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Fight My Way: Episode 5

True friends have each other’s backs when it counts, even when they don’t think they need the backup. Dong-man and Ae-ra are always ready and willing to go to battle for each other, whether or not the other even wants the help. Sometimes it can actually make things worse, but they wouldn’t be best friends if they didn’t drive each other around the bend on a regular basis.

 
Round 5: “It’s okay, even if you’re jobless”

Ae-ra sends Hye-ran away with a warning: Stay away from Dong-man, or else. Hye-ran doesn’t seem intimidated, and she coos at Dong-man one last time before going on her way. Dong-man never says a word, but when he goes inside and finds a text saying that she’s missed him, he angrily throws his things across the room.

Coach Hwang comes to see Dong-man, who’s all smiles again at the idea of fighting again. Ae-ra runs across the video of Dong-man kicking Tak-soo and slams out of her apartment to give him a piece of her mind. She spots them talking and, HA, Coach Hwang hides from her in his truck.

When she demands an explanation, Dong-man tells Ae-ra that he’s definitely decided to get into mixed martial arts. She blames Coach Hwang for his newfound enthusiasm, and Coach Hwang looks terrified and goes into a blocking position when she lunges at him.

It doesn’t help that Dong-man is whispering to Ae-ra that Coach Hwang totally lured him in, hoping to deflect her fury. She forbids Dong-man from hanging out with Coach Hwang, ordering him to be at her store at lunchtime today.

Coach Hwang reminds Dong-man that they have a special session, but Ae-ra snarls that Dong-man had better not make her come after him. She’s so scary that Coach Hwang tells Dong-man to do as she says, heh.

Meanwhile, Tak-soo’s coach is doing damage control with his sponsors, but he still loses two advertisement deals. His manager, Tae-hee, suggests a revenge match to swing the public’s favor back to Tak-soo, but Tak-soo just whines like the spoiled brat he is.

During a television interview, the reporter also mentions a revenge match. Tak-soo says that Dong-man is nothing but a neighborhood thug, but Tae-hee grumbles from the wings that Tak-soo is just scared.

Watching the interview on TV, Dong-man grows angry at Tak-soo’s insults. Tak-soo says on camera that he’ll accept Dong-man’s challenge if Dong-man wins an amateur fight, but Coach Hwang refuses to allow it and tells Dong-man to just keep training.

He doesn’t think Dong-man is ready for a fight, but Dong-man argues that all of his jobs since he quit training have kept him in good physical shape. Coach says that Taekwondo and mixed martial arts are different, and that if Dong-man tries to fight now, he’ll only get hurt.

Ae-ra finally gets up the nerve to send her resume to KBC’s open enrollment for announcers. Manager Kim, who went to bat for Ae-ra when she lost the announcer job, brings her an energy drink and promises that if the position opens again, he’ll do what he can to get it for her.

She tells him that if he feels guilty about it, then he should make it up for it now, asking for an introduction to the head of security. Manager Kim jumps to the worst possible conclusion, hissing, “He’s married!”

But she only wants to get Dong-man a job, touting him as a man of character with a black belt in Taekwondo. She even admits that he’s handsome, saying that their security guards should look good in their suits. With Manager Kim’s help, they convince the head of security to give Dong-man a chance.

While running laps, Dong-man finds Tak-soo’s manager Tae-hee lurking around the gym. He talks to Dong-man and Coach Hwang about entering Dong-man into an amateur tournament, intending for Dong-man to win so that he can fight Tak-soo in a revenge match.

The problem is that the tournament starts tomorrow. But Tae-hee explains that Tak-soo plans to have Dong-man blackballed, so if he wants the chance to fight at all, he has to do it now before Tak-soo makes sure that he can’t compete anywhere.

Coach Hwang is suspicious of Tae-hee’s motives, since he works for Tak-soo. Tae-hee says that before he was Tak-soo’s manager, he used to be a waiter at a restaurant where Tak-soo often ate. For years he’s observed Tak-soo’s horrible way of treating people, and he wants to see him taken down a peg.

Coach Hwang is still against this since he feels that Dong-man is nowhere near ready for a real fight. He puts his foot down and storms out, but Tae-hee convinces Dong-man to sign the entry form against Coach’s wishes.

While Ae-ra is still in the security office, a call comes in about a customer attempting to steal a luxury watch. Ae-ra’s back at her information desk when Dong-man finally shows up, late for lunch, and she tells him about the security job. He refuses it, reminding her of the feeling she had when she got to make the announcements, and how she’d said that people should do what they love.

Ae-ra is distracted from their argument when she spots the woman who supposedly stole the watch about to leave the store. She confronts her, asking if she forgot to pay for something, and the woman gets offended and dumps her purse onto the floor.

No watch falls out, and Ae-ra backpedals furiously. The woman orders her to pick everything up again, and Dong-man watches as Ae-ra gets on her knees at the woman’s feet.

But her eyes narrow when the woman snaps, “Do you see a watch?” Ae-ra says that she never mentioned a watch. The woman nervously clutches her hat, so Ae-ra snatches the hat off the woman’s head and the expensive watch goes clattering to the floor.

The look on Dong-man’s face shows how proud he is of his friend. But as he follows Manager Kim, Ae-ra, and the customer to the VIP room, he overhears Manager Kim telling Ae-ra to apologize. Dong-man asks why, when she caught a thief, but Ae-ra tells him sternly to wait in the hall.

Oh nooo, the customer is the chairman’s trophy wife, who claims that she’s allowed to take whatever she wants, then pay later if she decides to keep it. Manager Kim does everything but kiss her feet, but Ae-ra asks why she hid the watch under her hat if she was allowed to borrow it. The woman refuses to answer and continues to throw her weight around. Ae-ra is forced to apologize, though it looks like it kills her.

When they exit the room and Dong-man sees Ae-ra’s face, he can tell she’s barely holding back her tears. The woman sneers that all the money she spends here entitles her to employee “service,” which includes kneeling in apology. Dong-man notices Ae-ra’s scuffed knees and sees red.

He grabs Ae-ra’s wrist to pull her away, but she shakes him off. Dong-man takes off Ae-ra’s uniform hat, throws it furiously at the woman, saying, “She quits as of this moment.” He yells at the woman that her spending habits don’t give her the right to treat Ae-ra like this, when all she did was catch a thief.

He drags Ae-ra down to the parking garage, where she wrenches free of his grip and yells at him for costing her her job. Dong-man asks if she was going to stay after being treated that way, and Ae-ra says that she could have, if she just grit her teeth and tried to forget about it.

But her tone of voice shows that she’s trying to convince herself that what she’s saying is true, and soon she breaks. Struggling to hold back tears, she says that she needs to go to her locker for her things. Dong-man watches sadly as Ae-ra rambles, and when she begins to cry in earnest, he pulls her close and holds her as she sobs.

Joo-man works late that night, and too-friendly intern Ye-jin surprises him with a late-night snack. He takes a break to eat, and he asks Ye-jin why she works when she doesn’t need to. She says that she likes working here because of him, which makes him choke.

Then she accidentally burps in his face, breaking the tension. They’re laughing together when Seol-hee shows up, having thought to surprise Joo-man with a snack herself, and she has to pretend that she came back for something she forgot. Ye-jin notices that they’re wearing the same hoodie, and doesn’t even seem to notice that she’s being insulting by wishing she’d thought to buy a cheap knockoff, like Seol-hee did, instead of bothering with the expensive designer version.

On the bus home, both Ae-ra and Dong-man get texts from the landlady reminding them that rent is due, and they sigh. Dong-man says that Ae-ra can be his manager, and she leans close to whisper softly in his ear that he’s out of his mind, laced with some pretty hefty swear words, ha. I doubt he hears a thing though, because he’s stopped breathing again.

Dong-man invites Ae-ra in for a drink to celebrate their joblessness, and he’s shocked when she turns down free alcohol. She says that she can’t have a puffy face tomorrow because she’s got plans, and he guesses that she’s going on a date with Moo-bin, her admirer.

He demands to know what they’re doing, but Ae-ra teases that kids don’t need to know and gives him a little condescending pat on the behind. Dong-man responds with a mighty smack to Ae-ra’s butt, then escapes into his apartment, hee.

Up in Joo-man’s place, Seol-hee can’t resist looking at his phone when it chimes while he’s in the restroom. It’s a text from Ye-jin pouting about him ignoring her, and Seol-hee sees that she texted him earlier, asking him for help on a project and offering to take him out for steak as thanks. To Joo-man’s credit, he’s never responded to any of her messages.

