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Sungkyunkwan Scandal: Episode 20 (Final)

Dear Jal-geum Quartet,

Thank you for the memories, the tears, the laughs, the squeals, the giggles, the sighs, the cringes, the waff, the thump-thumps, the insomnia, the dreams, the fantasies, the discussions, the love, the shipping, the great times, the smiles, the late nights, the early mornings, the procrastination, the cheers, the oh-nos, the arguments, the factions, the alliances, the heartache, the heartbreak, the bliss, the grief, the tingles, the tangles, the conspiracies, the bromances, the flutters, the gasps, the nail-biting, the TGIM, the curses, the hallelujahs, the prayers and the fun times.

It was a helluva ride. You were worth every moment.

Love, red pill

SONG OF THE DAY
Richard Marx & Donna Lewis – At the Beginning (Anastasia Soundtrack) [download]

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LESSON 20 RECAP

As Yoon-hee marvels over the geumdeungjisa, King Jeong-jo receives the report from Minister Moon (Jae-shin’s father) that Sun-joon is not the Red Messenger. That leaves Minister Ha to issue a public apology for violating the SKK grounds and students with his guards – and he better hurry before the whole nation hears about what happened.

 

As the leader of the petition, Yoon-hee is granted an audience with the king to hear his response to the petition. Per the SKK students’ request, Sun-joon will be released and Minister Ha will issue an official apology.

Yoon-hee explains that the secret letter was solved and the geumdeungjisa found. With it the king can finally move forward with the dream that he and her father shared. He promises that her efforts will not go to waste and tells her that it’s now the Jal-geum Quartet’s turn to harbor new dreams in a new Joseon.

 

Sun-joon is released to a cheering crowd of SKK students, and one can’t help but note how far he’s come since episode one when he was all thorns and friendless. Now he approaches the Three Stooges first and affirms their friendship. Boy, you smile so easily now.

Jae-shin greets him in his usual passive-aggressive gruff way, “Act on your own again, and I’ll never see your face again.” (Jae-shin speak for “I was worried about you.”) Yong-ha translates this to mean that Jae-shin intends to see Sun-joon’s face for a long, long time. Tee-hee.

But the leader of the petition and the one person Sun-joon really wants to see is nowhere to be found.

 

Because Yoon-hee is meeting with Minister Lee. He thanks her for saving his son, though it probably wasn’t easy with a grudge against the father. But those personal feelings aside, she was just trying to save her friend.

Minister Lee: Your bold spirit is just like your father’s. I didn’t like your father from the start. He was too idealistic and too much of a Romanticist to be advisor to the king. I was willing to do anything to stop your father and to get him to surrender completely, to acknowledge that reality can never live up to one’s ideals. However, I never intended to kill your father. Even so, I understand that your resentment towards me must run deep.
Yoon-hee: I don’t resent you. I’ve decided to take caution from you.
Minister Lee: Caution?
Yoon-hee: If one takes a single step back, that person must then take two steps back to cover up that misstep. Then, in the messy zigzag of one’s footsteps, one forgets where one was originally headed.
Minister Lee: I understand now why my son values you.

 

Yoon-hee returns to the dorms where Sun-joon is waiting for her. Already a henpecker, he demands to know where she was and why she wasn’t first in line to greet him after his short stint in jail. The very cute bickering about the definition of their relationship is put to an end when Yoon-hee shows Sun-joon that she’s wearing his ring. We might’ve gotten another kiss if Yong-ha hadn’t swung open the room door with impeccable timing (as always).

 

What follows is a drinking session for our Jal-geum Quartet. This mostly consists of Yong-ha praising Yoon-hee (he comments that she’s the first girl who doesn’t bore him) and talks of dreams in the new Joseon. Particularly touching is Yong-ha’s comment that he doesn’t need a dream; he’s satisfied with the fact that he’s Gu Yong-ha, and he has friends who accept him for who he is, noble blood or not.

Jae-shin and Sun-joon actually agree on the sleeping arrangement for once and try to send Yoon-hee to Yong-ha’s room, but eventually the four end up sleeping in the same room. How cute is it that Sun-joon sleeps holding Jae-shin’s hand? I’m jumping on the Jae-joon bromance ship.

Of course the following morning, Sun-joon is disgruntled that Yoon-hee chose to sleep in a room full of boys, and this leads to more cute bickering. He finds out that she used to copy those explicit red books (they pay extra), which proves to him that he doesn’t know enough about her life before SKK. Therefore, he offers to go to her house on their next holiday and meet her family. This is serious; meeting her mother is the first step in getting married.

 

Meanwhile, Yoon-hee’s secret is slowly spreading and all the major players start finding out. First Minister Ha, then Minister Lee. It’s a major trump card that could blow over the geumdeungjisa threat. Which is exactly what Minister Lee tells King Jeong-jo: he should hide the geumdeungjisa forever if he doesn’t want to hurt the daughter of his dear friend, the friend he sacrificed for the sake of his dream.

The problem with Yoon-hee being a girl is that whether the king intended it or not, he has broken down longstanding traditions and principles (as learned in the Three Bonds and Five Relationships of Confucianism) by using a girl in his quest for the geumdeungjisa. Additionally, this damages the credibility of the geumdeungjisa as well.

 

Completely oblivious, Yoon-hee pretties herself in preparation for Sun-joon’s visit. For the first time, she can actually be a girl (on the outside) and face Sun-joon honestly. Only, while she’s waiting outside for him with a lantern, a dark shadow confronts her. She drops the lantern and her mirror in surprise.

