God of Study: Episode 10

by nokcha icecream

Hyun-jung’s last time depending on Baek-hyun.

This episode was a clean finish for the Baek-Jung storyline. After this I think the drama can move much faster. I’m sorry to all the Baek-Jung fans out there, heh.

Episode 10 Recap

We start back up with Baek-Pul (I thoroughly enjoyed reading the comments on choice of couples from the last recap.) Baek-hyun brings his face a little closer to Pul-ip’s, and right as he’s about to…

“Oh that’s right!” Seok-ho said they’re starting extra hard training tomorrow, so Pul-ip opts to leave first. She runs off and hides trying to calm herself down. Baek-hyun walks off with a boyish smirk on his face. What a player. But from the last episode, we know someone was watching. Hyun-jung hides behind a car in tears.

He meets Grandma and is surprised at how much she ordered. She wanted to reward Baek-hyun for his hard work on their exams. She tells him him not to worry about anything. Evidently Seok-ho gave Grandma a call, telling her about the mistakes Baek-hyun made on their exams. Seok-ho was worried Baek-hyun was feeling terrible. So this guy actually has a heart? Interesting.

No matter what Baek-hyun did, Grandma is still incredibly proud of him. From the day he was born, she never dreamed he would study the way he did. Even though he made some mistakes, he should never give up his aspirations. Stand up tall and keep trying harder! I love you Grandma.

Grandma: “You should still be strong. And don’t be sorry; just swallow it into your gut. And after, stand up tall and keep on trying harder.”
Baek-hyun: “Yes Grandma.”
Grandma: “My good child, my cute lovely child, my treasure!”
Baek-hyun: “Grandma, you are my most treasured possession.”

I’m pretty sure I’ve said this before, but

AIGOO. What a good boy.

Back home, Pul-ip’s still in shock. Her mom comes in and sees her in this fit. After establishing she’s not sick, the next assumption she has is that Pul-ip’s in love.

Pul-ip tries to deny it, but as her mom is a self-proclaimed expert on love, she picks apart Pul-ip’s reasoning to be in the special class. “Is it that boy named Hwang Baek-hyun?” HA. Her mom’s incredibly excited at Pul-ip’s “first love”, and she playfully comforts Pul-ip. Pul-ip doesn’t push away her mom like usual, but she smiles to herself and lets her mom tease her. Change of heart towards mom?

In Hyun-jung’s quiet abode, she stares long fully at her pro painting of Baek-hyun., and she takes off the headband he bought for Pul-ip, and carefully places it on the painting. It’s as if she has given up. She’s not even going to try and fight it.

Teenage love issues aside, Seok-ho waits for the kids as they come back to class. While their recent scores would not have been good enough for Chun ha, they still need to remain optimistic. He instructs Soo-jung to release the objected scores, and the kids are shocked to see them. (I didn’t go to high school in Korea, so I’m not entirely sure what the scores mean. It doesn’t look like they’re on a 100 point scale?) Regardless of whether you understand what getting a 395 means, it is good enough for them to get into Chun ha, so I’m guessing it is pretty high.

Eun-yoo catches Young-sook spying on her new love Young-shik. Eun-yoo startles her and then goes on to tell her “You don’t seem to act as if you graduated from the College of Education.” In other words, I’d expect something more from you. Eun-yoo then proceeds to have a small conversation with Young-shik, and Young-sook watches –bewildered- from the sidelines. Hehe.

During class, everyone seems energetic and involved except Hyun-jung. She sits there wistfully staring out the window. Pul-ip tries to talk to her later in the day and she asks her what is wrong. Hyun-jung looks at her and is reminded of her bloody foot incident. Pul-ip sacrificed for her, so she ought to not mention anything. She tells Pul-ip she’s tired, and she walks off.

Lunchtime is a little awkward for Baek-hyun and Pul-ip, but Chan-doo breaks the awkwardness by asking where Baek-hyun’s “wife” is. Teachers So-young and Eun-yoo notice Hyun-jung alone during lunchtime, but she hurriedly runs off when Soo-jung tries to talk to her. Eun-yoo comments about how Hyun-jung is a pitiful child. She seems to be carrying some deep burden no one knows about. Perhaps Eun-yoo –who seems to be something of a deep person herself- will draw Hyun-jung out of this funk.

