Will You Have Dinner With Me: Episodes 7-8

by selena

It’s funny how you’re never able to find something when you go looking for it, but it shows up where you least expect it. That’s the case with our unconventional dinner mates, and each encounter makes it increasingly difficult to ignore a growing genuine connection. More than just a food buddy, our leads bring valuable insight into each other’s lives.

 
EPISODE 7 RECAP

An out-of-breath Hae-kyung catches up to Do-hee and we’re reminded of her declaration that meeting him again will no longer be a miracle, but destiny – so she agrees to join him for dinner.

Glancing around the restaurant, Do-hee wonders what people think their relationship is. Hae-kyung guesses it’d be two people sharing a meal – an accurate observation, since it’s already their third time eating together.

Because Do-hee took the lead the first two times, Hae-kyung decides that they’ll cater to his tastes for this meal. Do-hee indignantly points out that she technically made the decision to eat here. Heh.

Do-hee seems touched that Hae-kyung ordered soup for her as a starter. He casually explains that it’s because she hasn’t eaten all day. But PFFT, he ruins it later by forcing her to slow down to truly appreciate the aroma of their meal.

Let the girl have her steak in peace for once! She humors him at first with a quick sniff but digs in before she dies of starvation, which amuses Hae-kyung.

He spots a man sobbing alone in the corner (cameo by Kim Won-hae) with two plates of untouched steaks. He’d witnessed this exact scene before while eating here with Geon-woo and identifies symptoms of depression, noting that his behavior is worrisome.

As Do-hee rants about the “crazy jerk” who gave her a hard time today, Hae-kyung nearly ousts himself as a psychologist by eagerly launching into rapid-fire questions about disorders.

He shares that there’s also a “crazy woman” lingering around him and Do-hee shudders to hear that the lady mocks people while pretending to be classy, disguises curses as compliments, and groundlessly slanders others. Making life for her future-self harder, she advises him to ignore her completely.

The crying gentleman pays for his uneaten meal and leaves. Worried, Hae-kyung excuses himself to go after him. It takes some time for him to return (Do-hee’s already done eating), looking dishevelled and blaming the wind for ruining his hair.

Meanwhile, the two first loves bond over drinks about their similar situations. Jae-hyuk explains that No-eul’s first love rejected her because she broke his heart, then had the audacity to return. She genuinely doesn’t see what the issue is and says that feeling too apologetic can make one act shamelessly.

Jae-hyuk gets it, and No-eul concludes that giving up on her love because she feels sorry seems cowardly. He’s in the same boat, so they both vow not to lose their first loves again. Ugh. It’s not your decision to make!

Do-hee rants about Jae-hyuk and Hae-kyung is contemplative as he slowly agrees that he also couldn’t get back together with his first love. Do-hee curses their exes for returning like migratory birds. For two months after their split, Do-hee locked herself in her room, cycling through the stages of self-blame, denial, anger, and acceptance.

Hae-kyung hopes she didn’t do stuff like sing popular songs up to the second verse, or pretend to have a phone conversation as if everything was fine. Hmm…oddly specific. Judging by the look on Do-hee’s face, Hae-kyung’s spot on.

Aw, he recalls doing exactly all of those things after his own painful breakup. He’d gotten sloppily drunk, sorrowfully belted out “Don’t Worry, Dear” by Lee Juck (scaring everyone on the streets), and dialed a random number to say “I love you.”

Do-hee admits to it all, but fires back that it’s not lame to act like that after such a tough breakup. Hae-kyung stares thoughtfully when she declares that someone who is dumped so suddenly by their first love should get a free pass to do anything. He seems comforted by her words, although she has no idea that he went through the same thing.

Jae-hyuk meets Ah-young at the 2N Box office – she wants him to run a program with Do-hee. Wait, what now? Although she knows Do-hee will be against it, she’s hiring him as a creator. He already has ideas and is confident about the project and Do-hee.

At home Do-hee bitterly declares that she’ll show Hae-kyung how she cuts ties if they ever cross paths again. She thinks about the end of their meal, where she’d said they’d likely never meet again. In fact, it’ll only take three days to forget his very ordinary face so he shouldn’t be surprised if she doesn’t recognize him. Suuure.

Hae-kyung had shot back that she shouldn’t mistakenly think that it’s destiny if they meet again. Do-hee scoffs now, but admits that she felt comfortable around him because he was a stranger.

Wide awake in bed, Hae-kyung thinks about Do-hee’s retort that it’s not destiny, just an ill-fated relationship. They’d toasted to the end of their ambiguous relationship but he now sighs, “She’s unbelievable, but somehow, we speak the same language.”

HAHAHA, Do-hee wakes up late again and freaks out before remembering how Ah-young treated her yesterday. She actually sticks an eye booger back on her face to play up the sad, post-breakup angle. On her way out, she notices the homeless man eating a fancy tangsuyuk breakfast, and is grossed out to discover that they’re her mom’s leftovers.