 

Finally having found some inner peace, Jae-shin shares a drink with his brother in a lovely spot overlooking banchon. He acknowledges that he once pitied his brother because he thought his brother died for a world he hated, but he realized only now that his brother had actually loved the world too much. That’s why he was able to give up his life for the cause.

The moment is interrupted by Yong-ha, who just found out from Hyo-eun that In-soo knows that Yoon-hee is a girl. They go to Yoon-hee’s house, where they run into Sun-joon (who hilariously tries to walk away before they see him). They find the broken mirror and realize that someone nabbed Yoon-hee.

 

There’s no more doubt that Yoon-hee is a girl; she stands before the king in full female garb. The king is rightfully furious, and when alone with Professor Jung he demands to know why he wasn’t told this incredible secret. But all Professor Jung can do is kneel and take full responsibility for Yoon-hee.

The king suspects he’s so accepting of Yoon-hee because of his background in Western Learning (=liberal thinking). Professor Jung acknowledges that Western Learning teaches that all people, no matter what gender, are noble and valuable. However, he still believed that females had no place in politics and didn’t need an education. That is, until he met Yoon-hee. It was Yoon-hee who taught him that life and learning one’s studies are one and the same.

The king remains unrelenting, particularly since he’s so close to achieving his dream.

Minister Ha once again seeks out Cho-sun. She’s ready to refuse because she’s more than fulfilled her duties to him and it’s about time he kept his side of the bargain. But this last job should interest her; he wants her to kidnap Yoon-hee and bring her to him. And it’s through Minister Ha that Cho-sun finds out she’s been in love with a girl all along.

 

The three boys come to Professor Jung for confirmation that Yoon-hee is with the king. They want to believe that the king will protect her, but Professor Jung evades their questions and confirms the opposite.

In an upcoming meeting, the king will announce his plans to move the capital to Hwaseong. And in order to crush the Noron opposition, he’ll unveil the geumdeungjisa. But what will happen if the Norons use the fact that Yoon-hee, the person who found the geumdeungjisa, is a girl?

Will the king protect Yoon-hee, Jae-shin asks desperately. Isn’t that the so-called hope that he’s always talking about?

All three boys are in tears as they realize that Yoon-hee will be sacrificed by the king because she’s the one who found the geumdeungjisa. Professor Jung, too, weeps, but all four men are at a loss of what to do.

 

Sun-joon takes to wallowing in the dark, which is how his father finds him. It’s hard for Minister Lee to believe that this boy who is staking his life on something as inconsequential as a girl is his son. In desperation, Sun-joon gets on his knees and asks his father for help.

“It was through that girl that my eyes opened up to a new world. Not the world that a man must build through what he learned in books, but the world where I want to live. But that world is falling apart. I’m so pathetic and helpless that there is nothing I can do, nothing at all. Please help me, Father.”

But Minister Lee gives him no definite answer.

 

Their faith in the king dashed to pieces, Yong-ha and Jae-shin stew at a local tavern, worrying about how scared Yoon-hee must be. The tavern is soon crowded by Confucian scholars who’ve been called in by Minister Ha. They don’t know why exactly they were asked to come, but their guess is that the king is up to something and Minister Ha needs reinforcements.

Sun-joon’s tears must’ve moved his father’s heart because Minister Lee puts his political career on the line to suggest to the other Norons that they support the king’s plans to move the capital. If they do this, the king will bury the geumdeungjisa affair and not question their involvement in the late Crown Prince Sado’s death. His efforts are rebuffed by the others; they’ve already agreed to follow Minister Ha’s lead. Power, how short and bitter is thy run.

 

Yong-ha and Jae-shin are on campus, discussing plans to find out where the meeting with Minister Ha and the Confucian scholars will be held. As long as they find out by 5:30PM, they might be able to find a way to stop Minister Ha and save Yoon-hee. A letter from Cho-sun arrives, informing them about Minister Ha’s plans to bring Yoon-hee before the Confucian scholars.

 

Minister Ha reassures In-soo that the reliable “man” he has under his command has never once disobeyed him. Only he didn’t give Cho-sun’s memories of Yoon-hee enough credit; they were sweet and touching enough to inspire her defiance. She shows up in all black, ready to stop the meeting with the scholars from happening. As she tangles with the guards, it takes In-soo a moment to fully digest what’s going on and what his father has been doing to Cho-sun. Once that’s processed, he steps in to protect Cho-sun, creating a rift between evil father and (ex-)evil son. For the first time, Cho-sun looks at In-soo in a new light.

What a double whammy of redemption! That’s right, In-soo, use those laser-beam glares on your father!

Jae-shin jumps into the rumble (literally) with a slightly barbed yet begrudging compliment for In-soo: “This is the first time you’ve behaved like a decent human being.”

 

Yong-ha is doing his best blocking the door and keeping the Confucian scholars locked up in their room. It’s crude and not very effective because Yong-ha isn’t the, um, physical type, but he just has to hold on until Professor Jung arrives to help.

When the men manage to burst out of the room, Yong-ha impersonates a SKK professor and turns on the charm and his silver tongue. Using glib words and the fact that one of the scholars is actually a distant uncle, he manages to befuddle then win over the men by spouting Confucian teachings.

THE Gu Yong-ha has finally gone from spectator on the sidelines to active participant. He not only gets passing marks from Professor Jung, but from us as well.

 

In his boldest move yet, Sun-joon comes before the king.

