Will You Have Dinner With Me: Episode 15-16

by selena

Things take an unexpected turn as we learn more about a certain ex-lover. Our leads deal with the truth separately in their own way, but their relationship can’t be mended unless someone takes action. Sometimes, you might have to take risks first and regret your actions later.

 
EPISODE 15 RECAP

Do-hee leaving the chatroom ignites something within Hae-kyung. He springs into action when he recalls her parting words about not wanting to waste her time with a stranger.

He paces around her neighborhood for quite some time and when she finally shows up, the eye contact they make is electrifying. Hae-kyung takes the first step in breaking down their boundaries, handing her his business card and introducing himself.

Elsewhere, Jae-hyuk scrolls through photos of him and Do-hee during happier times and he looks forlorn as he’s reminded of how closed off she is to him now. As he drives off, Jae-hyuk contemplates Do-hee’s definition of destiny.

It’s somehow dark out already when Do-hee coldly questions why she’d ever need to contact Hae-kyung. He scrambles to explain that they can get to know each other starting now but Do-hee interjects that he misunderstood her. “I don’t want to know who you are, nor do I want to tell you about me.”

She starts heading home so Hae-kyung makes one last attempt, asking why she changed her mind suddenly. Do-hee lies, “Eating with you has become uncomfortable.” (Nooo, don’t do this!) He’s left with no choice but to accept that answer as he watches her retreating figure. In the privacy of her home, Do-hee cries as she looks at the crumpled up business card on her coffee table.

She goes to the supermarket to meet Ah-young, but is an unrecognizable ball of gloom under her huge hoodie. Ah-young assumes that she’s a creepy sales person or a cult recruiter, instinctively trying to avoid her. Heh.

Ah-young asks why Do-hee can’t just come clean about her identity; it’s not like there’s bad blood between their families or something. Do-hee simply doesn’t have the courage. “I’m afraid of hurting him, and of getting hurt.” She attributes her cowardice to her getting old. (Ah-young: “Am I a living corpse then?”)

Ah-young quotes, “Love is all about timing.” If she’s going to regret it regardless, why not just go for it and regret later? She tsks when Do-hee shuts the idea down.

Hae-kyung drinks alone at home, scoffing that Do-hee shouldn’t have confused him by giving him hope and saying that his relationships would end differently next time.

Do-hee stocks her cupboards with snacks and beer. She frantically searches for the business card when she realizes it’s gone, but tries to convince herself that it’s probably for the best so she can completely erase Hae-kyung from her life.

The next day, Hae-kyung declines everything from lectures to podcasts, firmly stating that he’ll only meet clients from now on. Byung-jin grumbles about Hae-kyung’s mood swings, startled when he realizes that Hae-kyung’s within earshot, hah.

When Do-hee gets to work, No-eul’s already in the middle of a photoshoot. No-eul’s friendly greeting is met with an awkward one and after the shoot, Do-hee lies that she’s too swamped with work to grab coffee. No-eul mentions the odd behavior to Geon-woo, who laughs that Do-hee’s just a weirdo.

No-eul’s pretty sure that Do-hee is purposely avoiding her, and she’s absolutely right. Do-hee heads to the café alone (and orders the sweetest drink ever), sighing that avoidance isn’t going to work forever. She’s unaware that No-eul sees her from the outside.

Hae-kyung’s new patient arrives and it’s…Jae-hyuk. Whoa. I do not like the look in his eyes. He’s here to consult with Hae-kyung about his “girlfriend” who’s mistaken about her feelings.

Jae-hyuk very confidently states that despite their breakup, there hasn’t been a single moment when they didn’t love each other during the past decade. “I’m sure I’m the one she loves, but she keeps lying to me that she’s seeing another guy.” He makes very deliberate eye contact and adds, “That’s what Do-hee said.”

The lack of reaction to Do-hee’s name is all Jae-hyuk needed to confirm his suspicions. “Does a boyfriend who doesn’t know his girlfriend’s name exist in this world?” Jae-hyuk provokes. To really drive it home, Jae-hyuk asks if PD Woo of 2N Box rings a bell, and Hae-kyung connects the dots.

