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Dating Agency Cyrano: Episode 5

We had to do a little reshuffling in order to appease the fourth dimension, which frankly is kind of being a bitch lately, by the way, and that means I’m taking over recaps for Dating Agency Cyrano. I’ve been enjoying the light-hearted fizzies that this drama has been steadily doling out, along with the amusing operations, cocky puppetmaster Lee Jong-hyuk, and the budding camaraderie, so I’m looking forward to the task. It had better be worth all the sleep I’m giving up. No pressure or anything.

SONG OF THE DAY

Eluphant – “별사탕” (Star candy) [ Download ]

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EPISODE 5 RECAP

We pick up at the high school, where Operation: Idol Crush is supposed to be heading toward its happy ending. But things appear to be skidding sideways with our mastermind Byung-hoon dashing off to catch up to that first love he never got over, Yi-seol. Meanwhile, Arang makes a last-ditch confession to Se-kyung, throwing a wrench into the works. Is he really messing with the target’s feelings just before she’s about to reciprocate Idol Boy’s?

Byung-hoon looks less thrilled at the reunion than Yi-seol, who lights up at the sight of him. Min-jung clocks the tension and backs away slowly, leaving them to some privacy.

Out in the hallway, she sees reporters peering into the theater. Assuming they’ve spotted the idol romance, she tries unsuccessfully to stop them.

The reporters push their way inside to get their money shot of the kissing couple. Arang blocks Se-kyung from view as the reporters get click-happy with the cameras, and they belatedly realize that there’s no star here. They walk out muttering about how fast kids are these days (spoken like an old fogey, no?), and Arang apologizes to Se-kyung—this was the best way he could think up to deal with the reporters.

Se-kyung realizes that he faked this (to help Ho-yeol escape the reporters), and it’s duly crushing. She gives him a kick in the shin, then runs out on the brink of tears.

Idol boy Ho-yeol finds her outside, and though he sort of acknowledges her, he continues on his quietly dejected way. We can see her wanting to follow him or engage him, but she doesn’t know what to say.

Min-young finds Arang in the theater and guesses that he really does like Se-kyung, but played it the opposite way for the sake of the mission, giving the twist another twist. So the kiss was real and impulsive, but the brush-off following it was for the team. Arang denies it at first, and then confides that it’s true. But he can’t betray the client for his feelings, and worries what his hyungs will say about breaking from the plan.

Hearing that Byung-hoon missed it because he got distracted, Arang asks her to keep it a secret. Moo-jin did see the kiss from his surveillance van, but Arang says he’ll talk with him.

She doesn’t agree right away, musing that she would rather root for his romance to succeed. He insists that it was just a mistake. She points out that mistakes born of sincere feelings are no accident.

Time to find out about Byung-hoon’s mysterious past love. He asks Yi-seol if she’s well now, and she answers that she’s healthier than ever. They haven’t seen each other in years because she never made it to a certain funeral, and Byung-hoon never visited her in the hospital. She’s back for good now, and states her intention to live “like I did before”—having fun and working hard.

Without warning, Yi-seol whirls around and initiates a game of rock-scissors-paper. Byung-hoon’s hand reacts reflexively and beats her, just like always. Some instincts you just can’t dull.

Yi-seol asks if their Cyrano Theater is still going strong. They relocate to the theater, where we find that Byung-hoon hilariously hasn’t told her the truth—he lets her believe all is as it used to be, and he’s still directing plays.

When she sees his strategy boards, he whips up lies on the spot, saying he’s planning upcoming projects. He throws out philosophical sounding words about how the Idol’s First Love project is really a production exploring the meaning of this generation’s delusions, et cetera. Ha. I love seeing the cocky bastard so off-kilter.

She recognizes Arang, who is the sole remaining member of the old troupe, and assumes that Min-young is one of the current members. Then Yi-seol notices the space where her marionettes used to sit, which Byung-hoon packed away the other day. Figures she’d show up just as he decides to put the past behind him. First loves sure have killer timing, don’t they?

Byung-hoon offers to bring them out again but she declines, adding that they were gifts from Do-il. Hm, was high school buddy Do-il the one who died?

The debt collectors come by again, and to preserve the ruse Byung-hoon introduces them as more troupe members whose gangster appearance is a product of Method acting. Ha.

The gangsters head next door to report the new arrival to their hyungnim, and Seung-pyo sees them walk by—and recognizes Yi-seol by name. Hello, plot thickener. He corrects their assumption: “She’s not Seo Byung-hoon’s girlfriend—she’s his friend’s girlfriend.” (I admit to harboring suspicions that Seung-pyo is Do-il, though I recognize that this may be overly melodramatic since that would require him to have maybe faked a death or gotten a new face. It’s possible I’ve been watching too much Shark.)

Byung-hoon sees her off, and she hands him an envelope that Do-il had wanted to give to him personally, which bears the Cyrano logo. Calling him Sherlock, she tells him to feel free to ask her anytime he needs help. In turn, he tells her she can come by anytime since Cyrano is part hers.

Min-young pops up after Yi-seol leaves, having followed them out. Totally not spying, are we? She says in her chipper way that she was right and that was his first love and basically annoys him batty. She then calls Moo-jin for an “emergency meeting” to figure out what to do about Arang’s thwarted love. Should they persuade the boss to give up Operation: Idol?

