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It’s Okay to Not Be Okay: Episode 8

If you thought the last episode was full of crying, fear not — this one is full of smiling. Our couple have taken their first steps to recovery, choosing to let go of their pasts and start anew. It’s making them see everything differently, including each other. There are others, however, who aren’t so happy with the way things are changing.

 
EPISODE 8: “Beauty and the beast”

Moon-young adores her new hairstyle, telling Kang-tae that she doesn’t have to listen to her mom now that she’s cut off her leash. Kang-tae is surprised to hear her reasoning behind the sudden change, and he congratulates her. But she’d rather get a pat on the head, like before. He does as she wishes, and she beams that she’s as happy as The Cheerful Dog.

The next morning, at breakfast, Moon-young asks Sang-tae what he thinks of her bob. “Your long hair was prettier,” he says, making her face fall. He starts rambling that she shouldn’t have cut it, and Kang-tae tries (and fails) to defuse the situation by changing the subject. Now cranky, Moon-young asks Kang-tae to place her food on her spoon. Ha, has this become their thing?

Moon-young walks Kang-tae to the car, telling him to come straight home after work so they can play. In turn, he tells her not to get in any fights with Sang-tae. She stops to enjoy the morning breeze, and for a moment, he seems captivated by her.

She faces him, making him snap out of it, and asks if she really looks pretty. He reassures her that she does, and she decides that that’s enough for her. She waves him goodbye, and as he’s driving off, he can’t help but look back at her in the mirror.

Once at work, Kang-tae is informed by caregiver Cha-yong that Go Dae-hwan had a seizure last night. As Kang-tae is redressing Dae-hwan, Dae-hwan brings up the ghost and the song it always sings. “She definitely died,” he says, “but that woman is here.”

Kang-tae asks Dae-hwan who he’s referring to, but Dae-hwan just looks out the window and repeats that the woman is at the hospital.

At home, Moon-young is browsing through articles of herself, upset to see that she’s still getting angry fan comments. She’s glad to have Sang-tae, at least, and asks him what he likes about her. Without missing a beat, he states that he liked her long hair the best.

Meanwhile, Sang-in and Seung-jae are eating at Subway (whoop, there it is). Apparently, Sang-in made Seung-jae do a background check on Joo-ri. He has her relay every little detail, from Joo-ri’s family to her relationship with Kang-tae.

While taking a break outside, Kang-tae thinks back to the way Moon-young looked before, the wind in her hair, and his saying she was pretty. “You must be going crazy, Moon Kang-tae,” he says to himself.

Director Oh looks through the hospital’s CCTV footage, wanting to find out what happened to Go Dae-hwan last night. And he sees that just after Dae-hwan’s seizure, a woman with long hair walked by — a woman that he thinks he recognizes. He calls Kang-tae and asks him to bring Park Ok-ran in.

(Reminder that Ok-ran is the woman who disregarded another patient’s sightings of the ghost and slapped Joo-ri.) Kang-tae brings Ok-ran in, and Director Oh starts questioning her about her whereabouts last night. He also asks if she happened to hum a certain song, earning Kang-tae’s attention.

Ok-ran lets out a dry laugh and tells Director Oh that she isn’t some ghost. Director Oh sees that he won’t be getting answers from her, so he decides to let her go. As Kang-tae is guiding Ok-ran back to her room, he catches her chuckling again, and she explains that she’s finally getting some attention.

Later, on the roof, Director Oh and Kang-tae talk it over and wonder why Ok-ran is lying. Director Oh asks Kang-tae to keep an eye on her, even offering a favor in return. And Kang-tae jumps at the opportunity, wanting him to start up Moon-young’s classes again.

At lunch time, Kang-tae meets up with Sang-tae, with Moon-young tagging along. Moon-young is disappointed, however, when the brothers take her to a small Chinese restaurant. Kang-tae tells her that their mom used to bring them here because he loved the jjambbong, which changes her view.

When eating, Kang-tae thinks of his mom and starts getting emotional. But then Moon-young takes a bite of her food and curses, “Fuck, it’s so spicy,” and he bursts into laughter. She watches him with a relieved smile.

It’s raining when they leave the restaurant, and Kang-tae makes sure that Sang-tae is covered by their umbrella. Moon-young feels left behind, so she rushes over to join them and makes sure that her umbrella is covering Kang-tae.

It’s time for Sang-tae’s shift at the pizza place, so the couple send him off to his bus. Moon-young then links arms with Kang-tae and suggests they grab some coffee before his break over. On the bus, Sang-tae watches them with a worried look on his face. Hm.

While getting their coffee, Kang-tae notices Moon-young staring at a man writing in his journal. (It’s Daniel Choi, from the writer’s previous drama Jugglers!) The man catches her staring and, realizing who she is, approaches saying he’s a huge fan.

Kang-tae arrives with the drinks, purposely showing off that he’s with Moon-young. But when the fan asks if he’s her boyfriend, she answers that he’s just some guy she knows. To prove it, she agrees to give the fan her phone number.

Kang-tae is growing agitated, but he holds it together, even when the fan asks him to take their picture. He clenches his jaw and takes multiple pictures of the pair making cutesy poses.

Once Kang-tae and Moon-young are alone again, he chides her for acting way too friendly to a fan she just met. She argues that the fan was too cool to pass up, annoying him further. He leaves in a huff, and she smiles with amusement. She takes out the fan’s pen, which she stole when he wasn’t looking, and says, “Ah, so cool.” LOL, I knew she was talking about the pen! (In Korean, “fan” and “pen” sound similar.)

Back at OK, Joo-ri is horrified to find her mom chatting it up with Sang-in. She’s even more horrified to learn that Mom has agreed to let him live in their building, in Jae-soo’s room. She doesn’t understand why he would want to live there, and he happily says, “Because of you.” She tries to tell him she likes someone else, but he won’t budge. So she shakes her head at him, giving up, and walks off.