King Jeong-jo: Have you come to beg for the girl’s life?
Sun-joon: I came to ask you to throw away Kim Yoon-shik, no, Kim Yoon-hee. And for you to throw me away as well. Because there is no hope for the new Joseon you dream of. You’re not trying to cut her loose because she went against the law and Confucian traditions by dressing up as a man and entering SKK where no women are allowed. Isn’t it because she stands in the way of your reforms? Yet, you’re the one who promotes views that go against tradition and customs. For your reforms –
King Jeong-jo: Seems I’ve shown you too much favor. (For you to step out of line.)
Sun-joon: Have you been fighting all this time to beat the Norons? Not to save your people? Is the great country you dream of filled with only your beliefs and not with your people?
King Jeong-jo: Stop. Enough.
(Sun-joon lays down the compass that the king gave him.)
Sun-joon: A compass needle that doesn’t stay vigilant against itself and doesn’t waver cannot point out the right direction. I return the warning you once gave me.

Boy is BALLSY. And I love him for it.

 

Our boys managed to stop Minister Ha’s meeting with the Confucian scholars, but they couldn’t stop him from going to the king. With the head Norons in attendance, King Jeong-jo acknowledges that when it comes to moving the capital, there can be no compromise. That’s why he found the very thing that could silence the Norons forever: the geumdeungjisa.

Minister Ha comes bursting in, wanting to use his Yoon-hee trump card, but the king silences him. The king has found the container holding the geumdeungjisa – only, he claims the geumdeungjisa was not found inside. He will not give up his dream to move the capital, however. Not when he began this fight for the people, not to triumph over the Norons.

And so, the king chooses Yoon-hee over his dream.

After the meeting, Minister Moon arrests Minister Ha for the events of that night ten years ago when one Kim Seung-hun and one Moon Young-shin were brutally murdered. Sort of out of the blue, but I get it, we’re wrapping up loose ends here since we have less than 15 minutes to go in the episode.

As further proof of his determination to protect Yoon-hee, the king burns the geumdeungjisa before her eyes. But this isn’t the end, not while hope still lives.

King Jeong-jo: Promise me one thing. That you’ll remember for a long time my dream, the future of this nation, and not my pathetic death nor my short life. That way I can stay alive in your memories.

Standing ovation for King Jeong-jo, please.

 

Minister Lee realizes what a great sacrifice the king made in order to save Yoon-hee’s life. He comments on her daring nature and brings up what she said to him earlier, about using him as caution to make sure she doesn’t walk in zigzags and lose her way. He says it won’t be easy since men easily miss even the very things before their eyes. It certainly won’t be easy to do alone – so he asks her to stay by Sun-joon and walk the straight path together.

Huzzah! Three cheers for Papa Lee! (Man, are things wrapping up in a neat little bow or what?)

 

And we have the final hand-off as Jae-shin officially resigns from his position as Yoon-hee’s guardian angel and passes on all duties to Sun-joon. He tells Sun-joon to protect her well so that he won’t have to get involved. In return Sun-joon thanks Jae-shin for everything he’s done for her.

Enter twirling Yong-ha who tries to tag along for the reunion with Yoon-hee – only to be stopped by a more tactful Jae-shin who sends Sun-joon alone.

Aw, I was kind of hoping for a Quartet reunion.

 

The library. Ah, the memories of first kisses, love notes exchanged, footsies, and futile attempts at studying. Seriously, I’ve never seen a couple meet so much in the library, but what do you expect from two brainy scholars?

“Have you seen the talented bear?”

“Wang?”

With beautiful smiles from our leading man and lady, we’re brought full circle back to their fateful meeting in episode one, when they had no idea what the future had in store for them.

This is what I consider the real end of the series, but since the production team tacked on the last five minutes for the sake of fan service… We continue the story at an undetermined time in the future…

Yongha is still his cheeky self, toying with women like only he can. He’s putting his skills to good use by selling and making clothes, having taken over the family business. Yes, he’s a fashion designer, and a fantabulous one at that. Step aside, Tim Gunn.

Meanwhile, a Blue Messenger is running across the rooftops, dropping blue leaflets everywhere. Blue is caught by a police officer, who turns out to be none other than our Jae-shin – and he lets out a little hiccup (he wasn’t cured!) when he realizes that Blue is a girl.

He pulls out her leaflet, marked up with a red pen, and tells her that writing bad grammar will become a habit. We leave him grumbling on the rooftops, agitated that SKK isn’t living up to its usually high standards of education.

 

Speaking of SKK, a crowd of students chase after a noticeably short professor (tee-hee), and it’s none other than our beloved Yoon-hee. The boys are more in love with her than anything else, using their exam marks as an excuse to talk to her.

Of course this doesn’t sit well with Professor Stache, aka. Lee Sun-joon, who throws a jealous hissy fit guised well in didactic words. The two bicker back and forth until interrupted by the headmaster, who has clearly had to deal frequently with their bickering at every turn.

The two glare at each other before stalking off in opposite directions.

Back home in the bedroom, Yoon-hee nitpicks about the dusty room (it’s HIS turn to do the cleaning – lady, I like how you run your household), but he glosses that over with a peck on the lips. She blows out the candle, and they, uh, get down to business (while he hilariously grabs the red book for “help”).

And they live happily ever after. THE END.

COMMENTS

Sungkyunkwan Scandal had charm. From its beautiful cinematography to its unexpectedly intense narrative to its absolutely lovable characters (from the four leads right down to the extras), it was just plain charming. At the core, the very foundation of its success was that it had substance and it wasn’t just a love story (which I’m fine with, but it’s hard to win over an older crowd with just a love story between teens/twenty-somethings). There was political intrigue, historical intricacies and social commentary as well. That explains why my mother and I were both hooked (and now both showing serious withdrawal symptoms). It took first love and history and did an admirable mash-up to produce a true gem.

