High Kick 3: Episodes 59-62

by gummimochi

We’ve hit the halfway point in our series (already?!) and I’m astounded how High Kick can have me in a fit of giggles one minute to nearly breaking down in tears the next. The week started off light enough, with fur ears and frantic Ji-seok outbursts, and now I’m going to need a box of tissues by my side at all times if people are going to keep stabbing me with their heartfelt emotions.

Note: A shorter week of 4 episodes, due to the news of Kim Jong-il’s death.

EPISODE 59 WEECAP

Kye-sang compliments Jin-hee on her shiny red wallet on the bus and asks if it’s brought her any luck. She shakes her head in response. While he rambles about filling it with some good fortune, Jin-hee gets a text – she’s made it to the second round of interviews.

At the clinic, he chants his magical incantation for good luck over her wallet. Jin-hee gets sent out for an errand and alas, drops the wallet in an aisle in a distracted moment.

Jong-seok continues his study lessons with Ji-won, this time complaining about memorizing Chinese characters. While seeing her out, he fumbles an item thrown by Soo-jung and accidentally sends Ji-won tumbling down the stairs.

It puts her in a cast, and Jong-seok apologizes, offering to make up for it. Ji-won tells him that he can trade in his “long legs” he boasts about for her short ones or let her borrow them. By being her personal human chauffeur.

Jin-hee notices the missing wallet too late and frantically retraces her steps, searching high and low for it. She even lists the wallet on an internet forum but no one reports it found.

Jong-seok spots a set of characters written on Ji-won’s cast and she tells him to figure it out if he’s curious. He recognizes a few, but can’t piece them together. He picks her up the next morning, and relents to a pillow to make the piggyback ride more comfortable, but balks at a headband holding a personal screen. A small guilt tug later, Horsey Jong-seok carries her, fur ears and all.

Jin-hee reaches the final round of interviews and Kye-sang congratulates her, attributing the good news to his magical incantation. She looks away with a twinge of guilt, the wallet still missing.

At school, Jong-seok notices that the characters on the board look mighty similar to the ones on Ji-won’s cast. They whimsically float around as the pieces fall into place. And it hits him: “My leg is fine.” HA!

He chases her out of the classroom as soon as class is dismissed, and the fake cast falls apart as she darts down the field. He catches up soon enough, demanding why she’d tricked him. She explains that she was trying to help him learn and now he won’t ever forget those characters. Hehe.

He calls for an eye for an eye and we cut to Ji-won fully adorned in fur ears, this time giving Jong-seok a piggyback ride, his feet dragging on the sidewalk.

Jin-hee and Kye-sang both head out to buy some supplies. He notes that this could be her last errand run for the clinic, when Jin-hee receives the call about the position. She’s failed and he reassures her that it wasn’t her fault – he didn’t wish the wallet in person.

He offers to do it now, but before Jin-hee spills the truth, an employee knocks an item out of her hands into the next aisle. As she picks it up, she gets a hunch and peeks under the stand… and lo and behold, the red wallet, safe and sound.

She happily hands it over, and Kye-sang chants a new good luck incantation over it.

EPISODE 60 WEECAP

Music Teacher Yoon visits Lee Juck, and his face falls to hear that he’s barred from sitting on cold surfaces, like the windowsill. No more longing window moments.

Meanwhile, our households have taken each other’s mannerisms. Ji-won does a Julien impression during their study lesson, and Jong-seok laughs in response.

But a few seniors crash their session, and ruffles Jong-seok’s feathers, sending him charging outside in a rage. Ji-seok spots the near brawl right away and the bullies run, but not before leaving his number for Round 2.

Ji-won insists that Jong-seok let it go – his studies are more valuable than getting in trouble. He retorts that he’ll take the opportunity as it arises, but she tells him to pinky-swear not to fight him.

Ha-sun worries about Young-wook, who’s gone away to focus on his studies before his exam. Ji-seok pulls up to find her waiting for a taxi, with a packed lunch in tow. He drives away at first, but drives backwards, offering to take her to her destination.

Having stayed up all night, Ha-sun can’t help but keep yawning and Ji-seok sweetly tells her to catch a few winks. She replies that it’d be rude of her to fall asleep… and despite her best efforts; she dozes off in the car.

The senior bully calls Jong-seok out to another fight, and Ji-won overhears the end bit of the conversation. He tells her to stay put, and she threatens to stop tutoring him if he’s going to go fight. With a slightly darkened expression, he heads out anyway.

