Someday, you must make time to watch “Cyrano de Bergerac” to understand where this romcom is coming from. It borrows significant elements from that 19th century French classic by Edmond Rostand.

To save you time googling “Cyrano,” I’ll tell you the story as I remember it.

Cyrano is a soldier and poet who’s in love with his beautiful cousin Roxane. However, his great big nose impedes him from telling her of his love. He’s very sensitive about its size and challenges anybody who looks askance at it. By and large, Roxane’s beauty shames his lack of aesthetics.

One day, Roxane confides in him about her own secret love for a new recruit in his army. Christian is the name of her crush. She asks Cyrano, who’s a master swordsman, to protect him in battle. Being a softie, he agrees, although his heart is broken. He forces himself to tolerate Christian for Roxane’s sake, although he knows that Christian is a poor match for Roxane.

As it turns out, Christian is also in love with Roxane. He confides in Cyrano that he cannot declare his feelings to her because he’s stupid.  Sure, he can dazzle her with his good looks, but she’ll be turned off once she reads his letters because he’s not bright. Unlike Cyrano, her beauty shames his lack of intelligence.

So Cyrano offers to bridge the gap between the two lovers by writing love letters to Roxane on Christian’s behalf. They form an alliance to deceive Roxane with a romantic lover that she deserves: somebody with Christian’s looks but with Cyrano’s mind.

Now, do you see what I mean about “Start-Up” borrowing from “Cyrano”?

The two male leads in this Korean romcom are exact opposites, just like the male characters in “Cyrano.” Cyrano and “Good Boy” Jipyung are both confident of their successes in their respective fields. In comparison, Christian and geeky Dosan are both shy and awkward, although they’re both physically attractive.

Moreover, Cyrano and Jipyung are both good with words. Jipyung corrected Grandma’s letter to make it sound relatable to a young girl like Dalmi.

Meanwhile, Christian and Dosan lack poetry and wit. Dosan admits that his forte has always been math and science.

Cyrano and Christian have zero in common except for Roxane, just like Jipyung and Dosan only have Dalmi in common. Jipyung considered Dosan vastly inferior to him, and wanted nothing to do with Dosan’s fledging company, Samsan Tech. But Dosan astutely assessed that he and Jipyung actually had the same goal: they both didn’t want Dalmi disappointed. Dalmi is their common denominator, and so he and Jipyung must work together to make Samsan Tech successful.

So Cyrano writes his love letters to Roxane, pretending to be Christian. In no time at all, Roxane falls for Christian’s “borrowed” eloquence, and she’s eager to hear his proposal. When Christian attempts to tell her how much he loves her, in his own words, he fails miserably. He can only repeat variations of “I love you.” Unimpressed, Roxane leaves.

So Cyrano steps in again to coach Christian from the sidelines. But Christian continues to blotch it so, in frustration, Cyrano takes his place. He utters the love confession Roxane wants to hear, and wins her heart (and earns a kiss, too) for Christian.

And that’s how Christian and Roxane marry. But in name only because he and Cyrano have to leave for battle.

Again, do you see the similarity? Like Cyrano, Jipyung kept intervening to help out Dosan. He intended Dosan to impersonate him, because he didn’t want Dalmi to discover that he and Grandma created a fictional penpal for her.

But his plan backfired because Dosan was simply NOT good at lying. His friends knew that he’d be terrible at impersonating something he wasn’t, that is, a hotshot like Jipyung because he was a geek through and through.

Now, this for me is where the real problem starts.

Cyrano keeps writing to Roxane *in Christian’s name* even when they’re away on the frontlines. He crosses enemy lines to deliver daily letters to Roxane because he promised her that Christian would write her every day. In fact, he not only writes to her every day, but TWICE a day.

Twice a day! Can you imagine that? He risks his life for her twice a day!

Roxane is so moved by the love letters that she visits Christian at the soldiers’ camp. She tells Christian that she’s forgotten how his face looked like and loves him only for his “soul” that shines through his letter. It dawns on Christian that Cyrano’s written words has won her heart in a way that his handsome face cannot.

The more Roxane expresses profound admiration for his letters (or Cyrano’s letters), the more Christian becomes distressed. Not only does he realize who Roxane truly loves, he also figures out that Cyrano has been sending letters without his knowledge — and that Cyrano has been in love with Roxane all along. After his encounter with Roxane, he confronts Cyrano and tells him to reveal the whole truth to Roxane. He wants Roxane to choose between the two of them. He tells Cyrano, “I will be loved myself or not at all.”