I love that Moo-jin just sits through it stone-faced, clearly not on her wavelength. She asks hopefully, “Are you maybe answering through telepathy and I just can’t hear it?” Her brand of ditziness cracks me up.

She asks Seung-pyo what he’d do if he made a dish to order, but suddenly wanted to eat it himself and couldn’t ever make another one like it. Would he give it up to the client anyway? He points out what’s wrong with her example: In it, he would be cooking for his own pleasure and not the diner’s. She concedes that he’s right.

Pretty waitress Hye-ri arrives for her shift, and Moo-jin visibly stiffens, which is remarkable since he’s so reticent and stiff to begin with. I can’t wait for this romance to get cookin’. The waitress’s brand of cheer is just what Moo-jin needs to unwind.

Byung-hoon contemplates Do-il’s letter, then shoves it in a drawer unread.

It’s team meeting time but Min-young drags her feet, undecided on how to approach this idol case. She doesn’t want to hurt Arang and leave him with a painful first love experience. Seung-pyo casually fishes for info about their guest, and files away her answer—Byung-hoon called Yi-seol “just an old friend.” But she thinks it was his first love.

She sighs that it’s especially complicated when your first love is part of a love triangle, because it enhances the memory in a painful way. She’s talking about Arang, but it looks like Seung-pyo’s fixated on Yi-seol.

Min-young asks what you do when two friends fall for the same person. Is there any way to make a happy ending out of it? He replies, “Then one side has to die.” Whoa, this conversation took a turn. (Also, is my Shark-influenced theory not so far-fetched after all?)

Byung-hoon reviews the footage from today’s operation and sees Arang’s kiss. Uh-oh.

It also triggers a flashback of high school Do-il offering to tell Byung-hoon a secret: “I like Yoon Yi-seol.” He doesn’t see how Byung-hoon’s mood immediately darkens, and wonders whether he ought to confess. Byung-hoon curtly tells his friend to take it up with Yi-seol and rides away.

Caught between the two boys, Se-kyung is lost in her dilemma. She touches her lips in memory of the kiss, then looks over at Ho-yeol’s handkerchief.

Speaking of whom, Ho-yeol is in a terrible mood at rehearsal and messes up his dances. Oh no, it turns out he had seen the kiss after all—after running out of the theater to evade the reporters, he had seen them through the glass doors. He punches the wall in frustration.

Byung-hoon finds him here and says he ought to have punched Arang, not the wall. Ho-yeol says resignedly that he intended to pretend he hadn’t seen anything, and the girl had liked Arang for a long time anyway: “Even though I liked her first.”

Flashback to the day when Se-kyung had first noticed Arang, thanks to the hallway hockey he’d been playing. Ho-yeol had been trying to impress her, but Arang had gotten hit with the puck instead of her and earned her admiration.

He tells Byung-hoon that he doesn’t care about his pride, because he likes her: “I’m going to do everything I can.” Byung-hoon says approvingly that he’s got spirit, and starts rattling off instructions, starting with not going to school.

Min-young urges Arang to take all the time he needs, offering her moral support. Then she asks about Yi-seol (oh so casually), and hears that she was going to marry the other theater head, Do-il.

Then Moo-jin informs them that the boss must have seen the video footage, which means he knows about the kiss. Arang hangs his head.

Byung-hoon joins them and first offers Arang a Cyrano business card (and an employee discount, HA) to have them work on the case for him. Arang declines to be a client, so Byung-hoon announces that they’ll get going on the idol’s case, then. Hm, was this a test? I wonder.

Min-young sniffs that it’s all about money for Byung-hoon—he won’t help if Arang won’t pay the fee. Byung-hoon says it’s not about money (and for once I believe him), adding that Arang just had his chance.

She stops him in his tracks by asking, “You’re hoping he’ll just run away, like you, aren’t you?” She has figured out that he never confessed to his first love, watching from afar because his friend liked her. She calls him a coward, shrinking back after saying it.

Byung-hoon says, “All actions begin from one’s own decisions. I can’t help someone who doesn’t know what he wants.” Then he exits and smiles to himself: “She’s not wrong.”

High school. Se-kyung arrives early and lights up to see Ho-yeol sitting there in that window again… only to realize that it’s actually empty, and the curtain is flapping by itself. She deflates. (We see Moo-jin sitting outside with the fan, creating the romantic breeze. HEE.)

Still, Moo-jin wonders, “Is this wind blowing Arang away?” And Min-young sees how Arang avoids Se-kyung all day and sighs in sympathy.

Ho-yeol drops by Arang’s room that afternoon and asks if Arang likes Se-kyung. He sees through the denial and says that he saw everything. Plus, he’s known for a while that Se-kyung liked Arang. But he still likes her.

It’s Arang who proposes to the team that they enter the final stage of Operation: Idol tonight. Byung-hoon checks that he’s okay with it while Min-young tries to get him to reconsider, telling him that first loves can stick with you a long time. But Arang tells her he won’t regret this choice and says he’s sure.

And so we begin. Er, end. Begin the end. Arang comes to Se-kyung’s apartment complex and apologizes for his behavior earlier. She suggests they count the score even, since she did kick him, and they smile.

But then Byung-hoon feeds him his lines over the comm: “What will you do if I meant those words about liking you?”

