouted at her and was so mean towards her.

Although I admit that Hyejin have some actions that could have get her fired in real life. And I am not defending that because I know in work you have to be efficient and that no one shout and screams like that at the office but in this instance (airport mix-up), it's not really Hyejin's fault this time.

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I think she meant that Hye jin should have checked which airport to go to beforehand even before she got into the car. Don't wait till get in car then ask where to go. Do homework before you even set off. Think if want to blame would be writer fault or editing fault?, wanting to squeeze everything into one scene for easy storytelling.

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Siwon is AWESOME , he has the craziest eyes EVER

I loved when he was looking at her remembering how she helped the old lady and said she is pretty as if he means the sky

that was amazing how he is the only one who sees her beauty

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OMG this episode sealed my love for Shinhyuk!! I finally see the glimpses of him that beyond his childish and jokester behavior lies a mature and sensitive man. When he says 'it's pretty' while looking directly at Hyejin, that made me swoon. And when Hyejin shouts at him and he said in tiny voice that his sister is already dead, I sympathize with him so much that I want to go there and give him a big hug. Gosh what to do?! I already like Shinhyuk so much that I actually want him to get Hyejin instead. And it doesn't help that Sunjoon is being mean. I don't think I can't bare to see Shinhyuk get his heart broken. Poor puppy!!

And I always defend Sungjoon in Ep 1 - 3. But he really took it to another level this episode! I fully understand his attitude in the office because he just want them to succeed. But what turns me off about him this episode is him shouting at Hyejin in the middle of the streets when the girl just get him to his appointment on time by thinking fast and getting him to a motorcycle to get him there. Yes she made a mistake in bringing him to Incheon but it was him who did not listen and correct her when she asked if they are headed to Incheon. On top of that she correct her mistake by paying a vendor to get him there through a motorcycle. I think his attitude at that time is way out of line and I won't defend him for that.

And I agree that his biggest flow is not listening and just doing what he wanted. I know he is smart and very skilled but I hope he learns to listen to others too and respect their opinions. I noticed he did not listen to Hari too although I excuse that as he only wanting to cheer her up.

I hope Hari falls for Shinhyuk instead because girl Sunjoon will end up with Hyejin. It's already written and there is nothing you can do about it. Their the main leads, the main couple and they will end up with each other. So to avoid heartbreak, Hari and Shinhyuk please just fall for each other instead.

The thing is I like all 4 leads that I don't want any of them to be heart broken even the 2 second lead (Hari & Shinhyuk). At this rate I just want all of them to be happy no matter who end up with who. We are still at 4th episode anyway and we still have 12 to go. So a lot will still happen.

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Please... let it be Shin-Hyuk and Hye-jin... they are in the same page, playing rom-com almost perfectly... Shin-hyuk's quirkiness is a match to Hye-jin's energetic ways...

While Sung-joon and Hari are playing another genre, a melo of their own...

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Hye Jin helped him before and again she will help him in personal life (man eat something and sleep) and professional life (how to behave with your staff and LISTEN). She is smart, hard worker and MOST quick learner I ever seen, Ee-Hee. I want Sung-joon to fall for Hye Jin without knowing that she is real Hye Jin, if this happens can’t wait to see his dilemma. Ha-ri,” do not cheat on your wife”. MOST importantly can’t wait to see Chief Editor Kim’s new horrible I mean hilarious hair style and her MOST- like fashion. As usual she is the funniest character in MOST.

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Me too vijaya, I hope he falls for hereself not because she is the freaking HYE-JIN .
Plot twist:
When Hye jin was drunk she spilled the beans and now Soeng Joon knows who she is ??..So, he'll keep it a secret and starts to mess with her and confuse her. That'll be hilarious?

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But he doesn't know she's her yet. The reason he pulled over the car was because she called him a (dog? subtitles). But maybe after the grab and pull?

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And of course Shin-hyuk , after all they are relatives.

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I don't particularly like Hari she just seems so bloody fake and Hyejin is just being plain annoying. Lets not talk about Sungjoon. The one who's really holding up the show is shin hyuk- so damn quirky... and when he says jackson he just kills me with laughter.

In regards to HyeJin I just want her to be more calm- Why is Hwang Jang Eum always so hyper in alllllll of her freaking dramas.?

