Jolieb

Exactly! The communication between them was a real disaster 😂 And I’d add investment to the list too. You can’t build a healthy relationship when one person is fully investing in it while the other keeps one foot outside the relationship.

This is my review of Luka and Flora in each episode. This isn’t about deciding who is the “red flag” or who is right or wrong. A real relationship has to be built by both sides, with communication, effort, trust, and emotional investment from both people.
So I want to look at what Flora does, what Luka does, and how much each of them actually invests in their relationship throughout the episodes :
EP 1 — First Impressions
Flora: Avoids confrontation and keeps things to herself.
Luka: Harsh, judgmental and uses sarcasm instead of communicating properly.
Investment: Luka starts paying attention to her and gradually takes an interest in her, while Flora is mostly focused on herself and her career.

EP 2 — Misunderstandings
Flora: Tries to handle things alone instead of asking for help.
Luka: Gives advice in a condescending way and doesn’t explain his intentions.
Investment: Luka actively helps and guides her at work. Flora accepts his help but rarely makes the same effort emotionally.

EP 3 — Hidden Feelings
Flora: Hides her feelings and overthinks his behavior.
Luka: Cares but refuses to communicate his feelings directly.
Investment: Luka starts showing genuine concern for her, while Flora mainly observes his actions without openly reciprocating.

EP 4 — Jealousy
Flora: Interprets situations instead of asking Luka directly.
Luka: Jealous and possessive, but doesn’t communicate his jealousy properly.
Investment: Luka becomes increasingly emotionally involved, while Flora still keeps an emotional distance.

EP 5 — Mixed Signals
Flora: Doubts his intentions instead of asking him directly.
Luka: Teases her and communicates indirectly.
Investment: Luka continues making efforts to get closer to her; Flora remains hesitant and guarded.

EP 6 — Crossing Boundaries
Flora: Gets emotionally involved while still denying what she wants.
Luka: Pushes intimacy instead of having an honest conversation.
Investment: Luka becomes more personally involved and starts making space for her in his private life. Flora accepts the intimacy but still avoids defining the relationship.

EP 7 — Push & Pull
Flora: Wants boundaries but continues sending mixed signals.
Luka: Reacts to rejection with jealousy and emotional retaliation.
Investment: Luka keeps pursuing her despite her hesitation. Flora doesn't make the same level of effort to build something stable.

EP 8 — Trust
Flora: Finally communicates more openly and supports Luka.
Luka: Still struggles to express himself but starts recognizing her value.
Investment: Flora does make an important effort here by standing by him. Luka also invests by recognizing her abilities and supporting her professionally.

EP 9 — The Secret Relationship
Flora: Agrees to a secret relationship while having doubts about it.
Luka: Proposes a secret relationship and establishes clear rules.
Investment: Luka is the one actively trying to turn their attraction into an actual relationship. Flora agrees, but keeps emotional and social distance.

EP 10 — Contradictions
Flora: Says she doesn’t want a relationship but accepts intimacy and exclusivity.
Luka: Assumes physical intimacy will solve their emotional uncertainty.
Investment: Luka invests emotionally and physically in making the relationship work. Flora participates in the relationship but still avoids fully committing to it.

EP 11 — Insecurity
Flora: Becomes insecure and assumes the worst instead of asking.
Luka: Gets defensive and angry instead of reassuring her.
Investment: Luka tries to reassure her through his actions, while Flora's insecurity makes her pull away instead of communicating.

EP 12 — Avoiding the Real Problem
Flora: Talks about ending things when overwhelmed instead of addressing the problem directly.
Luka: Uses affection and emotion to avoid actually discussing the breakup.
Investment: Luka clearly doesn't want to lose the relationship and actively tries to keep them together. Flora is already considering walking away instead of working through the issue.

EP 13 — The Breaking Point
Flora: Hides an important career opportunity because she fears Luka’s reaction.
Luka: Attacks her self-worth and says something extremely hurtful instead of discussing the issue.
Investment: Luka's reaction is wrong, but it comes after being deeply emotionally invested in their relationship. Flora makes an important decision without involving him.

EP 14 — Trust Issues
Flora: Doesn’t tell Luka that she was attacked and keeps serious problems to herself.
Luka: Gets angry and blames her for not telling him, although he ultimately handles the situation properly.
Investment: Luka immediately gets involved, protects her and takes action when she is in trouble. Flora had already chosen to deal with it alone.

EP 15 — Going Public
Flora: Still struggles to openly express what she needs emotionally.
Luka: Starts becoming more supportive and acknowledges her publicly.
Investment: Luka begins making the relationship more visible and treats Flora as an important part of his life. Flora is still hesitant about fully integrating him into hers.