He tells Arang to tell the target his honest feelings, which makes Min-young’s day—so he is giving Arang a chance after all. She looks like she wants to kiss him, or maybe hug the emotionally stunted man for growing some feelings, and gives him a big proud thump on the shoulder: “Of everything you’ve said till now, I like that best.”

Meanwhile, Ho-yeol waits with bated breath near the alley where they had previously hidden from his fangirls. His only instruction is to let the target make her choice.

Arang is so flustered at this unexpected chance that he’s silent for long moments, and Byung-hoon yells at him to do it already. Heh. He finally speaks, telling Se-kyung that he likes her for real:

Arang: “But that could be because you confessed first, or maybe it’s because I knew how much [Ho-yeol] liked you and you started to shine in my eyes. But I’m even more bothered about him than about you, because he really likes you. I could never like you as much as he does. I’m sorry. You were starting to like him, but I interfered, didn’t I? You’ve made him wait a long time. Just as your feelings have changed, what if his do?”

Next thing we know, she’s running down the street to meet Ho-yeol. She arrives at the alley, but finds it empty. Sigh.

The light starts to flicker, and she walks closer to see something stuck to the wall—that band-aid she’d given him. Aw, he kept it all this while? Se-kyung runs on, searching the neighborhood for sign of Ho-yeol.

Moo-jin rides up to find Arang sitting alone nursing his broken heart, and gives him a shoulder to lean on. Good hyung.

It takes her a while, but finally Se-kyung comes to that convenience store where she’d once run into Ho-yeol. There he is again, sitting with a lonely cup of ramyun, head hanging.

She raps on the glass, then sticks that band-aid on the glass. It lights up his face in the most heartwarming way.

Watching from the van, Min-young wipes away happy tears, happy with the fulfilled romance and with Arang’s maturity. She guesses that this whole thing was Byung-hoon’s design, including the part where he called Ho-yeol to the theater to provoke Arang. He also told Ho-yeol the girl wasn’t coming, and she wonders what they’d have done if he hadn’t left the band-aid behind. The girl might have just left. Byung-hoon just replies that the guy was going to make things happen, but had to suffer a bit for it.

He sinks into melancholy thoughts, and looking at that Sherlock Holmes charm triggers a flashback of when he first received it. The memory makes him decide, “Turn the car around.”

Min-young drops him off at a storefront, and he bursts inside where Yi-seol is at work with her marionettes. He asks if she remembers what she’d said to him as she gave him that Sherlock charm. She smiles to see it.

 
COMMENTS

I’m in the mood for a breezy romantic comedy, and Dating Agency Cyrano is fitting the bill—it moves quickly, offers up enough comedy without feeling like a gag reel, has a dash of intrigue, and shows character growth. And while it may be light and swift, it’s not entirely without substance. There are poignant beats scattered throughout, which I appreciate.

For instance, despite the fact that Byung-hoon is masterminding everything (to a level of precision that even his teammates don’t always know about), he lets the feelings breathe in the end, which is a good sign. I suppose you could argue that it’s all manipulative and designed to elicit the outcome he wants, but I do think there’s a hand of restraint in there that recognizes that people’s emotions matter. He let Ho-yeol believe that Se-kyung wasn’t coming, and as a result his reaction when she does arrive is 100 percent real. It’s so much more valuable that way than if he’d let Ho-yeol wait smugly and play the part of the thwarted lover without ever believing that. The outcome is important, but his comment about the kid needing a little bit of suffering along the way speaks to the process having merit as well. I like that.

I also like how the Client of the Week allows the show to offer a variety of perspectives about love, which is also shown in the very different personalities running Cyrano Agency. These kind of story-of-the-week shows have a certain procedural element to them, which can be both a positive and a negative trait. On one hand, it keeps stories short and sweet, enough to satisfy with a small dose without needing to get bogged down in too many details. On the other hand, these clients are in and out, so when procedurals are clumsily handled they can feel like emotional drive-bys. We don’t know them, so why should we care?

So it’s encouraging to see that the show is working in the other characters with the clients’ stories, to varying degrees. I don’t expect that they’ll all deal with the employees directly as the Arang storyline did, but that isn’t necessary. The best procedurals use the episodic thread to shed light on its main players, which is a great framework to get our two leads arguing about their diametrically opposing views on romance. Then there’s Arang with the youthful first love (and sacrifice) that echoes with Byung-hoon’s own youth. And I’m eager to see how Moo-jin’s loveline plays out.

Master Seung-pyo is an interesting one, and they’re keeping him in the shadows for the time being. I do like the tiny snippets we get to see of him, and the flashes of ominous glares. He turns on a dime with unnerving ease, one second being friendly and helpful to Min-young, then next clenching his jaw and shooting daggers at Byung-hoon. Are you a mobster? Are you legally dead? Are you interested in Min-young or just amused by her, or using her? Are you friend or foe?

The pacing of the show is brisk enough that we keep from sticking to one particular character or emotional beat for too long, which I consider an asset. For instance, it helps soften the melancholy vibes surrounding Byung-hoon’s first love, which feels a bit heavy for my taste; I’m not averse to the story itself, but I don’t want this to be one of those shows. I want him cheeky and full of bravado, not moping. The balance right now is just fine, and I’m crossing my fingers that the show doesn’t tilt that in the other direction.