Hari sure you have family issues but could you please stop hiding and your noble idiocy isn't really it. You're not good as you think you are.?

Sung Joon you dog face stop being a jerk. You don't have any rational reason to be such a jerk to ouri HyeJin she is an intern....ughhhhh?

Well done Choi Siwon excellent role to end on a high note before enlistment?

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These characters are just plain annoying all around, aren't they? The plot had so much potential. SHAME.

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If he does have an eating disorder I can see why he would be angry and unable to focus most of the time. Plus he demands perfection from everybody because he doesn't feel he is perfect himself. I sincerely hope that is it because it would make him more human in my eyes. I just wish the show would give us more hints.

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i think you are on to something there Sue. Because Hye Jin"the goddess" treated him "the fatty" kind and as a good friend he seems to have developed some warped idea of how a perfect person would be like.
He keeps comparing everyone (including himself) to this perfect idealized version of HJ he imagined.
He seems to divide the people he meets between those he deems "worthy of Hye Jin" and then all the rest, that he then treats with contempt because they are not as perfect as his little goddess childhood friend.
Him starving himself to be this slender good looking guy is probably also his way of trying to live up to what he thinks would be the perfect boyfriend for goddess Hj.
After all, miss perfect does deserve mister perfect right, not some fatty or plain guy..quite deluded.

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Exactly, I have watched ep3 and 4 back to back. And at the end of ep4 I was left with a thirst to see more of the interaction between Soeng joon and Hye Jin. I was glad at Hye jin when she was able to show Soeng joon his bad habit of not paying attention when someone talking to him. I admit that sometimes when I'm to concentrated on sth I tend to not hear when someone talks to me heheh so I guess I need to get rid of this habit.
As for Ha-ri and her family issues is it me or her problems could be solved if only they sit together and try to clear out the missunderstan. Beacuse I don't see the step mom as a bad person yet or did I miss sth?!

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There is definitely more to Sung Joon that we don't know yet. He definitely has a eating disorder and because of that he is disorganised in his feelings. And the pressure of company closing is on him too. So lets not go harsh on him ..

Poor Sung Joon, I think because when he was young and fat, the 'perfect Hye Jin' is what comforted him, so I can understand that he wants to keep that perfection in his head as a guardian angel who saved him in his dark times.

I can't wait for how the story will unfold. The writers are clever enough to connect all these dots which will explain all his behaviours now.

Come Hye Jin! Rescue him from the hole once again!

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Agree with what you said.
I also like the pace of the drama. I really don't want Sung Joon to know about her just yet. I rather he falls in love with her and then realizes that she is indeed his first love.
I hate when shows rush into the climax too early. I like the building up of emotions..I also prefer Park Seo Joon over Siwon any day. I feel in love with him in witch's romance.

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I just hope nothing happens to Ha Ri and Hye Jin's relationship because they are so sweet together and depend on one another so much and with such sincerity.

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I am completely aware that any dramas that involves Hwang Jeung-eum will require a lot of patience to tolerate her endless (banshee) shrieks and screams... but I seriously can't stand it any longer. Can't she changed it slightly? Tone it down a little bit for this drama? She's starting to be a be a little pathetic to me. Sung-joong doesn't even know that she's the real Hye-jin (which she brought it upon herself in the first place!) and she just can't complaint about him every single time when she's not being truthful herself.

I'm so glad that Hari gave her some honest comments (Finally! A drama character that says all the things that actually makes sense) and yes, which could be a turning point about Hye-jin. but she really has a lot more work to be done. She can't just give up every single time Sung-joon seems to insult (he doesn't seem that bad of a person. I'd be mad too if I see a clueless person at work!). She needs to get a grip of herself. ASAP. or she could just let Sung-joon knows the truth but what's the fun in that in Dramaland? That usually comes at the final part of the drama. We have to listen to a few more of her shrieks, I guess.

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I don't think SJ has treated HJ that poorly either. She's constantly showing her incompetence around him, as a superior he has the right to be angry about that. There's no use in her being moody because he never catches her when she is being good in her job either. That's like a student complaining because the teacher only collects homework on the days they don't do it. Do it all the time and you won't have to worry. Same goes for HJ.