EP 16 — Independence
Flora: Prioritizes her independence but doesn’t always communicate her decisions clearly.
Luka: Still controlling at times, but increasingly learns to support rather than dictate.
Investment: Luka actively supports Flora's career and future instead of asking her to sacrifice it for him. Flora focuses strongly on her own path.

EP 17 — Keeping Secrets
Flora: Hides what happened to her and lies because she thinks she is protecting Luka.
Luka: His anger is understandable, but he expresses his hurt through anger and reproach.
Investment: Luka is deeply concerned about her safety and wants to be the person she relies on. Flora's instinct is still to protect herself and handle serious situations alone.

EP 18 — Jealousy Games
Flora: Avoids difficult conversations and gives mixed signals about their future.
Luka: Assumes the worst, becomes jealous and deliberately tries to make her jealous.
Investment: Luka is still emotionally invested enough to react strongly to the possibility of losing her. Flora finally talks about marriage and children, but much of the relationship still depends on Luka pushing for emotional clarity.

EP 19 — Emotional Distance
Flora: Struggles to communicate what she really wants and continues avoiding direct confrontation.
Luka: Becomes emotionally distant and has difficulty expressing what he is actually feeling.
Investment: Luka has repeatedly tried to maintain the relationship despite their problems. Flora still struggles to actively work on the relationship rather than withdrawing when things become difficult.

EP 20 — The Breaking Point
Flora: Still avoids confronting the deeper problems in their relationship and struggles to make a clear emotional decision.
Luka: Becomes increasingly aware that love alone cannot fix their communication problems, but still struggles to express himself without withdrawing or becoming defensive.
Investment: Luka has consistently pursued, supported, protected and tried to maintain this relationship. Flora has feelings for him, but she has invested much less in actually building and maintaining the relationship.

Overall:
Flora has feelings for Luka, but having feelings isn't the same as investing in a relationship.

Luka's biggest problem is how he communicates: anger, jealousy, sarcasm and defensiveness.
Flora's biggest problem is whether she communicates at all: avoidance, hiding things, mixed signals and withdrawing.

And when it comes to effort and investment, I personally see Luka putting much more active effort into maintaining the relationship, while Flora often reacts to the relationship rather than actively building it.

This is my review of Luka and Flora in each episode. This isn’t about deciding who is the “red flag” or who is right or wrong. A real relationship has to be built by both sides, with communication, effort, trust, and emotional investment from both people.

So I want to look at what Flora does, what Luka does, and how much each of them actually invests in their relationship throughout the episodes.

EP 1 — First Impressions
Flora: Avoids confrontation and keeps things to herself.
Luka: Harsh, judgmental and uses sarcasm instead of communicating properly.
Investment: Luka starts paying attention to her and gradually takes an interest in her, while Flora is mostly focused on herself and her career.

EP 2 — Misunderstandings
Flora: Tries to handle things alone instead of asking for help.
Luka: Gives advice in a condescending way and doesn’t explain his intentions.
Investment: Luka actively helps and guides her at work. Flora accepts his help but rarely makes the same effort emotionally.

EP 3 — Hidden Feelings
Flora: Hides her feelings and overthinks his behavior.
Luka: Cares but refuses to communicate his feelings directly.
Investment: Luka starts showing genuine concern for her, while Flora mainly observes his actions without openly reciprocating.

EP 4 — Jealousy
Flora: Interprets situations instead of asking Luka directly.
Luka: Jealous and possessive, but doesn’t communicate his jealousy properly.
Investment: Luka becomes increasingly emotionally involved, while Flora still keeps an emotional distance.

EP 5 — Mixed Signals
Flora: Doubts his intentions instead of asking him directly.
Luka: Teases her and communicates indirectly.
Investment: Luka continues making efforts to get closer to her; Flora remains hesitant and guarded.

EP 6 — Crossing Boundaries
Flora: Gets emotionally involved while still denying what she wants.
Luka: Pushes intimacy instead of having an honest conversation.
Investment: Luka becomes more personally involved and starts making space for her in his private life. Flora accepts the intimacy but still avoids defining the relationship.

EP 7 — Push & Pull
Flora: Wants boundaries but continues sending mixed signals.
Luka: Reacts to rejection with jealousy and emotional retaliation.
Investment: Luka keeps pursuing her despite her hesitation. Flora doesn't make the same level of effort to build something stable.

EP 8 — Trust
Flora: Finally communicates more openly and supports Luka.
Luka: Still struggles to express himself but starts recognizing her value.
Investment: Flora does make an important effort here by standing by him. Luka also invests by recognizing her abilities and supporting her professionally.

