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Extraordinary You: Episodes 25-26

This episode gives us a lot of the same conflicts we’ve gone over before – whether it’s a good idea to change the Stage, how it’s ruined lives in the past, and whether it’s safe to try again and expect a different outcome. Our heroine’s health is rapidly declining, and her suitors disagree on whether surgery will save her life or kill her. Haru is growing desperate to save her, but if the past is anything to go on, his interference is a risk that some aren’t willing to let him take.

 
EPISODE 25

Dan-oh grows scared when she sees a storyboard vision foreshadowing her death on the operating table. She hugs Haru tightly and he hugs her back, just as frightened after remembering her death in Flower.

He recalls another scene in which he and Prince Kyung are playing a game. Kyung notices that Haru is suddenly making weak moves, and reminds him that you have to stay alert on the battlefield, because you only get one chance to kill your opponent.

He takes Haru’s sword and re-wraps the hilt, and he tells Haru that he’s going to marry Dan-oh soon. “I will become king,” he says, “through Dan-oh’s blood.” Haru hurries to Dan-oh to warn her that Kyung is a danger to her. She tells Haru confidently that she’ll change her fate if she has to, and that she’ll wait for Haru and find her own answers.

Skipping forward to the confrontation with Kyung when he tries to leave, Haru says, “If there is no answer to my beginning, then I will create my own answer.” Kyung forbids Haru to leave him, and reveals that he knows Haru is in love with Dan-oh.

Another time skip, and Haru cries in horror over Dan-oh, who’s bleeding from a wound in her stomach. She collapses in his arms… and Haru wakes from the memory, the scar in his palm in agony. He runs to the kitchen to ask if the story from Flower is repeating itself, and Mi-chae guesses that Haru has remembered Dan-oh’s death.

He says bleakly that Haru won’t be able to save Dan-oh now any more than he could then. He tells Haru to just let things happen but Haru screams that he can’t, so Mi-chae tells him, “I know a man like you. He also tried to change his role and the story.”

Back in Flower, Mi-chae had left his throne behind and run away with Soo-hyang, the woman he loved. But they’d been caught in the forest, and an assassin had killed Soo-hyang right in front of Mi-chae.

He warns Haru that when he changes the story, things happen that aren’t intended, and eventually he’ll end up surrendering to the Writer, too. He says that changing Dan-oh’s fate will change the fates of others as well, and not in good ways.

Meanwhile, Dan-oh worries about her upcoming surgery, and she admits to herself that she’s terrified. She ~BLIPs~ to a Stage at the hospital as Doctor Lee suggests they schedule the surgery for November, and the urgency scares her even more. The Stage drags on and Dan-oh wonders why it’s not ending, until Kyung shows up.

They end up at the school to talk, and though Kyung seems to want to say something, he evidently has no lines in this Stage. Dan-oh apologizes that he had to visit the hospital again and says that when she called off their engagement, it was because she needs major heart surgery.

She tells Kyung that she wanted to marry him because when she was young, the only two things in her life were the view of the ceiling from her hospital bed, and him. She’d thought that her heart would heal if they got married, and never cared about how he felt for her.

She says that people think he was mean to her, but that actually, she feels sorry for hurting him. Starting to cry, she says they should call off the engagement, and gets up to leave. The Stage ends, but this time Dan-oh still feels sad even though she’s back to her real self.

Now that he can speak again, Kyung asks if she’s really having surgery. Dan-oh confirms it, and wonders why he looks so upset. Fighting back tears, she tells Kyung to just wait a bit and he’ll never have to visit hospitals again. Awww

Dan-oh sobs that she hasn’t got much time left, but she forces back her tears and smiles. She tells Kyung that he can’t help his behavior onStage, but she wants to be friends in the Shadow. She holds out a hand, but Kyung backs away, recalling that he was holding his mother’s hand when she died. Dan-oh takes it as a rejection of her offer of friendship, but she doesn’t get offended, and she leaves Kyung gaping like he has no idea what just happened.

Back at home, Dan-oh looks at her pictures and thinks that at least she has a lot of happy memories. Seeing the photo of herself and Kyung when they were little, she realizes that, even though they’ve spent a lot of time together, she has no idea who he is beyond his set-up. Her heart seizes up and kills her cheerful mood, reminding her that her time is limited.

