Uncanny. In Episode 7, I pointed out the many things that JaePil did wrong at the hair salon but were romanticized but JP-stans. Let me go over this again.

a. he doesn’t spend his days off with YR; he doesn’t take her out; he doesn’t do any memorable things with her. If the title of the show was “A Hundred Memories,” then in those seven years with her, the days passed without a single remarkable moment saved or stored in YeongRye’s “Hundred Memories” bank. Hence, the photos hanging by her desk were pictures of her co-workers at the bus company, her rooftop buddies, and the trio at the picnic. No special picture was taken in the 7 years she and JP were together.

b. he only visited the salon to kill two birds with one stone: get his hair trimmed and confirm YR’s hair appointment with his dad. JP wasn’t there for YeongRye; he was there for himself.

c. he waited outside the salon to pick her up at 8:30…like a driver. He didn’t go in or knock on the window to let her know he was there or keep her company.

d. he didn’t suggest going somewhere to eat before his dad’s appointment. He isn’t an idiot; he should’ve anticipated that YR – after working all day – would have been starving. The least he could have done to repay her FREE home service (in this case hospital service) was offer a meal.

e. he didn’t offer to carry her bag for her. Only when she stumbled did he grab it. And only when they were near the hospital did he get the juice box (a present for his dad) from her.

It’s uncanny then that the screenwriter and I are on the same wavelength. In Episode 8, the writer shows JeongHyun (aka Daddy Long Legs/DLL) doing the opposite of JP’s actions.

a. Like JP, he visited YeongRye’s salon unannounced. But unlike JP, he made his visit memorable for her. He had an extravagant bouquet of flowers delivered to her door. It was a mysterious note: it only had the recipient’s name; the sender’s name was missing. Then, he showed up.

What’s more noteworthy was her quick answer when her co-workers suggested that JP gave them to her.

Single mom: Hey. Could it be from JaePil? Who else would send something like this to you? It’s him. It’s Han JaePil. How many blossoms are there? So many?
YR: JaePil wouldn’t send something like this.

She knows. Intuitively, she knows. Deep down, she knows that she and JaePil don’t have that kind of relationship at all. Like a smart girl, she knows that she’s in the friend zone.

Then, out of nowhere a voice spoke.

DLL: You’re right. I sent them. (walking into the salon) Not JaePil.
YR: (elated) Oppa!
DLL: (waving)

b. Unlike JP, DLL wasn’t killing two birds with one stone because he only had one goal. His haircut was just a pretext. He wanted to see her, talk to her, and invite her out to dinner.

YR: You have to tell me the style you want before I cut.
DLL: I won’t complain even if it looks like a rat chewed on it. So do whatever style you want, Ms. Ko Yeong Rye. I’ll gladly be your personal model. Try something bold and groundbreaking.

Lol. I think the subber at Viki should have used “trendsetting” instead of “groundbreaking.” DLL isn’t a building.

YR: What will you do if I just shave it all off?
DLL: It won’t matter since I’m handsome. I don’t rely on my hair for good looks. (laughing)

We heard her threaten to shave JP’s hair, too. JP’s response was, “Thank you. Please control yourself, ma’am.” While JP was putting an end to her jokes, DLL is encouraging her.

YR: I can’t argue with that.
DLL: Mmm.
YR: Honestly, Oppa, your head shape is really nice.
DLL: (laughing) It is. By the way, YeongRye, you’ve changed a lot.
YR: I have? How so?
DLL: Remember when we talked about the right to pursue happiness? I feel like you’re finally enjoying that. You laugh more and speak your mind more clearly. (sigh) I’m a little sad, though. You no longer need me as your “Kidari Ahjussi.”
YR: Not yet. I’ll still give out the occasional SOS, so keep being my “Kidari Ahjussi.”
DLL: (chuckling)
YR: Oh no! I cut too much.
DLL: Yah! Did you give me a bald patch? Huh??
YR: (chuckling) I’m just kidding. You said you wouldn’t complain. What was that?
DLL: I was just playing along, too.

This is her being playful with DLL. I like this interaction better than her and JP joking about his underwear.