Not to say it didn’t have its flaws. The sometimes questionable editing, the inconsistencies (particularly in the strange cross between day and night scenes), the underdeveloped characters (Kang-moo, who are you? Cho-sun, why did you become a baddie in the first place? Etc.), the overuse of smoke, and the too-neatly-wrapped-up ending (more on that later). So is SKKS perfect? No. Is it one of the best dramas of 2010? Darn right.

As we neared the last twenty minutes of the final episode, I thought it unfortunate that the series wasn’t originally slated for 24 episodes. I feel the final wrap-up could’ve been smoother; instead, we had too many bows tied up hurriedly for the sake of closure, which sort of took away from the poignant moments, like King Jeong-jo’s sacrifice for Yoon-hee. I personally wouldn’t have minded a slightly open, more subdued ending, but the ending stayed true to the spirit of the series.

As for the saccharine-sweet final sequence… I particularly love that Jae-shin chases the Blue Messenger in order to hand her the marked up leaflet. And I love that Yoon-hee is a professor at SKK – only, it doesn’t make much sense, does it? Is Yoon-hee still pretending to be a man? But didn’t Jae-shin imply that girls are allowed at SKK now? Wait, isn’t that historically incorrect? Yes, and I understand fully if history buffs are miffed. But as a (fiction) writer, I think the final future sequence is more of a what-could-be rather than what-is. It’s the new Joseon that King Jeong-jo dreamed of, alive in this drama and in its characters. I believe the writer is taking liberties with our imagination, and I (personally) am okay with that. I do kind of wish the whole sequence had been set aside as a special segment rather than the closing sequence, but I think it did its job as fan service, and it closed the drama on a happy note, leaving smiles on our faces.

Finally, let me close with a screencap that I believe epitomizes SKKS and why we loved it so much.

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Dear Drama,

I loved you and miss you already.

Thank you recappers for recapping this drama. This was certainly an enjoyable experience.

Love,

Me

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Hi All - Have a quick question. I'm only on Ep. 11 so I'm a little confused. Why does YS call SJ "Wang Seo Bang"? I re-read the recaps of 1-11, but couldn't find the explanation.

And why does his reference to "Bear" mean?

Thanks so much for all the WONDERFUL recaps. Although I have only watched up to Ep.11, I have read all the wonderful recaps!! Thanks for all your hard work and incredible insights! Love you guys! xoxo

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"Wang Seo-bang" is the person she was originally slated to take the civil service exam for. "Bear" is the codeword she said to Sun-Joon, whom she mistook for the guy. The code was something like "The talented bear is here" (don't recall exactly). So it's sorta like their in-joke. She's the Bear and he's Wang Seo-bang.

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Thanks so much Informantxgirl for the clarifications!!! I had an inkling that "Wang Seo Bang" was the "Wang" that she was suppose to cheat for but didn't know for sure until now.

Thanks again! LOOOOOOOOVE this show!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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thanks red pill love the recap and the screencap awesome

:)

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Thank you all the recappers and thank you SKKS.
It is indeed drama of the year , It really is a worthwhile drama . I read PMY interview and she said is a blessing to be part of SKKS ,and is also a blessing for us viewer to have this drama.So thank you all .

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Thank you soooo much! ^_^ It was a great series, and dramabeans provided equally great recaps. Here's hoping for season 2!

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finally!!! i know how it ends =D thank you ladies.

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Thank you dramabeans for the wonderful 20 episode recaps! My delight and ecstasy of watching SKKS was multiplied a hundred times with your recaps. An episode is just not complete without a dramabeans recap.

Now that it's all over, sob and sigh, I will miss the Jalgeum Quartet! Move over F4...J4 is the one to beat!

Love you guys! Yoo Ah In you were the real star!

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Ending was adorable. Yes, it wasn't historically accurate and a lot of things don't make sense but hey, at least we got our happy ending. This drama was littered with historical inaccuracies so it really didn't bother me all that much. And I don't think a happy ending would have been possible had they stuck it out with the conventions of that period.
I started watching this show expecting to drop it after 3 or 4 episodes like I usually do (not really a fan of kdramas...or dramas period) but instead ended up watching something like 14 episodes in two days and getting my mom and brother addicted to it as well...and I'm still sad that it's over. Can't really pinpoint why but I really enjoyed this drama. Not the best that I've seen and Yoon Hee's wide-eyed stares irritated me...a lot (I dunno, just one of those things that annoy me about kdramas...). But it was a fun time.
And Song JoongKi and Yoo AhIn have got another fan, heh. I've seen their other projects before but they kind of just passed over my radar until SKKS. Will definitely be looking forward to their next projects

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YAY! I have been waiting for this recap.

Thanks for all the fun, guys. I loved this series, but a big part of that came from what I read about it on Dramabeans.

I agree about being iffy on SKK and the whole Yoon-hee-is-a-girl issue.

(BTW, major LOLZ at "Professor Stache.")

Also, my Second Lead Crush Syndrome is causing me to be partially unhappy with Jae-shin's epilogue. I got attacked by a major fanfic plot bunny WHILE I WAS WATCHING his encounter with the Blue Messenger. Good grief.

Nevertheless, the finale left me with more warm fuzzies than anything else. I'll be re-watching this series for a long time to come!

