Youths Over Flowers: Episode 10

by javabeans

girlfriday: Aw, it’s already the start of the last day for the boys. After trekking around forever to get the best room he could find, Yeon-seok sits down to count out the money they have left to spend. Strangely it’s a lot, considering that they were given very little to begin with, and the show reminds us that they ate what they wanted, and even shopped.

javabeans: Gee, I WONDER HOW.

girlfriday: Clearly Yeon-seok is a thief, but what cracks me up is that the other two seem completely oblivious of this fact. The PDs seem to be oblivious as well, so no one says anything for now.

javabeans: Don’t you love Yeon-seok’s nonchalance, especially given how the show is painting him after the fact like some kind of nefarious plotter? I always think it’s funny how the PDs (try to) show themselves as being so in on the thing after the fact from the editing room, when in the moment itself they’re just falling for it.

girlfriday: I know, all, We’ll just let this play out, when really, he tricked you! Muahaha.

javabeans: Their plans for the last day involve going out to the market tonight and seeing the sights tomorrow, including Tak Bat, a Buddhist procession of monks gathering alms.

girlfriday: I love how Yeon-seok asks the other guys to wake up early to go see this, and they answer so half-heartedly (Ho-joon doesn’t even reply). It’s obvious that they’re all about the swimming and eating, while Yeon-seok is alone in his desire to see the historical sights.

javabeans: As they head out for the night market, Yeon-seok says that they have enough money to stuff their bellies full, and the Mi-shil theme (from Queen Seon-deok) plays (because of course, Yeon-seok is the evil mastermind). I wonder if Na PD has to emphasize how geeeeenius his insurgents are because that way he doesn’t look like a patsy for falling prey. When really, remember how Seo-jin ran circles around him just because Na PD was bad at math?

girlfriday: That is my favorite dynamic between Seojinnie and Na PD. When math is involved.

javabeans: We laugh now, but you know we’d both be Na PD. “What’s the exchange rate? How much is a kip? What’s that in dollars? Okay.”

girlfriday: Omg, conversions are my kryptonite. My brain just can’t manage it. They wander through the market at night, looking at souvenirs to buy and circling the food stands for a while.

javabeans: Baro gets drawn to these sketchpads and interviews that he enjoys drawing (though he’s not good at it), and that he really liked the paper, which is heavy and handmade. But his face falls at the price, and I don’t know if it’s because I know Yeon-seok is a cheater, but it totally seems suspicious when he tells him not to buy it now, but that they’ll come back after eating.

girlfriday: Aw, do you think he’ll sneak-buy it for him as a gift?

javabeans: I want the cameras to catch him sneaking the guy a bill or something. But who knows, maybe our imaginations are going wild.

girlfriday: I hope so, because Baro seems extra sad and lingery about leaving the stand.

javabeans: Then it’s on to food tasting, with Ho-joon giving us his trademark orgasmic reaction shots. Seriously, he needs to do food CFs.

girlfriday: They decide to eat dinner at a fill-your-plate buffet stand, and the guys seem to take it as a sort of challenge to see how much food they can pile onto a single plate.

javabeans: It cracks me up that Baro and Ho-joon load up their plates right away, while off on the side you see Yeon-seok laboring over his plate, arranging the foods in a specific way to maximize the plate space. It’s totally geometric. I swear you can see him thinking hard as he picks out dinner, unlike the others who just see and add.

girlfriday: He should maybe be an architect. I’m imagining a funny voiceover from Let’s Eat, about the proper rules of buffet eating. They chow down happily, and even get fruit juice for dessert. Okay seriously, the PDs have to be wondering by now where all this money is coming from.

javabeans: I know, and not in a way that you can fake afterward by adding captions that say, “Hm, what’s going on? Let’s wait and see.”

girlfriday: Dude, he even hands the other boys allowance money to go shopping, and Ho-joon beams, “I’m touching money for the first time on this trip!”

javabeans: “Eat one more! Get another! I’ve got money!” You have to hand it to Yeon-seok, he did a really good job of holding this secret in. Only now that it’s the last night do you see his facade break a little (where he might be grinning or not trying to be as careful to hide it), but he didn’t let on before. Plus that innocent face, man.

girlfriday: He totally Keyer-Sozed them. As they start shopping, this is where they get the idea to pick up traditional outfits for their airport fashion, and they die laughing just thinking about it.

