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She Was Pretty: Episode 3

Our heroine dives into her new job with commitment, determined to make it work, while her best friend gets caught in a tricky lie. Nothing goes quite as planned for either friend, but all is not lost — Hye-jin could find herself making new friends at the office, whether she likes it or not.

 
EPISODE 3 RECAP

Sung-joon sees Ha-ri at her hotel and follows her in, calling her Hye-jin and looking hurt that she lied about leaving the country. Thinking fast, Ha-ri pulls Sung-joon into a hug before he can see her name tag — she tosses it over her shoulder, hitting a coworker in the head with it.

When the coworker tries to return it, Ha-ri yanks a confused Sung-joon outside, and they go to a cafe to talk. Ha-ri’s aegyo is useless in the face of Sung-joon’s upset, so she tells him that she did go to London but was called back for the hotel job. She’s super-twitchy, and Sung-joon doesn’t look like he’s buying any of this.

He finally decides to believe her and relaxes, and tells her that she should have called him when she came back. Ha-ri claims she was going to call him later today, which mollifies Sung-joon for now.

Ha-ri slips up and mentions his job, which he never told her about. She has the worst poker face ever, so it’s lucky for her that he’s just so glad to see her that he seems to be choosing not to look too closely into her behavior. He says they can see each other often now, since their workplaces are close, and Ha-ri looks like she wants to crawl under the table.

When she gets free Ha-ri calls Hye-jin, who’s away from her desk, so Shin-hyuk answers. He blandly offers to give Hye-jin a message as long as it’s an interesting story, hee, but Ha-ri just hangs up, confused even more because she thought Hye-jin was tendering her resignation.

Between Ha-ri’s freakout over seeing Sung-joon again, and Hye-jin’s freakout over his treatment of her at work, Sung-joon has worked both roommates into a tizzy today. Hye-jin comes home hollering that he’ll never make her quit her job, but Ha-ri is confused at Hye-jin’s anger since she claims she and Sung-joon had such a special relationship.

Hye-jin tells Ha-ri what he said about not deserving the name Kim Hye-jin, but Ha-ri can’t believe that the sweet gentle man she met would say such a thing. Hye-jin says it’s a good thing they told him she was moving away, so he shouldn’t ever find out that she’s his Hye-jin, and she plans to just work hard and ignore him.

She forbids Ha-ri to ever speak of him again, so Ha-ri pretends she can’t remember what she was going to say. She decides that telling her friend about running into Sung-joon again would only upset her, vowing to handle it herself.

I wish I knew what was on Sung-joon’s tablet, because he’s so focused on it the next morning that he accidentally drinks the water in his table’s centerpiece. He smacks into another glass door on his way out, still reading, and heads to the street corner.

When the signal changes and everyone starts to walk, a woman’s voice rings out, “It’s a go!” Something about it snaps Sung-joon out of his absorption in whatever he’s reading, and he’s reminded of himself as a child, walking down a street with young Hye-jin. She’d also called out, “It’s a go!” when their light turned green.

It was Hye-jin at that light, walking ahead of him to their building, and Sung-joon doesn’t see her. But it’s Shin-hyuk who wishes her good morning and offers her a bite of his triangle kimbap, which, ew.

Still standing at the light, Sung-joon calls Ha-ri who’s still home getting ready for work. He starts to ask if she remembers their long-ago conversation at the crosswalk, but he stops himself and says he’ll call her later. Ha-ri asks him to set aside some time later to talk.

So-ri begins her campaign to identify and snag the secret office chaebol by making all three potential candidates coffee and giving them her best aegyo, to their universal confusion. Of course, when one of the other female employees says she’d like coffee too, So-ri tells her to go get some fresh air to wake up. Way to be subtle, So-ri.

The office instant message system blows up once Sung-joon arrives at work, and he immediately calls a meeting. Hye-jin bolsters her spirits by reminding herself that three months isn’t so long, but she crumples in fear once the meeting starts. It doesn’t help that she’s not up on magazine lingo and really has no clue what anyone is talking about.

She’s so worried that she’ll make a mistake that she grabs the wrong remote control when asked to turn on a video, instead shining a laser pointer right in Sung-joon’s face. He holds his temper today, only reminding her that he hates wasting time.

Hye-jin is a bundle of nerves by the time the meeting is over, and Shin-hyuk hangs back to tease her about how jumpy she is around Sung-joon, when she’s pretty competent otherwise. He says she acts like someone afraid of getting caught, which is way too close for comfort, and Hye-jin’s over-the-top reaction only increases his suspicion.

Sung-joon is expecting the meeting notes from Hye-jin, but she still has no idea what much of the discussion was about. Nobody has time to explain things to her, so when she takes the notes to Sung-joon he’s frustrated at her again. She tells him that she got the job honestly though her abilities, but he wonders why she’s here when she doesn’t even understand basic terminology.

She explains that she was transferred here suddenly and hasn’t had time to learn, and there’s nobody to teach her. Sung-joon says that she can’t wait for someone else and should do it herself. He only works with pros and doesn’t care about her history, and he’s willing to let her go if she can’t keep up. He literally throws the meeting notes back at her and dismisses her.

Hye-jin is sent to help So-ri organize cosmetic products, but she’s unfamiliar with the brands and has difficulty reading the labels. So-ri laughs that she’s never used common cosmetics before, which of course is when Sung-joon walks by and sighs at her uselessness again.

Later Hye-jin is walking past Director Cha and Sung-joon, and she’s put on the spot when Director Cha asks for a particular jacket and she has no idea which one it is. Shin-hyuk catches her banging her head on her desk (and uses the opportunity to slide his bag of dry ramyun under her forehead to break it up, heh) and wonders who is frustrating her so much.

She goes back to the management team office and starts working like she belongs there, and her boss has to physically drag her back to the Most office. He tells her that her three months will be over in a flash, but he sighs that she looks like an animal going to slaughter.

Hye-jin is immediately grabbed and put right back to work, and manages to hold it together for the rest of the day. She’s exhausted and falls asleep on the bus home, but she still gives up her seat for an elderly ajumma who boards the bus.

The jerk who insulted Hye-jin at Ha-ri’s birthday party is waiting on the doorstep when Ha-ri gets home, but there’s no way she’s ever going to forgive him. A young girl sees him calling after Ha-ri and comments that he must have screwed up pretty bad for her sister to be so angry.

She offers to tell the man how to get on Ha-ri’s good side if he’ll treat her to dessert, and luckily Hye-jin arrives home in time to warn the guy that she’s a con artist — she’s actually Hye-jin’s sister, KIM HYE-RIN (played by Jung Da-bin, who also plays young Hye-jin — cute twist). She apparently has a habit of pretending to be Ha-ri’s sister to get stuff from the men Ha-ri dates, ha.

Hye-rin calls Hye-jin ugly and runs off home — these are no loving sisters, as they both seem inclined to scream and argue. Hye-jin goes inside and collapses in the doorway, exhausted from her long work day. She spends the evening complaining about her job and wailing that she didn’t show Sung-joon how awesome she is like she’d vowed to do.

Ha-ri points out that every field of work has terms and phrases that you have to learn, and she doesn’t agree when Hye-jin calls it “showing off.” Of course she would get scolded when she doesn’t even know the basics. She asks if Hye-jin has tried to learn, or if she was too busy thinking of Sung-joon. Touché.

Hye-jin stomps off to bed but she can’t stop thinking of Ha-ri’s words, unable to deny that she had a point. Finally she gets up and finds some old magazines in storage, and a note from Ha-ri stuck between the pages. She wrote that she was right but she doesn’t like to see Hye-jin scolded, and offers to explain anything Hye-jin needs to know. Best. Friend. Ever.

Hye-jin spends all her free time studying old fashion magazines, and Ha-ri teaches her everything she knows about fashion trends and makeup, which mostly seems to consist of learning the English terms for everything. Soon Hye-jin is impressing her coworkers and even Chief Editor Kim with her newly-acquired knowledge.

