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The Man Living in Our House: Episode 7

What does it mean to be a family? Is it about sacrificing for those you love, or staying with them no matter what? Neither Nan-gil nor Na-ri have a healthy view of what makes up a family, but if they keep going the way they’re going and are brave enough to make that commitment, they might just be able to find out what family truly means.

 

 
EPISODE 7 RECAP

Na-ri confronts Nan-gil, and asks if he still likes her the way he did when they were kids. Nan-gil doesn’t answer, he just steps closer to Na-ri, and reaches out to caress her hair. He moves a lock of hair off her face, to reveal a little piece of cucumber stuck to her skin. HAHA. He dryly quips that if she was doing a facial, it didn’t work.

Na-ri snaps at him, and Nan-gil calmly admits that he does still like her. But he says those feelings are old memories, and now he only likes her as a friend. He adds that he doesn’t know the Na-ri that has a life in Seoul, nor does he want to know her. Oh, you liarpants.

Na-ri is surprised to hear that Nan-gil views Home Na-ri and Seoul Na-ri as two different people. Nan-gil says that he’s only interested in her as her mother’s daughter, and follows up by asking her not to come here anymore because she makes him uncomfortable.

He turns to go, but Na-ri stops him with a hand on his arm. She channels her inner teenager and tells him that he’s not being fair. He carried her in his arms to the hospital, and he even came to Seoul to save her. She says he’s been attentive and caring, and asks if he was just playing with her.

Of course, that tirade was only in her mind, and what Na-ri actually says is that he still managed to confess to her just then. So, he can just get to know Seoul Na-ri. She understands that him being uncomfortable just means he likes her, and refuses to listen to his rebuttal.

A voice calls from downstairs, and oh crap, it’s the police. Luckily Deok-bong is there and says he’s Nan-gil’s lawyer. When Nan-gil steps outside, Deok-bong instructs him not to say a word. The cop explains that Uncle has reported Nan-gil for assault and kidnapping, among other things, and Nan-gil is taken in for questioning.

Naturally, his previous record comes up, but Deok-bong pokes holes in the complaint against him. There’s no proof or doctor’s records of assault, and Nan-gil can prove he was at the restaurant at the times he was accused of being with Uncle. Nan-gil asks if he can report Uncle missing. He says that he was in contact with Uncle but his phone has been off recently, and he’s worried.

Wan-shik somehow knows when Nan-gil is released from questioning, and reports back to CEO Bae. He tells him that he had Uncle reported as missing, but apparently this was expected and CEO Bae says to move to the next step. He didn’t expect Nan-gil to have a lawyer, though, and tells Wan-shik to look into him.

The guys discuss the situation on the drive home, and Nan-gil says he thinks this charge wasn’t meant to stick, only to get his name on the records. Deok-bong asks why he’s listed under a different name on the Dada website, and Nan-gil tells him that CEO Bae was his adopted father, but he abandoned him.

Na-ri is waiting anxiously when they get home, and peppers Nan-gil with questions. He explains what happened, and she asks about the blackmailing charge, remembering the phone conversation she overheard that night when it sounded like Nan-gil was threatening Uncle.

Nan-gil yells, demanding to know how she knows about that conversation. Na-ri says that she only overheard it, she didn’t see anything. Deok-bong suggests they all sit and talk calmly, so they go inside.

Deok-bong shows the Dada Finance website to Na-ri in private, with Nan-gil listed as a Director. She loyally says that Nan-gil wouldn’t have done that by choice, and worries about how he must feel knowing they’re talking about him. Deok-bong suddenly asks if Na-ri needs a ride back to Seoul in two days, but she doesn’t answer and just says she wants to talk to Nan-gil.

Deok-bong is worried that Dada Finance is going to take Nan-gil to trial, and he says that nobody will believe he and Na-ri are stepfather and stepdaughter. Nan-gil could be charged with fraud and the marriage to Mom dissolved, giving Na-ri the land, which Dada will then force her to hand over. Nan-gil calmly says that the marriage and land transfer are legally ironclad, so Deok-bong says they have to act like family so that nobody will doubt things.

Nan-gil asks why Deok-bong is doing this for free, and in answer, Deok-bong asks Na-ri on a date. He says that he’s declaring his intentions so “dad” won’t misunderstand, watching Nan-gil closely.

Nan-gil warns Deok-bong not to be flippant, since Na-ri’s mother recently died and she’s still emotional. He goes into Dad mode, asking if Deok-bong’s family gets along, then reminds Na-ri that he just said they have to act like family when she objects.

Na-ri walks Deok-bong out, and says that she understands now why Deok-shim called her a player. Deok-bong insists his interest isn’t sudden, that talking to her makes him happy. Aww, he’s so cute. Na-ri thanks him, but makes it clear she’s not ready to date. Deok-bong asks her to just think about it, but Na-ri doesn’t want to keep him waiting.

Yeo-joo meets with a matchmaker who’s been setting her up on dates, and says that she no longer needs their services. The matchmaker informs her that she has a new client — none other than Dong-jin. What’s worse, his number one criteria in a woman is that she have money.

Yeo-joo figures that his mother did this, since she hasn’t met Yeo-joo yet. But as she leaves, her expression grows desperate.

Na-ri is huffing over Nan-gil’s fatherly attitude earlier, when he texts her to come to the lake. His guard is very much up, and he asks her — if she heard him on the phone, then she also saw him shirtless, didn’t she? He asks why she trusts him, and Na-ri asks if it makes him angry that she does.

Nan-gil says he knows she’s afraid to find out why he’s a legend, and asks why she wants to know if he still likes her. Na-ri tells him to say what he’s trying to say, and Nan-gil says that he doesn’t think they should live in the same house anymore.

He tells her to leave and let him handle all this. He says he’ll give her the land then leave, when it’s all over. Annoyed, Na-ri says she’ll just sell it… if he wants it protected, he should stay.

