This is SyeraAisya’s fine interpretation of the poem “Old Flame” by Choi Yong Mi.

This is her post in full. I’ve only edited it to highlight the poem in blue text to make it easier to read. I’ll add my comment after this.

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Old Flame
-Choi Yong Mi

Even though it was a flame that I stole away for just for awhile,
As long as I felt the warmth,
I forgot all my fears and sorrow,
I’m thankful for everything you’ve done for me,
as well as everything you haven’t done for me
It felt warm.

by definition old flame = Former lover hence past and who is in BY past? its MH, and who is in MH past? it’s BY.

Just for awhile indicated how MH treated her well (even if it for short time) BY appreciate it.

As long as I felt the warmth
she appreciated what MH has done for her, even after MH confessed that he brought her to the beach just to cheer her up but everything went off because of NW and JY, she replied “That ok I had fun”.

I forgot all my fears and sorrow
by watching and “solving” NW and JY quarrel she forced to forget thinking about DR Ye.

I am thankful for everything you’ve done for me.
MH: You crazy bastard (to NW and JY)we came here to cheer her up so how could you make her fall into water?

MH feel bad for her, but her appearance in his clothes make him slightly happy, especially when NW said “What do we do? those are the only clothes we have, but ours club uniform suit you”

As well as everything you haven’t done for me.
When MH showed up to the beach and offer her his jacket for which she rejected at first, she thanks him for taking his time for her, she even said that “I feel comforted knowing someone looking out for me”, this poem portrays how much BY and MH grateful for each other for everything they’ve both done to each other.

After all, although it’s not much, everybody love attention right?

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The reason I asked SyeraAisya to write the interpretation with a focus on MinHo is because I’m going to interpret the poem from Dr. Ye’s perspective. (Brace yourself for impact!! lol.)

I’ll have to point out a couple of things from SyeraAisya’s post.

First, her poem is arranged a little bit different from mine. According to Dramafever subs, the line “It felt warm” came in between the poem. Second, the last line did NOT match SyeraAisha’s explanation. The poet was thankful for “everything you have NOT done” for him/her, but SyeraAisha mentioned the OPPOSITE, that is, things that MinHo actually DID for BoYoung. He showed up at the beach, lent her his jacket, and so on.

I hinted about this in my first reply to her, I said, “But the poem can also refer to Dr. Ye. But watch what happens with the last line. It will mean different things for the different guy… and MinHo’s interpretation will come out better.”

To give context to this poem, I’m going to write their dialogue

MH: Here. Wear this. (Drapes jacket on her. This is the first time he’s done. Episode 4 was the other time)
BY: What? I’m not cold though. (To Reply 1988 fans, this replicated Taec’s and Deoksun’s Concert Hall meeting. I wrote about this.)
MH: Yeah, right. You must be cold after falling into the water. Just wear it so you don’t catch a cold.
BY: Thanks.
MH: Don’t mention it.

(she smiles)

MH: I feel like I shouldn’t have brought you here.
BY: What do you mean?
MH: The truth is, we only came here for you. I just wanted to cheer you up. (True, he had no intentions of going to the beach until he saw her sad back. Note: in Reply 1998, Taec shouldn’t have been on the car ride to the beach anyway. Remember how Bora shouted at him, and he made himself small like a turtle at the back of the seat? lol)
BY: Really? Didn’t you just include me on your trip? (Meaning, she thought the trip had already been set, and she was just an add-on)
MH: No. But it was a disaster. (He said “no” so casually that he didn’t give her time to ponder about this. It meant that this whole trip was FOR HER. But MinHo didn’t want to make a big deal out of his EFFORTS – or toot his own parade – because he only saw the disasters. Hmmm… this reminds me of that time he offered to drive her to part-time job. See? Minho is a nice guy but I believe that something happened that made him DISLIKE Boyoung. I’ll have to write about this later on.)

(he lists down the disasters)

MH: Because of those bastards, you burnt yourself, got hit by seaweed, and fell into the water. I just wanted you to cheer up. I’m sorry.
BY: That’s okay. I had fun.
MH: What?
BY: To be honest, even though I’m determined to get over Doctor Ye, I kept tearing up at the thought of him. But every time, you guys caused a ruckus and made me forget about him. You guys cheered me up. I mean it.
MH: Really?
BY: uh-hmmm. (Meaning, yes.)

MH: That’s good.
BY: Anyway, thanks. I feel comforted by knowing someone’s looking out for me.

Fireworks starts.

BY: Wow! It’s so pretty. (They take out their iphones for pics)
BY: Wow! It’s so pretty. (She repeats herself. MinHo sneaks a selfie of them and hides a smile.)

Then, Dumb and Dumber call them: Hey what are you guys doing? Come here!

MH: Let’s go, BoYoung.
BY: Go on without me.