Sang-in reaches the parking lot and panics when he sees Kang-tae marching right toward him. With absolutely no prelude, Kang-tae explodes; he yells that Sang-in should be considering his client’s well-being instead of letting her go around flirting with fans.

Back inside, patients Jung-tae and Ah-reum have a romantic rendezvous in the supply closet. Patients aren’t allowed to form romantic relationships, so the closet is the only place they can be together.

The couple try to leave the room inconspicuously — only to jump at the sight of Kang-tae. They beg him not to tell the higher-ups, but he has no choice. Unfortunately, he tells them, one of them will have to be transferred elsewhere.

Kang-tae doesn’t feel good about breaking the couple apart, especially seeing Ah-reum cry. All he can do is encourage them to work on their recovery so they can meet again outside the hospital.

That evening, when Sang-tae comes home, Moon-young suggests they play some poker. But he sees the doll Mang-tae in her hands and asks her what she’s doing with it — it belongs to him. He tries to grab for it, but she resists and cries that it’s hers now.

They pull on the poor doll until they accidentally tear the head off… Uh oh. We cut to Kang-tae as he arrives home, hearing screams and running up the stairs toward the sound. He bursts into his room to find this:

Moon-young and Sang-tae both shout that Mang-tae is theirs, and Kang-tae practically rolls his eyes into the back of his head. He adopts his parent tone and orders them to hand over the doll pieces. Though they do, Sang-tae then climbs into the wardrobe, crying that he hates Moon-young, and Moon-young storms off to her room.

Kang-tae sits in front of the wardrobe to talk his brother out. He apologizes for taking the doll without permission, but Sang-tae hasn’t used it for years. “When you don’t need something,” he says, “it’s nice to offer it to someone who does need it.”

Kang-tae reminds Sang-tae that, at the end of the day, he’ll always have him. To that, Sang-tae says that Moon-young can keep Mang-tae — as long as she doesn’t get Kang-tae. The condition surprises Kang-tae, but he puts on a smile and agrees.

Later, Kang-tae settles into the living room and starts sewing Mang-tae’s head back on. Moon-young joins him, still annoyed, and he asks that she be patient with Sang-tae at times like this. She’s curious to know how he does it, how he always manages to hold everything in. You know, since he’s the expert. “Keeping it all inside and enduring it,” he explains, “is the only way I can protect Hyung.”

She smiles and points out that them being opposites, him patient and her volatile, makes them the perfect match. Like a bomb and its safety pin. He gets pouty and brings up the fan they met earlier, which is when she reveals that the “fan” she likes is actually a pen. Besides, she says, leaning in, she likes him the most. Feeling tired, she then rests her head in his lap and insists on sleeping here, where Mang-tae is.

Soon, Moon-young is fast asleep. Kang-tae gets up from the couch to cover her with a blanket, and he tucks her in with the now fixed Mang-tae. He sits back and looks at her, this longing in his eyes, and slowly… lightly places his hand over hers. But that’s all he allows himself to do before pulling back.

The next day, Sang-in wakes up in his newly shared room and discovers that his facial hair is gone. We see that last night, Jae-soo accidentally spit out his gum on Sang-in’s sleeping face and had to shave off his beard. (Oh my word, that is gross.) Apparently, Seung-jae is living in the building too, rooming with Joo-ri.

On the way to work, Joo-ri warns her mom not to push her and Sang-in together or anything. Mom sighs and says that she just wants Joo-ri to give her energy to someone who will like her back. Joo-ri’s mood only gets worse, as she and Mom arrive at OK the same time as Moon-young and the Moon brothers.

Mom tries to ease the tension by inviting Moon-young over for dinner, saying she and Joo-ri can fight all they want as long as they make up (hee). After forcing a smile, Joo-ri drags Mom inside, the others right behind them. Moon-young links arms with Kang-tae, but this time, Sang-tae squeezes in between them.

Before literature class, Moon-young stops by Director Oh’s office. He tells her that it was Kang-tae who asked to bring her back, and she’s pleasantly surprised. He then asks if she knows the patient Park Ok-ran, but she only knows her from class.

Meanwhile, Jung-tae thanks Kang-tae for keeping his relationship with Ah-reum a secret for now. He wishes he had Kang-tae’s strong character, but he just can’t control himself. “I see [Ah-reum] every day, and it really drives me crazy,” he says. “I tell myself I shouldn’t look at her, but I think of her even when I close my eyes.”

As Jung-tae continues, Kang-tae seems to realize that he’s been feeling this way for Moon-young lately. Feeling jealous, feeling reluctant. He finds himself walking over to Moon-young’s class and watching her through the door. She sees him and gives him a wave, along with an adorable eye smile, making him turn the other way.

Moon-young frowns and then goes on with her lesson of Beauty and the Beast: “The Beast was usually selfish and harsh on Belle. So him doing something nice and gazing at her with a faint smile was enough to move her. ‘Ah, the Beast is lonely, so I should embrace him with my love. Only I can change him.’”

Moon-young concludes that Belle was delusional, that she fell into Stockholm Syndrome. This makes Ah-reum cry that that’s not true — Belle truly loved the Beast and that love healed his wounded soul. Moon-young remembers Kang-tae comforting her after her nightmare, and she silently wonders, “Love?”

Moon-young still seems to be pondering this after class, as she smokes a cigarette outside. All of a sudden, Ah-reum’s abusive ex-husband shows and chases Ah-reum into the garden. The ex begs Ah-reum to take him back, saying he’ll do better, but she’s done with him. She wants to start anew.

The ex still won’t quit, so Ah-reum blurts out that there’s someone she likes. And just like that, a flip switches and the ex starts being aggressive. He lifts a hand to slap her, when an empty can hits him in the face. “Omo, sorry,” Moon-young says, approaching them. “I thought you were a trash can.”

