Thank you, @packmule3. We posters have had a lot of fun with this one.

Thanks @PM3! Looking forward to a fun Monday! Love having the BOD gang in this romp to the altar.
Will enjoy the moments of discovering new love with the OTP but the moment of truth is looming…

Thank you @packmule3! Fun watch and fun conversation. The show works like a smart cartoon or great children’s book work – the story seems simplistic and entertaining in and of itself – but there are layers. (Maybe some of those layers actually exist and some are because I like it so much and am projecting Jane Austen where she may or may not be). I also think it has some great comedic moments – like even the name LJ Group cracks me up. Is parody protected speech in Korea like it is in the US?

@Good Twin, great catch! I hadn’t thought of A Room with a View.

Yes, they can sneak away and try to enjoy themselves, but they can’t live that way. It’s like having an affair rather than dating. It will be interesting.

Episode 9 – explosive with definitely more sh*t being thrown up and flying about. So good!

MINOR SPOILERS

MINOR SPOILERs

I actually kind of cheered when JH was finally recognised by Grandpa. I’ve been wanting so much for him to be more acknowledged and less lonely in his family. However it’s no longer some he can cheer about himself.

Almost everyone knows something more now than they did before, but no one has the full story.

I would really like the confrontation between JH, DH and AJ to clear all secrets once and for all. At least the 3 of them should be on the same team!

The preview gives me hope that DH is finally stepping up. He’s been protected all this while at the expense of others. It’s time he does some giving.

We could have done with one more kiss – what’s this circumspect behaviour after having spent nights under the same roof! I repeat what I said before… with AJ, JH is honest to a fault, he is also more childlike and whinier, and admits it, and I really like him for that. How he went again to see her and tell her what was happening was sweet. I like that she could tell something was up with him.

Next episode will be difficult.

Episode 8 spoilers and previews below.

@Good Twin, I mentioned earlier that DH was accusing Dae Hyun of things without proof and it seems I’m right. I think Dae Hyun still has feelings about DH and is unwilling to co-operate with the journalist, either because of that or because of his moral code. It is imperative that DH apologise to his ex for 5 years ago and also for his mistrust now.

I’m very curious how CW will behave now. While she says she always gets what she wants and she is increasingly distrustful of SA because SA wants to take down JH and DH. For CW’s family company’s sake she wants one or both brothers in place at LJ Company and not SA, even though JH has already told her that he has feelings for someone else. It’s my opinion that she doesn’t like SA’s morals.

I wonder, is it too late for CW and DH to marry to save the company, either though neither of them want it? Someone mentioned earlier that DH’s fiancée is as yet unnamed and unidentified to the public, so in theory, CW could fill the role. Although it was said that the fiancée was not in the business, the publicists could say that it was done for security reasons. Having said that, it’s not a marriage that either of the women really want now. (Does CW suspect that DH is gay?) CW says she still wants JH.

@GB, it would indeed be great for AJ, DH and JH to be on the same team, but it may be a while before it happens. The last scene was full of betrayals revealed: that JH and AJ would start to like each other even before JH learned that DH was gay – being a breach of trust by both AJ and JH as perceived by DH; that AJ and DH’s wedding was fake – another breach of trust by AJ as perceived by JH.

As to the fake wedding, I wonder why JH didn’t even suspect that it was the case. I think he was so used to thinking that DH was using AJ and AJ had been in love with DH. But AJ was unable to be honest with JH because she didn’t want to betray DH.

Seen from outside the bubble of their immediate feelings, the re-arrangement of the couples might not be such a bad thing. As JH said, what if they had met before the engagement? It’s not unknown for someone to have a relationship with a sibling’s friend. But that didn’t happen and even if it did, they probably wouldn’t have liked each other unless they were thrown together in a series of events.

@Good Twin, @Fern, for me, a question mark hangs over whether ex-bf Dae Hyeon was beaten up by someone else or whether he hurt himself to get DH’s attention. He seems to be the clingy sort. I wondered why at that time DH didn’t go up to check on how injured Dae Hyeon was. Instead he ran away. I also wondered why Dae Hyeon was just sitting on the floor, waiting for DH when he could have been bandaging his own wounds.