Jae-hyuk massages his throat and asserts that just one look at Do-hee is all it takes for him to know how she’s feeling and whether she’s lying. “There isn’t a single person in this world who loves Do-hee as sincerely as I do.”

Although shocked, Hae-kyung maintains his composure and says, “Assuming that you know someone perfectly well is an example of cognitive distortion.” Simply put, he’s delusional. Jae-hyuk raises his voice and claims that he has and will always do anything for Do-hee, even things that one can’t imagine. Chills. I’m actually terrified.

Hae-kyung stays professional and suggests that Jae-hyuk should take a mental exam, not his girlfriend. Jae-hyuk kicks the table in a fit of anger, burying his face in his hands, then composes himself to warn Hae-kyung that he’s told him everything he needs to know to understand the situation.

“We’ll see which one of us gets the last laugh and wins Do-hee,” Jae-hyuk says as he gets up to go, but Hae-kyung tells him that his ex-girlfriend isn’t an object. “Whomever she chooses is up to her.” (EXACTLY! He gets it.) Jae-hyuk leaves him with these words: “I definitely warned you.”

Byung-jin busies himself (by grabbing the nearest vase, lol) when Jae-hyuk catches him eavesdropping right outside the door. When the coast is clear, he fusses, “Did he threaten to murder you?” Aw, he gets so worried when Hae-kyung jokes that he almost died.

Needing something sugary to recharge with, Hae-kyung heads out to meet Geon-woo at a café. He’s concerned when he learns that Do-hee’s working with Jae-hyuk on No-eul’s show, all because he turned her down.

He waits nervously while Geon-woo looks for a photo of PD Woo, and yep, that’s his dinner mate. As reality sinks in, Geon-woo assumes that Do-hee caused trouble again but Hae-kyung remarks that he’s the one who messed things up.

Jae-hyuk literally corners Do-hee in the meeting room, gauging her reaction to all the truths he lists off: the guy she claims to be seeing is the same Kim Hae-kyung she’s been looking for, who’s also No-eul’s inseparable first love. When asked how he knows, Jae-hyuk cryptically says, “There are many ways to find out if there’s a will.”

She confidently claims that she’s aware, but falters when Jae-hyuk points out that Hae-kyung knows nothing. He hovers just inches away from her lips, saying that cutting everything off is the easiest way to resolve a complicated relationship.

Saved by So-ra, Do-hee slips away to unlock the door for her friend. It’s scary how smoothly Jae-hyuk transitions to his nice-guy façade. So-ra clearly doesn’t approve, encouraging Do-hee to focus on the new guy.

Byung-jin is positive that something happened with Jae-hyuk, claiming to know everything about Hae-kyung just by looking into his eyes. (Hae-kyung: “Who are you to know everything about me?!”) He later admits that Byung-jin’s the best, but takes it back when he realizes that the milk he gave him has expired, hah.

Do-hee spreads out a feast of snacks in front of the convenience store, so lost in thought that she doesn’t notice a hand reaching for the sausage from under the table. LOL, it’s Ajusshi of course, and his celebratory MWAHAHA at the sight of food scares Do-hee.

She compliments his clean cut, wondering why he’s homeless when he claims to have some money as a con artist. He hilariously mimics Jae-hyuk (“Do-hee!”) and Hae-kyung (“Let go of her hand first.”) from the confrontation outside her building, asking which one she’s dating.

Do-hee says it’s neither one, and Ajusshi sounds like he’s speaking from experience when he advises her to be honest with herself lest she fall ill. He starts rambling about how sleep should be her priority, since lack of it activates the part of the brain that controls emotions and makes one overly sensitive. She narrows her eyes and asks, “Are you also a doctor?” but figures that he truly is just a con artist.

At the mention of her dark circles, Do-hee packs up to go home but leaves him a snack. Ajusshi laughs his signature MWAHAHA before thanking her in English, and she sarcastically follows suit.

Hae-kyung and Jae-hyuk approach the same yellow light from opposite directions. While Hae-kyung calmly slows to a stop, Jae-hyuk dangerously guns it and passes by. Do-hee looks wistfully at the corner where Hae-kyung typically waits before heading in for the night. He arrives moments later and paces around hoping to see Do-hee, calling it quits after four hours.