The ex scowls and says that this hospital sure is full of crazy bitches, and Moon-young retorts that he should check in since he’s a crazy bastard. To that, the guy punches her to the ground and then grabs her to hit her again. Before he can, Kang-tae comes rushing over and punches him twice as hard.

Everyone — the staff, Sang-tae, and most of all, Moon-young — is in complete shock to see Kang-tae so angry. Cha-yong tries to hold him back, Nurse Park yells for him to stop, but he’s in a blind rage as he gets ready to deliver another blow. It’s Ah-reum’s desperate crying that finally snaps him out of it.

Kang-tae immediately falls back and helps Moon-young to her feet, asking if she’s okay. He lifts a hand to her cheek, as if the others aren’t even there. And she seems to melt at his touch, dropping the rock she’d been holding behind her back.

Kang-tae is willing to accept whatever punishment for his actions, and, ultimately, Director Oh decides to suspend him without pay. Though, something tells me Director Oh would’ve given a lighter sentence if Nurse Park wasn’t there.

Sang-tae, and then Cha-young, demand to know what happened, reminding him that he’s good at holding things in. But Kang-tae just packs up his stuff and heads for the door. Joo-ri stops him next, thinking he should just apologize and admit he made a mistake. “It wasn’t a mistake,” he tells her, walking past.

The patients sadly watch Kang-tae go, though Sun-hae swears she saw him smiling. Kang-tae is, in fact, smiling, and he’s smiling bigger and bigger as he thinks of Moon-young, of the time she promised to run away with him if he ever had the urge.

Kang-tae’s running now, out of the hospital and towards the bench where Moon-young is. He happily declares that he got suspended, that he might get sued, and that everything’s messed up. That being said, he wants to run away with her, like she promised. Now. He holds out his hand, and she takes it, matching his grin.

 
COMMENTS

I really liked the last episode, but I think this one might be my favorite so far. I just loved how light everything felt. Obviously, there was a lot of humor and it was great, but there was also a lightness, an openness, that I don’t know how to explain. The scene of Moon-young with the wind in her hair is probably the best representation. The haircut didn’t change her or her personality; it just brought out the light that was already in her. She was sweet, she was bubbly, yet she was still her boss bitch self.

I think Kang-tae’s known for a while now, that he has feelings for Moon-young. He’s been seeing a lot more of her true self, of her genuine smiles, and it’s only made his feelings stronger. He thought he could hold back, like he’s been holding back everything else, but it was about time his safety pin came falling out. It’s quite beautiful, actually, watching the effect she has on him (and vice versa, of course). She pushes him, for sure, but she’s pushing him to be selfish for his own good. As a result, he’s starting to see how amazing a little selfishness can feel. That last scene made me think of an early episode, when he imagined himself in Gi-do’s place, jumping on stage freely. Kang-tae running out of the hospital, smiling from ear-to-ear, I saw that exact same freedom.

It’s interesting, because I never expected Sang-tae to disapprove of our couple’s relationship. For a moment, when he was watching them from the bus, I thought he was worried his brother was stealing the girl he liked. It’s so much more heartbreaking knowing the truth, that he’s worried this girl is stealing his brother. Sang-tae’s always trying to prove that he’s self-sufficient, and I believe that he is, but still… Kang-tae is his dongsaeng and he doesn’t want to lose him. I’m sure there will come a point where Sang-tae and Moon-young come to him with that question: Who does he like more? I’m not looking forward to that, because I was just starting to fall in love with Moon-young and the brothers as their own little family. I don’t want them to fight…

I’m also curious about Moon-young and how her feelings will change things. She’s attached to Kang-tae, and she jokes about dating him, but she seems to shy away from the idea of loving him. For her, it might be a combination of being scared to love and not knowing how to love. If that’s the case, I do hope she finds the courage to join him and figure love out together. (I’ve gotta say, though, things are so intense between them, and they haven’t even kissed yet! I swooned like crazy over a simple handhold!) Finally, I’m ever curious about the hospital ghost, now that we know(?) it’s Ok-ran. The history behind this ghost and the Go family is so intriguing, and I’m dying to see the full story. Will there be more heartbreak at the end of that story? Probably. There’s big trouble on the horizon, which only makes me appreciate this happy episode more.

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Basically all my thoughts already covered by everyone's comments, but WOW - I enjoy every. single. episode. But 7 and especially 8 have just blown me away. I can't remember the last time I watched a show where I hung on nearly every scene in every episode. All the comments and perspectives are definitely making the rewatching more interesting, too.

I love MY's and ST's relationship, and I really hope that it continues to be fleshed out with nuance vs becoming a stereotypical diva-off of "That Boy Is Mine." The fight scene was hilarious (the both of them just hauling off on each other - man, are they formidably well-matched), but it also underscores that MY just simply does not treat ST differently because of his autism. No tiptoeing on eggshells, no suppressing. He's an equal here. And it's minor, but I also really liked the scene right before, when he came home. He walks in the door, calls out that he's home, and she distractedly calls back a, "Hey, Oppa." This is so domestic. This is what family does (or at least mine!). I would like to see this relationship between MY and ST evolve as well; I can see her caring fiercely for him as well and also becoming "hers" (in a healthy way - because I'm happy to see MY moving away from the concept of people "belonging" to her in an unhealthy way). Frankly, I am really hoping for a scene of the three of them going on camping car adventure!

Diverging, but the very end, when KT comes running up to MY sitting on the bench and she looks up at him, her face is a sweet picture of flummoxed vulnerability - wow, love. Is this it? What is it? What happens now? And then, there he is asking her to run away with him. The look on her face, it was like: is this really happening?

I am so excited for this weekend's episodes, though I do fear that after all sweetness there are storm clouds gathering on the horizon....

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PS - and thank you @sailorjumun for the speedy recaps!!