Two things you can glean from this conversations. (There’s more but let’s limit ourselves for now.)

1. She was comforted that HE had been looking out for her. Which was kinda funny considering that she told him to get out of her life back in Episode 9. She also told Dr. Ye the same thing, but NOT in the same manner of speaking, of course. She told Dr Ye, “So please don’t treat me well from now on. Don’t take care of me when I look upset and don’t comfort me when I have a hard time. I’m begging you” which is the essentially the same as “I know how you feel now, so stay out of my love life. I’ll deal with any rejection or pain that comes my way.”

2. It’s already the 10th episode, and she still talks stiltedly and formally with Dr. Ye. BoYoung still hasn’t open to Dr Ye, like she’s close with MinHo. And don’t give crap about their age difference. Their age difference will always be there if they marry. Will she still bow to him and say, “Pardon?” when she doesn’t understand him? Will she still hide her real feelings lest she offends him? She will hide her tears from him, and stuff her mouth with bread when she wants to avoid talking to him?

The point here is she hasn’t shown her real self to him. How can the YeLiner call her preposterous behavior, love? Sure, he gave her cotton candy to cheer her up but it was a fantasy world. Spring day, under the cherry blossom trees, cotton candy.

But when push came to shove, he wasn’t there. When HE hurt her himself, he hid from her. He told her not to be distant, but he just distanced himself…because he didn’t want the awkwardness, the gossips of an office romance, whatever stupid excuse fangirls can give him. lol.

Then, the poem follows.

Old Flame
by Choi Young Mi

Even though it was a flame that
I stole away for just a while
As long as I felt the warmth,
I forgot all my fears and sorrow.
It felt warm.
I’m thankful for everything you’ve done for me.
As well as everything you haven’t done for me.

Note: before she begins narrating the last two lines, the camera shows us Dr. Ye waiting at the bus stop. A cab stops in front of him, but he doesn’t get on. He stands there at the curb, INERT, inactive, lost in thought, or perhaps just waiting for god-knows-what. Then, so the cab leaves. hahaha. Foreshadowing, I say.

Then, the narration continues.

He enters his room, and sees that book, “It’s Okay If You Don’t Love Me.” and he remembers what she said, that she WILL be okay. Why? Because she has learned from the grandfather episode earlier. Compared to that grandpa who lost his partner, whom he’d loved and shared his entire life, this – this infatuation – is nothing in comparison. She can overcome this. She doesn’t want him feeling burdened at all to bend over backwards and be kind to her.

And that’s why I think this poem suits Dr. Ye, too.

Old Flame = Dr. Ye is going to be forgotten. He’s going to be an Old Love

Even though it was a flame that I stole away for just a while

Remember my explanation about her hallucinations? She kept on apologizing for imagining him beside her. “Dr. Ye, I’m sorry for picturing us walking on the beach together…. Dr. Ye, I’m sorry for imagining you again…. Looking at such beautiful scenery reminded me of you again. I shouldn’t have confessed my feelings to you…. I didn’t think about you this time though. I didn’t think about wanting your help lifting this rock.”

She is STEALING him in the metaphorical sense. He isn’t supposed to be there with her, but she’s helping herself to his vision (or imaginary presence) without asking him. She’s “getting” him. And for those brief moments when she had “snatches of conversation” with him, she used him to work out her unresolved issues.

And because she did that – meaning, reflect on the past happenings, she’s forgotten her fears and sorrows. And now she’s okay. She’s warm again.

Thus, she’s thankful for everything he’s done to her. The kindness, the Ye Line, the approval, the special attention.

And she’s also thankful for everything he’s not done for her… which simply put, is to LOVE HER. He didn’t love her. That’s why he’s an OLD flame…because he didn’t love her. And she’s okay with that. Just like in the book, “It’s Okay If You Don’t Love,” she’s made peace with herself.

And this is how SyeraAisya’s poetry interpretation comes in. To me, it’s telling that SyeraAisya couldn’t cite an example when MinHo DID not do anything for BoYoung. I doubt that BoYoung himself could think of an example either when MinHo didn’t DO what she wanted.

Sure, he might have been a jerk in the past. But when she told him to leave her alone, he did. He even shouted, “Wow. Fine. Do what you want.”

And that whole day, anything she wanted – and didn’t EVEN know she wanted – he’d done for her. She couldn’t borrow the lines of the poetry and tell MinHo, “Hey, MinHo, I’m thankful of everything you haven’t done for me” because he, in reality, did everything.  lol. Get it? 

So, when she looks at him, enjoying the fireworks, I’m hoping that she realizes that he made the fireworks and the beach trip possible for her, and that HE isn’t at all an OLD FLAME.  He’s her “new” flame. Or perhaps her Eternal Flame (Just like in the Tombs of Unknown Soldiers. pwahahaha.)