Jae-hyuk broods in his room where he has organized notes pinned on one side along with an entire board filled with photos of Do-hee. An article titled Immoral Doctors Overprescribing Psychomimetic Drugs for Money is pulled up on his laptop and right above some paparazzi-style photos of Do-hee is the crumpled up business card from her coffee table. OMG. “Woo Do-hee. Kim Hae-kyung. Jin No-eul. I’m going to put everyone back to where they came from,” he vows.

The next day, someone loosens up a few screws while everyone at 2N Box is setting up for a shoot. Everyone is focused on filming, except for Jae-hyuk who calmly eyes a fixture that’s slowly coming apart from above No-eul.

 
EPISODE 16 RECAP

Ajusshi stands outside of the clinic looking all spiffy again, and we finally get a glimpse of his past. He really was a doctor, and was also a friendly sunbae of Hae-kyung’s at a hospital. Inside, Byung-jin and Hae-kyung proudly watch a mukbang livestream that Sandara is hosting, and it seems like she rediscovered the joy in eating.

Byung-jin stutters that the charismatic man is back, and Hae-kyung is genuinely shocked to see Ajusshi standing there. They’ve been out of contact for five years, which Hae-kyung is pretty worked up about. Ajusshi dismisses the questions and jumps straight into why he’s here – Jung Jae-hyuk. “Be careful of him.”

Hae-kyung has noticed the warning signs, and Ajusshi emotionally says, “He’s a lot more dangerous than you think.” He tells Hae-kyung that if there’s someone he wants to protect (cut to: Do-hee and No-eul), then he must protect them at all costs. “It’s no use regretting it after you lose them.” Ajusshi takes his leave and MWAHAHAs his way out the door, promising that they’ll meet again.

Do-hee notices the wobbling light fixture and reacts immediately, pushing No-eul away. Jae-hyuk shields Do-hee with his body and when he goes to check on an unconscious No-eul, Do-hee sees that his entire forearm has been slashed open. He notes a cut on her hand and reassures Do-hee that he’s fine and goes back to tending to No-eul. What kind of mind game is he playing now?

Hae-kyung debates with himself and ultimately decides that it’s his duty as a doctor to warn Do-hee about Jae-hyuk. His plans to visit her changes when he receives a call from Geon-woo, and he heads straight to the hospital to see No-eul instead.

Upon arrival, he finds Do-hee by No-eul’s bedside. When their eyes meet, it’s like they’ve tuned out the world around them. Do-hee shrinks back as if she’s been caught, and she finds her opening to escape when No-eul wakes up and wraps her arms around Hae-kyung. He doesn’t hug her back and stares after Do-hee, unable to do anything when she leaves.

Jae-hyuk witnesses the entire exchange from where he’s been getting stitches and in a flashback, we see that of course, it’s him who deliberately loosened the screws.

The doctor (cameo by Jung Jae-kwon) tells Geon-woo that No-eul’s just malnourished and asks if she’s on an extreme diet (Geon-woo says no), advising her to stay overnight to be hooked to an IV for nutrition.

Hae-kyung catches up to Do-hee outside and tells her to be careful of Jae-hyuk. He doesn’t go into details but warns Do-hee that he’s not an ordinary person. Although she agrees that Jae-hyuk’s a jerk, Do-hee’s sure that he’s not a dangerous person.

She leaves No-eul to Hae-kyung’s care and he’s forced to watch her retreating figure once again. Jae-hyuk honks at Do-hee and asks her to drive his car, using his injured arm as an excuse.

He’s pleased when she agrees and in the car, he gingerly tends to her wound with a bandage. Jae-hyuk asks, “How could you leave the person who risked his life to save you alone?” and pretty much invites himself to her house for a meal.

He claims to have missed her mom’s cooking during his time abroad, and that her kimchi stew would help him recover faster. Jae-hyuk considers her silence a “yes,” and she doesn’t object to him coming over.

Geon-woo lets Hae-kyung know that without hesitation, Do-hee risked getting injured to save No-eul’s life. Hae-kyung being ever so perceptive, draws the connection to the wound he saw on Do-hee’s hand earlier.