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I like your perspective on they "Hey, Oppa". Maybe the only resolution for these three is to just be a family together (since I can't ever picture KT not-living with ST) and ST may accept the new dynamic more readily once he sees how as you say, MY is fiercely caring of him. I also appreciate how MY uniquely treats him as an equal - they certainly fight like it.

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I can definitely see the three of them as a family, with ST and MY bickering like cat and mouse and poor KT in the middle

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True - so maybe they need JS in that family, too. He's already essentially a brother!

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Love them as a family too. They all need each other.

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I thought the fight between MY and ST was funny but I was also taken aback by how violent it was. MY had a bloody nose and blood smeared across her face. And ST didnt exactly have a gentle hold on her hair.

And I know the popular theory is that MY is the beast and GT is the beauty but I dont think so. There have been so many times where GT has been so cruel to MY and she overlooks it because she wants/loves/is obsessed with him. But then he'll do something kind to her.

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this is a good point. he's said some very hurtful things to her every time he wanted to dismiss her. maybe his apathetic facade, that is the work of him suppressing himself, is the "beastly" exterior he will need to shed.

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Great point. I really like how this show doesn't paint the OTP as one being Good and one being Bad but are using the fairy tale element to plays with the "who is who" depending on perspective. MY and KT are by turns both Beauty and the Beast. So is ST. So maybe is JR. This show is doing a great job of helping us see all the characters as complex and multi-layered.

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in the same vein, i loved that zombie kid can be moon young, kang tae, or sang tae. the fairy tales and moon young's stories have really led themselves to very versatile storytelling here.

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Exactly! It's such a clever device. It's like a kaleidoscope - it shifts your perspective with nuance but also leads to these interesting a-has.

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Hello, new beanie here!
To say that I'm obsessed with this drama it would be an understatement. I adore the storytelling, the direction, the visuals but most of all the acting. All the actors are fantastic but I think I'm slowly becoming a hardcore KSH fan. What amazing actor he is!
Anyway, I don't want to repeat everything that's already been said but I have some thoughts.
- Is there a possiblity that GT has some anger issues? He is a little bit scary when he gets angry, and ST was really worried when he was about to kick the hell out of that guy. I dunno, I have this feeling that we haven't explored/seen all of his sides yet. Watching him exploding will be really interesting to say the least.
- After all the smiles and lightness of this episode I'm even more sure that there will be a separation period. I don't want to be a downer but things will definitely get complicated soon. Plus GT's desire to travel without destination will be addressed again at some point.
- I have no clue if MY's mother is alive or not but I'm certain that neither the head nurse nor the patient are her. Maybe obsessed with her, her books and her disappearance? Something is definitely fishy. Plus is there a possibility that we might get some answers in her books? Even for GT's and ST's mother murder?
- I'm fascinated by the use of fairytales in the show. I wonder which other fairytales are they going to use for the rest of the episodes. Probably a couple of MY's stories plus the one she is going to write with ST (we know this is happening, right?). But for the rest what do we think?
I will be disappointed if they don"t use the Snow Queen, at least the basic story. Btw have you noticed that young KT is wearing red shoes in the flashbacks? What else? The Wizard of Oz for MY's mom story? Maybe Alice in Wonderland or Through the Looking Glass but not sure if it fits. And of course I will be scared and happy at the same if they use any of the Oscar Wilde's stories because they are genious but extremely depressing.
Woof, that was a lot. Sorry...

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In regards to your first point there’s so much of Kang-tae we don’t know about, he’s been suppressing his feelings for years now to avoid conflict but it’s inevitable it will come out sooner, he’s quite scary when he’s angry because it almost felt like he lost control but I’m glad he didn’t end up throwing the punch (not that that guy didn’t deserve it), Although it seems now Kang-tae is slowly starting to not hold himself back I’m interested for the exploration of his character.

And the fairy tales are such a good addition to the drama, I’m thinking they might include Snow White and The Little Mermaid (Hans Christian Anderson version)

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Hans Christian Anderson's "Little Mermaid" and "Ugly Duckling" was mentioned around episode 3 and 4. The Red Shoes was the most obvious in eps 1 and 2.
It's possible that they might go into more details later.

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anyone who has suppressed themselves like him is bound to explode one day, but idk if i would categorize that as anger management issues. we'll need to see what he's like in the following episodes, if he just needed that one big outburst or if it's a more consistent character trait.

although separation will surely be painful, i think it will be instrumental for their development. at the end of the day, they're both very broken and though they're helping each other heal, they still need to take time to themselves to reflect on their trauma, recovery, and growth.

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All the feelings that Kangtae has been holding back all these years are being released at that moment, so I don't blame the producers for making it seem as though he has lost control of himself. When one gets to release all the ill feelings he has been suppressing all these years, things do get very overwhelming very quickly and you lose your ability to think straight so I thought this scene was really well done cause I know anyone and everyone would not be satisfied/hold back after just one punch when you become aware and is able to release all ill feelings you have been suppressing for so long

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Welcome to the KSH fandom! If you haven't checked out his other works do watch em all asap (I won't recommend dream high though thanks to a specific actor ruining it for me). You'll see just how diverse and expressive he is as an actor. And don't let his absthetics and magnificent face distract you (who am I kidding 🙃) but focus on his voice modulation and posture. He really delivers the emotions through his voice and face.

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i know what you mean re: dream high but it was the first time i saw him almost over a decade ago, and i can never not love him as song sam dong. it actually remains one of my favorite roles of his to this day.

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It was really greedy of JYP to unleash an idol who was very inexperienced, noob-ish, unprepared in acting (undertrained too). Back than I had KBS WORLD in my cable, and they showed it in 2012 after it finished. I saw glimpses of KSH in between watching music bank, got attracted but then 2/3 episodes in, I couldn't take She who should not be named anymore. I almost got traumatized. It was such a fun plot but I couldn't watch it. It took me 2 years till MLFAS to fall in love with KSH. All because of her.
Till this day I try to avoid her at any cost.