At school the next day, Dan-oh thinks about all of the times she’s spent with Haru, and how close they’ve become. She visits Mi-chae and asks him to hide Secret from Haru and not to tell him about her upcoming surgery, because she wants to enjoy her remaining time with him. She admits that she likes Haru, saying that even an extra in a manhwa should be allowed to have a first love.

When she gets to class, Dan-oh has to take a moment to appear cheerful in front of Haru. The overly-dramatic entrance of now-engaged Yang-il and Il-jin reminds them that they successfully changed a Stage and prevented Kyung from proposing. Haru says that they don’t know what else might change when they alter a Stage, but he’s glad that things are going how Dan-oh wants.

On her way to her desk, Dan-oh asks Kyung to keep her surgery a secret from Haru. But another Stage starts, and Kyung and Haru find themselves sitting together in the lobby. Kyung confesses that he’s always had feelings for Dan-oh, they were just masked by his resentment for how his father treated her.

He wonders why he’s telling this to Haru, and Haru says it’s because they’re friends… then the Stage ends and he can’t wait to get away. But Kyung says that he and Dan-oh share a lot of things that Haru doesn’t know about, even now (hey, that is NOT what Dan-oh meant by not telling Haru about her surgery!)

Dan-oh notices that Haru is extra serious today, so he says he’s worried that she’ll get sick in a Stage he’s not in. Dan-oh chirps that her heart hurts most to see him looking so upset, and she coaxes him into smiling for her.

Mi-chae sneaks to the library to get Secret down from its hiding place, only to get caught by Do-hwa. Dan-oh shows up seconds later and fusses at Mi-chae for hiding it so badly that even Do-hwa can find it (LOL). Do-hwa reads that Dan-oh needs surgery and starts to burst into tears again (I luff him), and she threatens to kill them both if they mention the surgery to Haru.

Sitting under their tree, Dan-oh looks up into the bright sunlight, slowly backing up until she bumps into Haru. They say they were thinking about each other, and Dan-oh jokes that they’re saying cheesy lines now like Nam-ju and Joo-da. She hugs Haru and tells him that he’s her male lead, and how much she likes him.

~BLIP~ and a new Stage starts with Dan-oh sitting under the tree, holding hands with Kyung. He confesses that at first he hung around her because of his father, but that now he wants to be with her because he likes her. The Stage ends, but Kyung refuses to let go of Dan-oh’s hand.

He tells Dan-oh that he’s her fiancee even in the Shadow, and he hugs her and says he likes her even offStage. When Haru storms over angry, Kyung tells him that he likes Dan-oh, and that even the Writer wants them to be together, which is why Haru will never be with Dan-oh.

Haru takes Dan-oh’s hand and says that none of that impacts their time together. Kyung says that Dan-oh needs someone who knows the story and can help her, and he asks how Haru intends to change the story when he has no idea what will happen next.

EPISODE 26

Inside the school, Mi-chae tries to ignore Soo-hyang, but she asks for his help taking down a poster. While he does, he thinks about what Dan-oh said about deserving a first love. Soo-hyang mentions the fact that he serves dried squid in the cafeteria when his name literally means “dried squid fairy,” and after she’s gone, Mi-chae mutters that he’s glad that Soo-hyang isn’t self-aware.

Joo-da runs afoul of Sae-mi and the bullies again, but since they’re in the Shadow, this time she tricks them by saying that Nam-ju is waiting in the science room. When they get there, Joo-da asks Sae-mi why she’s always smiling and kind even when she’s bullied. She answers her own question: “Because I’m the main character.”

Giving each of the bullies a good hard shove, Joo-da reminds Sae-mi that she said that Cinderella only married Prince Charming because she was of the nobility. But she growls that Sae-mi is wrong, “Even if she was a beggar, she’d have married him. Because she was the main character.”

She waits for Do-hwa in the music room, and when he shows up, she offers to share her earbuds with him. She’s listening to a classical song, though she says that she likes Do-hwa’s version better. Do-hwa asks why she keeps making him feel hopeful that she might like him, then sighs that she won’t remember this anyway, but Joo-da tells Do-hwa that she wants him to hope.

Later, Dan-oh catches Do-hwa reading Secret and praising Nam-ju for being so cool. He says he gets a weird feeling whenever he talks to Joo-da lately, but when he reads the next page, he wails that Nam-ju and Joo-da are about to begin officially dating.

