I found these latest episodes to be a drag. I miss the early feel of this show, when the story was fun yet had depth, and the best thing about the main couple was how well they communicated.

Now we're trudging along without any real levity, joy, or romance, and the leads can only imagine real conversations with each other (the first time the writers pulled this trick I was ok with it, but the second time, on the beach, I rolled my eyes so hard I nearly fell off the couch).

I wish a few things were happening right now. First, that the reality tv characters weren't so bland and boring. I do realize that they resemble the type of people one typically sees on reality shows, but with the exception of the webtoon artist, they're all so lame! I'm sorry one has an eating disorder, I guess, but it's not like the show is doing anything with this revelation anyway.

Also, I really, really can't stand the writing for Ji-yeon. Once again, why is Jae-hoon making any kind of effort to return this woman's feelings? He's not interested in her and that's ok! Why should he have to force himself and worse, why does Ji-yeon think this is so wonderful? If a guy had to talk himself into wanting to get to know me better I'd slap myself for being pathetic, not act like I just won the lottery. Ugh. She's so annoying.

I had such a hard time with Yeo-reum allowing the crew to come find Jae-hoon on the beach. I understand that Chae-ri took control and forced Yeo-reum's hand, but I kept hoping Yeo-reum would secretly slip away and get to the beach first. That's what a friend would do. I'm surprised he wasn't more upset when he spied the crew there because that was totally an invasion of his privacy.

Finally, I don't find Chae-ri's craving for Jae-hoon to be particularly cute or interesting, probably because it's not going to go anywhere. And for this character to be more interesting, I'd rather she had a crush on someone with whom she may actually have a relationship.

I did like the IVF side story--those moments between Yeo-reum and her friends felt more sincere and grounded than anything else this week. Ditto the scene between Chef John and the webtoon artist. They communicated like normal human beings, something that's definitely missing on this show right now.

Chae-ri wants to get to the bottom of it “because it’s a matter of morals and ethics” — and not one person side-eyes her when she says this. 

Well, I certainly did!

I guessed right on who the patients are and which one JH saves and which dies, but that subplot is all just so gut-wrenching. I’m normally sceptical of the endless coincidences and connections in kdramas, but this one with his father being the victim of a nearby explosion and being brought back to his/JH’s ER is set up convincingly, and JH’s anguish is agonizing to watch.

So the YR/JH conversation on the beach in ep. 10 is imaginary. Does their conversation on the bench by the river (after his jogging date with JY), when he asks her again how she feels about him, also occur only in her head? He disappears faster than humanly possible when she says he’s the hardest problem of all. And the princess carry at the end of 10 does seem too cliché to be real but it carries on the theme of JH continually rescuing damp damsels from a dunking, so my bet is it actually happens.

Unlike @dramaddictally (thanks for the recap!), I was mildly annoyed to see Chae-ri developing some non-professional interest in JH, but it is kind of a fun switch-up that it’s the ML with multiple women interested in him rather than the FL with multiple men. YR was infuriatingly spineless and willing to use and abuse JH. Show, please don’t make me cheer for the other women who at least are straightforward about wanting him.

‘Kingdom of Love’ continues to be SO squicky. JH’s (and the other men’s) expressions every time they realize what fresh indignity is required of them are gold - how many different flavors of discomfort and resignation can a man show?

honestly, I'm looking forward to a john jang - jiwan love line the most.

at this point, i don't know if I'm fully on board with the OTP.. it kind of seems like they lost their timing with the last rejection, and idk if Yeoreum can overcome the hurt she gave Jaehoon with feelings that she only came to terms with after feeling jealous?

First, can I just say the webtoon artist is gorgeous.

That said, Jae Hoon has been incredibly rude to Yeo Reum. Her not being ready for a relationship. Sir, give her a little bit of time to heal.

These past two episodes were filler episodes. The ending with him showing up was really abrupt, it has made the show draggy.

Looking forward to Chef Iang and Ji Wan loveline. I think this two is most likely to hit it off for real (among the KoL cast members) as long as he see her for the absolute treasure that she is.

Chae Ri throwing herself in the mix is the last thing Jae Hoon needs. As if his lovelife is not complicated enough.

Honestly, the ball is in Yeo Reum's court right now. If she will not take action soon, I am okay with Jae Hoon moving on with someone else. I know that Yeo Reum is still healing from her broken engagement but it looks like she has forgotten all about the ex now.