EP 9 — The Secret Relationship
Flora: Agrees to a secret relationship while having doubts about it.
Luka: Proposes a secret relationship and establishes clear rules.
Investment: Luka is the one actively trying to turn their attraction into an actual relationship. Flora agrees, but keeps emotional and social distance.

EP 10 — Contradictions
Flora: Says she doesn’t want a relationship but accepts intimacy and exclusivity.
Luka: Assumes physical intimacy will solve their emotional uncertainty.
Investment: Luka invests emotionally and physically in making the relationship work. Flora participates in the relationship but still avoids fully committing to it.

EP 11 — Insecurity
Flora: Becomes insecure and assumes the worst instead of asking.
Luka: Gets defensive and angry instead of reassuring her.
Investment: Luka tries to reassure her through his actions, while Flora's insecurity makes her pull away instead of communicating.

EP 12 — Avoiding the Real Problem
Flora: Talks about ending things when overwhelmed instead of addressing the problem directly.
Luka: Uses affection and emotion to avoid actually discussing the breakup.
Investment: Luka clearly doesn't want to lose the relationship and actively tries to keep them together. Flora is already considering walking away instead of working through the issue.

EP 13 — The Breaking Point
Flora: Hides an important career opportunity because she fears Luka’s reaction.
Luka: Attacks her self-worth and says something extremely hurtful instead of discussing the issue.
Investment: Luka's reaction is wrong, but it comes after being deeply emotionally invested in their relationship. Flora makes an important decision without involving him.

EP 14 — Trust Issues
Flora: Doesn’t tell Luka that she was attacked and keeps serious problems to herself.
Luka: Gets angry and blames her for not telling him, although he ultimately handles the situation properly.
Investment: Luka immediately gets involved, protects her and takes action when she is in trouble. Flora had already chosen to deal with it alone.

EP 15 — Going Public
Flora: Still struggles to openly express what she needs emotionally.
Luka: Starts becoming more supportive and acknowledges her publicly.
Investment: Luka begins making the relationship more visible and treats Flora as an important part of his life. Flora is still hesitant about fully integrating him into hers.

EP 16 — Independence
Flora: Prioritizes her independence but doesn’t always communicate her decisions clearly.
Luka: Still controlling at times, but increasingly learns to support rather than dictate.
Investment: Luka actively supports Flora's career and future instead of asking her to sacrifice it for him. Flora focuses strongly on her own path.

EP 17 — Keeping Secrets
Flora: Hides what happened to her and lies because she thinks she is protecting Luka.
Luka: His anger is understandable, but he expresses his hurt through anger and reproach.
Investment: Luka is deeply concerned about her safety and wants to be the person she relies on. Flora's instinct is still to protect herself and handle serious situations alone.

EP 18 — Jealousy Games
Flora: Avoids difficult conversations and gives mixed signals about their future.
Luka: Assumes the worst, becomes jealous and deliberately tries to make her jealous.
Investment: Luka is still emotionally invested enough to react strongly to the possibility of losing her. Flora finally talks about marriage and children, but much of the relationship still depends on Luka pushing for emotional clarity.

EP 19 — Emotional Distance
Flora: Struggles to communicate what she really wants and continues avoiding direct confrontation.
Luka: Becomes emotionally distant and has difficulty expressing what he is actually feeling.
Investment: Luka has repeatedly tried to maintain the relationship despite their problems. Flora still struggles to actively work on the relationship rather than withdrawing when things become difficult.

EP 20 — The Breaking Point
Flora: Still avoids confronting the deeper problems in their relationship and struggles to make a clear emotional decision.
Luka: Becomes increasingly aware that love alone cannot fix their communication problems, but still struggles to express himself without withdrawing or becoming defensive.
Investment: Luka has consistently pursued, supported, protected and tried to maintain this relationship. Flora has feelings for him, but she has invested much less in actually building and maintaining the relationship.

Overall:
Flora has feelings for Luka, but having feelings isn't the same as investing in a relationship.

Luka's biggest problem is how he communicates: anger, jealousy, sarcasm and defensiveness.

Flora's biggest problem is whether she communicates at all: avoidance, hiding things, mixed signals and withdrawing.

And when it comes to effort and investment, I personally see Luka putting much more active effort into maintaining the relationship, while Flora often reacts to the relationship rather than actively building it.