Do-hwa whines that the story is boring and the lines are horrible, and Dan-oh agrees that it’s ridiculous to have high school students getting married. They scream at the Writer to quit doing this to them, and ~BLIP~ we move to the scene where Nam-ju asks Joo-da to officially date him, and of course she simpers happily… but only until the Stage is over.

Do-hwa runs across Kyung later and brags that by changing the Stage, he saved Kyung a lot of embarrassment from a cheesy public proposal. But Kyung growls that it’s his Stage and they have no right to change it.

Feeling hurt, Do-hwa finds Haru and snuggles his shoulder (hee, Haru keeps sliiiding away). He says that he sees why Dan-oh likes Haru, because he’s nice and he can even change the Stage. Joon-hyun is walking by and hears that last bit, so Do-hwa tells him about changing the Stage, thinking that Joon-hyun won’t remember this.

Joon-hyun stares hard at Haru, and later he corners Haru at his locker. He tells Haru to leave Kyung alone, for his own good and everyone else’s, then he pastes on a bright smile and chirps for Haru to get along with Kyung and not to fight. But when Kyung wanders by and complains that they’re both annoying, Joon-hyun shoots Haru a downright frightening glare.

Kyung breaks his promise and tells Haru that because he changed the Stage and stopped his proposal, now Dan-oh will be getting heart surgery (I think the logic is that since she wasn’t occupied accepting Kyung’s proposal, she had another collapse instead, making her heart condition worse).

He sneers that of course Dan-oh was tempted by his ability to change the Stages, making it sound like Haru took advantage of Dan-oh on purpose. Kyung says that he knows how it works now, so Haru won’t be able to make any more changes.

He’s waiting when Dan-oh arrives home, and he snaps that she’s all he has because his friends and family are all fake. He says that he didn’t want to like her because he was afraid of losing her, but Dan-oh stops him there. She says it’s not personal that she likes someone else, but Kyung counters that the Stage is real to him.

Dan-oh admits that she’d still be in love with him if she weren’t self-aware, but she says things are different now. Kyung yells that he doesn’t care how she feels, because he can change her fate and make sure she doesn’t die. He declares that when he does, “You’ll come to me whether it’s real or not.”

After all the warnings he’s been getting about not being able to help Dan-oh, Haru goes into Overprotective Boyfriend Mode. He refuses to move more than a couple of inches away from her, shields her from dangers like art pencils and splashing water, and asks her if she’s okay every few minutes, hee.

Do-hwa and Joo-da talk again in the music room, and when Joo-da talks about how much she loves the shoes he gave her, Do-hwa realizes that she remembers the Shadow. Joo-da confirms it by repeating exactly what he said to her when they changed the Stage at Nam-ju’s party. He’d asked her to remember that moment, so she had.

She tells Do-hwa that ever since then, she started wondering why she was putting up with the bullying, and soon it didn’t feel right anymore. She’d started noticing that other people couldn’t remember things she remembered, but she wasn’t scared because Do-hwa was there. She asks him to keep it a secret, because for a while, she wants to only be remembered by him.

Dan-oh’s plans to walk home with Haru are ruined by an unexpected Stage, and she notices in her mirror that the Writer has her looking very sick all of a sudden. She starts to cough, drawing Kyung’s attention, and he offers to take her home. He says that he hates her illness, not her, and he hates the fact that his father uses her to get investments. Dan-oh tells him that she doesn’t want the surgery because then she won’t be able to see him at school, so Kyung promises to stay by her side.

Dan-oh throws off Kyung’s coat and tries to wipe off whatever is making her lips so white the instant the Stage ends. Kyung follows her, and Dan-oh wonders when the storyboard for her surgery will start. She says she’s growing more different from her set-up character as time goes by.

But Kyung says that he’s turning into his character even more, wondering the Writer seems to know his feelings better than he does. He adds that the one thing he knows is that if she dies, he’ll never recover. He admits that he’s selfish and asks her to let him win this time, urging her to get the surgery.

When she finally gets free, Dan-oh finds Haru in their classroom, and he asks again if she’s okay. Dan-oh whines that he’s been asking that all day, but Haru looks pretty upset and says that he was worried she was sick. Dan-oh says she’s not going to spend all her time being sad and that he doesn’t need to protect her all the time.

