Great but can be even better?

Gi Bbeum waits for Ma Sung, who doesn’t remember who he is supposed to meet and rushes off to find Dr Yoon instead. While walking off, Gi Bbeum drops her scarf on the floor which gets run over by a bicycle, exactly like what happened 3 years ago. At the hospital, Ma Sung fills Dr Yoon in on his recent episode of memory loss, that was followed by a recovery of a childhood memory. All the while, I was just dying on the inside going, stop trusting the WRONG MAN MA SUNG UGH Ma Sung watch Tunnel please.

Back at Nan Joo’s shop, Gi Bbeum wonders if the two have no fate, “If we crossed paths twice already, that must mean we have no fate….right?” Meanwhile, Ma Sung looks back at his sketches of his childhood memory, his Aunt’s harsh words to him and wonders if bright lights are triggers that will bring back his memory.

He almost gathers the courage to stare into his house light, when his secretary appears from behind him and scares him into a loud yell. HAHA.

Ma Sung feeds his secretary dinner but the secretary, out of guilty conscience, finally confesses to being a spy for the past three years. However, he only told the Chairwoman what time Ma Sung sleeps and his door code; he really didn’t expect things to turn out like this. He turns in his resignation but Ma Sung shows him his caller ID on his phone. A punk who is neither family nor lover. It doesn’t mean that he’s nobody, but that he’s a memory of Ma Sung. Ma Sung needs him to be there by his side, especially now that he’s starting to lose his memory.

Ma Sung tears the resignation letter up and the secretary almost immediately proves his worth by deducing that Ma Sung must have had a date with Gi Bbeum. Ma Sung rushes to Gi Bbeum’s house and waits guiltily in the alley to run into Gi Bbeum.

Gi Bbeum is angry and calls him a jerk for standing her up both three years ago and now. She wonders what’s the secret that he refuses to tell her, but Ma Sung keeps mum. This is kinda what I don’t get – why is Ma Sung so tightlipped about this?

Gi Bbeum hilariously throws down the bag of thrash at Ma Sung’s foot, to which he blusters and says that he’s her Oppa. HAHA. Later, Ma Sung changes his door code which I’m guessing is probably Gi Bbeum’s name or something.

Ki Joon broods in the office over his lost love. His mother appears and pokes him in the leg with a golf club but he laughs thinking it’s the manager. Thankfully, his gut instincts kick in and he rolls off the couch before his mother whacks him hard with the club. However, he ends up throwing a fit that it’s his mother’s fault for that he is  uglier and dumber than Ma Sung. Er….

CEO Kim comes to Ma Sung’s office and demands Ha Im to be contracted as a model for Sun Woo Hospital, since they lost many comemrcials after the recent airing of the variety show.

Ma Sung scoffs and turns around, but he narrows his eyes after CEO Kim asks how he got to know Gi Bbeum, and whether he knew her three years ago. In fact, he continues, “Have we met before by chance?” but Ma Sung answers that his face is not worth remembering.

Ha Im sees Ki Joon’s pouting face on social media and chuckles a little. Aww I sense budding romance.

CEO Jang begs for a script from a broadcasting station so that Gi Bbeum can audition, but knows that his chances are low the moment he sees CEO Kim in the office. So long as Empire Entertainment is involved, Gi Bbeum will have no space to enter.

Gi Bbeum also hands her profile to audition for minor acting roles, and runs into CEO Kim who tells her to give up since Empire Entertainment’s artistes are everywhere.

Gi Bbeum doesn’t back off and astutely picks up on CEO Kim’s suspicious behaviour, “Are you scared of me?” She’s already withered but CEO Kim still relentlessly tries to unroot her, “You must have done something really wrong to me. By any chance, is it about what happened three years ago?” Woohoo, you go girl.

CEO Kim’s face falters a little as she hits right on the nail, but he puts up a pretence immediately, telling Gi Bbeum not to bring CEO Jang down too.

Back at the agency, Gi Bbeum hilariously acts as a woman who just found out her husband cheated on her (and proceeds to slap a soft toy alien). But CEO Jang sighs that she will be unable to take that script on because of CEO Kim. He so nicely gives Gi Bbeum her fees for appearing on Star Survivor, and encourages her that everyone gets rained on at some point in time; all she has to do is persist.