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GAH. The Yong-Ha and Jae-Shin moments, like when JaeShin was all, "I'll never look at you again.", YH was like, "What's this? Geol-oh, a love confession for SunJoon? In my presence?"

And then later one, when JaeShin pulled Yong-Ha back to give SunJoon and Daemul their moment, Yong-Ha looked at him and was like, "So, I belong here?"

MOMENTS.

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uh. one of the BEST moments of this episode...or ever.

and to answer you YongHa, YES, the answer is YES, that is where you belong. forever.

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i know omg those moments. *dies*

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Yong-ha and Jae-Shin for the win. I squee-d like mad at those scenes. They are soooooo adorable together. Why, why, why couldn't they have gotten together? Why, Show, why? Why put the cute together to break it apart? WHY?

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^ to keep our wild imagination/fandom alive :p

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FUCK I LOVE THE SONG BTW. :)) Anastasia!

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thank you for the recap red pill~!! while i fully enjoyed this drama from beginning to end (and am currently considering a rewatch already)... there were flaws that irked me. am i willing to overlook those?! hell to the yes...

i guess my main thing wasn't the historical inaccuracies (in a fiction drama, even based off historical events, story flow comes before accuracy for me).... but how it was wrapped up. i was really curious as to why the Great Chosun was being used by Minister Ha. Did she end up with In Soo? What happened with Hyo-Eun?? I didn't want YongHa to be with Hyo-Eun or anything, but I enjoyed their scenes together.. I think when she's not being her faux lady-persona, she is actually spunky enough to keep YongHa on his toes... and what happened with YoonHee's family?! Wasn't that the whole reason she started the whole charade? I mean, overall, I'm glad we got the happy ending, but I just wish there was MORE to the ending, you know?

SKKS shall live on for me in rewatches and fanvids... keep 'em comin talented peoples (not me haha) :D

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I kinda like/ have a soft spot for Minister Lee aka Papa Lee.
Such wisdom.. so cool/level headed.. so calm.. I bet nothing can ruffle his 'feathers'. And I love it whenever he goes 'tsk.. tsk.. tsk..ehemm.. ' at his son. Hhahah!! Am I the only one here??

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I always love that actor esp his performance in Cinderella's Sister...great great acting....but for the love of me, I don't know his name...lol

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Kim Kap Soo (Gab su), whichever way you choose to anglicize it, is awesomeness personified!!! I want to go to Korea and take him on as my Seunim. How can one actor be just so marvelous!!!!

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yes he's so awesome! when i saw him in All My Love i didn't recognized that it was him til i heard his voice and i was like 'oh it was the left state Minister' teehee!

@anais: glad to see your comments though its a bit late..:) to be honest i've been your silent stalker everytime a new recap had been posted..why? bcoz i've learned a lot from you..im not a korean so im not familiar with korea's history and other stuff but you have them all covered! so i'd like to thank you personally for all the FYI's that u've shared with us :)

thank you also for the wonderful recaps and awesome recappers cassie, redpill, GF and JB.. :)

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im alittle depressed it ended. i really loved evry second of this series. good bye quartet 4. u will forever be in my heart.

Just one thing missing though: I wish we could have seen a scene with cho and in soo happy together. maybe playing with their baby or something. that would have been very sweet to see.

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Before I read through the recap I would love to say thank you for the lovely ride on this drama. To whomever writes, contributes and sharings the joys of SKKs. To GF, JV and cassies, it is a wonderful experiencing (this time around I remember the days of All Abt Eve) the moment of this young scholar. I wished I could congratulate to Park MInyoung for the wonderful performance potraying the brave YonHee. For the cleverly written script and for the author too. And lastly, for the happy ending of the drama. It was a good ride after all. Thank you again.

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OMG, I just realized that Minister Lee is Cinderella's Sister's kindhearted father GU DAESUNG, TROLOLOLOL. Mannn, I sat there for the longest time wondering where I saw those familiar eyes before HAHA

I'm gonna miss The Quartet. Love that last picture.

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skks definitely one of the best of 2010..well for a fangirl like me..id say it is the best of 2010!

btw am i d only one - but i think profesoor stache looks so hot..;)

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thanks a lot red_pill for your wonderful recaps on SKKC .. i just loved the drama to death ...everything was fabulous nevertheless ..it gave me full FUN ;-) ..oh i already miss the quartet ..& the most important thing this drama gave me is a total Squee worthy MOON JAE SHIN ;-)

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Simply the BEST! <3
Hands Down.

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Thank you for your recap, totally agree SKKS is 2010 best drama with awesome actors seems like things happen in real life.

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I am going to miss them huhuhuhuhuhu...... love them so much huhuhuhu

especially Gu yong Ha.... :(

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Thanks so much for the recaps!

I never know a final recap could make me cry so bad, when all that's left is a happy ending. But this final recap had left me with so much emotions, and I think I just had the worst withdrawal syndrome...like ever.

Your introduction alone made me grin the whole time, as my mind revisits all the memories I had with SKKS, and I laughed thinking of the weekly fainting from all the squeel-worthy moments, the midnight scream and silent sobs of seeing Jae Shin the heartbreaker, and the satisfaction and triumph of converting others into SKKS addicts. It's definitely not a perfect drama, but it goes straight up on my top Squeel-worthy Kdrama List. And the final picture just did it for me - I cried so bad - I miss them already!

I will miss this drama: the Quartet, the tree, the hats, the twirl, the library, the arrows and all the chaotic, fun moments I had with everyone. It was one hell of a ride.
Let me end this by quoting Jae Shin's word:

"SKKS - thank you, for you."