Ji-seok helps carry the lunches up the mountain, to Ha-sun’s initial protests. When Ha-sun reaches down to retrieve a fallen broach, she feels a sharp bite when she bends down to retrieve it. The leaves rustle around them and she immediately thinks it’s a snake. Ji-seok informs her that it’s too cold out, but Ha-sun insists that it was on the news recently.

So Ji-seok starts to suck the venom out of her hand and Ha-sun starts to teeter, claiming to lose consciousness. In a valiant effort, Ji-seok rips off a shirt corner, bandages her hand with it, and picks her up, running down the mountain.

She’s nearly out of it now and Ji-seok shouts her name, saying that she can’t die – he hasn’t even told her how he feels about her. OMG, she can’t die, she can’t die. He vows to save her, even if it means draining every drop of his own blood.

At the hospital, the doctor tells Ji-seok that the snake wasn’t poisonous and Ji-seok roars why Ha-sun’s still unconscious then. Turns out the lack of sleep had finally caught up with her. Ji-seok reflects on his emotion-high confession, but rests knowing that she couldn’t possibly remember if she fainted.

But Ha-sun confronts him the next morning, claiming she’s recalled something. He gulps, thinking the worst, and she tells him she hit her head on a branch while he was running. Ji-seok apologizes, and she tells him if he’s that sorry, she can let him hit his head once.

He does, and she adorably pops back into the tunnel. Cute.

Ji-won gives the silent treatment to Jong-seok who tells her he turned back without fighting. She doesn’t believe him, and he tells her to see for herself, citing he came back to study with her. He tosses his phone on her bed, and the text messages prove he was telling the truth.

She hands his phone back, and he smiles. Yay more tutoring sessions!

Every time she sleeps, Ha-sun discovers another clue, each getting progressively closer to Ji-seok’s confession. She recalls that he shed tears for her… but the rest of her memory burns up, left forgotten.

EPISODE 61 WEECAP

It’s Christmas season and the Grinch Ji-sun complains about the holiday music and festive spirit. Ha-sun wonders if she should set her up on a blind date.

Yoo-sun wraps up work early and Nae-sang’s stuck on set, working late. He invites her to drop by, and she asks how long he’ll be so she can prepare dinner. He’s not sure, stuck waiting around until the next portion of the script arrives on set. Sigh, the consequences of live-shooting.

Later that day, Ha-sun asks if Kye-sang would be interested in going on a blind date with one of her colleagues. He teases her, “Are you talking about yourself?” but politely refuses with his trademark smile.

Next to him is our narrator Lee Juck, who does a bit of math in his head: a cute personality + porcelain skin + a bob cut + pretty voice + looks young = IU? Hehe. Kye-sang turns the offer to him and he plays hard-to-get at first, but agrees.

The latest scene calls for an ajumma stand-in and Nae-sang grows frantic, his available extras out of town. So Yoo-sun is enlisted to help shoot the scene. She’s stuck playing the possible ‘other woman’ and gets her hair pulled at, take after take.

The new script calls for the ‘other woman from the café’ which means that Yoo-sun will need to reenact her role. She balks, refusing to suffer more for such a ridiculous plotline, but relents when Nae-sang pleads with her.

Lee Juck waits for his blind date, still dreaming about IU, but it shatters once he catches sight of Ji-sun, his mouth open in disbelief. He’s generally disinterested and distant during their date with Ji-sun doing most of the talking. He answers her questions as to keep the conversation short, and ends up piggybacking a drunk Ji-sun home.

He vents to Kye-sang, saying that Ha-sun must really be out to get him, setting him up with someone like Ji-sun. Or maybe you’re just shallow. Just sayin’.

Ji-sun calls him the next day to arrange a Christmas date, and he hastily agrees before hanging up, lifting her spirits.

Nae-sang cautiously approaches the director about the next scene with a worried look. Yoo-sun is set up to be hit with a bag this time, and she endures it. But the next scene and the scene after that require her to get hit again and again all day long.

His eyes grow wide when an alternative ending scene comes in and he ushers his wife out, instructing Seung-yoon to bring back the costume. Surprised, Yoo-sun asks what the next scene is but he tells her not to worry – he’ll take care of it.