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*back then

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She who should not be named almost made me not watch oppa's Uncontrollably Fond. It was a struggle to finish that drama and I credit KWB for helping me persevere. I was so traumatized that I vowed to never watch she who should not be named in any movie or drama. I gave her a pass with Dream High but oppa's Uncontrollably Fond was another matter.

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@doublefault you wouldn't believe but I actually finished UF despite all the unbearable minutes she who must not be named was on screen. I really am not a big fan of KWB like I am of KSH. But the story was compelling, background scenery was cooling and KMW was really good. I really want to know what possessed me back then so that I can finish Dream high too.

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dang you guys are not playing! she actually really grew on me by the end of dream high, and i found her stiffness endearing bc they acknowledged it lol

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@dogemama give me your mantra or secret or whatever that let she who should not be named grow on you! I want to finish watching Dream high and While you were sleeping! Or any future drama where she may star with my favorite actor. Heck I dropped all the dramas she was in eg. vagabond, DH etc.

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I’ve never been so excited for the lead couple to go on a trip. THIS is what I’ve been waiting for I’m SO excited for Episode 9, although judging by the teaser for next week it’s not going to be as smooth sailing as it seems.

Also KIM SOO HYUNS SMILE, I melted and was grinning like a fool alongside him

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I am starting to consider if Ok-ran is Moon-yeong's mother, am I a bit too crazy?

But well, not so fast, maybe she's just trying to get attention from others, and it is genuine Moon-yeong doesn't recognize her as someone she knows; but I can't push this thought away.

Anyway, this is a funny and relieving episode, and when they (Moon-yeong and Kang-tae) starts to give up holding back, it is a lovely scene. Sang-tae's disapproval is expected, they are being together for so long, and "Mang-tae scenario" simply is the sign.

Afterall, it is a dark fairytale, I honestly don't expect the story will go a simple happy ending. It is too simple and naive to get one. I hope the ending to be more thoughtful. South Korea is a society just like Kang-tae, and if the show approve even appreciate his attitude, I don't think this is good for the audience. I want this story to be needed by their audience, not appeasing them.

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not crazy, i wondered the same thing! especially when they gave us the idea from eun ja that her mom could have gotten plastic surgery...

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I thought about the ending also and like you, I don't think it's going to be a generic "and they lived happily after". I keep thinking that could it be possible for MY to be the one to leave KT this time since it has always been KT that escapes when things get difficult? Her mom did threaten to harm her prince charming. Then there's ST oppa.

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Yeah, I am thinking this time will be a bittersweet ending, with someone leave with a sad face, or at least a Hans Christian Andersen's style fairytale ending (i.e., not a sanitized happy ending). If the screenwriter loyal to the original meaning of fairytale (Moon-yeong mentioned it in Ep.3), i.e., “A cruel fantasy that illustrates the brutality and violence of this world in a paradoxical manner.” That may be sad ending, but I will like this kind of ending.

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Oh my heart! Be still!! Gaaaaaah this episode was everything! Oh how I love this drama!! Aaaaah now I can go sleep in peace *hope nothing comes between this beautiful couple and they continue to building their relationship* fingers crossed! Btw binge watching my love from the star again while I wait for the next episodes hahaha I am that obsessed with this drama!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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My ship.... my ship has sailed. Now can we please have some happy, sweet, and giddy moments before trouble comes knocking? I know there will be conflicts that need to be resolve but please give us one full episode of pure sap, pretty please?

I am counting down the days till the next episode but that scene of Kang-tae walking/running towards Moon-young with all the happiness in the world will help me stay alive until next Saturday.

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I was reading the news and IOTNBO is ranked #1 in 7 countries and last week was #6 most watched tv show across the world in Netflix. It’s also doing really well in South America specifically so even if the ratings aren’t as high as the usual KSH dramas, it’s obviously very very popular. Just wanted to share this for anyone that may be disappointed with the ratings :)

The team definitely is getting their due even if not through the usual SK channels!

https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/241/0003037911

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Thanks for sharing. In an interview, I remember KSH saying that he was hoping for this drama to get 15%. Oh, well. Hopefully he is heartened by how positively it is being received. The Youtube views from clips that tvN posts are getting hundreds of thousands of views. Even a clip from an old guesting of SYJ's from Knowing Brothers posted by JTBC about two weeks ago has gotten almost 3M views.

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I don't think the growing tension between Sang-tae and Moon young in the competition for Kang-tae is going to be resolved easily. Firstly, if KT has known MY from childhood, I wonder if ST also remembers her or her family? Also, has a strong claim to MY. He knew MY through her books. He loved her as a writer and he has been her fan for a long time. So both brothers have long-standing claims to MY.

Also she has changed them both. Because of MY's provocations, ST has grown more independent and more adult, and ST has been freed of his self-restraint. They are on a collision course.

I wonder how it will be resolved? Is there a fairy tale that will cover it? And how do their family's stories play into it all. I'm starting to wonder how KT and ST's family story connects to MY's. Is it something to do with the missing/dead mothers?

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Love is itself an interesting arc within this drama. MY and ST competing for KT, KT's feeling of neglect from his mom, even JS and JR vying for KT's affections all imply that they hold some believe that love is finite and thus you much fight for your piece of the pie. I don't mean to simplify love in all its permutations and complexities, but it would be really interesting to watch how each character's relationship to the concept of love evolve (and also loving yourself) and how there is "enough to go around."

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Riddle me this. How does Kim So Hyun look so good with basically a bowl/mushroom haircut? No one pulls it off better. Like if he ever shows his forehead in this, I think I may swoon. And I love Moon-young’s new short hair. And I love how Sang-tae says he only liked her because of her long hair. 😂 Hair cuts change our whole personality for a while. Moon-young looks so much younger and happier and when she smiles she lights up the whole room. How cute was she when she totally forgot herself and waved excitedly at Kang-tae during her class? So adorable.

