Thumping Spike - Episode 12 (A Squeecap)

Trotwood: I don’t care what this episode is called. It should be called “Ode to Glorious White Pants.”
kakashi: Am I orange? Man, these holidays totally meddle with my head. What day is it?
JoAnne: No idea what day it is. You look sort of orange? Yellow-y orange?

Episode 12: Keeping in Check

(What does that even mean?—Oh yeah, I forgot. I wasn’t going to try to understand the titles of these episodes)
Is this the time to admit I'm quite drunk? Plus, wow, the wind was strong today and it blew right into my face all day long. I apologize in advance for what I'm writing here.
Does having the wind blow in your face heighten the effect of drunkenness?
Is that a new excuse now?

We open with a refresh of the closing scene. The boys (except Young Yong and Ah Jin) are all looking at the CCTV footage of the guys who took the incriminating photos meeting up with Secretary Kim. I thought this scene pretty funny because they all remember who she is except Jae Woong. After each story detail someone responds with the refrain “He wasn’t there, he ran off . . .” or “He was too busy hitting  . . .” He gets all pouty, but our climbing tree puppy just smiles at him. Oh these two. I want them to be best friends.
I think they are. Secretly. You know, behind closed doors.
Yes. Loving friends. Always giving each other a hand.

Even when they get Jae Woong to remember seeing Secretary Kim, he still doesn’t know who she is, but he asks the question everyone is wondering. Why would Se Ra’s own agency throw her under the bus like that?
It kinda makes no sense, right? 
Because it's not the agency. It's Secretary Kim, acting on her own.

In the evening, Jae Woong and Woo Jin show up at Se Ra’s house (I love how they are working as a team). They show her the pictures and tell her how they found them. They think Representative Gi-joon is really behind it. Woo Jin worriedly says they came because Jae Woong thought she should know. Jae Woong tells her about the ridiculous contract Woo Jin signed. She had been silently looking through the pictures up until this point, but at this information (which Woo Jin clearly didn’t want her to know), she looks up and starts berating him for such a foolhardy move. When she asks him why he did it, he just smiles. Let us take a moment to pause at his adorableness.
I'm thinking about threesomes. Hey, I told you I was drunk!
So how high can you count, then?

They all walk out together--Se Ra in between our white pants puppy and Jae Woong. She tells them not to worry and waves them off before going back to her house. Woo Jin and Jae Woong walk a little more, but Jae Woong makes an excuse to run back. What I like about this (besides the amazing white pants—no, he does NOT look as good in them as Cutie Soo. It’s the leg length that impresses) is that I thought Jae Woong was running back to flirt, and so does Se Ra because as soon as he whirls her around she covers her mouth! Ha!
She should drink some alcohol too. (Sorry for the fast pants gif, I couldn't help it, it looked too funny to me at the time!)
Rimmie walks like Charlie Chaplin.
That's it! I kept trying to figure out what this gif reminded me of--Rimmbutt as "The Tramp"! (http://www.charliechaplin.com/). Now I'm thinking of all the ways Jo (and drunk Kakashi) are going to interpret tramp.

However, he really runs back to earnestly tell her that he’d meet with Representative Gi-joon himself if she thinks it’s too hard. However, when he looks up and realizes what she is doing, he’s offended and asks “What are you doing? Do you think I’m going to attack you?” She waves him off, pretending that she wasn’t thinking anything of the sort (we all were Se Ra—no shame in it). She tells him she can talk to her agent herself. He capitulates, then sneaks a kiss on her cheek anyway, and runs off grinning. She grabs her cheek in surprise, but she clearly likes him. Duh.
OMG, kiss on the cheek! Pregnant! Boom! 
At least it wasn't that kiss of death to romance forehead kiss.
I like that kind of kiss, too.

