This week, Anna finally gets exposed to the limelight, we learn a bit more about her mother’s death and the couple gets some (limited) time together.

Anna survives the suicide attempt (I actually really like how this was scripted – her eating the strawberries, knowing that she will die from it) but is sullen from her meeting with Dad. She grumbles about Jae Ha and gang being bad people, causing Jae Ha to be annoyed, “I’d like it if you recognise our efforts to protect you too!” Anna lashes out and asks if making ramen and sending her dad there is called protecting her. Wow wow, you do not turn other people’s act of kindness into tools for attacking. Jae Ha stalks out and mutters that he has made a stupid promise to her dad.

Yoo Jin is raging about the set-up by the police and JSS Boss is scared for his life. Chief Joo however, promises to take responsibility for whatever has happened.

Because of Jang’s promise to submit organisations, his funds and everything for examination by the prosecution, the International Finance Group is being investigated for slush funds. The prosecution similarly ‘examines’ Jang’s house but the documents have already been arranged by Yoo Jin. Obviously the bad stuff isn’t going to be in there already and the leader knows it. Yoo Jin hints privately later on that he should do a strict and impartial investigation on the IFG, “Your higher-ups’ will is the same as mine.” That’s because Jang is going to join the main party soon and therefore, they are in the same boat.

Yoo Jin’s dad’s mistress is fretting but her son’s father-in-law is confident that Yoo Jin will not touch them because they are supplying the funds for presidential elections. He, however, acknowledges that they need to find an ally by the time Jang enters the Blue House.

Park Kwan Soo faces trouble as his assemblymen are being investigated. He wonders if Jang has a long life or if they are just unlucky, but his right hand man suggests that Jang’s team has an extraordinary guy (meaning Jae Ha), piquing Park’s interest in him.

Netizens who have too much time on their hands start discussing whether Anna could be in Korea and in which part of Korea. Uh…seriously….

Secretary reports that a photo of Anna is being circulated online and urges Yoo Jin to make a decision soon.

Anna cannot contain her curiosity and asks Jae Ha in a whisper what promise he made to her father. He ignores her and she whines loudly, “What promise did you make to my father?!” He tsks, “Geez, I’m not deaf! And sit properly! It’s dangerous!” Hahahah that’s quite cute.

He fills her in on the promise and asks her to grow up now, if she wants to survive taking on a foe like Choi Yoo Jin. Some delivery boy accidentally discovers where Anna is staying and takes a photo of them, much to Jae Ha’s anxiety. He quickly puts Anna back in the car and chases after the delivery guy. After sending the boy off, he recalls Chief Joo’s words that such is Anna’s plight – better off dead than to be exposed to the world. He knows Anna is in danger now.

He tells Anna that when he says Ice, she has to freeze, and when he says Ding, she walks. As if he’s training a dog, he motions downwards, “Sit” and Anna cute-ly complies with a squat on the floor, much to Jae Ha’s amusement.

She realises that he’s just teasing her and grumbles, but still obediently stops in her tracks when Jae Ha says, “Ice.” She in turn tries it on Jae Ha, “Ice! Ice!” but Jae Ha ignores her and walks on. HAHAHA, favourite scene of the episode.

Bald trainer, as a favour to Jae Ha, calls entertainment agency with a tip that Anna is Hye Rin’s daughter. Jae Ha is obviously planning something because he previously let the delivery boy go after telling him to advertise Anna’s address. Anyway, hoards of people turn up in front of the house – fans, people with too much time, and reporters. Yoo Jin is freaking out and sends out JSS’ offensive team to kill Anna before she speaks about being Jang’s illegitimate daughter.

Each episode has sort of a main conflict but I don’t think this is my favourite. Jae Ha, after assuring Anna that she will be fine, takes down the shooters so that Anna can reveal herself to the hoards of people outside. She finally introduces her name, Go Anna, and acknowledges that she was in Barcelona.

The offensive team leader faces off with Jae Ha and the two are almost on equal match. The fight didn’t really make sense in the first place, because the leader has a gun which he could totally pull on Jae Ha, but he throws it away in the most dramatic fashion ever and engages in a long fight with Jae Ha. I must admit though, I really like the fight scene, albeit it was too long.

Yoo Jin arrives on the scene and dashes to the front in a desperate fashion. Anna reveals that she’s Hye Rin’s daughter and the BIG question gets asked, “Who is your father?” There is an assassin with a knife in the crowd but Mi Ran takes him out. Finally of some use. Yoo Jin shakes her head at Anna, and as the scene builds to a climax, Anna answers that her father was the late director Go.

What game are you playing? And Anna replies, Who knows? You will know soon enough. 