When Joo-man comes back, Seol-hee brings up their date to see fireworks this weekend, but when his response is just bland agreement, she says they don’t have to go. Joo-man says that he has to work that day anyway, and Seol-hee asks what he’s working on, begging him silently not to lie to her.

She breaks out in a huge grin when he tells her how the new intern keeps asking for his help and offering to take him out as thanks, but that he doesn’t want to go. He continues that people like that are fun, but clueless, and Seol-hee is over the moon.

But then he calls the new intern Chan-ho, and Seol-hee’s happy smile fades as she realizes that Joo-man wasn’t being as honest as she thought. She lies in bed flipping through Ye-jin’s Instagram account, feeling jealous of the pretty young woman.

The next morning, Ae-ra primps for her date as Dong-man makes snide comments about her looks. Seol-hee teaches her the hair-flip that supposedly landed her Joo-man, though Joo-man whispers to Dong-man that he only pretended to fall for it to make her stop doing it, HA.

Dong-man watches jealously as Ae-ra puts on perfume, then he snaps at her to be back before sunset or he’ll tell her dad. Awww, he’s so upset at the idea of her on a date with another guy that he looks like he’s going to cry.

On her way out, Ae-ra finally meets the new landlady, and asks for some extra time to pay her rent. The landlady tells her to give her what she has now, making Ae-ra feel like she’s being robbed.

As he waits for Ae-ra, Moo-bin practices looking cool while driving in reverse, having heard that women find that hot. He breaks into a huge grin when she finally shows up and leads her to the passenger side, while upstairs, Dong-man glares down at them from his window, HAHA. Moo-bin executes his perfectly rehearsed reverse move, only to realize that instead of grabbing the back on Ae-ra’s seat, he’s grabbed her head. Whoops.

Joo-man and Seol-hee head to work together, where Seol-hee notices Joo-man ignoring his text messages. He says it’s just a group chat room for work, and Seol-hee asks if that annoying intern Chan-ho is in the group. She says that she’s going to tell him to do his own work when she meets him, which makes Joo-man look nervous.

He makes Ye-jin’s day later when he agrees to help her with her project, at least until he flatly turns down her offer of dinner and to watch the fireworks together. He even says he’ll invite the other interns to join them for a simple dinner of jjajangmyun, at the office, so Ye-jin pouts that she’ll just do the project herself, reading this as rejection.

But then she adds that her ex cheated on her, so being shut down by Joo-man makes her trust him even more, because she knows he would do the same to other girls if they were together. She says that she wants to date him and asks if he has a girlfriend, but Joo-man’s boss interrupts before he can answer.

While sharing an ice cream, Ae-ra tries the hair-flip trick on Moo-bin. It just ends up looking painful and weird, and has doctor Moo-bin wondering if Ae-ra’s neck is bothering her. HA.

When Joo-man responds curtly to Seol-hee’s lunch invitation, she takes a break and goes looking for him. She finds him in the test kitchen with Ye-jin and the other intern, Chan-ho, who splashes hot soup on Joo-man and gives Ye-jin an opening to fawn all over him.

Seol-hee forgets herself and runs into the room, but then she has to think of an excuse for being here, so she says that she wanted to taste the soup so she could better know their product. Chan-ho brings her some, and Seol-hee seems like she’s about to ask him something but ends up hemming and hawing about baseball instead.

Joo-man bursts in on them, worried that Seol-hee is mentioning that weekend project. Then Chan-ho asks if they should work on it Saturday, which puts Joo-man in an awkward position, since he lied to Seol-hee that they already had this conversation.

Dong-man gets in trouble for being distracted during training, unable to stop worrying about Ae-ra on her date. He gets angry with Coach Hwang for not letting him compete in the amateur match, since the other contestants aren’t much of a threat.

Then Tak-soo drops by with Coach Choi, saying that he knows his manager tried to help Dong-man compete so he could fight Tak-soo. But Coach Choi argues that nothing good will come of Tak-soo and Dong-man fighting, because the past will just get dredged up.

They’re here on Tak-soo’s father’s behalf, to offer Dong-man a job managing the company warehouse. But Tak-soo adds the gibe that Dong-man owes him big time, for this and for Dong-hee’s surgery. Dong-man’s hackles go up, and even Coach Hwang has to be stopped from jumping him.

Moo-bin takes Ae-ra to a fancy restaurant for dinner, where she offers to pay since he paid for the movie. Moo-bin says that it’s too expensive, and that she can pay when they have chicken and beer. Wow, that sounds nice, but it comes across as condescending.

Ae-ra says that she can afford steak, and Moo-bin realizes how his words sounded. He says it doesn’t matter who pays, then wonders if she’d be like this with Dong-man. He makes it clear that he doesn’t like that they’re so close, and he suggests that she move to an apartment nearer to where he lives. Ae-ra says that she could, but she’s grown attached to her current place.

Moo-bin knows that she quit her department store job, having dropped by looking for her, but he asks how her job is going and nods knowingly when she lies that it’s fine. He asks if she takes after her mother, and Ae-ra thinks that she doesn’t want to, because she wants to live a long life. She fibs to Moo-bin that she and her mother are like any mom and daughter, fighting a lot and making up. She excuses herself to go to the restroom, where she wonders why she lied to him.

After work, Joo-man asks Seol-hee why she checked his messages, explaining that he only lied so she wouldn’t worry, and that he’s refused Ye-jin at every opportunity. Seol-hee says that it’s the lying that’s the problem, and she tells him to just be honest with Ye-jin and say clearly that he’s not interested.

She starts to cry as she says that what hurt her most was Joo-man lying that Ye-jin’s texts were from Chan-ho. Joo-man apologizes, feeling terrible, but Seol-hee says that he’s acting strange lately. She wails that his lies are all dirty and fake, telling him never to lie to her again.

Dong-man heads home, and on the way he gets a text from Tae-hee telling him where the tournament is being held. He thinks about Tak-soo’s taunts, then he calls manager Tae-hee to ask if they can really make this work.

A few minutes later, he texts Ae-ra that he’s about to make his fighting debut and asks her to come to the fight location. A second text begs her to come because he’s scared, and she ends her date with Moo-bin early.

When Ae-ra arrives, Dong-man gets her a hot dog, and he asks if she’s worried about him in his first MMA fight. But Ae-ra says she’s seen him fight tons of times, and she’s confident that he’ll do his spin kick and it will be all over.

Dong-man is so happy that he’s glowing, pointing out that she chose him over her date. But Ae-ra cuts him down to size, saying that she only came because it’s his debut and his retirement fight. Dong-man quips that she’s lucky she’s a girl, hee.

Neither of them sees his opponent as much of a threat, since he’s a smaller guy, even though he’s a surprise entry that nobody knows much about. When the fight begins, it’s only seconds before Dong-man is kicked into the fence, and Ae-ra starts to look worried as the other man pummels Dong-man over and over.

He somehow gets behind Dong-man and locks his arm around his throat, cutting off Dong-man’s airway. Dong-man passes out, and the referee calls for a doctor. Meanwhile Tae-hee leaves the building and jumps into a van, where he tells Tak-soo that he got a video and that it’s being uploaded to the internet. Tak-soo crows that his manager is a credible actor, and that they maneuvered Dong-man just where they wanted him. Coach Choi, at least, asks if they called for an ambulance.

Inside, Ae-ra stares down at Dong-man’s still form, terrified that he’s still not moving.

Epilogue.

A security guard catches Dong-man and Ae-ra in the department store parking lot, crouched behind a car looking guilty. They link hands and try to look innocent, then make a run for it, giggling madly.

Later the thief’s husband yells at her for stealing again, and when they go to get in their car, they find “thief” written all over it in red pen. HAHA.

COMMENTS

I knew that guy couldn’t be trusted. The whole fight was a setup, the way they lured Dong-man in thinking that the other contestants were easy wins, then bringing in a “new” fighter to humiliate him. All they wanted was to get Dong-man on camera in an even more embarrassing situation than the one he put Tak-soo in, and I hate that they succeeded. I can’t wait to see Dong-man make Tak-soo grovel at his feet one day soon.

Backing up a bit—I’m starting to get genuinely worried about Seol-hee and Joo-mans’ future as a couple. I actually think he’s being pretty good about not encouraging Ye-jin’s attentions, but Seol-hee is right when she says that he’s not telling her that he’s not interested/taken, either. I don’t think he’s doing anything wrong really, and I do believe that he lied to Seol-hee only so she wouldn’t obsess about the girl who’s putting the moves on her man. But a lie is still a lie, and Seol-hee had every right to be upset and angry. I believe that Joo-man loves Seol-hee and has no intention of stepping out, but I also think that he sees her as a sure thing. He’s not making much effort in their relationship anymore, and Seol-hee is starting to feel it.