She tries to sneak to her desk unnoticed, but Ah-young’s already there waiting. She doesn’t buy the sad girl excuse and orders Do-hee to wash up and meet her in her office.

So-ra tries to tell Do-hee about Jae-hyuk, but stops short when she recalls Ah-young’s warning. Do-hee’s demeanor turns cold when she spots Jae-hyuk in the office. Ah-young announces that all B-class shows, Do-hee’s program included, will be cancelled to improve their reputation.

With the focus shifting to higher quality content, Do-hee is to work on an informative medical broadcast with Jae-hyuk. Do-hee demands him gone if she succeeds in bringing Hae-kyung on board. If she fails, then she’ll let her show be cancelled. Ah-young gives her until the end of tomorrow.

Do-hee enlists the help of Geon-woo, saying there’s a “si bel homme” that she needs to seduce. He gives her a bold lip, wavy hair, and a red dress, satisfied with his own work.

All glammed up, Do-hee turns on her charm to ask Byung-jin where Dr. Kim is. Ha, the illusion immediately shatters when she hears that he’s out, and she plops down to wait. Not wanting to lose his job, Byung-jin closes the clinic and kicks her out. Hee, when she curses at Hae-kyung, he secretly agrees that he feels the same way.

Byung-jin reports back to Hae-kyung and learns about an emergency patient. It’s the crying gentleman from the steakhouse, who visits the clinic that night. After leaving the restaurant yesterday, he’d attempted to jump off a high-rise building to join his late wife.

Fortunately, Hae-kyung arrived in time to stop him. Before successfully bringing him back to safety, the man had sobbed, “Then you should die with me!” and pulled on Hae-kyung’s hair. It’s simultaneously sad and funny.

The man explains now that he was supposed to meet his wife at the steakhouse three years ago. He’d rushed her to hurry, which resulted in a fatal traffic accident that he still feels incredibly guilty for. His biggest joy in life was eating dinner with his wife, and Hae-kyung reassures him that she would’ve felt the same way. “It may take some time, but true feelings are bound to be shared.”

Byung-jin enters, dressed as a server. He sets up a plate of steak and glass of red wine while speaking Italian. Hae-kyung encourages the man to take a bite and says that he shouldn’t blame himself anymore. “The accident was not your fault.”

As if a burden is lifted, the man cries and takes his first bite. After the session, Hae-kung gets Byung-jin to schedule him in for appointments every other week and it seems like he’ll be covering the counselling fees out of pocket. Byung-jin gives him a mini-lesson on saying “enjoy your meal” in Italian.

Do-hee’s back in her regular clothes at the office. Ah-young believes that the breakup with Jae-hyuk traumatized Do-hee, causing her to overly commit to Young-dong. She wants Do-hee to do the program and date Jae-hyuk again, just to dump him to find closure (No!!! Terrible idea).

Dohee seems to be convinced and thanks Ah-young for the advice. But in typical Do-hee fashion, she then stands up and yells, “Thank you, my foot!” and powerfully declares that she will NOT be doing the show with Jae-hyuk. PHEW.

Hae-kyung ignores a call from No-eul, then makes plans with Geon-woo for dinner. Jung-hwan and So-ra are too busy to grab drinks with Do-hee so Jin-kyu volunteers himself. By the time he finishes his speech about what a great drinking buddy he’d be, the entire office is empty.

 
EPISODE 8 RECAP

Hae-kyung pulls up to the restaurant that Geon-woo picked and refuses to go inside – it’s Jjigae House, the restaurant with the delicious sea urchins. Geon-woo’s already inside, annoyed when Hae-kyung changes the meeting place to his studio.

As luck would have it, Do-hee arrives just as Hae-kyung turns to leave. Both are dazed until Hae-kyung snaps out of it and drives off, remembering Do-hee’s words from last night: “Don’t act like you know me.”

Do-hee belatedly regrets not leaving first, momentarily wondering if he came here to fake a coincidental meeting. In his car, Hae-kyung incredulously repeats, “It really was a coincidence!” Do-hee’s here to clear her tab, but learning that Jae-hyuk already paid it kills her mood.

At the studio, Hae-kyung suggests ordering in to avoid bumping into a “weird woman.” Geon-woo’s surprised that someone out there can make him ramble and decides that she’s dangerous.

Jae-hyuk had a hunch that Do-hee would be at their favorite restaurant and joins her for drinks. He likes that Jjigae House hasn’t changed, but Do-hee is quick to interject that she has. He just smiles that it’s okay, because he’s still the same. Not the best selling point, I’d say. Annoyed, Do-hee leaves before Jae-hyuk can pour her a shot.