Most of all I’m enjoying the rapport of our main cast, and I find myself liking the heroine a surprising amount. I was extremely wary of this character from promos and descriptions, because she seemed way too naive on paper and very been-there-done-that as far as dramaland heroines went. How many more overly romantic chronic dreamers do we have to see butting heads with cynical heroes, right? But her bubbly nature is turning out to be the glue of the agency—and the restaurant too—and I’m enjoying how the two younger guys are bonding with her as well. Sure she’s sort of annoyingly idealistic at times, but the drama seems to be settling on a middle ground between her sunniness and Byung-hoon’s pessimism (or realism, however you see it). And that means growth on both sides.

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I'm enjoying this as well and don't understand the wide-spread criticism it's receiving from viewers here, but oh well. To each his own, ne?

My only quibble with this episode was the example of the dinner being cooked: In my view, that meal was being made for a customer. It wouldnt have existed if not for that customer, and it belongs to the customer, NOT the cook.

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I'm enjoying the ride as well. Enjoying, not deeply thinking about the plot.

I have to admit I didn't get the dinner example. I also think if the dish was made for the customer it should go to him as well. Though maybe Seungpyo meant that he would just cook for himself (and not customers), in other words "I care about my things/problems and I don't solve problems on somebody's behalf".

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I didn't get the dinner analogy as well. My problem with the scenario is that the customer doesn't know this is the best version of the dish that can be made. He doesn't know what's he losing out if the cook just eats the dish and gives him a worse-tasting one. (Ignorance is bliss?)

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Me too/three/four...

I just thought, easy-peasy, eat the dish and cook the customer another one!!! :-D

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The dinner example all depends on what the COOK's purpose of being a cook is. If the cook is cooking for his own happiness, then if eating his own dish will make him happy, go for it. If the cook is a cook for the sake of his customers, or money, or the happiness of his customers, then of course the food would go to the other person. It makes sense guys.

Also, I loved how when Seo Il Rok was like "Turn the car around!" she responded that you can't make U-turns suddenly, like in dramas. hahaha

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Hahaha I loled at the U-turn thing.

This is the cool thing about reading recaps and comments. I just let some things go over my head without thinking much about them....but I come here and pick up a bunch of things I might have missed. I didn't consider the dinner/cook analogy past that scene. I can now see how it carries a bit of weight

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I busted out laughing when she totally shot down that k-drama cliche.
You think i can u-turn like they do i k-dramas?!
ha, love when they do that.

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This analogy makes sense and fits perfectly in this situation.

Chef = Ah Rang
Dish = Se Kyung
Customer = Ho Yeol

Seung Pyo says he would eat the dish himself (i.e., go after the girl). But as we know, Ah Rang gave the dish (Se Kyung) away to the customer (Ho Yeol). Realistically speaking, it is not possible for the chef to eat the dish and just cook another less-appetizing dish for the customer because there is only one Se Kyung.

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@panshel : yes, you described the analog as I thought it. Dramas often introduce analogies such as this, using situations, and objects as symbols (necklaces, potatoes , band-aids etc) to give the story deeper significance.

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First?
Ivoire, I beat you to it? :D

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Yes you DID!!!!!! :-) That's because I am currently busy writing my questions and thoughts for GFB recap, ep. 19. I temporarily forgot to check and see if something new was posted.
I am counting on you to answer some of my questions again :-) and on you to chime in as well (in response to my comments, if you feel the desire to. I just love reading from you). Also, I left you a response to your comments (actually two, one under my post, and the other under yours). Make sure you read them, please :-)
Thank you also for having my back, that was very cool, and I appreciate it :-)

See, one should never lose hope, I could be beat (at being 1st), on this site :-). I hope your day is going well. What time is it for you? It is 4:39am my time. I will start working around 6am, so I have got lots to do before then.

And JB, thank you for the recap!

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Is Kwang-soo really making an appearance in the next ep? :D

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Thanks for the recap! Loving this show!
Mastar creeps me out. I don't have high expectations with Sooyoung, but she's doing a great job.
by the way, anyone knows what the background music/song towards the end of the drama? I've been googling for hours.
thanks!

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I'm struggling with this one.

I don't like the creating a spectacle to make love happen... and I struggle to buy that Se-kyung now suddenly likes the idol. She was watching Arang for a long while. Then Ho-yeol confesses, runs down the street with her from some silly fans... and now she likes him? It just doesn't make sense to me. Nor do I think that that's a relationship that has any basis and that can thus last.

So did Arang really like Se-kyung, or was that part of the plan too? I'm confused. In any case, you shouldn't kiss the girl unless you mean it, especially when you know she likes you.

And what's with Min-young cheering for Arang's love and then Ho-yeol sticking a plaster on a window pane is all that takes her to go "Oh, so cute" and cheer for him instead? Cutely-romantic gestures aren't love. They are meaningless unless there is a solid basis somewhere – but here there isn't. (Never mind that no plaster would stick after such a long time.)

Sigh. Not doing it for me. I'll give it one more episode and decamp to Monstar and I Hear Your Voice instead...

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I'm a bit like you. I'll still watch but by pure curiosity, not because I care for those characters.

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Arang did like Sekyung. When he first confessed to her, he meant it. But then his conscience kicked in and he pretended that he only kissed her to protect Ray.
At the same time, before Arang's confession, Sekyung already to develop feelings for Ray, thats why she chased him to the hall, when she found out he is supposedly leaving school.