The next scene, Se Ra is at her agency (in sneakers, I might add—thank goodness). Secretary Kim brings in tea and is about to leave when Se Ra asks her to stay. She pulls out the pictures and Secretary Kim looks like she’s thinking “Crap. I got caught.” Representative Gi-joon just looks through them asking what this is about. When Secretary Kim admits to what happened, he slams the pictures down asking her if she is crazy. She tells Se Ra that he had nothing to do with it but still defends her behavior. She actually starts yelling at Se Ra about how much damage she has caused the agency and how she has no idea how hard Representative Gi-joon works for her.
Huh? I am not sure I follow this logic *looks at empty whiskey glass*
It made sense at the time but now I can't reemember why.  Not what she did, but I got her motivation. Something about being a crazy bitch, I think.
Me (at screen): Lady, that is his job. If you guys paid more attention to Se Ra, you wouldn’t be in the fix you’re in now. [I was going into the closet to get my slapping suit out, but I’m pretty sure Jo beat me to it.]
Man, he looks stupid with his hair like that. Bad stylists *slaps*
What do you mean, 'like that?' He always looks kind of stupid.

Gi-joon just yells at her to get out. Se Ra looks stunned and guilty. I really wish she had a friend who would tell her not to feel guilty.
Yeah, if only I could understand what she did wrong... I mean, I do know. She isn't tasting the white pant fruits etc. That's very wrong.
*giggles* It's important to get five servings of fruit/veg every day.

 

It does give our lipstick boy a chance to play good cop though. He asks Se Ra what she wants. She says it isn’t his fault, but he takes the blame for not teaching his employees properly. I was afraid for a second that she would feel too guilty to use the situation to get what she really wants (Trot! Stop it with those dirty thoughts!), but Se Ra doesn’t let me down. She asks for three things:

1. To let her coach the Daehan Volleyball team until the President’s Cup. She wants to help her first students until the end. (aww)
2. To cancel the contract he made Woo Jin sign
3. To cancel the contract he has with her. She thinks it’s actually best for him
4. Stop wearing atrocious lipstick
5. Go away and never be seen again

He interrupts, saying that he doesn’t think he can do the last one. He compares her to her students. It might be an important time for them but isn’t it also one for her? He has been trying to find her the best surgeon and if surgery doesn’t work, he will find the best rehabilitation. He tells her that if she is going to play for 30 years, two years isn’t really a long time to rehabilitate. He apologizes for the mean things he said to her and for not realizing about her injury until recently. I actually like him here. He doesn’t even seem to wearing weird lipstick in scene. It’s clear that Se Ra is moved.
Or maybe she is thinking about that surgery he didn't get for his nose?
He spent all his money on lipstick and terrible hair cuts.

However, this new liking for Gi-joon lasts for literally 1 minute 15 seconds of screen time (I checked). When they drop off Se Ra at the school, he says to Secretary Kim (when she tells him, she’ll hand in her resignation) that he did know what she was doing. He is now assigning her to live with Se Ra in the guise that this will protect her from further scandal but mainly so she can report back to him about Se Ra’s relationship with Jae Woong and Woo Jin. Even Secretary Kim looks surprised, but she quickly nods (probably thankful that she didn’t get fired). I just sigh. Thanks show for tricking me, too. I think he is really sorry like he said, but his jealousy is driving him back to the dark side.
I think he is thinking about threesomes too.
And they don't involve him at all.
Hey wait. Se Ra has on the white pants now. I wonder what THAT means.

They go to the gym where Representative introduces Secretary Kim to the players as someone who is now going to be living with them in the player residence as Se Ra’s secretary and bodyguard. Both Han Sol and Hyung Sung, rightfully so, are suspicious, but Woo Jin elbows both to shut them up. He looks pained when Gi-joon makes a comment about protecting Se Ra from bad press, but Jae Woong just scoffs at his nerve. (I’m with you there my friend!).
She is thinking about tight butts and trees, this woman. Why else would she be so cheerful?? 
I get giddy thinking about living with a college men's volleyball team and then I remember it's going to be athletes foot in the shower, piss all over the toilet seat and floor, smelly laundry, and beer farts. No thanks.

But then I (temporarily) forget my anger when Se Ra tells Woo Jin that Gi-joon has torn up their contract because he looks so adorably delighted. Please gif his happy, floppy-haired, bowing.  I think this deserves a full round of awwwwwws.
Sure!
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww he is so cute!