Hae-kyung’s unfazed to learn that Do-hee’s program will be axed if she fails to recruit him, meaning that Geon-woo will lose his job. He can’t believe that his friend actually likes Do-hee, calling her a psycho. A woman cuts in to ask, “You’re not talking about me, are you?” It’s No-eul.

Caught between the ex-lovers, Geon-woo makes an excuse to give the two some privacy when No-eul orders him to go. She asks if Hae-kyung understands her perspective now that they’ve talked. He states, “Your pride was more important than me. I can’t forgive that.”

No-eul says his pride is also why he won’t forgive her. He agrees, “I guess my pride is now more important to me than you are.” When Geon-woo returns, he finds No-eul crying and drinking alone.

Do-hee struts to her own epic soundtrack the next morning as she makes her way to the clinic. EEK, she’s just a few feet away from Hae-kyung when he rushes out of the office, but because she’s on the phone with So-ra, she has her back facing him. She storms into the office mere seconds after he leaves, pissed that she missed him again.

Hae-kyung’s impromptu visit to Jeju is because of his patient Geun-hee, who seems to be feeling worse. She’s hooked to an IV and weakly says that she wants to die. Hae-kyung tells her that even deities struggle with love, so it’d be tough for mere humans like them.

He says Geun-hee’s just more sensitive than most, but she’s not weak. The Jaws theme plays as Geun-hee sets her sights on Hae-kyung. Confirming that he’s not married, she asks, “Would you like to have ramyun with me?”

Jae-hyuk visits No-eul’s gym with a proposal to work together on a program. She looks upon it favorably and when he says that she’ll be working with his first love, No-eul jokes that he’s just using her to make a good impression. Ah-young is happy to hear that No-eul will be visiting the office tomorrow.

All of 2N Box gathers when Do-hee returns alone. Ah-young announces that Do-hee’s show is officially cancelled. When asked to wrap it up with a few words, Do-hee dramatically addresses her “comrades” and declares that she will be back, leading a chant: “B-class never dies!” until she’s forcefully dragged out by Ah-young. LOL.

The team goes out for drinks and Do-hee’s coworkers are bummed that she’s being forced to work with her ex. They wonder who Jae-hyuk scouted since it seems to be a big name, but Do-hee doesn’t care. She refuses to work with him and gathers the crew for another “B-class Forever!” toast. I love how they follow her faithfully!

Do-hee ignores a call from Jae-hyuk but finds him waiting for her outside the apartment. Knowing that she’s probably feeling down, Jae-hyuk had brought Do-hee’s favorite ice cream. He mentions that tomorrow’s his birthday and that it’d be sad to spend it alone.

She calmly points out that their last three birthdays were spent apart, which Jae-hyuk wants to change. He kneels, sincerely saying that he doesn’t want to be without her again. He asks Do-hee to meet him at the steakhouse tomorrow at 7PM, leaving after she flinches away from his touch.

Back in Seoul, Hae-kyung requests the taxi driver to turn off the radio – it was broadcasting an interview with his mother. The next morning, he’s unpleasantly surprised by Mom’s presence. She shamelessly declares that she’s having breakfast with him, threatening to move in if he continues to reject her.

Not in the mood, Hae-kyung tells her it’s too late and that she’s got a lot of nerve for saying that when she abandoned him after he begged her to stay. Mom insists that she only left temporarily, but Hae-kyung says that a child is basically abandoned when a mother leaves. He asks her to never come back.

When he arrives at the clinic, he runs into another person he doesn’t wish to see. No-eul has decided to show up every day until he answers her calls. She leaves him with homemade sandwiches that Hae-kyung used to love, but he coldly says that they aren’t actually very good, LOL. She works up the courage to invite him to dinner tonight before leaving.

No-eul meets with the team at 2N Box, where Do-hee says that a show of this caliber is beyond her abilities. She recommends Jin-kyu for the job since he cares about her (he cutely fist-pumps from outside) but No-eul helps Jae-hyuk and says she won’t join unless Do-hee’s in charge.

Do-hee doesn’t care and leaves, followed by Jae-hyuk who tells her not to bring personal feelings into work. She tells him not to be so full of himself, maintaining that she rejected it because she’s not sure she can handle a project like that.

Jae-hyuk believes he and Do-hee are destined for one another, and she scoffs, “Do you even know what destiny means?” It’s when you meet someone even under impossible circumstances, making you think it’s a miracle. Shaken, Jae-hyuk urges Do-hee to remember how they used to be. He asks for another chance, begging her to forgive him.

No-eul texts Hae-kyung to meet at the steakhouse at 7PM. Are there really no other restaurants in Seoul?! Do-hee is the first to arrive that night and heads to the restroom. No-eul’s next, and is brought to the second floor just before Jae-hyuk enters with a huge bouquet. He smiles to see that Do-hee’s belongings are already there.

