The Interest of Love: Episodes 11-12
by Dramaddictally
Hang onto your seats and get ready to yip, yell, and flail because these two episodes take us for a serious ride. All four of our leads are losing hold of their senses while trying to grip tight to their hearts. For some, this brings a kind of freedom, while for others it looks like a descent into madness. The slow pace we were used to in the first half of this drama is gone, leaving us with enough flying emotions to cause whiplash.
EPISODES 11-12 WEECAP
We dive in headfirst where we left off last week: with a replay of that kiss (as if we could forget it). Afterward, Soo-young rushes out of the rink and Sang-soo chases after her — so Yoo Yeon-seok can continue to tear my heart apart with his phenomenal acting. He tells her it wasn’t a mistake and he doesn’t regret it, then formally confesses that he likes her. Both are welling with tears as he says he knows it’s too late but he can’t do it anymore, and he’s ready to take the blame.
Sang-soo starts to drive Soo-young home but she asks to go for a drink first. At the bar, she suggests they play The Lying Game, where everything they say has to be a lie. The game begins very sweetly as they express what’s really important to them (Sang-soo says he went fishing with his dad last week and Soo-young says her brother is studying abroad). Soo-young also talks about how rich she is, how she just works at the bank for fun, and how she’s spoiled because she never had any chores (umm, is she trying to throw shade at Mi-kyung?).
But then, Soo-young does one of the most hurtful things I can imagine. She says how much she likes Sang-soo, that she liked him from the beginning, and sometimes thinks of quitting her job to be with him. Every word is ripping his heart out. Then she says, “Lying Game over.” (How could anybody be so mean?!)
They get in the back of a taxi, silent, their hands resting between them and, without looking, Sang-soo moves his hand over hers and clasps it tightly. He looks out the window, crying. Soo-young remains blank faced (as she often does). As it’s happening, Mi-kyung has gone to Sang-soo’s empty apartment and let herself in. She keeps calling Sang-soo, and being ignored, until he finally turns off his phone.
Soo-young arrives home and Jong-hyun has dinner waiting. He doesn’t question her much about where she’s been, but lets her know that his father had surgery thanks to the money she gave him. He starts talking again about paying her back as soon as possible, but then says he needs more time before he moves out of the apartment. She tells him to take his time with both.
The tone and context of these introductory events set us up for what’s to come: Sang-soo throwing caution to the wind to be with Soo-young, and Mi-kyung and Jong-hyun clawing for their lives to stay in their relationships. Soo-young is the only one who still hasn’t made up her mind, but the drama gives us two situations to toss our characters around and force them to think hard about their values.
The first situation is a change of scenery. When the Yongpo branch takes over another branch, they need volunteers to go work at the new location for three months. Soo-young says she’ll go. Then the team meeting gets quiet as they wait for a second volunteer. Sang-soo starts to raise his hand but Kyung-pil cuts him off and says he’ll do it. Kyung-pil is trying to protect Mi-kyung, but she’s already seen Sang-soo lift his hand. She knows he was out with Soo-young the night before, also — and that that’s the reason he declined to go to her family dinner.
After the meeting, there’s a lovely scene where Sang-soo pulls Soo-young into the storage room and asks if she’s going to the other branch to avoid him. She counters that she was going to be picked anyway, so she volunteered. Then, another office couple comes into the storage room to have a tiff and Sang-soo and Soo-young cram into the corner together. Sang-soo can’t help but laugh at the couple, and Soo-young covers his mouth. It’s an amazing display of how these two can seem so comfortable and so tense together at the same time.
When Soo-young and Kyung-pil begin work at the other branch, we see it’s just the two of them, in a small office located on a university campus (the alma mater of Sang-soo, Kyung-pil, and Mi-kyung). On their first day, Sang-soo uses his lunch break to go find Soo-young on campus. They walk along happily in the short time they have, but it has the quality of the start of an affair when Sang-soo says that next time he comes they’ll eat lunch together. Kyung-pil witnesses them walking and also has the feeling that things are going too far.
The second situation that’s shaking everyone up this week is a rumor at the bank. Sang-soo and Kyung-pil have a third colleague on their team and the character has been used as a juxtaposition to Sang-soo throughout the show. Every time this guy does something, it makes Sang-soo think about his own life and then act accordingly. When this colleague dumped his girlfriend of four years (whom he loved), rationalizing why it made sense to marry a higher status woman (that he barely knew), it wasn’t long before Sang-soo started dating Mi-kyung.
But after the colleague got married, he immediately started cheating on his new wife with his ex. The wife found out and posted the story online — which is how the rumor at work started — and now, the guy is being suspended for two months for “ruining the bank’s reputation.” Also, he and his ex have been doxed, and he’s having an all-around bad time. Still, Sang-soo hears his friend say that he wants to end things with his wife because his ex (his love) is the one he can’t live without. Sang-soo is clearly affected by this.
All the criticism of the cheater lines up perfectly with where Sang-soo and Soo-young are headed, and Kyung-pil warns Sang-soo not to get into a situation like their friend. Soo-young will be the one hurt in the end. We learn that Kyung-pil doesn’t want any of them to get hurt, partially because he still has feelings for Mi-kyung. Last week, we were told that Kyung-pil and Mi-kyung broke up in college because he slept around with all her friends. But this didn’t sit right with what we know about him.
