It’s starting to hook me in just a little now!

So off our hero goes to “Cloud 9” which honestly sounds like a drug thing. But I’m sure it’s not. The music sets it up to be some tomb raider adventure, as Je Ha realises that he’s hurtling downwards (instead of upwards) towards level 9.

He enters through glass doors which scanned his hand and his eye, and waits outside while Yoo Jin, her secretary, Je Ha’s secret force boss (omg I can’t find his  name, help!) and JSS boss have a meeting.

Yoo Jin displays ruthlessness towards those who have betrayed her and is bent on destroying the directors who turned on her. While the others are used to this, they are nevertheless taken aback when she orders a sex scandal video of one of the directors to be shown to the director’s kids.

Her cold face melts a little when she spots Je Ha waiting. Ahh I don’t know what to think about this attraction, but I find her acting so good.

Mi Ran gushes about how pro Je Ha is and how fast he’s rising through the ranks. Unknown to Mi Ran and the ahjumma, Anna is listening to this conversation and learns that no one will be watching the cameras tonight.

Finally, Je Ha gets his time with Yoo Jin. Yoo Jin reveals that she called him here because she wants to hear his life story from him and about his time in Iraq. It’s time to start the hunt on Park Gwan Soo and she wants to know why he wants to kill him.

Je Ha knows that this place is deep down in the ground so no one can actually “eavesdrop” on them, but he still holds back. Yoo Jin shows off her helper who is collecting all of this information – an Artificial Intelligence, which she affectionately names Mirror. Now I’m a bit confused – did she create JSS? Or did she employ JSS? Anyway, she reiterates that Mirror collects all the data in the world and analyses them. This is how they spy on the world.

While Mi Ran feasts on Subway and abs, Anna sneaks into her room and very easily locates an identity card, ear piece, clothes…and syringes with sleeping drugs.

Je Ha probably knows that he can’t get his hands on Mirror without Yoo Jin, so he finally confesses the story. Through a flashback, we see how he was so excited to see Raniya, as he gestured wildly in front of the tent “I love you” while she was translating a transaction for Park Gwan Soo and Kumar.

(Her eyes are SO GORGEOUS.)

The memory quickly turned bitter when Je Ha, who was waiting happily in the van, saw Blackstone agents pulling Raniya away. He rushed towards her, but was too late as a shot rang out. We have all seen this before, but what we didn’t know was that before he could approach her body, he himself was shot.

By the time he woke up, he had a gun in his hand. He threw it away in disbelief and stumbled towards Raniya but it was too late.

He hugged her body and sobbed in grief. Later, he was framed for Raniya’s death. He escaped a week later but Park Gwan Soo had already fled the country and Blackstone had turned on him. This is why he has to kill Park Gwan Soo.

Yoo Jin is satisfied with his story (perhaps a bit touched) and instructs Mirror to give Je Ha his answers. Okay this is cool.

Je Ha gets worked up when Mirror analyses that Raniya is probably killed because she interpreted a confidential transaction. It also informs the duo that two weeks after the meeting, Kumar broke away from CIA and formed his own army.

Yoo Jin thinks that Park Gwan Soo must have supplied arms to Kumar and scoffs in admiration at Park Gwan Soo’s deal. However, she seems to be a bit chastised when Je Ha stares at her in disdain. Hahaha. I find it interesting that she thinks she has to explain herself.

By this time, Anna has already doped Mi Ran’s drink and is on her way out. She fakes Mi Ran’s accent and voice and successfully escapes.

Yoo Jin thinks Je Ha loved Raniyya but Je Ha himself isn’t sure – whether he just feels so sorry and so guilty, because he was the one who introduced Raniya to Blackstone. Ouchhh. Je Ha rejects being Yoo Jin’s “close line” or slave in his opinion. “There’s no such thing as a master who will not betray his slaves.” I love the timing of this statement!

Before he leaves, he turns around, “People who don’t betray their friends do exist though, isn’t that right? Friend?” Omggg love it. The first time Yoo Jin called Je Ha a “friend”, he was not a willing party and they were merely working partners. It was laced with veiled force. Here, the meaning of “friend” has changed a little and it’s no wonder that Yoo Jin smiles to herself.