And we saw some ASPD tenancies here, still, so we know that part of her is never too far away. Stealing that pen was slick and unremorseful. She’s still the most important person in her life, after all. But maybe not for long.

Love that beach, that’s all.

I hope we get some good skinship while they’ve run away, it’s about time.

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Get ready to pay respect to my soul if he shows his forehead in any of the the next episodes. His after shower curls almost took my life (which also made me ask for him to get a light perm, yes riddle me that ally), but if the stylist parts his hair whew... The reason I survive every rewatch of MLFAS is because his forehead wasn't visible. My world is a better place because Kim Soo Hyun only shows is forehead in award/drama launching sessions/interviews. We don't need an overdose *commands google to play overdose by exo to make the ranting more chaotic*

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Now I have to google his forehead... and here I thought the "lip thing" would be my undoing!

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Classic me at it again! Why am I like this! Why do I always have to drag people at this pit called 'rediscovering oppa's face/body'. My bestfriend is a longtime victim.

BTW I used to look at KSH's eyes whever he's onscreen because they always capture my attention first but after our *deep* conversation about his lips, that's all I can see now a days... I may have gone a bit too far this time even by my own standards 😬

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I just wanted to say if there's anyone in surveillance team, working to eradicate possible perverts from this community, I am not one. The comment I made is written with 'pure' thoughts while appreciating the beauty of human beings. Do not judge me by the bad puns in the comment . That's all.

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You have no idea of the thoughts swirling around my brain in regards to KSH recently. If I type even the mildest version of it, I *will* get banned. Its not a possibility. Its a certainty LOLL

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@mandy giggity giggity goo
*Nervous laughs like Quagmire*

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The google research was very thorough and for informative reasons only. Thank your for the recommendation. As the body is the instrument of an actor's craft, we are hereby consequently honouring his artistic talents. And there are many, many, as I have discovered. Looking forward to more.
P.S. No way this research is based on anything that should alert the surveillance team. No. Way.

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@marylou Share the result you obtained from your scientific(!) research beanie! Publish it on the journal of beanie fan wall and oppa appreciationology

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I’m definitely a forehead girl. Weird, but true. I hate that muchroom/bowl cut with all my soul. Wei? God made you with a forehead for a reason, boys. No, not to house your frontal lobe, that’s just secondary to my enjoyment of it.

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Nah man, I am hypersensitive to forehead exposure. So I am content with the vein and hand shots. Gotta keep the histamine and dopamine level low in my body.

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Congratulations to us for having one new addition to the 'Kim Soo Hyun Forehead' search result!

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LMFAO yes that perm is just *swoon*

I heard KSH's natural hair is actually very curly which makes sense since as soon as it gets wet, it looks like... that. Can he not just have it in its natural state for the remaining of the drama?? I mean, we all probably wont understand a thing considering we've all swooned - literally - but still...

Come on Kim Soo-hyun. If not an OST, give me this?

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Since MLFAS days (I saw it in late 2014) I refused to believe he has curly hair unless I see him in his natural hair. Until the after shower scenes in IOTNBO I could never imagine how he would look in a curly hair but now I can. Which also made me wonder what this guy goes through and pays for that straight hair 😂
Also petition for a KSH ost?

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Lol it’s such a huge waste how he doesn’t like to show his forehead OR his curls. Like... come on!! Based on his HS photos, his hair was Sam-dong (pre-makeover) level curly 🤣

But based on the after-rain scenes, seems like it’s been tamed. I do want him to leave it permed for the whole duration of a drama. Maybe the next one? Watch him set a trend lol.

And yes please *slams table with axe force* I really want an OST!! In every drama since DH, he’s sang either a cover or an OST (or both) for all his dramas. This one should definitely not be an exception!

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@mandy I believe his stylist and him knows we won't be able to bear the magnificent sight of his visible forehead for 16+ hours hence the hair down style. I think His hair had shorter front bangs in Will it snow for Christmas as half of his forehead was showing. But that's all forehead we got drama wise. "Real" movie showed us some nice sleek hair-forehead ratio though :)

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@playstore

Seung-chan also showed half his forehead!! But that’s the thing about KSH, he can do the most swoony character ever in Do Min-joon, then turn right around and play Seung-chan - one of the most dorky and nerdy character in recent years lol.

I don’t even need forehead tho!! All I’m saying is I want to see his natural state of perm. Is this so much to ask?!?

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this was my favorite episode also! there were just so many /moments/ in this episode that held so much MEANING.

i LOVED the callback to the memory we've been repeatedly seeing of kang tae's mom fussing over sang tae as they walk from the chinese restaurant in the rain. moon young rushing to cover kang tae's other side as he tended to his brother in his mother's place wasn't exactly a SUBTLE nod but i enjoyed every second of it. i think part of why i loved this scene (and episode) so much is that it not only showed what moon young brings out in kang tae and how they balance each other - it also showed the ways that SHE can take care of HIM. i was firmly on kang tae's side when he told moon young that he's tired of taking care of people. it must be EXHAUSTING. but in this episode - she shielded him from the rain AND she gave him a place to run to when he finally wanted to escape. i was curious how they would be able to do it while keeping moon young true to her nature, but i am still impressed so far.

as any avid drama viewer would know, it wasn't surprising when kang tae came swooping in to punch that abusive ex. what DID surprise me was kang tae straddling him, poised to punch again, and how on edge i felt genuinely not going if he was going to throw it or not! it reminded me of the scene on the ice when they were kids... with moon young telling kang tae to just run away from sang tae while he drowned. i couldn't help wondering "is he going to give in and be the bad guy this time?" but even though he didn't, they stayed true to all of their characters. it was ah reum who brought him out of it, because moon young wouldn't have stopped him. and it was kang tae who brought moon young out of it, because without him she would have never dropped the rock.