Suddenly, there is a rush of flash lights and I’m not sure why, but it seems like Secretary Kim could have possibly started it? I don’t really understand this whole part, including why Yoo Jin feels like she has to rush forward and acts concerned for Anna who has fainted. Maybe she thinks that she has to find a way to explain her presence in the crowd. I don’t know…

 Jae Ha shields housekeeper and Mi Ran from Yoo Jin’s wrath and answers that it is better to have done it his way than to kill her. Surprisingly, Yoo Jin retreats and praises him for doing a good job today. Secretary Kim is worried that Yoo Jin has fallen for Jae Ha’s trick, but she assures Kim that “It’s okay…I can always kill her tomorrow, isn’t that right?”

She later talks to Jae Ha alone and asks him if he has forgotten about his revenge for Raniya. I don’t know how to describe it but I like Jae Ha’s expression of slight guilt? She informs him that their opponent has drawn the dagger and she wants to pull the trigger now.

Yoo Jin screams at Secretary Kim for being an idiot at not knowing when she’s faking to be tricked. The problem is that Anna has the knife in her hand now. She looks so vulnerable and I kind of feel bad for her.

Jae Ha watches Anna from the screen again and follows when she makes her way to the rooftop. We have a flashback of their supposedly couple moments which is really nothing but more screen-watching and a fake kiss. Anna walks back to her room and shrieks when she is going to fall, causing Jae Ha to rush towards her.

He accidentally slips and tries to crawl back when Anna turns towards him. HAHA.

Anna asks him to stay and finally thanks him for all that he has done. Whether I like the couple or not, I must admit that they look SO GOOD TOGETHER. They will make beautiful babies:’).

He explains that her life will be very different now, but warns that she has to stay in the limelight with people around her. She has been allowed to stay alive because Yoo Jin was not wary about her. Now, Yoo Jin will be waiting for the moment when people start to forget about her to kill her. Anna asks if she could tell the world first that Jang is her father, but Jae Ha breaks it gently that she would be a child who destroyed her father’s life.

This prompts Anna to understand why her mum died, and in a flashback, we see Hye Rin always drinking in sorrow when Jang didn’t turn up. When she was young, Anna hated it that her mother was always reeking of tears and alcohol and felt like that was why her dad didn’t come home. On that night, her mum asked her for a hug, and she didn’t give it to her.

Anna sobs and apologies to her mum. Jae Ha pulls her head to her shoulder and puts an arm around her.

We learn that Anna was the one who gave sleeping pills to her mum. She suggested that her mum should sleep until her dad came, and she would wake her up. Ohhh that’s a very interesting development. The idea that a child could accidentally ‘kill’ her mum. Hye Rin took the bottle and smiled sadly, “It seems like Mum will have to sleep for a very long time.”

Anna continues sobbing that she’s the one who killed her mum and Jae Ha comforts her gently, until she falls asleep.

In the morning, the police commander reports to Park Kwan Soo Jae Ha’s background. Park Kwan Soo starts laughing after he hears that Jae Ha was part of Blackstone and was in Iraq. Can I say that I have enough of evil laughter.

-the end-

Honestly, I still like Episode 5 and 6 more. Those episodes were centered on Jae Ha and Yoo Jin’s relationship, from enemies to friends, and I freaking loved how strong both characters were. It was also very interesting to watch Yoo Jin soften in front of Jae Ha. This week, we are focusing more on the main couple and while it took the show long enough to get here, I’m glad we finally can learn more about their dynamics. I’m not sure if we are too late into that though. I loved the Ice-Ding moments (that’s what I’m going to call it from now on) but am more ambivalent towards the rooftop scene. I kinda have enough of Yoona/Anna crying so watching her cry again just doesn’t make me feel sad anymore or empathise with her.

What I want from the show is to see Yoo Jin plot and scheme, and watch how she changes because of Jae Ha. It is nice to see Jae Ha become a softer person because of Anna but as I might have said before, I don’t feel invested in his transformation because I don’t really understand how he is attracted to Anna. It seems that he started being captivated by her because he was watching her via the CCTVs and even if the show tries to make it look romantic, it’s not really good enough for me. Ice-Ding, yes definitely, any day…and maybe some slips on the rooftops. I want more normal couple interactions. Enough with the crying and the consoling, and depicting Anna as such a weak girl. I like it when she tries to do the ‘Ice’ trick on Jae Ha instead. That’s cute.

I guess at the bottom of the day, I’ve always preferred couples which have a more balanced dynamic, where the female lead of the romantic interest is strong, smart and independent (hence Nana of City Hunter has always been one of my favourite female characters; Healer is my favourite 2015 show etc). I know the set-up of the show is very different – Anna is a social recluse and has multiple phobias, but I think that it could have been approached in a very different way. In any case, I’m really waiting for the day she can stand on her own feet.

<3thoughtsramble