Dare to Love Me: Episodes 7-8

by starrygazer

Everything is a series of uncertainties and home truths for our leading couple this week, as the painful past comes full circle for our hero, thanks to a little nudge from our heroine. Can they come out of it and find a way back to each other…?

 
EPISODES 7-8

Things are icy cold every time Hong-do runs into Yoon-bok and she really misses him. He misses her too but the lost little boy inside is winning at the moment and Hong-do has just about had enough. She heads over to his place to confront him. Hong-do is so direct, and I love her for it! She asks Yoon-bok outright why is he being like this? Didn’t he say he wanted to be by her side whether it was a salty or sweet day?

It’s nice to see Yoon-bok realize his fear hurt her, and he tells her that he was wrapped up in his own emotion and did not think that it would hurt her. It’s adorable that he thinks he has no effect on her. Yoon-bok goes to change to apologize formally, and proceeds to throw himself on the ground at her mercy. I am chuckling to myself as Hong-do gets all irritated and asks him “Are you crying?!” and demands he gets up. Yoon-bok runs off to fetch her a cane to discipline him with – and now I’m crying laughing haha.

Hong-do baulks at this repayment method and asks him to grant her three wishes instead. Her first wish is for him to treat her rudely. To sit at a table with her, not walk behind her, and not to back away in the overly polite and awkward way he does. Yoon-bok is taking each term like a bullet to the chest he can’t believe his ears. It’s lovely to see this push and pull between them again this week.

Hong-do’s second wish is for them to go camping and for Yoon-bok to draw her. There’s a lot of uncomfortable close focusing and the Titanic flute music strikes again. After he does her portrait, Yoon-bok tells her he had fun and got to draw again because of her. This is such a sweet scene — it’s like they’re the only people there. And Hong-do using her wish to do something for Yoon-bok is just delightful.

Hong-do has acquired tickets to a webtoon festival and she wants to use this third wish as an excuse to take Yoon-bok. Unfortunately, on her way out she runs into an extremely distressed Yi-bok and ends up accompanying her to the hospital. Mum-bok has taken a turn for the worst. Mum obviously misses Yoon-bok terribly and asks Hong-do what Yoon-bok likes and it’s just adorable to see her enthusiastically telling them all about him.

So, instead of the festival, Hong-do texts Yoon-bok to meet her at the hospital, but he doesn’t know where he’s heading or why. When he arrives, he sees Hong-do with his mum and sister and stalks off without missing a beat. He is furious, sternly telling Hong-do she had no right to force him to come here when she doesn’t understand anything. He adds that she should stay out of his business from now on. I feel for Hong-do — she may have been wrong to mislead him, but she had the right intentions. Mum-bok is running out of time and he may regret not seeing her later on.

Hong-do does get to say her piece, though. She asks how long Yoon-bok is going to keep his guard up. Is he going to stay closed off for the rest of his life never letting anyone in? It’s a harsh truth, but someone needed to say it. Yoon-bok’s response is that he finds things easier this way. She asks him if it’s really that easy to ignore the people that love and worry about you, and says that no one can live completely alone. Although it’s hard, sometimes you have to worry, care, and try to understand each other. Isn’t that what happiness is all about?

But Yoon-bok challenges her, asking if being together really means being happy? To him, he has things to do, people to protect, and he can’t afford for his heart to waver. He cannot be tricked by the happiness of being together and neglect those things. Then he says he’s granted her three wishes, so she can leave him alone now. And once again poor Hong-do has to watch him walk away. It really is all or nothing with Yoon-bok; I’m really hoping we see him grow through this phase and start to accept not everything in the world is that cut and dry.

Our hero is struggling on his own. He is ignoring all calls from Hong-do, but does see a text from Yi-bok telling him that mum has very little time left. He goes over to the hospital to see his mum alone. Yoon-bok makes it clear how hurt he is that she avoided him, but he came to ask her why. Why did she abandon him? Does she know how much he waited for her? Yoon-bok makes it clear he has no intention of forgiving her and actually says “I’m abandoning you this time.” Poor mum (who is fake-sleeping) is shaking as a tear escapes her eyes; it’s just heart wrenching.

Shortly after, mum-bok passes away, and poor Yi-bok is distraught and all alone in the funeral hall, except for Hong-do. Yoon-bok — who received a notification call about his mother’s passing — arrives at the funeral hall to pay his respects and Yi-bok is pleased to see him. Of course, in true Yoon-bok style he pulls away from her and tells her he was merely fulfilling his last duty. Yi-bok asks him to wait as mum has left something for him. He begrudgingly takes the bundle and Yi-bok beseeches him to open it, not just discard it.

