forestchachacha

I think this bit really brings to light how deep Seokryu's and Seunghyo's connection went. It's visible from how much Seunghyo understands her family dynamics. Most times he knows how to handle her mom better than Seokryu. So she intuitively knew only he can understand why she was hiding things from her family, or help her come clean to them. While Moeum and her were also super close, Seokryu and Seunghyo are inexplicably intertwined.

yeah it was a total setup for that kind of line xD but his reply fits their dynamic + they were with their family xD

and brilliantly acted too. it felt so genuine.

he was asking for forgiveness so i like that he didn't try to soothe the pain through a hug. seokryu's frustrations needed to come out fully. just another perspective

I'm unaware myself! But someone shared this song in the comments below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgAfIif2T6I&ab_channel=KwonJin-ah-Topic

I learned a lot from the way Seunghyo finally addressed the situation. He was overloaded by the weight of the emotions and went haywire at times, but he did so well to resolve things. Addressing Seokryu's mental distress, getting her to air out her frustrations and expressing his remorse. Organizing a welcome home party to get the family closer showed how thoughtful he is about all of them. How he ensured that the ex-couple got a final farewell. And I'm forgetting all the words of assurance from him that were just what Seokryu needed to hear. Need to rewatch this episode asap.

The OST was perfection in episode 10. It resonated so well with the emotions without overdoing it. I could feel it in my bones.

Oh! And I forgot to address the whole "why was he shouting at her" grievance. Isn't it obvious from watching more than 12 hours of this show that a big focus has been on depicting conflicts in a new light? Sometimes emotions get trapped in a pressure cooker and bubble up, resulting in things come out in unpleasant ways. It can be hurtful, unideal and wrong too. But communication is what's truly needed. Sitting quietly and behaving perfectly does not equal a healthy dynamic. That's all I'll say

Since some people are struggling to find understanding for Seunghyo, let me attempt to explain his PoV. I fully realize that we are all in different stages of life and have been in different life circumstances so that paints how we look at characters. But I think it's very easy to empathize with him because he has been written so coherently. Perhaps it requires us to rise above of judging characters according to one-dimensional green-flags and view them with open hearts. Because trust me, they become richer and are more loveable that way.

First thing, I don't think it was obvious from Seokryu's appearance that she was ill. Because we knew, we saw it one way. But to Seunghyo, she was simply wearing a hat and walking with her boyfriend. You don't see a friend and assume things about their health status.

Secondly, anyone who has been in the sort of confusing position Seunghyo was in - loving someone from afar for years, that someone being a close friend, not being able to confess at the right time, convincing yourself it meant nothing, regretting things, not feeling understood - knows that needing space is an obvious reaction. For some of us, the only way to move on is to draw hard boundaries. You might come to regret them later, just like Seunghyo does now, but at that time you did it to save yourself. Maybe there were other obvious, correct ways to deal with things. But you can't fully fault someone for putting their mental wellbeing first when they needed it.

Of course, none of this is Seokryu's fault and it's devastating that she wasn't able to share her turmoil with anyone. But that's the tragedy. In life, we do end up hurting people we love. The best way to explain it is through Jung Somin's previous drama - "Because this is my first life". I could go on but let me end my soapbox here.

I wish some of you would watch this show with a more open heart rather than judging every plotline, character and action that doesn't fit your "perfect story" bullet list. Sure, it is up to everyone to consume things the way they want. But it's no surprise that some of you fail to get the point of things later on.

As for me, I find such human realness in every character, every dialogue, every expression. I'm also learning a lot from it. We all live life with our own set of blindspots, and it's stories as well written and portrayed as this that help us step into different people's shoes and understand life through new perspectives. We learn with the characters, feel anguish and relief with the characters. And in the process find more understanding for ourselves and the people around us. What a special piece of storytelling this show is. It touches my heart. Praise for the entire team - writer, actors, director etc.

the best episode till now. i love this show so much

I think it makes sense. It's easy to make friends in university but people drift apart to different cities later. Building a community in a foreign country isn't that easy. Plus, it looks like she faced burnout in addition to an unhealthy work environment, so she probably became more reclusive.

“It made me wish, I had someone like Choi SeungHyo in real life.” Exactly, I felt the same. And not in a romantic way necessarily. The friendship itself is so heartwarming.

Agreed, that’s another outstanding scene!

I rewatched episode 2 and I have to say, the playground jungle gym scene is pure magic. Everything about it. The dialogues, how Seokryu is trying too hard to stay playful and how Seunghyo plays with her but is simultaneously observing her. The whole thing with the umbrella. And finally the line that stays in my head rent free "don't force yourself to laugh if you feel like crying". The way Seokryu cries after that is such great acting. I also love the cinematography of this scene. Simple yet captivating. This scene is a summation of why their story and the actors' performance feels so special to me.

Brian was her bf during university.

When we get Seokryu thinking about the time capsule letter and fully realising how long he has loved her for🫠😭

ALSO when these two meet Moeum for the first time after the confession… it’s going to be so much fun! Things are serious and angsty right now but I know they’ll settle their issues soon

omg this reminded me of the cgi mountain scene when seokryu's dad crawls on the floor. so over the top and hilarious xD

So true. Depicting their family life in such detail makes them feel like real people. Because in reality, family is one of the major factors behind why we turn up the way we are. It makes their characters so well rounded. This, along with all the flashback scenes, lays down a strong background. We can literally map their present behaviours to their past circumstances and decisions. This has to be appreciated.

I was thinking about why Seokryu is hiding her ex’s cheating from her fam. Some of it is obviously bc she doesn’t want to share her suffering. It’s become second nature to her to hide burdens from her parents because she’s always been the trouble-free kid to them. And secondly, she doesn’t fully trust that her mother will handle the matter delicately.

But another aspect is that she can’t tell them about his indiscretions without telling them how he was good to her during her past illness. And she’s hiding that even more bc (a) they are already burdened with Dongjin’s heart issue, and (b) she knows how hurtful that convo will be. Perhaps she is also scared that she will not be understood.

So she is avoiding telling the truth. Secrets are that way. They start to eat you from the inside. One leads to the other. It’s great that Seunghyo will be the first one to know of all this (at least it seems that way from the preview). He deserves to know first. And now that her secret will be out, she can truly heal.