What a beautiful, cute but yet exciting episode!!

I just had to write a quick recap on my favourite moments and weave in my thoughts on it. I’m sorry it couldn’t be complete complete as per my usual style, but well, at least it’s a recap!

The scene opens with a flashback of Ahn’s dad checking in on Seung Mo, after he was told by Jae In’s dad that the boy had been sitting quietly on the bench for many hours across many days. I’m so intrigued by the fact that the three leads and their respective parent(s) are very intertwined – but it seems like Ahn and Jae In did not remember much of this?

What I loveeed about this episode is how Ahn just straight out talks about his feelings for Jae In. Here, he goes in for the kiss, he goes straight to his confession and he goes straight to getting hers too. What are these eyes of passion, Lee Ahn?

He cutely lies to Jae In that through the kiss, he saw alllll her thoughts about him.

Jae In runs off blushing and Ahn laughs with so much happiness, realising that he had hit the nail on the head. Jae In comes back to kick him and this first kiss ends in a cute squabble as usual. Jinyoung really surprises me with this scene – he held onto his child-like persona, yet managed to integrate a sense of maturity when he told her how he felt waiting during the two years.

While Ji Soo and Seung Mo round off the bad guys, Ahn and Jae In settled down on some benches – 2 metres apart no less, and Ahn tells her to “do it suddenly” next time so that his mind gets a better read. Jae In’s eyes widen thinking that he’s talking about kissing and Ahn teases her, saying that he just meant a touch. It’s so cute that they are having this pseudo-debrief moment. 

Ji Soo finally confirms her suspicions that Seung Mo had changed ever since he met Jae In. She walks off to cool her feelings, but runs into the couple. Ji Soo learns that Jae In became a cop because she had a crush on her, so she asks smugly, “Do you like women?” Hahaha. She brings the two out for a meal and asks about their progress. The couple recalls their kiss and squabble hilariously again. Ji Soo watches them and thinks to herself that they still don’t know how they are related. This confuses me – why would they keep focusing on Ji Soo thinking that the couple had an ill-fated relationship, when it was already shown to the viewers that Ahn knew who Jae In’s father was?:O The only thing I’m not sure of is whether Jae In knew Ahn’s parents died in the fire – but surely…she does know?

Later, Ahn sends Jae In home (it’s so funny how Ahn filches Dae Bong’s car again), Seung Mo watches from the side and stalker watches Seung Mo from the top of the building. What is this chain stalking oh dear.

The next morning, we get treated to a good old bromance scene where Ahn reminds Seung Mo to come home and sleep, or else the residents will think that they have broken up hahaha. Seung Mo looks at him in confusion, then with even greater puzzlement when Ahn asks if he could read his books, “I don’t understand a word you are saying.” Hehe.

The scene quickly turns dark when Seung Mo walks to the lift, lets the lift doors close, turns back and confronts the CCTV camera.

He tells the stalker that he knows he’s watching and what he’s planning, “If that’s the only way to stop you, then that’s what I’ll do.”

With those last words, he reaches out to yank the camera off.

I’m quite sure those seconds of Seung Mo looking into the mirror in the lift was intentional – perhaps, as a symbol of him being unable to look inwards? Or a hint of him seeing a double i.e his stalker to show that they are the same?

Ji Soo interrogates the ‘head hunter’ caught from the raid, who casually admits that they were unable to trace Gap Yong’s killer.

It was so fascinating watching Seung Mo’s face change and how Ji Soo turns to look at him, even though she technically can’t see him in the interrogation room. Head hunter tells her flippantly to wrap up the case because they too have connections, but Ji Soo holds her ground, “Let’s see how far these two suitcases bring us.” Why does this subtly remind me of how the recent discoveries of corruption, immoral and illegal deeds in Korea all came tumbling into the light after a seemingly innocuous and unrelated event?

Anyway, Seung Mo learns that YSS Construction is implicated in this and murmurs that this complicates things. Turns out – Ji Soo’s father is linked up with them (unknown to Ji Soo, but I’m not sure if Seung Mo is aware). Seung Mo shows Ji Soo the camera planted in front of his house and that even though he’s going to trace it, he’s sure it would lead to a burner phone.

He wants her to back off from the case, “Because if he doesn’t get what he wants, he will ruin everything and everyone I cherish.” KYAA, I know it’s supposed to be an intense scene, but I can’t help squealing a little inside hoping this is a sincere message of love.

Ahn caresses Seung Mo’s books to no avail, but picks up a well-read Korean dictionary with – hear this – all the vocabulary on feelings highlighted and underlined. I somewhat knew this was coming so I couldn’t fully appreciate the moment, but I still love how they planted the seeds. The camera focuses on a rubick’s cube after Ahn leaves Seung Mo’s room, making me think that that’s an important object. Did Jae In give him that perhaps?