DLL: (suddenly shifting topic) So, what time do you finish today, Ms. Ko YeongRye?
YR: I’m not on the closing shift, so in a couple more hours.
DLL: Really? Should I wait and buy you dinner? Something expensive and fancy?
YR: I’d love that, but I have a prior engagement today.
DLL: Oh yes? What prior engagement?

c. Do you hear that? Unlike JP, he doesn’t tell her that he’ll come back for her to pick her up. He says that he’ll wait for her till she’s done. Wait = hang around.

d. Unlike JP, he’s offering to feed her. This is consistent with his action seen in Episode 2 when he covertly handed her the plate with omelette and in Episode 7 when he gave her the big piece of meat. Guys like to feed someone they’re attracted to. Lol. It could be remnants of their caveman instincts when they had to forage for food and feed their cavewoman and cavekids.

With JP, YeongRye has to remind him to feed her. Even in Episode 2, when they ate dumplings after the roller-skating fiasco, it was SangCheol who offered YeongRye dumpling.

Also, for JP, she’s just his convenient receptacle or depot for things he hates to eat, and vice versa.

e. Although YeongRye has a previous engagement and can’t go out with him, he still waits for her to get off so he can drive her to the hospital. His action is unlike JP who – on his day off – deserted her and rushed off to work.

Re. JongHui’s reappearance

JH’s comeback from runaway-assailant to chaebol’s adopted daughter is ordinary kdrama fare. But four things stick out for me.

1. I don’t know how long JH can bear to live in that world created by the chaebol.

She isn’t at all a studious and biddable girl, is she? But in exchange for her luxurious lifestyle, she tolerates the pink room, boring clothes (remember her colorful scarf and clothes?), college, and loss of close friends. How long will she last in her opulent cage? Will she rebel soon?

She can’t leave her present situation because the chairwoman uses her as an emotional crutch or security blanket to ward off depression and suicidal tendencies. Ugh.

2. JH needs therapy.

Her phobia of sharp objects is a good addition. After she stabbed the company director with the pen, it’s understandable that she feared pointed things. She suffered abuse from her older brother, and she was still suffering trauma from that. She stopped JaePil’s boxing match because she couldn’t stand watching it.

She hated blood, right? But then, her hand became bloodied from stabbing the director.
Then, on top of that, she must have been worried sick that one day, the long arm of the law would catch her.

I can understand her trauma. But unless she gets therapy, she won’t be cured. Unfortunately for her, therapy means revealing the truth…or the “hundred memories” she’s been trying hard to bury.

3. Her diary is probably the inspiration for the voiceovers we hear now.

I like that even when YeongRye was absent, she kept her in mind by writing to her whenever she was bothered. Curiously, though YeongRye said she hadn’t dreamt of JH while they were separated. I wonder what that meant.

4. I can’t believe that YeongRye told no one about the stabbing incident that fateful night.

And that she blackmailed her boss not to talk about it to anybody.

I wonder if this will still cause unforeseen problems for either girl.

For JP, however, the problem is clear. He thinks that JH merely ran away on her own accord. Since he doesn’t know the full story, he’s believed all these seven years that she’s nothing but a cruel heartbreaker.

Why the fanwars? I can think of three reasons, so far.

1. Because the actor playing JungHyun/DLL wasn’t originally listed as a main actor. He was only a “cameo” then he moved up to supporting then now main. In all the promos, the JaePil actor was the lead actor along with the two female leads.

For kdrama viewers, the male lead ends up with the female lead.

2. Because YeongRye fancies herself in love with JaePil, and what the female lead wants, the female lead gets.

For JP-stans, it’s impossible to show *convincingly* that YeongRye has fallen for DLL when all these 8 episodes, she’s been nursing a one-sided crush on JP.

3. Because DLL called her “ugly.”

Many JP-stans have sensitive feelings of a kindergartner, see themselves as woke feminists, and/or have never dated before so they don’t understand the psychology of teasing the opposite sex. 🙂

@GB, I’m sorry I didn’t have time to open a thread. Will do so now and transfer your two posts there. — pm3

Done, @GB. 🙂