@dramaddictally thanks for the weecap. The two week wait for these epsiodes was like an endurance test I nearly failed. I really wish I was not live watching as I need to binge watch the rest of the series as the wait to see how this weeks cliff hanger plays out feels too much.

The sad back story, the barging into his safe space and the on camera reunion was a step too far in prioritising work over friendship. I am really worried that by the time Yeoreum and Jaehoon talk about it the assumptions that have been made will have turned into hard facts for both of them that will be difficult to autocorrect.

I love that Jaehoon is all in when he commits to doing something so has done his best to do what needs to be done for the show but the impact of being controlled by the PD’s was beautifully explained in his conversation with the craven Chaeri. I am glad that she was so straightforward in calling Yeoreum out on the potential consequences of not being honest about her feelings. It was typical of the show’s meta approach that they used the second lead trope of acting as if the object of their desire doesn’t have a say in the decision making process. Chaeri’s assumption that she would be able to satisfy HER cravings by having a one night stand was a text book example of this trope. Why would Jaehoon even consider her in that way and what makes her think he is into sleeping with just anyone when she is taking so much time to set up the whole Jiyeon as his chosen one storyline.

The humour worked really well alongside the sadness. The show within a show editing of the jam incident being a great example just as our show highlighted the ‘I am manly’ chef fainting from fear in the haunted school challenge. I even love how the world’s ugliest car was used as the pick up vehicle for the heartbroken Yeoreum to cry in while her friends drowned out her sobs with the radio.

These four have been through some seriously traumatic times but it was heartbreaking to know that they all kept something back from each other. This meant they increased the depth of their grief unnecessarily by going it alone and left their special ones feeling awful as they were prevented from providing them what they needed when they needed it most.

The actors captured the very real impact of childlessness from both a male and female perspective and I am so glad they portrayed this in all its rawness. It was a real contrast to the reality show using rawness to raise ratings as if it was a by product of helping the fickle public see the real story behind the rumour so they could turn the tide of rejection to the real bad guy.

The fake out conversations throughout the episodes got me every time and have left me feeling like it’s a case of the boy who cried wolf re the walking through the puddle scene. (Am I the only one convinced I saw a dry section to the far side?) Our beloved Sangwoo was missing in action on set and we all know had he been there he would have...

Was very frustrated with people's actions.. esp Yeo-Reum...
Firstly, telling his backstory with the crew without his permission. She was not obligated nor had the rights to share his private information (which she obtained through personal relationship and not from background checks). She brought him to the show because Kang PD forced her to. She should have asked Kang PD to talk directly to JH after the scandal.
And then, Exposing his private location to the crew and letting them go there with cameras just felt so so wrong. Wish she stood up to Kang PD. Just because she told her to be thick-skinned, she agreed right away..

YR needs to reflect on her relationships. The fact that neither of her friends shared their personal troubles with her is a concern.

The last scene made no sense. Like, who leaves their PD behind when the crew is leaving?

I gather I’m making the right decision to drop this despite the promising start.

And, seriously, Yeo-reum should get Chae-ri as her mentor on both career and emotional fronts.

I keep tuning in because I really like Si-won and Lee Da-hee, but I keep feeling like it's a mistake to continue. Yeo-reum is coming across as more and more shallow, as she sells out her close relationship with Jae-hoon in order to become a better PD. We all know she denied her longtime feelings for him, but we have no idea why she did, so her behavior is mystifying. Jae-hoon also is coming across as shallow, because despite loving Yeo-reum for so long, he suddenly is able to shut down those feelings. Not only that, after repeatedly rejecting Ji-yeon, he's decided to have a relationship with her after all. How could that possibly end well?

It's one thing if a story has twists and turns because the characters are acting in character. It's another if the writers throw the characters into twists and turns just to fill the episodes and keep us hanging until it's time for the OTP to reconcile. Instead of getting more invested in Yeo-reum and Jae-hoon and their relationship, I'm getting tired of them.

Honestly, seeing Ji-wan surprise Chef John with her perceptive remarks about his food, and watching her outclass him at the haunted house was the most satisfying part of these episodes. I hope the drama gives her plenty more time to shine.

The best thing about these two episodes was Chef Jang, but I still want to hate him. Why are they trying to make me like him haha. I'm so excited for this new love line, but I really want it to be one sided. I want him to suffer an unrequited love!

Yeo-reum is one of the most frustrating FL of this year - i was really appalled by the beach scenes. I honestly think having Chae-Ri as the FL would have worked for a really fun enemies to lovers storyline. I also wish Ji-Yeon would go away? I'm not sure why she is pursuing someone who turned her down MULTIPLE times over the past 10 episodes.

