While our attention was split between TH and SH, and their parents, let’s not lose sight of SeJoo. I’ve been checking tumblr and a large number of the posters pity this guy. lol.

I don’t think they see beyond his pretty smile and I don’t think they understand his silent moments. So, it’s no wonder then that when he stopped smiling and became even more silent, like in this week’s episodes, they didn’t notice anything amiss.

Haven’t they heard of the expression, “Still waters run deep”? Or how about these Shakespearean lines spoken by Julius Caesar?

Yon Cassius hath a lean and hungry look.
He thinks too much. Such men are dangerous.

lol. Cassius would later participate in the assassination of Julius Caesar.

I think SeJoo has something up his sleeves. Perhaps not a dagger like Cassius, but an ace up his sleeves. 😉

I think he instigated the very public and humiliating breakup with TaeHee when he tipped off SooJi that SH was out with TaeHee.  SooJi wouldn’t have suspected anything if SJoo didn’t pester KyungJoo about the whereabouts of TaeHee.

From Episode 17

SJoo: Why isn’t TaeHee with you?
KJ: What? (well, she nervously glanced at SJ) Well, she has a lot of homework.
SJoo: Ahh… (not looking at KJ, and trying NOT to sound interested) Tell her to come over. Everything is on the house today. (Then looking straight at her.)
KJ: (sounding nervous) She went out of the city to do a project.
SJoo: Really? Then I’ll pack up some food for you. You know where she lives right? I’ll go with you. (looking at SJ)
KJ: No, she went very far. She might not come home tonight.

There! That infernal SJoo!!!! He knew his questions rattled KJ who wasn’t used to lying to him. He wanted that seed of doubt planted in SJ’s head that TH’s and SH’s conspicuous absence wasn’t coincidental. He wanted her to suspect that SH was out with TH. But what for?? If he was truly SH’s friend, he should have been covering up for him. What a friend!

SJ: I really can’t eat meat tonight. I’m leaving. (Yup, she lost her appetite.)
KJ: Already?
SJoo: Bye.

Later on, he continued with the interrogation because that moron KJ was an easy target.

SJoo: You know, I doubt TH and SH will come back to Seoul at this hour.
KJ: Did you know that they’ve been dating?

Stupid KJ. Of course, SJoo didn’t know but she just confirmed it. That is called a leading statement. He had asked a question without really asking a question. The question was: are TH and SH together? KJ’s reply gave him the information he wanted confirm.

KJ should have deflected and said, “What?! SH is with her?? That’s news to me (expressing incredulity). She went with her classmates.”

That’s why SJoo snorted because he now ascertained that SH lied and betrayed them for TH.

KJ was an idiot. And now she began chatting merrily, spilling the beans, thinking that SJoo was a confidante.

KJ: Oh I see. SJ said SH would come so I figured you two thought they broke up.
SJoo: SJ doesn’t know yet. But who cares? They’re free to date again. (He spoke as if he supported the two dating when he actually didn’t.)
KJ: That’s true. SH is keeping this a secret.

Blabbermouth KJ. Without ANY prodding from SJoo, she just revealed AND CONFIRMED SJoo’s suspicion that SH is double-crossing his own friends.

KJ: Do you think it’ll be okay for SJ to find out?

Cow.

SJoo: Hey. You can’t hide love. I’m sure SJ took notice too.
KJ: Right?

Fuckwit. With friends her, who needs enemies? 🙄

Then, SJ returned to their clubhouse. I hope he didn’t hear SJ talking to herself and wondering when SH dropped by to drop off the anemones because those flowers were from SJoo. Not SH, but SJoo.

He sighed when he saw her touching the flowers because the flowers were appropriate for the moment. Those flowers were betrayal, futile love, unrequited love.  He was the one who remembered. And I bet he was going to propose with those flowers, saying that HE remembered. He remembered that those were her favorite flowers because he loved her, wouldn’t betray her, would be by her side and so on. Unlike SH, he would be there for her.

credit: psalm40speakstome

 

You see, in SJoo’s mind, SH had always been stringing SJ. This was what SJoo said to SJ that day after SH was hospitalized for alcohol overdose.