Except not because SJ is rude to the rest of the team too. That's where my real problem is. He may have gone in there with good intentions, but he's going about it all wrong and creating an awful work atmosphere while at it. Are employees, and creative types at that, really going to do good work when you react you negatively to every idea they throw out. I'm okay with tough love, but come on. I'm sure they have faults, the magazine was in trouble for a reason, but he needs to recognize his too if he's going to be a good boss and accomplish his goals. And hopefully that's where we'll be heading next week after starting with the listening thing.

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I hope that Hye Jin would tone down her acting a little bit, I get that this is a romcom but she seems acting overboard in some instances. How would someone take her seriously or gives her respect if she keeps doing mistakes and yelling in the office? I hope they can give her an opportunity that can help her gain confidence and realizes her potential (ehem, saving The Most).

I would like to also see reason behind Sung Joon's behavior especially towards Hye Jin. :(

I hope that they would not ruin Hye Jin and Ha Ri's friendship over a man. I'd rather see them single than fight each other over Sung Joon.

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I think you have to talk to PD-nim ,he is the culprit of all this shrieking.

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Is it the same PD as Kill Me Heal Me because I almost lost interest watching that because of all the shrieking. I get that she's good at dramas but man alive, that constant overacting and the screaming is getting on my nerves! I like this drama, I like the guy playing the lead, saw him first in KMHM and always thought he's cute!

I just wish Hye-Jin tones down what she thinks is comedy because it is not seriously working with me.

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LollyPip ~

Thanks for the recap.

Put me in Hye-jin & Shin-hyuk and Ha-ri & Sung -joon as couples camp. That would be a pleasant surprise.

I'd like to see the writer do something other than plug in some characters in to the same old formula.

Wishful plot machinations aside, I do enjoy the characters that we have.

Editor Kim's Shih Tzu coiffure was pretty funny.

I'm happy to see Shin Dong-Mi , as Hye-jin's immediate supe. I loved her in Yoo-na's Street.

Looking forward to next week.

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Can you tell me which role Shin Dong Mi played in Yoona's Street? I don't seem to remember. The last time I saw her was in Ex-Girlfriend Club as Jo Jung Chi's wife.

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earthna ~

She played Madam Hong's sister, the lawyer, Manbo's sister-in-law.

I loved that show, definitely on my short list of favorites.

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AHHHHHH! Now, I remember! Thanks! There were so many characters in that show, it took me a while to refresh my memory. Yoona's Street is also at the top of my fave list. Too bad many people dismiss it because of the episode count.

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too slow show... please move on to the next story... why sung joon became a jerk for hye jin (people who ugly like him before) although she always defend him when he was not in good appereance too.. love love how choi siwon develop the story..so its still a little bit intereting

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wait a minute... i thought that scene with the engagement was a fake out, from her imagination? so she said it for real?

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No. It really was a fake out. She imagined doing it but didn't actually do it.

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and why Sung-joong doesn’t even know that she’s the real Hye-jin... his first love.. please wake up man.. :-)

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I bet Sung-joon was continually bullied in America, and him shutting people and his surroundings out was a coping mechanism that carried over into adulthood. I agree that he should open up more, but I do find his focused attention endearing. I don't see it as a defect or something that makes him despicable (honestly, that "I have a fiance" scene was Ha-ri's imagination; they did it before with Hye-jin, so I'm sticking by my interpretation). I see it as more of a quirk that stops me from completely disliking him and dismissing him as a cold-hearted jerk face.

My favorite thing about this show is Hye-jin and Ha-ri's friendship. Although it is inevitable that Ha-ri will fall for Sung-joon, I don't think that will be detrimental to their friendship or the show. For one, the chemistry between Sung-joon and Ha-ri does not feel genuine, which makes sense since he is forcing it and she's accepting it due to her vulnerable state of mind, which leads to number two: her ultimate arc in this show has more to do with her father than the presumed love triangle. And lastly, Hye-jin was the one who roped her into this situation, so Hye-jin shouldn't be too mad about whatever transpires. The only person who should feel slighted (and who I will feel the most for) is Sung-joon. We can argue that he doesn't listen, and that it's pretty obvious that Ha-ri isn't Hye-jin, but he is being lied to by both of them. We can say that we can't wait until he figures out that he's been mean to the real Hye-jin, but then she never gave him the chance to appreciate her anyway.