Ma Sung finishes a conference and Ha Im waits outside the hall for him. He funnily chases everyone who stands around fangirling over her and shuns her, “What did I tell you? You cannot cut in line to get a consult.” (But uhm I doubt Ma Sung actually writes in his journal that he told Ha Im not to cut the lines previously…) He also asks her pointedly, “Is it me or Ki Joon? Why don’t you be clear about that?”

Ha Im blusters but Ma Sung tells her not to bother Ki Joon unless she’s genuinely interested. Ha Im says that she likes him, but Ma Sung, without batting an eyelid, says, “I like Joo Gi Bbeum. I don’t want her getting the wrong idea.”

Gi Bbeum calls at this point in time to ask whether he knows where Ki Joon is and Ma Sung cutely tries to hide the fact that he’s with Ha Im now. He fails, Gi Bbeum hangs up in annoyance and Ma Sung leaves Ha Im behind in annoyance.

The Chairwoman is upset that Ma Sung has changed after meeting a mere girl and tells him to fire Secretary Yang. Ma Sung intentionally tests his aunt whether she remembered his words to her when he was young but pretends that he doesn’t remember either.

Ma Sung, on the Chairwoman’s instructions, goes to the temple (TEMPLE HAHA) to pick Ki Joon up. Ki Joon falls asleep in front of the Buddha and Ma Sung hilariously whacks him awake. Ki Joon still tries to hang on the pretence of a zen monk and offers tea but Ma Sung has none of it and tells him to shave his hair too.

Ki Joon is upset because Gi Bbeum says she likes Ma Sung, to which Ma Sung’s face uncontrollably spreads into a twinkly smile, “Why would she go and confess her feelings to you?”

GAHH you are so adorable, Ma Sung.

Ki Joon refuses to go back with Ma Sung, and doesn’t even believe him when Ma Sung says he’s sick, so Ma Sung hugs him, “Fine. Have a happy life. Eat a lot of grass.” Hahahaha.

Ki Joon finally returns to the agency and Gi Bbeum worries about his gaunt face, but Ma Sung’s like, “Do you even see me? My cheeks are gaunt because of you.”

Gi Bbeum walks out after Ki Joon purposely mentions Ma Sung has been set up with an arranged marriage. This whole acting out in annoyance and Ma Sung chasing after her is cute but also fast losing flavour, so please stop soon. But I guess I get it – she’s angry because he stood her up and still doesn’t want to explain himself.

Secretary Yang is ticked off that the door code is changed and Ma Sung tells him the hint is Joo Gi Bbeum. Yang takes out his resignation letter but gets told to put it back. I love it how he has the letter at all times. Yang warns Ma Sung about Dr Yoon, but Ma Sung is already aware that Dr Yoon might not be on his side.

Meanwhile, I don’t know how, but CEO Kim manages to get hold on Ma Sung’s secret that he lost his memories. Wow, something that is meant to be a top-secret, something Ma Sung doesn’t even want to tell Gi Bbeum – CEO Kim gets it just like that?

In his usual consultation with Dr Yoon, Ma Sung brings up the theory that once the person with amnesia gets the right signal, he will be able to find all his memories. “If losing one memory helps me gain another, perhaps I can remember my accident from three years ago.”

They part ways at the corridor and in a slow motion, the two walk further away from each other. Hynopsis means communicating with one’s memories. Not succumbing to it means you no longer trust it. I love this slow-motion shot, it has a flair of drama and symbolises the two no longer having aligned goals. Also, whose idea was it to pitch Kim Min Sang against Choi Jin Hyuk once again?

Anyway, I’m glad Ma Sung wisened up within the episode! Also, I like the fact that the accident three years ago doesn’t just implicate Gi Bbeum but also has relevance within Ma Sung’s backstory.

There’s a script that Empire hasn’t touched yet and it is possible for both Ki Joon and Gi Bbeum to audition. Ki Joon insists on bringing the four out for a bonding, camping trip and guess where he chose? Ma Sung’s freaking Healing Village…and Ma Sung happens to be in the village,  looking at the finishing touches of the amenities.

Ma Sung in a white suit standing out against the troupe of black sidekicks looks great as a visual, but also amuses me a little – is there really a need for that many people to be following behind him? Doesn’t he feel lonely walking ahead? Like a model on a runway with a gaggling troup of men as fanboys? Cos that’s how the scene kinda appeared to me.

When Ki Joon gets caught by Ma Sung for using the “sacred, unopened grounds” for camping, he yells at him, “Are you seriously going to be this petty? I can use it if I’m in a rush.” Ki Joon is getting on my nerves. I guess his role is to represent some form of blind devotion to Gi Bbeum, but he’s very immature, and the way he insists on getting his way is just like watching an overgrown child throwing a tantrum. He only brings comic relief when he banters with his uncle. Really hope they redeem his character soon!