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I DIED. THE ENDING WAS SO AMAZING!@#$%^&*(
omgomgomgomgomg, I loved everyoneeee.
as;ldfklasdkfjas;lfkjas;lfkjads;lfkjdslfkjas;lfkjas

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OMGGG LOVED this drama sooo much! Yeah the last episode was definitely a bit rushed but i think the rest of the series makes up for it :) Most lovable characters ever!!!

Yup I'm right with you...showing serious symptoms of withdrawal too :'( Gonna miss SKK so much!!

Cheers for the recaps ^^

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...tan tanan and the winner is red_pill for recapping the last episode!

i'm almost over with my withdrawal symptoms. and yesssh i will vote for this drama for one of the best in 2010. love it with all of my heart :)

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haha... nice song... I LOVE SUNGKYUNKWAN SCANDAL!!! <3

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Thank you for your lovely recaps everyone I am really gonna miss this one.

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indeed that picture sums up my feelings for the drama

i just love the flutter feeling dramas give you
:) now back to modern korean in mary stayed out all night!

*plunges back into imsonia-ridden schedule*

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Is it really over. I throughly enjoyed this drama!!!

Oh the withdraw symptoms *shivers*sniffles*sigh*

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My goodness, I am facing serious and intense withdrawal syndrome of SKKS. The best 2010 Kdrama for me. Already I missed Lee Sun-Joon, Kim Yoon-Shik, Moon Jae-Shin and Gu Yong-Ha. Forever live Jalgeum Quartet!

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Thanks so much for this recap! I also fell in love with the plot and the characters. And I agree with everything you've said. I am having serious withdrawal symptoms...I've been watching every single episode again and again...I really have problems with letting go. LOL.

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Loved reading this series! Thanks for recapping it! Maybe I'll get around to actually watching it... ;)

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I miss the show and just haven't found any replacements for it yet and I doubt I will anytime soon.
I hope YAI will get a leading role soon, he deserves it.

Thanks to all 4 recappers!

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I did realize that when you have a good drama on mondays, it really can take away lots of the really bad things in the rest of your not so wonderful day. How many other people were cheering that it was monday? And how many other people got bizarre looks from everyone around them? See this is why we share our trials and victories of drama love here. Cause who else is going to understand the loss of "Yummy and Moony... as a couple.... in the moonlight... crying"?

Morn with me people! Let out your tears of loss, your crazed fangirl chants of whoa. Beat your chests and flail your arms because it is over... at least until the DVD comes out :)

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=F760D8357DDF7197

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OMG Diadda, you usually provide megavideo link, which I couldn't access somehow, but these are AMAZING XD

Love the gloryss and whatamiss, and I haven't even watched everything!

I have to say this is a very productive way of mourning. We fangirls bow to your awesomeness!

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Oh poor you! The megavideo links are her "badgirl" productions... not suitable for YT and utterly utterly delicious! ;) She is rather awesome isn't she? We ♥ her. :)

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Good gravy! I knew I needed to provide flipping instructions for those darn megavid links. Click the link provided! Click the red play button! Ignore all other windows the may or may not pop-up! Press the now green play button.

Megavid has some purposely confusing adverts.

To make up for it a repost of the Yummy episode 19 vid.
http://www.megavideo.com/?v=ZMZJ1JX0

The very first BadGirl Production.
http://www.megavideo.com/?v=NXY6R9L0

And my guest appearance one.
ttp://www.megavideo.com/?v=LIT0RMLL

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ehm thanks for the instruction *blush* how am i supposed to know that I must press the button TWICE?

and YongHa the Rockstar? Spot on!

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You are not the only one to get confused, but I have as many if not more vids in the megavid collection than on YT. I think I posted all of those somewhere. If you want them I will see what I can do to get them too you.

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THE FRIENDSHIP.

i'm thinking that was what the last screencap represents and that was WHAT SKKS was about 1st & foremost. the friendship between 4 very different people and how they and their relationship matured...I LOVE IT! it warms the heart really, for me, even more than the love lines/triangles/quadrangles if you will and bromances.

Thank you recappers! and how i wish the makers of SKKS can read this but thanks to them for making a charming period rom-com with substance. story-wise, it's tung-yong(?)/PASS! it's tight and looks well-planned. very much appreciated.

again, i reiterate and again in all caps =p:

WISH ALL RECAPPERS AND GIRLFRIDAY AND JAVABEANS WRITE THEIR OWN COMMENTS ON THE SKKS!

its story and making has so many points of discussion, w/c makes it so interesting, and, yeah, 1 of the best kdrama for 2010! =D

THANKS!!!

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the best ending ever!!

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*sigh*

The end...I do not wish for this Kdrama to finish, but reality is harsh.

Thanks for the recap, red pill, and thank you to all who have brought us more laughs and tears from your reviews of and comments about the SKKS episodes. This has surely become 1 drama I'll remember forever...

On a side note, I can't help but cry all over again (thanks to the MJS theme music I kept on listening while reading your review). It's true; the ending seems rushed. I feel like they could have shown some more; they could have wrapped it better. Nonetheless, while I'm sad for MJS (like I'll ever get over this), the ending shows hope. That's what matters to me. :)

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I've never fancied sageuk drama's and thought i never will, but the excitement and positive reviews of the recappers just caught up on me.

Am now watching this drama and lovin' it.

Thanks recappers, you show us the way !