I agree that we’ll begin with everyone at loggerheads, including most family members on both sides. I’m glad that AJ’s sister and brother-in-law know about the marriage contract and can be on AJ’s side. Her friends don’t know and will be aghast as well.

I’m also glad that interesting, entitled, much divorced aunt, Beom Ja is making her own investigations into grandpa’s girlfriend. Being the oldest of the Gang, I’m thinking she’s the one who recruited the others into her conspiracy, once she managed to sink her claws into Grandpa. That means this conspiracy has been of more than 20 years’ standing. What a patient gang of confidence tricksters these are… because the takings are so vast.

I am hoping too that the three of them will work it out amongst themselves. I hope the younger brother can forgive Her on the basis that she was protecting his brother. It looks.
Obvious to me that the older brother will need to step up and be public about his sexual orientation. Perhaps he will make up with his former lover. I did not like the show going in the direction of the former lover being Feeling spurned and after revenge. I prefer the path.He seems to be on now.

If the three of them come clean it will take the wind out of the sails of Their opponents.

I cannot really think of another way for this to resolve. I wonder if there will be.

Could DH go back to the United States?And then maybe it will all blow over eventually. After all, it seems it was his brother and not him.Who was after the company. And then the younger brother will be recognized More fully.

@Growing Beautifully, I was scratching my head trying to remember a crazy aunt! 😆 Yes, Dae Hyun had phoned DH, but was still on the floor when DH arrived. -The sort of thing that might happen in RL if one is dizzy, but usually not in TV. We’ll see.

@Good Twin, I don’t think DH is at all attached to the person he was with in New York – there’s no evidence like phone calls or flashbacks. It may even have been a one-off date. Ha, my imagination is at work: if that lover showed up in Seoul, there would be even more to deal with.

The last episode confirms some unease I have about JH’s character. He is becoming increasingly a persuasive ‘Let’s do this and face the consequences later’ type of person, which doesn’t match how the long-planning, meticulous side of his personality was shown. First he tried to win AJ away with a lavish flight and hotel, then the confession kissing and discussion at night and now the reverse side of the coin: an impromptu bus trip and two nights away with her. In RL, I would be getting red flags around this sort of behaviour because I would be wary that the secret adventures would become habitual.

But what a contrast between the first trip away and the second! The first one was all about JH and his money, but on the second trip he had to learn how to do some physical labour. While he acted positive, he seemed ill-prepared to function in a life away from LJ’s support, joking that AJ could support him. AJ, on the other hand, could seem to turn her hand to other jobs easily and she could sleep on the floor. Is this a premonition to what could await them in the future? A repeat of AJ’s sister’s marriage in a way?

@Fern, that does give us pause, but as I look back… I took it that JH has become tired of so much meticulous planning meant to put DH in position to take over LJ, only to find that DH might really not be able to do this because being both illegitimate and gay probably would not be accepted in their culture and business world.

He seemed to me to have thrown up his hands and said, “To H**l with it, I’ll just take a break and enjoy life for one day.” This was prefigured already when he told AJ after her filming, to just take a break. She agreed then too. They just sat together and rested. I figured that they both needed a breather and they wanted to have a chance to be together as themselves, without acting. I liked that break very much.

Yes, nice observation! Their first ‘run-away-date’ was in decadent splendour. It had been planned to the last detail, even to include a virtual slap in the face of nasty actress Hong Na Ri. This second ‘run-away-date’ was totally impromptu. Nothing was planned at all, and they took their chances with whichever bus was going to leave. I felt it was good for their mental health to get away. They were both relieved, and yet not entirely at peace, knowing that they had to go back to face the music.

I believe JH actually did save up money from work. He did offer AJ money from his own bank account before, but she returned it. He has shown that he can do well as an intern and it’s likely he can take on office jobs if he gets kicked out of LJ. I don’t think he’ll be the sponge that writer-brother-in-law seems to be in the Na’s household.