This week, Kyung-pil tells Soo-young the real story (as a kind of warning to her as well). It turns out that Mi-kyung’s wealthy family didn’t approve of Kyung-pil and forced them apart (but Mi-kyung never knew the real reason). Not only does this explain Kyung-pil’s motive for meddling in the current situation, it gives Soo-young a valid reason to think twice about stepping on Mi-kyung’s toes.
Mi-kyung goes further off the deep end this week. Sang-soo keeps asking her to meet so he can tell her something. She knows he wants to break up, so she keeps avoiding him. Sang-soo, being too polite, won’t break up with her at an inopportune time, so he just keeps delaying the break up.
Finally, she tells him to meet her for dinner. He thinks he’s going to talk to her alone, but when he arrives, Soo-young and Jong-hyun are there. It’s Mi-kyung’s birthday (Sang-soo didn’t know) and she’s invited them to celebrate. (Why would Soo-young say yes to this? She and Mi-kyung are not even pretending to be friends anymore.) The minute everyone sits down at the table, Mi-kyung starts in. She asks Soo-young how it is working on campus — “Isn’t our school pretty?” It’s an exclusionary tactic to make Soo-young feel like she doesn’t belong there, and Sang-soo looks irate.
Mi-kyung continues the uncomfortable talk and asks Sang-soo how it is not seeing Soo-young every day. “Don’t you feel empty?” The table is tense AF. Soo-young side glances at Jong-hyun (who knew nothing about her and Sang-soo), giving it away that they have something going on. Sang-soo stands up, angry, and asks to be excused. Then he tells Mi-kyung to come with him.
For some reason, Mi-kyung is the one driving when they leave and Sang-soo tells her to pull over so they can talk. “No, let’s talk later,” she says, already crying. He insists it needs to be right now and she screams, “But it’s my birthday!!” (Imagine a five-year-old shrieking and throwing a tantrum, where they shake their body and then fling themselves on the floor.) Since she won’t allow him to speak, he just goes ahead, “I have feelings for someone. And it’s not you.” That gets her to pull over — because it makes her puke. (Geum Sae-rok is killing it in this role. From top to bottom, she’s got this character figured out.)
On the side of the road, Sang-soo finally says, “I’m sorry. Let’s break up.” He’s crying too and it’s clear it’s not easy for him to hurt her. Mi-kyung says she knows he never loved her, so it’s not a change in his feelings that’s causing him to want to break up now — Soo-young is to blame. She then refuses to accept the breakup, and drives away and leaves him there.
Sang-soo allows her refusal to go on and on, trying to give Mi-kyung time to accept that it’s over. But when Mi-kyung’s mom calls him to go shopping with her — and then says she’s going to support their marriage — Sang-soo doesn’t let it stand. He bravely tells Mi-sun that he and Mi-kyung decided to break up — and man does that hurt the mom’s pride, lol.
Afterward, Mi-kyung wants to know what she did wrong and why he doesn’t love her. Both are really choked up, and he says it’s not her fault. Still, she declares she’s done being nice and that she’ll do whatever it takes to get the love she deserves from him (oh no).
Jong-hyun and Soo-young continue their odd companionship this week, even after Soo-young finds out he’s been lying to her about a girl in his study group. A few weeks ago, we saw this girl hit on Jong-hyun, but now it’s become a full-blown flirtation. Soo-young joins the group for drinks one evening, and the study buddy flirts openly with Jong-hyun, saying to Soo-young, “He told me he’s most grateful to you, but he has the most fun around me.” Soo-young simply smiles, but Jong-hyun finally looks like he feels guilty.
Ever since Mi-kyung’s birthday, Jong-hyun has been acting more needy. He asks Soo-young on a date and afterward produces a set of couple rings. Soo-young accepts the ring, but it’s too small for her finger, so she doesn’t wear it. (It’s a sign, girl. Run.)
Soo-young is so conflicted about her feelings that she takes off work the following day and heads to the beach. Sang-soo decides to cut work and go find her. Kyung-pil asks, “Have you thought about this?” And Sang-soo responds, “No. I’m done thinking. I decided that a while ago.” — and here we have our theme, as well as a major change in our hero.
Sang-soo finds Soo-young easily and sits with her on the beach. She’s built a sand castle, which is nestled between them. Their conversation takes a metaphorical turn and we learn Soo-young’s life philosophy. She grew up near the ocean and used to make sand castles a lot. She always worked hard on them, even though she knew they would disappear soon after. When she left the beach, she would worry all night that her sand castle got knocked down or washed away. And so, she started destroying them herself so she wouldn’t have to worry. (We’ve known this about her since the beginning — that she self-sabotages as protection — but I’m impressed that she knows herself so well.)
She moves her hand to knock down the sand castle between them but Sang-soo stops her. “You could be wrong. The sand castle could last a long time.” He lets her hand go and she leaves the castle alone. She recognizes he’s changed. (But she’s not ready to.) She asks him to go get her a drink, and he knows she’ll be gone when he gets back. He goes, leaving his jacket over her, and when he returns, she’s gone, and his jacket is on the ground. She did not destroy the sand castle, though.
Soo-young goes to see her father and asks why he cheated on her mother (I had a suspicion this wasn’t true, but it is). He tells her that when you start loving someone you can’t stop. And it’s almost like Soo-young is there asking for permission to do what she wants to do with Sang-soo. But then she asks why her father came back after her brother died. And he says it was out of regret. No one would make the decision he did if they knew how much they’d suffer later. And so, it’s like the permission she was just giving herself about loving Sang-soo is taken back. She says her dad is no help and leaves.