She makes it clear that she’ll be the one to decide whether to trust him, and Nan-gil can’t argue, though he asks her again to leave. She asks why he’s pushing her away, because she’s happy here and doesn’t want to go. She even felt thankful to her father for his debt, and asks why he’s so afraid when they didn’t even start anything.

Nan-gil asks if she has no fear, and tells Na-ri that he even told her mother that he was giving up his feelings for her. Na-ri says that he made that decision all on his own, and that her mother would never oppose them as a couple. Nan-gil knows that, but says that’s not the point — it’s him. He can’t say any more, and leaves.

Deok-bong and Deok-shim’s father is visiting the toy museum today, and Deok-bong tells his sister that she’s going home with Dad. She offers a deal, and they strike a tentative agreement that Deok-shim will gather information on Na-ri in exchange for being allowed to stay.

So Deok-shim shows up at the museum to greet Dad, though she insists on standing with the staff. He finally arrives, with Deok-shim’s mother and youngest brother in tow, and surprisingly, Dad seems to be a pretty affable guy. He wryly greets Deok-shim as a staff member, then laughs when she returns the gesture.

Na-ri helps a local granny make mandoo. Granny complains that her son doesn’t do a lick of work, saying that children make their parents miserable, and that even Na-ri and her dad used to give her mom a hard time.

Na-ri asks for details, and learns that at one point, her father took her and didn’t come back for months. Granny doesn’t know much about it, but the town thinks he only came back because he ran out of money. Granny says that Na-ri’s parents never got along after that.

Granny’s son offers Na-ri some mandoo, and says that he used to hang out at Hong Mandoo all the time. He asks her to thank Nan-gil for helping him fix his steamers, and Na-ri is surprised they know him.

Na-ri heads back to Hong Mandoo, and instructs Nan-gil to get dressed up. She says she has somewhere to take him, and that she’ll meet him outside.

Deok-bong’s dad asks Deok-bong why he can’t handle one simple thing, the resort, correctly. He tells Deok-bong to pretend everything is going smoothly, and to make different blueprints if that’s what it takes to make the townspeople sell.

Deok-bong deadpans that it’s because of Dad that everyone calls them the worst resort company. Dad just laughs, and tells him to get this handled within the month.

Mom tells Deok-shim that they expect her to graduate high school in Seoul and go to college, and Deok-shim pushes back. Mom says they’ll drag her home by the hair, so Deok-shim sweetly promises to go full-on batcrap crazy if they do. When Dad finds them, Mom says that Deok-shim will be staying. Heh.

Na-ri nixes Nan-gil’s first few attempts at an outfit, though she won’t tell him where they’re going. She finally okays a turtleneck and jeans, and on the bus she reveals that they’re on a date until midnight.

Nan-gil is grumpy about it, but as Na-ri lays out the history they’ll be playing out (that they grew up together and now, as adults, they’ve decided to date), he doesn’t object much. He wants to know what Granny told Na-ri that prompted this, and Na-ri promises to tell him at midnight when the date is over.

Na-ri asks Nan-gil a bunch of first-date questions, but he refuses to play along. When she asks if his childhood dream was to marry her, he looks a little cornered — ha, busted.

We see that Granny’s son told Na-ri that he knew Nan-gil as a child, and that he was a good kid who would play nicely with anyone. He’d once told Granny’s son that he’d shoot anyone who messed with Na-ri, so Granny’s son taught him to use the slingshot that Nan-gil used to chase off her bullies.

Nan-gil says to Na-ri that he was young back then, and he thought marrying her was the only way to become family with Na-ri’s mom. He swears he had no other reason, but Na-ri doesn’t believe that for one second.

By the time they exit the bus, Nan-gil has decided to participate, and even offers to carry Na-ri’s bag. Na-ri says the bag is part of her outfit, and anyway, he’s already carrying enough for her. Awww.

Yeo-joo snaps at Dong-jin for being late for their date, saying that he’s the worst of all the guys she’s dated. Dong-jin says she can’t be upset today since he’s introducing her to his friends, and she perks up a bit.

Na-ri and Nan-gil go for coffee, and she takes a lot of pictures. Nan-gil says he’ll do anything if she’ll just stop talking cutesy, and Na-ri intends to hold him to it. She says they’ll eat and hold hands and even kiss… then stops, realizing what she said. Hee, Nan-gil betrays a little smile at the thought of kissing her.

Na-ri has only ever dated one man, so she’d googled “first dates,” and she wonders why things like where they go and what they do are so important. She says they should talk about something in common, so she asks him about greenhouses.

She knows what eggplant flowers stand for (truth), and asks about strawberries and squash, the other plants he’s growing. With a sigh, Nan-gil says strawberry flowers mean “family” and squash flowers mean “beautiful heart.” Na-ri smirks that he obviously looked it up after their last conversation, ha.

Dong-jin presents Yeo-joo to his friends, who all three seem to be annoying boors. One friend keeps calling her “Na-ri,” another asks for hookups with her fellow flight attendants, and the third is depressingly cynical.

The cynical one decides to look up old pictures, which of course include Na-ri. Dong-jin takes his phone to look at them, and Yeo-joo clocks how his expression turns sad and wistful.

Nan-gil and Na-ri continue their conversation by a bonfire, and Nan-gil invites Na-ri to ask him whatever she wants. He immediately regrets it when she asks why he decided to settle his feelings for her, and accuses her of cheating since they’re supposed to be turning back time.

She concedes, and asks if he has any questions for her. He asks why she reads self-help books, and Na-ri says they’re motivating. Nan-gil tells her to relax and let her heart heal on its own, and Na-ri says she’ll let her heart rest if he lets his body rest.

Nan-gil cheerfully says he’s healthy as a horse, then freezes when Na-ri lays her head on his shoulder. Slowly, he reaches around to pull the blanket back over her shoulder, then rests his hand there for just a moment before letting go nervously.