@Growing Beautifully, I think you are right. I forgot that JH was speaking to Eun Tak about giving it all up and that, for their mental health they needed some time off.

@agdr03, yes, Eun Tak finally figured it out. Did you see the other friend gag on her food in disgust at their PDA? 😂

Yes, not completely gentlemanly to go on the bus first. I guess he was holding the tickets. He drags her around a lot, imo. I thought they left in the evening, but arrived near the sea at dawn/early morning so they watched the sun go up then spent the rest of the day wearing colourful clothes and pretending they were locals, pretty much. 😜

READ AFTER WATCHING. or not.

But really. Why though? Why is HE on his knees ? And the grandfather…. He did him dirty. Really dirty. Only Ah Jong seems to even care that Ji Han is crushed. “I don’t want you to get hurt anymore” she says. She tries to fold paper cranes because she wishes all his scars will be healed.

*Sheds a tear*

one doesn’t often feel truly emotional in kdramas because much of it is predictable. Here, I was totally caught by surprise at the end.

I feel so bad for JH. Forget actually having anyone by his side, he has only Ah Jong who feels even empathetic.

EPISODE 10 – What a delicious twist. Love how Show does this. It’s not the first time. 2 more episodes to go.

I loved our OTP’s honest conversations. Every interaction they had whether angry or calm was great.

I’m fed up with Grandpa for his lack of impartiality.

SPOILERs

SPOILERS

@Arihsi, yes, poor JH does know exactly what it means to give up everything and to take responsibility. He did it well. And he kept to the truth all the way. I did say he’s honest to a fault and the fault is that he gets hurt by being truthful.

Chae Won is smart enough to guess that DH is hiding something. I liked the advice she gave him that he should not let JH and AJ be scorned for something they did not do.

Seung Ah’s father knows the secret that Grandpa has been keeping, and he’s keeping mum too. It must be something to his own discredit!

Yes, we were right. Grandpa knows.

I hope Seung Ah finds out what Grandpa has been hiding.

It was a smart double twist that DH dyed his hair back to black. From behind we cannot tell who it was. At least he did try to protect his brother, but if someone does not want to be protected, but to be the protector themselves, there’s not much one can do.

Again in order that DH is protected, quite many others are made to suffer or are upset. JH and AJ lose the most.

I forgot to add pushed/shoved around and slapped around to the list of how JH is abused by his family leading to him being a willing scapegoat. My bad as the list is rather long. 🙄

Episode 10 spoilers below:

@Growing Beautifully and @Arihsi, thank you for those thoughts. Yes, what a great twist. I re-watched it a few times to see if DH’s shoes were ever shown.😉

I found it very touching that DH, JH and AJ were all intent on protecting each other. AJ was glad that the focus was on her, because then it wasn’t on the brothers, but the brothers were unwilling to let that continue.

I’m surprised that Grandfather thought that being the Chair of LJ Group was enough to protect DH, if only DH played along. I don’t think it would be.

So do you think Grandfather knew or suspected all along about DH or did he get confirmation more recently, and if so, from whom? I wonder about the progression of events. Do you think DH’s resolution to have a press conference made Grandfather ask JH to do it instead? Or do you think JH may have told his grandfather first that he would have a press conference to protect his brother. Because Grandfather clearly knew that DH was going to come out publicly.

Seung Ah is really painting herself into a corner with her greedy and curiosity. She isn’t reading the room when speaking to her grandfather and father about it. She will have such a shock when she sees the tapes – but she will never want to use them to clear the reporter’s name. Quite the opposite. She will want to burn them, but the reporter has done all of her dirty work and won’t go down easily from their bargain.

Chae Won and AJ saying that they don’t want to be friends but getting drunk together was pretty great to see. Chae Won was able to see that AJ is sincere that she would give up everything to protect JH.

I wondered if we would hear more about the jealous actress Na Ri. Not wanting to, mind you.

The preview of next week’s episodes gives us hope for them. JH will be the one who runs away, but it looks like he runs to the seaside town where he was happy with AJ.

@Fern I love that song. It takes me back to my youth! I started to rewatch the first episode and was struck by what grifters the two were in the beginning. Grifters is too strong of a word but they were hustling.