I do think that it’s long past time for Seol-hee and Joo-man to have a serious discussion about their goals, and their future as a couple. And I wish their reason for keeping their relationship a secret at work were better explained, because then we as the audience could understand where the tension comes from. Obviously dating at work isn’t frowned upon or Joo-man’s boss wouldn’t be encouraging him to go out with Ye-jin. So what’s the reason that after six years together, and practically living together, they don’t want anyone to know they’re a couple?

I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: My favorite thing about Dong-man and Ae-ra’s friendship is how they fight each other’s battles, especially the ones they can’t fight for themselves. When Dong-man can’t even speak in front of Hye-ran, it’s Ae-ra who tells her that she’ll only get to Dong-man over her dead body. And when Ae-ra is treated unfairly at work, Dong-man is the one who quits the job she hates with a burning passion. Even if, in the moment, they are upset that the other is taking action without their prior consent, the truth is that they still let it happen because they both know that their friend is doing this for them. I just love how they both go charging into battle on behalf of the other without a second thought, when they wouldn’t be able to do the same if it were themselves who were being wronged. It says something pretty powerful that they’re able to fight for each other with so much strength and passion.

But I’m also worried that this passionate reaction is the exact thing that’s going to create a rift between them. Ae-ra’s fear of Dong-man being hurt in a match, and now seeing her worst fear coming true, could cause a rift they may not be able to get over. If it were any other girl, I’d be guessing that the next thing we’d see is her nursing her guy back to health, dealing with her new, confusing feelings for him. But this is Ae-ra, so all I can think is that Dong-man is in so much trouble when he wakes up! Once she sees that he’s not going to die from this fight, she’s going to kill him herself.

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Moo-Bin's reverse moves had me in stitches! ? I had to pause it and laugh it out before I could continue!

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I agree with you, LollyPip. I knew there was something shifty about the dude. It felt so fake when he tried to get Dong Man to sign the form, and then tried to convince him extra hard without the coach present.
He knew Dong Man was desperate to get back on the ring...and he used this knowledge against him.
Dong Man himself wanted to prove to his coach and himself mostly, that he was ready to get back in the ring.
However, he had underestimated his own strength..because no matter how hard he had worked doing manual jobs, it isn't the same and training and staying fit solely to fight. And 10 years is a long time when you consider his physical health back then to now.

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*as

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Dong Man deserved this beating and i enjoyed it but i felt bad that Ae Ra had to see it. But that also is good. Dong Man will get good dose of verbal beating from her now.

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Yes he will. Both from Ae ra and Coach...as Dong Man went against his wishes.
I agree. He needed the beating to know that he shouldn't act recklessly from now on and that his goal shouldn't be short term but long term instead.
He gave in to his anger and to Tak soo's taunts...when all he had to do was listen to Coach, because Coach knows more about his strengths and weaknesses than Dong Man himself.

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Well, he is a hot-head to be sure. The way he recklessly acts on any number of occasions (the fight with the three dudes at the wedding comes to mind).

But I'm actually glad, that this happend so early on, because he really needed to learn the lesson that you have to put in the work first in order to harvest later.

Also as a side-note: Isn't the Dong Man - Coach bromance (or is it a one sided crush) just adorable!

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He definitely needed to lose this fight and I knew he would lose because it was so obvious. I just wasn't expecting how scary it would look like. I mean Ae Ra's face says it all. Anyway the sooner he gets the beating the better. Now we can focus on how to get back on track and how to give Tak Su a taste of his medicine!

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@peachnita i love their bromance. Coach-nim is precious for following DM around with his food truck thing all the time.

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I was like "Noooo... Please don't do that move. It only works in drama."

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I know right!
I was laughing and cringing at the same time! ??

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I was laughing so hard at him practicing how to reverse while looking cool. Poor hapless Moo Bin.

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It looks like they will move together to pay their rent soon ;-) Dong man needs to imagine the head of the most hateful person in next sparring partner and he would win - he is like scared chicken in the fighting box, he needs better motivation like money.

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I thought the same thing. And then I remembered the landlady's strict no shacking up policy. And then I started having contract marriage fantasies.

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Me. Too.

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i didn't think of this til you said it, but i hope you're right!!!

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Oh, if that happens I really may just keel over. Contract relationships are my drama drug! LOL - I also wondered if that might happen due to their mutual unemployment.

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Im really enjoying this drama :) I do feel like losing was necessary for Dong-man to realize that he can't just expect to win after a 10 year break, the path to the top is really difficult. I wish ae-ra would encourage him more but at the same time I understand that she doesnt want him to get hurt as well us wishing for him to get a stable job to live better. Friends to lovers is my favorite troupe, I really want to find someone that I can be so comfortable around and can understand me that well. Can't wait for them to fully realize and accept that the worry and jealousy is beyond friendship.

Overall, I love it! Wishing the best for the cast and everybody involved in production, thanks for recapping, its always great to read others thoughts :)

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When Moo-bin compared Ae-ra's uncomfortableness around him with how at ease she is with Dong-man, I love how Ae-ra just said that it was because Dong-man is Dong-man. It perfectly encompass their hard-to-define relationship. They're more than best friend, but not quite a lover yet. But sometimes they're also like siblings who couldn't stop bickering with each other. Theiŕ comfortableness is something that has been built for years, and no one else in Ae-ra's life would elicit similar closeness as Dong-man does.

Speaking of Dong-man, this eps brought a new low for him. Ugh, I know there is something shady with that guy when he suddenly approached Dong-man and Coach. I just hope than him hitting the lowest point of his life would propel him back to his dream and that it would become the one thing that motivated him  to do the bestest best to finally achieve it.

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Exactly I have to admit that I did love that moment, and it felt very real. She honestly meant it. Dong Man is Dong Man to her and despite her not thinking of him anything more or less. There is a special place for him in her heart.

God yes I hope this as well I am really hoping this will make Dong Man think before acting again. And I really hope he listens to coach from now on because seriously coach was right about this whole thing. To be honest though I am actually afraid of Coach's reaction to this even more than Ae Ra. Ae Ra knew that Dong Man was going into a fight but Coach had no idea.... And after he had explicitly told him not to go.... the fact her went... God I hope the two of them give Dong Man a good knock on the head to bring him back to sense...

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What I'm actually affraid of is this video he took. I know it was the point of this set up but that video just bothers me. It would be so humiliating to watch it and it's really mean to do this kind of this to anyone. Can't Tak Soo have a bit of fairplay?

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Hopefully Dong Man and the coach come up with a really amazing plan

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So True. Honestly, I was getting so mad through the ending of this episode when Dong Man got knocked up. I'm pretty sure it was a whole set up. Hopefully though, like you said, he'll be able to pick himself back up and finally achieve his dream. As for Ae Ra, I'm loving her character. Everything is so unfair for her. The good thing is though that she is always helping and/or supporting Dong Man. I really like their relationship. It is just on the border line between best friend, sibling and lover.

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Wow, thanks! So quick!

And, yes, I love how these two fight for each other! You're completely right, though, that their abundance of passion for taking care of each other can also hurt them if they aren't careful. Lol, they even tend to take authority over each other's life choices the way a parent does, more than just a protective sibling. It's wonderful how much they care, but they could end up bulldozing each other if they aren't careful!

Grrrrrrrr, that ending. I can't even discuss all the anger I feel right now. I only survived it because of that awesome epilogue at the end!!! Definitely my favorite yet.

Lol, is it just me or did Dong-man seem totally hot and bothered when Ae-ra was swearing in his ear? ;)

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Every episode this show manages to introduce somebody new that I feel so angry about! I saw some comments saying that they'd suspected that guy when he approached Dong Man, and I guess I was as gullible as DM who fell for it. Except that DM was fuelled by his passion to succeed. I was just... gullible, hah!

DM seems hot and bothered whenever AR is near him. ;)

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I watched the episode raw first and during the bus scene I couldn't figure out if what she said was being sensored because she was cussing or because it was considered too hot for tv with the way Dong Man reacted.

I guess it's a bit of both, because I'm pretty sure Dong Man was too spaced out by her nearness to hear anything she said. Hehe.

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After that scene where he was all hot and bothered.. I don't know if i'm excited or terrified for them to get together, this tension is just awesome!

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I'm probably in the minority here, but Dong-man is starting to frustrate me. He really seems childish - he refuses to listen to his coach, he goes to that ill-advised MMA fight even if he's not prepared, he lets his emotions cloud his judgment. The good thing here is, his character has a lot of room to grow, which will be rewarding for us in the end.