Soo-young finally turns her phone back on later that night and there are a bunch of messages from both Jong-hyun and Sang-soo. One from Sang-soo is a picture of her sand castle, still standing on the beach. She calls someone: “Can we meet right now?”
The next morning, Sang-soo comes to work and asks Soo-young why she left yesterday. She ignores him and walks right by. Then Jong-hyun storms into the bank, looking for Soo-young. When he finds her, he gets in her face, grabs ahold of her, and screams, “Is it true?!” And he looks like he’s about to hit her. She says, “You already know the answer.”
Sang-soo and Kyung-pil walk in and Jong-hyun rushes over and punches Kyung-pil to the ground. Sang-soo pulls Jong-hyun away and Jong-hyun says, “What, did you sleep with Soo-young too?!” Everyone in the bank is there to watch (and film) and Sang-soo looks at Soo-young with hurt and disbelief. But, as usual, Soo-young has a dead look on her face.
Aw man. Episode 11 was sooooo good and then we get this. How are we supposed to root for Soo-young if she can’t get herself together a little? Her and Jong-hyun’s pity party makes no sense to me. I don’t understand why she’s been accepting everything he offers — and then she’s suddenly so cruel in the last scene.
Jong-hyun’s character is unwieldy. I feel like the side of him that we see at the end is not well-motivated. Yes, it could be a response a person has to cheating, but I’m not sure it’s the response we’ve been led to believe this character would have. He was the one who tried to break up with Soo-young originally, he keeps trying to edge out, why he’s so possessive all of a sudden seems strange. (Also, he’s been lying about things and likes someone else too.)
I’m sad that the show is turning Jong-hyun and Mi-kyung into villains and taking away the little nuances that made it hard to hate them before. One of the things that allowed Mi-kyung to stay human was that, even though she has everything, she’d also been wronged in her life. Now, one of those wrongs is negated because Kyung-pil never cheated on her. Even if she felt it as real, the fact that we know the cause of the breakup was her own wealth makes it hard for me to empathize.
Sang-soo has my full backing at this point. His character growth is beautiful. Now it’s up to Soo-young to do her part. I don’t believe anything is going on between Kyung-pil and Soo-young, so I’m wondering if the two of them cooked up a scheme for Mi-kyung to think they’re dating (thereby saving Sang-soo’s reputation at the bank and also getting rid of Jong-hyun). It would be terribly mean, but it’s what I’ve come to expect from Soo-young.
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1 Randomheart247
January 27, 2023 at 6:12 PM
The opening scene of Episode 12 provides the clues to what happened at the end which shocked everyone....... pay attention to the shoes of the man walking down the hall way....... also notice Soo Young's cloths. While Soo Young and Sang Su they are having their very passionate love making , the camera gives another view of the shoes and cloths. To confirm that this really happened Soo Young is wearing the same cloths when she goes and meets her father. She is Wearing the same cloths while looking at the message Sang Su sent her with the photo of the sand castle still in tack and not destroyed. She is wearing the same cloths when Jong Hyun comes storming in and punching Kyung Pil. Soo Young and Sang Su were together, thats why he is so angry at Kyung Pil and that District office guy trying to spread to rumor that Soo Young sleeps around.
If anyone was to put a wager on this....... the last scene of episode 12 is all Mi Kyung's doing in her last ditch effort to try to discredit Soo Young in front of Sang Su. It didn't work since Sang Su rejected her for the third time and she threw that brick at the $100,000 car she bought him that's still parked in the garage.
The writers of this series are like detectives planting clues but does anyone see them? At the end of the preview of ep 13 [SPOILER] ........ the problem he still has is convincing Soo Young that she isn't his problem but his salvation....... how he does that will be what is he willing to now do for love.
Like I said this is the rebuilding of what got torn down in the first 9 episodes
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sailorgirl
January 27, 2023 at 6:35 PM
@randomheart247 Your optimism is keeping me going, I will ride this wave with you! 🥰
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Emily Hewett
January 27, 2023 at 8:36 PM
The show got me soo confused. I mean, the 1st scene of episode 12 is supposed to be ( at least they put it that way) in Mi Kyung's imagination, right? But there are some oddly specific clothing thing that got me confused again. & did somebody notice the different camera angle of the scene than they showed in the trailer? Does that mean the scene is going to appear again as flashback?
I'm hella confused, guys.
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Randomheart247
January 27, 2023 at 11:39 PM
That scene is the same scene in the official promo trailer.....look at it again you can see them standing next to each other Soo Young is looking at with those eyes of love for him. This happened the night before the big mess at the end of episode 12.
Sang Su ask her that morning "why did you leave me so early" they were together.
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LaurenSophie
January 28, 2023 at 7:22 AM
Netflix subs say "Why did you leave so early yesterday?" and that's what made that exchange harder to square with the idea that she left after they'd been together in the hotel.
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VictoriaLupin
January 28, 2023 at 2:06 PM
Wow.. I watched episode 12 again because of your comment and yes, Soo young was wearing the same clothes as u mentioned but Sang soo's clothes are different: in the opening scene he is in a black coat with shirt and black tie but at the bank in the morning he is in a black turtle neck and the jacket isn't black.
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popai
January 30, 2023 at 12:46 PM
The first thing I did after watching episode 12 was to go to the beginning of the episode to take a look at the clothing of SS and SY. Soo Young's shoes, pants and blouse are the same but her jacket is different. It is darker and thicker in fabric than the jacket in the beginning of episode 12. And Sang Soo has a black shirt and tie in the hotel while he had a black turtle neck on the next morning. I got obsessed with details while trying to catch the symbols in "My Mister". So, I don't know when or if that hotel scene takes place. I even wondered if Soo Young was imagining Kyung Pil as Sang Soo in that scene once news of them sleeping together broke. I hope that scene does or did really take place thougb.