This reminds me of the scene in Episode 4 when Dosan asked Dalmi what she liked about him. Her answers saddened Dosan because those weren’t his attributes, but Jipyung’s. Dosan wasn’t her first love. He didn’t send her those comforting letters. He wasn’t at all brilliant and cool; he was just computer geek. The only thing that Dalmi liked about him was his nice big hands but this was an outward, physical characteristic (like Christian’s handsomeness), and not an inner emotional connection which he wanted.

Unfortunately, before Cyrano can reveal the truth to Roxane, Christian is mortally wounded in battle. The instant Cyrano hears the news, he knows it’s all over.

This reminds me of the moment when Dalmi found out the truth about Dosan’s lack of investors. Dalmi asked, “Are you saying that you don’t even have a shot at entering Sand  Box if no CEO chooses you?” His friend, Cheolsan then reacted in the same way as Cyrano upon hearing the news. He thought it was “Game over!” for Dosan and their Samsan Tech.

Before Christian dies, Cyrano comforts him with the lie that Roxane chose him. But with his death, Cyrano cannot, in good conscience, reveal the truth. He can no longer confess his love for Roxane. You see, for somebody as romantic as Cyrano, a love confession to Christian’s beloved after Christian’s death is like betraying Christian all over again.

For fifteen years, Cyrano stays by Roxane’s side without once telling her the truth. Roxane never learns about the two men’s deception until Cyrano’s last visit to her. He was ambushed on his way to visit her at the convent, and was gravely injured. But he insists on keeping his appointment with her because she’s waiting for him. Once he arrived, he asks to read Christian’s last letter — which he’d penned himself. As he reads it in the fading sunlight, Roxane realizes that he wrote it. Without light, it isn’t possible for him to see the words. She knows then that he was speaking the words by heart.

And then, like all good heroic figures, Cyrano dies.

It’s always good for us, Bitches, to put a story in historical context to understand where the kdrama writer got her inspiration from. “Cyrano de Bergerac” is the original play and it hasn’t lost its appeal to modern writers.

To me, this kdrama is unique because it gives, not just one, but three different perspectives of the same event. In “Cyrano,” the story develops solely from the perspective of the titular character, Cyrano, so it’s easier to root for him from the onset.

In contrast, “Start-Up” presents the drama from the vantage points of Dalmi/Roxane, Dosan/Christian, and Jipyung/Cyrano. It’s hard to come out and declare a team when both male leads are presented as equally sympathetic.

In a way, this explains my unease and anxiety toward Dosan+Dalmi pairing. I gravitate towards Jipyung because I’ve been preconditioned to see him as the end game.

While I caution viewers from taking sides in this love triangle at this early stage, let’s scrutinize the characters, shall we?

1. Jipyung

Jipyung (JP) is easily the favorite here because he’s THE Cyrano, the original letter writer. Because he wrote those letters to Dalmi 15 years ago, it’s inevitable that his “soul” will be recognized by Dalmi. For example, while they were playing “GO,” Dalmi and JP connected. Dalmi defended the fictional Dosan’s wish to play GO on his birthday. She opined, “What’s ordinary to one person can be extraordinary to another. He probably has fond memories of it. Maybe he really enjoyed playing it with his family on the holidays, or maybe it wasn’t ordinary at all to him and made him envious.”

All the while that JP was earnestly listening to her, Dosan ignored her. JP couldn’t help agreeing with her. He knew he shouldn’t have commented because he could have betrayed his identity to Dalmi.

Sooner or later, though, she’ll figure out that Dosan isn’t the Dosan in her memories. If she continues interacting with JP, she’ll recognize him as the kindred spirit she befriend in childhood. Dosan doesn’t have any shared memories with her, only “borrowed” memories, like Christian only has “borrowed” eloquence. It’s entirely possible for Dalmi to fall in love with JP again. It’s a well-known kdrama trope that first loves are hard to break.

This is the letter that won Dalmi’s heart. Although her grandma dictated it to JP, he varied it to fit her age.

Hi Dalmi, my name is Nam DoSan. I want to be friends with you. That’s why I picked up a pen to write this letter. I hope this letter didn’t surprise you too much.

