Can We Love? - Episode 4 (A BriefCap)

In episode 4, the OTPs are getting closer. Well, at least two of them. One probably still doesn't know it is the OTP. But who knows, this show might also do multiple OTPs, since every woman has at least two potential men? Oh well, probably not, but the road til the end is long (though I have no clue how many episode this baby will have) and heartache there will be a lot.

much better hair than someone!

Episode 4

Jung-wan is still at the hospital, in her nice private room, because the doctors have ordered bed-rest for her. Her funny-annoying mother (it is a weird combination and I am not yet sure whether I want to hit or hug this one?) is convinced that Ahn Do-young must be into her daughter: why else all the visits, the grand gestures, the attention? Omma keeps at it and at it, delivering more and more evidence, until her daughter starts to believe it, too. Of course, it makes her feel uncomfortable ... after all, they must work together ladilala. And whom else would she tell this but Oh Kyung-soo, who of course also constantly visits. Haha, why does Omma not suspect him? Oh-boy reacts incredulous (of course), and tells her that being nice to someone doesn't necessarily mean you romantically like someone.

Trouble is brewing elsewhere. Mr. Ahn has finally gathered enough courage to call Ji-hyung to ask for another meeting. She answers the phone right in the middle of crying her eyes out over the insults she received from MIL and daughter. When she hears his voice, she has a complete break-down,  sobbing wildly and hanging up mid-sentence. He drives off, worried - and because he overheard Jung-wan talking to her earlier at the hospital, he knows exactly where to go: Yes, to the hospital again. Ji-hyun is bringing Jung-wan some self-made porridge. He confronts her at the entrance. She doesn't want to talk, he does. She says (or screams) that she almost died because of him, and he says the same. She doesn't believe a word he is saying, because if he loved her that much, why did he not hold onto her!? Oh, but he DID look for her, we learn ... desperately. He asked her father, waited in front of her house until he collapsed, etc. She still doesn't (want to?) believe him and even insults him; this is not the version she knows.

What the two star-crossed ex-lovers are not aware of is that Oh-boy and Yoon-chakka, who went out for a quick stroll together, overhear every agonized word and juicy little detail they say to each other behind a corner. When they try to silently retreat, Jung-wa slips and Oh-boy catches her. She makes a small sound and he chastises her for it immediately, whispering - when his phone starts to ring. Buahaha, yeah. That's how it is with these two. The four of them stare at each other awkwardly - oh dear. So embarrassing.

Later, back in the hospital room, Ji-hyun asks Jung-wan to pretend she didn't hear a thing. Unfortunately, Sun-mi, who also comes to the hospital, has suddenly remembered where she has seen Ahn before: He was Ji-hyun's boyfriend back in college! Ji-hyun reacts viciously to Sun-mi's questions about it and the two get into a very ugly and mean fight. It's not the first, and they both deliberately hurt the other where it is most painful. One is insulted as a boring housewife, whereas the other is insulted as unmarried. Ji-hyun tries to mediate between the two, but it doesn't work.

When Ji-hyun leaves she goes straight to her father and brother, asking about the time "back then", when she went away. Both of them lie, lie, lie (as does another aunt she calls) ... it is pretty obvious that they do, but I don't know what or whom Ji-hyun believes. And I am also not sure it matters for her present situation. Oh-boy is under the same impression when he visits his cousin later (after making fun of Jung-wan and her assumption that Ahn was into her). He tells Ahn not to keep digging - it will only be hurtful to him. The two men are so cute together; they have each other's backs (i.e. Ahn goes to see Oh's mother, his aunt again) and there is so much fondness, friendship, and trust. BROMANCE!!!!!!! One that definitely deserves capital letters!

Oh-boy continues his "advances" towards Jung-wan after she is released from the hospital. In fact, he is constantly looking out for her. It is quite cute and she doesn't get it at all, which makes it even cuter. There is more head-butting over the script and he constantly teases her about her thinking a man might like her if he is a little nice to her. When she needs to go somewhere after one of their business meeting, he starts asking all sorts of questions (suspecting she is going to another part-time job). She tells him to butt out, but finally gives in cause he is hard to discourage: She is trying to hunt down her old boss, the one that let her work on a script for 8 months but never paid her a single Won. She needs all the money she can get for the new house she wants to find for her family. In the car, he asks some more questions about why she has stopped working after writing a successful movie a few years ago and we learn that it was because of her marriage and her pregnancy. Same old story for so many women!

They see her old boss leaving a building. The guy runs - they chase after him. After first losing him (she trips and Oh turns back to help her), she manages to find out where he lives. It is a very, very small and sad place. The poor guy is totally broke and is even thinking about killing himself. He cries a river and kind Jung-wan ends up giving him money for a meal (borrowing parts of it from Oh, hehe). He tells the guy that this is an investment: he is to take heart, start anew, and pay her back with interest once he has succeeded. Oh is snarky, but clearly impressed. I am too, because she indeed isn't just a dull person. I am so glad there is more to her!

But then, some shit starts hitting some fans. The worst of it is probably that Sera is pregnant, the poor girl! She frantically tries to reach her boyfriend in the States, who seems to have strict (religious) parents: can't he be with her? Probably not, poor Sera ... she feels all alone, looking for pregnancy information online, repeatedly. I hope she stops drinking. We do not know, but we see her being very nasty to her parents. Both of them this time.