Lee Juck offers to meet Ji-sun in person after seeing a text message to confirm their Christmas Eve outing. He cancels, giving excuses that he’s busy at work, but she’s sharp enough to call him out on his lies. She gives him an out – that he can admit he doesn’t like her, and suggests he buy her a drink instead.

Drunk again, she shares about her loneliness on Christmas and Lee Juck informs her that she can’t be the only one in the world, which brings her to tears. She sends him away and he turns to leave. But he turns back and tells her they should spend Christmas together, since he’ll be alone anyway.

To only change his mind as soon as he sends her off in a taxi and tells her that he’d rather spend it alone.

At the restaurant, a few customers comment about a drama airing on TV and this time, the actress judo flips the ‘other woman.’ But that ‘other woman’ has a manly physique… Nae-sang?

EPISODE 62 WEECAP

The Ahn/Yoon residence gathers around the television to catch a glimpse of Seung-yoon and Nae-sang’s fleeting TV moment. Seung-yoon grumbles about not appearing on TV though he filmed all day. If he were to produce his own movie, he’d show everything – until a person stopped eating, until they flushed after doing their business.

Ha-sun arrives home in the evening to spot a stranger lurking outside her home. She pulls away and starts to hit madly when the figure walks towards her.

It’s Young-wook, back to take his exam the next day. He swung by to see her face to give him an extra boost tomorrow, and Ha-sun treats him to dinner, wishing him luck tomorrow.

Kye-sang catches Ji-won trying to sneak out on her scooter. He scolds her for acting reckless, and she protests. He bends over to hide the scooter key when he lets one rip. He awkwardly reminds her to stay away from her scooter and she storms out.

Seung-yoon films his home-movie, pressing on everyone’s annoyed buttons, like trying to follow Nae-sang into the bathroom. He distributes tickets to the ‘Tunnel Theater,’ and encourages everyone to check out his film.

The makeshift Tunnel Theater actually looks quite cozy and he introduces the film like the newbie director he is. The actual movie isn’t quite as engaging, and everyone grows restless as they mindlessly watch Nae-sang eat. Seung-yoon defends that his goal was to capture real-life – not to edit anything out. I’ll say.

Young-wook picks up Ha-sun at school, dressed to impress. The results are out, and he came to celebrate with her. He takes her to the Han River which brought them together. They enjoy a pleasant dinner and Ha-sun buys him a new necktie.

Kye-sang runs into Seung-yoon watching his own movie in the tunnel. He’s passing by, but his earlier argument with Ji-won appears on the screen. The fart makes its appearance (and the tissue blows in the same direction) and Kye-sang bursts into laughter. He invites Ji-won to a screening and they roll on the ground, unable to contain their amusement.

Young-wook drops Ha-sun off at home, noting that it’s nice to see her home by car versus walking. He starts off, “Truthfully…the exam…” but he hesitates and stumbles over his words. He has to relocate far away and he asks, his voice shaking, if she’d like to move out with him.

Astonished, she stutters out that her entire life is here: her job, her family… and Young-wook reassures her that he didn’t expect her to drop everything for him, but their time together is coming to a close. He says that every day with her was like a dream and thanks her. With one last hug, he runs off.

Young-wook’s gosiwon mate asks how Ha-sun took the news of him failing the civil service exam, to no reply. Oh no.

Wearing a solemn expression, he enters his room and breaks down into tears.

COMMENTS

Wow. WOW. I’m supposed to come up with words after that? I’ll be honest – I was never on the Young-wook/Ha-sun bandwagon (which our writers also indicated to us long ago), but my feelings towards Young-wook has turned a complete 180 since we’ve first met him. He used to be an attention-seeker, pseudo innocent stalker who wrote long annoying essays to Ha-sun, but when he stepped up his game to impress her friends, I smiled. I knew it wouldn’t be easy for him, finance-wise, and he carried some emotional burden of not being able to take care of her in that sense, but I felt reassured for his character. And now? Get this guy a hug. I had a nudging feeling that he might be lying about passing the civil service exam, breaking up with Ha-sun because he couldn’t support her right now, but his utter breakdown into tears just absolutely killed me.

Which brings me to the Ji-seok/Ha-sun camp. *taps fingers* High Kick writers, is this happening or is this happening? Now that her relationship with Young-wook has come to a close, it opens up the possibility for Ji-seok to stop playing Daddy Long Legs and actually do something.

I’ve been waiting patiently – can’t I get my Christmas gift now? I’ve been good… sort of.

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