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Thanks to all who have done a terrific job recapping this series. While I loved this series and enjoyed it tremendously, it made it even more enjoyable having people to discuss and swoon over the Jal-geum Quartet... Truly missed the show and am suffering from the withdrawal syndrome now.. :((

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Thank you so much everyone for the recaps. I'm actually glad the recap came a bit after the drama ended. I actually am still going through SKKS withdraw -- big time. The recap help add life into my soul, so thank you on this note again.

Agree on everything (better not list them out or it'll be a LONG paraphrasing comment from my part).

It's definitely the #1 drama of 2010 if not more.

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red pill!!!! thank you so much for this wonderful recap of the final episode. we can't believe we are already here at this point. we were all hoping so much that we would be able to stretch and prolong it, if at all possible.

your beginning and ending screencaps are all so fitting! i am consoled and comforted by the lovely message of richard marx and donna lewis' "at the beginning" -- this is also so apt to what all of us has felt and experienced with SKKS. thank you for sharing this with us! :-)

let me share the lyrics here:

We were strangers starting out on our journey
Never dreaming what we'd have to go through
Now here we are and I'm suddenly standing
At the beginning with you

No one told me I was going to find you
Unexpected what you did to my heart
When I lost hope you were there to remind me
This is the start

(chorus)
And Life is a road and I want to keep going
Love is a river I want to keep flowing
Life is a road now and forever
A Wonderful journey

I'll be there when the world stops turning
I'll be there when the storm is through
In the end I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you

We were strangers on a crazy adventure
Never dreaming how our dreams would come true
Now here we stand unafraid of the future
At the beginning with you

(chorus)

I knew there was somebody somewhere
Like me alone in the dark
I know that my dream will live on
I've been waiting so long
Nothing's gonna tear us apart

(chorus)

In the end I wanna be standing at the beginning with you

SKKS, this is not the end but the beginning! Thank you, red pill!!! And thank you, javabeans, girlfriday and cassie for all your hilarious, serious, all brilliant recaps that made this journey so much wonderful for all of us!!!

Never had kdrama addiction this bad :-)

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"Like"

*Singing this song with you* :)

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and before i forget...red pill, this had me in stitches, hahahaha! ----

"And we have the final hand-off as Jae-shin officially resigns from his position as Yoon-hee’s guardian angel and passes on all duties to Sun-joon."

i can't stop laughing out loud with the pretty vision of MJS as an angel. all rugged, hairy and sweaty angel, hahaha! :-) thanks, red pill!

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hahahahah!!! that's one hell of an angel!

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hell of an angel, hahaha! funny turn of words...thanks, anais ;-)

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And I hope to see a J4 dramabeans header soon! That would be lovely!

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thanks a million times for the recap you all made in every drama esp this one , i like this drama and all the feelings we feels along the way, we need more dramas like this and spin off of every character we love and more drama of the actors we love

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Thank you so much dramabeans recappers. Your wit just added another dimension to enjoying SKKS.

Professor Stache? And the racy red book as instruction manual for the newlyweds? Oh the fan girl in me is swooning and dying of laughter simultaneously. Serious SQUEEEEE!!!

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I agree with you guys here - awesome, awesome drama and more than just a love story! I completely agree with Red Pill about the need to have a deeper plot in order to attract older audiences. I'm sure many of you in your late teens/20's such as myself have seen our fair share of rom-com kdramas and need more than a good looking cast and cute plot to sustain our interest. This drama had it all - fantastic characters with headstrong, well spoken protagonists and second leads, and raises political issues and social issues which provides some food for thought. I thought the pacing of the story was just right, however, the ending was a tad rushed. This drama would have benefited with an extra 2 episodes or so. The rushed ending was a bit of an anti-climax for me as I was looking forward to the drama surrounding the Yoon-Hee-is-a-girl issue once her true gender is revealed to all the other characters.

In one of the previous recaps someone pointed out that they loved Yoon-Hee because of the CHARACTER, rather than the acting, and I have to agree. Park Min Young's acting was decent, but she was given a great character to work with from the start. I feel the same way about Micky Yoochun - he was fortunate to be given a good character to play.

Gu Yong Ha and Moon Jae Shin on the other hand could have been characters who are easily dismissed (playboy and guardian angel who never gets the girl), yet they stood out the most for me (especially Gu Yong Ha) due to the solid acting by Song Joong Ki and Yoo Ah In respectively. Kudos to both these hot men for making us take notice of not only their looks but their talents. They command my full attention when they're in the scene! I am looking forward to seeing more of their works in the future, and hope that they will both land lead roles because they certainly deserve it.

Best drama of 2010 so far for me this year :)

Finally, to end this rant, I would like to say thanks to all the recappers and commenters. I enjoyed reading all the recaps and funny commentary that came with them as 99% of the time I felt like you guys had taken the words right out of my mouth.

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Bread, enjoyed reading your comments. Thank you! Agree with you wholeheartedly on the talents of SJKi and YAIn. They truly shone here in this show! They are brilliant and exquisite in their roles here.

It might be easy to dismiss PMYoung and MYoochun's characters to be fairly easy to play compared to the previous two. But most actors would confess that playing the subtle and restrained role, such as LSunJoon, takes more nuanced and finer skills due to its understated acting requirements. I think MYoochun did a fine job with this role considering it was his first full length acting role, if Im not mistaken. To prepare for this role he said in one interview that he had to live and breathe Lee Sunjoon until he can get this character down pat. As for PMYoung I read in one of the articles on her that she poured herself so much into this role that she almost forgot her own identity. She went away inspired by the courage and strength of KYHee that she was energized to do the same in her own life. Talk about passion!