He piggybacks her later, since she fell off her heels and twisted her ankle. He complains that she’s a mess physically, and she gripes at him to shush. She shakes his hand at the house gate, saying she had fun, and he asks what Granny said about him.

She’d said he followed Na-ri’s mother around constantly as a kid, and when he was planning her funeral, he came to Granny to make sure she’d be there to say goodbye. Na-ri thanks Nan-gil for doing all the work for the funeral and sending Mom off well.

She says that there are things in her past that she can’t remember, that she badly wants to know. But she admits that she feels like if she remembered, she and Nan-gil would grow apart. When Nan-gil asks why, she says that she thinks it’s because Nan-gil is one of the things her mother kept from her, and now he’s hiding things.

She knows from Nan-gil’s sigh that she’s correct, and doesn’t press him. She says that she wanted one happy memory with him, and goes in to bed. She walks slowly as if hoping he’ll follow, but he doesn’t. Instead, he calls one of his mandoo chefs and says that he has to go now.

Inside, Na-ri ignores a call from Dong-jin, who’s drunk-dialing her from the restaurant. He texts that he regrets what he did by cheating on her, but he doesn’t get to send it before Yeo-joo yanks the phone out of his hands and reads it. She slams his phone to the ground and calls him the worst man she’s ever dated.

Wan-shik makes the rounds collecting payments from local store owners. Nan-gil follows, though his vision starts to blur and he weaves unsteadily through the crowd. But he manages to regain control, and slams a surprised Wan-shik into a wall.

Nan-gil wipes the smirk off his face by asking if CEO Bae knows he’s lending out company money without permission. He tells Wan-shik never to show up in front of Na-ri again, no matter what CEO Bae orders. He reminds Wan-shik that even though they hated each other, they used to be family.

He says Wan-shik was the first family he ever had, so he’ll keep his secret… for now. But he wants to know the secret CEO Bae is keeping, about what Nan-gil did to Na-ri’s family. Wan-shik laughs, and says that CEO Bae knew he’d ask that and says to come ask him personally.

Nan-gil looks ready to hit Wan-shik, but another dizzy spell stops him. He staggers away, and wanders through the streets fighting unconsciousness until his chefs find him and take him home.

In the morning, it’s time for Na-ri to go back to Seoul for good. She asks Nan-gil to go with her to check her seeds, so they walk together to the greenhouse. Na-ri says that she slept well last night, and finally dreamed about Mom.

Deok-shim is hanging around the greenhouse, but this time she comes out and asks to speak to Na-ri. She seems to be fishing for information, asking when Na-ri is leaving and barking that she needs to know what time, but she scoots away when she sees Nan-gil.

She calls Deok-bong, who’s still asleep when Deok-shim says Na-ri is leaving after breakfast. Aw, he’s pretty adorable when he’s sleepy.

Na-ri is pleased to see her seeds sprouting, and squeaks when Nan-gil pulls a weed, thinking it was a lettuce. He tells her that weeds are smart, because they look like the plants they grow near. But when the plants hear the farmer walking back and forth looking for weeds, the wanted plants grow all the better, knowing they’re protected.

Na-ri knows exactly what he means — that the weeds’ job is to help the wanted plants grow better. She gets all shy when Nan-gil looks at her closely, then asks Nan-gil to check on her lettuce often so that it can hear his footsteps. Nan-gil grows emotional, and can’t even look at her when she says this feels like a final goodbye.

Deok-bong arrives to drive Na-ri to the city, and she tells Nan-gil that she’ll see him next year for Mom’s memorial. Even though he’s been telling her to go, her words look like they sting, and he sends her off with just a nod.

Na-ri wants to stop at a rest stop on the drive, but when Deok-bong says he only does such things for his girlfriend, she takes back the request. He says he does want to take her somewhere for tea, and they end up at the same restaurant where she and Nan-gil ate just yesterday.

Nan-gil stands staring at the house, seeing echoes of Na-ri everywhere he looks. He finds the books she’s left behind, and sighs.

Na-ri is quiet at the restaurant, remembering her too-short date at this place with Nan-gil. Deok-bong tells her that Na-ri offered to spy on her for him, but she stops him and says she can’t focus. Deok-bong notices that she doesn’t look well, and they go outside.

Na-ri almost doesn’t answer a call from Nan-gil, and when she does she says she left her books behind on purpose. She plans to do as he says and let her heart heal in its own time, but Nan-gil tells her that he was wrong and she should come get her books. He so obviously just wants to see her again, even offering to bring them to her, but she says no and hangs up.

Deok-bong senses something is wrong, and says that maybe it’s too soon for them to come here together. He offers to take her the rest of the way to Seoul, and Na-ri sniffs back her tears and heads to the car.

Nan-gil sits stunned for a few minutes before getting up to go to work. He leaves the books on the table outside, which is where Na-ri finds them. She came back!

From behind her, Na-ri hears Nan-gil’s voice saying, “I didn’t think you’d come.” She says she came for her books, but he says that he didn’t call her because of the books. He says that he promised himself that if she came back, he would tell her everything.

Na-ri turns to look at him, and says, “Then talk.” Nan-gil tells her that every since he was young, and even now, the answer is yes — she’s his first love, and he still likes her. Na-ri asks why he said he ended his feelings, and he says that he was sorry.

She asks what he’s sorry about, and his answer is simple: “For loving you, Na-ri. I’m sorry.” Then he walks to her and takes her face in his hands, and kisses her over and over, not looking one bit sorry. And Na-ri kisses him right back.

COMMENTS

Wow, what a kiss! I wasn’t expecting that quite yet, but Nan-gil doesn’t do things halfway, so if he’s going to confess that he loves Na-ri it makes sense that he’s going to take advantage of the moment. I’m just happy that Nan-gil is finally being honest about his feelings — well, he’s always been honest, he just evades like a pro when he doesn’t want to talk about something. That’s why it’s good that Na-ri is excellent at reading what Nan-gil isn’t saying, and unafraid to confront him about it.