Anyway, I write this all to realize that I like Sung-joon more than I thought I did. I definitely love all 4 leads as individual characters and how they relate to each other. I haven't even talked about Shin-hyuk yet. I love his cheery facade and that he seems to like Hye-jin a lot. But I find their chemistry to be reminiscent of hers with Park Seo-joon in Kill Me, Heal Me. Lots of chemistry, very brother-sisterly though. In any case, now Shin-hyuk and Ha-ri have met to close this square of relationships, I'm excited to see what's coming up.

(One last thing: if I were writing this show, I'd write it so that Sung-joon realizes who Hye-jin really is, and in order to do that, I'd start dropping more hints about her. The messy hair common, the green light, the umbrella (which we'll all see in a future flashback, I'm sure) are nice details, but I want something more deliberate and thought-provoking.)

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Sung Joon was bullied in America for being fat and that made him into traumatized adult? Please. Have you seen kids in the U.S. schools lately? He would have blended right in. Besides. American schools are tough on bullies and kids don't hung around on the streets after school any longer. Not allowed by parents. Korean schools and neighborhoods are much harsher on kids and have more of close encounters. American school would be a day in al-inclusive resort compared to Korean school. In all aspects. His childhood trauma, that supposedly lead to eating disorder, would've had been more believable if he stayed at home. Just saying.

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It was just a thought.

And yes, bullying can have terrible effects on people as they grow older, believe it or not, and no way is it the fault of the one being bullied.

And America is the last place to assume that bullying is taken care of it because it's not. Sure, some schools are a lot better at it than others, but bullies will always exist in places that aren't.

And if he was bullied, along with his weight, he could also have been bullied for being the new student, for being Asian, for not speaking English, etc.

And if he had stayed in Korea, I don't think it would've been worse because at least he had a friend there.

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yea i'm not sure where this idea that it would have been easier in america comes from especially since there are several other factors but okay. there are also several other reasons why people can develop certain complexes so that seems really bizarre.

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+1. I don't agree that fat or even chubby kids have it easy in America, at all, because that's categorically untrue, but he would have had a much easier time in America than in Korea, where even "sympathetic," "liberal-minded" portrayals of fat people on television portray them as beasts rather than human beings. Don't want to know what it's like in actual schools. Kids can be very nasty, particularly in a collectivist culture where public shaming plays plays such a fundamental role.

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It wouldn't be shocking if the writers were unaware of that and assumed that comparable bullying would happen in the US.

I'm actually more inclined to think he has something that happened more in his adult/professional life that's caused his personality to swerve so much.

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uh kids can be incredibly mean. our "obesity" rates are higher but that doesn't mean fatness (i am fat and i have bulimia btw) is accepted. so no. all this is speculation anyway.

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Seeing as how last time he swoony-caught her, he promptly dropped her on the hot pavement, I wouldn't put it past him to drop her on glass shards this time. Let's not overreact next episode, shall we? It's a puzzle; they're meant to be put back together. I wish Hye Jin carried the missing piece with her, so she could return it to the puzzle along with all their childhood memories. Sung Joon is such an asshole. Screw you, she asked you twice! And putting you on the back of that motorcycle was quick-thinking with not so much as a thank you. Attagirl, tell him off and slam the door in his face.

I literally feel nothing when Sung Joon and Hari are together. I don't care if Hari likes him; I don't care if they get together; I don't care if they get married. I can't find anything he does cute or sweet because he is so two-faced. The only person he is nice to is whom he believes is Hye Jin. Hari wouldn't be stealing Hye Jin's boyfriend because Hye Jin (and we) hates him, so Hari can have him.

Gosh, please don't tell me he's anorexic. He ate that bowl of hangover soup, so I hope he's not bulimic. It would have sweet if his door passcode had been Hye Jin's birthdate. A big thanks for the recap, LollyPip!

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I want to, but I actually can't blame Ha-ri for (potentially) falling for SJ, he's been nothing but the every gentleman to her. But this is a big flaw in the plot, Hye-jin deserves better.

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This 'gonna tell him tomorrow' thing is really wearing thin already. I'm annoyed at Hari for not telling the truth and I can't be bothered by her pain for losing her mother. I know it is supposed to make me feel bad for her but I really cannot. I liked her character at first but they are making her absolutely annoying.
Another thing that is annoying is Sungjoon in his own little world not noticing anything. It's getting old already. If they're still going to play the same game the next two episodes I'm going to go crazy.
Loving the other stuff on this show tho..