Do-hee tosses around in bed, confused as to why Hae-kyung didn’t question her presence. Then she figures that he was just distracted. “Why would he care about me when No-eul collapsed?” Girl, he literally only had eyes for you!

Ah-young comes knocking and checks Do-hee for injuries, berating her for jumping in to save No-eul: “You have such a great love for humanity, don’t you?!” Do-hee just coos that Ah-young sure loves her a lot, heh. She orders Do-hee to stay home tomorrow, and tells her that sleep is the best form of medicine. Do-hee’s touched at all the food Ah-young brought for her.

Ah-young struts past Ajusshi wordlessly and comes back out to join him with a banana milk in hand. She coolly introduces herself and we finally learn that Ajusshi’s name is Keanu. You know, like Keanu Reeves, PFFT. When he makes a cheesy pun with her name, Keanu MWAHAHAs at her reaction and she joins in.

No-eul strokes Hae-kyung’s hair the next morning when she finds him fast asleep by her side. She did this when they dated, and back then, he’d sweetly told her how sad he gets when she falls ill. She’d noted that even her mom doesn’t show her that much affection.

When he stirs awake, she comments that he must’ve been worried about her. After he talks to reception, No-eul’s ready to go so she links arms and cheerfully uses her malnourishment as an excuse to rope him into getting food.

The team watches Do-hee intently as they test out a new program where the host hypnotizes the audience to connect with their past life. It looks like she’s merely asleep and they consider it a bust until Do-hee answers the host in a North Korean dialect, “I see a comrade in a military uniform.”

A man walks towards a brightly dressed Do-hee while a familiar tune plays in the background. The host asks, “Can you hear what people call you?” The figure draws closer and when he comes into focus, it’s Hae-kyung who calls her name. Dan. So-ra and Jung-hwan squeal that she must’ve been from the North in a past life, and are sure that this program will become a viral hit.

Jin-kyu is skeptical and tries it out for himself. He mumbles, “I don’t think it’s a kite,” and lists off some seemingly random words like “piano” and “tomato.” His colleagues crack up when he says, “My name is Ri Jung-hyuk,” and Do-hee covers her ears in disbelief when he calls out emotionally that he misses Se-ri. PFFT, so Captain Ri took on the form of Secretary Hong in this life, huh?

No-eul and Hae-kyung grab dinner at a kimbap restaurant and order some udon. She brings up how Hae-kyung proposed while they were eating udon in the past, reasoning that it was tradition to eat noodles at a wedding. No-eul liked that a logical man like him spouted nonsense just to be with her. “Let’s get married,” she suggests, taking him by surprise.

In the car, he tells No-eul that he’s not mad at her anymore because he simply has no residual feelings for her. They arrive at the studio and she tells him that he hasn’t changed. Even when she went on trips without telling him or cheated on him, Hae-kyung never got mad.

He calmly reasons that it’s because he truly did understand her actions and was fine with it, but she accuses him of not loving her. “You don’t expect anything from others and you don’t rely on others because you’re scared to be hurt.” No-eul doesn’t think he’ll understand the desperation that makes you want to be with someone even if they hurt you, upset you, or make you jealous. She cries that she’s not giving up but Hae-kyung holds her steady and says with finality, “I’m sorry.”

As Hae-kyung drives, memories with Do-hee fill his mind and he narrates, “I had hope that I would be able to eat with this woman again tomorrow. I got angry because of some woman whose name I don’t even know, and a man I’d never met before,” thinking of the time he confronted Jae-hyuk.

Even when he ran after Do-hee at the hospital, he was worried about hurting her, not himself. This time when Hae-kyung approaches a yellow light, he speeds up with conviction and passes before the light turns red.

At the office, Do-hee is presented with a few doctors that they can potentially cast. Jin-kyu mentions that one in particular is handsome like Hae-kyung (“although not as popular as me,” he adds). “You don’t know how handsome Kim Hae-kyung is, do you?” she asks, offended.