javabeans: I love it. We totally laughed months ago when the photos of their return popped up, but it’s even better to see their reactions to the idea. They half-joking make a contest to see who can style themselves the best with their budget.

girlfriday: Ho-joon and Yeon-seok get competitive about their outfit choices, which is really cute, and each buy a shirt and matching pants.

javabeans: Aw, Baro really liked that notebook, because he beelines for the stationery stand first, then gets sad when he sees his notebook already sold. He manages a discount for another one, though, and looks super pleased with it. He walks off taking great big sniffs of the paper, lol.

girlfriday: Baro must really be into art, because he spends way more on artwork and paper goods than he does on clothes. And later when he interviews, he beams when he talks about how fun the market was, and shows off the things he bought.

javabeans: Ho-joon bargains pretty easily for a few discounts, which makes his reaction “Hm, I must not be asking for enough of a discount.” Whereas I’d just be thrilled I managed the whole bargaining thing at all, ha. He says how he has a close dongsaeng friend who lost a wallet, so he buys one at the market for him, and a photo from later shows us that it’s Yunho. Aww.

girlfriday: That’s so cute. Shin PD texts him to ask if Yunho knows how much he labored over picking it out and how much it cost, and Ho-joon replies that Yunho likes it anyway. Shin PD: “You have a really good friend.”

javabeans: Is true. Baro finally joins the hyungs, who laugh to see how much stuff he bought. He says that has a lot of money left over, and the show slows down and repeats those words ominously: “A lot of moneeeeeey… left… ooooover?” And then, as he shows them his purchases, captions exclaim, “He bought TWO hats?!”

girlfriday: Really, their shopping trip turns up endless bags of stuff — clothes, gifts, jewelry. I think even if they had saved all their allowance money for the whole trip, it might not add up to what they spent. The show reminds us of their meager beginnings, when they had to steal ice cream and make do with street food and go hungry on that first day. The PDs interview Yeon-seok and say that they came here to scout locations and did all the math, and their allowance should have been just right. “But you guys did more, ate more, and stayed in better places… but we’ve never once seen your wallet bottom out!”

javabeans: Yeon-seok is already suppressing laughs halfway through the question, then says with a straight face, “There was a loophole, and I used it wisely.” The show labels this the “Allowance Scam Case.” Then we jump backward to explain it, starting with the second day of the trip, back at their first, prison-like dormitory. As Yeon-seok and Ho-joon look over hostels on a smartphone, they nudge each other and trade looks, whispering quietly, and decide to “do it.”

girlfriday: We see that every time after that when Yeon-seok was looking up places to stay, they exchanged suspicious looks, and Baro and Ho-joon actually took turns purposely drawing the VJ’s attention away.

javabeans: It’s SO suspicious in this context! I bet the producers feel duped. Their eyes are actually shifty, darting from side to side, and Yeon-seok actually gives me chills, looking all evilly genius-like. Also, are you kind of in awe of their silent communication skills? They’re just blinking back and forth and trading smiles. It’s halfway to telepathy.

girlfriday: They’ve got it down to a science. Later they bring in each guy separately for an interview, captioning them as Suspects 1, 2, and 3. Ho-joon and Baro play dumb, which they point out is easy for Ho-joon since he actually doesn’t know much, ha. Then Yeon-seok sits down, and the PDs confront him about their hotel costs throughout the trip. He answers vaguely in dollars, and that’s his first hiccup — why is he answering in dollars?

javabeans: Actors playing suspicious suspects should study Yeon-seok’s reaction, because it’s all the classic signs. Evasive mumbling, looking away, hiding smiles, eyes darting… Finally he just laughs, “Well, now that the trip’s over…” Now he explains that with the lodgings, he used the site to look up reservations and compare fees — but in addition to credit card payments, it allowed you to pay via Paypal. HAHAHA.

girlfriday: That’s awesome. He’s right that it’s a loophole.

javabeans: The thing is, Koreans aren’t familiar with Paypal (and the show has to put up a whole explanation for how it’s used). But apparently Yeon-seok likes to shop from foreign sites, so he’s already got an account.