Let’s not forget that SJoo claimed himself to be SJ’s defender. He was his “damage control.”

credit: lavenderbyun

He already proved that he would physically defend her, even from SH if SH hurt her. See how fast his reaction was when it looked as if SH was going to hit SJ?

credit: lavenderbyun

In SJoo’s mind, he was a much better proposition than SH would ever be to SJ. And he thought that with SH out of the way, he had a chance with her, but all she could think about was SH.

credit: moonysnowy

If I were there in the clubhouse, like his guardian angel 😇,  I would have told him that the cello recital was a bad mistake. Music, like poetry, could have different a myriad of interpretations, depending on the listener. 🙄

For SJ, the plaintive strain of the cello matched her loneliness because she was missing SH. But for SJoo, the melancholic music matched his unrequited love for her. lol. There was a disconnect between the two.

Thus, SJ totally didn’t anticipate SJoo’s kiss. And didn’t welcome it. How would YOU feel if you were daydreaming of Lee MinHo kissing you, and Lee Man-Soo kissed you instead. That’s one rude awakening,  I tell you. 😂

credit: huyitians

After this moment, SJoo knew it was hopeless for him to go on. There was no way he could beat SH. Recall, too, when he and KJ talked about kissing. She said you could tell if you were in love/loved with just one kiss. 🤣 (Why is this girl a walking encyclopedia of useless facts?) I think he knew it then that SJ didn’t love HIM.

credit: huyitians

At this point, I couldn’t help remembering what he said before when SH suggested marriage with SJ. He SNEERED at the idea of them getting married, and he went back to their clubhouse to ascertain that nothing occurred while he was temporarily gone.

Wouldn’t I be too paranoid to assume that now he was rejected by SJ, he’d make sure that neither SJ nor SH would get their chance at love and happiness, too? Could he be this spiteful? Hmmm… Let’s see what will happen in the next episodes.  🙂

Hence, it was interesting to note his reaction to SH’s reappearance at their clubhouse. The first thing he did was reproach him for causing SJ to worry all weekend.

credit: ipeach

Did you have fun?

Now, this question would have been innocuous enough IF WE DIDN’T know what transpired while SH was away. For sure, while SH was “having fun,” SJoo was having a disastrous time — with SJ pining away for SH, and him unable to declare his feelings for SJ AND getting rejected because he wasn’t SH.

To me, his question, “Did you have fun?” concealed his RESENTMENT.

SJoo: SJ worries about you every day but you went on a trip. Did you have fun? 
SH: How did you know? Ahhh. Ko Kyung Joo, seriously.
SJoo: It’s okay. SJ doesn’t know.

That was a lie. SJ did know because HE made sure that SJ knew.

SJ: But why are you still seeing TaeHee? Does she have something on you? (He’s holding with a camera) Or do you like her so much that you must go on seeing her behind our backs? Tell me. You went on the trip and kept it from SooJi, knowing she’d get upset.

His sole concern here was SJ’s emotional welfare. He thought SH should have been more careful not to get SJ upset, like he had made SJ’s happiness the center of his life.

SH: It’s not a secret. TH and I can’t be together.
SJ: Are you Romeo and Juliet? Why can’t you be together?

From what SH said at the gravesite, he was protecting the two women he loved. He was protecting his dead’s mom’s reputation from public opprobrium once they discovered about her hit-and-run. He was sparing TH from knowing that his mom almost killed her in that hit-and-run. Note: SH didn’t trust SJ and SJoo with the truth; only TaeHee.

SJ: If you can’t date her, come back to reality.
SH: Don’t worry. I’m going to anyway.
SJ: You’re such a jerk. I’m excited. I’ll get to see your nasty side after such a long time.
SH: How are things with you and SJ?
SJ: We, of all people, can’t be together, don’t you think?

credit: moonysnowy

Then, SJ arrives and the whole dynamics changed. The first thing she said was, “Wow. You’re here!” Suddenly, she perked up to see SH there.

SH sensed that something was off between the two but they denied anything was wrong between the two.