Realizing her slip-up, Do-hee asks for the doctor’s contact information but Hae-kyung’s voice cuts through to say that it won’t be necessary, since he’s going to do the show with her. He confidently addresses her as PD Woo Do-hee. Up on the roof, Do-hee casts her eyes downwards and apologizes for deceiving him.

Hae-kyung doesn’t care and explains that he just wanted to see her. His smile widens as he describes her as the woman he ate dinner and camped with. The one who loves coffee milk and is still heartbroken. “I wanted to see that woman,” and it didn’t even matter when he found out it was the same person who called him a si belle homme.

Do-hee’s rendered speechless as he continues, “I told you that every ending is the same, but you told me some endings can be different.” He wants to believe her words and admits that he’s never been this brave before, declaring, “I like you, Woo Do-hee.” He takes a step towards her, closing the distance between them.

 
COMMENTS

AHHHH GUYS, HE SAID IT. HE REALLY SAID IT. Of course, Show has a history of pulling a fast one on us but I can’t see how Hae-kyung can take back his confession. Now that it’s all out in the open, I don’t think he’s going to give up. There’s no way someone as perceptive as him hasn’t noticed her true feelings! I’m sure that she’s going to try and shut him down, but you’ve got this, Hae-kyung, I believe in you. Last week, when I said that I needed them to admit their feelings before their exes did something crazy…I had no idea that things would escalate to this level. Jae-hyuk legitimately scares me. Everything from his gaze to his smile creeps me out, and on top of that, he’s quite smart and calculating. I can’t tell if his original plan was just to hurt No-eul so that Hae-kyung and Do-hee would meet in unideal circumstances, or if he anticipated having to save Do-hee and getting to play the part of the hero. Either way, things worked out for him and he successfully brought down a part of the wall she built up. Do-hee, don’t fall for his lies! Listen to Hae-kyung!

I have two theories. One is that Jae-hyuk was Keanu’s patient, and was overprescribed psychomimetic medication that caused him to fall ill. According to my research, these types of drugs induce a state of psychosis that makes it difficult to determine what’s real or not. It would explain Jae-hyuk’s erratic behavior and how he seems to have lost grip on reality, and why he’s so desperate to have Do-hee back. Losing Do-hee must’ve driven him crazy, and he could’ve hurt Keanu’s family as a result. If not as a patient, then I would assume they crossed paths as a medical journalist out to expose corruption and a doctor who made some poor choices. Things are definitely getting juicier and it’s much more interesting than a noble idiot concept, but I wasn’t expecting this to turn into a thriller. Jae-hyuk is super manipulative and I need him gone, pronto. I’m praying to the Drama Gods that this arc will wrap up quickly and not overshadow the best part of the show – the chemistry between our leads.

I really love the traffic light theme in this episode that contrasted Hae-kyung and Jae-hyuk’s personalities. No-eul pointed out that Hae-kyung is always overly cautious, scared of being hurt. Hae-kyung is the type of person that approaches with caution and stops before the light turns red. On the flip side, Jae-hyuk aggressively charges through without a care, with only one goal in mind – crossing the intersection by any means necessary. He displays violent tendencies and after this episode, it’s obvious that he will hurt people if it means that it benefits him. After achieving some clarity and officially ending things with No-eul (Hoorah!! Beanies, rejoice!!), Hae-kyung realized that he has something to fight for. Do-hee gave him the courage to go for it, and the second time he sees a yellow light, he confidently passes through before the light turns red. He totally reflects this new mindset with how he confessed at the end!

As far as I’m concerned, Seo Ji-hye and Go Kyu-pil were the cameos of the hour. Although I knew we wouldn’t be seeing Hyun Bin, I still couldn’t help but hold my breath and wait…and then promptly be disappointed to see Song Seung-heon instead. Who would’ve thought I’d see the day that I’d be disappointed to see his face?? That entire scene made me so happy. Dan is probably one of my favorite second leads, and it’s so fun when a drama has time to add in these special easter eggs for fans. Captain Ri reincarnated into Secretary Hong’s body is just the funniest thing ever. I have to wonder if that’s why the writer chose to make Jin-kyu so confident, always talking about how he’s popular with the ladies. Totally makes sense with how well-loved Jung-hyuk was! Hee.

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