While Ahn vacuums up his place happily (surely because Jae In is coming and not because he’s using a Dyson), he rehearses his welcome lines. Haha cute. Jae In arrives and enters the house shyly, while White Snow greets her enthusiastically. Ahn asks earnestly if Jae In can help him read Seung Mo, because “the guy had gotten into our house,” and all he knows is that Seung Mo and the stalker’s bad blood goes way back. He tells Jae In that Seung Mo wants to kill the stalker, “…but why does it sound to me like he wanted someone to stop him?” I love how Ahn speaks of his hyung with a very gentle tone, which betrays his genuine love for his brother despite Ahn always acting so casually around Seung Mo.

Jae In remembers that the end point of the mission is for Ahn to read Seung Mo, and hilariously wonders out loud if the brothers are in a relationship – they clearly have a connection, but they keep using Jae In as the middleman.

Ahn tells Jae In with a straight face that they shouldn’t train in a confined place like this, “It makes me want to focus on you instead of my training.”

Jae In takes this brashness in…and mutters back, “Your brakes are completely out of order.” HAHAH. I think this couple amuses me to no end because there’s this cute sense of tugging on Ahn’s part, but Jae In is a completely willing participant too, albeit with the funniest commentary.

They go into Seung Mo’s room and Ahn reveals that he only ever saw Seung Mo’s thoughts once, “It was a woman.” It couldn’t be Ji Soo because he’s sure Seung Mo doesn’t think of her in that way (sigh, so sad), and Jae In hypothesises that it must be his crush because you can’t hide your feelings of liking someone no matter how you try. Oh dear, this actually makes a lot of sense:( and we have already seen how Seung Mo is a lot more relaxed and happy whenever Jae In is around or when her name is brought up. I had tried to live in denial for the past 7 episodes, but I wonder if the show is going down that route with no plans of returning.

Ahn then brings Jae In into his room and gives her a cute toy to hug in case she feels shy for entering a man’s room for the first time. She comments wryly that this isn’t her first and Ahn’s face freezes awkwardly before announcing hurriedly that he’s very generous towards a woman’s past. Jae In’s like, uhm I just entered your brother’s room yo hahaha.

Prof Hong and Ji Soo note that the common factor across all the cases is that all the victims suffered from a right stab to the abdomen. Hmm, is the stalker left-handed? Ji Soo grumbles that if only she had Gap Yong’s body, she could tell Ahn to read it. Prof Hong blinks and asks indignantly why Ji Soo’s first port of call is Ahn, and not her. Hahaha, Ji Soo.

Ahn tries the whole night to read the dictionary as per Jae In’s instructions, and realises belatedly that this was a gift from Seung Mo’s mother. At the same time, Hong chides Ji Soo worriedly after hearing about Seung Mo’s warning and Ji Soo murmurs, “Can’t you let my heart flutter for two hours?” “This isn’t the time for it.”

Ji Soo’s face turns sombre as she tells Ji Soo, “If someone precious to Seung Mo will be put in danger, it wouldn’t be me.” The camera then turns to show Seung Mo, who had someone crack the stalker’s abandoned burner phone, going through the photos…and seeing Jae In’s face there.

As his hands shake in anger, Ji Soo’s voice continues in the background, “The one he wants to protect…is her.”

Nam notes with a tinge of unease that someone had cut the wire to the CCTV outside the police station.

Jae In returns at this point and enters her aunt’s class, only to come face to face with…the stalker, who is posing as an instructor! I actually think it’s interesting how the stalker’s face is revealed to us this early on, and yet it only adds to the thrill of the show because we now know who to look out for.

Ahn tries for the last time to read the word, pain, and suddenly sees a memory of Seung Mo’s mother explaining the word to Seung Mo. ‘Pain’ is what a person feels when he’s injured; when he’s bleeding. Seung Mo asked, “What about killing people?” His mother’s eyes widened as she quickly told him that killing people would “make you the same as that person.” If he did that, it would hurt her, even if she didn’t bleed. “When it comes to pain, flesh wounds hurt lesser than those inflicted on the heart.” Interesting. 

Jae In gets a band-aid for the stalker who had a cut on his face. Their terse conversation gets interrupted by Ahn who had run all the way to the station to tell her what he had seen. Ahn avoids physical contact with the stalker, which is such a waste, and blurts out that he had seen Seung Mo in the dictionary. The stalker hears this, but thankfully Jae In has the mind to pull him away before he says any more.