I just love Na-ri more and more with each episode. She’s so honest and straightforward, and it’s great to see her trust Nan-gil enough to ask him the hard questions without fear, like when she asked about his phone conversation with Uncle. So many dramas would have the heroine tiptoeing around him, scared and trying to discover what’s going on without actually talking to the hero. But Na-ri just asks, openly and trustingly. She’s not accusatory, she’s not afraid, she just wants to know so that she can act accordingly. It’s such a breath of fresh air to have a drama heroine who gathers the necessary information before deciding what to do, rather than assuming and jumping to unfounded conclusions.

And that’s obviously having an effect on Nan-gil, because other than Na-ri’s mother, nobody has ever trusted him that way before. He’s the opposite of Na-ri, closed off and secretive, but in his defense he has every reason to be. He’s lived a lonely, violent life, and he’s learned not to trust anyone and to keep his real motives to himself. It makes me happy to see him relaxing around Na-ri, and not even for romantic reasons (though those are great too!), but just because he’s such a lonely little boy on the inside and he could use a friend he can be himself with.

It’s looking like the real mystery here revolves around Na-ri’s father, not her mother — he sounds like he has/had a lot of secrets. Taking Na-ri from her mother for months, the airplane ride Mom insisted never happened, the loans and then disappearing, it all sounds super-shady and frightening. And as Na-ri explained, her mother has a lot of secrets as well, such as why she never told Na-ri about Nan-gil when they were children, when Mom and Nan-gil were so close. Why would Mom keep him a secret from her daughter, does it have to do with the secret CEO Bae knows? Now Nan-gil is the one keeping secrets, and that’s another reason I’m happy that Na-ri isn’t the kind of person who’s scared of answers. Whatever the truth is, she can handle it.

To change directions just a bit, I’m just about over Yeo-joo’s “poor little neglected girlfriend” act. Honey, you don’t get to steal another woman’s fiance then be upset when he still has feelings for the woman he was planning to spend his life with. You are not allowed to take what doesn’t belong to you, then play the victim when it doesn’t work out the way you wanted. She even openly lies to him, saying that she’s never dated much when the truth is that she’s been a very active member of a dating club for years. She got exactly what she asked for — a cheater who thinks of other women when he’s with her. She has no high ground from which to judge him when she was the one who enticed him to cheat in the first place.

The show is not turning out to be as funny as I expected, but it’s delivering a poignant sweetness that I’m really appreciating. The show is all about family and relationships, and Na-ri trying to discover the truth about her own family. Nan-gil has grown up without much family to speak of, and he’s desperately trying to save one while at the same time holds himself apart from it. His analogy of a weed’s purpose being to help the wanted plant grow stronger was so sad, because he obviously sees himself as the weed, whose purpose is to be sacrificed for Na-ri’s sake. I can’t wait for Na-ri to help him understand that not only is he part of her family now, but he’s a critical, crucial part of it, and that her family can’t survive without him. More even than a romantic love between them, I can’t wait to see them truly bond as family.

 
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I watched most of this episode with a silly grin on my face. I love this drama!

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I did not realised i have a silly grin on until my dad question me about it lol...silly grin with fluttery heart

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Quite apart from the romance, which was lovely (my God, what a kiss!), I was grinning because I was cheering Na-ri on. I love that she trusts Nan-gil and is open with him about her feelings. So many dramas have a heroine who loves a hero but doesn't trust him, which doesn't make any sense.

I know the stepfather element made things weird at the start, but I have to admit that it makes Nan-gil's character hotter. He's so hot when he gets all head-of-the family and take-charge and adult-y. But he can also get boyish and adorable (I loved his sheepishness and his deference to Na-ri that time he brought drunk Yeo-joo a drink of water), as well as vulnerable and emotional. Kim Young-kwang is doing a great job.

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Couldn't agree with you more, i love that NaRi is sooo confortable in every aspect with Nan Gil. It's like she was never heartbroken, and that kisss.............lol

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I haven't watched this episode so I'm refraining from reading the recap fully but I've seen enough spoilers especially that ending scene and I can feel my lips form into a grin as I scroll through this page >3<

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I was with a silly grin until every person in my 50 bed dormitory had looked at me and grinned .

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The Date was adorable! And the Kiss! Applause! Applause!!

My suspicion is Yeo joo is related to Joo Hee (from 1%) by some degree because they are both batshit crazy women. They are sooooo annoying, everytime they're onscreen, I want to slap them both then shave off their hair. I haven't been this annoyed since Queen Shouldneverhavechildren.

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LOL! I know what you mean since these are about the only 2 shows I'm watching. :D

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Lol! Yes Miss Yeo Joo needs to stop whining, but for some reason I find her much more legit than Joo Hee!

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I agree, Joo Hee is so so annoying i can't stand her. Just reading about her bores me to death.
Atleast Yeo Joo is watchable

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Joo Hee is weak sauce. Yeo Joo is spicy sauce.

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hahahahahahaha ! that's hilarious!
I watch 1% as well and in as much as I truly don't like Yeo Joo very much, Joee Hee from 1% officially takes the crown as Crazy Ex from Hell that j u s t w o n't g o AWAY!!!

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So.... Why there isn't a screen capture of Deokbong when he woke up because of Deokshim's phone call? He was so cute I could die......

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Deokbong being too sweet and cute in this episode. Aww~~

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Oohh la la, Deok Bong <3 He's so adorable..

This drama is such a treat to watch. The model turned actors are such great additional bonuses to the show. #eyecandy

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Can we help him escape the second lead role, get his own show, and finally have his chance at true love in 16 eps or less?

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This!! I have watching him as director, (sexy)carpenter, (hot)vampire (also looks pretty in hanbok), a police wannabe, the famous tennis player(also a puppy for his noona)...now adorable I-am-villain-but-no-evil-deeds-yet...