In the restroom, Do-hee thinks about a conversation she’d had with Hae-kyung. After she’d said that someone who’s been dumped by a first love should get a free pass, she mused that it’s a miracle that they didn’t go insane and are still alive.

Hae-kyung had softly told her that it’s not a miracle. “It seems that you tried really hard. You did a good job.” With her eyes stinging, she had decided then and there that she’d never meet Jae-hyuk again. She decisively heads back to the table.

Hae-kyung does some thinking of his own, lingering outside the restaurant. He’d once told No-eul while they were dating that eating with her means he wants to spend his time solely with her. During dinner with Do-hee, she’d mentioned that the importance she placed on sharing meals was meaningless, since she’s able to have such a delicious feast with a complete stranger.

Do-hee visits Jjigae House, the food bowl stall, and the rooftop, disappointed when she doesn’t see Hae-kyung. She eventually ends up on a bridge, which is when she unexpectedly comes face-to-face with him.

Her voiceover reminds us that destiny is when you end up meeting someone in a place where you’d never imagined meeting anyone. They look into each other’s eyes and slowly make their way closer.

Contrary to her true feelings, Do-hee starts to say that they promised to ignore each other, but Hae-kyung cuts her off. “Don’t you dare.” She hesitantly asks if their meeting is a coincidence, but Hae-kyung confidently says that it’s destiny.

We see that Hae-kyung had also been running around each of their special places, but they’d barely missed each other each time. When both had given up and walked around aimlessly, they found each other like it was meant to be.

 
COMMENTS

Plot-wise, things are a little too…convenient for my taste. I get that they’re trying to play up the whole destiny angle, but it’s overkill at this point! Is there a First Loves Association that’s sponsored by that steakhouse? “Get 50% off your first meal when you meet your ex here at 7PM!” It was unnecessary to place them there at the exact same time. I’m starting to feel burnt out counting each additional coincidence. While I do roll my eyes each time a new coincidence happens, it ultimately doesn’t take tooooo much away from the experience. I’m still enjoying this breezy watch, especially because the leads aren’t giving their exes the time of day.

While I really hope it stays that way, I have a feeling Hae-kyung will be swayed by No-eul for a bit. He doesn’t sound as convicted as Do-hee does when they discuss how it’s nonsensical to get back together with their first loves. He also hasn’t stopped thinking about No-eul after all this time and needs closure, so I guess her reappearance is a necessary evil to help him move on. Speaking of closure, I’m kind of mad at Ah-young for putting Do-hee in this uncomfortable position. She’s in a position of power (even if Do-hee tends to do her own thing most of the time), and shouldn’t be forcing her colleague and friend to work with someone who has hurt her so much. I’m proud of Do-hee as always for calling people out for their actions and standing up for herself.

There’s seriously nothing appealing about No-eul nor Jae-hyuk to me. They’re both entitled exes that have no regard for our leads’ feelings. They show up out of the blue and expect to be taken back because of their history. Jae-hyuk, at the very least, acknowledges that he hurt Do-hee. No-eul seems like she’s always gotten what she’s wanted, and is back now that she’s bored. What bothers me is that she doesn’t even recognize her role in hurting Hae-kyung. It’s obvious that Jae-hyuk and No-eul both have lingering feelings for Do-hee and Hae-kyung, but the both of them are still living in the past. Their former lovers have now changed, but they think that they can pick up exactly where they left off without putting in the effort to regain their trust. Also, I personally don’t think that Sohn Na-eun is a great fit for this role (she’s much better playing spunkier characters like in Twenty Again). I feel disconnected with her character because it feels very one-dimensional. But who knows, perhaps we’ll be pleasantly surprised throughout the rest of the show’s run.

This episode really allowed Hae-kyung’s empathetic nature to shine. Whether it’s a complete stranger, an acquaintance, or a patient, he treats the people he meets with the utmost respect and really listens. It’s clear that he’s in this industry because he’s passionate about helping others heal. He’s shown time and time again that he’s thoughtful and observative. It’s the little things that count! Hae-kyung casually ordering soup for Do-hee made me swoon, because it’s something he did without much thought. Do-hee looked stricken at the time, and it seems like nobody has really paid that much attention to her in a while, which makes me sad. They deserve the world and I can’t wait to watch their relationship develop.

They’re absolutely killing it on their own, but shine so bright when they’re together. I love that they build each other up with their words of comfort, and are pretty much always on the same wavelength. Like Hae-kyung said to the man from the steakhouse, “It may take some time, but true feelings are bound to be shared.” Although the pair always says the opposite during their meetups (pretending they’re okay with never seeing each other again), their true feelings finally broke through. I love that they actually take each other’s advice to heart, which helped them both decisively ditch their dinner plans to find each other. These two are literally never successful when they purposely look for each other, so good thing ~destiny~ is on their side. This time, pleaaaaaase save each other’s numbers!

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