We all know that this kdrama was adapted from an 18th century French novel entitled Les Liaisons Dangereuses.

The title meant that the two main leads in the novel, or the counterparts of SooJi and ShiHyun, were playing a deadly game. Their revenge, their games, and their wager to make others fall in love with them endangered others. Not only did they hurt innocent people who sincerely cared for them, but their schemes also backfired on them and caused them death, either physical or social death.

The kdrama deviated from the novel in that Shihyun had second thoughts about their revenge plan. In the beginning of Episode 8, Shihyun voiced his intention to discontinue game. However, SooJi guilt-tripped him to go on.

SJoo: He’s not going to see TaeHee anymore.
SJ: Really? Why?
SH: Yes, I’m going to stop
SJ: Why?
SH: It’s too tiring and not fun.
SJ: SH, do you think our bet is a joke? Is it that easy?
SJoo: Stop it. Tell him to just starve to death. (He thought that loser would go on hunger strike.)
SJ: Even if they do end up getting married, I begged them to keep the house that you lived in with your mom. You’re saying you want to give up just because it’s not fun? (Meaning she did this much, but he wouldn’t?) Get up and answer me.
SH: I know. I know that you did that for me, and I’m sorry. She doesn’t like me. What can I do now? (He was admitting defeat to spare hurting TH.)
SJoo: Wow, how can she not like you? I’ll date her. I’m so curious about this girl who turned you down.
SH brushe off SJoo’s hand and SJ shoved off SJoo. Poor SJoo!
SJ: Stop lying. You aren’t SeJoo. (She didn’t even realize that she insulted SJoo and showed her preference: ShiHyun >>>>> SeJoo.) Why did you get turned down? You’re SiHyun, not SeJoo.
SJoo: I get it. (He was hurt.) Take a breath. (Meaning chillax, girl!)
SJ: I can’t take a breath. (Shouting at SJoo.) I don’t understand this.
SH: Well, it’s…(He glanced at the bandaged cut she received when he grabbed the broken piece of plate from her.) I made a mistake. She told me to get lost.
SJoo: What did you do so wrong?
SJ: Gather around. (She’s plotting again.) SiHyun, you can stop only after you finish the plan. (Her directive.)
SH: What?
SJoo: What?
SJ: The move. We canceled her move-in to Myoungjeong Dormitory.
Both SH and SJoo looked clueless and appalled at her move; they weren’t .
SJ: Am I the only one who remembers this? Have you two forgotten?
SJoo: No.
SH: Can she not try to get in again? (Here, he was thinking of TH’s situation.)
SJ: Are you kidding me? Why? You must be worried. You look like you want to rush over to help.
SH: I’ll go if you tell me to. (He was telling her that this was all HER plan.)
SJ: What?
SH: I’ll go if you want me to, not because I’m worried about her. (SJoo was gauging her reaction to SH’s words.)

Shortly afterwards, Shihyun was shown denying any affection for TaeHee in order to appease the distraught SooJi.

To calm her down and to reassure her that nothing had changed between them, he disavowed any feelings for TaeHee. However, if viewers study his actions in the previous encounters as well as the following day’s encounters with TaeHee, viewers will see that he was clearly lying.

But at this particular moment, when they argued in the middle of the street, he undoubtedly chose to sacrifice TaeHee.

Gifs credit: Skinsplaces’ tumblr

Both Shihyun’s and SooJi’s interaction here followed the protagonists’ behavior in the original novel.  The Marquise had also accused the male lead, Valmont, of actually falling in love with the girl he said he was only pretending to love.  He protested, but to substantiate his claim, he broke all ties with the girl.

This unfortunate move of Valmont proved to be self-destructive.  Ironically enough, in falsely attesting that he was faking his love, he lost his only chance to have a happy life.

In our kdrama, Shihyun decided to stay behind instead of flying to Hong Kong for dimsum with SJ and SJoo. He was well aware that SJ had sabotaged TH’s housing plans, and he set out to help TaeHee find new digs.  He did this without informing SJ and SJoo.

Here again, the kdrama deviated from the novel. Valmont had no qualms sending detailed progress reports on his seduction to the Marquis. Unlike Shihyun, Valmont wouldn’t have kept his conquest of the girl a secret. He would have been indiscreet and bragged about it to his friends. But in our kdrama, Shihyun was declaring that “Inside me, a secret started to grow.”

Lastly, the broken plate.

I know this incident happened in Episode 7, but who knows when I’ll be able to discuss Episode 7 so I’m doing it here. The plate is symbolic of his growing feelings for TaeHee.

He was ready to give up on the plate…

credit: mydays’ tumblr

but he didn’t.

credit: mydays’ tumblr

Afterwards, he felt satisfied with his handiwork that he was able to sleep after his “hard work.”

This was his handiwork.

credit: kdramafeels’ tumblr

He thought THAT was good enough. lol.

Until this happened:

pix credits: kdramafeels’ tumblr

The character in the original novel, Valmont, wouldn’t have done what Shihyun did here to a broken plate. Valmont would have thought this task was beneath him and was a waste of HIS time. But here, Shihyun knew the value of the plate to the old grandma and to TaeHee, and he didn’t want to disappoint or displease either one of them.

In a way, he was like an unfinished, unglazed plate. He needed TaeHee’s help to transform into something pretty. lol.

gif credit: kimp07’s tumblr

Got to rest my wrist now.