She says she’s just happy to be experiencing her first love, but Haru tells her that they were in another story before Secret, and that in that story, he saw her die. Dan-oh says it’s different now, but Haru wails that the story is repeating itself in Secret.

He says that he can’t live without her, so he’s going to change the story no matter what it takes. Seeing how much this is hurting him, Dan-oh says she doesn’t want to change anything, but Haru refuses to listen. Dan-oh turns away so he doesn’t see her tears, and Haru hugs her tightly, sobbing, “I’m scared to lose you. I’m scared, Dan-oh.”

Haru walks Dan-oh home, and she tells him again not to let Mi-chae scare him regarding what happened in the previous story. She says she’s never expected to live a long life because of her heart problem, but he’s still scared, so Dan-oh says she’s not even sure she’s getting the surgery.

Haru asks if she wants the surgery, which makes Dan-oh stop and think. He asks what she wants, and she says she wants to spend time with him, just like this, until the Stage starts. With a cheerful smile, she wishes him goodnight and heads through the gate to her house.

Unaware that Haru is still watching her, Dan-oh says to herself, “I really want to change it. I want to live just as much as anyone. I don’t know how I should change the Stage or what I should tell Haru.” Crying, she prays to the Writer, begging them to let her live just a little longer.

The next day, Do-hwa tells Haru that his brother told him they’ve picked a date for Dan-oh’s surgery. Alarmed, Haru says he needs to change the Stage, and Do-hwa heads to the A3 hideout to look for something. Kyung hears him muttering and guesses what Haru is going to do, but he says it doesn’t matter because it’s been drawn already.

He goes to the library to look for Secret, but it’s not on its shelf. Suddenly the lights go out, and Kyung stumbles into Haru’s hidden corner, where a few drawings of Dan-oh are still on the wall. The portal is open, and through it, Kyung sees the scene from Flower where Haru urges Dan-oh to run, because Kyung is a danger to her.

He watches as his Flower character finds a drawing of Dan-oh and demands that Haru explain it. Haru says that Kyung won’t remember anyway, and begs him to stop his treasonous plan and let Dan-oh live. He pleads with Kyung to remember this conversation, otherwise they might end up against one another.

The scene changes to Dan-oh’s death, ending as Haru catches her limp body. A single flower falls to the floor, and Kyung picks it up, stunned by what he just saw.

 
COMMENTS

I’ve tried, I really have, but I just have zero sympathy for Kyung anymore. He’s had so many opportunities to be better than his character, and not only does he not take them, but he’s becoming worse in the Shadow than he is onStage. I know, he has a terrible set-up and his father is an abusive user, but that’s no excuse for treating Dan-oh like a possession and hurting Haru on purpose, like when he twisted Dan-oh’s “Please don’t tell Haru about my surgery,” into “Dan-oh and I keep secrets from you and that’s why you don’t belong with her.” Maybe Kyung does have feelings for Dan-oh, but they’re twisted and unhealthy, and he doesn’t seem to understand that liking someone doesn’t mean that they’re obligated to be with him forever. Even Dan-oh’s set-up as his childhood friend and fiancee doesn’t entitle him to make claims on her in the Shadow. I’d like to think that what he just saw will make Kyung think twice about his actions, but knowing him, it will just make him double down on stopping Haru from changing the story.

As much as I like Dan-oh as a character and want good things for her (for example, Haru), I really like her whole “terminal heart condition” set-up, because it gives her character all these interesting layers. She’s bright and cheerful because she’s an optimistic person who wants to make the most of what life she has left, yet beneath it, you sometimes see these glimpses of stark terror at the idea of dying so young. Still, she broke my heart when she told Kyung that soon, he won’t have to visit hospitals anymore — not because she thinks the surgery will heal her, but because she’s sure that she’ll die. Then she broke my heart again when she kept smiling at Haru to convince him that she’s not scared of dying, when really, all she wants is a little more time with him.

It’s interesting how Joon-hyun started out as a very minor extra, then we learned that he’s as self-aware and cognizant of the dangers of changing the story as Mi-chae, and now he’s almost become sinister in the way he spoke to Haru. He didn’t act much differently than Mi-chae always has, growing angry and issuing dire warnings at the news that Haru changed the story, but for some reason it scared me more, seeing it from someone who’s been so innocent and sweet until now. I really want to know what Joon-hyun knows and how he knows it. Mi-chae heavily implied that Soo-hyang died from a butterfly effect as a result of Haru’s trying to change Flower‘s story, and the way Joon-hyun acted makes me think that maybe he also lost someone he loved in the fallout. If Mi-chae and Joon-hyun were innocent victims of Haru’s failed attempt to save Dan-oh, it makes sense why they view him as a threat and are trying so hard to make him stop.

