Kathryn_51

I read somewhere that wedding scenes are problematic because of high cost involved. So, I'm keeping my hopes low and expecting a beautiful engagement scene and few months later NGJ and LSA hanging that lovely photo on the wall of their home.

I believe that Papa Beck is the final/top villain.

December 2021: Oh Segi begins to embezzle “billions of Won”. Why? My guess: Gambling Debt.

Mid-February 2022: (1) International “Celebrity” Gambling Ring under Investigation; (2) BSY returns to South Korea. Also mid-February but perhaps not relevant: Stalker Lady begins her countdown on the calendars and an anonymous email sent to all employees.
Things are set in motion.

Dr. Cho – the loan shark – has large sums of cash courtesy of Papa Baek. They charge usurious interest rates. Once the gambling syndicates are under investigation, a large source of under the table/tax free income is gone. [I admit – there is nothing to date that would indicate Papa Baek is involved in funding illegal gambling loans. But it fits this theory]. Papa Baek assigns Cho to BSY and orders him to implement a plan for taking over GoTop.

Kang Min, a gambling addict, is friends with Se-gi; Se-gi makes a special request asking NGJ to reconsider the firing. A desperate Kang Min is encouraged by “Dr. Cho” to “bump into” NGJ w/promise of big reward and Dr. Cho is in Gangneung to witness the hit. Se-gi receives anonymous message blaming NGJ for his sister’s death; he goes to Gangneung to confront NGJ but finds him injured and walks away. When Se-gi returns from the States he discovers NGJ has amnesia and he begins to plot revenge to crush NGJ.

Se-gi knows SJo from gambling (but does not know of connection to Se-Hee).
Secretary Jo and Se-gi meet occasionally. As part of Se-gi’s campaign to destabilize GoTop, Baek Edu is encouraged to recruit Gong Heecheol. BSY knew the EXACT arguments to use to recruit Gong – courtesy of Se-gi (via SJo). SJo told Se-gi when BSY was leaving office so that Se-gi could gently bump into her car. Se-gi provided LSA’s personnel file to SJo to hand to BSY. When Se-gi walked out of the justice center (Ep. 14) he recognized SJo immediately – even though they had never been face-to-face before on the show. See also Ep 14 scene in BSY’s office – they KNOW each other.

SJo’s backstory appears to be: was known as Chief Cho at Jungsin Master Education. Oh Se-hee and NGJ also worked there (big “M” on posters where Oh Se-hee walked the hall and in office). Se-hee was caught making photos of tests for reasons unknown (bribe? Blackmail? Gambling debt?). She may have been married (her father thought Se-gi was Se-hee’s husband). She committed suicide on April 15, 2015; she was 25 years old at the time. The phone recording was also dated April 15, 2015. [Side note: Although NGJ has said, at least once, something like “you will never work in this industry again”, I don’t believe he has ever said: “I will not forgive you”. He knows that the conversation never took place with him and Se-hee]. Did SJo push Se-hee off the roof? Don’t think so – it wouldn’t add anything to the plot at this point, but one way or another, SJo’s involvement will become known.

BSY and SJo have known each other for a long time – she trusts him and he protects her. He uses honorifics with her at all times. He might be the illegitimate Baek son (therefor half-brother), but I get an upstairs/downstairs vibe. He has not opposed or sabotaged her efforts to reunite with NGJ.

Stalker Girl is unrelated to GoTop takeover, unless she has been manipulated to de-stabilize NGJ and keep him from recognizing the real danger to GoTop. But that’s pretty lame and spoilers for Ep 15 say “As questions about Gojin's death threats be resolved one by one”.

Secretary Jo’s job was to de-stabilize GoTop so that Gunil Group could take it over. Kang Min’s fury at NGL was an opportunity to take care of it easily, but Secretary Jo doesn’t care if NGJ is alive or dead (yes, still holding out hope that he’s not a murderer, lol]. BSY’s plan to take over GoTop and bringing Se-gi on board is not part of Papa Baek’s plan and things are starting to unravel for him since he was somehow involved in Se-gi’s sister death.