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The umbrella is beautiful. I want to get one for myself.

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In Dramabeans we have recaps for She was Pretty and Twenty Again. Both dramas deal with first loves gone wrong. Both have female leads that have lead lives that have changed who they were in their youth, leaving them vulnerable and lacking in self confidence. In both dramas we have male leads that do not appreciate our ladies and make them feel bad. However, how can She was Pretty leave such a sour taste behind while Twenty Again makes me happy and waiting for more? I think it is because She was Pretty goes to extremes. The female lead is extreme in her actions and reactions, the male lead is extreme in his "assholeness," and the secondary characters don't fall far behind. In Twenty Again we have characters that seem more human, and even when they are less than perfect we get why they behave this way because we get glimpses and background information that helps the viewer understand the reasons for their behavior. I hope She was Pretty gets a clue and tones it down. I hope they start giving us more background information to help us understand these characters better and help us actually care for them. Because right now I hate Sung joon more than any other male lead I've ever come across with, even knowing that there have to be reasons for his behavior. The writers should not play with their cards so close to their vests. Come on! Give me something so I will care!

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In She was Pretty's defense, we are only at episode 4 and Twenty Again is already at episode 10 (watching it raw as soon as I finish this comment). In order to make a fair comparison of likability, I had to think how much I liked Twenty Again at episode 4 which I'd have to say was not that much better than I like She was Pretty now. Twenty Again didn't really start to shine until we began to see No Ra taking charge of her life. The one thing that Twenty Again has that She was Pretty lacked from the get go though is character building, especially the supporting characters. Twenty Again has people like Soon Nam, Sang Ye and Seung Hyun who we really care about while She was Pretty seem to treat supporting characters like window dressing.

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I see your point. However, looking back at ep 4 of Twenty Again I liked the show and did not seriously dislike any of the characters. But with this show I struggle to get through the episodes so much I fast forward. I don't care about the setup, I'm just waiting for the reveal.

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Well, Hyunseok is not just blatantly rude like Sungjoon. He's more childish because he's flustered around Nora. Woochul is not a good husband but it's funny seeing him overthink and suffer by himself. lol. Well, I guess Twenty Again feels closer to real life than She Was Pretty. Or maybe just because, you know, Ha Woo Jin.

or Soon-nam. Kyaa

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I think it because in Twenty again, we see the male POV as opposed to in she was pretty
but honestly I am more frustrating with Lee sang yoon character and no one seems to bother there,
he is childish and blatantly put more work for No-ra, but it all seems okay because No-ra doesn't knew and have right attitude to work harder, beside she is a student after all,
but in She was pretty, we're too consuming with Hye Jin Pov without giving some glimps about Sung Joon (maybe later) and she constantly doing mistake to her boss who maybe work harder than ever.
she repeatedly piss him off but yet here at ep 4 we see sung joon already changed, he approved her work with no scolding and just observation, he accepted be called "crazy joon and dog like bastard"
I think it just because in twenty again, the male lead doing all the sweet thing because of 1st love (some death lying , unfortunate situation) but here the male lead act like himself towards the female lead,
in twenty again, the story revolve around their problem now but in She was pretty , it feels like a journey to redefining themselves no matter how their appearance to be. So I think SWP has good build up and not rush things and maybe will have better character development later.

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I think I'm going to stop hating Sung Joon for now. The writer seems to be setting us up for something that would explain why Sung Joon is acting that way. They have shown some weird scenes of him bumping into things or unusually not paying attention. My guess would be it has something to do with his hearing or brain and I hope it's nothing life threatening like he only has so many months to live which explains the whole obsession with not wasting time or taking the assignment that only lasts 3 months. Maybe I am completely off base but better safe than sorry. I just don't want to feel bad later when that happens.

Thanks for the recap Lollypip!

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:(

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I know. I keep worrying about the ominous voice on the phone warning that if Most doesn't succeed, Sung Joon's career is over as well. I haven't considered terminal illness but I do wonder what he's screwed up previously if this failing mess is his last chance.