@Hana – such a good point! DH is the one character I wish they had paid a bit more attention to, but I thought today was his episode. It was heartbreaking him telling AJ that they were going through with the marriage. He still felt so cornered and trapped. In the end he was brave. Grandfather dismissing his struggle as a selfish desire to be happy was quite cutting.

I think there maybe cultural and generational norms at play where family, saving face, and of course the corporation would all be placed above individual happiness especially in a chaebol family. I think in the west and/or younger generation individual happiness is paramount.

I am still thinking of all the truth, lies and acting in this drama. It has been a fun watch.

@Fern I wonder too how the press con turn of events happen. I think it’s all JH plan and he informed his grandfather. In a way he was still representing LJ being the grandson of the chairman.

When I saw the shoes and the slow walking, I was thinking to myself this is the first time a non-ML is doing this slo-mo walk since I thought it was DH. Hahaha, the trope was still consistent – it was JH’s shoes all along. The switcheroo was really executed well. Just like the ep7 epilogue.

Being Hurt and Paper Crane Seduction
On rewatching bits and pieces, it struck me that even from Ep 2 or 3, AJ who’d witnessed JH being hurt, was very much against it. She’d seen to his physical wounds, to his indigestion, etc and she had been provoked when she knew he’d been emotionally hurt. She noted it when the Reporter had crashed their family visit to the columbarium and Grandpa had pushed JH away, and earlier when he had been humiliated by Seung Ah and the horrid blind date.

JH in Ep 6 had asked online how to get over a crush. In other words, he didn’t want to feel the pain of heartache anymore. The one who advised folding 1,000 cranes said: “Fold 1,000 paper cranes and wish to forget them. “ Someone else mentioned: “Deoksugung stone wall road is a Mecca for breakups. Walk there and break up with your crush by yourself.”

On the night of the family meeting, that’s what JH had done. He had walked with AJ next to a stonewall and given her one paper crane as a sign of breaking up with his crush. @Fern noted that when he walked away, AJ looked at the stonewall and was disturbed because he didn’t seem sincere in wishing her well or rather, he had wanted to say something else. He had wanted to stop the hurt of a broken heart.

Just before this, AJ had met JH on a bridge and told him that he could hurt her now. They were involved in each other’s lives now. He was a little stunned by this.

In Ep 10, her paper crane was for her wish that JH would not feel hurt. While he carried her on his back he’d said: “What a lame paper crane. What did you want to wish for? Me forgiving you? Something like that?”
AJ: “No. For you not to feel hurt. And for all your scars to heal. I really didn’t know you’d feel so hurt…. … By the way, does folding paper cranes actually work?” Her main concern was that JH would not be hurt by her.
JH: “No. It’s impossible.” AJ jumps off his back.
AJ is disappointed and squats down dejected: “What do I do. What about Lee Ji Han? What do I do about Lee Ji Han? What do I do about him?”
Ji Han smiles at her sincere concern and drops to AJ’s level to reassure her: “It works. Folding them works.”
AJ: “It works? That’s a relief. Then I should fold thousands of them for him.” She hands him the limp paper crane and jumps up to walk off.
JH stares at the crane: “She seriously seduced me with this? A napkin crane.”

She had seduced him by caring for him sincerely, by offering friendship and a listening ear. Because he knew that she did not want him to be hurt, he decided to take on all the blame and the lashings of the scandal by himself. He had probably decided on it before he left the meeting with Grandpa where he’d been scolded. He’d said then that he’d take full responsibility for what he’d done, and he did.

@Hana, I think there may be more guardian angels. While AJ’s sister is angry now, she will still support her. I noticed that it was Tae Min who pulled AJ’s mother away. They knew the marriage was fake so they will be more ready to give AJ the benefit of the doubt.

Eun Tak and and Min Sup the secretaries may be angry or elated depending on how the chips fall after the press conference because their futures depend on JH. Chae Won and even Dae Hyun may end up on the team. I’m hoping that this group can figure out a way to support each other.