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2 sailorgirl
January 27, 2023 at 6:33 PM
Jong Hyun's outburst at the end is the reaction of a man who knows he's about to be homeless and shaken from his dead-beat comfort zone. I’d offer my condolences, but there aren’t any.
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Emily Hewett
January 27, 2023 at 8:37 PM
Soo done with his character already 🤮
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sailorgirl
January 29, 2023 at 5:30 AM
@emilyhewett He really does nauseate me. He's the type of person who blames the world for his problems and not himself. The red flags were on parade with his nice guy act and in the long-term, he really can't keep it up. He needs a girl like the study buddy who feels grateful to be in his presence and will gas him up, so that he feels manly by doing the bare minimum. I don't think I've ever liked him lol, his character is the personification of dead weight.
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Emily Hewett
January 29, 2023 at 8:02 AM
Yeah, there was something about him I couldn't like from the very beginning. Thanks for pointing it out.
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Eazal
January 28, 2023 at 2:33 AM
When Jong Hyun broke up with Soo Young the first time because he couldn't be the man that provides in the family, and when he was offended by receiving the money from Soo Young, and all the times he feels bad because he can't provide for himself, that is all a red flag of a man who thinks he is MAN and women are subjected to men.
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sailorgirl
January 29, 2023 at 5:25 AM
@eazal There is nothing wrong with wanting to contribute, but he's still living with her even though he doesn't pay rent or the bills. Where is the money going? I'd say it's helping his father recover, but Soo Young paid for the surgery and helped with the other costs.
It's like he throws the idea of leaving out there just to see what she will say, but doesn't actually follow through. A man who genuinely felt uncomfortable being dependent on someone else would do everything to leave the situation ASAP. Jong Hyun is just sitting pretty.
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Emily Hewett
January 29, 2023 at 8:16 AM
Yep. His promises of paying her back is sounding hollow day by day.
& right, where is the money going? Soo young isn't paid much more than him yet she is providing in his every need while he is completely living off her despite having the job as before.
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3 LaurenSophie
January 27, 2023 at 6:44 PM
I have more to say, but first, wanted to mention that I didn't think that Soo-young was being cruel at the end of the Lying Game when she basically said everything that Sang-soo wanted to hear, and then declared that she had been lying so ha-ha, joke's on him if he believed it. I thought she was telling him the truth when she confessed, and his reaction to her "the game just ended" suggested to me that he understood that. But because neither one at that moment was in a place where they could freely be together, Soo-young pretended as though what she had said about her feelings were the same types of lies as the ones she initially told to start the game. In this way, they could both walk away from their time together free to ignore their kiss if that's what needs to be done right now since they were still involved with other people.
I only watched that scene once so I can't say my interpretation is 100% correct. And I agree that if Soo-young *was* lying--or sincerely claiming to be lying--then yes, that would be absolutely cruel and awful of her. She'd essentially be mocking Sang-soo for his feelings in a catty and mean way. We've seen her be bitchy before, but this would be so over-the-top that I just don't see her as sincerely stringing him along and then slapping him down like that. Besides, weren't the things she said in line with what her feelings for him appear to be and, it seems, always were?
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misshoggy
January 27, 2023 at 7:05 PM
I thought the same, too. The lying game allowed Soo-young to speak her truth without infringing their status quo. They both knew what she meant. The pang I felt during that scene was oof... too much. I think Sang-soo's tears were from the pain of knowing that this would've been true if he had acted differently in ep. 2.
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misshoggy
January 27, 2023 at 7:06 PM
Would've been true as in Soo-young didn't have to "lie" to tell him how she felt if he chose to pursue this relationship much earlier on.
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Eazal
January 28, 2023 at 2:49 AM
I agree with you two, that is how I read that sentence. It as clear for both of them that she was speaking her heart.
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Dramaddictally
January 29, 2023 at 2:07 PM
I also had the feeling that Soo-young was speaking the truth when she said those things to Sang-soo (and the "lie" was that it was a lie at all). The part that hit me was when she said, "lying game over." That made it sound really hurtful to me (and I wasn't 100% sure of Sang-soo's reaction. His heart is being ripped out, but I wasn't sure if it's because he believes her or because he doesn't). Later, though, he texts her to say thank you for the lying game (so, I think your interpretation is the correct one).
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KDramaJoy
September 24, 2023 at 11:30 AM
Framing the confession as a lie (in the Lying Game) is Su-yeong’s self protection against Sang-su’s possible rejection -- just as self-sabotage of the sand castles is her self protection against possible sabotage by someone else. Even though she is courageous in standing up to her corrupt boss, she is cowardly with her close relationships. I thought the Lying Game was a brilliant piece of writing (and acting and directing).
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4 Randomheart247
January 27, 2023 at 6:45 PM
One comment into the twist and turns of this episodes that has everyone wondering what will happen next. Everyone has been made to believe that Soo Young's father is a cheater and was unfaithful to his wife causing Soo Young great pain and forming her distorted views of love.