Lee Soohyuk-shi, I'm still waiting to see you get out from the second male lead dungeon. *sigh*

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Haha, Second Male Lead Dungeon. Who else is in there that needs a prison break?

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Kim Ji-suk
Kim Jae-wook

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And there it is, wow! I never anticipated the kiss, but man did i love it. It's a good thing Nan Gil admitted his feelings, and that kiss, oh... But i do wonder abut one thing though, what's the secret director Bae is keeping against Nan Gil i was hoping it'd be reviewed before the kiss happened. Now iam afraid, whatever it is, it's going to one big obstacle to ther budding relationship.
Na Ri's heart has already been healed and now i fear it'll be torn again. However i love this show.
Am i going too far because of "the secret"?

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Martin J Simwaba, I believe you're right. The secret will be the thing to add the next bit of conflict in the story to keep it exciting. How Na Ri will react to the secret??? ... at a guess, if we look at how she treated Yeo Joo who betrayed her, maybe we can get a clue as to how she would treat Nan Gil.

Overall she is above board, (almost blunt or is blunt), very direct and will demand explanations, but she is not unreasonable. She'll take time to think while she keeps going about her business and she'll come to her own independent decisions. Some dramas will milk the angst from secrets for episodes. I'm hoping and thinking, this one won't. :)

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Given Na-ri's personality, I don't think that what ever it is will be an obstacle. I think that she is far more likely to sorrow over young Nan-gil's struggles and to get mad at the people who used him. Also, I don't think that she is likely to hear a part of the story and go off half cocked. Based on her actions so far, she is far more likely to dig for the truth and withold any action until she knows everything. Until that time, I think that she will continue to trust Nan-gil unreservedly because she has seen what kind of man he is now.

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Thanks LollyPip!

How I love the fact that the show starts with the questions Na Ri asks Nan Gil and ends with his answering them honestly and openly and with the super nice kisses. Brought me to a nice high! :D

I like how this show does not stay still or go in for long exposition but ups the game every episode and shows in flashbacks what we need to know. I'm glad Duk Bong gets to be more than just a pale, wall-flower 2nd lead and that he is both deliberately and inadvertently helpful to Nan Gil. With the kind of father he has, it's great that he still has his own morals, has not hidden what the resort will do to the land, has not (yet) tricked or duped residents into giving up their land, and is a generally ok guy.

Each time he gave a compliment or said something nice, and Na Ri looked a bit stunned, I burst out laughing when he asked himself if he was being too sweet. I do like his openness as to his motives and how he lays out his intentions with regards to Na Ri. At first Duk Shim seemed to be just an extra or a plot device, but now, I'm hoping that with her playing a bigger role in Duk Bong's life, brother and sister will be brought closer together to be real family. She obviously needs to grow up and to believe that she's likable and cared for, and the lonely guy could at least do with a sister by his side, if not a girlfriend.

The most enjoyable scenes, to me, were those with Na Ri trying to extract as much info from Nan Gil as possible and how she was so exuberantly anticipating all the high moments of dating, especially the kiss.... only to swallow that in embarrassment. I believe her mentioning that as part of the date may have given Nan Gil the courage in the end to go for it.

I just re-watched a part of Ep 4 and came to the part where Na Ri said she couldn't trust Nan Gil. When compared now in Ep 7, with Nan Gil asking her how she could trust him after seeing him shirtless (ie seeing the tattoos on his back), and realising that she does trust him, I feel something changed in Nan Gil. This and the date got to him enough, so that he could not just let her go without confessing the truth.

Of course, after a sweet interlude, now I anticipate some smelly stuff hitting the fan, but I believe (and hope) it will not be eked out endlessly, if we can take our cue from the earlier episodes, and that we'll have lots of happy OTP moments and family togetherness.

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When compared now in Ep 7, with Nan Gil asking her how she could trust him after seeing him shirtless (ie seeing the tattoos on his back)

Oh. So that's why the shirtless part was significant. LOL I was kinda confused about that. Why would I not trust a shirtless Nan-gil? A shirtless Nan-gil shouldn't trust ME!

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HAR!

Those weren't barcodes... ;-)

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LOL! mary, can't imagine what you'd do with or to a shirtless Nan Gil. ;)

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Thanks for the great recap. I loved this episode. I'm glad that Nan-gil decided to just go for it. I think faced with the possibility of Na-rI leaving he found it worse than the prospect of her finding out about his past. I agree that it is so sad that Nan-gil thinks of himself as a weed. You know what though, even a beneficial plant is considered a weed if it is growing in the wrong place, like a squad plant growing in a strawberry patch. I think that Nan-gil would only be considered a weed in that sense. He grew in the wrong place, first parent less in the orphanage and then with CEO Bae. I have a feeling that Na-ri will feel the same way. Nan-gil is likely afraid of how Na-ri will see him when she learns of his past and when the find out whatever secret CEO Bae is keeping. Na-ri is so kind, loving, and understanding though. I think she is far more likely to feel heartbroken by what young Nan-gil had to go through than she is to reject adult Nan-gil.

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First off, thanks, LollyPip, for your recap and those great screencaps!

@BossyPixie,

I agree that it is so sad that Nan-gil thinks of himself as a weed. You know what though, even a beneficial plant is considered a weed if it is growing in the wrong place, like a squad plant growing in a strawberry patch. I think that Nan-gil would only be considered a weed in that sense. He grew in the wrong place, first parent less in the orphanage and then with CEO Bae.

I like the agricultural analogies in the show very much, and would like to add to them. Weeds are not only useful plants unintentionally situated in the wrong place at the wrong time (roses in the middle of a corn field), but also plants for which humans have not yet discovered a use, or whose ecological roles are as yet unrecognized. [Check out the nifty Plants For A Future outfit in the UK for more info.]

When are weeds not weeds? When they are intentional "companion plants" whose symbiotic growth exceeds what they would have achieved separately. [A book entitled Roses Love Garlic comes to mind.] IMHO, Nan-Gil is a companion plant. And Na-Ri is his companion plant. They are both better off together, as is becoming evident. But he hasn't had the luxury of cultivating a relationship with a companion plant of his own because of serious external circumstances and self-judgement.

