Youth of May: Episodes 5-6 Open Thread

by SailorJumun

My emotions are all over the place this week, as our couple try to navigate their forbidden love. They have to decide if their one-month romance is worth it, if they can really deal with the consequences. Their hearts are saying yes, despite how dangerous it is, and that’s what kills me.

 
EPISODES 5-6 WEECAP

I haven’t really talked about the acting in Youth of May yet, mostly because I get so immersed in the story. I think that in itself, though, is a big compliment to the actors and their ability to breathe life into their characters. Lee Do-hyun and Go Min-shi’s chemistry, in particular, is so good (oh, so good!) that I even enjoy the sad, angry tension between the couple. There’s a lot of that in Episode 5, after Myung-hee asks Hee-tae to get engaged to Soo-ryun.

Beforehand, Myung-hee met with Soo-ryun and admitted she likes Hee-tae, but Soo-ryun just burst into tears and begged her friend to convince him into the engagement. We see in flashback that when they were high school students, the girls handed out propaganda flyers and Myung-hee was the only one punished. She was forced to take all the blame and drop out of school — and to make it worse, her father told her to accept it and live quietly.

Ever since, Myung-hee has accepted whatever people told her to do with a “Yes,” like a reflex. So when Soo-ryun asks Myung-hee for this favor, she says “Yes.” And when Hee-tae asks if she’ll be okay with him getting engaged, she again says “Yes.” Naturally, once the engagement is set, no one is okay. Hee-tae and Soo-ryun are the picture of an unhappy couple while making preparations, and Myung-hee can only think of Hee-tae while spending time with the oblivious Soo-chan.

As the engagement ceremony nears, tensions continue to rise. Ki-nam senses his son’s misery, and knowing the tie to Myung-hee, he “assures” Hee-tae that he can still see other women when he’s married. Hee-tae fires back that Ki-nam must be speaking from experience. Later, Soo-ryun’s group discovers she’s marrying the anti-communist investigator’s son and accuses her of being a spy. She’s surprised when Hee-tae steps in and stands up for her. At least now, she doesn’t see him as a jerk. When they’re alone, the two even have a sincere conversation about their late mothers.

Since Hee-tae is still tutoring Jin-ah at the boarding house, he often runs into Myung-hee. Every time, he gives her the chance to change her mind, and every time, she disappoints him. Finally, he blows up, saying he’s only enduring this for her. He hates that they’re wasting time when she’s leaving soon, but apparently, he says, she doesn’t feel the same way.

Teary-eyed, Hee-tae concludes, “I’m not going to write letters to someone who won’t write back.” He walks away, and it happens in slow motion, making the moment feel that much heavier for her. As if Myung-hee wasn’t already emotionally worn out, her father drops by and finds a propaganda flyer, mistakenly assuming she’s still participating in protests. It’s the last straw for her, and she sobs in her room, alone.

Then comes the engagement ceremony. And, oh my god, this has to be my favorite part of the drama so far. Myung-hee finds Hee-tae sulking outside the venue, and he almost ignores her. But something stops him — she’s wearing the shoes he bought her on their blind date. With one last bit of hope, he asks if she’s okay. “No,” she tells him, crying. “I’m not okay. I don’t want my May to be without you.”

That’s all Hee-tae needs to hear. He takes her hand, and they beam at each other before turning and running out of there. Away from the ceremony, away from everyone else. I can’t describe just how happy I was seeing them so happy as they disappeared into the night together.

Now, having confirmed their feelings, they look forward to spending more time together. Hee-tae asks to take one of her earrings, to have when he misses her, and wanting something of his, Myung-hee shyly takes his bowtie from around his neck. (It is so freaking cute.) They almost kiss, but an officer interrupts, warning them about the curfew. I’m letting it slide, since my heart needs a break anyway.

Myung-hee has the next two days off, but to Hee-tae’s annoyance, they have to spend the first day babysitting their little brothers. The boys totally pick up on the couple’s romantic vibes, and being good kids, they merely tease them. The four of them have a fun day at the amusement park — or rather, Myung-hee and the boys have fun, while Hee-tae carries all the bags like a tired dad, haha.

Unfortunately, reality kicks in, much sooner than I would’ve liked. Multiple people saw the couple leaving the engagement ceremony, including the Lee siblings and the couple’s mutual friend Hye-gun. Soo-ryun confronts Hee-tae and Myung-hee separately, calling them careless. And then Soo-chan confronts them separately, understandably furious.

Being out of the loop, Soo-chan thinks that Hee-tae is the bad guy taking advantage of his sister and innocent Myung-hee. Myung-hee firmly tells him that she’s already made her choice to be with Hee-tae, but he still thinks she’s being used. So he takes matters into his own hands and tells his father that Hee-tae is seeing another woman.

Soo-ryun comes home to find her father, brother, and Ki-nam waiting for her. They ask her about the situation, Ki-nam demanding to know if she knew about Myung-hee. She quietly replies that she didn’t, which urghhh. She can’t keep telling Hee-tae and Myung-hee to take responsibility for their actions when she can’t even do that. She has to know this is unfair.

Our couple goes on their first official date, this time brother-less. They’re together the whole day laughing, holding hands, and just enjoying each other’s company. As smitten as they are, they can’t help feeling sad, and they make sure to voice this. Myung-hee suggests they be honest with each other and share everything, whether good or bad.

Usually, Hee-tae puts up a wall, so I like that he falls vulnerable here. He admits that he’s never had this kind of happiness before, and he’s scared he’s going to lose it. Touched, Myung-hee stands up on her tippy-toes and gives him a quick kiss. She immediately backs away, embarrassed, but he pulls her back for a real kiss. Gah… *pauses to flail*

They’ve gone their separate ways, when Hee-tae pulls out Myung-hee’s earring and sees that it’s broken. He gets a bad feeling… Then we see Myung-hee approaching home, only to be grabbed and stuffed into a car by Ki-nam’s men. Let me tell you, this is getting increasingly hard to watch. But I wanted a good melo, and that’s exactly what I’m getting. The sweet smiles and kisses always come at a price.

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