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random side note, i was actually pretty surprised when sang in's background check on joo ri revealed she's only known kang tae for one year? for some reason i was under the impression that joo ri also knew kang tae from childhood, even though she wasn't aware that him & moon young were already acquainted. maybe the childhood crush trope is just so overused that i've come to expect it, but somehow the intensity of joo ri's obsession with kang tae is even weirder to me now lol.

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I dunno... lol i dont think she's exactly that obsessed with him. I dont even think she's obsessed exactly - that's what I'd call Moon-young's reaction in the initial episodes. I think Joo-ri sees him as someone very similar to her. Someone who can be frustrated but hold back, someone who's sweet, caring, understanding and just a genuinely nice person.

I think she's nice. She has a bitchy side (not exactly dark tho) and that makes her very human and relatable honestly. But overall, she's really nice I think. And she sees Kang-tae as someone similar which is probably why she's so attracted to him.

Also, Kang-tae is a bit of a magnet for attraction. Literally every single person seems to want his attention, like him or is distracted by him LOL. Joo-ri, Sang-tae, Jae-su, Sang-in, Moon-young, all the hospital residents, his hoobae, the Dr - literally everyone haha

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Hahaha totally agree! Just can’t get enough of our KT! Lol

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oh moon young is /definitely/ more obsessive with kang tae than joo ri is! hahah.

i know there's been much debate in the comments about joo ri, but i'm in the other camp - i don't find her to be genuinely nice. in my opinion, they haven't even tried to show her being nice to anyone besides kang tae & those close to him. she isn't nice to moon young, she isn't nice to sang in, she isn't super nice to her coworkers, & honestly she isn't even that nice to her mom.

but i don't think it's a bad thing either. the message i'm getting from joo ri's scenes with everyone else is that she's not really being honest with herself when she's around kang tae. it seems like they're pushing her & sang in together to show that he likes her even when she's not putting on her "nice" face. i really thought they were trying to drive that home when she fought with moon young & got called out on "acting nice, weak & innocent" as the reason she wasn't well-liked by their classmates. i really hope they delve a little more into the girls' history because i think there will be valuable insight there.

but part of why i love reading the comments here is seeing how other viewers watch the same thing & get a totally different impression than me! i definitely agree about kang tae being a magnet for attention though hahahah. not hard to sell everyone being enamored by him when he's played by kim soo hyun either LOL

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last episodes makes me crying a river when kang tae said 'I missed Mom' and this episode makes me swoon and grinning til the end.

I don't want Kang tae needs to choose between his brother or Moon Young because he doesn't to choose right? They can lived together like now, the idea of them separate is really dreadful to me.

The remaining story is about the ghost mom and also why Joo ri and moon young didn't get along? something must've happened in the past, I hope they can make up for it.

I'm always looking forward what king of fairy tales that will be the title of the episode. We still have many Disney princesses though :D

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When it turned out that MY's mom disappeared rather than straight-out died (which, realistically speaking, means she's alive and about to make an appearance to mess things up, since this is Dramaland) I began wondering if the bleeding body in the basement wasn't MY's mom but... (one of) her victim(s)?

Like, maybe writing crime novels was her way of playing out dark fantasies but at some point that wasn't enough for her anymore and she became a murderer?

I don't remember exactly how much we know about ST&KT's mom's death but knowing dramas I would be quite surprised if there weren't a connection there, especially since butterflies tie into both MY's and ST's childhood stories so it could even be their mother's body (which was then perhaps moved somewhere else by MY's father so as to not make MY the child of a murderer).

I feel like that would also be a better parallel to the Bluebeard story, since the show is hinting more and more that MY's father isn't the bad guy here buy just tried to kill his wife to prevent her from hurting MY (and/or others) so maybe her mom is the Bluebeard character here, with literal skeletons in the basement.

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oooh, this is a really good theory! i feel 99.9% certain that kang tae and sang tae's mom was killed by moon young's mom. i also wondered if the body we've been seeing in the cellar was their mom, but the woman has long hair and moving the body to where it was later found would leave traces so i abandoned that possibility. it is much more like that her mother was a serial killer and the wet body we've been seeing was another victim of hers. this fits perfectly with the story of bluebeard, and all the semi-lucid comments we've gotten from moon young's dad so far. he must've entered bluebeard's cellar, then killed his wife, gotten rid of the body so she goes "missing", and then tried to kill moon young, bc he knew his wife had been grooming their daughter to follow her footsteps. i feel like everything just fell into place inside my head, but it may just be that i'm overzealous and don't know what to do with myself after watching episode 8 for the third time haha

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Oh that's true about the hair length!
I wonder if he was successful in killing his wife though. At this point the show really wants us to believe that she is still alive but maybe that's just a red herring.

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For the second time, am I the only one being suspicious of Nurse Park? I've once written about it here and the new episodes strengthened my suspicion even more.

I think Nurse Park is someone related to MY's mother and she is after what really happened to her. Here are some of my observations:
- In the 1st ep, she was the one who pushed Joo-ri to get MY sign the docs for her father's procedure. She may have done it as her responsibility as the head nurse but she rather seemed really invested.
- While everyone's attending to MY's during the choking incident, Nurse Park was seen standing up and looking at MY. The mysterious figure by the window fits her physical appearance.
- When MY's dad was blurting out words, Nurse Park came rushing to hear what he had to say. This gurl is really keen to know the truth.
- Were you able to see in ep 7 how her expression darkened when GT recommended reading MY's books. She perhaps also suspecting that MY had something to do with her mom's disappearance.
- In ep. 8, did you catch that Nurse Park is skilled in singing during a casual chat with Sang-tae. That scene wasnt really needed if the writer didnt want to use it as a way to sprinkle hints across the scenes. Park Ok-ran is probably the device the writer is using (ooh sounding too technical) to divert our attention from Nurse Park. Tidbits of clues on her were a total giveaway if she's indeed mom or someone related.
She singing? She may have heard someone singing and sang along. She's not normal after all.

