Great recap, missvictrix!

I had a LOT of thoughts about these two episodes while watching. And that's because I thought the writer did an excellent job of making every character--yes, even Joon-young--at least a little sympathetic. They're all simultaneously making good and bad choices, for a range of understandable (if not always laudable) reasons. So even though these were probably the most painful episodes so far, they were also still fun to watch.

Tae-joon: He's such an amazing boyfriend--loving, devoted, supportive, non-judgmental, affectionate, emotionally intuitive--and I completely understand why he's not telling Tae-yang the truth about his sister. The poor boy has spent his whole life being defined in terms of his sister and now here she is, once again, playing a pivotal role in what was supposed to be the one thing he could have all to himself: his relationship with Tae-yang. And he's right that Tae-yang probably would immediately break up with him if she knew the truth. But still, he shouldn't be keeping this from her. He means well, but it is still controlling behavior and shows that he's letting his own insecurities take over what is otherwise a very healthy relationship.

Tae-yang: Girl, please see a therapist. I, too, appreciate the way the show doesn't back away from showing what is probably best defined as PTSD; her depression and anxiety over what happened in the past is too big for her to handle on her own, or with the help of her boyfriend. But I didn't like that she went to Joon-young's welcome home party at the restaurant. As much as Tae-yang feels genuine remorse and wants to make things right, Joon-young made it very clear she wasn't willing or able to be forgiving. Tae-yang does need to accept that and find a way to forgive herself even if Joon-young won't. Her continued suffering isn't going to erase the past and it's also not going to help anyone in the present.

Joon-young: Right up until the point that she snapped at her parents and brother for rearranging her room I was feeling a smidgeon of sympathy. But that was so nasty and entitled--as was her brush-off and then "I hate you" b*tchiness with Jung-hwan--I can only now marvel at her self-centered hatefulness. It absolutely sucks that she had an accident and can't play a sport at which she excelled. And she's free to hold a grudge and avoid contact with people who remind her of that time. That's her right, I guess. But there's no rationale that excuses her being so overtly cruel to people whose only crime is staying devoted to her for years despite the fact that she ghosted them. She can get off my screen now, thanks.

Yoo-min: I love that she is always herself and makes her feelings known to everyone in a five mile radius but I wish she would play it a little cooler. That social media post about being rivals with Joon-young was super cringey. That said, I know Jung-hwan shouldn't force anything with Yoo-min, but I hope the low...

I wish the sister would get lost. I know and understand she's frustrated, but it really wasn't like she was kidnapped and forced onto the slope. Besides, the accident was not intentional.

I find her so exhausting that I felt sorry for Jung-hwan for the first time. He's starting to grow on me.

Park Tae-jun! What an almost perfect boyfriend 🥺❤️ because perfection does not exist 😆.

My annoyance at Tae-jun for hiding the truth was short-lived! I really really really like this character and Chae Jong-Hyeop is just perfect in the role. Thank you Writer nim.

I love how vulnerable and open Tae-yang is when she's with Tae-jun but it just makes me all the more sad that he hasn't been able to be completely honest with her and tell her about his relationship with Junyoung. I understand that he's scared she will leave him but ugh... She'll be hurt when she finds out.

I really really don't care for Jun-young and I wish she could could just disappear but I felt bad for her for a split second when we were shown how she interpreted Tae-yang's "Thank you".
Did we really need this Yi-deun as another assh*le badminton player 🙄? He's obviously the one who uploaded the video.

I wanted to hug Yumin when she was looking down on herself! Jun-young has got nothing on you girl! and I hope she realises that soon!

All the parents in this show are awful except the coach! I couldn't believe my eyes/ears when Tae-yang's dad brushed of genuine concerns and said she's strong! YHOO!

If things are already this bad without TY knowing about the siblings, I'm not sure I want to see the inevitable fallout unfold. Maybe it was naiive of me but I'd hoped they would go in the direction of JY just accepting TY's apology? That's probably too easy of a resolution but I think the alternative of TY wallowing in guilt (yet again) was not a good move and almost feels self-indulgent. The writing for this show has always been a bit sketchy but I'm not a fan of this descent into full-on melo (did we really need an abandonment backstory on top of everything else?) The scene where she runs across the road a moment before a car appears doesn't bode well...she needs to get help and take a break from everyone, including our squishie (who also needs a break).

I really liked this show when it was about two lonely young people supporting each other as athletes and falling in love. I liked Jung-hwan and Yoo-min, too. A rough patch was inevitable for all of them, but I think the writer is taking it a little too far. How could Joon-young have been so important to all of them, and yet be such a terrible human being? How does anyone tell the guy who's been waiting faithfully and patiently for three years that she hates him? Joon-young as written is a character no one could like, let alone love. And I'm not interested to hang around for her redemption. I really just want her to find a career in some distant foreign country, and let our two couples go back to having fun together....