SJ: It’s all your fault. You disappeared over the weekend.
SJoo: She’s right.

lol. Again, I think SJoo meant something else, here. SJoo meant that the fall-out from the kiss was SH’s fault. He tried to make a move, but SJ was so out of it because she was worrying about SH.

When they sat down, SJoo tried to get SH to appease SJ.  This reminded me of the scene at the beach house when he advise SH to inform SJ of his plans to stargaze with TH. He wanted him to be honest with SJ.

Now, he tried to prod SH to end with TH and to say it in front of TH so TH wouldn’t get jealous anymore.

SJ: Why weren’t you here? Where were you? What did you do?
SJoo: He’ll answer, so give him time to breathe. He has this master plan. Right?

SH raised his eyebrows. He looked surprised. This was the first he’d heard of a “master plan.” He only said that he would “come back to reality” but he didn’t say that he had a plan for SJ’s and SJoo’s joint consumption and amusement.

SJ: A master plan? Is it something fun? (looking at them)
SH: Yoon Tae Hee. (They exchanged looks.)
SJ: I doubted it, but was true. You spent the weekend with her. Did you lie to us?
SH: Our bet is off anyway. Should I tell you everything?
SJ: How is our bet off?

Such a short memory. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.

SJ: (continuing) You want information from me about the woman your dad is seeing.
SH: Are we going to discuss that here?
SJ: Why not? Can’t SeJoo know? Because your dad will look bad?
SH: No. Who cares? It’s us.
SJ: After I see what you do to TH, I’ll tell you who it is.
SJoo: Leave the adults alone. Both of you.
SH: How can I stop now that I know?

Meaning he couldn’t tamp down his curiosity to know the identity of this dad’s new lover.

SH: (continuing) That wouldn’t be like us, would it?
SJ: I’m curious though. What face will she make when you abandon her? Does she like you a lot? (He looked away.) If you aren’t sure, date her for a bit longer. I’m sure that would be more fun.

Note: his target was his dad. Her target was TH because TH “stole” SH from her. SH sighed and stood up.

SH: There’s no need to delay this. But TH has nothing to do with this. I’ll make the call whether you tell me about my dad’s woman or not. I’ll do as I please.

Throughout this scene, it appeared as if SJoo was an outsider. But let’s make no mistake here: he started the ball rolling here when he told SJ that SH had a plan to breakup with TH (again?! for the umpteenth time??).  SH was caught off guard.

That night, SH found TH’s letter left on his door to forgive her. He agonized about what to do as he looked his portrait of his mom and his drawing of TH.

Next day, at the bar, SJ asked him if he was going to reveal the bet to TH. SH was half-drunk already to numb him from the pain of what he was about to do.

SJ: Will you tell her today?
SH: About what?
SJ: That you approached her with a purpose. (Meaning, the bet)
SH: What for?

In his calculation, revealing their deception would be more hurtful than just breaking up with TH. He didn’t want TH to know about their bet/deception. For now, he wanted to deal with his mom-vs-TH problem so he was planning to break up with her.

SJoo: (arriving and overhearing their conversation) Yes. Why would you say that? Then it will be all over for you, HyeJeong and Ko KyungJoo, too.
SJ: I don’t mind.
SJoo: That’s a lie. Leave that card in play. This evening will damage TaeHee’s ego enough.

See that? While the two, SJ and SH, were still playing blackjack, SJoo was already playing poker. He anticipated that this breakup wouldn’t be the end of SH-TH’s romance.

This breakup with TaeHee was public. However, the ace up their sleeve would be the DISCLOSURE, later on, that the pursuit, the courtship, the breakup and TH’s heartache were all methodically planned like a game from the very beginning. If this breakup was humiliating and painful, the realization that the humiliation and the pain were deliberate would be ten times more devastating. That meant that she had been nothing but their plaything.

Note: as far as SH was concerned, the game ended here. He didn’t expect any more entanglements with TH after this. But for SJoo, he was already anticipating the crueler ending. To me, he knew best how to assassinate both his friends because he studied them well.

But who knows? He could still change in the next couple of episodes.  🙂