Their is theory out there that in fact the woman that Soo Young fell in love with was his wife. He was disowned by his family for marrying a poor woman and placed himself into poverty. He went missing from the family in order to find jobs ........ that's why Soo Young's mother said he was a good man........ Soo Young doesn't know the complete story of her mother and father........ she just assumed that when he went missing he had abandoned them, not knowing he was doing everything he could to try to support them. Jumping to conclusions has been Soo Youngs biggest detriment to herself and the one's she loves.
to prove my point....... the flashback scene when Soo Young saw her father coming out of that woman's house........ anyone with eyes could see that their was no romantic interaction between the two....... the woman patted him on the shoulder and was thanking him for whatever job he did.
The parents are as much at fault for not teling Soo Young the whole story and Soo young's imagination presumed the worst.
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Eazal
January 28, 2023 at 2:51 AM
I also thought so, but on episode 12 he admitted to the cheating, so...
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5 Bunny Sonaki
January 27, 2023 at 7:01 PM
The metaphors in this episode were on point. Be it the sand castle or the ring. The sand castle represents Soo-young's dreams. Whenever she dreams of having something, the abandonment/losing issues take control and she chooses to escape/damage those things. At that point, I can't empathize with her anymore since I see no character growth. The same blank annoying face. No standing up for herself in front of Mi-kyeong, case in point the clothes from the last episode and the birthday party. Why go there when she clearly knows Mi-kyeong's intention? I hope Soo-young opens up more since her character is becoming more annoying than I can handle.
As for the ring, it isn't a coincidence at all that is too tight on her finger. It resembles how the relationship is suffocating her. Jong-hyun is in love with the other girl so why be stubborn and go on with his relationship with Soo-young when it is clear both parties aren't happy anymore? His angry reaction at the end was out of nowhere so I will put off my thoughts until I see the full story playing.
With all these things going on, I can't feel for Mi-kyeong in the slightest. The scene where she was crying and yelling at Sang-soo that it was her birthday. I wanted to tell her that she was the one digging her grave. Why invite Soo-young and Jong-hyun and make everyone uncomfortable with her words? Your actions have an aftermath and you have to brace yourself, girl.
I am not a fan of the affair/cheating turn of events but still, the one showing the most character growth is Sang-soo, confronting Mi-kyeong and her mother instead of remaining silent about his real feelings.
The plot is getting deeper and at that point, I doubt any party will get out of this love square unscathed. However, the most important thing is one doesn't lose themselves in the process. Maybe it is an office drama with the message that at the end of the day sometimes although couples are in love, their actions and decisions could destroy everything sweet in their relationship.
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Eazal
January 28, 2023 at 2:52 AM
I love how you explained the rings metaphor. Thanks for sharing.
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Bunny Sonaki
January 28, 2023 at 3:19 AM
My Pleasure
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LaurenSophie
January 28, 2023 at 11:53 AM
I'm also struggling with Soo-young. On one hand, I appreciate that she's not a typical female lead; instead, she's a complicated, very emotionally guarded woman with both positive and negative qualities, who makes some poor choices but appears to have a good heart. On the other hand, I often struggle to read her feelings and motivations. The actress is not the problem; I think she's doing a great job with what's on the page. But whether it's the writing or directing--or simply that in order to make the twists twisty and keep viewers guessing the FL has to continue to be unreadable--I need her emotional landscape to be more accessible and readable ASAP.
First, I don't understand at all what she feels for Jong-hyun. Initially, she seemed to genuinely soften in his presence, and as their relationship became more romantic it felt like a natural progression. But then something seemed to turn and I have no idea what, exactly, changed her mind or turned her off. And if she *has* changed her mind, why would she accept those couple rings? That was a perfect opportunity for her to end the romantic side of their relationship. If the answer is that she doesn't want to hurt him, that was completely blown when she either concocted a scheme that rests on the belief that she slept with Kyung-pil (or she actually slept with him). Moreover her public response to Jong-hyun at the end of the episode (her very cold "You already know the answer" accompanied by an equally frigid expression) was much, much crueler than just breaking up with him in private.
I get why she's hesitant to be with Sang-soo and might be tempted to knock that sand castle down. But what is she doing with Jong-hyun and why? I'm truly at a loss.
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Blue (@mayhemf)
January 28, 2023 at 4:31 PM
I am perfectly fine if she is emotionally guarded and doesn't want to start anything (esp her dad said the last thing she wanted to hear - regret).. But hurting Jong-hyun knowing you have no feelings for him is just cruel..
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SerenaJess
January 31, 2023 at 10:18 PM
I agree that Soo-young’s character is an enigma, and it’s hard for me to understand why Sang-soo and Jong-Hyun are both so in love with her, unless it’s because the age old trope of the beautiful mysterious woman that men fall in love with precisely because she doesn’t reveal who she truly is and they can project whatever is their ideal onto her.
However there are scenes that reveal a greater depth of character - the scene at the beach where she explains her urge to destroy the sand castles she’s built before someone else can do it first is, as dramaddictally mentioned, extremely insightful.
The one scene where she admits to herself and then to Sang-soo that she fell for him first, accompanied by flashbacks of her quietly observing an unsuspecting Sang-soo, was one of the few scenes where we see the story from her perspective. That one scene convinced me that she truly does love Sang Soo despite her self-destructive tendencies. I wish she had more scenes like that.
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Carissa
February 2, 2023 at 5:53 AM
She pitied Jong-huyn. The reason why she started messing with him in the first place is he reminded her of her deceased brother! He was as safe choice for a boyfriend because of that familiar "brother" feeling she got from him. I think she's scared of her feelings for Sang-soo
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6 ScreenName
January 27, 2023 at 8:00 PM
The unrealistic and relentless twists and turns in this drama make my head spin. Another 2 episodes where no one has an iota of happiness and it all seems to be because none of them can deal with their emotions.