At the next staff meeting Hye-jin’s fingers fly as she types up the notes, exulting internally that she understands what people are talking about. But she still manages to draw negative attention when she gets so excited that she cries out, “Yee-hee!” Of course Sung-joon snarls at her, but Shin-hyuk thinks it’s hilarious.

Sung-joon can’t find any fault in her notes this time, but still Hye-jin manages to ruin her grand exit by knocking a stack of files off his desk. At least this time he doesn’t yell at her, but she still beats herself up for ruining her own triumphant moment.

Shin-hyuk sidles over to her desk to ask her to take him out for ddukbokki as she promised, but she doesn’t feel like it today. He decides to flip a coin and she wins the toss, but he claims she didn’t and they get in an argument over which side of the coin is heads.

Shin-hyuk goes through this long explanation of why the number side is actually heads, managing to confuse Hye-jin so much that she stops arguing. He tells her they’ll go eat after work, and when he gets back to his desk, he smiles the most adorable smile ever.

Ha-ri spends her day trying to think of what to say to Sung-joon, forgetting that it’s her father’s birthday today. She calls Sung-joon to ask for a two-hour delay to their plans, so he goes back into the office.

Hye-jin is sent to return some books to the office library, and takes some time to look through the shelves. She finds a children’s book from her father’s publishing company and flips through it happily, unaware that Sung-joon is right around the corner. Shin-hyuk calls to ask when they’re going to eat and she runs out after putting the book away.

Sung-joon wanders over and sees the same book, and stops to look through it with the same expression of nostaglia that was just on Hye-jin’s face. Awww.

Ha-ri’s mother starts in on her the moment she walks in the door, but her relationship with her father seems a lot more friendly — she probably avoids home because of Mommy Dearest. Her father takes a call during dinner leaving Ha-ri and her mother alone, and Mom immediately starts harping on Ha-ri again.

Mom knows about the celebration on Ha-ri’s birthday and basically calls her a slut for partying with men. She says she prefers moderate behavior, and Ha-ri shoots back that she should have been moderate with the Botox. Ouch. Mom sighs out that her looks and personality are just like her mother’s, and ooooooh, now the animosity makes sense. This isn’t Mom, this is Stepmom.

That’s a low blow, and Ha-ri says she won’t stand for her mother being spoken of that way. Dad comes back just as Ha-ri raises her voice and he slaps her hard, so hard that even Stepmom is shocked. He demands Ha-ri apologize, so she stammers out the words with a shaking voice, and leaves.

Once outside she calls Hye-jin, but she’s eating with Shin-hyuk and doesn’t answer. Shin-hyuk is eating Hye-jin out of house and home, and she mentions that she only ever sees him eat cheap junk food like this. He claims it’s a bachelor thing, then spills hot soup all down her front. Then he tries to help her wipe off, basically groping her, HA.

Hye-jin is so busy managing Shin-hyuk that she misses Ha-ri’s texts, and Ha-ri ends up drinking alone in a bar, completely forgetting about her plans with Sung-joon. Eventually she remembers and calls him, and he forgets his annoyance when she tells him where she is.

Once Shin-hyuk walks Hye-jin to her bus stop and heads home himself, she finally sees the messages from Ha-ri. She tries to call her back but Ha-ri is sleeping on the bar, so the bartender answers and tells Hye-jin where to find her.

Meanwhile another customer in the bar is sizing up the drunk Ha-ri (cameo by Kim Sung-oh, and OMG that hair), and he wanders over to strike up a conversation. She rolls her eyes at his awful pickup lines and tells him to get lost, having seen his wedding ring.

She stands and tries to leave and the guy grabs her arm, jerking her around, and thankfully Sung-joon arrives to rescue her. Not that she needs it, as she grabs a decorative pineapple and whacks the letch over the head with it, HA.

A few minutes later the jerk is nursing his wounds in the bathroom, and Sung-joon walks in and slaps down his three-minute timer. He calmly tells the man he has three minutes to go apologize to the lady, but of course the guy refuses.

The three office gossips chat about Sung-joon vetoing all of their ideas in the meeting, but one of them says that she thinks he will approve some of their ideas. She notices something during the meeting – something about his forearms. When he decides on something, he rolls up his sleeves.

In the bar bathroom, the jerk’s time is running out, and Sung-joon starts to roll up his sleeves. A few minutes later he goes out to check on Ha-ri, who’s managed to skin up her hand badly wielding her pineapple bludgeon. Sung-joon starts to lead her out, and neither of them see Hye-jin as she arrives looking for her friend.

HAHA, she gasps when she sees the jerk sporting a bloodied nose and a woeful expression, but Ha-ri is nowhere to be seen. The bartender tells Hye-jin that Ha-ri was picked up by a man, but Ha-ri dates a lot so Hye-jin has no way of knowing which man it could be.

Sung-joon takes Ha-ri to the doctor and sees her sign in with her real name without thinking. He offers to fill out the forms for her and the nurse points out a wound on his face, which Ha-ri hadn’t noticed.

Ha-ri’s hand is bandaged up and they leave, and she asks why he’s not asking her about missing dinner or why she was drinking alone. Sung-joon says he could tell something bad happened and he didn’t want to bring it up, and takes her for some hot comforting soup.

As they eat, Sung-joon brings up his weight as a kid, and Ha-ri forgets herself for a moment and insults him by saying he was really fat. He lets it slide and says that his mother fed him this soup all the time and he hated it, but since she passed away he’s been trying to find a place whose soup tastes like his mother’s. Awwww.

He stops himself and says that he sure is talking a lot about himself lately, but it’s been a long time since he’s been around someone who made him want to talk this much. Ha-ri seems a bit stunned, and when he asks her what she wanted to talk about, she falters.

In Ha-ri’s hotel, a coworker finds her note to herself where she’d written several excuses not to see Sung-joon again. Her fiance wouldn’t like it, she’s moving to Jeju Island, etc. At the restaurant Ha-ri is unprepared for Sung-joon’s question, and her hesitation causes him to comment that she seems bland.

As she watches him eat, Ha-ri thinks to herself that he got hurt tonight because of her. Telling him the truth today would be hurtful, so she’ll just tell him next time. I dunno, I don’t like the way her expression seems to be softening towards him.

Worried, Hye-jin paces outside their little cottage waiting for Ha-ri to come home. When she does, Ha-ri says she just fell and hurt her hand. She sits in her room feeling conflicted, especially when Sung-joon texts her to make sure she’s okay.

In voice-over, Hye-jin muses that you only see as much of the world as you know about it, and the same could be said for people. The more you get to know someone, the more clearly you see who they are… just like Ha-ri that day with Sung-joon.

In the morning Sung-joon is at the coffee shop engrossed in his tablet as usual, but this time the barista takes the flowers before he can drink them, ha. He starts to leave but gets a call that has him sitting again, and he accidentally sits on a notebook that someone left in the chair.

He hears a familiar voice telling him that the notebook is hers, and looks up to see young Hye-jin, looking exactly as she looked the last time he saw her — or more accurately Hye-rin, who is a dead ringer for her older sister at that age. Hye-jin walks in at that moment looking for her sister, sees Sung-joon smile at her sister, and goes straight into panic mode.

COMMENTS

Bravo, Show — what a clever way to throw our hero into turmoil, by putting him face-to-face with his first love’s sister, who looks identical to the girl he remembers. This adds a whole new dimension to the love triangle/deception switcheroo that Hye-jin and Ha-ri are playing on Sung-joon, especially since he’s starting to see the cracks in Ha-ri’s claims to be Hye-jin. And as much of a loose cannon as Hye-rin seems to be, I have no doubt that she’s not going to make keeping her secret easy for her noona.

Aside from noticing a couple of minor but confusing editing choices, I’m really enjoying the show as it settles a bit further into it’s groove. It still feels a little like we’re not done getting all of our players to their starting positions, but I kind of like that there’s no hurry and that we’re getting to know the characters naturally. The show is a bit wackier in places than I expected, but I find the simple love story very endearing and I love the strong focus on friendship while we slowly approach the romance. And I know that it’s a drama and that means drama, but I can’t help wishing the show wouldn’t make Ha-ri fall for Sung-joon, though it seems that’s where things are going. The girls’ friendship is one of the best things about this show, and I would hate to see Ha-ri hurt her friend that way, even unintentionally.