girlfriday: The PDs start to stutter as they ask if he really used his own money to pay for lodgings, and he admits it freely, saying that it wasn’t super expensive. They’re like, “It’s not the price that’s important, but it’s YOUR FIRST TRIP!” Like he ought to be on better behavior and he’s using the skills of a seasoned mastermind.

javabeans: I’m laughing out loud because the PDs are trying to make this sound so stern and disapproving, using words like “illegal” and “scam” and “trick.” But of course, it’s not like they have a whole lot of moral high ground when they ask, “Who did you learn this kind of behavior from?” in a parental sort of scoldy way, and Yeon-seok’s response is: “Lee Seo-jin hyungnim.”

girlfriday: HAHAHAHA. All scam roads lead to Lee Seo-jin.

javabeans: We get a quick montage of Seo-jin coming up with the scheme in Spain, wherein he mixed in his personal cash with the allowance stash and told the producers at the end of the trip. Which is why Na PD made sure to confiscate their wallets on this trip, which he hasn’t done before. But whatchoo gonna do when you have Paypal? I’m dying.

girlfriday: It’s hilarious, especially when they cut in all of Seo-jin’s methods, and Hee-yeol’s attempts to sneak his credit card in (and totally getting caught by Na PD in the process). Yeon-seok literally quotes Seo-jin, saying that he saw the weaknesses and loopholes and simply used them to his advantage.

javabeans: Omg, best response ever is when Shin PD keeps trying to shame him for scamming the show (“on your first trip!”) and Yeon-seok replies, “Well, when we first came on the trip, you guys scammed us the most!” Touché. “You wouldn’t let us bring anything! You secretly filmed us!” Shin PD can only say that he’ll have to close that loophole next time, but Yeon-seok just says, “There’ll always be a loophole.”

girlfriday: If he ever does this again, I want him to go with Na PD, because I’m pretty sure he’s just smarter than Shin PD.

javabeans: Also, Na PD has had a lot more trips, while this is Shin PD’s first of this series. I’m kinda sad there won’t be more Flowers trips, although I feel like we’re maxing out on scam-and-rescam opportunities.

girlfriday: They return to their room and try on their airport fashion, and Ho-joon’s outfit really just takes the cake. It has BELLS.

javabeans: They crack up at how silly they look, though Yeon-seok tries to frame it with its positives, saying that their personal styles are reflected with Baro’s vaguely hip-hop-looking baggy style, Ho-joon’s cute short-pants style, and his own simple one. Of course, the show has to cut in netizen reactions that refute all that, basically cracking up endlessly about how silly they look.

girlfriday: We go forward to their arrival at the airport 30 hours later, and Ho-joon sighs just before they reach the gate, “I’m embarrassed.” But they head out smiling anyway, and I’m laughing all over again remembering our first reactions to the pictures.

javabeans: Yeah, I remember us laughing pretty hard at the time — so hard that when we then learned about the trick to get them on the plane, we felt bad for laughing since clearly they’d gone with no extra clothing.

girlfriday: Right, because then we were like, oh maybe they HAD to buy clothing to survive! But now we know that’s not the case either, and they laughed just as hard at each other. Hee. They only have a few hours to sleep if they want to wake up at sunrise, so they head to bed and then wake up at the crack of dawn to go see the Tak Bat, a morning alms ritual where locals give food to monks (and they in turn share that with other locals in need).

javabeans: Baro and Ho-joon are so sleepy that they walk like zombies, while Yeon-seok buys some food with which to participate in the ritual and stakes out a spot on the sidewalk. Ha, so the show totally misled us because they’d shown us this footage (of them crouching in the street) insinuating that they were poor, when in fact they’re participating in the charity!

girlfriday: Dude, I know. And they also happen to be totally loaded, considering Yeon-seok’s hotel scam.

javabeans: Yeon-seok definitely seemed the most interested in going to the ritual, but once they’re there you can see the light sort of go on in Ho-joon’s and Baro’s eyes, especially when they see the monks (who collected the food they were handing out) then redistributing their food to the poor.

girlfriday: After that, with six hours left until their flight, the boys head out to see a waterfall. The show points out how different youths are, because the halbaes and other “youths” would’ve long since left for the airport by now, so as not to feel rushed.

javabeans: Instead, they take a truck ride up to the waterfall and decide to pass the time by shooting a “music video,” which consists of singing along to a song and mugging for the selca pole. It’s hilarious and looks like great fun, and then the camera pulls back to show the view from the car behind the truck and they look crazy.