The little empathy I had left for Mi-Kyeong is gone. Her reactions seem based on the fact that she always gets what she wants and is angry and frustrated that she can’t force Sang-Soo to love her. Jong-hyung’s burst of jealousy seems totally out of character. He too seems frustrated because in spite of all the sacrifices Soo-young has made for him he can’t force himself to love her or force her to love him.
Sang-soo is being treated mercilessly by both women. Mi-kyeong’s clingy neediness trying to guilt him into staying with her and Soo-young’s push/pull attitude making him think he has a chance and then once again shutting down and pushing him away.
I’m frustrated because as an audience member we’re being manipulated by the writers into these ‘will they won’t they’ and ‘should they shouldn’t they’ scenarios. One step forward, three steps back. I’ve never watched a show where I’ve had to try to second guess motives, emotions and frankly possible mental health issues that seem to stem from everyone’s childhood. How many moments of happiness have we seen by anyone in 12 episodes? It ends each week in a dark and lonely place for each of our 4 leads and support cast.
If I were Sang-soo, I’d be tired of both women. Is either one worth it? Imagine playing these games with one or the other over the course of a marriage? I’m exhausted just thinking about it.
With only 4 episodes left, when are we going to get some idea of what these people are really thinking and feeling? Sigh.
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Bunny Sonaki
January 27, 2023 at 8:54 PM
Agree with you. Both women are frustrating and I feel for neither of them.
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FormAnOrderlyQueue
January 28, 2023 at 5:01 AM
This. Just trying to figure out what everyone wants and what they're up to is exhausting. And I find myself yelling at the screen waaay too much.
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LaurenSophie
January 28, 2023 at 11:57 AM
I do wish Soo-young was nicer to Sang-soo. She spends a lot of time either responding to him with stony silence or saying something casually cutting.
At some point, I would love for Sang-soo to confront her about the way she treats him. His love and devotion are obvious, but it would be so cathartic for him and the audience if he called her on her stuff just one time.
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7 loveblossom🌸
January 27, 2023 at 8:30 PM
The beach scene was so good! Heartbreaking and well acted.
I felt suffocated like Sang Soo during Mi Kyung's birthday dinner. It was such a relief when he finally told her it was over.
Freaking ironic that Boss Yook yelled at Seok Hyun and berated him for his adultery. I don't think he should have been suspended.
What is Kyung Pil's deal?! He's so ambiguous. I hadn't thought that he was trying to protect Mi Kyung during the bank meeting. His feelings about her haven't been clear... Even though they were each other's first loves in college. Not surprised the truth came out. He told Soo Young this story, but the audience doesn't hear the whole of it. The cousin did something, presumably something threatening.
I don't know why Soo Young hasn't broken up with Jong Hyun yet. He even asked about her feelings for him directly. Then she avoided answering by throwing the question back at him. Soo Young struggling to take off the ring made me anxious. And then her big pause after she got it off, like Girl! You know you don't love this guy.
Stopppp.
This drama knows how to do their cliffhangers! Ack.... Is this some noble idiocy on Soo Young's part? Trying to steer possible trouble away from Sang Soo? Plus some self-sabotage since she is great at it. I wonder if Kyung Pil agreed to this before the news hit. There's no way they actually did it.
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Bunny Sonaki
January 27, 2023 at 8:59 PM
It isn't just noble idiocy. It is complete idiocy. I can't even get a grasp on how she thinks. Too complex too self-sabotaging too much.
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Randomheart247
January 27, 2023 at 11:47 PM
Her reasoning for not breaking up is because she doesn't want to hurt him before his cop exam........ she has compassion as she already told him, but she has never loved him as lover....... she loves him as a friend.
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Eazal
January 28, 2023 at 2:56 AM
Regarding Kyung Pil, I think the cousin may have offered him a job? That was my guess last week , but it can also be "an offer you will not be able to refuse", that will show how powerful Mi Kyung family is.
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8 pohonphee
January 27, 2023 at 8:47 PM
Aww Sooyoung is a piece of work, so complex and layered. She is worth of case study ha ha ha No wonder Sangsu is so obsessed with her, maybe he thinks she like unresolved puzzles. Keep coming back to finish it
I don't think she doesn't love Sangsu. It is just she is loathing herself to become a person she hates the most which is her father. And she goes to talk to him only finding more validation. Poor her (that is why people should not cheat it, there's a chance it breaks thing beyond repair i.e. Sooyoung). She wants to prove she isn't like her father (even I love him, I will not ruin his life by cheating with him or I can stop my self, not seeing him again), and the only thing she does is self sabotage. I think Sangsu understands this that why he stays. Poor him eh but I guess in case he will regret and wonder about it someday
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Bunny Sonaki
January 27, 2023 at 8:57 PM
Soo-young needs some therapy to get over her childhood trauma and figure out that every person's life is different. She isn't her father. I don't want them to cheat but I want them to decide where their emotions lie and act based on it or walk away from the whole love square but not after admitting to their own feelings
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Eazal
January 28, 2023 at 2:58 AM
Every single character in this drama needs therapy but Sang Soo's mum who needs to be awarded as Mum of the Year, and probably the oldest of bank clerks, she feels a real woman to me.
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Bunny Sonaki
January 28, 2023 at 3:18 AM
Totally agree
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Blue (@mayhemf)
January 28, 2023 at 4:34 PM
I love his mom! and the way she handled Mi Kyeong's mom! loved that scene..