On the other side of the coin, I love how he stands up for Ae-ra when our strong, independent girl refuses to do it for herself. It's jarring to see Ae-ra swallow her pride in a moment when she should've stood up and fought back.

And as for Joo-man and Seol-hee... I'm waiting for The Talk, so they can sort out their issues.

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Dong-man is admittedly more brawn than brain. A sadistic part of me actually liked that he got manipulated and experienced a new low. This would become a painful, but much needed lesson for his growth; because then maybe he would learn to trust and listen to the people who had his best interest at heart, like Coach and Ae-ra, instead of facing everything head on like a drunk bull.

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Same! I was like, "Okay, I'm rooting for you, but you deserve to get hit like that. Now time to grow up!"

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I'm also probably in the minority, but everyone is starting to frustrate me except AR.
1) Moo Bin - I know he's a cameo, and he was sooo cute at first, but I really disliked how he was all "I don't like your friends, why don't you move to stay near me", and asking her about her job when he knew she'd quit. Why, Moo Bin, why? That sets you aside from Nice Guy to Selfish Guy.

2) Dong Man - like you said, DM seems immature because he refused to listen to his coach and went ahead. But at the same time, he's endearing because he stands up so steadfastly for AR when she can't bring herself to, and I can't help but like him.

3) Joo Man and Seol Hee - they probably frustrate me the most. The worst for me was when JM didn't admit he had a girlfriend. I get that their relationship has to be a secret because of the workplace, but I don't see an issue with admitting you have a girlfriend. Is this a cultural thing? Does he lose value as an employee just because he's attached? Because if not, I don't get why he doesn't straight out tell the Intern. She's clearly hitting on him with every opportunity that she gets. I don't think he's so obtuse as to not realize that, but he isn't doing much except dodge her. At the same time, I understand that SH's doing her best to be a perfectly wonderful and supportive girlfriend, and she is honestly quite amazing, but somehow I feel frustrated. I don't know why.

4) Ae Ra - I thought it was quite realistic that she swallowed her pride. In a real world situation, she definitely really needed her job. Yes, she would have been pushed over, but swallowing her pride just for a few moments made sense realistically, at least to me. I actually felt proud of her!

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I also thought Moo-bin was endearing at first, but I got turned off when he started making all these calculated moves and being all possessive over Ae-ra. He seems like a smart guy who's a bit lacking in self-awareness? Or maybe he just needs more human interaction, haha.

I'm also wondering why Joo-man just won't admit that he's taken already, it's not like he wasn't aware of the intern's signals. He must have noticed even just a teeny, tiny bit of those signals for him to lie to Seol-hee.

I do understand why Ae-ra had to swallow her pride, I've been in a similar situation before where I had to stand there and take the brunt at work, so maybe that's where my disappointment/frustration is coming from. Nothing like seeing a former version of yourself in a drama, heh.

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Aera is my favorite character out of everyone so far, probably because she has a more direct personality and has a more realistic attitude towards life. I can see how the others can come off frustrating. I think some of them exhibit faults that we recognize and dislike in people in our lives and in ourselves, which makes it more frustrating. Aera has the sort of the personality we wish we could have.

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I might come as a really mean person but I find Moo Bin quite useless and I can't seem to get interested in the romance between Joo Man and Seol Hee. They also frustrate me the most, especially Joo Man. How can he not say he has a girlfriend? Is he scared people will ask to meet her? and then what? It's not like they dated only for a few months, if I understand correctly it's been a few years now. I mean where does this relationship lead anyway? Can you imagine them getting married and yet the guy hides his wife? If I was Seol Hee I would feel really bad and degrading: it's really as if the guy is ashamed of his girlfriend!

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Dong Man is frustrating, I even got mad when he quit Ae Ra's job for her, which definitely appears to be a minority opinion around these parts. I really felt for her and kept expecting her to spit back into his face something like, "honor, honor! I can't EAT honor!" Pride cuts more than just one way, look at how proud she is about being able to pay her own way with the old classmates and Moo Bin, but in the meantime she actually can't pay her rent.

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I also didn't like that part! Idk if you watch Suspicious Partner, but there was this moment in last week's episode where Nam Ji-hyun's character told off Ji Chang-wook's, explaining how she wants to fight her own battles and he has to respect her wishes the way she respects his.

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I had the same thought comparing the characterizations of the main leads for FMY and SP!

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Agreed, swallowing your pride and keep going to work while looking for something else isn't easy but the rent gets paid.

The sweet moments of vindication are afterwards when you badmouth the place to everyone you can.

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Back when I was younger, I would have cheered for the way Dong Man stood up for her and quite her job for her. But as I'm older now, I'm like "...but food, rent...!"

Then again, Dong Man is Aera's best friend and not me. He is more likely to read her mind and her true wishes than I am.

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I'm so glad someone said this. I actually didn't really enjoy this episode that much (but I still love the show--and I did LOVE that epilogue :P) because of DM's immaturity. It seems like a little bit of laziness on the part of the wri
ters, too. Like, "we need an immature character" but this ep felt like a 12 yo not an immature adult. If DM was such a great athlete, he should know the difference between his skill then and now. And I expected he'd have a more honed sense of competition--waiting and prepping for "the kill" instead of just jumping in. I found it kind of hard to believe, to be honest. I also think it was unrealistic for him to quit AR's job for her. He doesnt know she applied to KBS right? And he just got fired himself; he knows what its like to feel the pressure of not having enough money. That also felt a little like a reach. Like the authors just wanted to push the plot along. BUT i did LOVE that he stood up for her. I loved that he was so fierce about her defense. I really do love this couple. Hopefully the writing gets a little tighter and we get some more of those awkward adorable scenes between them soon :D

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I found it clumsy that Tak Soo would supposedly fight DM if he won this one amateur bout but otherwise be capable of absolutely blackballing him from competition. Really, then why not just blackball him in the first place? I agree there was a lot of 'plot pushing' (I like that!). I can see where DM quit his own job and thinks his "take this job and shove it" epiphany extends to AR but that's where I think he needs to understand that she is not an extension of him.

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I think that immaturity comes from how he was at the top of his game at age 19 and then suddenly gave up. And then really didn't do much for the next 10 years and avoided martial arts altogether. At 19, he had -probably only just started competing as an adult.

I wish he had listened to his coach. Why even pick up his dream again if he can't completely put his faith in the coach who will help him? The poor coach who had faith in him and stood by him all these years.

But this is a lesson that Dong Man needs to learn. And others in their late 20s and even older, who decide to pick up a dream. it's actually much harder later on.

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He made quite a mistake here: he overestimated himself while underestimated his opponent. I don't think he stood any chance of winning just from that

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He got a little confident after that one round kick to his nemesis. The road to success isn't as straight and smooth like in dramas or fairy tales where the dreamer gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in episode 5 and is suddenly living the dream in ep10. Life is such a b**** sometimes lol.

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LOL I like that about this show ?

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Yes, I can't understand how he does not listen to his 10+ years coach and go do this sketchy fight with a guy his coach just warned him about. *sigh*
I get it, I get it. Dong Man is really all muscle, no brain. But I still love him even though.
Ae Ra was the one who got on my nerv a little in this episode, because she did all that speech about following her dream last ep, and in here she keeps telling Dong Man that he is stupid for following his dream. Wtf? Is only your dream worthy, missy? HELL no! Leave the boy alone. *uhnpf*

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Ae-ra and Dong-man's chemistry is burning in every scene, and what makes this friends to lovers story so wonderful is that it's backed up by unconditional love. It's to the point where I don't want to watch any scenes if the both of them aren't in it together.

FFW to the wannabe lovers please!

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The ex-girlfriend is so full of herself, she pissed me off really badly!

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I hate her. I'm hoping she'll be a 'love-to-hate' and not just an evil whiny witch.

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I can't help thinking that she's there to have something to do with getting Ae Ra into KBS. Please let there be a reason for her to be there, show, huh? Although I get a big kick out of her feminine wiles. ?? Oppa!!!

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Thanks for the recap!

-I feel like I say variations of the same thing on every recap, but I just love DM standing up for AR. It gets me so good every single time. And the way he looks at her when she cries just kills me. I'm loving the slow burn romantic build, but I can't help but scream internally at them to kiss every time they share the screen.
-JM choosing to spend time alone with YJ is really crossing a line for me. And the way he lied to SH was a huge red flag. I do like that they always address their issues within the same episode though, so while their overarching conflict may stay the same, and they may not have worked past the larger issue, they are at least still communicating to some extent (just obviously not enough).
-AR's "seductive" moves, omg. MB's response reminded me a lot of the doctor character in Best Love, but not as smart, haha.
-I just love how petty DM gets when MB is involved.
-I was so worried about DM's debut - I knew there was something up, but ugh it still was so infuriating to watch TS be so smug. At least we can look forward to him getting what he deserves.
-Okay, but that epilogue scene was the best. I needed that after the final scene.