On the other hand, Minyoung was supportive of Arang. But by no means was she against Ray from getting the girl too. She found out that Arang had feelings for Sekyung, and encouraged him to go for it. However, Arang himself, didn't know the extent of his feelings for her. He realises that his feelings for her could never surpass the amount of that Ray has. Minyoung who witness this, I guess, saw Arang's sincerity and maturity.

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Se-kyung's change of feeling still doesn't make sense to me... It just feels like sudden flip-flopping after a matter of a few days when she's been watching Arang for a while. Of course, watching someone is a superficial love too, but there is just nothing to convince me that she now really likes Ray and Arang no longer. It just feels like too little time and interaction for these things to happen. If I were here, I'd be totally confused and just run away from both boys. x_x

Yes, Arang's feelings (and the extent of them) were uncertain to start with, that I'm not doubting. (He still shouldn't have kissed her then.) Minyoung... well, I can't remember now, but there was something in a previous episode too that made me think that she just reacts to any romantic gesture and swoons immediately, because somehow romantic gesture = love for her. Like the right lighting and music is all that you need.

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I think for me Se Kyung's change of heart is pretty possible for such young love. There was a lead in from previous episode where Byung Hoon said "you called my name and I became a flower." It's also a lead in from what MY said "sometime you start liking somebody because that person confesses to you". And in my point of view, it's not really because of the confession itself, but because you start to look back and realize to add reasons to that person's actions in the past. And somehow now those actions don't look meaningless anymore.

MY, well...maybe she does have that tendency to think that grand gestures = true love. Frankly, I've met people who think that way too. But I still enjoy her character despite of this.

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To me, it looked like Ray's problem was that Sekyung refused to see him as anything besides an idol. But when the agency set up situations where she saw him more vulnerable and as a person, she started liking him. Knowing someone likes you is a powerful thing, and I think her eyes were opened to sincerity. And, of course, she's a teenager, so it's not like she has much experience in love.

As for Min Young, isn't that the point? She idealizes romance but the fact is, Byung Hoon's methods are truly more effective than the grand gestures she sighs over. What she brings to the agency isn't a skill but her heart, forcing the others to take the feelings of the client and target into account.

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If Se-kyung is such a naive girl to interpret romantic gestures as love , then i doubt someone would approach Cyrano to make her fall in love with them. All they have to do is just give her a red rose or may be hold an umbrella while it rains...

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oops...sorry meant Min-young not se-kyung

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Well, in the movie [spoiler?] there's a scene where the former target found out that everything was a lie and blaming Cyrano Agency for ruining her life. Even after doing all those scenarios to get the girl with the agency's help, the former client ended up cheating on her.

The movie pointed out this big flaw of the love manipulation operation. Meanwhile for now, we get the two leads debating the concept of love and the validity and sincerity of the whole operation... so I guess the show will eventually get to there too, pointing the flaws and what not.

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She wasn't cheering for Ray or Arang -- it was more that she didn't want Arang to give up his true feelings for the sake of the client. She didn't want him to not have a chance. In the restaurant, she was talking about not liking love-triangles because they hurt anyone -- she would have felt bad for Ray too had it not gone his way.

In the end, Arang confessed his true feelings and then it was Se-kyung's choice. Se-kyung chose to be with the guy who liked her than the guy who wasn't sure he'd like her enough. In a way, Arang's feelings were as fickle as Se-kyung's -- he starting changing his mind about her when she confessed and she started changing her mind about Ray when Ray confessed. Ray was the only one who liked her from start to end. But I don't think this is abnormal for highschool students. It's actually something I was saying to a friend of mine a few months ago, about how right now I don't like anybody (romantically), but them asking to date me/being nicer to me could change my feelings because of the virtue of them taking that step and making me feel special. You have to remember that Arang rejected her pretty clearly so she probably thought she didn't have a chance with him.

And the basis is faulty for sure, but it gives an opportunity (however deceitful its methods), to at least start the relationship. And that might be all the relationship needs. The person we bond with the most might be someone we would have passed off -- we can never know. One of my closest friends is somebody I wouldn't have talked to normally but having mutual friends pushed us together and now I'm really happy that I got to know him. Mutual friends hanging out together gave me an opportunity that I otherwise would not have seeked, even despite having met that person once/twice prior.

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Oh, I agree with everything you said~ I wouldn't have been able to say it better.

Especially about that last bit. One of my closest friends is literally someone I was forced to sit next to back in high school. We would've never talked to eachother if it wasn't for that random situation forcing us to spend time together.

So what Cyrano agency is doing is making a great start for people, getting people to notice eachother, but nothing more than that. The rest is up to them.

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i have a strong desire for the master to end up with min-young. maybe it's also the fact that i don't like her bickering with byung hoon.. lol.

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I really liked episodes 4 and 5, especially the scene where Arang confessed to Se-kyung and how that led to the scene after. The acting, music and words spoken were quite beautiful and aw so heart-tugging. I'm pretty sad that this storyline ended.

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Me too! I also loved the scence when Arang told his true feelings for Se kyung. Uggh it's so true since it is really hard to determine whether you really have a feeling for someone or you are just carried away by the good things they say and do.