A few days ago, I said goodbye to my dog, Mongsil. I consider him my little brother. I miss him like crazy. Yesterday, I cried a lot after seeing my shoe that Mongshil had chewed on. Isn’t that funny? I thought he’d always be with me. I took the time we spent together for granted when every moment was a gift. I should have been nicer to him. I regret everything these days. But then I realized something.

The present moment is a gift, too. I’ll regret this moment as well. In winter, I’ll miss the green of summer. In the summer, I’ll miss the white snow. I’ve made up my mind to stop filling my days with regrets. That’s why I worked up the courage to write a letter to you.

I like you so, Seo Dalmi. And I thank you for filling my present moment with excitement and happiness.

From Nam Dosan who wants to be your friend.

I also cannot discount the appeal of the young actor playing the young JP. That actor, Nam Dareum, made it believable that JP received a most-favored status from Grandma. She named “Good Boy.” Now, whether this nickname was some sort of “reverse psychology” on the Grandma’s part, I honestly can’t tell. But Grandma’s trust in him seemed well-founded when he resisted the temptation to steal her money from the piggy bank.

For me, Cyrano’s sore spot was his ugly nose and JP’s handicap is his trust issues. He thought people were out to get him.

For instance, he was counting his money in front of Grandma’s food stall when she first noticed him. She asked him if she could get him anything, and immediately, he became suspicious of her and ran away.

He resented being an orphan set free by the orphanage to fend for himself with a measly million won. This resentment could explain his trust issues. In his mind, life dealt him a bad hand, and people couldn’t be trusted to give him the break.

Interestingly enough, he won his virtual investment competition at around the same time that Nam Dosan won his math competition. Nam Dosan caught his eye on tv because the young kid was being celebrated as the Mathematical Olympiad youngest winner, and because the kid had proud parents hugging him.

Watching Dosan on tv must have impressed upon him how vastly different their lives were. His win had gone unnoticed and nobody was there to hug him. It was no wonder that his face suddenly turned gloomy, and he threw away his prize money. What good was the cyber-money he won when he couldn’t even open his own bank account to save him?

Dalmi’s grandma was his angel. She took him in and gave him that sense of family he needed before his resentment fully got the better of him.

But living a year with Grandma wasn’t enough to rid him of his trust issues. His resentment was always there festering. When he discovered that Grandma emptied her bank account, his trust issues resurfaced. He angrily accused her of stealing his money to dole out to her own son.

To me, his rage was rooted in his assumption that Grandma would betrayed him for her own flesh and blood. He didn’t see himself as part of her “real family” and believed that if she had to make a choice between saving her own son or him, she’d readily throw him under the bus. When Grandma bought out his money in a sack, he was rightly shamed.

The scene at the bus stop was especially moving. He didn’t expect her to follow him to give him shoes after he accused her of stealing from him.

Gran: Your worn-out shoes have been bothering me, so I bought a new pair for you. Try them on.
JP: Are you trying to make me feel guilty?
Gran: What do you mean?
JP: They say if you give someone shoes, they’ll run away. I’m going to run away in these shoes and become rich with this money. A lot richer. Wouldn’t that make you jealous?
Gran: It would. (then she puts on his shoes for him) I’d be so jealous that I wouldn’t be able to sleep or eat. It would drive me crazy.
JP: So what do you want me to do? Should I return the money to you?
Gran: Good Boy. I know you’re just saying that.

She meant that she could see through his cruel words. He was deliberately being offensive to test her love. He wanted to see if she would still care for him if he was cruel, and not the “Good Boy” she supposed him to be. .

Gran: (continuing) Promise me. If you become successful–
JP: Forget it. I’ll just pay you back now. I’m not going to pay any interest later.
Gran: If you become successful, don’t call me. Don’t call me if you become rich and get married. Don’t call me if you’re happy. I don’t want to feel jealous. But call me…if you’re going through a rough patch. Come to me if it’s raining and you have nowhere to go like you once did. Don’t just stand in the rain. You know where to find the keys.

Then, as he was about to leave, he told her to tell him whatever she wanted.

JP: Tell me what you want. I have to pay you back. You know I ever owe anyone anything. So tell me what you want.
Gran: I don’t want anything. Hurry up and get on the bus.

And that, my dear folks, will be JP’s assignment in this drama: to learn that love is never transactional.

Love isn’t about keeping score, demanding quid pro quo, or splitting 50-50. With the arrival of Dalmi in his life, he’ll have to undo the habits that made him successful as a venture capitalist. He invests money in new or expanding businesses which he predicts will be profitable in the future.