 

Jae Woong walks by and shrugs at her, and she shrugs back. He looks worried and confused, but she just looks happy. When they arrive at the player residence, the players applaud Se Ra but don’t know how to respond to Secretary Kim’s awkward entrance with her too heavy suitcase.

He probably thinks he has to share her now. He hasn't really wrapped his head around that yet.
This is not the threesome we came here for.

Secretary Kim tries to maintain the good cheer, but even Se Ra questions whether she will really be able to be comfortable here. She really fakes the good cheer even when she realizes that she is going to have to queue up for bathroom. She mumbles to herself, “I’m not uncomfortable. Really, I’m not uncomfortable.”

Wait until you see them walk around half-naked, Mrs. Kim.
That does make up for some of it.

Later that night, Se Ra waits for Jae Woong to finish his run. He wants to know from her if everything is really okay. She says of course, but her face changes when he goes on. He tells her that when he called her agency, he was thinking of her ankle (somebody has to!) and hoping Gi-joon would make the decision for her. Now he feels uneasy about Gi-joon and Secretary Kim, who shows up breathless right on cue. She realized Se Ra was gone and rushed over. She’s upset about Se Ra going out w/o telling her. Didn’t she (meaning Se Ra) learn from last time? Jae Woong finds her outrage ironic since she is the one who hired the photographers, but Secretary Kim says she’s apologized for that over and over (as if Jae Woong should just forget about it already).
Haha, they're turning this woman into a comic relief character! I totally like it! 
She did become likable pretty quickly.
I still found her annoying. Pfft. She shouldn't be complaining at her since she still has a job. I just don't dislike her like I did before.

Then Jae Woong stands up and yells out “Are we having a get together?” because guess who else runs into the shot? Of course, our adorable puppy. He runs up to them all, putting his arm around Jae Woong’s shoulder and saying how he’s going to train with him from now on, “Right, Sunbae?” Jae Woong looks at him like he’s crazy. Since when are they friends? I’m thinking—since you fed him ramen. You can’t give a stray puppy food and expect him to not cling to you, right? But when the Secretary Kim looks at him suspiciously, he starts following along with Woo Jin and tells the women to go home while they finish. He does this obvious, awkward wink thing at Se Ra to get her to go back; she finally catches on and drags Secretary Kim away.
Foursome! A foursome! Yes!
Wow, she IS drunk.
I told you so.

When they leave, Woo Jin tries to leave as well, but Jae Woong holds on to him. “I thought you wanted to train?” he asks and starts pushing WJ to run. Later when they are walking home, Jae Woong asks about his curfew. Woo Jin tries to be a renegade by saying that rules are meant to be broken, but then admits that his father is overseas at a workshop. Still Jae Woong wants to know why Woo Jin wants to work out with him all of a sudden. Now Woo Jin really has a serious look. He tells Jae Woong that he has someone he wants to protect. We get a flashback to the time when they were walking from Se Ra’s house and Jae Woong had run back. More white pants! Hurray! (freezing shot)
Yes, Cutie Soo's is overall rounder.
Not that we're complaining.

Where was I?

Oh yes. It turns out that Climbing Tree Puppy of the White Pants followed Jae Woong and saw the kiss, which makes him run off. He’s not running anywhere now though. Instead, he’s giving JW, his best “back off” death glare. Jae Woong stares back at him confused.

So... what does he want to protect? Se Ra's virginity?
His option on it.

End of episode.

Comments

I know some of my partners really hate Secretary Kim, but I didn’t hate her as much in this episode even though I found her annoying. She’s playing the role of loyal secretary and taking Gi-joon’s side in everything without question. She sees him as a victim here, but I’m not sure she really gets anything outside the realm of the agency and her specific role. It will be fun to see her wait in more lines for the bathroom. The real culprit here is Gi-joon, and I find him even more problematic that he would let his Secretary take the fall, acknowledge that, and then use her faithfulness against her. The way she looked at him made me think that she is wondering if she doesn’t really understand his motivation behind his choices.
No, I like the new and uncomfortable Secretary Kim in her awkwardness. Will she get together with one of the boys? I would think that appropriate. Oh, wait... anyone else in there who is of legal age? 
I did start to like her in this episode. I think she should end up with Gi Joon.