One thing I really disagree with is the way people compare Luke’s communication with Flora’s behavior and then use that to label him a red flag.
Yes, Luke has a communication problem. He can be harsh, impatient, and say hurtful things when he is angry. I’m not denying that. But having poor communication doesn’t automatically make someone a red flag, and it definitely doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve to be a priority in his partner’s life.
And we have to judge the drama we are actually watching, not Luke from the novel. The novel and the drama portray him differently, so comparing the drama Luke to the novel version doesn’t make sense.
If we’re talking about communication, then compare communication with communication. And honestly, Flora’s communication has improved, but so has Luke’s. His development in communication is actually one of the clearest parts of his character arc. But communication is something you develop together. Luke can work on how he expresses himself, but Flora also has to tell him what hurts her, what makes her uncomfortable, and what she needs from him. He can’t improve around problems she never communicates.
The same applies to behavior. If Luke is investing in the relationship, making an effort, trying to include Flora in his life, wanting her to rely on him and treating her as his partner, then it’s completely normal for him to expect some investment and effort from her too.
You can’t spend six years keeping emotional distance, refusing to fully acknowledge the relationship, handling everything alone, constantly preparing yourself for the possibility that it will end, and then suddenly ask for marriage and expect him to immediately say yes.
Wanting marriage is one thing. Showing that you are ready to build a marriage with that person is another.
And this is why I understand Luke’s reaction. It’s not about him deciding that Flora isn’t worthy of being his priority. It’s about him realizing that, for years, he hasn’t felt like a priority in her life either.
If we expect Luke to work on his flaws, Flora should be held to the same standard. Communication needs effort from both sides. A relationship needs investment from both sides. And character development needs to happen on both sides too.
That’s the part I think people miss: Luke’s flaws are visible because they come out in his words. Flora’s flaws are quieter because they come out in her distance, avoidance, assumptions, and lack of emotional investment. But quieter doesn’t mean less important.

I agree with you. I think this is exactly what I’ve been trying to say. Flora’s fears and insecurities explain a lot of her behavior, but they don’t erase the fact that Luke is clearly more committed and more willing to show it. He has his communication problems and can say hurtful things, but I don’t understand why those flaws are the only things people focus on while his growth and commitment are overlooked. For me, both characters should be judged by the same standards.

Exactly

I understand your point, and I agree that the relationship isn’t healthy or sustainable as it is. But I still see some things differently. Flora’s fear that the relationship will end is a big part of the problem, but I don’t think everything she does can be explained by Luke’s behavior. She also keeps him at a distance and rarely lets him be a real partner in her life. Did you notice that in all those 6 years, she never even offered him a simple gift? Even after 6 years, she doesn’t seem to fully invest in the relationship. For me, the bag is just another small example of that. I’m not saying she doesn’t love him, but she seems to love him while always keeping one foot outside the relationship.

her biggest problem is that she always thinks their relationship will end someday, so she keeps herself at a distance. Even the fact that she didn’t use the bag he bought her shows that she doesn’t really let herself get attached. But honestly, what kind of relationship is this? How can you stay with someone for six years and always think that one day it will end?

I agree with some of what you said, but I see the room situation differently. He didn’t ask her to move in because he already knew she would probably refuse. He knows that money is one of her biggest insecurities and that she already feels like she’s bothering him or owing him something. Asking her to simply move into his place could make her feel even more inferior or uncomfortable.
And that’s exactly the problem between them: he doesn’t always communicate clearly, but she also makes assumptions instead of asking him what he actually means.

no the same drama but different point of vue

After this episode, I definitely feel like it proves my point that Luke should be the one to end the relationship. His feelings and commitment to the relationship seem much clearer to me, while Flora still keeps an emotional distance. She seems more physically attached to him than emotionally, and intimacy seems to be her comfort zone with him. She clearly cares about him, but I still don’t feel that she’s fully emotionally committed to the relationship😤

About their break up, If I were the screenwriter, I would make Luke the one who ends the relationship. Not because he doesn’t love Flora, but because I think it would make more sense with their character development.
Luke’s development is clear to me. He knows he has communication issues and he’s trying to improve. Flora has improved in communication too, but I still don’t see much change in her self-confidence. She still feels inferior to Luke and keeps protecting herself emotionally.
Even the way they see the relationship is different. Luke doesn’t hide that he’s in a relationship when his family asks, while Flora still avoids admitting she’s in one, even though she doesn’t have to say who it is. For me, that shows that Luke is more emotionally invested.
I also feel that intimacy is Flora’s comfort zone with him, while the emotional side of the relationship is much harder for her.
So I think Luke ending it would be more realistic. He would finally realize that he can love and support Flora, but he can’t fix her self-confidence for her. The breakup could push both of them to grow, and then their reunion three years later would feel more meaningful.

And that actually proves my point that intimacy seems to be Flora’s comfort zone. It made me realize that, if I were the screenwriter, I would’ve made Luke the one to end the relationship, because his character development is much more obvious than Flora’s.