On the other hand, Gong Ma Sung HIMSELF – just one character – brings me so much joy, and it kinda feels like he’s propping the show up by himself at this point. Him rattling off the answers to CEO Jang’s random drunken math questions before catching himself is soo cute and nerdy.

Ma Sung holds on to Gi Bbeum’s script, which she accidentally left behind earlier at the BBQ pit, and tells the two to clean up. Halfway through, Ki Joon rushes off with the manager somewhere, leaving the couple alone. They have a cute back-and-forth banter where Gi Bbeum grumbles about him holding onto her script and he’s like, “What did this forest and trees do wrong?” and she goes, “I know right…”

He brings her to visit the Fountain of Memories, located within the Healing Village – and this is where we saw Ma Sung previously. If you throw a coin in there, it will bring you to a time which you have forgetten. It’s the gift of lost time to those who lost their memories. Ma Sung asks Gi Bbeum about her happiest memories, and she immediately thinks back to her day with Ma Sung three years ago. Yeah, I guess a whirlwind of a love at first sight could count.

Nonetheless, she is bitter that what is the happiest to her, is forgotten by someone (him). Ma Sung wants to know what he can do, but she comments that their lives always flow on different time lines anyway. She walks ahead, with her script now in hand, while Ma Sung answers a call from an investor.

As she reads her script out loud in the garden, she realises that Ma Sung has doodled all over it, including an apology and a drawing of the ‘memory’ flower (serratula coronata). Sweet, but – has he ever officially associated the flower with her before? In current timeline?

While walking off by himself, Ma Sung opens his notebook to the page which contains the snapshot of the alley in China. It drops out and as he bends over to pick it up, a sudden ray of sunshine hits him and he drops his book.

He curls up in pain and a wave of memories hits him – right from the first moment Gi BBeum and him met, to her dropping in the water, to the flower, to the date. Dats right my friends, our Gong Ma Sung, has gotten back his memory from that one day.

Let us pause here for a short ramble. I feel like the way his memory was triggered could be handled better in a more climatic fashion?? Also, the sun wasn’t shining directly in his eyes, it was behind him rather and shining into the viewer’s eyes. It could be nicer for him to have seen a present Gi Bbeum smelling the flowers in the garden as he took out the snapshot. But as it stands, he suddenly got triggered after picking up the snapshot, and it’s unclear why he suddenly recovered the memory in a garden that certainly does not look like the alleyway. Although, I do think the show did try to foreshadow this by telling us that Ma Sung’s memories can be triggered by bright lights.

Okay break over.

Ma Sung turns around and as more memories hit him, he starts smiling and running towards Gi Bbeum. I love how he runs to her with happiness in his eyes.

He finds her reading her script and oozes sexiness and charm, as he murmurs, “Can I be your lover? I would like that.” SO MUCH FEELS ECHOING WHAT HE SAID THREE YEARS AGO.

Gi Bbeum’s eyes flicker as she recognises the words, “You said…you couldn’t remember.”

Ma Sung steps forward purposefully, “This happened next,” and pecks her on the mouth.

He leans back and with quiet determination, “Let’s date,” before pulling her in for another tight embrace and passionate kiss.

Hot stuff, but I feel for Song Ha Yoon’s neck and I wished she had put her hands around him as she did in the kiss three years ago.

Oh okay she did, but it’s covered by the coat, what a shame. For visuals though, I thought it will be nicer if she was in heels but I guess it wouldn’t make sense for the script since current Gi Bbeum doesn’t wear heels. But boy, her neck looks like it’s going to snap backwards. I would LOVE to watch the behind the scenes for this.

-the end-

I think it’s a pity because this episode could have been so much more. I love the idea, the plot and the characters, but there’s just something not perfect with the execution. It could have been more impactful, even if it’s not along the lines of what I’ve suggested (since that may seem cliche too).

In any case, I like it that Ma Sung is now fortified by his memory from three years ago and is really stepping deep into love. The way he hugs Gi Bbeum in the preview is so squeal-worthy. Also,  Choi Jin Hyuk in a suit is a walking, breathing statue, I swear. Every time his eyes twinkle, I die a little on the inside because I cannot fanthom how a giant can be such a ball of cuteness AND hotness.

Enough said. See you guys next week!

<3thoughtsramble