I’m actually getting pretty worried about Haru himself. He feels like it’s all his fault that Dan-oh has to have surgery because he changed the Stage, while at the same time, changing the Stage is the only way he can think of to save her. He knows that in Flower, he failed to save Dan-oh and caused pain to others in the process, but he loves Dan-oh so much that he can’t help but try to do things better this time around. He’s in an impossible situation, unable to act without causing potentially terrible ripples, but unable to sit back and let Dan-oh die, and the strain is really showing on his face and in his behavior. I don’t know what will happen next — the beauty of a fantasy story like this one is that literally anything could happen — but it feels like something horrible is looming, and that things are going to get a lot worse before they get better.

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This was the episode that made me lose all my hopes and that bit of sympathy I had for Baek Kyung, for the exact same reasons that you stated.. that’s one of the reasons why, if someone asked me if they should watch Extraordinary You I’d say: “Yes! Absolutely, just skip episode 13.”

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Yes, he had so many opportunities to do better and my hopes were heightened when we learned Baek Kyung was self-aware. No one can help what happens on stage, but when they were off-stage, he could've ran back to Dan-oh or apologized for what he said or did, but he didn't. Now he's plotting other things. Oh well, I guess it really was how his character was written whether on stage or in the shadow.

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These where the episodes where I thought that Haru needed to slow his row. He went for Su chel. The Su chel who is Dan oh's friend and has been nothing but awesome throughout the entire series.

He or Dan oh did not even notice the water splash and Su chel's reaction was overkill because Haru looked like he was going to rip poor Su chel's head off for a extremely minor accident. Him laying hand on Su chel was Haru going to far.

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I think this scene was just comedy about Haru being in overprotective bodyguard mode. It was written that way, and I took it that way, because he didn't actually do anything to Su Chel - he just looked at him.

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So, I actually appreciate the scene with Haru as overprotective boyfriend/bodyguard of Dan Oh in the art class scene. Not just because it was so silly and over-the-top for him to try so hard to protect her from art supplies (!) and a little water splash, but because:

-it speaks about his essential nature as a protector, both in the earlier Flower manhwa (bodyguard) and the current one (boyfriend);

-and it shows the real pathos of his being unable to protect Dan Oh from her death in the earlier manhwa and her terminal heart illness in the current one.

What an awful dilemma for him! His good and protective nature vs. the tragic path of both manhwas. it's just that this current manhwa he is in is a romance comic vs. an entire romance tragedy, so it shows in the silliest scene of him in a high school art class clearing away art supplies because they might harm the person he probably can't protect from death. The scene is both silly and sad.

Poor comic relief Su Chel is just another incidental victim here of Haru's anxiety. And Haru didn't actually do anything to him - he just looked very hard at him, lol.

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Whoops, I wrote a second comment because I thought my first had disappeared...

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Watch it again, when Su chel went down to wipe the water off Dan oh, Haru almost twisted his arm off.

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Oh, you're right. But I still think that was a basic martial arts immobilization, fitting for a bodyguard. I've learned to do that. It stops people, it's not meant to damage them.

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Am I the only one who thinks Joon Hyun is the writer? His strong affection for Ykyung despite his rudeness, the fact that he really likes Dan Oh. His complete dismissal of Haru as a main character unlike in the Trumpet Creeper. That boy knows something.....

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I'll be disappointed if he isn't the writer although I have no logical basis for proposing that he is.

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The only good thing about him being the writer, for me, is that if they figure it out in time, they can do something to stop him. (Would like to say more, but that would be spoilers.)

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Well, if that boy is the writer, he deserves a good beating. His favortism towards Kuyng is toxic. By making everyone else puppet and punishing them for wanting to have a will, and a life, his actions are manipulative and cruel. Whether JH is the writer or someone else, that person must have a love-hate relationship with Kyung because he is favored in a sense (always get the girl), but trapped in a terrible family set-up in another sense.