I agree with you, especially about how Flora’s communication changed after they started dating. I think her low self-confidence plays a big role. She seems to feel equal to Luke mainly in their intimacy, and I think that’s her comfort zone. Outside of that, she still sees herself as somehow beneath him, which makes her emotionally freeze around him.

One thing I noticed in episode 14: after all these years together, Flora doesn’t even know Luke’s phone number by heart. 😅 Then Luke tells her, “ call me first if anythinghappens.” That little detail actually says a lot about how differently they see their relationship. Luke clearly sees her as someone he wants to be there for, while Flora still keeps a certain emotional distance. Add to that the fact that most of their misunderstandings end with sex instead of real communication, and it makes me question whether Flora is emotionally in love with him or mainly attracted to him. Her physical attraction is obvious, but her emotional attachment feels much less clear than Luke’s.

After watching episode 13, here’s my personal opinion about Luke and Flora, putting their romance aside and focusing more on their characters.

Luke clearly has communication issues. He doesn’t always know how to express what he feels, and when he gets angry or hurt, he tends to shut down. We also understand where this comes from because of his relationship with his father. He grew up seeing this kind of behavior, so for him, being harsh, controlling, or using strength became a way to protect himself and communicate. But he needs to understand that he is not his father and that he doesn’t have to repeat the same pattern.

Flora, on the other hand, is different. She’s smart, capable, hardworking, and can handle herself at work and in life. But I think she has a real problem with self-confidence. She tends to overthink, question people’s intentions, and look for validation from others. She uses control, defensiveness, and self-protection because deep down, she doesn’t fully trust herself or her own worth.

And that’s why I think their breakup was necessary. Not necessarily because one of them is bad for the other, but because they both have things they need to work on individually. Luke needs to learn how to communicate in a healthier way, while Flora needs to build her self-confidence and know her own worth without comparing herself to him or relying on others to validate her.

The difference between them is real, but it shouldn’t turn into “he deserves her and she’s beneath him.” Flora needs to reach a point where she sees herself as his equal, not just because Luke has changed, but because she has grown too.

For me, that’s the real character development they both need. They don’t necessarily need to change for each other; they need to grow for themselves first. Then, if they find their way back to each other, they can finally have a healthier relationship.

After watching all 10 episodes, my personal opinion is that the FL is actually the red flag here. 😂

The ML knows what he wants and he clearly wants a relationship with her, while she keeps giving him mixed signals. And once she realizes she can’t stay away from him, she agrees to the relationship, but only on her terms: no one can know—not his family, not his close friends, and not even people at work.

I understand keeping it private at work because of the company policy, especially since he’s against relationships between colleagues. But asking him to hide it even from his family and closest friends? For me, that’s a red flag.

And I also found the situation with his treatment of her interesting. She asked him not to treat her differently, so when she had a problem at work and he told her he had to follow company policy, she couldn’t really be upset about it. Yet at the same time, she seemed disappointed that he didn’t give her special treatment.

What bothers me is the double standard. We’re used to seeing a man who wants a relationship to stay completely secret being called toxic, while when a woman does the same thing, people often say she’s just protecting herself.

For me, wrong is wrong, regardless of whether it comes from a man or a woman. I don’t want to separate the standards based on gender. 😂

Exactly. I’m not saying either of them is a toxic person. I just mean that some of their behavior has a toxic side. As for trauma, we don’t know enough about their past yet, so I don’t want to assume that either. For now, I just see two emotionally immature adults who are attracted to each other but use different defense mechanisms.

Everyone keeps saying the ML is toxic, but after watching episodes 1–5, I honestly think both of them have toxic sides. He’s arrogant and aggressive with her, but his acts of service completely contradict his attitude—you can clearly see that he likes her while constantly putting up boundaries to protect his own space.

And honestly, I really disliked her reaction after their first intimate encounter. She left a “thank you” note and acted cold afterward. If a man had done exactly the same thing, people would probably call him cruel and toxic.

Later, she keeps protecting her heart and focusing on her career, but at the same time she sends mixed signals: she doesn’t reject physical intimacy in private, while in public they act as if nothing ever happened between them.

So, at this point, I don’t see one toxic character. I see two emotionally immature adults who are attracted to each other but use different defense mechanisms. They’re both flawed, both emotionally guarded, and both contributing to the unhealthy dynamic between them.

Is such a meaningful and emotionally mature drama. I really loved how the characters grow through their experiences rather than changing overnight. The story explores healing, self-acceptance, grief, and what it really means to choose your own happiness. The female lead especially feels very human and complex, and her emotional development is beautifully written.