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Little sister my left t*t!!! I don't want Shin Hyuk to see her as his sis... I want him to fall face-first for Hye Jin!! Is that too much to ask?

Sung Joon needs to up his game or he's getting some karma haha..like when he was stealing scenes from Ji Sung in Kill Me Heal Me. Now it's happening to him with Choi Siwon.

I just think Shin Hyuk has a more winning persona than the lead.

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i know right!! I really dislike Sung Joon right now. And this coming from a woman who actually liked Hanibal lector from silence of the lambs. ;)

Give me crazy over pretty any day :)

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Seriously, cracking up with the Hannibal reference. Let's just say, when a bad guy plays bad with conviction, you respect and even admire him. Sung joon on the other hand, isn't very convincing as a mean, rich and successful hero VS poor loser heroine LOL. Maybe that's why he irritates us more than anything else.

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ok this seems so familiar to the american movie dogs and cats. ha ri dare not fall in love with sung joon and its clear that shin hyuk has falling for hye jin or is half way there already.

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Is Park Seo Joon a left-hander in real life? I've watched a few of his dramas and this wasn't apparent.

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SH is a the heir to Most. NAILED IT.

Got to give props to Siwon though, that scene with the sky where he said, 'beautiful' looking at the girl than whatever the girl was actually referring to is a cliche in romances and it usually make me roll my eyes, but he sold it, the way he looks at her with that smile on his face....YOU WIN, SIWON.

Either than that, I do think something went wrong with SJ along the way, it was only until I watch ep 4, the scene with the water bottles in the fridge a second time that I got it. And as a big girl who gets a lot of flack for it, my heart squeezed a bit.

Not that I could justify him being an asshole though. I do think he might have suffered under a serious self-image problem, I mean an Asian fat kid in America...kids can be cruel, . My brother was a fat Asian kid in America, kids were cruel to him and I bruised my knuckles a lot back then. Constant bullying might also be the result of his focus and lack of attention, because he'd built this wall around himself, sheltering himself from all the negativity he's encountered that he actually taught himself not to listen to anything that he considered unimportant to his goal.

Since we don't see him have any friends, we don't really get to know whether he's usually a douche and his behavior toward HaRi is the exception or whether he's just putting a front at work. Still, his process in trying to antagonize the team so they would work harder is weird. Is he trying the 'give them a common enemy' approach? Tough love, what?

He could have just told him about the possibility of shutting down the Korean branch, and I bet that would light a fire under everyone's butt. Maybe it's a maneuver to smoke out SH whose hiding his heir status?

Again, I find it really sad that HaRi is getting all this attention and affection that is sincere, especially because she's in real need of it, but knowing all that affection is not real because their relationship (what relationship?) is based on a lie.

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<but knowing all that affection is not real because their relationship (what relationship?) is based on a lie

Happens in dramas. Oh My Ghostess and even High Society come to mind.

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Right, normally a groan moment, but I was all, "awwwww"

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..Shin-hyuk watches Hye-jin take pictures of the sky and repeats her words as he studies her face, “That’s right. It’s pretty.” Oh ~swoon~..

The way SH stares at HJ in this particular scene reminds me of KB moony face whenever he's on the same screen with MGY in GoF. Oh, wait, they did fall madly in love at that time in RL. Am I looking at similar possibility here? Hmmm...

Keep your moony face and swoony way going, SH. I've fallen for you since 2 eps ago and don't want to switch the ship yet.. ^^

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Strangely, in this episode I actually understood Ha-Ri and her actions. She clearly has had it tough growing up with a vile woman that is her step mother and her father doesn't trust her much. She has emotional scars and although she has a tough persona that is a mask. She is fragile and is looking for real connections. Sung Joon offered her that connection and she took it. It isn't right and even she knows that but did it anyway. Her lies will only drag her further down the rabbit-hole but I'm hoping when the truth comes out the girls will still stay strong. I don't mind if they get mad at each other and don't talk for a while. Friend's fight as long as it doesn't do permanent damage and the girls find a way to reconcile, its fine by me.
As for Sung Joon, something truly horrific has to have happened to him while in USA. He treats Hye Jin so despicably and his words are laced with so much prejudice and they are so ugly to her on a personal level, its hard for me to root for him as a character. How did he get his current position in the magazine is my second question?? He has alienated his colleagues, doesn't listen to anyone, doesn't let them defend or present ideas, doesn't try to help them with their ideas. All he has done is called them out on their mistakes and he has scared to the point that nobody even wants to drive him to the airport or be around him anymore. How exactly does he plan to salvage the magazine and produce stellar ideas when people around him are tired/scared/annoyed of him. If they hadn't explained better, I'd guess he is here to officially close the magazine in 3 months not save it.
As for, Shin Hyuk.....I love him. I have second lead syndrome and I want him to get the girl badly.
As for, Hye Jin, she is at least consciously trying to improve and blend in. For me, that's an improvement for her as a character. She is still not polished and lacks skills but she will learn quickly but I hope she stops being so jittery around Sung Joon. Guy's not worth it at all.