Soo-jung finds Hyun-jung’s cellphone on a windowsill, and brings it back to their office. Seok-ho noticed her moping attitude earlier, so he tries to find out what’s going on. Are her parents still together? Yes. Then why does she live by herself? Soo-jung had no idea why.

In one class scene, Teacher Eun-yoo makes an important point. In order to better understand what the author is writing about, you need to better understand the author. She sees Hyun-jung in her depressed funk, so she turns to Baek-hyun and asks, “Have you ever thought about standing in her position?” If he did, maybe they wouldn’t be in this mess.

In Bong-goo’s parents’ restaurant, they have something very important to tell Seok-ho. They overheard the WBG in their restaurant… Bong-goo’s mother’s mumbling is hard to make out, but by the looks of Seok-ho’s face, it is serious.

The next day at school, Baek-hyun walks into the classroom to see Chan-doo and Bong-goo singing Happy Birthday to Pul-ip. She’s clearly touched. Chan-doo even made a traditional Korean birthday treat for her. Seaweed soup. He even woke up at 4 AM to boil it for her! Awwww. *Any Chan-Pul/ Chan-Lip fans out there? Bong-goo presents his gift: a huge hunk of meat. Hahaha.

Chan-doo asks Baek-hyun where his present was, but Baek-hyun said he already gave it to her. Pul-ip thinks about it for a moment and the moment of when he was about to kiss her flashes in her memory. That can’t be it! But she secretly smiles anyways. Chan-doo and Bong-goo try to get Baek-hyun to tell them what it was, but it’s a secret.

Hyun-jung gets a text message from someone saying Happy Birthday. Today’s her birthday too?! Oh Show writers, why this. Pul-ip offers Hyun-jung some of the soup as an act of friendship not as fellow birthday sharers, but Hyun-jung shoves the cup away and runs outside. Seok-ho sees her and tells her that she has not had her birthday yet. She doesn’t understand what he means by this, but he clarifies: “You will really have your birthday when you are genuinely happy and energetic on that day.” He winks and walks off. Happy Birthday Hyun-jung.

Later that day, Baek-hyun finds her and demands that they talk. He wants to know what’s going on with her. She knows he doesn’t like her like she likes him, and he just thinks of her as something of a burden. But he doesn’t think of Pul-ip as a burden. To all the people Hyun-jung’s been close to, all she has been was a burden. She apologies to Baek-hyun for ever liking him, and she walks off. Chan-doo is discovered hiding in the background.

Hyun-jung quickly leaves the school, and Soo-jung –even seeing straight through her lies- lets her go. Baek-hyun leaves to go work at the restaurant. Again. And he runs right past Seok-ho.

Hyun-jung is back, long hair gone. *Cue the rocker music. She hits the streets with some serious eye make-up, black clothes, and a face that looks like she’s ready to kill.

The old-school posse magically appears behind her, and she agrees to pay the debt she owes them. In a club? *Cue the Justin Timberlake. Oh Koreans. While she…humiliates? herself in the front of the club dancing, she remembers her relationship with Baek-hyun prior to the special class. They actually had something of a history together. It seems like she was an outsider when they first met, but he took care of her and was her only friend. No wonder she was in love with him. He was the only person who cared about her. Parental unit fail.

The posse stands on the side and watch her, and we find out why she owes them. They got into loads of trouble together, but Hyun-jung was able to escape with her dad’s money. So the rest of the group suffered. Their gang friend proceeds to take out Hyun-jung’s cell phone to help them “get revenge”.

The posse’s friend tried calling someone, but he didn’t pick up. So one of the girls suggests he call her mother. But while she’s dancing up there, someone recognizes her. Soo-jung’s cellphone starts vibrating. It’s from Hyun-jung. With someone on the other end asking if she is Hyun-jung’s mother.