I also don't think it was a good choice for Tae-yang or Tae-joon to spend their first night together as a consolation for Tae-yang. Was the writer just getting them as close as she could, so when Tae-yang finds out that Tae-joon is Joon-young's brother, the damage will be as devastating as possible? Not looking forward to that, writer.

I'm willing to hang in there for another week, but if we don't get some light at the end of the tunnel, I may have to go back and rewatch the first six episodes instead of finishing this drama.

I love the exploration of relationship nuances. I feel like we’re rarely treated to this bc most dreamland leads end up bailing when things start crashing down on them (or like amnesia/ noble idiocy/“insert typical episode 12 conflict trope here” kicks in). AND we rarely see established romances in shows - they only really, actually get together right at the end. On top of that, when the leads do start going out or exploring their feelings, it mostly seems to be portrayed as bouncing between the extremes of 100% pure fluff only or immediate break up/angst/zero communication at the first sign of trouble. So given that, I really like that this drama seems to be taking a slightly different direction. Despite what I thought would happen once things started unravelling (read: immediate break up and/or someone running away), the Parks are still together and trying their goddamn best to tackle what life keeps throwing at them, and realistically so (even if it’s not the most ideal decisions, both of their thought processes are equally understandable). I also really like that we’re shown a relationship with flaws that aren’t dramatised, instead portrayed with a welcome earnestness - making it clear that both have things they need to work on and through but without unnecessarily escalating the angst factor to an unrealistic degree. The highlights for me this week was the conversation in the hotel room and the end of episode 10. The hotel room conversation, in my eyes, was a pretty honest portrayal of what tension /points of conflict can look like in a relationship, especially since there was no ultimatum or dramatic conclusion attached to the conversation (which is the opposite of how I initially thought that talk would end). And with the ending of ep 10, I really like the fact that TY brought up the prospect of sleeping together (I’m especially glad she was the one to bring it up) with such frankness and TJ to his credit didn’t make a massive deal out of it and responded in the best way possible. The way that whole scene was played out, again without the unnecessary bells and whistles, just was refreshingly realistic. And the ending just broke me on so many levels, I’m so glad they’ve got each other and I really hope that they get their chance to heal properly eventually.

TL;DR - Idk what’s in store for the future but break up or no, I’m glad the show so far is touching on the point that relationships don’t make or break overnight. Also, highkey this is one of the first times I’m glad I’m watching a show as it’s airing bc the gap between episodes just gives me more time to bask in my love and appreciation for & of it!!

With each passing week, the greater my urge becomes to write incoherent essays about episodes (honestly could write two at least on how I feel about Junyoung) but I’ll stop here with one final point - Park Taejun, I’m so in love with you. RIP me once the inevitable end leaves me facing a void.

Joon Young is THE WORST. She is very spoiled. My goodness, she showed a smidgen of self-awareness when she pointed out she got injured after getting drunk and skiing, but that was it. She just seemed so ungrateful, while everyone around her is on eggshells because of her.

Tae Joon is the BEST boyfriend in dramaland, my God, he is so good to Tae Yang. He is just the absolute sweetest to her. I love that for him.

Tae Yang really likes filleting herself. My goodness girl it isn't fully your fault, talk about removing agency from Joon Young.

I actually felt bad for Jung Hwan. He likes Yoo Min, but needs to get over Joon Young, but she isn't letting the man get any closure.

What angsty episodes and looks like more to come, SIGH.

OMG Tae-joon. When he said to Tae-yang, "I'm here if you ever need to talk," I screamed, "You talk first!" He keeps telling her to open up to him yet keeps lying to her. He can't just expect her to lean on him when she's going to feel so betrayed that he knew and didn't tell her. This truth is not hidable. Tae-joon knows she’d break up with him like he told Jung-hwan, but I wish he had said, "Just like you were there for my sister three years ago, I have to be here for Tae-yang now." My heart breaks over the possibility of Tae-yang losing the one person who supports her since we've learned that her dad is horrible. She wanted to sleep with Tae-joon because she wanted to feel loved.

We're just going to hate Joon-young, aren't we? Instead of snowboarding, I wish Sung-sil's storyline had been given to Tae-yang, so she would have injured Joon-young because she had played while sick. Then Tae-yang's guilt would be due to negligence and not which even Tae-joon understands was an accident. When Tae-yang kneeled in front of Joon-young, I had expected for Tae-joon to help her up and confront his sister leading everyone to find out about their sibling relationship. Or at least for Jung-hwan to intervene, who wasn't even at the welcome back party despite planning it.

Wow, Tae-joon's parents know nothing about him. He was partners with Tae-yang, and there was even a news article about them. Did his mom not notice her Yunis padded jacket? Do his parents even know which team he plays for? When Mom told Tae-yang that she was pretty, I was like, "That's your son's girlfriend."