There’s been a lot of criticism of Hwang Jung-eum’s acting (in this as well as her previous dramas) and I thought I’d weigh in on that while it’s still early days. I’ve seen her in several dramas, and I think she’s a talented actress who is capable of playing the subtler emotions quite effectively. For that reason, I’m looking forward to the part of the show where she and Sung-joon spend more time together, because goodness knows the actors have proven that they have chemistry like whoa, and I expect her hysterical behavior to simmer down once that chemistry kicks in. I do agree that at times she goes a little too far with the shrieking and overwrought behavior, and this drama is no exception. It’s especially strange to see her younger self portrayed as being so poised and well-spoken, then see Hye-jin lose the ability to form a sentence just because she’s nervous. People don’t really act like that.

BUT — this is a rom-com. The overall feel of the show is a little zany, and I don’t think any of the characters are meant to be like people you would meet in a real office setting. Several other people in the Most office are also over-the-top, larger than life caricatures and behave in ways that regular people just don’t behave at work. I think that Hye-jin’s tendency to be very loud makes her character seem worse when really, she’s not the only Most employee who acts bizarre, not by a long shot. And I’m hoping that as she settles into the job and her relationship with Sung-joon gets less antagonistic, the screaming will calm down, as already seems to be happening. So for me, I’m willing to just go with it for now… if she’s still freaking out and shrieking a few weeks from now, we’ll talk again.

Speaking of over-the-top characters, Shin-hyuk is killing me dead. This role is tailor-made for Choi Si-won, who seems to shine more the goofier he’s allowed to be. I was honestly expecting basically the same character he played in King of Dramas, which would have garnered no complaints from me because I adored him as Hyun-min. But I’m happily surprised (and further impressed by Si-won’s acting ability) to find that Shin-hyuk is a whole different flavor of quirky, not to mention whip-smart despite his first impression as the office clown. He’s already onto Hye-jin and I have no doubt he’ll be the first to figure out her secret, though he seems like a good guy and I don’t expect him to use the information against her. In fact, he would make a pretty amazing co-conspirator, if Hye-jin can bring herself to trust him. I rarely suffer from Second Lead Syndrome, but I sort of love the way Shin-hyuk looks at Hye-jin already. I almost hope they keep things firmly in the Friend Zone or my poor heart may not make it.

As for Sung-joon, he’s a bit of an enigma. I’m a huge (huge) fan of Park Seo-joon’s ever since Witch’s Romance, but I’m finding this character less immediately accessable than Dong-ha — or even Ri-on, whose whole persona was based on being mysterious. I don’t find any fault with Park Seo-joon’s portrayal, but it’s just how the character is written. I think a lot of viewers are put off by Sung-joon’s ability to compartmentalize his work persona and his personal life, and for now we’re seeing more of him at work where he’s got to be a hardass in order to save the magazine. He has good reason, but I can’t wait to see more of the Sung-joon that’s been carrying a torch for a girl who could see through the chubby little boy to the sweet soul we know is in there. Deep down. Somewhere.

It’s different from the usual jerk-meets-girl-and-becomes-nice story, because we already know the hero is a nice guy and the jerk behavior is just for professional reasons. We’re seeing glimpses of the true Sung-joon as he reconnects with his old friend, or thinks he does, and the way his eyes become soft when he talks about his childhood make me think that the sweet little boy is still there, he’s just built up some armor as he grew older. As he said himself, he hasn’t had anyone he felt safe to be himself around in a long time. I appreciate that Sung-joon’s journey won’t be about changing who he is, as happens in so many dramas, but about reminding him of the person he’s always been. It’s just that he hasn’t found the person who will be able to do that for him just yet, but when he and the real Hye-jin finally reconnect, I think we’re going to be in for a real treat.

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Love the chemistry between Hje and Siwon. Jope these two end up together!

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oops, I mean 'Hope"

I love the writer wrote Shin Hyuk character, who never fail to recognise Hye Jin from any angles, whether she looks pretty or not. She's surely very attractive in Shin Hyuk's eyes and I wish, Shin Hyuk will end up with Hye Jin, I bet he found her inner beauty pretty soon.

I got fed up with Sung Joon Character. I think he only look up one's outer appearance.. and i really hate how he belittles everyone, thought he's the only superior one.. Bleeeaaaahh..

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Hear! Hear!

I skipped most of Sung Joon's scenes and was glued to Shin Hyuk's. Those were so lively...

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Yes, I totally agree with you and with LollyPip about Shin Hyuk!

He's pretty much my favorite thing about the show right now and I just really wish he was in it more, because his scenes are always so funny and great. Which is what I want in a rom-com.

(Especially since there is very little rom or com with the main couple right now ... )

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while i've made up mind about SH clearly stealing the show for me, i'm holding out for SJ ... still too early in the series -although some of his words can be overbearing- in which I am hoping HJ does eventually put him in his place. but for the mean time, i think his , 'professional' attitude should be accounted for since all their jobs are on the line. it's a big taste and half assery work just won't make the cut. but yeah, sometimes his remarks and insults can be harsh ,:/ but that is why we have SH!!! HUZZAH!

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task*

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Me too! I'm already hoping that whenever Sung Joon character change, the heroine wouldn't end up with him and end up with Siwon character instead. I find Sung Joon hypocritical...not compartmentalizing.

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Same here, I ship these two so hard. Shin Hyuk and Hye Jin are an awesome couple and he sees a valuable and attractive person in her, I enjoy their moments together so much!!
On the other hand, Sung Jung has threatened with firing her and insulted her. He has been arrogant and looks down on her.

However I can see that their childhood friendship is a powerful connection...things can change if they get closer and he starts to open up and also apologize for being a jerk. I really want him to fall for her before he discovers who she is. As much as I hate him now, I am prepared to see Park Seo Joon winning our hearts at the end of the series....

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Okay, I do have to say one thing in defense of Sung Joon. While he may have the Mean Girl attitude down, some of his little ticks tells me he doesn't enjoy having to do it. The scene where he was uber-cruel to Hye Jin -- I mean, I was shocked at how mean -- at the end of it, his voice cracked, like he was completely uncomfortable with having to be like this.

His whole reason for doing this is to save all of them and someone being nice hasn't been working for them. But after that initial meeting, he's been nicer. And what he's doing is getting results, which means that he's going to become nicer still.

While I am suffering serious second-lead syndrome, I still really like Sung Joon, too.

I'm actually hoping that our second-leads end up together. I can see it happening, because Ha Ri could really throw Shin Hyuk off kilter, not reacting to what he does to harass people, which would drive him crazy, since she'd definitely be a puzzle he can't solve. And I can totally see Shin Hyuk putting the evil stepmother in her place, even as he pleasantly smiles while doing it.

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Such second lead syndrome in this one-- not just because Siwon is killing it in the charm department, but because Sung-joon is such a thoroughly unlikeable character. Right now, Hari and what he thinks is her mini-me are the only characters that he's kind to. He's gruff or down right nasty/abusive to everyone else.

**I think it's telling not just of writing, but acting. If you look at our Mr. Grumpypants in Twenty Again, you have a male lead who is rude, childish and sometimes awful to the female lead, but still remains likeable. ***

At this point I don't know if Sung-Joon can be redeemed in my eyes, and I thoroughly wish that Shin Hyuk gets whatever girl makes his heart flutter.

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Totally agree on Mr. Grumpypants. In Twenty Again. He has done some mean things, but he is still cute in his childish ways and we know he has a good heart. In this drama I can't stand Sung-Joon. It is hard to understand how somebody that apparently suffered as a child treats people just as he was treated. I dislike this character so much that I'm only watching (actually fast forwarding through episodes) just to see if he is suffering yet.