When he opens the bundle to find his baby keepsakes, pictures of him over the years, and a letter. Mum had written this after his visit to her when he abandoned her. She is full of sorrow and regret for hurting him and wants him to consider this her last wish: for him to listen – just this once.

Mum delves into the past and how she was not allowed to make any decisions for herself. Both of Yoon-bok’s parents had pleaded with Grandad Shin to open up Seongsan Village in order to give the children a chance to explore the world outside. And seeing how much pressure Yoon-bok was under to become the next leader broke mum’s heart. (Cut to: Grandad Shin caning Yoon-bok’s legs as a child for drawing and yelling at him for crying.) She just wanted her children to have some freedom.

Unfortunately, once Granddad Shin finally opened the village, the fire occurred and they lost Yoon-bok’s father. Grandad Shin held mum fully responsible and ordered her to leave the village as he could not trust her to raise his grandchildren. Harsh. Grandad Shin actually tells her “You killed my son!” Mum pleaded with him to let her take her children with her. He tells her she can’t, since he needs the next in line to run the village (Yoon-bok.) But he decides to be generous and let her take Yi-bok, but warns her never even think of seeking out Yoon-bok.

However, we see mum go back to the village gates and plead in all weathers to the point that Grandad Shin confronts her and tells her if she keeps this up she will never see Yoon-bok again. But, if she leaves and lives as if she never existed, never ever seeing or meeting Yoon-bok, when he inherits his duty, Grandad Shin will let her come back.

Mum thinks she is to blame for all of this and tells Yoon-bok in the letter that she had to lose him to get him back. She believes this is her punishment for leaving him behind and never being able to ask for his forgiveness. She says he doesn’t have to forgive her but she hopes he does not hate his only sister. And she sincerely wishes to see his face one last time. Promising to take all of his loneliness and pain with her when she leaves, she asks him to take down the walls he built around his heart because of her. Mum wants him to love freely and enjoy all the things he likes as much as he wants. She says her heart has always been with him. “Son, I love you. I mean, I loved you.” The sheer pain on Yoon-bok’s face is humbling as he crumbles at the realization that he was lied to his entire life, and regrets not giving her a chance to explain. (I think I need a moment).

Yoon-bok, full of hurt and anger, goes straight over to the village to see Grandad Shin. He asks him why he lied and said his mother abandoned him. Did he not know how much he missed his family? He would stay up every night counting, waiting for them. He couldn’t love or believe in anyone because of this. How could he be so cruel? (Well said!) Grandad Shin says the truth wouldn’t have changed anything (really?!) and that it’s Yoon-bok’s destiny to be the leader of the village. Well, Yoon-bok informs him he will not live like this anymore. He will live how his mum wanted him to live. Freely. He will not live the life Grandad Shin has planned for him. *Exit stage left*

After that fiasco, Yoon-bok wanders home in the rain — just as Hong-do is searching for him with a brolly. She has already been to his place to check on him and knows he’s not there and is without an umbrella. When she finds him, we have a mirroring moment from earlier on in the show, but this time she’s the one covering him. Yoon-bok asks her if she was waiting for him, and Hong-do says she was just worried since she doesn’t want him to get sick again. She hurries off, leaving the umbrella with him. But as the episode closes, Yoon-bok drops the umbrella, goes after her, and catches her in a back hug. *Squeals* More of this please!

We got swoony moment at the end, but our leading couple have had nothing but emotional distress this week. And I’m sure Hong-do is tired of seeing Yoon-bok walking away. Hopefully, after the revelation with his family, he’ll start to find his place in the world and grow to understand everything is not always black and white. (With our ever supportive heroine by his side, I have faith in our yin and yang couple to prevail.)

After all that angst this week, our light relief was derived from the side plots. Hong-hak and Yoon-ah cross paths again and he saves her from the impending Truck of Doom… that is really just a regular white truck in disguise as a Truck of Doom, as it actually just stops at the traffic light haha. Yoon-ah agrees to be his muse, because she doesn’t want Hong-hak to give up on his dream of being a webtoon artist, and these two are so smooshy and cute together.

As for our troublemaker, Camille is invited by Grandad Shin to come and stay at Seongsan Village to try and change the locals’ minds about the fashion show. If she can do it, he will open up the village to her. However, the locals are not impressed and try everything to make her leave — even hiding and grabbing her foot in the dark! (Hang on, I hope that was a ruse…)

 
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