I just wonder if there is a real world where the writer and characters exist, and all the manhwas from Flower to Secret are the writer's effort to create somewhere to escape. That would make sense even I doubt they would go that way in barely 2 episodes left. Well, still thumb up for the drama that still intrigued me by raising lots of thoughtful questions about human will.

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Joo Hyun is the best candidate for the secret writer. Your points are spot on. But I cannot help wondering what on earth he decided to inflict himself to be in a position of Kyung's half brother. He seems to love Kyung but Kyung hates him. Joo Hyun is in a ghastly position. If the writer were Joon Hyung, he would choose to make A4 instead of A3 and place him a member of A4 so that he would be in a friendly term with Kyung.
The drama writer, I have no idea of your intention! Having said that, I shall enjoy the drama by watching the dashing YKyung.

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Idk friend, maybe he felt bad about writing him as a murderer in the trumpet creeper. The writer is really odd.

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Episode 13 made me really ready for 14. Meaning, lets have something happen!

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Kyung is surprisingly heart fluttering. Damn my goldfish memory for forgetting what a jerk he has been for 12 (24) episodes. Even today, "Then you shouldn't have made me like you!" is something an abuser would say. But their Shadow conversation after Kyung draped his coat over Dan-oh was swoon. "If you die too, I'll never recover from this wound. Just like you've always done, can't you let me win this time too?" He even called her "Dan-oh-ya" when every time he calls her "Eun Dan-oh."

I wanted to smack Ha-ru for continuously pushing Do-hwa away. What the hell is wrong with him!? They're supposed to be friends! Joon-hyun is creepy. He really loves his hyung even though Kyung has been nothing but rude to him.

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Oh, Kyung... Dan-oh's goodbye and Kyung's barely concealed horror and grief when he realized she really doesn't have much time left struck me hard. Whether it happened in the Stage or Shadow, they've really been a longtime friends and this is not going to be easy for either of them to accept. I can't imagine Kyung's turmoil facing the fact that he did fall for the girl he has been mean to all this time, only to discover that the writer is really going to go through with her/his death threat. I'm probably in the minority, but I love his softer moments with Dan-oh and his display of vulnerability in front of her this eps. The way he grappled with his conflicting and confusing emotions is a treat to watch.

Though for all that, I still want to smack him upside the head for all his posturing and needs to assert his superiority in front of Haru. Okay, I understand his bitterness and anger that Haru and Do-hwa changed his Stage around without asking for his opinion. Because while they did that for Dan-oh, Kyung must felt like an unintended collateral damage whose life changes without his consent. But whenever he made one of his claim over Dan-oh's romance life, I want to shout at and nag him that that's not the important thing. I mean, what's more important than Dan-oh's life?? Sigh... *facepalming*

I was surprised by how much I love the romantic dynamic between Do-hwa and Juda. I expected their love journey to be loud and colorful given that they are the manhwa's leads, but it's actually more quiet and subdued and very slice-of-life. And I want more of that.

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Lee Jae Wook is an excellent actor. I felt the same way. He outclasses Ro Woon in that aspect, which is what makes him more compelling. However, Kyung can kick rocks, he is awful.

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Haru being overprotective was meant as a gag but I kinda wished they'd go the route «i will treat her like normal» because that's what Dan Oh wants. Another comedic turn was when Haru inched away from Do Hwa... Come on give this guy some love!!

(That being said, I absolutely still love Haru, and Dan-Oh is one of m favorite female leads ever. I love how proactive and honest she is, without being in your face about it. She doesn't lead anybody on).

I don't get the Bae Kyung fandom. Maybe because they see the comic book Kyung character, but this Kyung is manipulative, arrogant, and mean. Yes, mean. He doesn't only «love» Dan-Oh but wants to actively hurt Haru. Dan-Oh tells him NO several times over but he refuses to get it. It's off-putting.

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I'm never bored when Kyung is on screen. I think the acting is solid across the board, but that Lee Jae Wook and Kim Ro Woon are stealing the show. They just spark when playing scenes together, however I am not shipping them together, because BK has too many issues and Dan oh doesnt love him.
I find BK somewhat exhausting, but also really want him to find some peace. Maybe realize that he has a friend and a (creepy) brother who actually value him.

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I've been watching the Extraordinary You BTS videos and Lee Jae Wook just steals my heart. I think Kyung is frustrating, but I think some of my affection for Lee Jae Wook makes me feel more sympathy for him that the character deserves.