girlfriday: I love that shot. I guess the important thing is that they’re having so much fun that they don’t care. Wow, these waterfalls are worth the trip — there’s an endless string of them, all connected.

javabeans: There are people swimming in lagoons up here too, and the boys marvel at the sight and are glad they came. Even though the show likes pointing out that they’ve only got two and half hours before takeoff time. Wait, they’re not going to miss a flight are they?

girlfriday: If they are, they might as well spend the day swimming.

javabeans: If they miss a flight, I do hope this was a planned tactic rather than a mistake. The show keeps captioning, “When the heck will they leave?” and “What are they doing here?” Especially when they’re hanging about, doing push-ups by a lagoon.

girlfriday: They finally jump in (well, Ho-joon kind of waddles in), and aw, Yeon-seok teaches Ho-joon how to swim. Pfft, he suddenly seems like a tiny baby.

javabeans: Aw, I love watching Ho-joon figure it out and managing to tread water. He even manages one of those huge jumps from above the pool.

girlfriday: This looks like so much fun! Why do they have to get on a plane?

javabeans: Yeon-seok says their timing with be perfect to arrive at the airport (I must be old, because I’m already feeling mild stress about them taking so long), and then he pauses to browse the gift shop. I wonder how much panic the crew is feeling right now. Captions: We have to leave now. We really have to leave now.

girlfriday: At least they can go straight to the airport, since they have no luggage to speak of. Ho-joon starts getting sad on the truck ride, and says that the week feels like a dream.

javabeans: He explains that he’s not that expressive aside from when he drinks, which is when he calls people up, and Yeon-seok in particular, to say he loves them. Baro says he thought that his drinking calls were just a habit, but now says that Ho-joon seems very soft-hearted. And Ho-joon explains moving to Seoul by himself and being very lonely.

girlfriday: It’s cute that Yeon-seok complains about Ho-joon’s calls, but then when asked by a staffer if he takes all those calls (and the “I love you” declarations), Ho-joon says he does. Baro talks about how happy they all were while filming Answer Me, and how he actually felt a little depressed afterwards because of the sudden loneliness.

javabeans: While riding along in the truck, Yeon-seok notices that Ho-joon’s eyes are wet, and the camera stays on his face, like it’s waiting for something to happen. The boys tease him lightly not to cry, and he smiles through it but he totally looks like he’s about to burst into tears. Baro: “Hyung, don’t cry, if you do I might cry too!” Although it’s not like their sad ballad playlist is helping any: “We live making daily farewells…”

girlfriday: Aw, he eventually can’t hold them in and wipes away a few tears. I really love that Ho-joon is just an open book. You can really read everything he’s feeling on his face.

javabeans: He says that he’s never thought of traveling as a thing to do now, it’s always just this far-off idea, but in going on this trip he’s set a new goal to travel more. He says it’s saddening to wonder why it’s only now that he’s thought this way, but Yeon-seok points out that even the halbaes went traveling together, so they’ve got decades ahead of them.

girlfriday: Ho-joon says that he might be 31, but he’s still mentally about 18 or 19, and the PD asks if he thinks he’ll be a grown-up by 40. He nods and says he’ll be an adult by then… and I so wish they’d cut in a clip of Yoo Hee-yeol laughing.

javabeans: Baro seems to have decided very firmly to make traveling a tangible thing, saying that he’s got some touring ahead of him but a week or two off in the middle, and will go on a trip for sure. “I have to grab youth, youth won’t grab me.”

girlfriday: That’s one thing that Youths Over Flowers has over the other shows — they really make it seem possible to leave for a trip with very little money in your wallet and just a few good friends.

javabeans: They talk about going on another trip with each other within a year, to Thailand this time (with a side trip to Vang Vieng, of course), and apparently Yeon-seok even went on another trip after this one, to Turkey.

girlfriday: They tie in all of the past seasons of the show, starting with Gu halbae’s reflection that the thing he’s most envious of is youth, and that you really just have to do things and go places in order to not regret your life later.

javabeans: If I rack up thousands of dollars in travel-related credit card debt, I’m holding this show responsible.

girlfriday: We should leave for a trip right now, and then mail the receipts to Na PD.

 
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