To take the plant analogies further, when abandoned fields revert to forest (like my childhood backyard), grasses give way to brambles, and then trees. In these parts, birch is one of the "nurse trees" that provides shelter for the seedlings of larger trees, and it builds soil fertility in the process. It's not as massive as an oak, and not as long-lived. It gets shaded out and dies off when its little charges come into their own. It sure sounds like the self-effacing Nan-Gil to me.

I'd never heard of weeds mimicking the useful plants they grow up with, but maybe there's something to it. However, I am well aware of the role of human intention and interaction with plants. Cleve Backster's serendipitous discoveries come to mind.

NG: "There's a use for them [weeds], too. They say that plants grow listening to footsteps. A busy farmer walks back and forth... to pull out the weeds. The plants grow well when they know... they're loved and protected."

This is straight out of the chapter on Luther Burbank in The Secret Life of Plants by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird. It echoes the chapter on Dr. George Washington Carver, too. All that walking around is another name for the ancient practice of blessing the fields (rogation) and wassailing the trees and their dryads in the cider orchard.

I love it that Nan-Gil is a Green Man.

VINEYARD MAN has such a hero, too.

PS: What is "squad plant "? By any chance are you from the Commonwealth? This American is having a "two nations divided by a common language" sensation. LOL.

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@PakalanaPikake

Thanks for bringing up companion plants. I hadn't thought of that, but is a great analogy for Nan-gil and Na-ri's relationship. I have never heard of weeds mimicking useful plants either. However, now that I think about it, I have noticed the phenomenon during my own gardening. Sometimes you have to let a newly sprouted plant grow a bit before you can tell if it's what you planted or a weed.

I am American too. A squad plant is a combination of messy typing, at an ungodly hour, on my tablet and auto-correct! LOL

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Did you mean "squash plant"? :)

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Yeah, I did. Which I should have put in my explanation. That's what only 3 hours of sleep do to your brain.

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@BossyPixie, @lindl,

Well bless my curcubits...

Thanks for the reality (and spelling) check. I was tired, too, and squash just never occurred to me. I thought it was some common name like ice plant. Duh. ;-)

I'm thinking re: weed mimicry, that he's referring to the similarities between plant families... corn is a grass, so I could sort of believe it when they are seedlings. Better to wait a bit for differentiation when they're larger.

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Correction:

I’m thinking re: weed mimicry, that he’s referring to the similarities within plant families…

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I’m so in love with this show. I’m in love with all the looks he directs at Na-ri. I swooned so hard this episode. My sister and I both squealed like maniacs for the kiss scene. You felt all the emotions they were going through, especially when they were parting. You can just tell them grew extremely attached to one another, and both of them couldn’t resist one another. It’s hard for me to convey all the emotions I feel towards this episode into words. So I will just leave this: http://i1.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/007/762/337.gif

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So sweet! Gosh I love our OTP!

But question...did this all this almost feel a little too fast for anyone else?! I was surprised!!! WHOOOSHH it all happened so fast! First, out came the deep truths, so matter-of-factly. I thought it'd take ages and episodes to reveal. Like, "NBD, yeah, I loved you and love you and stuff and that's why I married your mom." When he was saying the spiel about how he loved the here-her not the Seoul-her, /I/ loved how she called him out on it! So awesome. I am all about Na Ri's straightforwardness. She rocks. Boy she got over the fact that he was technically married to her mom quick (and good for her!). I wish their first "date" felt less forced, but I loved the sweetness that shone through by the end. I also loved the fashion show as she chose his outfit in the beginning!

The end of the episode was so pitter-patter inducing. I couldn't believe we were already at the smooch point but I am not going to complain about it! It will be interesting to see how the drama moves forward. I know there are complicated things that will come forward with her dad, with the debts, with Nan Gil's connection to Na Ri's life, and with the Ex-Dad aka Dada wanting to bring up a case against him. I hope the fluttery moments can stay with us.

In addition, dear Dramaland Gods, please let Nan Gil have just PTSD and not some kind of terminal disease, bc I was getting some real unwelcome Uncontrollably Fond feels during the dizzy spells this ep. SAY IT AINT SO!!!

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I'm with you! Although it's been pretty obvious for a while that he's got the hots for her, I'm surprised that he changed his mind so suddenly. Or that he decided to suddenly be so open about it. I thought there were REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUES like trying to keep up a father-daughter facade for Da Da Finance's sake? I need more explanation as to why he decided to throw all caution to the wind.

I felt super sad for Deok Bong in this episode though. Poor earnest puppy.

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Love this episode! Squeee!

By the way, I also lol-ed at Nan-gil's polite "thank you" after Na-ri finally gave him the OK to his wardrobe (for the date). I thought he would have gotten pissed off, but I guess he's probably just glad that it's finally over. :D

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Ha Ha... I enjoyed that scene too!

Nan Gil was so amiable about changing his outfits following Na Ri's orders. The thought occurred to me, - ok, he's being trained, and he doesn't even realise it! Ha ha..

Whatever happened to all that talk about NR treating him like a father? :-P

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Exactly! Hahaha..

He doesn't even care that the three Mandoods are watching. I wonder what they're thinking seeing their boss like that. Lol.

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MANDOODS are super cute! Mandoods is now my favorite word.

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+1 Mandoods OMG loving it too!!! ❤️

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Hahaha

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I'm tickled that my warped sense of humor is adding to the fun.

Mandood, proper noun: male employee of fictional dumpling shop in 2016 Kdrama The Man Living in Our House; from mandoo, dumpling (Korean) + dude, man (American slang).

Because "ManDude" would be redundant...

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Oh man, I love that nickname! Mandoods. Awesome. I wonder if the two quiet mandoods are former gangster family? They seem to know what Nan Gil is up to when he goes to Seoul.