Anna wanders back to her old home and tears as old memories of her dancing with her mum hit her. She later accidentally finds the studio which displays her photo with her mum.

Sidekick fetches Je Ha home and (quite adorably) gets excited thinking that Je Ha did not pass the “Cloud 9” test. Je Ha reaches the house but realises something is amiss when the other guard tells him that “J4 has been out for some time.”

He rushes into the house and sees a knocked out Mi Ran. He wakes her up rudely and his face, oh his face, when Mi Ran screams that he can’t get on her like that. It’s supposed to be a OH NO situation but I find that rather funny.

Through talking with the photographer, Anna realises that there was an ahjumma who lived with them and she makes her way to the assisted facility where she now lives. On the other side, Mi Ran replies sheepishly that her ear piece has been taken and realises that Anna has been using her card.She blurts out, “I have to report this to the bank for fraud!”and the Boss is like, “Are you crazy?” Exactly! How does Mi Ran stay in JSS if she’s so stupid?

Anna successfully finds the ahjumma but she has dementia and mistakes Anna for her mum. She suddenly lapses into a crazed rant about how Hye Rin must leave now with Anna or Choi Yoo Jin will kill them both. Anna grits her teeth, now that she has “confirmation” that Yoo Jin was the culprit. Her ahjumma is of no help though, as she lapses back into her usual self.

JSS arrives on the scene, and Boss instructs VIA THE EARPIECE for everyone to corner the exits. This alerts Anna who starts to find an escape route.

I don’t know if the director is putting in any effort into redeeming Mi Ran, because one moment we think Mi Ran is okay quite cool in asking someone to follow her, and the next moment, she crashes into the wall while running. It’s unintentional, and certainly not the point of the director/producers, but I thought it was a bit comical. Not being able to stop suddenly while running is something you and I do, not a bodyguard of a special elite force.

Anyway by this time, Anna has already sneaked out under the cover of a nun’s clothing. She hears through the earpiece that her father specially instructs the guards to make sure that Anna does not go near the public church service tomorrow, but is in denial and thinks this is all Yoo Jin’s doing.

We can already see public sentiment swinging towards Assemblyman Jang. While the couple carefully and gently help an old woman up the slope, Assemblyman Park’s car brazenly forces its way through the crowd.

Anna sneaks into the church service and her father spots her first. She mouths, Dad, and he turns away in discomfort, asking Yoo Jin why Anna is up there. Oh Song Yoon Ah’s acting has been so good this whole episode.

Je Ha similarly spots Anna in the singing choir but the pastor hisses at the guards to stop moving. When the song is over, all the nuns leave except Anna. Her dad can’t even raise his head and keeps looking down in fear and shame, while Yoo Jin shakes her head at Anna.

Anna launches into Amazing Grace, which causes the whole church to be teary-eyed.

When that song is over, she stands still and looks at her dad. Je Ha walks towards her and thinks, No Anna. Anna, no, and as if she can hear him, she holds back and walks away, much to the relief of the knowing parties.

I also really like this scene which emphasises a different kind of chemistry between these two leads. With Yoo Jin, Je Ha feels more dangerous and angry. With Anna, Je Ha is more stable and strong.

After the service, Anna disappears again, leaving a note for her father to find her at the place he knows. Her father, however, has completely no idea where she’s talking about. Through another flashback to 14 years ago, we see how Jang was shocked at the news of Hye Rin’s suicide and how Yoo Jin threatened him to stay by using Anna’s safety as a chip. But the current Yoo Jin is disgusted with Jang. She scoffs at her own stupidity for thinking that Jang did everything so as to protect Anna, “But we both know the truth now. You were just afraid that Anna would get in the way of your ambition!”

What I really appreciate about the episodes so far, is that no one is truly the evil villain here. While Yoo Jin is painted as the manipulative, ruthless, heartless woman, we have seen how Je Ha has gotten through to her emotions. On the other hand, while you may think that Jang is controlled by his wife, I find him despicable in the way he has affairs and how he only focuses on his political career.