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*scene

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Well, Minyoung's problem with men can be that she doesn't give them enough space... and peace :--)

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who said she has a problem, did I miss something? or are you implying because she is not in a relationship she has a problem.

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Well, it's the first non-ajumma heroine to use her handbag as a weapon/argument. I was delighted with that, but I guess it makes her soooooo undesirable in male eyes ;P

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The show is good but I guess lee soon shin is way better ! Srry bt thaks !

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You absolutely have the right to prefer one over the other but here you're comparing apples and oranges: Cyrano is a rom-com (16 eps of 45 mins) and YTBLSS is a family drama (50 eps of 65 mins).

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Well, I have to admit that lately I'm enjoying CDA much much more than some selfish mothers in a fight...

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...and chickens... forgot the chickens... ;--)

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Thanks for the recap! I wonder who Master really is... he can't be Do-il, can he? :|

Anyway, I'm enjoying the show more than I expected. It's been awhile since the last time I'm loving all the lead characters in a drama. Minyoung sure is nosy, but still very likeable. Her one liners are the best; "You think I can do U-turn right away like they do in dramas?" lol

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I'm loving this drama a lot~
Thanks so much for your recap!~

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thanks JB :)

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I'm liking Min-young more and more. She's actually more perceptive than I gave her credit for and she often does have points I agree with. Usually I have issues with naive and bubbly but her character has enough merits to make up for it.

Also, I really liked Arang's confession. It was so honest...he spelled out everything pretty clearly and then gave her the choice.

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i haven't watched ep 5 entirely yet, but ep 4 got me onboard emotionally, the first time in this show when i was interested what cyrano and arang were going to do next.

i was with arang on this, but the difference for sekyung's feelings for him is in the past, they were only on the level of a crush. she hadn't had enough interaction with him to build on those initial feelings yet. though they put her in scenarios that might foster feelings for hoyeol, it was her call on this. if her feelings, her crush, for arang at the time were strong enough, there's a good chance she wouldn't have moved on to a different guy just yet.

thanks for your thoughts on the drama jb, and i hope everything's alright with gummimochi!

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i didnt see MY solve any case
not sure her role/character in this drama...

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Master = Do-il's brother who was away studying culinary art and is now slowly seeking revenge, thinking that byung-hoon is the reason for do-il's death?

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I like this episode. Really bittersweet but a sorta kinda happy ending for everyone. I was also questioning whether ah rang just liked her because she told him she liked him, glad they addressed it in this episode.
And ugh, with that cliff hanger!!! I was like "what did she say dammit!"

I still don't like Master. Still too creepy.
Love the little jab at dramas and U turns lmaoo.

I can't wait to see Kwang Soo in the next episode, this is going to be hilarious. I hope someone makes kwang soo a lead in one of these Oh Boy series, lmao, that would be a hoot!

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Also, does anybody know the name of the song that played when Se Kyung met up with Ray and put the band aid on the window?

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I think it's a song of Ra.D. I just guessed it from his voice. Anyway, it's not released yet, still have to wait the release of the ost to confirm that.

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It's 100% Ra.D.

RealCollabo confirmed Ra.D joined the Dating Agency Cyrano OST via Twitter and Facebook.

https://twitter.com/RealCollabo/status/344063184916856836

https://www.facebook.com/rc.realcollabo

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Alright so this is the episode where I climb on board emotionally I liked the first 4 episodes but there was an emotional disconnect there that kept me from really loving this show. I think it was the fact that I had and still have no faith that the Cyrano agency helped the first couple for all we know they broke up 5 minutes after Byung-hoon and company left. So I hope this is a trend where they have as many zany set-ups ans possible beforehand but at the end just let the real emotions come out.

I now have more questions than answers about the Master. What is his connection to Byung-hoon, Do-ill, and Yi-seol? Is he friend, for or frenemy.

Also oddly enough I found my self, despite the way to big to make a real couple age difference between Sooyoung and Lee Jong-hyuk, coming to terms with the fact that since this is a Korean drama and not movie they'll almost 100% be a couple at the end.

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I liked the first 4 episodes but there was an emotional disconnect there that kept me from really loving this show.

I feel that way too, probably because this is the first setup where the target's feelings have been paid attention to for emotion and not comic effect (as was done in the Lee Yoon-ji case)

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The OST has been driving me insane cos I keep trying to Google it and nothing comes up! Does anyone have a clue what that English song is? The one that keeps playing in the background whenever they get a wistful moment in the drama.

I feel like this drama has a lot of great emotional beats that are just allowed to breathe on their own, which is fantastic. Quiet but very stirring. A lot of the characters are painted broadly but with that sense of realism - the feelings of an idol boy: who is to say his feelings are less sincere than a normal teenager? Feeling touched when someone makes the move to confess first and admitting that you may have started seeing someone in a different light simply because of that confession - absolutely beautifully painted. I enjoy the interactions between all the characters and that sense of intrigue behind what is really happening.

This drama hits all the right notes with me for now so sticking with it. I find it a lighter and more nuanced watch than Monstar and on par with ICHYV - this recent crop of dramas are really kicking ass!

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The singer of the English OST are Big Baby Driver. They sang the OST part 2 and they are 3 songs. I think the one you want is Say Hello to the world.

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Sorry I'm wrong. It is In the Same Storm instead :D

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Thanks so much! Yes that was the song I was looking for. It was driving me nuts.