Like others said, the highlights of this week were their friends' relationship (Dae Shik is a great husband!) and John Jang/Ji Wan. I especially loved Park Yeon Woo(Chef Jang)'s expressions during his conversation with Ji Wan about his potato dish. I'm looking forward to seeing where they go with these storylines!

Dae Sik and Hye Jin are great friends and a great couple. Why are YR and JH such a mess when they have a pretty good example in front of them? They're probably not paying attention. That wouldn't be a surprise, tho.
Anyway, I hope the best for our married couple. Including more (reliable) friends.

Chae Ri likes Jae Hoon, not a surprised, just disappointing. She deserves a better loveline. She deserves a real one.
They don't even look good together, what.

Yeo Reum being such a bad friend for 2 episodes straight, that was a surprise. Taking the crew to the beach was... Wow. I don't like JH but I really felt bad for him after knowing his story, poor dude. And he didn't deserve that invasion of privacy, like wth. It was horrible. And the fact that Yeo Reum was part of all of it. Jesus. I mean, why didn't she go to the beach alone? after going to his house why did she go back to tell CR about his special place? she could've talk to him, give him a little comfort, a hug, and then bring him back.
Girl, there's a reason why your besties don't talk to you about their problems.

I'm going to keep watching for chef and webtoon writer. I'm loving the way he acts around her.
And yes, I agree with the other beanies, she's one of the prettiest girls in the show so what's the deal about people not liking her for her looks? makes no sense.

Not sure if I'm misinterpreting things cuz I watched these super sleepy before bed, but I feel as if Yeoreom is trying to get things right but never knows what to say? So while a lot of the weecap and the comments so far have seen her as a bad and selfish friend, for the most part I just saw someone struggling to say what was on her mind or communicate properly? Maybe I just need to rewatch....

Also, the imaginary talks they have with each other? My first thought was that this is going to turn into a melodrama and Yeoreum is sick with some neuro issue that makes her see things. While this is unlikely I just wanted to put that out there in case there's a 2% chance I'm right and get to say "told you so" lol.

I was so frustrated and disappointed after episode 10, that I went back and watched the opening scene of episode 1 -- before the clock starts rewinding time. I had totally forgotten key things, such as this final episode of Kingdom that our FL is arriving at, comes after the show shutdown due to a "controversy." And one couple from the reality show will marry. Our FL is reading these news headlines on her phone on the way to the Kingdom location. When she arrives, it's clear she and the crew haven't seen each other in some time. It will be interesting to see what transpires that gets us to those places in the story.

My wife and I are both loving this show.

Chae-ri continues to be a very interesting character. She is certainly dedicated to her work, but it also seems like she somehow manages to accomplish a lot of good things even as she is proclaiming that really it is all about the ratings. Which is why we got the emotional high point of these episodes: The moment our new med student shows up and apologizes to Jae-hoon for the choice Jae-hoon once had to make and his father's death. Sure Chae-ri got her ratings boost for this piece of theater BUT as a result Jae-hoon may have finally come to a point where he can be at peace with what happened.
Chae-ri can be and is ruthless but also strives for a win-win whenever possible.

This also applies to her craving for Jae-hoon: It is real, to some extent but she is obviously trying to use it to get our leads out of their rut. Not that she might not go forward with her feelings if they choose not to do something about their situation- but she is actually playing very fair about it.

Those episodes were weird because I was more interested by the other characters than Yeo-reum... I want to feel bad for but I don't because she's the one who put herself in this situation. When she asks something from Jae-Hoon, she never gives the whole reason. It's why Chae-Ri is so fun, she's straightforward.

I'm totally shipping the Chef and the webtoon artist. They're nice together and him being a total scared was funny.

I hope their friends will have a baby :)

Ep 10, and Young Actors Retreat did prove that while I'm a scaredy cat, it is a sadistic joy watching others being scared enough to piss their pants. Neither Jae-Hoon's backstory nor Chae-Ri's interest in him are out of the left field, I smelled them weeks ago!

There are a few standout moments, like the mirror-scene of the wishful comforting between the two leads, and they got me TWICE! But these moments are few and far between.