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I think that too! The mandoods have so much respect & love for him and at least the 1st mandood knows that he liked/likes her, so I think he somehow safed them either from gangster life or from the orphanage.

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I think you're onto something, although I don't at all get a menacing vibe from any of them like I do from fremeny Kim Wan-Sik. It's more like Nan-Gil runs his business with a gang-like hierarchy, but without the gangster mentality or brutality.

On the other hand, they're very loyal... and their diffidence could be chalked up to omerta. (I can't help it. I'm from New Jersey... Land of the Sopranos. Sigh.)

Lee Yong-Kyoo = sous chef / lieutenant
Park Joon = getaway driver
Kang Han-Yi = muscle

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I felt like it was the show's way of doing a reverse "Dress Up" sequence, where typically, it's the girl changing into 50 outfits to meet the man's approval. nice twist !
lol

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i was honestly just expecting a hug at the end but got FLOOREd by that kiss

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Remember how Granny's son said "I told him to draw what he dreamed of becoming, and he drew that he'd marry Hong Na-ri. So I fixed the drawing and made him the owner of a dumplings restaurant. But it really came true. Goodness. Had I known, I'd have drawn him to become the President."

Gee where have I seen drawing better outcomes recently? With a tablet and a disappointing ending? Is it "Name That Drama" time" ??

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Man that kiss! ?? Young Kwang really truly delivers *wink wink* <3

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Totally. He was a great kisser in 'Go Ho's Starry Night' too. This show is oh so good. But Nan Gil is the most adorable.

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YES!! That Kiss !! Yowzza!!! That's got to be one of the best out there. I rewatched that scene several times. And I'm so glad that she kissed back!! Thank you PD Nim for the way it was filmed!!. Young Kwang, you've got my heart! @ Lola, I think I'm going to have to watch Go Ho's Starry night after this one! ;)

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I'm actually really enjoying Yeojoo, as much as the rest of these characters. I don't have sympathy for her, but it's amusing to see her thought processes on screen and how much energy she puts into it. It's also frankly pretty realistic; the idea of being a 여우 ('a fox') in korean dating culture is pretty common.

I also really enjoy Deoksun! Again, she's done some pretty terrible things, but her family is screwed up, and honestly, she hero-worships our lead because he's the only one who's given her time of the day, sweetly given her advice, and not judged her immediately. Also, he's super attractive. I'd low key stalk him if he lived in my neighbourhood too, heh. Her brother does care for her, and it's fascinating to see everything they say to each other is through bartering and legal talk; they hide all their interest and trust because they don't want to be caught out first ;;;

But yes, I enjoy Nari most of all. So great to have characters like her be more prevalent in the drama landscape.

I LOVE ALL THE GIRLS! AND ALL THE BOYS! I LOVE THIS DRAMA! (Even after Ep 8.)

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What do you mean by after ep 8? I watched it, but maybe you're referring to some drama curses about how they start out well but then flop...cheese in the trap.

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Thank you for your recap and comments. I love reading your writing to know what you think about each ep of the drama I'm watching.

This ep was amazing. I grinned like a fool at all NG and NR's moments. KYK accurately portrays NG's emotions and thoughts with his acting such that I can feel NG's lonely love and silent longing for NR. And his gaze makes me believe he has been loving her all his life. I wish I have a NG too.

Hoping for our OTP to stay strong together to brave the impending storm in the next episodes.

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How can a show called "The Man Living in Our House" not be overflowing with more funny "living together" hijinks? Those are the best!

The kiss was awesome, and I'm overall enjoying the show. But just something feels off, like maybe the pacing? I feel like too much time is devoted to Yeo-Joo. And as much as I enjoyed the kiss and first date, it just all felt unexpected. I feel like I haven't been able to follow Na-ri's thought trajectory. It's as if I didn't go through the process of following in love alongside her. So the payoff doesn't feel as sweet because I just couldn't follow how we got here at all (at least on her side of things. He's clear as day.)

Also, I'm so done with any finance/land/shady stuff. Unfortunately, I don't think it's done with me. Sigh. I need to knead dough.

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"It’s such a breath of fresh air to have a drama heroine who gathers the necessary information before deciding what to do, rather than assuming and jumping to unfounded conclusions."

--TRUE! I love this kind of heroine. It's hard to find this type of girl in dramaland.

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I mean... COME ON DRAMA! I'm going crazy over you, I swear! First and last thing I do after/before sleep is to check instagram with #themanlivinginourhouse and #sweetstrangerandme. At work, its OST is on shuffle play in my spotify.

The chemistry between NR and NG is so amazing. I know its childish but I really wish they end up with each other (noona alert!), they are both single, right? :)

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*I meant, they end up together in real life -- i.e. Soo Ae and Kim Young-Kwang :)

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I think Soo Ae is single. But Young Kwang, he said in an interview before that he will keep it a secret if ever he will be in a relationship so I'm not sure if he's single.

I also ship them in real life. They look so good together. And the way Young Kwang looks at Soo Ae in the drama would make me think that he likes her for real. That he's not just acting.

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OMG! I know! I remember before the show started, I read some negative comments about YK's acting. But man, how he looks at Soo Ae, you can really feel he's in love with her for years! So my guess is either he's a really good actor or he's really in love with Soo Ae ?

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I was actually expecting a kiss towards the end....it wasn't out of the way, it matched d pacing..my friends were all surprised about it.

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I love that he remembered her being angry and reading books at the end and didn't like her cutesy voice at the date. it just transports that he loves her for who she is (and I love her for it too)

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I also love that he called her out on the cutesy voice too. Especially when the other females are always using their meek cutesy voice when they are around him, or Na Ri's ex.