He’s very proud of his success rate. He brags to Dosan and his team, “I’ve looked in about a thousand starts-up so far, and invested in a little over 30. Four of them didn’t get any follow-up investments….Among the start-ups that I didn’t invest in, zero succeeded. None of them. I don’t want to lose that latter record.”

This means that he knows a failure (and thinks Dosan’s team is a failure) when he sees one, and he has a knack for picking a winner. Should he fall for Dalmi, then he’s going to take a risk without regard to wins/loses. As it is, he’s learning to give her happiness without demanding any returns and without revealing his identity.

Just like Cyrano.

2. Dosan

If Dosan had been as stupid and ineffectual as Christian in “Cyrano,” then I’d say that JP would have no contest. But as it is, Dosan has advantage over JP. He can edge JP out and win Dalmi’s heart because he’s strong-willed. JP has already committed the mistake of underestimating his resolution. He doesn’t yet realize that Dosan is like a dog with a bone when he gets an idea.

Take for instance, his confidence in the success of his technology project. He stayed up to perfect the code.

He was determined to get funding for their project, he’d written JP’s company for months.

He wanted JP to mentor them.

I commend his decision not to accept monetary compensation for attending Dalmi’s networking event. Instead, he told JP, “We don’t need any money. Instead, please let Samsan Tech enter Sand Box. Then I’ll do as you say.” He believed in their work. That’s why he wanted JP to invest in them.

Then, he attended Dalmi’s event, not at the behest of JP, but on his own volition. He wanted to be there. He made up his mind, after he read her text inviting him to with her,

and after he read the letter she’d written to the fictional Dosam years ago about the music box.

Here’s the letter.

Dad got me a beautiful music box for my ninth birthday. He said I could hear a beautiful melody if I opened it. But I never opened it. Isn’t that funny? What if I opened the pretty music box and I didn’t like the melody? What if it doesn’t play any melody at all? Because of stupid worries like that I never opened it. Are you wondering why I’m telling you this? What I’m trying to say is, Dosan, you’re my pretty music box. It doesn’t matter if you’re never opened. It was enough for me to know that you were there. I hope you know that.

It’s intriguing that he was moved to meet her Sand BOX because of her letter about a music BOX. If ever there was a “start-up” word for their relationship, I’d say it was “music box.”

He was ready to walk away from her after the end of the networking event. He already followed JP’s advice, and gave Dalmi the false impression that he had a girlfriend waiting for him.

But as he walked back to the car, he recalled his father shaming him, “We can’t introduce that good-for-nothing as our son. My first son has no job and runs a lousy business. Who would want to marry you?”

Then, he also remembered JP insulting his company, “Among the starts-up that I didn’t invest in, zero succeeded. None of them. That’s why I’m never going to invest in your company.”

Undoubtedly, both his father and JP made him feel like a loser. Then, he remembered Dalmi’s letter. She told him, “Dosan, you’re my pretty music box. I bet you have a lovely melody. I’m sure of it.”

That’s the power of her written words — even though they weren’t addressed to him. When everybody else made him feel unworthy, her words alone strengthened him.

So he changed his mind and turned around.

Dosan: Wait. Dalmi. Have you open the music box?
Dalmi: (nodding) Yes.

In truth, she hadn’t opened it yet. She almost did, but she changed her mind.

She only opened it the following morning.

But the music box they were both referring to was Dosan. Fifteen years ago, she said, “it didn’t matter if you were never opened,” meaning, she didn’t mind if she never met him in person; she was content to know that he existed for real in their letters. She didn’t need to see him to believe in him.

So when Dosan about the sound of the music box, he was “metaphorically” (ha! he knew what metaphors were!) asking how she felt about him.

Dosan: What did it sound like?
Dalmi: It was unbelievably … wonderful.

Meaning, in her eyes, he was wonderful. She thought he was wonderful for showing up when she needed him the most. Then, she gave him a thumbs up. He smiled and said aloud, “I think I’ve figured out the keyword. ‘Sail without a map.’”

He walked back to her.

Then, he narrated, “It was very unlike me, but I thought the exact same thing at that moment. That it wouldn’t be bad to sail off without a map even if we were to get lost. If it’s with you, that is.”

To me, he was recounting how everything clicked for him. It was a Eureka! moment for him.

Just like with the “music box,” he finally understood what she meant by “wandering aimlessly.”