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Agreed with you.While PMY and Micky are lucky to have these roles but they also made every effort to make it work. I personally feel PMY can act cute without ovedoing and she is really natural most of the time.And SunJoon character is more difficult to portray compared to the other 2 guys.Of cause SJK and YAI are good too in their roles.I think is real good chemistry.

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yes, wei, they all did a fine job, supported each other, had loads of fun doing it, and made it all work for our highest pleasure :-) cant ask for more. all the other supporting roles also did a marvelous job down to soondol and the small kids (they are too adorable!!!). agree, it's all about the chemistry, biology, zoology and all other sciences and arts combined hehehe :-)

missing SKKS every minute :-)

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Thanks for the reply guys! And thanks for pointing out Micky and PMY's efforts in the drama - I now appreciate them more! I too read the interview with PMY and was very impressed by her passion and love for her role. I also agree about their chemistry - all 4 characters have fantastic chemistry together!

Now to rewatch SKKS to fend of the withdrawal XD hahaha

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In total agreement about Yoochun. The difficult thing about playing well-written but restrained characters is that it gets read as inadequate acting when in fact it's the actor really bringing out the character.

I am loath to admit this because I don't want to divulge the degree of my SKKS addiction, but I often paused and compared different shots of SJ's expressions and was just so amazed at how, with so little change, he was able to convey being startled, taken aback, genuinely pleased, smug, etc. Really studied his expressions because he conveyed the emotions he needed to, all the while maintaining that straight, impassive face. I'm impressed and I look forward to his future projects. He has a bright future ahead.

OMG! I MISS THEM!!!!!

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you're welcome, bread...and thanks again for highlighting on the acting part...made us all think further because of your comments.

and to anais, yes! i love how you have worded it:

"The difficult thing about playing well-written but restrained characters is that it gets read as inadequate acting when in fact it’s the actor really bringing out the character."

can't agree more! :-) thanks for that!

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Best drama of the year for me...it slightly beat MGIAG!! Love the characters and the smart writing!! My favorite part is the love letter..how cute is that, the kissing scene..omg so sexy with the undressing..i mean taking off the hat..hehe

Gahh too many good scene to name! First time watching the series that the second leads didnt get on my nerves love them to pieces!! The four leads was awesome!!

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"The library. Ah, the memories of first kisses, love notes exchanged, footsies, and futile attempts at studying. Seriously, I’ve never seen a couple meet so much in the library, but what do you expect from two brainy scholars?"

MY FAVE location ;-) in all SKKS-landia :-) thanks, red pill!

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I think SKKS is the 1st kdrama that I can remember the 2nd male lead didn't do anything 'drastic' to show his love to the heroine.
I love the silent, protective, 'almost-brotherly' love Jaeshin had for Yhee since the defiance he had for his father for telling him off befriending Yhee whose father died with his brother that fateful night. And when he found out that Yhee is actually a 'girl', that quadrupled his protectiveness and remember her as the girl that gave him the handkerchief he bit on to silence his hiccups when sleeping next to her.
As for YHa, he has always suspected that Yhee is a girl but never got the confirmation either from Jaeshin or LSJ. In the end, he accepted Yhee as the 'girly pretty' scholar KYS that doesn't bore him until Hyo-eun said to his face that her brother knows that KYS is a girl. That news was a telling that Yhee secret has been blown and that his friend Yhee is in grave danger.
And, lastly, the significance of Minister Lee asking YHee to stay by LSJ side is that he no longer had his heir in the political stage to carry on his legacy. His son will only be a 'lowly' professor as the headmaster had put it.
Hmm... for me SKKS should have been made into a longer drama like King Sejong and such.. so that we can have longer time to feast our eyes and heart to eye candies that is Park Yoochun, Park Min Young, Yoo Ah In and Soong Jongki, and not forgetting Mr Kim Kapso and Mr Jo Sungha.

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DNAR, I agree with most of what you said but I wouldn't say that LSJ is no longer in the political stage. They are in the thick of things shaping the future graduates which in a way may be more influential.

Also, IMHO Minister Lee may be reserved but he really is proud and has a high opinion of his son. He already said his principle is not to brag and bring attention to your intelligence. He doesn't doubt LSJ will overcome the test situation and become a scholar at SKK. He smiled at the Minster Ha's suggestion that they need to intervene and says "What use will he be if he can't solve a small problem like this?" In the father/son scene when LSJ pleads with his father to help, Minister Lee asked "Are you really my son?" This man never says anything without purpose. I felt he was hinting at LSJ that if you are really my son, you can do more than feel sorry for yourself. And sure enough LSJ gets the idea to go to the king directly and use his persuasive earnestness to save the day. Just a thought.

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Absolutely loved-loved this show! It contained all the elements I look for (need) in a drama. The actors were wonderful. Dramabeans recappers ~ you all did a fabulous job which made watching the drama even MORE enjoyable. Thank you!

Now on to the next...MSOAN??!!

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Why has no one mentioned my favorite part yet?!?! The one I watched multiple times over?!?!

So Jaeshin lets Sunjoon go off to see Yoonhee and stays behind with Yongha. Yongha gets rather excited at this notion and places his hand on Jaeshin's shoulder, asking him if his place is here then. Jaeshin pokes him or something, which only gets Yongha more excited and he does this adorable little shimmy thing and they both genuinely laugh together. Then they walk off together.

Yes, I played that little bit about 10 times because they were so freakin adorable! We all know Yongha wants Jaeshin and for once Jaeshin just laughed along with him. AGGGHH my rapidly beating heart <3!

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