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thank you for the recap!! :)
I'm really loving Na Ri and Nan Gil and enjoying watching Na Ri being a strong woman who knows what she wants and feels and acts on them without fear and to see Nan Gil remaing an honest and truthful man who won't lie to hide his secrets but will use his skill to avoid the answers but Na Ri is smart enough to read in between his words and actions with makes me so proud of both of them!! :D
I didn't expect Nan Gil to make his move and confess his feelings for Na Ri but he did and he even kissed her!! YAAAY to that!! :D he suffered too much (and he'll still face hardships for sure) so he deserves to find some happiness and be able to be himself enen if for a short time before things goes wrong again!! and I'm waiting from Na Ri to help him get over his self-sacrifincing mode and believe that he's not good enough for her and that his only purpose is to be sacrificed for her!!

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Thank you for the recap. Great episode. And that kiss..... :)

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Here's my take on Yeo-Joo: she "stole" Na-Ri's boyfriend because he seemed like a nice boyfriend to Na-Ri. It is a twisted human nature thing where you want what the other has because what they have seems good.
so once she has him, she puts up this cutesy act to keep him, hoping he'll stick like glue. Unfortunately, NaRi-s ex is actually of the worst kind: even as a cheater, he's a miserably wishy-washy unassertive kind of guy with very little resolution. (can you tell I deeply dislike him??)
So in as much as I obviously don't like Yeo-Joo for being the 2nd woman, once it's all said and done, the Ex is being a total asshole to her and that blows.

now, the part that I DON'T get about her, is why she feels the need to pout about it to Na-Ri !!!!! like, girl you need to back off or you'll get a well-deserved back-handed slap !

(end of rant... after all, I'm at work and I need to work instead of happily refreshing this page for new awesome comments... lol)

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She probably feels this weird sense of kinship with her, like, "Look, my boyfriend treats me just like your ex treated you!" Conveniently forgetting the fact that it's totally the same guy.

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I sooooo love this show!!! It saddens me that the ratings are so low. Even on here, not many comments. Why???? This show is so endearing. Love Soo Ae and the character she is playing. I love that she is so open and direct, and that she will initiate some things like the date. She's the ideal female lead in kdrama land. Other writers should take note. I hope Na Ri continues to stay strong throughout the series.

As for Young Kwang, okay now I'm fangirling over him. I've only seen him in Pinnochio, and he wasn't projecting that swoonyness that he is in this one. He's not the pretty flower boy where you just look and think "why are you just so pretty?"(nothing against that at all), but he's that tall handsome, manly man - again so swoon-worthy. I'll be keeping an eye on him on his future projects ;)

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same thoughts about the leads and their characters.. they play out the characters so very well. and i swoon at kyk as kng, since i never thought kyk ever looked this swoon-worthy as his other characters.

i want to meet a kng in my life. it's already so hard to meet a guy with kyk's tall industrial built in my daily life.. let alone a tall and handsome, kind, loyal, romantic guy.. i need to go to their filming site to spy on kyk like deok shim

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"...industrial built..." ....I like description; )

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I realize that Dong-Jin is persona non grata to many viewers, but I feel bad for the guy. As my wise old grandmother used to say, "It takes two to tango." The jig was up for him and Na-Ri long before Yeo-Joo hustled him away. (Rustled is more like it.)

Chalk it up to "never meant to be"? I wonder if it has something to do with whatever is niggling at the back of Na-Ri's mind. There's something she's been trying to remember -- although that is more likely to relate to her mysterious childhood interlude with Dad.

It's significant to me that Mom liked Dong-Jin. If she'd had misgivings about him, I think she would have said something. So I don't think he was a bad guy from the get-go.

And in all fairness, Na-Ri basically went AWOL from their relationship after Mom died -- for nearly a year. If that doesn't say "The Thrill is Gone," I don't know what does.

When Dong-Jin was introducing Yeo-Joo to his posse, and they started reminiscing about their younger days, I could see that Yeo-Joo was jealous that Dong-Jin and Na-Ri -- and their friends -- had shared history. She'd earlier sniped at Na-Ri that the nine years she was with him wasn't all that long -- but here I could see that she envied them. Well, what do you expect when you insert yourself into someone else's life with all the subtlety of the D-Day invasion and try to take it over? Like a weed, she is out of place.

Granted, Dong-Jin was well-oiled when he went to send his text message to Na-Ri... but I was touched by his attempted admission of regret to her. "I finally realized what I've done. I'm sorry about our 20s that we spent together."

Then we see Yeo-Joo's boots walking up behind him... Just like Nancy Sinatra! Cue up:

Nancy Sinatra - These Boots Are Made for Walkin' [1966, w/ lyrics]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbyAZQ45uww

She grabs his phone, reads the text, throws it on the floor, and proclaims him the worst of the guys she's dated. Serves her darned right! She's projecting. She's the one who hijacked him and whipsawed his feelings. I'm going to enjoy the payback when Karma comes knocking...

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My second comment on this post, l feel like rewatching all their scenes. I'm so in love with this show, and l get all the feels. I also felt a bit weird about the pacing, and his final admission but!!! Then l thought about it, imagine wanting someone all your life, and in your world thinking that person will never return those feelings back. In his world he does everything for everyone will little to no return, so it's easy to see how he was swayed in finally admitting his feelings. He gets to finally experience what he's always wanted all his life. Hell, l'm surprised he could hold out this long considering her feelings were confirmed for him.

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One of my favorite moments from this epsiode, apart from the kiss, was when Nan Gil pulls out the weed and Na Ri is like "why di u murder my baby?? Wae wae wae???"
At that momen Her expression is priceless!!!

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Back to the "Cinderella date." When Na-Ri announced it, I couldn't help but wonder who was going to turn into a pumpkin... and sort of expected a smooch before the stroke of midnight. In keeping with the fairy tale, she lost her footing instead of a glass slipper (which has always sounded so darned uncomfortable to me)... and got home via piggyback instead of pumpkin and mice.

I'm still scratching my head about keeping up the stepdad and daughter pretense. What was she thinking? Methinks their lawyer will have a cow when Boss Bae brings it up in court.

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