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Yes, Thank You!

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Maybe Seung-Pyo is Do-il's secret half-brother, out for revenge or something after finding out his hyung died. :/

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Lol your reply above mine. MTE!

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:)

(Had to check this again due to ep6 and it looks like we're close to the truth)

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Did Do-il die somehow? Maybe in an accident and is Master Seung-pyo his brother? That's why he's probably resent Byung-hoon? For stealing his brother's girlfriend and blaming his brother maybe somehow related death to him? SO MANY QUESTIONS!

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he did not steal the girlfriend , she was with the guy till he died they were engaged. He just was in love with her, but never told her because of the friend.

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Arang looks like he just stepped out of a manga character and he reminded me of a subdued Tamaki of Ouran, heh!

I love the breezy tone of the drama, the character's interaction with each other with Min Young being the balancing fulcrum that made it even more interesting. I love her interaction with Arang, they looked soo cute like siblings :)

Master still puzzles me and I can't wait for the revelation on his character coz seriously I'm growing curious every time Master appeared on screen and made me want to shake him so hard to just stop being so vague >:|

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Lee Kwang Soo next episode!!!

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For me, I like the simple story of trying to help each of their different clients. And in the process, each of the 4 members get to grow up(?) or to move on from their past.

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So um... Bitchy 4D... Is that replying to us readers? Just because we voice out our opinons on reviewing styles?

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4D = Time. As in, it won't give us more. Damn that fourth dimension.

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javabeans, I don't get how you do it! Zounds! It looks like you are currently recapping Cyrano, 1N2D, Mandate of Heaven, Plus the Lee Soon Shin weekly weecap! Is sleep your friend or your enemy? I suddenly have visions of the editor in FBND...
(please don't burn yourself out we need you!)

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Oh no what have you done? Now I'm picturing JB with huge dark circles under her eyes cooking ramyun in her microwave and screaming at GF. Ah ha ha ha ha!

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Guilty conscience? ;)

Thanks JB for the wonderful recaps and therefore getting sleep-deprived. If I was your neighbor, I'd serve you coffee anytime!

@skelly: FBND's editor is still my favorite character on that show. And she can sing too. In a quirky voice, hehe. (FBND Special OST, She is Wow OST)

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Does anyone know what the song playing in the background during the scene where Se-kyung is running to find Ray? I've been dying to download that song since watching the episode but sadly have yet to find it and it's driving me crazy.

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Oh and speaking of music, I wanted to add that the use of music in this show is really lovely and well done. It sets the tone for the show wonderfully and it's not too overbearing. It's one of my favourite things about this drama so far.

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I couldn't find the song either despite HOURS of searching. Sadly I don't think it's been released yet. BUT I found out the singer is Ra.D so you can enjoy his other songs while you wait!

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Hi! It's 어떤 설레임 by Ra.D :) It hasn't been released officially yet, but hopefully it will be released just like all the other soundtracks from the series :)

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Thanks for the review. I guess that the other author won't continue to recap the show ? I wonder why. Does he/she not like the serie anymore ? It is a shame if so :'(

Anyway, I liked that episode a lot because it didn't end with the "happy ever after" but in a more realistic way. When people told you they like me, it is bound to change the perception that you have of them. Well, at least, it did to me so I understand how Se Kyung could have changed her feelings.
Even though Ah Rang's confession didn't sound completely sincere, I think he told the truth when he said that Ray may love her more and he did have feelings for her but it could be because she told him her feelings. Ray overcame the fact that he knew she loved Ah Rang and he still accepted Ah Rang's help despite all of this. Plus, he even said that when it comes to love, he didn't care about pride.

Anyway, keep with the recaping. I wish the drama would get more comments and people because it is just so good :D

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Don't worry, gummimochi is recapping Monstar (I think). Maybe JB just loves Cyrano more than Monstar so she offered to take over this one and let gummi do the other.

:D

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Thank you for the recap! I was gonna watch it but decided to wait for the recap. I always seem to miss little bits when watching but recaps always fill in those blanks.

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I'm glad you've switched out lee soon shin recaps for cyrano. Breezy and fun I'm sure is the preferred over the bogging down of a slower family drama which is more fun to watch than actually recap, so wise decision there. ESP when you're already recapping another show on your own.
I'm amazed that you and GF are currently taking on 2(!) shows each all on your own. Is this possibly the most that you guys have juggled in terms of recapping?? I think so.
Rest well JB&GF and I appreciate all that you guys graciously give us. :)

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Loved this episode. As always. I also like the balance the show is striking between our main couple and the overall story versus the Case of the Week. I'm glad of it.

Master Seung-pyo is really interesting. I think he could be Do-il's brother or something, and that's why he hates Byung-hoon so much.

I felt bad for Arang this episode, but happy for Ho-yeol.

I want Moo-jin's romance to get a kick start, soon.

Thanks for the recap, JB!

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Hmmmm.

Wasn't the biggest fan of this episode.

The whole A Rang love didn't feel that organic, and I think it was because I didn't get it from Jo Yoon Woo's acting.

I loved Jo Yoon Woo when he was acting as the happy-go-lucky guy and the general love-clueless nice guy.

But his acting in this episode and even in previous episode didn't evoke in me a sense that he was really falling for Se Kyung. It more felt like he was acting (A Rang rather than Yoon Woo) like he liked her.