Sun-mi on the other hand hasn't given up on Oh-boy yet. She keeps calling and trying to "entice" him. That isn't working too well and she has a sad event coming up anyway: her mother's commemoration day. She has two siblings, but both seem to be too busy to come, so she heads there alone. It is a very emotional scene and we learn why that "marriage" thing is such a big deal: Sun-mi is the youngest, and apparently, her mother, who died of lung cancer quite quickly, was full of regrets on her death bed that she would not see her get married. Sung-mi promised her dying mother that she would bring her husband to her resting place, but year after year, she has to admit that she has not been able to keep that promise. 

When she gets back from the visit, Lovesick Puppy is waiting for her. Of course, he knows what day it is today, and he just wanted to be there for her, because he knows how hard it must be for her. OMG I'm dying ... they go to a cafe together, and for the first time, she is truly nice to him, asking him questions about his family, and talking to him like a human being, not just an underage nuisance. They end up at his place? a hotel? I am not quite sure, but I am absolutely sure about what happens next! She starts kissing him frantically and of course, he kisses back. They tumble over to the bed and ... yeah. I guess THAT happens. You GO, puppy!

Jung-wan also faces the next crisis. Her son is hospitalized - he has a very high fever and it could be meningitis. They want to keep him there for an antibiotic treatment and she and her ex-husband head back to his (very nice) place (bought by the new bride, of course) to pack some of his things. She, by the way, has smartly refused to move there and is still staying with Sun-mi. They put a few things into a bag and want to leave ... when they hear someone at the door. It is clingy snotty New Bride! The two divorcees start panicking ... what are they to do?!

 

Some Thoughts

The big question at this moment is ... why is Oh Kyung-soo, this world-famous director, attracted to this rather plain, maybe talented, but otherwise difficult woman? There is an easy answer to give to this: Cause it's KDrama! He is the chaebol (sort of), she is the candy. But of course, this drama doesn't quite follow this well-known "logic", so let's look at this a bit closer. I think what attracts him to her is exactly what doesn't attract him to Sun-mi. Sun-mi clearly shows interest in him, could even come across as needy, though her advances are subtle enough. He isn't interested in women that want him. He probably has enough of those (as we heard in episodes 1 and 2, there are pretty actresses aplenty that he could choose from).

Jung-wan is very different from these women: She simply doesn't care about him. She is too busy living her difficult life to look at men and it doesn't even cross her mind that he could be the one that likes her. She might need her mother to tell her. And even though she says she is his fan, she constantly challenges him and his judgment. And that in a way that has already won his deep respect. Her points are valid, her insights good. She argues from the point of the people, the audience - and he realizes that this is very valuable; he recognizes her heart and her courage. But there is more: She amuses him (I love the boyish-delighted expression on his face when he is around her). And he is intrigued by this attraction that he feels and probably doesn't understand; maybe doesn't even acknowledge yet.

I also don't think that it is pity that drives him to look out for her, but something he probably doesn't know he has: a protector gene. Thank god for that gene. There is one scene in episode 4 where he tells Ahn that he only cares for himself, which is a clear lie, because he is looking out for Ahn at that very moment, bringing him food, offering him company. We also know that Oh has cut ties with his family (without knowing why). You need a lot of strength to do that. But obviously, Oh also values (and needs) friendship. And I am sure he is damn loyal to everyone that he considers part of his circle of friends. She is definitely in it.

I am truly looking forward to the moment when these two people fall head-over-heels for each other and I am curious about Oh's past at the same time - he still remains a mystery-man with regards to that. I also hope the drama draws this falling head-over-heels out as long as possible because I simply love it when two people are immensely attracted to each other but, for whatever reason, cannot be together (yet). I am also curious to see what role the ex-husband will play in all this; he is so passive and sad, the poor boy, but I do not trust him to do the sensible thing when he should. Which, at the current moment in time, would be to keep his distance from his ex-wife and her family.

That brings me to the second OTP: Ahn and Ji-hyun. What a wretched fate. I hope she keeps digging, just so that these two can part as friends and get closure, but of course the digging might also lead to a new fire. They might feel hate for each other due to the immense hurt they each inflicted on the other, but we all know how close love and hate are. They are so not over each other! The stakes for her are of course much higher than the stakes for him (though we do not know how much money her husband has invested into his business). At the same time, her family life is getting more and more difficult and she currently has nobody to turn to. He could be the person to turn to, but that would also mean betraying her family, mainly her daughter, who very clearly NEEDS her; if she only let her mother be there for her.

Finally, Sun-mi. I feel very sorry for her. It hurts to see her try to hook up with Mr. Oh - who is indeed flirty enough with everyone so that his intentions could be mistaken for interest. It is humiliating to watch, actually, because we see him around Jung-wan, so we know what true interest looks like in him. And as much as I liked the emotional short-circuit and Puppy's reward, I also hope she will not go back to mistreating him like she did before. If she just "used" him because of her deep sorrow and loneliness, I don't like her anymore. He is too kind and too sweet. Whoever hurts puppy's heart is going to be hurt by me.