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Personally I don't think it's fair, JM never chose to spend time alone with the intern, her bringing him food was more of a "look she's being nice", and the cooking with her and the project were group projects he had to do with her and the other interns. He always makes sure to reject her firmly. And as much as I didn't like him lying to her about who the project was with, even tho technically he had always planned to bring all interns including Chan Ho, I understand why he did it, it's something most people do, to avoid making someone you care about insecure. I'm not saying I agree with it, but his intention was selfless, so I don't see why it should raise any "red flags"

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I don't think it raises any red flag but I still think that he could be more verbal when he rejects her like "ok you're nice but I'm not interested in you". Because when she's like "I want to date you" he's not really telling her off in a direct and sure way. Besides the fact that he doesn't admit to having a girlfriend is a problem in itself. Why can't he say it? I'm not saying he has to say that Seol Hee is his girlfriend but just that he has one

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That moment when Ae Ra and Dong Man were in the bus cracked me up... Dong Man is so attracted to her... waah.
Can't wait for more!

I officially hate the intern and Jong Man a little bit, can't understand why he's not taking his stand with Sol Hee..

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Joo-Man* hahah ? I'm having a hard time learning the drama character names these days because.... THERE ARE LOADS OF ON-GOING DRAMAS. Haha who's with me? ?

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Me too! Sometimes I have to scroll back through the recap and remember which show I'm commenting on, haha!

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I'm hopeful that we didn't see the end of the fight. It could just be me holding back they tears, though.
I really don't like that landlady. She seems super shady, but maybe that's a cultural difference.

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When Ae Ra's boss commented that in his eyes she can succeed in anything..awwsss schweettt! Now she just needs to believe that!

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It was a sweet moment from him. I just wish she had been there to hear it.

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To be honest I think it was a good thing that Dong-man was beat up. If it really is his dream to do MMA for a living he needs to work for it. Sure he is talented, but the way he sometimes acts with coach shows that he is arrogant about it and thinks it is easy to climb to the top. He didn't properly train and was overconfident in himself even though he hadn't fought in the last ten years. He might be fit compared to a regular person his age, but next to a professional athlete he isn't much. I hope this was the kick in the pants for him to get his act together. Now this might all sound like I condone what those a**heads did to him, but no I hope they get ther comeuppance soon.

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Agree! It's like that talent vs. effort argument. He can't have it that easy, or else he won't appreciate it enough once he gets it. If it was that easy, then he could've achieved success sometime in the last 10 years without even trying. It wouldn't make for a very good drama, haha! It will be so satisfying to both him and us once he finally gets hold of his dream!

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While absolutely love this show and completely adore Ae-ras and Dong-mans shenanigans, I find myself not really caring for our second couple. Joo-man is acting like a jerk and Seol-hee really needs to put her foot down and start taking care for herself a bit more. Her caring and gentle nature just reminds me so much of my sister. Her boyfriends used to walk all over her until she learned to put her foot down. I'm low-key rooting for them, but at the same time I started skipping scenes with them. Is it just me?

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I think if they would explain why they can't tell the people at work they're dating it would help us be more invested in them as a couple. I love Seol-hee with Ae-ra, but Joo-man makes me want to punch him into next week. Hopefully ep. 6 will make some inroads!

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Agreed. Since they haven't told us yet, I have started to make up stories:
Seol-hee thought it would be Hot to have a secret romance but it has now come back to bite her in the butt.
Seol-hee thought Joo-man would be able to rise up the ladder faster if he was single, and Joo-man went along with it because he thought a secret romance would be Hot, but now it has come back to bite them in the butt.
At the beginning of their relationship, Seol-hee was supporting Joo-man, so they didn't tell anyone they were together so people wouldn't judge Joo-man for mooching off his girlfriend. This reason no longer applies, but they are in the habit and can't stop even though it is biting them in the butt now.

Yeah . . . here's to hoping they tell us the real reason soon.

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While I find your reasons amusing, they just don't hold up. We really are in need for a satisfying and logical reason, or else I'll just keep skipping their scenes.

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I really want JM and SH to work out so I'm still watching their scenes. But the show not sharing their reason for them hiding their relationship is just odd since it doesn't seem like the company is against interoffice relationships. Heck, ,they're not even in the same department while that intern girl is blatantly hitting on her supervisor.

It doesn't look like JM is being led astray by intern girl and it doesn't look like he's stepping all over SH, but they really need to communicate so that all their insecurities don't get in the way of their happiness.

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What the intern girl is doing is highly inappropriate. And had it been in my country what Joo Man is doing (not really rejecting her) would be dangerous because in case the girl gets mad or something she could charge him with sexual harassment. That's why in my country you try your best to not get into any romantic relationship with someone who reports to you. But I guess standards are different in Korean since Joo Man's boss encourages him to date the intern

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For me, I care about SH but can't bring myself to care about JM. He's crossing too many lines for my comfort, and I can't help but think SH deserves better. Obviously both of them have their flaws, but overall, I'm on SH's side over JM's.

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I think it's a realistic portrayal of the temptations people face even while in relationships, so I am curious to see how they develop this storyline. I can see how while Joo-man loves Seol-hee, the comfort level is so high that when a new person comes in, and shows you their obvious interest, it feels good to be noticed and wanted. And you tell yourself that these little interactions are harmless or no big deal or innocent... until one day, it's not.

I don't blame the intern's actions/words because she has no idea he is taken. I like how they made a point to mention her past history and how badly her relationship with her ex-ended. Once she finds out Joo-Man has a girlfriend, she is going to be pisssed... and at that point, he may have broken Seol-hee's trust too much to regain it back. I'm curious to see where their story will us!

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Dong-man frustrates me this week. I don't think it is romantic that he disrespects Ae-ra's repeated requests to leave and confronts the Chairman's wife which causes her job even though it may in the end propel her to be more proactive with her life path. Despite the best of intention and coming from a place of love, a man should respect what a woman says even if he does not agree with her. This action is partly self-serving to help him to deal with how he feels with the injustice of the situation.

I also don't understand how as a former athlete Dong-man can consider being physically active for 10 years in his various jobs would suffice as training when he is in a new athletic discipline. I do hope that he is learning quickly to trust his best friend and the coach soon!

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Yes, that whole situation annoyed me. He was so rash and intruded when she told him not to. That's not cute at all.

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Working odd jobs for the last 10 years Dong-man should be the first person to understand the value of a stable paycheck! I feel Ae-ra's pain sacrificing her dignity in front of such a hated woman, but at least she acknowledges reality while taking step by submitting her resume for an announcer's position. That's a realistic portrayal of a character I can root for!

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Two valid points. I also thought Dong-Man shouldn't have got Ae Ra fired, but it seemed to me, from the way she looked at him afterwards and how she cried, that she was grateful for his intrusion. If I were in her shoes, I'd probably have been both furious at DM and yet grateful that someone stood up for me.

100% agree that DM should have listened to his coach. He hasn't improved even in 10 years, since the thing that started it all was because he didn't tell his coach about his money issues.

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This drama makes my hurt flutter...like seriously. Like, I feel like I'm the one falling in love with Dong Man...and i love the feeling. It's addicting. It's been a long time i've felt this way about a drama.

And yeah, Joo-Man and Seol Hee's relationship is starting to unravel, and from this view point, I'm starting to think it might be better if they end up in different places by the end of this drama...but that's just because i think Joo Man is being an oblivious jerk and nothing is worse than a jerk who doesn't know he's a jerk!!! I wish Seol Hee too, would be vocal about her doubts instead of just holding on to them by herself. How will he know there's a problem if you don't tell him?

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To add on,
another thing i really like about this drama is that it's relatable. I'm sort of in Ae-ra's situation right now: I know where i want to be in life, but getting there is the hard part and so until you somehow get there, you have to fill in the gap with odd jobs and doings. I'm sure a lot of us can relate to that.

My favorite trope in romance is the best friends turn lovers and it is being so well executed.