Many thanks for the weecap, @missvictrix!

I feel, I am always the odd one out here because I do not despise Joon Young even though she is rude. She lost her whole future, one that she was very passionate and talented at because of an accident, but she covered it up for Tae Young, so that the later could continue with her dream. Maybe, I am reading too much into it, but unless JY cares for and loved TY, I do not see why she would hide the truth. If the national team or the federation found out about it, TY could have been severely penalized
for violating the protocols and organizing a drunk-snowboarding which in turn injured the top-most and favourite national athlete. The least TY could have done is continue to play the sport, but she too ran away out of guilt and now wants to be forgiven. TY needs to respect JY's boundaries and heed to Young Shim's advice of apologizing only when the other party is ready to listen. The writer better have a good explanation for TY and JY not disclosing the truth over the years because the consequences of revealing the truth would have caused less damage and the worse case could have been JY being labelled reckless and irresponsible for not taking better care of herself and TY being critisized for ruining the nation's chance of winning games on an international field.

Tae Jun is sweet, supportive and all, but I still do not like that he hides the truth from TY. It should be TY's choice to stay in the relationship or not and this exactly why I loved their conversation in the hotel room where she said she doesn't want him to pamper her and lessen her hardships, but to stay by her side so she could make her way through the difficult times.

Sigh! I thought this would be the first disney show that I would be enjoying till the finale, but I am so not looking forward to the future episodes because of all the angst. Give us the cute we all deserve!

I would have prefered that the writer chose one trauma for Taeyang and not two. The guilt of being a part in the accident of Joon-Young was enough, but the orphelin's trauma made it too much. Honestly, she tired me in these episodes. She always changes her mind. I didn't like how she tried to force the reconciliation.

I wonder if Tae-Joon will be able to carry so much for a long time. Between Tae-Yang's issues, his sister's bitterness, his parent's indifference toward him... The fact he hide he was Joong-Young's brother. He doesn't talk and becomes angry alone. I was happy he could talk to Jung-Hwan even if they don't like each other.

I found the choice of music kinda weird for their first night.
I can understand why people loved Joon-Young when she was a star. She had confidence, aura of winner, but still accessible for someone like Tae-Yang. I didn't like how she came back and bossed everyone around her. I really don't like Park's parents, with their attitude they failed both children.

I didn't like how Yoo-Min was so insistent with Jung-Hwan. I don't think he was asking too much to have a little bit of time to think. I understand her feelings but she should try to put herself in his shoes a little bit.

Great recap. I have been desperately waiting for it’s release!

This week’s episodes were so sad I really wished I was watching the series after it aired so I could quickly move on to the next two episodes as I am hoping there will be a turn around soon. I watch K dramas as part of my self care routine as it releases happy hormones so I purposefully choose the dramas according to genres which are most likely to provide this much needed distraction from real life. I am invested in these characters and really feel for the Park twins as they have both been through a lot in their early years so they deserve the opportunity to enjoy their relationship and fine tune their skills in their sport.

Joon young’s negative character trait reminds me of the eldest daughter in Reply 1988. It comes across as a sense of entitlement just because she is a high achiever in one area. Yes she had a knock back after all her hard work and maybe dealing with the disappointment is overwhelming but there is absolutely no reason that should lead to a lack of kindness and positive regard for others especially those who care about her. Joon young seemed to be in a positive relationship with Tae yang when we see the flashback scenes so it seems that her natural tendency is to be like her brother and parents who all seem to be caring people.

Was it just me who wondered why Joon young and Jung hwan would continue to talk in front of a reporter about meeting up to talk one on one? That made no sense at all so when there were secretly filmed shots of them talking it was no surprise to me.

I also wondered why Yi deun is good enough to get on the National team but is so lacking in his abilities that he feels the need to rely on mind games in order to try to win against Jung hwan.

Coach Joo behaved in an awful way towards Tae yang considering what he went through as a player and therefore he should know the tough love approach doesn’t work for everyone especially those who need love. I think the other coaches allowing him to save face by reprimanding him behind closed doors just made them all look bad. It was so good to see the team step up and be supportive to their team mate in distress.

The sleeping together for the wrong reasons was a red flag for me and I really worry now about the effects on both of them when Tae joon’s connection to Joon young is revealed. I have a bad feeling that the way it will be revealed will mean there is plenty of opportunity for betrayal, hurt and isolation to kick in before Tae joon has a chance to explain that he has always been in his sister’s shadow so doesn’t tell anyone about their connection. More importantly, he needs Tae yang to see that once they were in love his fear of losing her meant he could never willing take advantage of the timing to disclose when it presented itself. I knew things would be bad but I had not understood the level of trauma Tae yang has experienced from a young age so this is the lens she sees the...