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I just want Hye Jin to call Shun Hyuk "oppa" -- and then ride off into the sunset, get married, and have quirky, frizzy-haired children. Is that too much to ask?

On another note, I have a feeling that they will incorporate the painting in some plan to save the magazine. Maybe they will recreate old paintings with new fashion/beauty ideas.

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Nice!

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Clever cookie!! that would actually be something i would like to see in a real fashion magazine too !!

I'm also betting that this James Taylor guy they want so bad ,will be the one pushing for HJ's make over as a concept.

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I interpreted Sung Joon and Ha-Ri parting as Ha-Ri imagining that she told him she was getting married, not that Sung Joon totally ignores her. It seemed that way, because right after she told him that there was an abrupt camera transition that made it seem like she imagined it.

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I agree. The editing was bad this episode, I'm going to post my own comment about that further down.

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There isn't much plot movement. Hye Jin keeps messing up, Sung Joon keeps being a jerkface, & Ha Ri keeps back pedaling about telling the truth.
The only character who's interesting at this point is Shin Hyuk. Finally, he's revealed as the mystery rich person. He was the office clown, but he's been the only person who notices Hye Jin's kind heart and inward beauty. He reminds me of a "Mr.Darcy" who likes her (Bridget Jones) just the way she is. Shin Hyuk thinks "She's pretty". Swoon... Second Lead Syndrome...
It's hard to watch how Sung Joon mistreats Hye Jin. You want to reach out and choke the living daylights out of him or kick his ass around town. Sung Joon has to redeem himself because right now his character is a big let down.

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Ha Ri is breaking the first rule of the girl code. And that's never, ever may you date your best friend's ex. Doesn't matter if the relationship was last week, last year, 5 years ago or in elementary school. If tears were shed, he's off limits forever.

And while Sung Joon is not a technical ex, Hye Jin is in total emotional turmoil about their relationship.

Ha Ri is lying to herself, her best friend and Sung Joon. Nothing good can come of it. If she crosses the line into I'm gonna date him and my best friend's feelings be damned it will be SO disappointing.

Personally if I found my bestie had lied and betrayed me, I'd be out of that house in a minute flat. I might talk to her in a while...but maybe never. And Sung Joon, is he gonna let being played for a fool go? Ha Ri could lose them both.

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Totally agree. Especially LIFE LONG BEST FRIEND.

I've been nicer to female friends I'm known for much, much less time and was nowhere near as close to!

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Exactly. In these scenarios, no one ever seems to game out the long term reality: two of you are lying to the third, the third is going to be plenty angry. This twist is interesting since HJ doesn't know HR still has her part of the lie going, though. Phew, messy!

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I'm team shin hyuk all the way at this point.

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I stopped watching this show after 2 episodes I do'nt like the way the plot is going actually especially with the second leads if they are going to break cute SH heart and two girls adorable friendship for a jerk like SJ I'll never return to the show
literally hate the two main characters (if they are planing some character development now might be the best time already wasted 4 episode)
To know whats going on I'll follow the recap (thank you dramabeans for that)...

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I stopped watching this show after 2 episodes I do'nt like the way the plot is going actually especially with the second leads if they are going to break cute SH heart and two girls adorable friendship for a jerk like SJ I'll never return to the show
literally hate the two main characters (if they are planing some character development now might be the best time already wasted 4 episode)
To know whats going on I'll follow the recap (thank you dramabeans for that).....≧ω≦

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Idk if it spam, but you write same comment with 2 diff name account, hmm

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