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I think their relationship is very realistic though, and it'll be interesting to see how the writer develops their story from here on out. Right now, they've been together so long that they are so comfortable with each other... and the cracks are starting to show itself as trust is broken little by little. That is how it is in real life too - sometimes it isn't one big thing that breaks a couple, it is a dozen small things day by day that builds up distrust and resentment - and it is the little choices we make every day that can make or break that relationship. I would like to see Joo-Man and Seol Hee fight for their relationship until the end despite the obstacles that come their way (as long as Joo-Man doesn't do something unforgivable like actually cheat on her). Just like in life, a million temptations come our way. Even when you're married, temptation is there... but we have to make that active choice every day to not fall prey and to choose to fight for our relationships. Joo-Man is making some poor choices with his "little white lies" under the guise of "protecting Seol-hee" and he hasn't done anything totally wrong (yet), but it can lead him down a dangerous path. I wouldn't be surprised if that's how many many affairs in real life happen. Starts off innocently enough, and before you know it, you're in the devil's den. So I love the way they're developing Joo Man and Seol-hee's story, and it will be interesting to see where it leads.

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I did like how SH called him out on the white lies and how those white lies aren't harmless. There is hope for our long-term couple!

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I felt slightly annoyed at Ae-ra discouraging Dong-man from pursuing his dream and I in turn wanted to scream at Dong-man for causing Ae-ra to lose her job. If she was going to leave her job, at least let her do it on her own accord. Also, I was annoyed at the whole Intern girl situation, Seol-hee is right, why won't he just tell her he has a girlfriend? He doesn't even have to say it's Seol-hee. Just let her know that he's not available so this nonsense can stop.

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I agree with your last point. Dong-Ma should tell the intern that he's taken. I don't get why he's hiding that. If everyone knew about his relationship status, then it would be less likely for this sort of situation to occur.
I don't blame the intern girl for liking Dong Man. At this point she doesn't know that he's taken. It would be easy to dislike/hate her if she still clings onto him after finding out the truth.

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Yeah I was a little confused by AR this time. I would have expected her to be all in favor of DM following his dream---that was the impression I got of her in earlier episodes. And he seemed more like "we do what we have to do to get by" --but in this ep that seemed to have switch. Idk. I love this couple so much, but this episode didnt do much for me.Too frustrating on a lot of levels.

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I wonder if it has to do with an unconscious shift in their relationship. She is finally realizing that if DM follows his dream, then that meant getting into competitions where he can get seriously hurt. I'm sure she's seen him get punched before, but I think nascent feelings may make that thought unbearable. Sort of like how DM is so against AR dating and acting like she's some innocent lamb when she's had a boyfriend from years (however, you could say that his sudden overprotectiveness was because of how her last relationship turned out).

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I love Seol-hee and Joo-man's storyline because it's reality. That sometimes in relationships, we feel very sure and contented with our partners that we often forget the small things.

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Me too. The drama has revealed less of their story compared to Ae Ra’s and Dong Man’s relationship. I think Joo Man and Seol Hee still care for each other, but I haven’t seen their passionate love yet. They are nice and cute in some moments we got to see, but they still have issues to work out.

I’m hoping we’ll get to see more about them in the next episode according to the preview. Like the reason why Joo Man is holding back from telling his interns/boss that he has a girlfriend.

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I thought i could link this show to "Reply 1997", but i think this one is much better. Our OTP are aware of their feelings for each other but both are sturbonly in total denial.

I still love the show, though. It's so much fun

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I disagree with you. I'm pretty sure that they notice something shifting between them, but they both don't understand yet what it is. Because they have known each other forever the "obvious" reason is so unlikely for both of them in their worldview, that no denial could have set in yet, because they are both so blind to the possibility of them becoming more.

Totally love it and yes, it totally is so much fun.

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Thanks @nelly for pointing that out. I wanted to explain further but something came up, (actually i was working at the moment so my boss caught me typing and started fussing) so i was short on words and "aware" was the first word that came up first. But that's no excuse.
Thank you for for saying it right.

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Hero stands for Heroine and vica versa - Every romantic show out there.
I find Joo Man and Seol Hee's relationship more interesting than
Ae Ra and Dong Man's same cliche story. I also find it amusing that Joo Man is treated as a person who is at wrong. In last recap faults were found with his character and same goes in this one. 5 episodes and Joo-Man+Dong-Man had hardly 1 scene together and even that spent watching both girls. And they are high-school best friends.
Moo Jin's dialogue reminded me of Let's Eat 2's Heroine who felt uncomfortable going out with that Rich Guy and burned her monthly pay in a go.

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the second couple its start to annoy me big time.their story is too cliche and i find them both characters boring and annoying to watch..he has already a girlfriend she is way to damsel in distress that afraid to say her opinion from the start...the break they want to make them have seems a way to forced .

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Although it was a mistake that Dongman entered that 'amateur fight'. I hope he gets to see his reality, and just choose to trust his coach too. I just hope that he gets to learn his lesson. Can someone just delete that coward Taksoo from existence, hiding behind his father's back and always brings up Donghee >.<
Also, one thing about this drama, I like how we really get in-depth with their friendship before they turn to lovers. Not only do we get to witness their hear-fluttering moments, but we also get to witness them standing up to each other, just like real best friends do.

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I can't wait for Dong-man's Retribution!

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Somehow I'm just secretly wishing their landlady would turn out to be their fairy godmother in some way haha. She sort of cracks me up in a I look serious but I am totally not serious kind of way.

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I hope for the same, because right now she seems like a completely random character, who is of no use for the story. She has a mysterious air around her and seems to be used only for comic relief (that tbh isn't all that funny). I still feel though that she could become something like their mentor.

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or Ae-ra's mom (guardian angel?)...

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yes to this!!! there is something mysterious about her, right?!? I want her to be like a KBS exec or something who will realize AR's potential and hire her...or someone with some sway who can help DM if he really is getting blocked from debuting in MMA. someone who power who will give our characters a little boost. But so far she seems kinda mean :-/

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I'm quite confident she's there for a reason. Since it's a rom-com, it's probably a reason that we'll be happy with and she may end up in a situation breaking her own rules herself ?

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me too! I also feel like she will help out all the characters in some way. Maybe she and coach will get together?

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So at first I was furious at DongMan for quitting AeRa's job for her. How could he do that when she didn't ask him? BUT then I thought about it and I felt the anger he did. He was so angry that his friend was so unjustly humiliated after doing something good, great even; that in any other job she would be promoted. His anger blinded him and he did what he would have done, had it been his job. It reminded me of how he was being humiliated by his supervisor out in the middle of the street and how much he wanted to punch him, but he didn't. Maybe this was his way getting revenge for it. I still don't think it was the best way to go about it, but I do understand it. This drama is good about showing us situations that don't normally go as we plan, more like real life. I find it refreshing.

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Man, I should have known that Tae Hee was a bad guy. I already had an iffy feelings towards him after seeing his role in Whisper. :P

Seeing Ae Ra’s breakdown in the parking garage almost made me tearing up. I love that Dong Man was her rock and let her vent out her feelings.

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the red suit was a giveaway = ?

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It was weird that Moo Bin was talking about Aera's hair during the reverse scene and then that happened lol ???? I totally expect that he would messed up.

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First of all why isnt anyone commenting on PSJ arms in the sleeveless tee??!! I have to replay that scean multiple times..lol
Loving the show and especially loving how PSJ manages to look like he blew a fuse everytime KJW comes close to him! Brilliant acting.
For ep 5--Agree with all the comments, dong man needed this beating to get over his hot head. Hopefully he grows up and realizes his stupidity.
Also how old is choi woo sik..he looks like such a lil kid:)
Thanks for the recap xx

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Oh yeah, I totally paused that scene to check out his arms. 8D LOL

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Yes to his arms in a sleeveless tee!! His upper body and his back look really good too even just from when he's wearing those printed tees I pause for a moment to appreciate him HAHAHA

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I'm still hyperventilating a little over those ?????!

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Damn, why didn't he listen to his coach? He obviously knows what's best for him. As much as I would have liked dong man to win the match and pull the rug from undee tak su's team, I am glad they went with the realistic approach. Its going to be all the more satisfying when dong man defeats tak sU.

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About Joo Man and Seol Hee, a similar thing happened to me. I have a great marriage with a great guy...but once my hubby lied that he was meeting a guy friend...I discovered from checking his phone that he was really meeting a girl from college (whom he had met many times previously with my knowledge, so I have no idea why he had to lie) but he said he didn't want me to worry or misunderstand. I guess Joo Man in a moment of weakness just chose the easiest option to avoid trouble but it turned out wrong. Seol Hee's reaction of quiet panic, ferreting out the truth, then confronting Joo Man, is really what I did too. This depiction of a couple in a long relationship that's facing stalemate/cooling off, is realistic...I do know of a couple like that who broke up cos of 3rd party..

I seldom watch kdrama so I only know of CWS from Rooftop Prince. Read somewhere that he's good friends with PSJ? I think his acting is excellent here...from personal experience, I feel this is indeed how some rich, well-educated yuppies may act when they are really interested in pursuing a girl (especially when they're primarily attracted to her looks). So again, kudos to the show for its realism.