Lee Dahee and Choi Siwon continue to be deliciously shippable in their IRL interactions, and it's such a shame the scriptwriter is doing them a disservice with such characters/ plot. Is it only me who kept wishing for a scene where Yeo-Reum tells Jae-Hoon that whatever his decision was that day, his Dad still loves him, and would be proud of him? That he did save the right life, and now the society has a budding neurosurgeon because of HIM? :')

Why would the writer write THAT backstory, and not use it as a reconciliatory moment between the two, is beyond me. Ugh.
I did not sign up to watch this kind of romance, and much less, this sorry excuse of a friendship. I keep waiting for the moment where Yeo-Reum's like 'don't touch my FRIEND, you vultures!!!'... but it never pans out. We are 10 eps in, maybe I should temper my expectation and accept that Yeo-Reum isn't exactly the fiercely protective, ride-or-die kind of a friend I kept pinning my hopes on!

It felt like half of the episode was spent on PPL.

The two episodes showed me once again why I usually detest reality shows. Every intimate moment is dragged in front of the camera and exploited, mostly at the expense of the participants.
I was hoping the whole time that Yeo-reum would secretly tell Jae-hoon that the whole crew would come to the beach with the cameras.
Jae-hoon is not without fault, though. How can he expect Yeo-reum to want to get back into a relationship so soon after their failed wedding.
Whenever it's about the two of them, the show forgets that it's a rom-COM.

So for now, I focus on the chef and the webtoon artist. They make an interesting duo and hope more will come of them.

I liked episode 9 and not so much episode 10. Episode 9 touched some points I thought could be interesting (model bulimia, the IFV, male trauma), but they were gone on episode 10. Am I the only one who doesn't understand how that student knows his life was saved instead of doctor's dad and no one else knows? I know we all have to apply suspension of disbelief, but I was only thinking about this during the "healing reunion", so I was not really touched.

So far my favourite character is PD Kang. She is real: a woman who is good at her work, is professional, competent and knows what she wants. I wish she were main lead, but it is Yeo Reum and that girl is a mess right now.

And can we talk please about DaHee's costumes? Why they keep dressing her in high waist trousers to make her waist look thinner when her shoulders are so broad? She looks way too skinny to the point of almost being unhealthy!!

I'm glad Jae-hoon followed up on Yoo-reum's vibes from last week. Friendship is a two way street, woman.

While I did like that they found their way back to each other, I didn't like it happening at all. It felt rushed, I wanted to see more push and pull, more of Jae-hoon keeping his clear distance.

I'm supposed to warm up to Ji-yeon, but I'm not. Funnily, I truly truly enjoy their dates, but that's where it ends. I found it weird that she pursued Jae-hoon after he announced on the day KoL 2 began that he joined the show solely for Yoo-reum. And still she decided to not read the room.
However, the person I'm gradually liking is Chef Jang and I don't know what to call it, is it his sheer piqued interest in Ji-wan. I'm liking him already cause he seems to be having this character growth and the person I initially shipped with her turns out to be an oppurtunistic individual. Him fainting on the ghost date was epic. What a treat! Although, between his fainting and Yoo-reum's heart getting out of her mouth with the ghost scare, I really don't know who wins the trophy between them both.

And now, to the sad part. I cried. The agony is real. I cried. What sort of conflict was that. Classic case of when doing what is clearly and morally right comes back to haunt you. A case where your objectivity will be called to question if he decided to save his father that's if he did recognize him. I don't think I'd sleep in peace in a long long time if I was in his shoes. Nah, I cried for him.

I like LDH but her character here is really frustrating. I mean the ML went on this stupid show to save her and this is how she pays back? She is willing to risk her long friendship to excel in a job that make her do things she doesn't want. Atleast Chae Ri is upright about her intentions and feelings and just look at the way she communicated with the ML regarding the rumor. While on the other side we have a FL who literally lacks confidence, a backbone and never explain her thoughts. And she literally showed up in the beach house with a camera crew !!! It invasion of privacy and in these episodes she doesn't even try much to atleast put up a fight. Her actions might be well intentional but she really did not understand ML. If it was my best friend who did this stunt on me, definitely I would not go back to him/her. I wouldn't forgive any friend for barging in to my safe space when I am at my lowest without my consent. But since its a K drama, obviously the ML will be noble enough cut the FL some slack. I really wonder how the drama will redeem FL's character. She has a lot to make up at his point. I even wonder why the ML likes her so much. I mean they have shown us how much he has done to support her and help her but when has the FL helped him apart from the time when his dad passed away?. I really wish ML to just like Jiyeon or even Chae ri at this point, I mean its 10 episodes and the only thing the FL does is digging deeper holes for herself every week making the viewer wonder how she is gonna come out at the end?
PS: If you have read this here, thank you for bearing with rant of a very frustrated viewer.