Papa Baek has been overseas for two months but he will reappear at the end of Ep. 15 or beginning of Ep. 16.

That’s my story. I just can’t visualize a 16 episode story arc resolution based on SJo’s love for BSY, SJo’s jealousy of NGJ’s high IQ, SJo’s revenge plot for losing his job at Jungsin Master Education – if any are true, then lame ending and I take at least one star off my rating.

Here is my “theory” because at least 80% fits what we have seen thus far. If I am wrong or way off, that’s okay. Sifting through the clues, re-watching when I am able, reading other posters’ thoughts and writing this down has been cathartic as I worked through my 5 stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance that Secretary Jo is not a very nice person.
I welcome any comments, thoughts, facts that challenge my theory – that’s how investigations are properly managed – look at facts that do NOT support a narrative in order to resolve them.

Thanks - I guess the English comparison would be "Manager" or "Direcctor" in a corporation.

The sequence starts with Chief Ma talking about how GoTop was formed in 2016 by taking over Jungsin Master Education.(I assume it was the first day of the two-year internship),; next scene (at .54 seconds) was a different instructor talking about a Mountain something-or-other and that is where
I see a woman in a white sweater and long black hair. I think the woman looks like Na Soo Yeon. On the other hand, LSA called her Ms. Na Sooyeong but someone on this board said the Korean words were "Instructor Na Sooyeong". So good chance I'm just seeing things.

Ah yes, the "trolls". I learned long ago to ignore them, but went through some painful experiences before I wised up.

Very special - glad they included the pillow fight.

LOL - I posted something yesterday on this - what happened to that person? It was the start of the whole "who wants to kill NGJ" narrative used to promote the show and . . . . . .what happened? Pretty sure the event occurred in mid-February 2022 (a couple of weeks before NGJ birthday) - I won't be happy if writers don't explain what happened - was it a joke? security? was the person stopped or change their mind? I want to know.

Very thoughtful post Elif Kim. Since CL isn't available in the US yet, and I have told family that we are going to binge watch it when it does come here, I realized that they will miss 50% of the fun. Such as the scene where NGJ is quoting LSA from several episodes prior - will a binge watcher even catch on to why this was so hilarious?

I have come to the conclusion that viewers who comment on message boards fall into 3 categories: (1) those that love to debate characters - their flaws, their mistakes, justifying or criticizing their actions - as if they are real people (40%); (2) those that analyze kisses and skinship (romance factor)(40%); and (3) those that analyze the story/narrative - scripting, continuity, pacing, clues, details. (20%). I'm in the 20% category.

Good question; I'm not sure we will ever know unless they need a witness as to what really happened that night. NGJ and SJo are about the same height, so don't think it's him. BTW, according to the show character list, SJo is 39 years old (played by an actor that is only 33 or 34)and NGJ is 35 (played by an actor that is 39).

It could be him, but since that scene was 3+ years ago and Kang Min was working at GoTop at the time (he claimed he helped build GoTop!), I doubt it. The person I'm looking at is at the 54 second mark - two seats in front of Lee Shin-ah.

Question: What does the term "Chief" mean in the Korean Education System? As in, Chief Ma and Chief Cho?

Like you, I don't want to be disappointed by the writers - they have been 99% perfect for FOURTEEN episodes. I'm banking on the big reveal to be something much more than Secretary Jo - although he has been a neutral (that is, no hints as to his past or his character/ethics) in the 1st 13 episodes, tossing in a totally new back story between NGJ and SJo in the 2nd to last episode will be a major disappointment to me. if that is the final "answer". I get that there is a Master Edu connection between Cho, NGL and Oh Se-hee but it would be the ultimate in lazy writing for the big reveal to be totally unrelated to everything before now.

I think I saw Na Soo Yeon in the 2nd classroom scene, but could be wrong - hard to tell.