Like everyone else, addicted to this drama cos of PSJ (never heard of him before but he's wonderful) and KJW (been following her closely since first seeing her in DOTS). Their chemistry is juz burning up the screen!

Fight My Way hwaiting! Hoping for higher and higher ratings!

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I'm loving this drama! I always give romcoms a chance because I love them, but more often than not, I'm left disappointed or bored. This one combines romcom with slice of life so well, and I can really connect with all four of our leads. The storyline seems simple, but there is a lot of complexity beneath the surface. I really hope the show continues to be this good, smartly weaving the cute, funny moments with a story that everyday viewers can relate to.

Also, love how Dong Man consistently steps up and defends Ae-Ra without any hesitation!! Our two leads are the cutest! Written well, and brought to life by the talented Kim Ji Won and Park Seo Joon! I cannot get over how well Park Seo Joon emotes with just his eyes. Those little flickers of anger, hurt, sadness without needing to say a single word... gah, he gets me right here in the heart.

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Omo... They play the beatles' 'i will' & nakashima mika's 'sakura iro mau koro' ?? Great drama x Great musics = ? ?

Dong Man x Ae RA romance is on my waiting list, hehe

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About whether DM was silly to take part in the fight, I would say it was the recklessness of youth...remember that he was warned by Tae Hee that it is now or never, that he needed to strike while the iron is hot + goaded by Tak Su and the bitter memory of his past humiliation + he thought there was nothing much to lose as he would only be competing against amateurs ("old man, high schoolers")...so without the benefit of hindsight, it's not that unreasonable a decision to make.

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Hving practised martial arts myself, I need to add: DM's cocky self-confidence is actually pretty important in a martial artist. It's suicidal/self-defeating to go into the ring thinking that u juz might lose...no fighter does that..if u see pre-fight interviews with MMA fighters, they always talk up their strengths and how they're definitely gonna thrash their opponent even if in reality they're evenly matched..it's how they psych themselves up for the fight itself...

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Because I never practiced martial arts I interpreted his self confidence as him overestimating himself. Thanks for the enlightment

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I agree with a lot of the points already said, just wanted to add:

The dress Ae-Ra is wearing to her date is the one Seol-Hee got the previous episode, right? It's so realistic that she would lend it to her, given their dire financial situations. I loved that!

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Yes, thanks for pointing that out! I just died that the dress ended up being worn first by AR on her date. That ain't right. SH is both so darn nice and seriously, such a damn doormat.

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Then SH wears it again the next day (on epi 6) - I know it's a tad too nice of her but then I also really adore their closeness. Afterall they are like sisters and sisters lend each other clothes.

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Dong Man ?? I thought he would lose bec he wasnt ready yet and not bec of the shady manager setting it all up!! Ugh I feel terrible for not seeing past that. Dong Man won't hear the end of it from Ae Ra, will he haha. I enjoy her 'I'm mad because I care' way of dealing with Dong Man, you just really see through it. Ahahaha my heart

Sul Hee must be the nicest girlfriend ever, but she seems really passive about this intern hitting on Joo Man. I wish she'd work on herself too the way she would on their relationship. It just seems like she put herself aside to help Joo Man succeed, and now that he's reached something she forgot about herself along the way. I guess Ae Ra's personality hasn't really rubbed off on Sul Hee, or we haven't seen enough of her to see what she might really be like outside of her relationship.

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I tried imagining myself in Ae Ra's shoes re: Dong Man quitting her job for her to see how I felt about it. I would have been mad too, because a job is a job, and despite the shame and awful treatment, it's difficult for a 20-something to be unemployed. (I would have been very embarrassed, too.) I would have wanted to make that decision for myself, but if like Ae Ra, I was constantly dreaming to be something else while working a somewhat dead-end job, I might be slightly thankful that whole fiasco happened because it allows me to pursue a dream I left behind.

But did she ask for it? She didn't, and while it was backed by good intentions, I don't think Dong Man did the best thing during that situation.

(I've been very confused about how I felt with this scene, I needed to word it out to understand myself, haha. Dong Man hugging her as she cried during this scene nearly swayed me to believing it was such a heroic act, and made me vulnerable bec I could fall for a guy who would do such things for me but I cannot be swayed by moments of weakness hahaha)

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Nooooo!! DONG-MAN! Why did he have to be involved in that fight?? Also why would he trust the manager of his enemy?? Why did he get blinded by revenge?? I absolutely despise Tak-Soo and his whole team. His attitude just makes me want to roundhouse kick his face. So, I understand the revenge part. The one part that they both keep bringing up and that I really want to learn more about is Dong-Man’s sister. I want to see her character actually show up and see how she acts towards the whole Dong-Man back to his martial arts. Also, I want them to reconcile and see how that whole sequence plays out…

The one thing I don't want is Joo-Man and Seol-Hee to break up, but I feel like a (big?) separation is coming their way. I really like them as a couple but Ye-Jin is just messing the entire thing up ?? But, I don't get why Joo-Man just didn't tell the truth to Seol-Hee to begin with. And, why don't they just tell people that they're dating? If they just say that the whole thing with be fixed without any more misunderstandings. And then Ye-Jin can move on and leave them ALONE. But, that whole sequence with Chan-Ho and Seol-Hee was great payback lol It made up for what was happening with Joo-Man and Ye-Jin.

Next, Ae-Ra and Dong-Man (who can forget to talk about them). That whole sequence with the thief was so heart-wrenching. The fact that that can actually happen in real life is so stupid and sad. No one deserves that and Dong-Man knew that. The way he stood up for her was beautiful to watch. Their friendship is amazing. And, Dong-Man’s jealousy is HILARIOUS. That scene when Ae-Ra was getting ready I COULDN’T STOP LAUGHING??

I love this show so much so far <3 Thanks for the recap!

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Did I just see a drama where the guy lied, she caught him, and then they actually talked about it ALL IN THE SAME EPISODE?? Wow it's like a real relationship.

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I kinda feel bad for Ye-Jin. Joo-man may not be responding to her advances BUT he isn't saying he is off the market. Ye-jin is just going after what she wants without knowing that she is hitting on a guy with a girlfriend.

It is a HUGE RED FLAG to me that Joo-man is not open about his relationship with Seol-hee, not at his work, not to Ye-Jin, and not to the public by just getting married already. I am almost hoping for a big separation. Maybe that will knock some sense into Joo-man's brain.

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True, she annoys me because she behaves like a rich brat, but she hasn't really done anything wrong. I wish she had a sincere desire to do well at work, not just catch a guy.

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I also feel like as an intern, you shouldn't be actively pursuing one of the full-timers, especially one that is sort of overseeing you and especially if it doesn't seem like he's reciprocating interest.

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I would have to say, how do you know it's his decicion, and his only, to hide their relationship at work? we really don't know that, but I do think that thinking it just has to be the guys' idea is not necessarily accurate. And even more, he may not say that he is dating someone, but he has made it more than clear that he isn't interested in her, and she keeps pushing after being rejected twice!! how she gets to be the poor innocent victim is beyond me.

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Good point about not knowing the details about the decision of keeping their relationship a secret at work.

I guess my meaning is Ye-jin is not your typical threat in a drama. Usually the girl knows that the guy is in a relationship but keeps pursuing anyways. Ye-jin is definitely NOT a victim, but not as crazy as that psycho Hye-ran. I have never wanted to punch a girl in the face for just saying the word "Oppa." Till now...

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I want Pink Intern to go far, far away... Overall I'm frustrated with the lack of communication and taking for granted in JM and SH's relationship, or why they have to keep it secret at work (but not online since she has a blog?). More dangerous for them is that they never discuss their future plans - after 10 years surely you might want to hint about marriage right? Pink Intern is just driving the wedge in between them more, though she doesn't know it.

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Their stasis is really boring, to them and apparently to most viewers. We never see them do anything but hide their relationship and share tension, it feels like.

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Sadly DongMan needs to be humbled. You just dont go into a fight with close to zero training. That is absolute nuts. Even if your opponent is a so-called newbie. That newbie still trained like hell for that match. He should've listened to his Coach. And he listened to TakSoo's manager?! Has he never learned his lesson?! Dont trust anyone from that camp.

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Dong Man is very simple minded and quite gullible. Coach was right when he said he couldn't trust a turncoat. Even if Dong Man didn't suspect foul play which would be pretty obvious to the discerning, he owed it to his coach to listen to his advice/orders and not go to the fight. But he went behind his coach's back, and quite frankly got what he deserved. If he survives this, I hope it knocks some sense into his head. The next time he gets advice from someone with his best interest at heart, hopefully he'll listen.