This was a really good recap, Dramaddictally. It helped me stop disliking episode 9 which had me gagging with boredom and imoatience while watching it. If only that flashback had lasted as long as reading the recap instead of hijacking the lion's share of the episode. I tend to dislike extended maudlin flashbacks that harp on unrealistic obsessions, and despite the lost patient being Jae-hoon's dad, he knows he made the right decision and realistically he would have done the same even if he had known, or risk losing them both. For that reason I just didn't buy all that angst lasting for years (call me hard-hearted!).

Thankfully, things did perk up and the scene with the grateful survivor was nicely done. It also served to show YR as uncharacteristically pushy and duplicitous, so I'm wondering whether Chae-ri might appear more sympathetic to him than YR does right now, even if it's only because she wants to get into his pants. He doesn't know this yet, and she may have held back realising this might be a better way to achieve her aim than being aggressively direct and upfront. Unfortunately for her, if YR wasn't fantasising about him carrying her over the flood and he really did it, CR is going to be disappointed. If that's the case, YR needs to come clean about how she's feeling, because right now Jae-hoon's about the only one that likes her - but for how much longer?

Elsewhere, i was fascinated by the John Jang and Ji-wan scene. JJ looked genuinely crestfallen at his breakfast effort being so casually abandoned after he'd made the effort (and was I imagining a look of recognition and guilt in his eye, as though it had finally clicked how he behaves with others?). Ji-wan seemed to understand his disappointment at a glance, and said and did all the right things to make him feel better. Might he even come to appreciate a lovely caring woman who isn't afraid of a few calories?

Fascinating!

I found myself getting irritated by most if not all main characters in this drama this week, but I am here for the side characters.

Yeo-reum has this bad habit of asking Jae-hoon to do things without explaining the reasons behind her request--which is like the basics of negotiating and just living: asking JH to join the show, asking him to kiss another girl, telling him she can't date him, and now showing up to his secret spot.

The dating show characters are my saving grace at the moment. They are just fun parodies. I find it funny/sad that the lawyer has to dumb herself down for fear of offending the guy. The moment I saw John Jang make a potato and cream dish I knew Tae-mi wouldn't touch it. I don't need John Jang and Ji-wan to get together romantically, but if they could be friends, Ji-wan would improve John Jang's personality. Also, why do I get a feeling that John Jang's studying abroad past might be fake?

Could not understand at first why Jae-Hoon is leading Ji-Yeon on again, but then I realized I think he's being genuine about maybe accepting her feelings this time. Perhaps he's realized he wasn't truly there for her in the way he should have, always having those unrequited feelings for Yeo-Reum, so now he's gonna be more open to them since Yeo-Reum told him she feels nothing for him. Also Ji-Yeon admitting she wasn't being her true self seems interesting, as she was portraying a facade in their previous relationship, if her and Jae-Hoon had ended up together it would have been a fabrication. Perhaps this is something the two of them needed to grow.

Jae-Hoon's is upset at Yeo-Reum for a misunderstanding and I can see why hes so cold with her. On one hand he thinks Yeo-Reum choose to mock Ji-Yeon's feelings for him, by showing that false kiss. Which has him believe shell do anything for her show, thus leading him to think she's the one who told the crew about his trauma just to get ratings. He realized he needed to act on his feelings but this came at the worst time. Now all he sees are moments where Yeo-Reum uses him, from her breakups, to her show, this seems like a mighty task to convince the viewer that these two will work it out without some honesty (better be more than a one episode conversation I hope, leave them time to reflect)

Oh Yeo-Reum you've been saved by all your friends but you haven't been there for them when you needed to. Loved that Dae-Sik was honest and told both his Hye-Jin and Yeo-Reum some uncomfortable but necessary truths. He cared more about how for once Hye-Jin needed a shoulder and that Yeo-Reum couldnt be oblivious to their friends lives. I think thats why he took Jae-Hoons side so quickly about the rejection, perhaps he knows that Yeo-Reum wont be able to see that she needs to save herself for once and that Jae-Hoon needs to stop saving all the time. The ones they have to save are themselves. Jae-Hoon from blaming himself and Yeo-Reum to the blinders that stop her from seeing how her friends are feeling.

Glad that although Jae-Hoon had his privacy invaded he needed someone to stand up for him. Loved that the kid got to say the truth live. Jae-Hoon would have preferred to live in misery than admit the truth, so I think it was necessary.

I know this is a story about Jae-Hoon and Yeo-Reum but, I do actually hope that by the end of this series maybe we do see Jae-Hoon actually marrying Ji-Yeon. its a dream.