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9 Emily Hewett
January 27, 2023 at 9:12 PM
The interest of love aka misunderstanding~ sorry ~ understanding of love continues its journey of frustration, tension, awkward encounters of love & this week things are getting heated up. I always wondered how ugly a drama can get , now that I'm looking at a hot mess with utter chaos, I got my answers.
First time in a while, our hero got his heart set up & has shown good character development, but alas! His supposedly leading lady gets worse with time.( I don't even have the heart to talk about Soo young . This girl is born to demolish her own happiness in the name of protecting others. ) Mi kiyung, on the other hand, decides to play dirty & she is 100% psycho now.& lastly, Jong hyun. This guy just gets worse & worse with time. From shamelessly living on his girlfriend to having possible illicit affair with a study group bubble head, he has gone straight up shouting at Soo young in front of the whole office. As a whole, this drama has every material to be the most toxic and obnoxious drama of this year. ( yet I keep coming back for it ,as if to taste some toxicity lol)
There is another disturbing factor of this drama I want to point out- it tries to empathize with cheating ( very subtly, yet very shamelessly) in the name of love. I get that u can't be with your one true love for social status & blah blah, but that doesn't make cheating legal. Get a grip, show.
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Bunny Sonaki
January 27, 2023 at 9:44 PM
Agree with you. Each one of the four characters is toxic in their own way.
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Eazal
January 28, 2023 at 3:02 AM
I'm not saying cheating is good, because it isn't, but it is illegal in any means. Cheating has happened and will happen, specially when people don't do out of love and with sincerity, but only to maintain a certain status and position. Most times society turns a blind eye on cheating.
I understand one can stop loving your partner, love is not forever, but when it happens you need to be brave enough to face that person and tell them: it's over.
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ScreenName
January 28, 2023 at 7:18 AM
At this point in time I totally agree this could be the most frustrating, toxic drama I’ve ever seen. What a way to start our 2023 journey. They’ve made the characters so complex and in many cases, so unlikeable. Ugh.
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Emily Hewett
January 28, 2023 at 8:53 AM
Yeah, what a way to start 2023 drama journey ( I literally wrote it in my diary cuz I was so frustrated lol).
The only way to compensate is giving it a better ending. C'mon, show!
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10 Kurama
January 28, 2023 at 12:31 AM
Sang-Su is the only one who is honest with his feelings and acts as an adult. I hope if he doesn't date Su-Yeong, he won't date Mi-Gyeong and will stay alone.
Su-Yeong reminds me the FL in the movie Finding Mr. Destiny, she won't finish anything because she's scared. SY destroyed things before being hurt. But in the case of Jong-Hyeon, she could tell him she wants to break up. She has no issue to be cold and angry with other men. So why using Gyeong-Pil? For Sang-Su, it's her way to protect him from the bank politics, but for Gyeong-Pil? I don't understand. Gyeong-Pil's reaction was pretty violent for a nice boy...
Mi-Gyeong was so childish. She doesn't care about Sang-Su's feelings, she just wants him.
Gyeong-Pil is really interesting! He's a good friend.
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Eazal
January 28, 2023 at 3:04 AM
I really hope we have no couples by the end of the drama, because all the people here need therapy!!
And yes to that comparison with Finding Mr. Destiny FL, she was the best at sabotaging herself... until Gong Yoo came in the way... who could blame her?
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Kurama
January 28, 2023 at 3:13 AM
Haha, he was so cute in this role!
He realized he investigated for nothing, she could have met the stranger in the past, but she chose not to.
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11 Eazal
January 28, 2023 at 2:47 AM
I read some novel spoilers and as for the novel, Kyung Pil and Soo Young did have an affair. Why did they do that? I just can't really understand but I guess it fits the passive - aggressive and the way she wants to destroy her sand castle.
From the flashbacks we are having, we will have Mi Kyong and Sang Soo getting married and being utterly unhappy until they divorce, then we will have that Mi Kyong and Kyong Pil meeting and them talking about Sang Soo and Soo Young dating, and that was the hotel scene. That is my guess.
As for Mi Kyung I was starting to warm up to her on episode 11 and at the beginning of episode 12. I totally get the girl avoiding reality, she didn't want to hear the words. It is so relatable! When you desperate love someone and you can't make them love you... I know her behaviour is childish and selfish, but yet she is SO relatable.... Or at least it was until she set up that dinner. That was when she lost me. No girl, put yourself together!
Once again I have to say that she is her parent's daughter. When she told Sang Soo she will do everything to get the love she deserves, she is just talking like her dad: I will buy your love (I guess she will get pregnant that is why we saw the toys and the drawings in their appartment in the flash forward). And she is selfish like her mum: she wants to know why he doesn't love her, because he should, the same way mum can not like Sang Soo as a suitable husband but Sang Soo's mum can't think the same way about Mi Kyong.
As fot Sang Soo, I'm not really rooting for him. The way he can't just say: I will break up with you because I don't love you and you suffocate me, and it doesn't mean I am dating anyone else, makes him so weak. I agree there has been a change in him, but still he's not rooting for himself to be happy, and still relies his happiness in others. No man, you first fit your life and then you are ready to make room for someone else in your life.
I like Kyung Pil. He is a friend. I know it's weird saying this, but I don't think he volunteered to go the branch because of his feelings for Mikyung (I think he's over her) but because he didn't want Sang Soo to get into trouble. Still need to figure out why he slept with Soo Young.
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Emily Hewett
January 28, 2023 at 4:27 AM
I've read about the novel spoilers, too; but in the drama, I don't think they (Soo Young - Gyung Pil ) necessarily slept together. They just intentionally let the rumour slip to protect their loved ones.