At one time, I thought SJo was avoiding NGJ and so I watched to confirm - but I was wrong; he was with BSY at the KPEDA event, standing right next to BSY when NGJ first saw her - of course, NGJ only had eyes for her, but SJo did nothing to avoid or turn away from NGJ.

[Sigh, I loved the way SJo walked up to BSY in her distress - he looked like he was there to support her if she needed him. ]

2nd time was when BSY/SJo came to GoTop to meet with Instructor Gong; when NGJ walked up to BSY, SJo excused himself but didn't appear to avoid NGJ.

I love the idea about the men possibly growing up together at an orphanage together, but I think the connection to Jungsin Master Education is more likely. But if so, why hasn't NGJ recognized SJo from those days?

Here are dates to remember
April 2015 - NGJ and Oh Se-hee worked at the same company. There is a big "M" on many posters, so good chance it is Jungsin Master Education. Oh Se-Hee is caught by NGJ and she commits suicide a few days later.

Sometime in 2016 - NGJ "took over" Jungsin Master Educaation and formed GoTop. But at that point, he was living and sleeping in what appears to be a classroom, so. . . . . what happened at Master Edu?

July 2016 - over 800,000 Won in the bank account

September 2016 - Bank account down to 5,000 Won and Se-gi contributes his money

October 28 2016 GoTop goes live on the internet and it is a success

One reason I love this show is that except for a tiny number of items, the dates/calendars/evidence - everything!! - has been consistent.

Cattaurus and Blueberrycakpop - I have been searching for the reference to Jungsin Master Education for two days now. Finally found it - if either of you are still around, take a look at the first scenes in Ep 2 and see if there is another familiar face in the crowd.

Elif Kim - Look at the phone just as Oh Segi puts it on the table. it has a date of 2015 04 15. Oh Sehee killed herself on April 18th, 2015 (I think). Not sure how editing works but would the 2015 date appear if it was edited in today's world? I didn't think the voice sounded like NGJ, but wasn't sure. So, even assuming it is edited - who would make a voice recording of that conversation? Would Oh Sehee make it? If so,, wouldn't it have been on HER phone - has someone had her phone for 7 years? None of it makes sense to me but as I rewatched and looked at NGJ's face, I'm guessing he knows that conversation never occurred and he is starting to realize that Se-gi isn't the top villain and that someone else is trying to take him down (or kill him since that's the key line from the Ep 15 preview?).

I'm glad I'm not the only one who ponders these clues.

Secretary Jo doing this out of love for BSY just doesn't fit and it would be the laziest of all resolutions. He knows she is obsessed with NGJ - so helping to destroy him financially isn't going to stop her obsession - it would make it worse. Killing NGJ would make him a martyr in her eyes. He has protected and supported BSY in her obsession over NGJ.

So, the only thing that fits in my mind is that Daddy Baek wants GoTop/NGJ destroyed - and Daddy isn't going to be happy that BSY is trying to acquire GoTop so that she can be close to/control NGJ (if I understood HER rationale during one conversation).

Actually, although the entire series has been running with the narrative that "someone wants to kill NGJ" - the evidence isn't really there other than Kang Min's drunken hit-and-run (and when given the chance to murder NGJ, he backed off). Stalker girls doesn't want to kill him (she didn't poison the drink, didn't push him in front of the motorycle) . I have always felt that Shin-ah was the one in danger from her. I'm kinda thinking she wants to commit suicide either in front of Gojin, with Gojin (farfetched) or perhaps suicide/murder with Shin-ah. At any rate, the story should be over and I hope SJo wasn't part of it. I started to lay out this argument in a post yesterday and it was so long everyone's eyes would glaze over reading it, lol.

It was the Valentine candy boxes that tells me it DID happen in mid-February. There are also photos of NGJ on that day on the stalker board of NGJ Yes, I obsess over details so took another look and the hoodie w/dark overcoat are there.