She wrote:

Have you ever wandered on purpose? Today I wandered aimlessly on purpose. Have you ever let yourself get soaked even though you had an umbrella? That’s what I did today? It was a sweltering day and the rain totally cooled me down. After walking for 30 minutes like that, the rain stopped, and an unbelievably beautiful scene unfolded before my eyes. I saw a huge rainbow. It looked as though it’d grant me any wish. Then, it suddenly hit me, it’s actually nice to wander aimlessly every once in a while. From time to time, it’d be wonderful to sail off without a map.

When he first read it, her message was beyond his grasp. He didn’t understand the need to “wander when you know where you’re going? You have an umbrella, so why get soaked…why make a wish on a rainbow?” Instead of explaining to him, JP became exasperated with his obtuseness.

To me, Dalmi’s letter had more impact on Dosan than JP.

Sure, JP had no problem understanding Dalmi’s point. She was saying that there were some days when she just wanted to get away from the cares and worries of the world; she wanted to get lost on her own.

However, despite being able to relate to her message, I don’t think JP had ever wandered aimlessly or made a wish on a rainbow as Dalmi described in her letter. He understood her meaning but he was never compelled to do them.

And this wasn’t the case for Dosan. For him, the letter had a powerful effect. It made him realize that it was okay when:

a. nothing was going as he planned,
b. his father and JP thought he won’t measure up to their expectations, and
c. they didn’t see how hard he was working to achieve his goal.

He was fine with these setbacks as long as she was with him.

And that’s why he gave her calling card. He didn’t want to end their connection, like JP ordered him, too. He cleared up her wrong impression that he had a girlfriend so she could contact him without hesitation.

Then, he gave her the baseball that he was originally going to give her, if JP hadn’t showed up and pulled him away at the last second.

So what does this scene tell me about this couple?

It tells me that JP does not have to INTERFER in this couple’s meeting. They will be fine without him.

3. Dalmi

These are things I found noteworthy about her.

First, she needs to form memories with Dosan to replace the memories she attached to the letters. For now, Dosan is still linked to her fantasy Dosan, and he knows that. Unfortunately, this entails shattering her dream of “first love.”

Dosan: What do you like about me?
Dalmi: Why all of a sudden?
Dosan: Please tell me what you like about me.
Dalmi: First of all you’re my first love.
Dosan: (silently) That’s not me. (aloud) And?
Dalmi: Your letters comforted me for a long time.
Dosan: (silently) That’s not me either. (aloud) And?
Dalmi: And…after all these years, you’re still so brilliant and cool.
Dosan: (silently) Again, that’s not me. (aloud) And?
Dalmi: You want to hear more?
Dosan: (nodding)
Dalmi: You have nice big hands.
Dosan: My hands?
Dalmi: Why are you suddenly asking me this? You’re embarrassing me.
Dosan: (apologetic) I’m sorry. That was random. Go inside. I’ll get going.

This reminds me of “Cyrano” when Christian wanted to be loved for himself, and not because of the letters that he did NOT write. Also, I think Dosan’s hands signify something else. He knows that he’s coming empty-handed and that he’s nothing to offer her, so he’s embarrassed.

However, I think there were a few occasions when his hands had been useful.

For example, the networking event. To give her confidence, he made sure that she didn’t let go of him.

Next, the bus ride home. She wanted to measure his hand, and he realized that big hands served a purpose, too. They can hold a girl’s hand. lol.

And then, shaking hands on a partnership. He offered her the job of CEO, and she accepted their partnership.

So, yes, big hands may seem inconsequential relative to her first love and JP’s letters. However, her first love and JP’s letters represent the past, while the big hands represent the future. Dosan cannot compete with her cherished memories from childhood, but he can create new memories with her going moving forward.

Anyway, to continue….

Second, it’s cute that she and Dosan like chicken; they have simple tastes. I’m expecting an Olive BBQ product placement.

Third, she might not be the daughter that her father was talking about to the Boss Lady. Her father shared the story of his daughter playing on the swing set and wanting a soft landing place. Her father could have been referring to her Unnie.

Fourth, Dalmi and Dosan are looking for companions on their journey.

This is Dosan in Episode 3:

“It wouldn’t be bad to sail off without a map even if were to get lost. If it’s with you, that is.

This is Dalmi in Episode 4:

Dalmi: Are you saying that you don’t have a chance at entering Sand Box if no CEO chooses you?
Cheolsam: It’s all over now. He and Seo Dalmi are through.
Dalmi: (sighing) What a peculiar response to my prayer.
Dosan: A response?