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I refuse to agree that Nurse Park is evil, however I was thinking about it and I don't think Nurse Park and Moon Young have ever seen each other. I could be mistaken, but you ma'am/sir may be on to something here.

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Moon-young and Nurse Park were in the same scene where Kang-tae beat up the husband... Also I believe she was there when Moon-young was getting strangled by her father as well as some other scenes.

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Nurse Park isn't necessarily evil but rather someone who's interested about what happened.

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Yeah I also don't think she's MY's mom or evil. She might have a connection to the mother though...

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Hmmm interesting.. didn’t see that but now that I think about she has been a little bit suspicious. And yes the directors would not have her singing with ST just for the sake of it, their definitely is something that they are trying to hint at. Plot twist... could she be the mom?

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The guy looks n behaves more like a simp. The girl is a self-entitled princess rather than an anti-social freak.

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Im a simp for Kang-tae

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Meeee too!

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me three!

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Me four!

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Me five!

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I will do anything for him and his ears

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OMG yes his cute ears... and his eyes... and his lips... *fangirl squee*

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I -and I cannot state this enough- LOVE this drama. It's the first drama where I watch every episode twice because waiting a whole week is so hard.

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you're not alone, friend. i re-watched all of episodes 1-8, and it's still not saturday...

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you are not alone! LOL i've watched my favorite parts of the episodes multiple times and the whole thing twice. i just can't get into anything else at the moment.

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I started re-watching episodes 1-8 and I invited my unnie to watch with me so that we could have some bonding time. AND also to have someone in the house to talk to about this show~ Hahahahaha

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Lol omg I do the same!! That is just how good this drama is

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I feel like Joo-ri’s mum initiating that MY come over says that she knows something about MY and Joo-ri’s ‘friendship’ history. We learnt that Joo-ri’s father passed away when she was young so that could’ve contributed to some childhood pain and it affected her friendship w MY who was also going through her own trauma. They were both going through their own stuff and maybe hurt each other in the process. And we all know that hurt people hurt people. And as a kid you don't think about the other person who may be in pain, you’re too young to think about that, you’re only thinking about yourself. And that’s what could’ve happened to them both and it’s what caused this huge riff between them that still exists even as adults. MY calls JR a two faced b***h whereas JR refers to her as always being a b***h so their is definitely something that went down between the two when they were younger. I hope we get to see what happened with them and that they actually become friends. Anyone else think that? Lol

And dang that bubblegum scene was hella nasty! I was so disgusted yet laughing at the same time.

And that ending! Wahhhh, talk about suspense! I was super happy for GT as he ran out of the OK hospital all smiley and chirpy but also a bit nervous too. I also thought for a second that MY wasn’t going to take GT hand. I think this scene really helped show the progression of their relationship. GT wanting to go on a trip w her, he is finally acknowledging what he is feeling and choosing not to suppress it (and yes I saw some other comments it did remind me of the other guy that was jumping around, being free, forgot his name though). And MY taking his hand, acknowledging how he makes her feel (she hates it when she feels moved by GT esp in previous episodes where she loathes feeling vulnerable or that fact that he can see right through her). I think his approach is what made her give in and it totally makes sense. They’re much more comfortable with each other and know each other a bit better than before so they are finally learning to trust one another.

Can I also just say that I love the slow progression of their relationship!! The small skin ships they share is EVERYTHING!! That hand touch WOHHH! Some might think it’s taking forever for them to kiss but I think it’s perfect especially for them two who both have a lot of walls up but slowly and surely they will progress to a lot more haha

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even though i absolutely would not complain if we got a kiss soon, i am also really enjoying the slow progression of their physical openness. it feels fitting given who they are, especially kang tae who's never been intimate with anyone, and says a lot about moon young that even though she talks a big game, she doesn't actually physically impose herself on him.

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Yesss!! Exactly! I can’t wait to see what happens next 🙈

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Here's my theory surrounding the life and death of our protagonists' parents:
- MY's mother might have turned crazy after she gave birth to her and later became obsessive towards her. This is probably why dad calls her a monster because he felt like it's her birth that started all the mess.
- Probably, the butterfly's associated with Dad. He might have unintentionally killed his wife during an altercation or in an attempt to save MY from her. Dad dumped his wife's body in the water, which was witnessed by GT's mom, making her the next victim.
- This may explain why Sangtae is afraid of butterflies while MY kills them as a symbol of her wanting to tell the truth because dad did it for her.
- Nurse Park is the sister of MY's mother who is after what happened to her. She may be resenting MY now because all she knows is what MY's father's animosity towards MY.

Excited to pick up more clues in the coming episodes! What are your deductions?

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Ohhh interesting! Never thought of that but seems legit! And yes their is definitely something about Nurse Park that makes her suspicious, we just don’t know what it is yet lol

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Hah just watched episode 9, looks like he’s going to backtrack. Such a sad thing. Poor guy stuck between two people he love but have to choose one. How sad...

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Am I the only one who’s sick and disgusted by Sang-in? Every single one of his scenes is him being rude and verbally abusive to his (former) female employee? What’s the point of these scenes? It makes no sense in modern television and for such well made and written series.

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Can anyone please tell me what the opening song is? Iv tried everything and can not find it! Thanks

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How does that one guy still work at the hospital? It's like safety is only a vague worry for them. How are you gonna let the guy who has been beating her chase and be alone with her???

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some times iused to hate korean drammes because somepeople donot know how to fight for the one their love but thanks Ko for not giving up on the person she loves

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