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can`t agree more. I keep watching the drama only bc of Siwan. I really like Seo Joon as an actor, but hate his abusive character here. I know already, that I am not going to beleive his transformation. No excuses. Oh, and I wish Hye Jin would scream much less.

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I totally agree! So far, Shin Hyuk is my fave and I love how gentle he is with Hye Jin. And although he teases her a lot, it's nothing rude.

Seong Joon is a bit too much for me as well. But considering that they only have 3 months to get Most on top, I'll give him some slack. Just imagine when he finds out shes the real Hye Jin? I believe he'd still be pissed w/ both girls, but I hope before he finds out, they work things out as fellow employees and he starts to see her in a different light and become friends and he starts to see that she's the real deal.

And one more thhing to add, I really dont want the typical love triangle and Ha Ri starts to fall for Seong Joon...its just gonna complicate things and it will break Hye Jin's heart and ours...oh wait this is a drama...of course the writers would...agh..

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LOL, maybe they'll be paired together in her next drama?

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Bless you, I agree. I ship the Jackson couple. I am mad at Sung Joon having watched episode 4.
"It’s different from the usual jerk-meets-girl-and-becomes-nice story, because we already know the hero is a nice guy and the jerk behavior is just for professional reasons." - sorry, LollyPip. Don't agree with you. Sung Joon's behavior towards Hye Jin stems from his own prejudice and is not professional. It is very personal. He has decided she can do nothing right and treats her like that all the time. I don't with that attitude of his how he can inspire the magazine team into producing something stunning and positive when most of the office is terrified of him.

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I agree--he flat out told HJ that he hates her because she "shares a name with his first love." That's some Olympic-level childish pettiness. It's one thing to think she is incompetent--and let's face it, she is (also, why does the management team keep pushing her back to Most? I guess they don't want to deal with her uncontrolled outbursts?), but he's actively mean to her and unprofessional. Honestly, why not just fire her instead of threatening it?

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He is there to save the magazine with the existing staff, not fire people and start from scratch. While I agree, the whole "you share a name bit" was cruel, I don't think he has been any harder on Hye Jin than the rest of the staff. He has been brutal to everyone in his efforts. I agree that it is probably him compartmentalizing. It would help if the writers showed a bit more of his cold nature to the rest of the group.

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It is not that he is hard only on her, but rather she gives him reasons to do so more than the others. He is there to save the magazin and has only 3 months to do so, so it's understandble why he acts the way he does. Although the coment about the name was too much, but it was again because of the way she acts and having the name one of the most imprtant people he has makes it just worse. Honestly she hasn't put any effort into doing her job, which should have been her priority from the begining.

Remember how he treated her in the elevetor? That scene showed that he is different from his working personality. Problem is we rarely see him interacting with people exept his coworkers or the supposed best friend.

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Spoiler alert for 4, do not read any further if you haven't watched 4

Yes, he is hard on everyone. But he insults Hye Jin on a personal level. Yep, she is not so suited for the job. Because she came from an altogether different department. At least in the management department her supervisor was actually guiding her. My point is, she is an intern. She is easily replaceable and most importantly she is supposed to have somebody guiding her, she is not part of the actual editorial team hence if she can just be transferred to her original department or fired if they find her so not up to the job. The whole he is there to fix the magazine in three months doesn't apply to an intern as she is temporary addition to the team to begin with. In episode 2, the first thing Sung Joon said after Hye Jin made a mistake that was not really her fault was this, good that she is an intern so she is here for a short while. Second time, in the office room a day after she has moved departments he called her as someone having mental disability, toxin that contaminates air indirectly by asking for her opinion on a matter that she lacks suitable knowledge on. Third episode actually was alright but fourth episode is back to being unprofessional again for Sung Joon. Yes, bosses can be cruel but even they have to follow ethics which means in a real life scenario, he can ask her to leave the meeting or rebuke her but within respectable limits. His insults are personal. I would have been able to respect him if they were coming from a professinonal point of view but they aren't hence I don't care for Sung Joon anymore. I hope Hye Jin can grow from this situation and will either end up alone or end up with Shin Hyuk by the end because Sung Joon is too much of a hypocrite for Hye Jin and bit too pathetic at this point.
I've seen episode 4 which is why I am so ranting so much against Sung Joon. You guys will know once you see it.

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Agreed. Twice thus far he's implied that she's mentally disabled. His behavior has crossed over the line from cold to bullying. He's a jerk.

And also, might I add, a really bad boss. "You suck, so give me something new and better," is not the way to get the best results. I'm not saying he should not be tough, but the guy just craps on everything without giving his own ideas. The group creative meetings make me cringe.

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Gem, I have also season episode 4, so my take on SJ is influenced by what happened in that episode, too. But seriously, just move her back to management. Since Most gets what Most wants, why not just transfer her back and get a different internet who can work? It would be professionally best for both of them anyway, especially since Most could have someone working for them that doesn't fall apart, and good for HJ because then she can keep her job and advance her career in a department where she there is no boss to make her behave like a nutcase.

And yes, there's being curt and critical in the professional sense, which can turn people off at work, and then there's cruel, personal attacks, especially when there is no guidance.

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+10000 agreed

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I agree with you Gem!

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And that's the real issue here. The show isn't presenting him being an ass JUST as him being wrapped up in this magazine thing. He outright said it's because he doesn't think she lives up to the name of his first love, this idealized version of her. And he hurls horrible personal insults at her and is really unpleasant. He needs to grovel for her forgiveness for being an ass BEFORE he even finds out the secret or im never gonna buy it. After he finds out everything he does is going to be colored by 'she was my first love' and I wont be able to buy any turnaround. It's irritating.

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Haha...that would be such a TRILLL LOL

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Second lead syndrome struck hard here. I love Siwon's goofy character and his crush on Hye Jin.

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Me too. He's killing it. I never thought I'd get SLS from Siwon but he's doing it. Her bestie is also really nailing things. That whole scene where she spun her story about being recruited back from London just had me in stitches, especially her physical performance (see screenshot above!). I'm actually kind of rooting for her to score Park Seo Joon's character.

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At this point I genuinely want Ha-ri and Sung-joon together, and Shik-hyuk and Hye Jin together. IT would be nice if a Kdrama broke from the fated-first-love format for once, and this would be a great drama to do it.

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Omg yes. I noticed that Ha Ri and Shik Hyuk are very much alike while SJ and Hye Jin are as well... Heres to hoping they do opposites attract and not first loves!

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Quoting Mr. Walter Riso, "Opposites attract but they are more prone to not get along". ;)

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Ah I am loving this show. Its hilarious, though at times over the top! But that's what you expect for a romantic comedy! And I love all four of them already! Looking forward to next episodes.

Thanks for the review LollyPip :)

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Thank you very much for the recap. I have also this Second Lead Syndrome especially when a guy is like Shin Hyuk. For now I am rooting for them. I wish Hye Jin interacts more with Shin Hyuk to the point that Sung Joon realizes that is how Hye Jin interacts during their times and he would defintely see the real Hye Jin.

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It pains me to see Sung Joon be such an ass to Hye Jin. I know he is being mean on purpose because he thinks she is disgracing his first love's name.. but still.. i hope his ass-ness tapers off soon. They were so cute together as kids.. you shouldn't be clashing this hard as adults!!

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Hye Jin-ah, whatever happens don't worry.Be strong.
Your still the main female lead in my heart..Fighting!!! ❤

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the plot is boring

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Yes, a bit. But totally obfuscated by the amazing amount of overacting. I really really want to like this show. It needs to help me get there!

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Hey Susan,
How did you get all those flowers and leaves before your username? Looks nice :)

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I found a site that lets you add all kinds of emojis: http://www.iemoji.com/ Enjoy! :-)

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Thank you! :)

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Thank you for the insight. Episode one and two showed promise, now it's just a drag. The acting by the two main leads isn't helping either (Sung Joon and Hye Jin).

People bashed Time We were not in love...but I actually liked the vibe of that show...Ha Ji Won and Lee Jin Wook have charisma. I'm not sure what it is that Park Seo Joon and Hwang Jung eum are bringing to the table this time...it's falling a bit flat.