Baek-hyun gets a text telling him to leave from his delivery at -surprise!- Seok-ho’s office, so he runs off. Seok-ho knows that Baek-hyun wouldn’t easily disobey him like that –Baek-hyun was ordered to stay- so he becomes slightly worried. Turns out, Baek-hyun’s friend recognized Hyun-jung at the club and called Baek-hyun to take her. So Baek-hyun hurries to find her. Soo-jung and Ma-ri are also on their way to the club. She’s seems to be able to enter relatively easily, but the gang stops them. O MAH GOSH Soo-jung’s outfit. HA.

As Soo-jung and Ma-ri enter the club, Baek-hyun runs in looking for Hyun-jung. She spots him, and tries to hide. He shouts for her but runs into an ugly crowd who start beating him to a pulp. The girls start to take her away while Baekhyun is holding his ground. Hyun-jung shouts for Baek-hyun but to no avail. Baek-hyun is overpowered and he’s left on the ground hopeless.

Hyun-jung is brought to her “mother” Soo-jung, but accidently says “teacher” out of surprise. With the realization that they are caught, they take off running. They run to the car, but a crucial piece of the motor is missing. The gang –who removed the piece- is about to attack, but they hear police sirens. And out comes Seok-ho. And his gang. And they’re all under arrest. Seok-ho showcases his violent childhood doing some real damage on the guys while the females cheer him on in the car.

But how did he know where they were? Ma-ri kept a hidden cellphone on her. Hehe.

In a hospital bed, Baek-hyun is quite beaten up. Hyun-jung watches him and goes to lay in her own bed with Soo-jung following. Hyun-jung asks why Soo-jung came. The gang said they called her mother. Soo-jung lies and tells Hyun-jung that her mother contacted Soo-jung.

We see back into Soo-jung’s memory at a phone conversation she had with Hyun-jung’s mother. Hyun-jung started living independently six years ago, so any sways in her emotions shouldn’t be any issues now. And if there are any other problems in the future, Hyun-jung’s mother doesn’t want to be contacted. So what does Soo-jung do? She enters in her number as her mother. Soo-jung thinks of this as she strokes Hyun-jung’s hair. Hyun-jung starts to open her heart. She knows the truth about the call, but she’s stlll thankful.

Of all days, the next day is the six month simulation exam. If the results don’t come out as they made in the contract, the class will be canceled. Baek-hyun overhears Seok-ho telling Soo-jung this. Soo-jung is furious. Seok-ho knew this entire time they would never reach those scores, but he started the class anyways. Today will be the last day of the special class.

Baek-hyun storms in. also furious. He isn’t going to put up with this. He drops his bag and hobbles out. Soo-jung is about to run after him, but Seok-ho stops her, telling her he needs time to think.

But Baek-hyun is running just anywhere. He finds Hyun-jung in the hospital. She wakes up and starts to say “Suh…” but catches herself and finishes with “…Baek-hyun”. He tells her they need to take the test even though she’s not feeling well. She slowly gets up, and he helps her out. When she can’t walk on her own, he kneels down and tells her to hop on. They don’t have much time.

Ma-ri feeling’s nervous when there are still two empty seats in the classroom, but she knows she needs to start the test.

The way to the school is excruciating for Baek-hyun. He keeps telling her they need to take the exam. The kids wait nervously and Soo-jung keeps begging for them to wait just a little longer. When Seok-ho instructs them to start the test, the principle opens the door to see Baek-hyun and a nearly dying Hyun-jung waiting outside. With all the strength left in poor Baek-hyun’s body he cries,

“PLEASE LET US TAKE THE TEST!”

Comments

If these episodes had titles, this one would be called “After all these weeks we FINALLY understand Hyun-jung.”
THANK YOU SHOW WRITERS FOR THIS EPISODE. Finally, we have drama. Good drama. Meaningful drama. Character development.
And we needed closure for the Baek-jung relationship. We all know it’s not going to go anywhere serious –this is a drama about studying for cryin’ out loud- so it’s nice to have a clean positive finish.
And it’s nice to see the little bit of history between Baek-hyun and Hyun-jung. Baek-hyun truly cares for Hyun-jung –albeit not in a romantic manner- and he seems hurt when Hyun-jung confesses to him that no one cares for her. While she probably got excessively annoying after a while, Hyun-jung needed Baek-hyun’s approval. Perhaps now is the time for Hyun-jung to really live on her own.

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