Oh before I forget im in love with Ji-Wan. I'm pretty sure Chef John might learn something from Ji-Wan in that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Ji-Wan can articulate the passion in his cooking, and that was even with it cold. I hope Ji-Wan ends up with a Sang-Woo

I have inverse feelings about this week's eps in comparison to last weeks. I had full sympathy for Yeo Reum and how she handled the situation with Ji Wan's reveal last week. It was a sucky situation, and I totally understood why it would make Jae Hoon feel the way he did, but I saw it as something unavoidable, and whether Yeo Reum handled it right or not, she still was doing her best to protect someone in a vulnerable position. But I found the way she handled Jae Hoon's 'scandal' this week to be pretty inappropriate on Yeo Reum's end, not to mention unrealistic considering how we see very real celebrity scandal's play out in the Korean entertainment scene. Even when a celebrity has been proven innocent of an accusation or it's been shown that the situation was misconstrued, it's always handled the same way. There's a press release, a statement made on all relevant social media accounts, maybe a somber video. It's always treated gravely, seriously, usually with some embarrassment, even when the celebrity involved in the scandal is innocent. You would never see it handled the way this drama did. And I'm not so sure the audience would have liked it being addressed through the program anyway. It very easily could be seen as manipulative, maybe even like were trying to lie or cover something up. Using it as entertainment was frankly very risky. For Chae Ri to want to do it that way makes sense. She's there for the drama. She doesn't care about causing trouble. But I found Yeo Reum's willingness to go along with it to be nonsensical, not to mention disrespectful to her friend.

If it were me, I would have done the press release/statement on all socials combo accompanied by a video of the young man he saved explaining what actually happened. I don't think Jae Hoon would have been happy about that, because he clearly is unwilling to truly deal with his shame and grief, but that it what it is. I certainly would not have made Jae Hoon meet with that young man on television. That meeting should have happened in private.

But switching tack, I have to admit with no shame, I am fully on board with a Ji Wan/Chef John pairing. It's not going to happen, and most viewers would probably hate it if it did, because they'd have to redeem Chef, and everyone's been enjoying hating him as a villain, but booooooy would I find it too cute, lol. I was giggling at their interactions this week, her showing true appreciation for his cooking and expressing actual interest in the ingredients, then the hilarious contrast between their reactions in the haunted school. He's terrified, and she's laughing at how silly it is. That was incredibly entertaining.

Thanks for the recap! I have to admit, I actually expected this to be the reason for Jae-Hoon's premature retirement as a surgeon. The writers really messed with us, making it look like the scene in front of the cameras was going to be a whole horrible betrayal and trauma. It worked out so well emotionally the way they did it.

I want to record my suspicion that Chae-Ri wanted Jae-Hoon on the show because of something she knows about either Jae-Hoon or Yeo-Reum or both. All we know about her is that she has a terrible relationship with her (step??) mother, who has manipulated her a lot, that she had a bad rumor about her in college, and that her family and Jae-Hoon's family move in the same circles. She has a poker face and she is a terrible, manipulative person. She has to have some kind of hidden motivations for what she does. It seems off the wall, but it would be fun if she were trying to get these two together.

There has to be some reason the main couple has been failing to get together with each other when they have had romantic feelings for such a long time. The show has to create tension from the frustration of their lack of communication, but without making us give up on them. We're on the edge right now!

I’m hanging on to see if they manage to salvage a friendship/relationship that has been in self-destruct mode for several episodes.

I’m not sure how a relationship between two people who don’t communicate and who have non-complementary coping mechanisms can work (they’re both super avoidant). JH is the sort that keeps his pain very close to his chest (basically hidden and buried), and YR gets on with things, leaving issues unresolved. I honestly can’t imagine how the show will bring them together in a believable way, but I guess we’ll see.

Every flashback and current interaction suggest that YR is purposefully choosing to keep JH friendzoned. It seems more respectful to just let her stay true to her feelings and remain friends with JH instead of somehow shoehorning a romantic interest that just isn't there. But this is kdrama so it will probably go there eventually.
It's too bad we can't switch the main leads with the chef and the webtoon artist. I think the webtoon artist as a character is actually more interesting. She's gone through trauma in her life, but it hasn't stopped her from finding career success. She's also brave enough to step outside of her comfort zone by participating in a dating reality show where she knows she'll be judged for not meeting beauty standards. Her inner beauty even captures the eye of someone as jaded as Chef John. I hope he'll start a redemption arc, and these two can pair up.