Thanks for covering this little gem of a show @missvictrix!

And to all the beanies who tipped me off to this flirty, adorable pair, I owe you all for getting me out of my major drama slump. And also for all the pain I’m in now. Gotta love dramas seducing you with cute relationship hijinks, while making you care so much for the characters until all their pain inevitably becomes your own. It doesn’t help that many of these characters feel terribly real to me, even the side characters that could use more development. The leads definitely standout in this regard.

While I rather wish that not quite so much drama was derived from Junyoung’s injury, I do appreciate that this conflict is one of the character’s own personal responsibility, with an angst I can actually relate to. Unlike most dramas that throw in an eleventh hour breakup due to some sin of the parents, this drama has done so well to designate the fallout of this conflict as an impetus for growth for both our leads and their relationships. They’re just still having a hard time getting there.

Poor Tae-joon. After he finally committed last week to not giving up on his desires, Tae-yang included, I think he is having a hard time figuring out quite how to navigate what that means, especially with his sister returning so suddenly. Seems to me like he’s at a stasis in his development right now. He’s in such a difficult position, because no matter who he tells, he’s putting in a rough spot. He is so unused to burdening people or putting himself first so he’s found himself in limbo, not able to actualize it, while still holding on to want he wants in whatever way he can.

How conflicting it must be to be relieved/happy for your sister’s return, while also, on some level, dreading it, not just because of all this additional baggage to unpack, but also all his own grievances with his family’s negligent behavior towards him. I mean think about how his life has been: living in the shadow of his sister to getting even more neglected when she’s gone to likely even less and less focus now that she’s finally back and so concerned with her own issues that she can’t even begin to look outside herself to how she is affecting other people. While his sister was not at fault originally, his parent’s treatment has, at some point, impacted her in such a way that she can’t even see how much her own brother has suffered for her sake, which is ironic given how much she’s pressed over someone saying “thank you” the moment they relied on her too much.

Tae-yang has been and should have continued to be Tae-joon’s support in this, but he’s stuck feeling the moment he definitively reaches out and reveals everything, he won’t be allowed to ask his family and Tae-yang to put him first because he is so unused to being the one to ask for anything that comes at the expense of others.

They were each other’s solace, and while she still is that to him, there are times where an inbalance is going to occur and one...

I - really dislike all the parents. It was actually surprising that Tae-joon/Joon-young's father said something to Joon-young about her being nice to her brother because it almost felt out of character with the constant fawning over Joon-young.

Speaking of Joon-young. I can understand her to a point. At the beginning I had wished she would care about Tae-yang as much as Tae-yang cared about her. (And would have instead flicked Tae-yang in the middle of the forehead telling her to stop feeling guilty.) Instead she reminds me of that other genius player who declared bad things (like food poisoning) shouldn't happen to her. She was important. In how she reacted to the idea of it being an accident, its like she can't believe she could have done something wrong. So as much as its understandable its really hard to sympathize. Not when, after three years, she's set out to hurt everyone around her because she still hurts and is lost.

Having a harder time with why Tae-yang showed up to the dinner and her response at the start of Ep9. As a lonely kid it can be hard to let go of your first big friend but the outcomes of accidents aren't nice. After watching other kdramas where the team's have a mental health consultant, that instead we get a coach who instead assumes something completely different than what is going on. Ugh, I wanted to take him into a headlock and more importantly away from her. Much like I wish I could steer Tae-yang away from potentially martyring herself in the coming episodes. Tae-yang deserves so much better than an adopted father that just says she's tough.

Tae-joon is such an amazing character that I feel so bad for the situation he's in. And I really hope Tae-yang manages to steer into a more positive space because he can't keep taking on everyone's pain and pretending he's also not having a hard time.
Though still a bit impressed with the communication between Tae-yang and Tae-joon. He didn't shy away from saying he is tired but still tried to stop her from isolating herself.

But want to shake my fist at this show. They gave me bulldozer X dumpster and then proceeded to do nothing more with it.

While part of me sympathises with joon young having been through a similar situation myself, I can understand her anger and frustration at losing the thing she cared for and was most proud of in her life and seeing her former teammates and juniors still playing while she cant sucks.

But she is totally in the wrong and I can't support her lashing out at the people who are just trying to help her and be there for her, she is definitely losing what little support and sympathy people have for her. It's a miracle she has anybody at her side the way she is acting at the moment.

Another thing that didn't sit right with me is Tae yang and asking Joon Young to forgive her. Joon Young is the victim in this, she is the one that can't play anymore while Tae Yang can still play, even Young sim touches on this '' you can't ask someone to forgive who isn't ready to forgive ''. Yes, I understand Tae yang was in self-exile for 3 years but asking someone whose life you kinda had a hand in ruining to forgive you just so you can feel better and forgive yourself when the victim still isn't over it, It just doesn't feel right.