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I'm loving Shin Hyuk!! :) Can't wait to find out more of his story.
Hye Jin and Ha Ri - like them so far except for HJE's overacting.
Sung Joon - dislike.

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What is it on Sung-joon's tablet??
Shin-hyuk is funny but seems a comic character, no plot.
Sung-joon is being toooo mean, not acceptable.

All in all, the episode was good. There are so many subtle hints and ways for the ultimate reveal. And hye-jin panic mode is OTT but then as ha-ri said she keeps thinking of sung-joon, thinking of situations when he finds out the truth, and its aftermath.

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Shin-hyuk is working for me because it's clear that the goofball act is, in fact, some sort of act. The interest he's showing in Hye Jin is genuine and mostly benign (he doesn't intentionally set her up to fail) and he's got something else going on. Siwon is impressing me, making a broadly comic character more subtle than I thought he would.

It's weird - Hwang Jung-eum is ticking me off by making Hye-rin an overacting, pratfalling fool, while Siwon is taking the same sort of supposedly foolish-and-smart character and making it work through subtle hints.

It's so frustrating that Hwang Jung-eum is perfectly capable of being an excellent, nuanced actress, but as soon as she's told her character is even remotely screwy, she dials it up to 1000. It's like she's got an idea of "comic character" in her head and she disconnects it from the rest of the scenes. So she'll do things that are completely insane and out-of-character without regard for how the character will evolve. Especially when we saw her as a child who was pretty calm and sane.

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I agree with you on the part that she has got an idea of comic character in her head. But it seems unrelatable here. A person becomes quite, meek when they are not confident of themselves, but she is far from that.
About Siwon, his goofball is funny, yes! Maybd as the show progresses he will have a good well developed character. I completely ship these two, sung-joon is overly rude.

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The story still stabilizing their roots and I'm loving it,
can't believe I have no particular complaint so far

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I don't think Hwang Jung Eum is over acting that much. Especially since in this world there are a lot of crazy characters anyway, I think her acting is spot on for a girl who went to having everything to rock bottom. It makes sense that she's gone a little nuts and that she's not at all the poise girl from her younger days, because that girl is so obviously gone in a lot of ways. She's not embarrassed by her looks, but it took a hit to her self confidence and I think we're supposed to see that life really kicked her around and changed her approach to the way she reacts to things around her. I don't think anyone but Hwang Jung Eum could have played this character. Thankfully, she's shrieking less, and I think it'll get better from here. She probably doesn't realize how much vocal projection she has. I also forgot how funny Siwon is in comedy, so I'm happy to see they have a cute bond going on. I do really hope he (Siwon) discovers her true identity next week. I like how the show's tone is light and nostagic, and I think the writer and the director are doing an amazing job of bringing out the poignancy of the show. I also think that the music director (and the writer) has a love for 1920s American culture. It's very obvious from the stylizing of the show down to music and to the writing. I'm excited because I also have a historical interest in the 1920s, and I get to see that come through here. I'm enjoying this feel good and rather zippy rom-com, that really is supposed to be watched in the evening, on the couch with a cup of cocoa in hand and a warm blanket cuddling your lap. Thanks for recapping!

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+10000 :)

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I agree. I see Hwang Jung Eum's take on Hye Jin is spot on. I mean, this is a girl who went from being everyone's darling to having nothing and constantly being stepped on. She's come through it not hating herself for the most part, but there's a lot of times where she lets people kick her instead of fighting back. The craziness she gets is that pushed-down angry part of her popping out. Other times she gets overly loud because it shuts other people up and stops them from making her feel even worse.

And Choi Siwon is killing Shin Hyuk for me. *Every single scene* he has me cracking up over something. Some look... how he says something... something he does... every single one. And he's made Shin Hyuk's behavior have a point. He's not just weird for weird's sake; something totally says that there's a method behind it.

And their relationship together? He totally reminds me of a boy in the school yard who is pulling the pigtails of the girl he likes. He's constantly harassing her because she makes things interesting, but it's making him like her, too. Which led him to wheedling a date out of her, where she paid!

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I like this drama a lot because it makes me frustrated and angry. It affects me so much that while watching it, I want to repeat it but after I finish the episode, I don't want to feel the same pain again.
I feel hurt for Hyejin. I am starting to hate Sung Joon for being so mean. I am saying these things as a compliment because they really affect me.
I just want to express this... sigh....

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This show is weird. The first episode had all kinds of things crammed into it, but after the setup is done, the plot has come to a stand-still. There's not even any actual character-relationship-setup going on anymore, apart from some probably minor supporting roles.

Hye-jin is completely reduced to slapstick and cliche. The little bit of substance and conflict the show provides goes exclusively to Ha-ri. (And from what I've seen in ep4, it gets even worse there ...)

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I agree. I find it so hard to get through the episodes that I fast forward and then read the recaps. All I want is to see what happens when he realizes who she is. To be reduced to a ball of guilt and shame. I just dislike his character so much.

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Yes. The most interesting characters are Min Ha-Ri and Kim Shin-Hyuk - both of which are quite funny without being completely over the top.

I wouldn't mind Hwang Jung-Eum's acting here if she were playing a side character with gusto like Hwang Seok-Jeong, but as a main character, her antics undercut her believability.

Would a woman who has striven for to the age of 30 to land a part time role completely jeopardize it because of some awkwardness? Maybe for 1 episode, not for 4. Would a young girl who knew all about fashion and getting her hair straightened and was very self-possessed have lost all memory of these things? I could go on, but what's the point?

In order for this character to work, we need to feel that the transition from beautiful and composed to less pretty (although still adorable) and awkward is natural. If her awkwardness was more in the bounds of extreme embarrassedness that inadvertently resulted in screw ups, then it would work. This character doesn't seem the least embarrassed to behave like an idiot in the work place. So why on Earth is she embarrassed to face her first love?

I wouldn't underplay her - I'd still go for a little gusto - but much less. Let's face it, at the point that the flamboyant editor and chief seems MORE normal than Hye-Jin, it's hard to see her eventually settle into a character that could work either in the workplace or in the OTP.

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I completely disagree

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I agree.

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Yes. The premise of this show is based on the Ugly Betty motif. For us to root for this character, she will have to learn how to become confident without turning into Cinderella. The only difference is that it's also part of the male lead's narrative. Life isn't as simple as fixing your fashion and makeup and you'll become successful and confident. But HJE's character is so far-fetched from reality in both appearance and mannerism that it's almost reinforcing the notion that there IS something wrong with having unconventional in looks and mannerism.

I have to say, though. The show would be way more entertaining if the story is told from his pov. It'd be interesting to have privvy to more of his insecurities and struggles despite his evolved good looks.

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"I have to say, though. The show would be way more entertaining if the story is told from his pov. It’d be interesting to have privvy to more of his insecurities and struggles despite his evolved good looks."

I really really like that idea! You should have been there when they conceived the whole show concept....

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Or, what if we saw both of their POVs - had the show run in little sub chapters to the episodes.

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I like that. Didn't one show use that concept? Ah yes, The Producer had a little vignette at the end of each episode told from the male lead's POV. Except for this I'd rather have it the other way around. Male lead's the main story teller, then sprinkle in some of HJE's character's perspective at the end of each episode.

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Honestly, I'm suffering from Second male lead syndrome already because Shin Hyuk is shining so bright with his dimpled smile and wacky expressions. His moniker for Hye Jin "Jackson" cracks me up every time he says it. He NOTICES our girl and thus has my heart.
Sung joon annoys me. He's aloof to the rest of the world, a first-class jerk to everyone at work, but complete goo to Ha-ri who he thinks is Hye-jin and also Hye-rin, by association. He's gonna have to do some serious groveling and go through a transformation to win Hye-jin over. Even if he has a right to be mad, I question what type of person he is when he doesn't have Hye-jin on the brain. An incomplete, aloof human being. They need to develop him a little more because right new, Shin-hyuk seems more dynamic.

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Wouldn't it be nice if the ending results in growth for both SJ and HJ, but that they didn't end up together, but instead formed an adult relationship?

