Kimsamsoom

So does that mean in a Long Distance Relationship, where we communicate only through chatting, I'm in love with the picture of the person (catfishing even?) and his/her words, rather than the person itself?

You do know online dating exist right? And you do know people have gotten married over video games as well, where they never meet each other, and the love grows through the words they write to each other?

I think you are horribly underestimating the power of the written word. Haven't you heard? the pen is mightier than the sword!

Plus your analogy is all wrong, we are comparing love letters from a significant others, to a fictional character, written by the author to entertain people. And half the time the authors are actually pseudonyms or the book was written by a ghost writer, so there is a lot of impersonal aspects to a book vs a love letter. A fictional book targets a specific audience. A love letter, or personal letter targets just the recipient.

It's like saying, well my boyfriend gave me flowers, but i'm not loving my boyfriend more, i'm loving the flowers, because roses are my favorite.

and comparing that to

I was in the public garden, and I love the roses in the garden, and not the person who planted those roses for everyone to see..

I think you should be entitled to your opinion, but maybe be open minded to other people's opinion as well?

You want to be able to have your opinion, but you belittle others? It's a two way street, respect others, and you'll get your respect as well.

That's my opinion anyway.

Nothing wrong if you dislike HJP, and prefer NDS. It's a love triangle after all, so it's bound to happen. But maybe respect the views of other people who prefer HJP. Nothing loss to you if you act less aggressive.

Go back to Episode 1, and you'll notice that Grandma is holding a letter she had written to SDM, and not once, do we see HJP just copying her letter word for word. In fact he calls her letter old fashioned and lame.

In fact it's touching as we see grandma get excited with the words that HJP chooses to write. HJP is quite the wordsmith it seems. Many times we see Grandma point excitedly as the words HJP has written.

It's one thing to be open, loving, trustful and warm to someone face to face, and whole different beast doing it anonymously hidden behind some pen pal letters. Because HJP didn't need to face SDM in person, he had the freedom to just bare his soul, knowing that SDM will never know these stories, these letters actually belongs to HJP.

HJP wants to keep lying to SDM, because he is still effected by the torrential storm in his heart.

I don't know, if someone wrote me a letter telling me...

"Kimsamsoom, you are the reason I wake up everyday with a smile on my face. You make the drudgery of life palatable, in fact, if not for your letters, I don't know how I could face each and every day..."

I'd think that's pretty deeply personal. Someone is baring their soul out to me. It's quite an emotional setting.

The reason that SDM had a lot to talk about, because there was a lot happening in her life, and she needed someone to share it all with.

I think, you made me realize that Grandma was always the conduit of both SDM and HJP. Both were being taken by her, and shown kindness by her, but for some reason, both SDM and HJP couldn't confide in Grandma. I guess confiding someone similar age is such a different thing to confiding in your relative.

As for HJP, most of the things happening in his life included Grandma, so he obviously could not talk about that, instead he talks about how special her friendship has been to him.

SDM also, as you can see is someone who wears her heart on her sleeve, from her upbeat demeanor in the Cafe, to how she wooed the Designer to her team. HJP on the other hand is aloof, and not as demonstrative as SDM, so it would make sense his letters are not as robust and rambunctious as SDM's.

I don't really hate NDS, just an observation. When NDS tells SDM that HJP is like a brother, we see everyone struggling to lie about it, including NDS friends and HJP, but for NDS, if you'll notice, it was just natural.

I'm not a good liar myself, so when I lie, people can tell right away, i'm saying if NDS were to lie to me, I would believe him as he is very convincing, thus a great liar.

I was getting Black Mirror vibes. Has those automated machines speak so fluently now, without a digitized accent? That would be freaky!

Ok, I can accept this characterization if you also admit that.

NDS is a manipulative and sadistic person, who pretends to be naive and innocent to get what he wants. He appears warm and kind on the outside, but inside he is cold, calculating, and selfish. He is also apathetic to the plight of the people around him unless it serves his purposes.

And I have evidence for this characterization as well. Want me to write an essay of why NDS is the villain of the show? it wouldn't be that hard.

I mean, defending the NDS side is ok, but maybe don't trounce on the other side to make your arguments stick, because they are not working.

What I find confusing is how this user takes everything at face value, and doesn't know how to read between the lines.

This is Kdrama, everything is either passive agressive, super subtle emotions and a lot of reading between the lines. If you want a story where everything is taken at face value, I suggest watching western dramas, where passion is being shown upfront, and no need for these Kdrama mind games.

I think something you need to concede though is that initially the letters from HJP were more about supporting SDM, how he pretended to have lost a dog to understand what it's like to have lost a sister and etc...

But this particular translation of the letter shows that it's HJP, admitting to SDM that her writing to him has actually given his life more meaning, and in fact it proves that SDM's letters were also supporting HJP during his rough patch.

So it's no longer one sided support for a lonely SDM, but rather a supportive pillar propping up a lonely boy and a lonely girl.

No your right, she didn't get into college, but she could have.

When Grandma found out that SDM has a chance to enter a good university, she sold her corndog shop to pay the tuition, but SDM decided to drop out of college instead to not burden Grandma.

I have Grandma and HJP as my end game couple.

DM isn't academically stupid, she got into one of the better universities in SK. Just wanted to point that out.

To be quite frank, SDM was more in love with Dosan when she was young and in those flashbacks, then she is now with the real NDS.

For someone who was in a long term 15 year relationship with this boy named NDS, actually being with him, and working with him, it doesn't seem like it.

The relationship of NDS and SDM at times seems more familial than romantic most of the time. She just doesn't seem as excited, but rather it looks like she has her eyes on the prize of being the next google instead. There is a disconnect happening here.

Yeah, I don't enjoy the spotlight on sibling rivalry, especially when it's not friendly competition. It's a real life problem, and it has destroyed many families IMO.

Unfortunately in Asia it is. Why do you think countries like Japan have such a backward notion towards maternity leave. A lot of women in Asia are starting to opt not to get married, as having kids become a liability. In the past, you were socially pressured to quit and take care of your family if you were a woman.

Even in some western nations, there is this prejudice, they just need to hide it better, since gender discriminations exist in the west.

I actually don't feel anything WIJ has done is irredeemable. The girl who cried when her father was being beaten up by his boss is still there. And I don't actually sense animosity from WIJ to SDM, actually more SDM to WIJ. Even during hackathon,

WIJ is very subtly encouraging her sister. She could have hardcore crushed her sister's dream anytime she wanted, she could have maliciously made sure her sister did not succeed, but she did none of those. The answer is clear.

I get the idea that WIJ hasn't been back in Korea for a long time, spending most of her time in the US branch of his dad's company. I could be wrong though.

Yeong Shil to the rescue!

Lest we forget that HJP wanted to divulge the truth earlier, but NDS didn't want to, because he hasn't had enough time to make SDM fall for him yet. But now that SDM's heart is conflicted, he conveniently wants to tell the truth, when things favor him.

Master manipulator, your name is Nam Do San. I don't know why HJP thought NDS wouldn't make a great CEO, this is CEO level thinking over here.

The way you describe NDS here is of a master manipulator and that's the feeling I get as well.

In fact, I feel NDS goals with SDM are very clear, and he has a clear plan how to get there. He has no conflict with his emotions, in fact it's very straight line. He keeps the lie up as long as it benefits him. I think he would have made a great CEO considering how he is manipulating the situation.

HJP on the other hand, as smart as he is with investment, is absolutely a lost cat in this whole romance department. He perpetuates the lie, because he doesn't know what he will do if SDM finds out the truth.

It's not just being introduced first, it's also his backstory, his arc, his character.