As for Joo Man and Soel hee, I'm going to say something that might be an unpopular view, but nevertheless is trueSome women in steady relationships tend to let themselves go. We're so busy putting everyone else's needs above ours, that we don't realize we do ourselves a disservice. We dress more shabbily, buy cheaper things for ourselves and more expensive things for our partners, stop rewarding ourselves and sometimes stop valuing ourselves. We say we do this out of love, that we don't matter, we can sacrifice. But the truth is, it frustrates the hell out of the men who love us, they'd rather we don't sacrifice ourselves as much as we're doing. I'm speaking from my own experience and I see in Seol hee those same qualities. I've no doubt Joo man loves her and is crazy about her but she couldn't understand what he was trying to communicate to her value yourself. It's OK to buy expensive clothes and look good. Take care of yourself, the way you take care of me.. Somehow this was lost in translation, and he became the bad guy for losing his temper and buying her that expensive dress. I do agree that a talk is needed and hopefully, both sides can understand each other's perspectives. I think it's wonderful that we have a romcom about a couple already in a relationship navigating its murky waters. Most of the time, the romcom is about the initial attraction, becoming a couple and then to HEA. I think it's refreshing to try this approach and it makes me love the drama more.

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I 100% agree. Like DM said, he doesn't need a mom. She needs to take care of herself and figure out what she wants in her life. And that can't be all about just DM. She needs her own goals, what she likes, what she wants. Like DM asked, what IS her style? What does she like? So we get she likes pink and she wants to be a housewife. Yes, but anything else? I see this all the time in real life relationships. Women always sacrifice more and give more and take care of the guy and think that's what the guy wants. But usually, the guy wants the girl to think about herself. In a relationship both parties should sacrifice equally and give equally, or as close to, in order for there to be a balance.

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I love your comment~ I think that as women ( I assume most commenters are women) it's really easy to think that he's a jerk and to blame for everyting, but in most, if no every relationship, the problems are shared, it's not always the guys' fault. And I really hope to see more development between this couple.

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Even tho him losing after just training for a short period is credible, I still cant believe he believed the Manager... I knew you were kinda dumb DM but not this much!
JM... he reminds me of the lead in ExGF Club... he isnt doing anything fishy per se but his apparent indifference or more exactly, the fact he doesnt feel the need to straight out say hes in a relationship is infuriating... I too want to know why they have to date in secret... like, YJ isnt sutile about liking him and maybe thats why the boss told him to try date her so if it were a troublesome thing, she wouldnt be that obvious about it... hell have to stand his ground and do something before he loses SH...

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I am gradually getting annoyed with Moo-bin (I would be so glad if he was a cameo than a recurring character) because it feels like he is guilt tripping AR-15 to like him or just trying to move too fast and imposing himself. Some things take time... Nurture it and grow ... Don't just push urself through it...

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I don't know if I can quote part of the recap, so I'll just say that the part where you talked about how they fight each others battles and even though they get mad about it, they allow it --- I love that about this show.
They are so passionate about each other that I hope it *ahem* pays off later (in hot kisses) once they've confessed their feelings to one another. ;) LOLOL!!

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I actually have to say that it is Seol-hee who isn't making much of an effort, not Dong-Man. They've been together for 6 years and DM has progressed and moved towards his own personal goals. SH's goal seems to be DM, and DM is feeling frustrated by it. DM loves SH, yes, and therefore he wants SH to want things for herself, to do things for herself and take care of herself as much as she takes care of DM. Like he said, he doesn't need a mom, what he wants is a girlfriend. Instead of buying DM an expensive briefcase, maybe she should buy herself something nice for a change. Yes, I agree I don't understand why they are keeping their relationship a secret at work and it would help if they opened up about it. But I have a feeling it's partly because of SH's own insecurities about how she looks and her role at the company. If she worked on herself more - being better at her job, taking care of how she looks, etc. etc., then I think she would feel confident about being open about their relationship. Instead of looking through that girl's instagram photos maybe she should look thru her own and she what she can do for herself. DM is being clear that he is not interested in the intern, but I'm sure he can't help but compare SH to the intern and wish that SH be more self-confident and spend more time on herself. It's not about wanting her to look better or have expensive things, I think it's more than that, it's about how he wants SH to love herself and take care of herself and work towards her goals now that DM is in a secure place now.

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I really like Ae ra.... she is my fav character so far....
But well... i also like how MD behaves like a teenager with her... so cute! Threatening he will tell her father if she comes late from a date! ??? He is cute and silly...

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That scene with Seol-hee helping Ae Ra get ready while the boys looked on and judged them had me in stitches. Especially, with the hair flip.

As sad as it made me that Dong Man got played I'm also kind of glad that it happened. He was constantly gearing for a fight and acting very hot-headed about things. He needs to be knocked down a peg (unfortunate that it had to be by Tak Soo's manipulations) in order to realize that he needs to take stepping back into the ring more seriously. Yes, it's his dream and he wants to go after it but nothing is going to happen overnight and he can't expect it too. He spent ten years out of the game and he has to work hard to make up for those lost years.

As always I continue to enjoy how Ae Ra and Dong Man fight for each other, especially when the other person can't fight for themselves. They're so much each other's cheerleaders it's sickening but in the best possible way. And the fact that they never have any doubt that they'll be there for each other. The mutual support is such a given between them.

As for Joo Man and Seol Hee, I'm getting tired of Joo Man dancing around the topic of already being in a committed relationship while at work. They've been together for 6 years (which is no joke) and he's still scared of admitting their commitment? That's a problem. He seems like the kind of guy who's become way too passive and apathetic in their relationship. He's taking Seol Hee for granted and I feel the fact that he chose to lie instead of being upfront with her is dangerous, even if he isn't actively thinking about stepping out (at least right now).

The fact being with how passive he is right now in regards to their relationship I can easily see him being drawn away from her and making a mistake. That fight scene they had in an earlier episode in front of the shop where he yelled at her for being cheap also hints at this.

But all that being said Seol Hee isn't completely without blame either. It seems to me that in a way she's also kind of grown passive in their relationship. This has nothing to do with how she dresses or whatever effort she chooses to put in (or not put in) into her appearance. She's a grown woman and can choose to look/dress however she feels. However, it feels that she's been so focused on doing everything for Joo Man and being the perfect doting girlfriend that she's forgotten to do things for herself. It doesn't feel like she takes the time out to do things solely for her own pleasure and enjoyment. And to her it doesn't resonate that it is OKAY to be a bit selfish in your relationship, to do things for yourself just because you feel like it. Being too attached to the needs of your significant other to the detriment of yourself can also be a fatal mistake in a relationship.

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I love Park Seo Joon here! I agree with you Lollypip! DM and AR are best when they are standing up for each other. Just get together please! As much as I love this show I am finding out friends turned to lovers is very frustrating for me...yes, the journey to get there can be fun...but it's hard to wait when you can see they are so perfect for each other but are just taking the long, long winding road...argh!

Reading the premise and character descriptions of JM and SH, I expected to dislike JM, but I am actually liking his character and his relationship with SH. I think it is a nice contrast to DM and AR's "awakening" feelings. JM and SH are like a married couple without being married and "public", at least at work. I like that the show is exploring long term relationships, yes at some point, it will reach a stagnant point where change will be needed if it stays stagnant. I think it's important to remember that relationships take work, you have to constantly work at it to keep it healthy, just like marriage. I think that's where we are with JM and SH. They both need to rework at it, maybe it's been the same for the last 6 years...either they need to get married or break up or do something. SH as much as JM, it is a two way street. I don't think JM is taking her for granted, but he is feeling frustrated by her, what she has become, knowing it's because of him. SH needs to re-find herself. As it is now, her life is just about JM. Even if all she wants to be is a housewife, she can't just live for her husband. She needs her own self too, her own identity which seems to have been blurred by supporting JM.
Some of my friends who are married, you can tell they are still "working" at it, planning vacations/getaways as a couple, leaving the kids behind once in a while...staying polite and respectful to each other...because they need it and it keeps their relationship healthy and loving. I think JM and SH are both feeling frustration because it is time to move on...whichever direction it takes them. Hopefully to the altar, next to DM and AR!

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Seol-Hee stated since she was a child that her dream/goal was to be the best housewife she can be. I don't see absolutely anything wrong with that goal. She hasn't lost herself support Joo-man or giving up anything either. Crazy as it may be Seol- Hee is the only one that hasn't given up on her dream..kudos to her for just want to live a happy simple life.

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