I'd love to see HJ with SH--that seems like it could be a lot of fun, and especially since he appreciates her for who she is now and not who she was. And if HJ could take off her SJ blinders, she might be able to see that she has an ally, friend, and maybe more in wacky SH.

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Yes - I want SJ and HJ to end up as friends. HJ can call him on his crap, and SJ can be her backup-wife. But at the moment there's absolutely no reason to pair them up, and they seem far more suited to the second lead pairings.

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The drama is boring with the characters lacking depth and the storyline trying to make seungjoon a 'horrid but not so horrid person who will undergo an 180 degree transformation at the climax'. I watch it for si-won and the adorable way he screams 'JACKSON'. As for Kim Hye Jin,even Candy would pity her. She is frustrating. Every time she screams, I hate her even more.

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"Even Candy would pity her" <--LOL!!!

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So far, the best part of this show for me is Si-won and the BFF friendship between HJ and HR. This is one of the better strong female friendships I have seen yet on a drama. They lean on each other, joke with each other, give each other tough love--it has dimension. Of course, the triangle is gonna blow it up, but hopefully it is handled in a way that doesn't destroy the relationship.

I honestly don't even care in the slightest for adult SJ right now. The jerkiness and the obsession with idealizing and reliving his first love turns me off big time. The comic moments where he walks into walls or drinks out of a vase isn't enough to make me think that this guy is really a good guy. Usually by 4 episodes in you'd see something, but he's still shrouded in some mystery, but not appealing mystery.

I do think Hwang Jung-eum acting is getting to the point of being really off putting. Like, the occasional spaz is funny, but now that she is in the Most office, it's constantly. While there are other over-the-top characters, those characters to me still resemble quirky people that might exist in the real world. If I saw someone spazing and flailing their arms as much as HJ, I would recommend to them medication, or at least some therapy. Contrasted with young HJ, the adult HJ makes even less sense. The only similarity seems to be her kindness.

I really enjoyed the first two episodes, so I don't want to give up on it yet, but if this continues for the next two, I think I'm going to have to tap out.

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This: "..the best part of this show for me is Si-won and the BFF friendship between HJ and HR..."

And unfortunately it looks like the writer is in the process of messing even that up, which will be a real shame. Not often in k-dramas that you see actual real friends - that is the one thing that set this drama apart.

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Does anyone else feel like this show has a bit of a Funny Face vibe? -- especially with the setting of being a fashion magazine and the homage to Audrey Hepburn. I am curious to see what it will take to turn Sung Joon's heart around. Maybe it will be like the movie. He will see her beauty captured on film.

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Ahhh...... good catch! Maybe. I have to say, that would really redeem the lack of plot. I admit, I did imagine that they would go for a more 'every woman' look to the magazine.

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Debating whether to drop or not. Was the wacky editor ajhumma in this episode, i like her and her colourful hair?

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She had a short scene with Hye Jin. It was nice though! ;)

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you should watch "i live alone" then , a varity show, the actress that plays the ahjumma editor is one of the people on that reality show and she is sort of wacky in real life too...oh and her doggy looks like a Scottish long haired cow..with dreadlocks..it's so fluffy and big and drooly:)

ok, no more talk of the dog now, my cat's are giving me dirty looks...

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nuuuuuuuuuuuu its too early!!!! and I dont want it!! show dont do this to me....damn it.

I give up. there is no denying it. I have Second Lead Syndrome already.

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Sungjoona, what did u eat in America that you turned out to be this jerk?

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Maybe he ate nothing! This would explain why he is an asshole (he is hungry! I'm very mean when I'm hungry) and thin.

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unnie. not noona?

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Urgh, late night brain cramp. I know better - so sorry!

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I don't like it when Hari start to make excuse to keep meeting Seongjoon behind Haejin's back. But as long as they don't prolong it unnecessarily, I guess it's okay. Seems like Shinhyuk already found Haejin more than just 'interesting' as a coworker. Is that the start of new love I find there? And of course, love love love the two girls friendship, especially the way Hari talk sense to Haejin about her work.

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Not a perfect drama but it does has it's charm. Thanks for recap!

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Choi Siwon!!!

Choi! Si! Won!

Choi Siwoooooooon!!!

No other comment is necessary.

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I like all the lead actors and the lovely friendship between the ladies. Thanks for recapping this, Lollypip!

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Lollypip, thanks for the recap.

Hwang Jung-eum’s acting. She dialed back the manic this episode, it was a bit too much the first two episodes. She's a capable actress, so why have any over the top antics, but I guess it's part of the package.

I'm enjoying the show so far, will watch Ep 4 later today.

It's silly and that's ok, I knew that going in. I don't care for the evil step mom, the show could probably have done without it.

Sure is a pretty cast. Cameo by Kim Sung-oh, and OMG that hair ! OMG indeed, yikes.

Jung Da-Bin is cute. Her snippets as the young Hye-jin remind me of Winnie Cooper from The Wonder Years.

It will be interesting to see what happens now that Hye-rin is in the mix.

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"I appreciate that Sung-joon’s journey won’t be about changing who he is, as happens in so many dramas, but about reminding him of the person he’s always been."

Same thoughts with you, LollyPip. I am thoroughly enjoying this show especially because the first love nostalgia appeals to me. I guess it depends on your mindsent coming into this show whether you'll like it or not. I thought of it as a rom-com with characters who will be kind of quirky and eccentric so I still love it. When it gets to that heart-tugging parts, it takes a gracious moment for those to settle with us before transitioning again to comedy. Sometimes you watch a show just for the fun of it. Like, going into it so enamoured with presuppositions and a hardcore rational mindset ruins that potential. So if you don't like it, feel free to drop the show, and comment the hate away if it makes you feel better. Just don't ruin the fun for those who are enjoying it as if you know better. (This is just in reference to those who keeeeeeep commenting the same hate thing over and over like ohmygoodness listen to yourself).

I am still okay with Sung-joon's character because the show is still clearly setting up everything. My standard is always whether the following episodes after the 4th one will be as good, so I'll see.

To those like me who are just enjoying and loving this show more, just keep posting all the good you see. Let's support this for as long as we can and like ?

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+1000000000 love your comment.just like i said before, this is a comedy not a hard core drama.If the characters will be portrayed as normal people,that would be soo boring. HJE can be normal without the screaming and all if the character demands it so(e.g secret, endless love), but since it is comedy, she is tasked to make us laugh, and I think she is doing a good job.

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I completely agree with both of you

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thanks for saying this,
Imo we feel bad because sung joon keep scolding Hye Jin when we knew she is a good girl, but honestly work doesn't collide with being a good person in real life,
call me tolerant but I find it tolerable,

as to said, many others character have did something un-justice like being childish that ruin someone work or make up unneeded job (which led to character suffer) in rom com but god forbid boss who yell at incompetent worker.

It hard but actually at work place it better than boss that doesn't comment at you then fire you.

Then SJ changes,, he changes when HJ did a good job so I think the growth will really see in this drama, beside this 4 ep just making a start ground about them as individual, when HJ let go of her worrisome, they really work here

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I don't understand why people hates Sungjoon. I mean yes he was pretty mean to Hyejin but that was only because she kept messing her job and therefore wasting time for the editing team. Think about it, all she do since Sungjoon met her was mess up her job badly. In Sungjoon's eyes she is an incompetent employee who he has no idea how she got even hired. She can't do even basic job, she panics all the time, kept shouting and even be hysterical at times. Ofcourse he would get frustrated and mad at her. I would have reacted the same if I was her boss. I honestly would have fired her already. I am actually surprised Sungjoon haven't fired her yet after all her mistakes.

On top of that (like Hari pointed out), Hyejin did not really do any effort into learning and researching all about the editing team. She did not even bother to read their own magazine. I am sure this is what Sungjoon sees in Hyejin too. An incompetent employee who do not even bothers to learn the basics about her job. Thankfully Hari already teach her some basic about fashion and cosmetics and hopefully Hyejin don't make anymore mistakes from now on and be an assets to the team. I am sure if she start showing how useful she is then Sungjoon won't scold her nor be mean towards her anymore.