I dunno, maybe just a limitation of the actor at this point?

Anyways, thankfully, we're going to another love story as I didn't think that this one quite lived up to what I was hoping for.

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Does anyone know the name of that song that played while Se Kyung was looking for Idol boy? Is it part of the ost yet?

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awww finally..honestly, i'm satisfied with the ending of sekyung and ho yeol. i tried to root for arang at first, but that painful eyes of ho yeol in this episode really captured me.. i think i might look forward for taemin's next acting (well, if he do)

and.. i really don't understand people who keep complaining about logic in any drama..seriously,,what do you expect from 2 and a half episodes of love story?? even they take the whole 16 episodes, it won't be enough to establish the logic. that's why it's a drama,,not a documentary..

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Do anyone know the name of the song playing at the end of the episode 5?

Thanks

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I'm sorry I don't know the answer.
Yet . . .
I'm going to tag up on this with added: Does anyone know the name of the song playing 17 minutes into the episode? It's on when, "Moo-jin just sits through it stone-faced, clearly not on her wavelength. She (Min Young) asks hopefully, “Are you maybe answering through telepathy and I just can’t hear it?”

Thanks from me, too.

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I started crying when Moo Jin pulled up in his motorcycle then ruffled Ah Rang's hair, and the *beautiful* Ra.D song kicked in. This bromance is pure love. My heart almost jumped out of my chest when Byung Hoon fed Ah Rang his next line "What will you do if I meant those words about liking you?" I was legitimately touched at Byung Hoon's selflessness. But I couldn't help thinking how ironic Ah Rang's confession was.

"I like you for real. But that could be because you confessed first..." (This applies to Ho Yeol and Se Kyung's relationship, too.) "You were starting to like him..." (But that was only because of Cyrano.)

I wanted to slap Ah Rang silly after he played off the kiss as a diversion. He already broke Se Kyung's heart once, but this was like ripping out her heart and stepping on it. Way too late to regret it now. This is the first episode that I felt sympathy for Ho Yeol. I would love for Se Kyung to choose Ah Rang, but at the same time, I would feel so sorry for Ho Yeol. This poor girl, though. As if two boys playing with her emotions weren't enough, an entire dating agency is planning how she falls in love.

Thanks for the recap, javabeans!

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Moo Jin often does that hair ruffle -- and it tugs at my heart, that little thing.
Im really excited for when moo jin's romance takes off.

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Quick Question: Is Seung-pyo actually a gangster? His two minions say something along the lines of "You're the most intelligent gangster around," but I don't know what to make of it.

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High School Idols in love and a van.

Wait, which show is is? Monstar? Cyrano? j/k

Thanks for the recap, looking forward to Ep 6.

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okay. so im confused here.
I think there's a sort of paradox in the drama...

so, if Se Kyung first started liking Arang during the hockey incident, and Hoyeol saw it and got jealous.

And in the scene where Hoyeol is dancing in front of the class, we see a Se Kyung staring outside her window at Arang. It is also this scene where Hoyeol injures himself, and its the bit where Se Kyung applies the band aid on his hand.
So if this scene is where Hoyeol first falls in love with her, there's a paradox because we see him get jealous in the hockey scene that occured PRIOR to the "band-aid scene". Meaning, Hoyeol apparently had feelings for SeKyung BEFORE the actual scene where he FIRST fell in love with her?

Unless, the band aid scene WASNT the FIRST time he fell in love with her. And that he fell in love with her in an unseen scene?
Or, the bandaid scene occurred before the hockey scene, and SeKyung FIRST fell in love with Arang in an unseen scene??

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in both the dancing scene and the hockey scene hy was trying to impress sk so he's liked her before then. we're not told exactly since when. hy was staring at sk when she was tending to his small wound bc he was already in love.

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This episode left me a little un-nerved...I hope they throw in some consequences to the scenarios that the Cyrano agency is coming up with. I find it difficult to believe Se Kyung changed her mind about Arang.

When he said to Se Kyung, "I'm never going to like you as much as he [Ho-yeol] does," I had this completely perplexed look on my face... and then, Se kyung ran away from him to Ho-Yeol. What BS. If it was me, I would have been like, "Well Arang, I'm never going to like Ho-yeol as much as I like you." That seems more real. Instead Se Kyung is this rag doll pulled here and there.

I just don't buy that you can stage love and not have the whole thing blow up in your face. Life and love are not so easy to control or else there would be a Cyrano Dating Agency on every corner!

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Guuuurl I can't even describe how much I like your response!!! “Well Arang, I’m never going to like Ho-yeol as much as I like you.” hahaha if that really happened it would be so DAEBAK.

But yeah, I'm definitely one of those that don't buy Se Kyung's change of heart either... Especially when she still looks rather hesitant the last time she's with Ray. The kiss with Arang must've had a big impact to her. That coupled with his sincerity when he goes out to meet her and with the confession and all. It's hard to believe suddenly she would still come (and running too(!)) towards Ray in the end. IDK, it just feels forced just to tie loose ends quickly to me.

Anyway, there was really something gripping about the sweet ache of this storyline and I'm sad to see it end!

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BH: turn the car around
MY: you think this is a drama, I can't do an u-turn.
lol I loved that part.
(maybe is not right but the meaning is that :))

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