I shed a tear for Jihan in the last scene with AJ and then his press conference. 😢

He looked sad throughout the episode. He’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. ☹️

@Janey, your comment reminds me that we haven’t been given any clues about who trashed DH’s studio and beat up SDH. Now that we know Grandfather has known about DH’s lifestyle ‘all this while’, it could have been his instructions. However, I don’t think that’s his style. If it was another family member, they would have used it against him before now I think. Perhaps it was random.

Now that Grandfather has told DH that he knows about him, it would be the perfect time for DH to tell Grandfather that the marriage with AJ was fake, but that only JH, AJ and he know about it. At least within the family, Grandfather might feel more lenient about JH and AJ being together.

I am looking forward to next week’s episodes so much. I thought episode 9 seemed to lose a bit of pace, but episode 10 was amazing.

Oh the shaman’s fortune that she is the bad bee and her husband is the rose? I’ll have to look at that again, too.

@Janey and @Fern, I’m still playing with the possibility that SDH trashed his own place to get DH’s attention, but anything is possible.

I agree that Grandpa was prepared to accept the marriage between DH and AJ because she was sincere in her care for DH, and any marriage was better than none, in order to hide DH’s secret.

I also agree that now is a good time to reveal to Grandpa that the marriage was fake, but as dramas go, these things somehow don’t get revealed at a ‘good’ time. Grandpa should have guessed that the marriage was fake, as well, since he knew DH’s secret. Let’s see if DH tells him.

To resolve many things, DH should be given the chance to take responsibility. However the LJ Group also will want to protect itself and to protect shareholders who will lose a lot when the price plummets. Maybe the only way is what DH had wanted from the start ie for DH to be disassociated from LJ so that he can be free. In effect, if not for Grandpa’s ‘guilt’ issues or whatever (and the ex-Mayor’s issues too), everything would have been fine. DH could have continued in New York, JH could have risen through the ranks in LJ and been given more subsidiaries to take care of. Seung Ah could have had some share of power with her hopeless brother. Matters would not have come to such a pass if Grandpa would only relent on who gets to own LJ.

About that conversation that AJ and DH had in highschooler as they ‘broke up’… it turns out when having to choose between friendship and love, AJ went back on what she said, but she chose to be true to her heart. She did choose love – JH – over DH as she pulled out of the ‘marriage’. I guess it’s time for DH, who was not true to his promise to himself (that he would protect his friend and brother), to step up and choose the truth as well.

I’m with you @monmor! I hope ep11 will be Dohan’s redemption. And ep12 will be wedding possible for JH and AJ, seaside vacation home and 2 kids!

@Good twin ! @Fern ! I remember the shaman’s comments… AJ is the horrible Nasty Bee™️ who will “suck out all the juice” (referring to him losing everything because of her?) out of our fallen thorny rose™️. Not just that, when she finds the rose, he’ll be laying side ways (referring to him being wilted?)

About memory…You won’t believe @Fern, yesterday, one of colleagues was like… “No… I think around June of 2019, I received a series of emails which implied…. Let me find that for you. *Blinks* ah yes ! Here they are. See ? Sent date ?”

Me. *Falls of chair*

I just found out, in a rare promotional YT video of this show (with English translation!) that CW’s role was not in the webtoon. I think it was a great addition to the Drama version. she is a well-balanced character, even a voice of reason/truth and I think she will be on JH, DH and AJ’s camp when the going gets rough.
While we wait for Monday, advanced happy easter to those who celebrate it! 🐣

@fern – here it is.
https://youtu.be/1NYDEHYw_P0?si=0GafLk6AH2ghjOkJ

JJS, being the introvert that she is, actually evaded answering a couple of questions by focusing on making her invitation card! Good thing her co stars were chatty. LOL!

Thanks for that video @Janey ☺️

I agree @Fern, if JJS didn’t have to be there, she wouldn’t. Her card didn’t have any effort. 😂

I’m excited for my HEA and two kids for JH and AJ. I want DH to finally have that courage to protect the two people who’s been doing exactly that for him. They all need to be free.

Here’s to Wedding Possible! ❤️❤️❤️