Honestly what i see is that some people here want Sungjoon to treat Hyejin with special treatment (because she is his childhood sweetheart) even with her making so many blunders. But that is not how things work. If you kept failing at your work, your superior will scold and reprimand you and if you really can't do your work at all then fire you. That is how things goes. So I believe Sungjoon has all the rights to scold and get frustrated at Hyejin. Although I admit he did went overboard once or twice with shouting at her. He went overboard in Ep. 2 when he said the name 'Kim Hye Jin' is too good for her but after that he did tone it down a bit and don't shout at her that much anymore and only scold her when she made mistakes.

I see that a lot love Shihyuk. I do too honestly although I still find Shihyuk a bit too quirky and weird for my taste. But I like him because he is kind and friendly towards Hyejin and seems to notice her every actions because Hyejin needs someone on her side in that workplace. I just hope he don't fall in love with Hyejin because I would hate to see his heart to get broken.

Same for Hari, I hate it that she is falling in love with Sungjoon because I honestly love her character and her friendship with Hyejin. I don't want Sungjoon to be the reason for them to end their friendship. Please no!! Why can't we have the 2 bestfriends fall in love with 2 different guys. Why can't they both get a happy lovelife without fighting each other for the same guy. I honestly don't wanna see Shihyuk and Hari both heartbroken. (Writer please don't make them fall for the leads then beak their heart and the friendship along with it). Can we just please have them...

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If they make this into some kind of cliched love triangle and mess up the friendship between our two BFF's, I am going to be pissed. That is the best part of the show, but the writer does not seem to realize that.

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I love this show. OMG. first of all I love the friendship between Hari and Hye Jun, they are so cute together.

I love that scene where Hari chides Hye Jun, dishing out some tough love before helping Hye Jun out.

And Siwon is the cutest. When he pops out on the screen I just smile because he's so goofy and funny and charming. I'm liking the friendship building between him and Hye Jun because it's hilarious.

I do think that he's the cheabol because ya know, he's Si Won, and that would make for some interesting clash between SJ and SH.

I don't blame Hari for falling in love with SJ though because he's so nice to her without being toadying or cheesy like the guys that she has around her. It makes for a nice change. She's having a rough time and to have SJ giving her a little comfort makes me feel warm and fuzzy instead. HR is so nice that I kind of want her to have SJ. Though it's sad that SJ is being kind because he thinks HR is HJ, he does have to work on believing her though, you kind of see him looking through the cracks of HR's pokerface.

So far the pairing seems to work with both main characters and I'm anticipating on how they can change the dynamics so they can flip things around...if they do so.

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Of course he's the chaebol, how can he not be?? look at his "aunt" (editor ahjumma) , eccentric behavior really does seem to run in the family :).

I agree with you HY and Ha-ri's friendship is so wonderful, i don't want to see them ending up falling and fighting over the same guy. i want to see Ha-ri and "wife" together forever. BFF4ever!

an yes i seriously dislike SJ, he's a jerk.period. He's only nice to his "dream girl" and her sister. He has spun some fantasy girl scenario over the past 15 years. Even if HY was still "pretty" , she would probably disappoint him because she did not live up to the fantasy. I think it's time he grew up.
Siwon's character seems to be the only person right now (apart from Ha-ri) who sees her inner beauty and who loves her quirky behavior.

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I was super proud of Hye Jin for devoting herself to studying and bettering herself so her jerk boss can stop looking down on her. Hari really is the best friend ever for patiently teaching her. The girls should switch jobs. Hye Jin would make a great hotelier because hospitality is what she excels at. That was practically her job in the Management Services Team. And I'm sure Sung Joon would love having his "Hye Jin" around at the office. It may even make him less of an ass. He seriously makes my blood pressure skyrocket. Him throwing her minutes at her was rude af.

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I thought I'd be instantly fall for Sung Joon like BAM. Because, duh, Park Seo Joon.
But yep, second-lead-syndrome-in-the-making, no doubt.

P.S. Siwon's really expressive; thanks to those big round eyes.

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So....shall we assume that Kim Hye Rin, little sister to Kim Hye Jin, will grow up looking like her big sister? Since the younger one looks exactly like Hye Jin looked at that age....um, well, it's something to think about, right?

Other than that, I'm only watching this for Choi Si Won's Dimples. The End.

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nah..because she actually knows about skincare and make up.
Hye Jin poor woman was so busy making money, she forgot to take care of herself. Probably thought the extra hour of sleep was worth more then standing an hour primping and preening.
Also, when paying off student loans, who has the money to buy face cream with caviar, fermented kimchi and gold dust specs ? :)
I can relate, i once almost poked out my eye trying to follow a youtube tutorial on eyeliner, and don't get me started about the time i tried fake lashes and ended up glueing my real eyelashes together, needles to say ....the popey squint look was not a success.

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I can imagine :D the popeye squint.. LOL.

I only beg to differ on Hye Rin knowing about makeup and thus, will grow up beautiful. Hye Jin used to go to a STYLIST as a young female with hair issues. Now she doesn't know how to use makeup?

The writers aren't making the effort to make this all plausible. My guess, she got poor, downtrodden and just gave up on her outer looks. Something her sister might not do, because she seems mean and shallow to begin with and would NEVER let her looks go, whether broke or rich lol.

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Kinda reminded me of The Devil wears prada on that part when Hye jin studied to make herself better at work.

anyway, I share many people's sentiments on Siwon's character. I love him more but Park Seo joon is oozing with hotness here. hehe

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Anyway do you guys honestly think Sungjoon have no idea like at all that Hari is not Hyejin?! I mean he must have been super dense not to even get a clue or suspicions. Hari is super obvious when she is making up excuse. When she lies it showed in her facial expressions and body gestures. It was so obvious. She even wrote her name wrong and he buys that she just made a mistake. Honestly?! It's either deep down he already feels like she isn't Hyejin or he just refuse to doubt her because he is happy that the Hyejin he knows became the Hyejin he sees now. Pretty, intelligent and successful and he don't wanna think that she might not be Hyejin. I hope it's not the latter because that is pretty disappointing.

I am here praying and hoping that Hari will choose to tell the truth to Sungjoon next week. Please writers!! I really do not want her and Hyejin friendships to be broken. She should just tell to Sungjoon flat out that she is not Hyejin and that the real Hyejin is the one working for him at MOST which is her bestfriend. And that Hyejin ask her to pretend to be her because she's afraid of his reactions. I am sure he will feel guilty then for telling Hyejin that she don't deserves the name 'Kim Hye Jin'. Although I am sure this is not what will happen. :((

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If people ever actually got a clue in k-dramas, most would end up with about half the episodes. But Sungjoon is being even more clueless than usual, to the point where it is not believable.

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Watch episode 4 kindly. All I want from Sung Joon is to treat Hye Jin with basic form of respect that we associate even with those we can not stand and to treat her like a human being at this point.

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The best thing about the SJ and HJ scenes now is knowing that he'll remember them later when he finds out who she really is.

And add me to the "I have second lead syndrome" list. He's adorable. The thing with the kimbop - it's like a puppy offering you its chew toy. You don't want it, but still, awwwww.

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Hum, wait what? People get annoyed with HJ but not with Siwon's character?

I dislike his character because it is too much, he tries to be funny, but it just annoys me. He botheing HJ too much is also a no. He is just like SJ, wants to do things as he likes, but he does it with "playful, carefree" way so people don't get annoyed and love him, but he ends up making troubles to HJ.

HJ is clumsy and a bit of freaky but once she understands her work and place she will calm down. She just panics in emergency moments, but everybody has their way of handling things.

Also she was being incompetent, so yeah as her boss I would also be frustrated.

People saying how a popular and cute girl would turn into HJ, well didn't you watch? her rich family had money problems, and purberty hit her, plus people change. If she cares more about inside than outside, makes sense she doesn't care much about fashion and looks as growing up (she is an adult so her mom can't dress her lol)

I can't forgive SJ for using "retard" words or mental illness questions so easily. This is too much. Don't joke or call others retard!!! I blame the writer.