Also Baek Kyung has that lonely feel to him that also makes me feel a little bit for him, even though his loneliness is his own design at this point. I knew why he rejected Dan-Oh's handshake, but I was really upset about that. The girl is dying and she spent most of her young life being rejected by you. Just give her what she wants! Make her as comfortable as possible!

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The moment she finally lose it and turns away so Haru didn't see her cry but he hugged her instead... Sigh... All these pieces of my broken heart......

And honestly, yes, I care about Kyung, but I really just don't care about his feeling for her, let alone rooting for him to actually get the girl.

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Basically this episode is a repetition ⬇️

Do Hwa: Nam Ju is so cool!
Kyung: She’s mine / You’re just an extra / Don’t change the stage.
Nam Ju: Let’s date!
Dan Oh: I don’t wanna change anything, just need to spend all my time with you.

Some highlights though ⬇️

When Do Hwa & Dan Oh dissed the writer.
When little bro got all creepy on Haru.
When Ju Da admitted she’s self-aware.
When Dan Oh asked Michae to hide the book, and she caught him putting in the most obvious place ever 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

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Thanks for the highlights! Honestly, this episode felt repetitive in a lot of ways, so it's nice to remember that even in the worst episodes, good things still happen.

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Thanks for the recap. This show continues to intrigue me, both on an entertainment level, and on a self-awareness level. It's hilarious how simple and overplayed the "stage" is, but the shadow is so inventive and well-thought out that it continues to make me question existence in and of itself.

I'm truly annoyed with Kyung, and not really sure why it seems that his shadow self is so much like his stage self. I also continue to be intrigued (sorry but that's the only word I can think of) with Ju Da's character. Her growing self-awareness, and how she uses it is similar to Dan Oh, but in so many ways so different. It shows the difference in being a "main" character versus an extra that's just there to help the main characters.

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When juda locked her bullies in the science... Oh delightful, dark Candy! Please give me more!

Also I am not feeling Mi-chae’s ex-love introduction. It’s too late into the show for a new character or loveline.

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LOL! Dark Candy! There should be more dramas featuring Dark Candies.

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The look Joon Hyun gave Haru was indeed very sinister but I am not convinced he's the writer. And finally Do Hwa found out Ju Da is self aware, also atleast Dan Oh found out about the existence of flower. And Baek Kyung how many chances can one give you before they have no patience left. Still I can't help but feel a little sympathy for him sometimes but he definitely doesn't deserve to get the girl, it's all very frustrating. It was heartbreaking to see Dan Oh begging the writer to let her live while Haru was watching her. I get a little irritated when Haru acts jealous towards Do Hwa knowing he's only a very good friend to Dan Oh and even Haru. Do Hwa is my most favorite character in this drama. He's also the most consistent character for me here, most others irritate me even if it's just a little, honestly.

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I am a tiny bit displeased with Haru and Michae for rejecting Do-Hwa. If that guy snuggles up to you, you drop everything and hold him tight! :O
I am willing to give Michae a pass, since his sneak walk through the library was hilarious :P

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Thank you for the recap! And for the picture of Haru and DoHwa as the head picture!

" She’s bright and cheerful because she’s an optimistic person who wants to make the most of what life she has left, yet beneath it, you sometimes see these glimpses of stark terror at the idea of dying so young. " --> Wonderful description. Park Hye Yoon is knocking it out of the park wiith depicting this. Sure Haru and Kyung seem to be stealing the show now since their characters know of their past lives and are more engaged with the whole "change the stage/not change the stage" struggle. But Dan-Oh is the one breaking my heart and engaging all my emotions. Her praying to the Writer to let her live a little longer. :( The terrible thing is that the Writer could change Dan-Oh's life and write her to live a long life, but chooses not to.

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I just love how the details have a place in this drama like when Haru and BK was doing the grip of to tennis raquet and the sword's one.
How the art course talked about the artist and his work ==> "It makes you contemplate about existence", "Draw your own masterpiece". It's all about to change the Stage or not.

Poor Haru, he's like walking on the edge of a moutain. He's the only one who can change the Stage but it has repercussions. He already failed in Flowers, he couldn't save Danoh. Seeing Danoh being brave and accepting her death was pretty sad and more when she asked the writer to save her.

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Thanks for the recap, @Lollypip! Really appreciate your write-ups.

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