Anna is actually waiting at the amusement park where she went with Jang and Hye Rin a decade ago. Jang told her at that time that if she got lost, she should stay put at the exact spot where she lost him. “No matter how scared you may be, you have to withstand that and wait. Daddy will come to where you are, Anna.” Which is why it’s quite sad how Jang has absolutely no clue as to where Anna is.

Throw in some coincidental photo and social media, and JSS soon locates Anna. Instead of her dad swooping in with ice cream, Anna looks up from her prayer to find Je Ha instead.

Je Ha tries to protect her by lying that her father sent her here and that he’s not angry with Anna at all. Thinking that the strawberry ice cream is from her dad, Anna eats it and smiles through her tears.

Sidekick reports back on VIP’s status with a smile like mine and yours – basically, a fangirl’s smile. It’s so funny to see the other guards rolling their eyes and be like whattt?? when sidekick says, “They are having ice cream.”

Anna and Je Ha finally have a proper conversation where she shares about her past memories of this amusement park. However, she starts wheezing, even as the topic turns serious, “My mum told me that my dad was too powerful, so if people found out that we were his family, bad guys would come.”

Je Ha looks at her and realises that something is wrong. He fusses over her, “Are you okay?” Anna cries, “I realise that…that I was that bad person all along.”

With a loud gasp, she collapses into his arms.

Ahjumma instantly reveals to us and to the guards that Anna is allergic to strawberries. Je Ha recalls that she ate it because she thought it’s from her dad and quickly gives her CPR.

Okay, this is really very trivial but I’m conflicted about this scene. I think it’s shot so beautifully – Ji Chang Wook’s worry and slight regret with the sun shining from behind, and the music. However, I still can’t really see past Yoona’s pretty face. She looks like she’s just sleeping, not dying. Please, I hope I’m not alone in this! I just feel like if such a “life-and-death” scenario (shot in the exact same way) comes much later in the drama, I might have felt more.

Anyway, he shouts for her to wake up and she dutifully opens her eyes, but closes them again.

-the end-

I don’t really know what to feel about this drama yet. I liked Episode 5 so much that I thought I must give recapping Episode 6 a shot. I especially love that scene in the locked room where Je Ha sheltered Yoo Jin from the rain and they exchanged these smiles. What I find very intriguing is that Je Ha has actually something in common with Yoo Jin. I can’t pinpoint exactly what, but they have a strong sense of loneliness, fear of betrayal, brilliance and stubbornness. This is why I actually really look forward to scenes between Yoo Jin and Je Ha now, although I’m sure we will be treated with the main couple’s scenes soon.

I’m still rather ambivalent about Yoona as the casting. She can act, yes, and she’s very pretty, but I feel like the show thus far only serves to highlight her as eye candy. Her little happy dance in the kitchen was a tad too long to make sense and she is often either crying or beaming. This is definitely not her fault if the scriptwritors meant it that way, but I just found it rather unfortunate that we are 6 episodes in and I’ve yet to love the female character. I haven’t found it in me to root for Je Ha and Anna. Although we get to see so much of Je Ha’s kiddish side when Anna and Ramen are in the equation, I wish we get to see more story between the main couple before Je Ha falls in love with her. Right now, it feels like Je Ha is already infatuated with her and he worries twice as much if anything concerns Anna crops up…even though there is nothing much to explain why. On the flip side, I guess I can make the argument that he’s already curious about her because he knows she’s the girl whom he turned his back on six months ago. Oh well!

Ji Chang Wook has been fantastic. His eyesss, omg. Few actors have such expressive eyes like him! I feel like you can cover his nose and mouth, and yet still describe exactly how he’s feeling by watching his eyes. He acts with such intensity that he always has amazing chemistry with his co-actors. I think this guy can act with a wall even! I can even feel his love for Raniya?? Save me from this guy hahaha.

I wouldn’t call this their first kiss AT ALL. Don’t cop out, drama, give me a good one soon!

<3thoughtsramble