I hate people who treat some people good and others badly, I understand he has to be harsh, but calling them name and shaming them is not the way to go.

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it's been a while since I've actually followed a drama without actually waiting for it to play out and THEN marathon it. but this drama and shin hyuk, oh my, i really don't think i can wait each week for shin hyuk. haha, siwon is stellar when it comes to portraying him SH <3

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I am starting to really like the show (for what it is) especially whenever I see Hye Jin and Shi Hyuk together. They just seem to play off each other real well like a Laurel and Hardy kind of dynamic. I know Hye Jin and Sung Joon are the leads in the show but honestly, I won't be upset at all if they don't end up together romantically. HJ-SH and SJ-HR just seems a more natural fit to me.

As far as HJE's acting, I really don't mind it that much. She just need to learn to pick the right time to turn it up or tone it down. Some of her slapstick are really funny especially when she's with SH or Ha Ri.

Thanks for the recap Lollypip!

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I love park seo joon but can't stand hwang jung eum's character and acting and that homophobic ass siwon..I stopped watching after episode one

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good for you!

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i think it's more on her HJE's portrayal and over emphasis of certain things. also, i don't really see SH causing trouble for HJ; it's kinda nice the relationship they've got going on. it's ALMOST innocent.

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Ep 3 alleviated some of my worst concerns, and I genuinely enjoyed the episode. It helps that they made him a bit more off beat and amusing with the beginning and end at the cafe, and then built on that in a lovely more pervasive way for Ep 4.

I trust that Hari, even though she falls for him, won't end up becoming the typical bitchy second lead. The mix up also allows for the male protagonist to fall for a woman as she is, rather than already having leftover feelings from a childhood crush that already has him in rose colored lenses, as we can see. The fact that she is indeed his first love becomes the icing on the cake rather than anything else, which is a plus.

And I love that they brought Jung Dabin in to play the younger sister. Perfect.

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.. I almost hope they keep things firmly in the Friend Zone or my poor heart may not make it..

Your heart and mine, dear LollyPip..
But, *sigh*, seems he is already on his way to fall deeper in love with her.. ~ Duh, heart, please be strong.

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Jung Da Bin as the younger sis..She should go easy on the red lipstick. Not flattering. Looks too harsh. Poor Hye Jin is always reminded how she use to look.. Does that mean the younger sis will look like Hye Jin when puberty hits?

Si Won is rocking his role. I'm glad Hye Jin has a comrade at work. I think he's falling for "Jackson". I ship this duo.

Sung Joon is in a nostalgic daze. All he remembers is his past. He can't even see the slips in Ha Ri's lying. He is such an obnoxious creep (So what if he's handsome?) that I can't see him and Hye Jin together later on. He has to grovel big time to make up for all of his nastiness.

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Yes on obnoxious creep. This show is teetering on the edge of, well. going over the edge. The BFF angle between the two girls is the best and only original part of this drama, and if the writer messes that up, I will be upset.

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Forgot to say... Ha Ri's impersonation was suppose to be a one time deal.. She stepped over the line and kept giving excuses. How can she continue masquerading as Hye Jin without telling her? Isn't she betraying their close friendship? is it worth the price when eventually she will be discovered finally?

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It's nice that she thinks she's doing her a favour by not mentioning their second meeting, I mean he's a first-class ass, but by the third, fourth...and God knows how many dates they'll have before they'll finally get discovered, things become inappropriate.

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Yes on the whole Sung Joon thing. That guy has a lot of groveling and regretting to do after he finds out who Hye Jin is and he better also reflect on his treatment and behavior of people. I don't want him to just change because he realizes that the HJ he works with is his childhood friend- I want it knocked into him that you just don't treat people that way, whether you know them or not.

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Amen @miranda. Hyejin stated at epi 1 anyway that she isn't a story heroine. She's just the peeping girl. Let hari be the heroine of the story.
it would still be a nice kdrama typical story: a girl meet again with her childhood classmate, who's back to korea looking for his 1st love, that happened tobe her bff. Meanwhile this bff girl allready in a pull and push relationship with her superior at work.
Still the same story, in a different point of view.

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and ugly duckling Bff becomes a pretty , crazy swan and ends up with the rich equally crazy chaebol husband :)

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I was so ready to love this drama, but I think it made a major mistake in the plot setup. When the male lead is a jerk in the beginning of the series, the writer and actor are walking a fine line. He needs to be a hardass, but not so bad that he's no longer a sympathetic character.

Unfortunately, we've crossed that line here with the personal insults in the workplace. When I cease to care about the male lead, SLS hits hard. And when you no longer like the male lead in a rom com, the basis of the drama goes out the window. Just my two cents.

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Ok, not that I would commit the sacrilege of comparing kdrama to Jane Austen, but did anyone in history like that insulting jerk Darcy at the beginning? At least we had one episode of a kind Sung Joon showing us how thankful he was to the little girl who changed his life.

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Thanks @LollyPip, that was fun to read. You've done yourself proud with lots of comments this time. :) I'm actually wanting this show to do the unexpected or the daringly different in switching the pairings. I am starting to think that Shin Hyuk and Hye Jin together would be weird and wonderful. I hope we get a chance to see lots of their interactions before Sung Joon discovers that Hye Ri is really his Hye Ri. Just because she was his first love, does not mean she has to be his present love, right? :)

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I want a recap of episode 4 already so that I can spazz about how heart-fluttering he was in one those scenes. Cough*sky* cough*you're pretty* cough.

Hehe. Even netizens are praising him so much. I do love him oh so very much. Judging by the teasers, I guess him and Ha Ri will end up together?

I am really loving this friendship between him and Jackson right now though. This world needs more Shin Hyuk!!!!!!!!!!!

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By 'he' I am talking about ultimate goofball Siwon of course.

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Ugh I don't know. It's just so hard to like Seong Joon now. Really? He's just hating on her because she's a klutz who has the same name as his first love (and she's not pretty like his first love). Also, he keeps on killing others' ideas when he doesn't even offer one. WTF? That's not how a team works. I know he's the boss but really?

Also, if they're really setting Hari and Hyejin up for friendship break up... That's what made me like the show in the first place.

I'm just holding on to Siwon right now.

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Oh boy... That's one helluva boring plot. Besides the acting is absolutely difficult to bear...
Does HJ have to be that hysterical??
The characters are hollow...
Yes, she'll turn pretty again... Awesome...
Wonder how much time it took to the writers to get the script done...

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I can't figure out who's worse here. On one hand Hye-jin is incredibly frustratingly unprofessional, maybe the college she went to really doesn't exist. Perhaps Sung Joon is a tad worse because he decided to give her a second-class treatment from the get-go for not appealing him looks wise. Dude, that's bordering sexism. I'm very reluctant to seeing their final meet. Is there a universe where the nice SJ can end up with HR and be done with it.

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The over-acting of the two main leads is really getting to me. Sorry Lolypip, I can't agree with you on her acting matching her character. She's in a rom-com, not a gag reel. She seriously needs to tone down the shrieking and the overreactions.

Also my two favourite characters are Ha-ri and Shin-Hyuk. And look at that, they have flaws and are quirky without being way over-the-top or disrespectful jerks. Slow clap for the writers for making their two main leads people that I could care less for after 4 episodes of this show.

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hm wait? You like Siwon over the top character but dislike the main? ok

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I do actually. He's goofy and definitely a caricature but he isn't shrieking or eye-bulging with every reaction. He's also toned down and dare-I-say, normal when needed. Like when he's standing up to Sung-Joon. I think it's a two-part problem of poor character development from the writers and poor acting in which I feel like Hwang Jung-eum isn't bringing any subtlety to her role. It's always two extremes. Either really manic or really withdrawn.

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I really like the show! It has a classic kdrama romcom vibe. I'm okay with Hwang Jung eum's histrionics because her scenes cracks me up and I never had an opinion about Go Joon hee before but I'm really liking her here.

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