Then, in a flashback we hear her prayers.

She prayed, “Lord, I decided to work up my courage and start my own business. I do have a destination, but the path is steep and rough. So I’m not sure if I can handle it. Please give me the strength to complete this long, difficult journey. And please, lead me to find a companion for the journey.”

Dosan: You must be disappointed.
Dalmi: No. (smiling) Thank you. I’m also thankful for the chance to be a CEO. Dosan, will you recruit me as the CEO of Samsan Tech?

I like that she wasn’t outraged that he lied to her. She understood him because she felt “the urge to show off in front of someone many times.” She did the same thing during the networking event.

Fifth, she also empathized with Dosan because she’s her father’s daughter.

Remember now: she was the one who stayed with her father. She gave him a chance to follow his dreams while her mother and sister gave up on him. Her mother couldn’t abide by her father’s decision to branch out on his own because she needed security. Fair enough; marriages break down all the time for flimsier excuses.

But her mother warned Dalmi, “Bluffing without a real plan makes you a fraud. Sorting things out afterward makes you the same as your father.”

If her mother knew Dosan’s situation, she would have dismissed him, too, as another poser like her father. She doesn’t possess Dalmi’s belief in her father’s competence and Dalmi’s patience to wait for success.

This was Dalmi’s last conversation with her father.

Dad: Well, imagine cell phones becoming better and better. What if we could use them to take pictures, listen to music, and surf the internet.
Dalmi: That’d be nice, I guess.
Dad: Hey, it won’t just be nice. I’ll change the world completely. I didn’t quit my job because my boss hit me. I quit my job to prepare for a new world. What do you think? Don’t you think I’ll be successful?
Dalmi: Can I be honest?
Dad: Hey, you still don’t trust me? I believe…
Dalmi: I believe you. You’ll be a huge success.
Dad: Hey… why are you crying? You’re making me sad.
Dalmi: (lying) I’m not crying. It’s just…chicken. I want to have fried chicken.

In my opinion, the key to her dad’s success was to have somebody with unwavering belief at his side when his own belief in himself was faltering. He shed a tear because he appreciated Dalmi’s steadfast love and support. Dalmi and her Grandma are two peas in a pod.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if Dalmi saw traces of her father in Dowan’s struggles.

Sixth, I think this is one glaring difference between her and JP.

JP assessed the start-ups with an eye on the return on investment. In contrast, Dalmi is like the Boss Lady. The Boss Lady views start-ups as a mechanism of change. That’s why she encourages them. She fosters entrepreneurship in people, like Dalmi’s father, who have great ideas but little financial sponsors.

It’s no secret that starts-up can spur innovation, job creation, economic stimulus, and social development. The Boss Lady sees the promise in these start-ups to change people and communities, unlike JP who sees only the monetary side.

I think Dalmi will follow in the Boss Lady’s footsteps.

4. Other cast

The snooty lawyer. @John_L mentioned that she might be a potential second prize (or booby prize??) for Jipyung. I agree. When I saw her, I too thought of the possibility of the love triangle turning into a love parallelogram. However, I’ve this nagging feeling that she was the one who left the “I want to get my revenge” post-it note on the message wall. If she did, then I don’t want her for Jipyung. Their goals would be contradictory: he was for repaying a debt while she was for paybacks.

At any rate, there’s the Korean-American dude coming home to mess up the picture even more. He could end up with Unnie, for all I care.

Speaking of Unnie, I’m sure she’s going to have a reboot of her personality. I’m sure that writer is aware that it’s pretty sexist to have the female as the villain in the drama.

5. The letters

I’m looking forward to learning more about the contents of the letters. It’ll be interesting to see how the writer uses them as a plot device. For now, it appears like Jipyung doesn’t remember a single word of his compositions to her while Dalmi has memorized everything word for word. Jipyung is obviously at a disadvantage. However, this state of uncertainty and oblivion doesn’t seem to trouble Dosan at all. Remember, he showed up at Dalmi’s networking event although he knew next to nothing about their past history. He only knew what she communicated in her letters.

To me, his decision to show up at her side and surprise her is a sign that even before he figured out that it would be “wonderful to sail off without a map,” he was already on his way to her. That’s why I think he’ll end up with her. He only looks like a pushover; he’s bold when it matters.

Be it French literature or Korean dramas, the faint heart never won fair lady.