Same feelings for Mi Kyung till episode 11. I almost pitied her for not getting any love. But during the dinner scene she went out of way. It was too much.
& please don't talk about Mi Kyung's pregnancy. I'm having panic attacks here.😰
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Sooyoung the winner
January 28, 2023 at 6:24 AM
What pregnant! Noooooo. I would rather sang su suffer from errectile dysfucntion
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Emily Hewett
January 28, 2023 at 9:00 AM
LMAO.
Can't help but agree with you, though.
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12 chaechae
January 28, 2023 at 9:07 AM
Everyone in this drama need therapy T.T
BY FAR the most stressful "romance" drama i ever seen
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13 Hanamana
January 28, 2023 at 2:31 PM
The most complicated character is Kyung-pil. I don't understand him at all. What is it that he wants? Love?? Friendship?? Money??
Is it really true that he slept with Mi-kyung's friends or it's a rumor too? (I think him sleeping with Soo-young is just a rumor)
Soo-young feelings for Jong-hyun is so ambiguous. Sometimes it seems that she likes him. It's natural for Jong-hyun to feel betrayed. I pity him.
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LaurenSophie
January 29, 2023 at 8:10 AM
It seemed to be clear in Kyung-pil's confession to Soo-young that he did not actually sleep with Mi-kyung's friends, but as viewers, we didn't get to see the entirety of his discussion with her. So either he himself lied to Mi-kyung about his actions because he was forced to do so by the cousin (and perhaps the cousin gave him something in return), or the cousin himself spread that rumor and told Mi-kyung it was true so Kyung-pil had no choice but to go along with it.
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Charlotte
February 18, 2023 at 5:00 PM
Unless the subtitlers were wrong...I didn't see Kyung-pil say "friends" when he was talking to Soo-young...he said "I slept with her best friend". And when Soo-young asked him "What did you get from it". He replied "Closure." There was no going back to Mi-kyung after that for Kyung-pil. She had to end it, which was his goal. And that's what Soo-young was hoping for with Jong Hyun...or maybe Sang-soo as well...killing two birds with one sabotaging arrow through the heart.
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14 Blue (@mayhemf)
January 28, 2023 at 4:27 PM
YYS's acting these two episodes! .. It's a delight to watch him.
Soo-young and Sang Soo seem so different when they are together. Its like they can breathe.. and be free.
I have no idea what Soo-young is doing.. really... Jong-hyun gave her an opening to quit.. I don't know.. I mean, I get she is reluctant.. she is used to self sabotaging.. but I wish she would at least be honest to her feelings. Whether she chooses Sang Soo or not, the least she can do is be little honest.
The start of Ep 12 definitely happened. I was surprised but it did (gosh their kisses are passionate...). So it makes sense that the ending implies she slept with his friend and not him. I really hope this is some kind of action on her part or friends part to get them together.
and omg.. Mi Kyung and family.. need a course of 'Rejection 101'...
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Emily Hewett
January 28, 2023 at 7:45 PM
Rejection 101🤣🤣
You lost me there lol
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15 blbfredmusings
January 29, 2023 at 10:41 AM
My theory is that Mi-kyung is the one who said something to Jong-hyun about Kyung-pil and Soo-young. That way she can use him as a weapon to get back at everyone she believes has done her wrong--Kyung-pil, Soo-young and Sang-soo all in one fell swoop. There is no way there is any kind of relationship between Kyung-pil and Soo-young.
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Blue (@mayhemf)
January 29, 2023 at 11:03 AM
This would make sense if not for Soo-young reaction. She didn’t look surprised. Not one bit. And even looked a bit callous.
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16 blbfredmusings
January 29, 2023 at 11:11 AM
Did Mi-kyung say something to Jong-hyun to make him believe that Soo- young and Kyung-pil were involved? That way she could use him as a weapon against everyone she believes has done her wrong-- Kyung-pil, Soo-young and Sang-soo. He had to have gotten that idea in his head from somewhere. He was already suspicious of Sang-soo, so when Jong- hyun asks, "Is it true?" maybe Soo-young thought he meant true about Sang-soo.
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17 Toodlepip
January 30, 2023 at 12:27 AM
Watched both episodes back to back and couldn't tear my eyes away from them. The Lying Game! For me, it was giving Soo Yeong a space to say what she wanted to say. And the hand holding in the car! My heart!
I was floored by the ending. At first I thought it was Mi Kyeung, getting Soo Yeung in trouble and extricated Sang Soo, but I agree with others when they say it looks like something cooked up by Soo Yeung to 'protect' Sang Soo.
Oh the angst!
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18 Angie
February 8, 2023 at 2:54 PM
there's something off about suyong's father.
anything think that suyong's mom is the other woman? like mr. yang's situation? i wished they'd tie that up sooner rather than later. if i'm right, her father was telling her he chose love. but because she don't know the full story, she's not getting that'll she'll regret not following her heart.
i'm anxiously waiting for ep 16 to post cuz i'm gonna finish it in one go. NO CLIFFHANGERS!
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19 Angie
February 8, 2023 at 8:26 PM
Back in ep 1, did y'all think it would be SANGSU that would be honest and straightforward and speak up as soon as he know where he stand?
I didn't.
I don't understand the big deal about the sub branch. As gossipy as that workplace is, they all need to work at a different branch.
I'd be so overloaded with a workplace romance. 8 hrs at work AND talk all night ....yikes
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