They continue this conversation at the playground, but ends up squabbling after Jae In realises that Ahn came running only after having seen a short snippet of a memory. Haha. Ahn sighs that it’s too difficult and things would be easier if Seung Mo just told him what to look for. Jae In thinks otherwise. “What if Prosecutor Kang didn’t tell you anything because he can’t?” Just like how she chose her, maybe Seung Mo believes in him and is waiting for him.

Ahn notes cutely that he wants to read the book she’s reading, so that he can learn to say lines to make her heart flutter too. He kneels down to tie Jae In’s untied laces but Jae In pulls her feet away out of reflex – since this was the last thing her father did for her. Ahn quickly stands up and raises his fingers to the snow; touching the snow is the best because it doesn’t complicate his thoughts and most importantly, he doesn’t need permission to touch it.

While he speaks, Jae In comes up quietly next to him and laces her fingers with his. Caught unaware, Ahn has the clearest read of Jae In’s mind in his life – and it is indeed brimming FULL with thoughts of Ahn.

UGH can I just say I love how the episode came full circle and that what was just a joke at first was actually the truth?

With controlled feelings, Ahn tells Jae In he had her feelings all figured out. Before she can react, he pulls her in for another kiss.

A real kiss this time, and she closes her eyes. Two heartbeats later, he pulls away and…wow Jin Young’s sincere eyes really blows me away.

He kneels down again to tie her laces and says, “Don’t run away again or cry by yourself.

The past you tried to run away from, I will read and see it all.”

-the end-

This was so beautiful, pure and cuteee, and the snow falling around them was such a nice touch. Ahn is supposed to be ‘dumb’ and unreliable, but I love how the drama constantly shows that he’s someone you can totally trust and rely on. I don’t know about you, but I’m also really digging this innocent, first-love thing.

On an unrelated note, I’ve been feeling somehow that Jinyoung has a slight edge over Shin Ye Eun’s acting. Is it just me feeling this way? Jinyoung has been expressing so many emotions through his eyes and he also pulls off the character of Ahn very well…whereas I’m not quite feeling the same punch vis-a-vis Shin Ye Eun. I hope there will be more exciting scenes for Jae In ahead, so that we can really see that breakthrough scene of Shin Ye Eun.

For now, it seems like both Seung Mo and the stalker suffer from alexithymia – which is so fascinating because I would never have seen it coming. Yet it makes so much sense! I always admired how Kim Kwon and Byeong Kyu carried that detached vibe – but I realise now that it must have been specifically pointed out to them that this was a key trait of the character. It’s also a well-thought construct to pair against Ahn’s psychometric ability – since both revolve around feelings.

Oddly enough though, although both Seung Mo and the stalker can’t feel emotions, the stalker’s portrayal is a lot more…empty? I’m hoping this is intentional, because that would make things very interesting on an analytical level. It would mean that the stalker truly cannot feel, while Seung Mo’s situation could be inflicted on him rather than borne out of nature.

My theory in the previous review still stands, but now I’m just wondering how this new piece of information adds on to what we already know. The mask could be a metaphor for how Seung Mo had been acting the whole time, and that he hadn’t taken off his mask to reveal his secret. It could also mean that his feelings have been masked all this time, and he’s just waiting for Ahn to uncover it. We still don’t know what started this feud – do you think the stalker is just going at Seung Mo to either break him, or make him just as emotionless as him?

Frivolous notes of the day: 

• Did someone actually explain why So Hyeon is in the same neighbourhood as Jae In? When they parted ways in high school, they weren’t really best friends right? Seems rather convenient that we have all the leads living together.
• It’s been a while since I saw a plug for Innisfree. Rather refreshing.
• I don’t talk much about the side, side couple, but I actually do find So Hyeon and Dae Bong reallyyy cuteee. This drama is full of cute couples. Barring any evil intentions (because I’m a little wary of Dae Bong’s skill at lying), I think it’s so sweet how Dae Bong stayed true to So Hyeon even after 2 years.
• Leads in K-dramas are always so happy and enthusiastic vacuuming, don’t you think *cough*

It does break my heart to watch Seung Mo pining after Jae In. I’m still holding out hope that he actually likes Ji Soo and that he’s just having affectionate feelings for Jae In as someone who had known her before. But…I don’t know, it does seem like in the recent episodes, he has a sense of comfort with Ji Soo but more emotional turmoil when he’s with Jae In. In this episode, we also see how he quietly watches over Jae In and worries for her safety…I’m torn either way so I’m just going to wait patiently for the next episode. I’m sure we will know more then.

Hope you guys enjoyed this recap!

<3thoughtsramble