Cinderella And Her Four Knights - Episode 4 (A SqueeCap)

Shuk:  No happy trail.
JoAnne:  Perhaps I'll blaze one.
Should I leave this? Or do a legit heading?
Jaehyus:  Leave it. Or put Emo in his swim mode.
Jaime:  I see no problem with the current heading...
Trot:  How is this NOT a legit heading?

Episode 4

So here we are, with two couples, one eye-to-eye, one lip-to-lip. Except it fades to …. Poor Player, lip twitching alone. Yep, he was dreaming it. Opening his eyes, Cindy is lean over him. I hope he’s still covered by a sheet or pillow or something, after that dream.
Trotwood: I found this confusing. Did anyone else find this confusing? What we were supposed to think happened? I know we are told later, but the narrative sequencing was a real problem.
No clue, I'm lost.
I don't even remember it.
 
Player sits up as Cindy tells him it’s time to get out of bed. He’s a little shook up, but still tries a bit of flirtation for his potential housewifey. Which falls flat. It’s time for breakfast, and she won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.
Ah, okay. Anyone else tired of Player's Playing? It gets really tedious.
Not tired. I find him amusing.
I'm more tired of the ruse about her being his fiance. I think it will be more fun once that is out.

We get the reality check flashback. Yes, their lips were getting ever closer, but at the last moment, she knees him in the...knee. Kisseu aneyeo! Still, she gets a bit flustered, and stutters that he’s taking the fun out it. What it? Living together? Skinship? Back in the present, Player sighs that she really brings out his competitive streak.
The fun out of kneeing him, maybe?
I can see where she might enjoy bantering with him, but not be interested in kissing him. So that would take the fun out of it.
Part of me wanted the kiss and wanted Hye Ji to see the kiss. But I’m ok with how it turned out. Because he didn’t twirl her into his arms she remembered her martial arts training.

Fashion Girl is getting more mopey; maybe she’s hanging around Emo Biker too much. She is also thinking back to last night when Emo convinced her to leave Sky House without talking to Player.
I would love her to cheer up just once.
I'm sure she will.

Emo is working the treadmill. Well, and removing his shirt. Time for a cool wet swim?
Don't mind if I watch.
Too slender. They're all too slender, except for my PA Lee.
It's because they don't eat.
If they complied with Cindy’s plan they’d put on some weight.

Cindy is standing in the empty landing. Her stomach growls, reminding her that today is Make Em Eat Together Day. She goes on the hunt for the other boys, starting at the pool area. Like a sea nymph, Emo gracefully rises out of the steamy mist. Well, something like that, anyway. She tries, and fails, to look at anything else other than him. He is irritable; why is she bothering him?
Do you even have to remind us that he is irritable? Is he anything else ever unless Fashion Girl is right in front of him?
Always irritable, true.
You guys are really hard on him.
 
She chirps that they should all enjoy a meal together, yay, so come on out of the pool! He grouses that he swims in the nude. After all, he is alone in his own home, why not go commando? He feints towards the edge of the pool; that sends her scurrying away.
He has a point. Not like the other two are there, or that bathing suits make any difference to hygiene, so commando it is.
Plus it feels good.

He does finally climb out, but his peace is short-lived when Cindy, her face firmly shielded by a kickboard. She had taken a sharpie to it. “If you want your cell phone back, come and eat.” With that she runs away. And look, he had swim trunks on the entire time.
I'm disappointed. I expected more rebellion against societal norms from Emo.
What about him makes you think that? To me he's probably the most conventional one of all.  Ibeol likes the spotlight, and Player wants to live decadently. This poor guy just wants to live a quiet life in peace with his friends.
I agree. It's also the only reason at this point that I've made peace with the fact that he's the other half of the OTP. Cindy doesn't want any of this stuff either.
Her tenacity is pretty admirable, maybe just maybe we’ll see this meal happen!

Ibeol is in his studio, working on a new piece. We get various SchnozShotz. So cute! She catches his attention through the glass partition. She invites him to eat and he seems okay with the idea.
He's a nice boy.
He really is.

In the kitchen, Ms B and Cindy whip up a western-style breakfast feast. The first to arrive is Player. Did he cop a feel? She slaps his hand off her shoulder. He thinks they should go on a date after breakfast, but she wants to do the dishes. He’s surprised but gallantly tells her she doesn’t have to get dishpan hands. His fingers do the walking, but she’s not receiving any calls at this time.
This behavior of his is so boring. I've started fastforwarding him now.

Ibeol shows up in time to catch all this. He doesn’t sit down and he wonders why she called everyone else. Just then, Biker shows up. He demands his phone back as Ibeol drinks orange juice standing up. She orders everyone to sit down and enjoy. Player complains he doesn’t want to eat with that Biker guy either. She appeals to their spirit of family, but we all know they don’t have one. The only thing they have in common is their address.
I don't understand why she keeps bringing up "family" like that is going to affect anyone of them at this point. She seems kind of slow about this.
Cindy is a fairly intelligent woman, you’d think she would have understood long ago that the family angle doesn’t work here. 
She has been told to make them act like family, that's why. So, she's repeating the word to get the concept into their heads just like you'd do with small children.
 
Player leaves first since they aren’t eating as a couple. Ibeol heads back to the studio after snatching a bit of toast. This leaves Cindy and biker together. It seems that none of them even eat breakfast, much less a breakfast with other people. Biker holds out his hand for the kidnapped Samsung.

She gives it a final effort. Do all the jerks in the house value an electronic device over each other? A family is a group of people sharing a meal. Emo’s patience is ended; he grabs her by the waist and pulls her in until their chests bump. (where oh where did her martial skills go? Spin right out of that hold girl!) He leans over so close they are sharing air molecules. She bends back, distracted, and he plucks the phone out of her hand and strides away, leaving her crumpled on a chair.
I am never not going to find the two of them weird together. Visually, they do not make a good couple. Her and Ibeol, okay. Emo and Fashion Girl, okay. (Ignoring Player because boring to me now.) But these two, just no. I'm not going to manage this show well, am I?
It seems that way.
Maybe if you think of this as an alternate universe where this is really a play they are putting on, and in "real life" she falls for someone else?
 
Gramps thinks it’s all hilarious, but he thinks she will still prevail in the end. Looks like he and his blushing bride are back in South Korea, sporting couple’s Hawaiian shirts. He’s also still doing stupid puns and she’s still simpering about them. He is curious how she will attempt to complete the mission next time.
Actually, I like puns, so I wouldn't be surprised if she's not put off by them. Plus, I like how Gramps does this kind of flirting with her instead of something tediously sexual.
I think Gramps is as decent a guy as you could expect in his position, and I'm really feeling like there's more to this woman than just evil gold-digger/potential mother of PA Lee. I want her story.
I like Gramps, despite the fact he doesn’t make terribly good decisions with his family, but otherwise I like him.  I’m hopeful that his wife is more than just another evil step-mother.

Barista is still happy that her friend gets to live at Sky House and see the Kang boys every day. Cindy insists she is just there to work, and picks her friend’s brain to help with her dilemma. And we find out that Barista’s fave is Ibeol, and that she thinks it’s an impossible mission. Gossip mills say that there hasn’t been a moment of peace since the year before when they first moved in together. But if anyone can do it, her bestie certainly can! Su Su Fighting! And fistbump!
I love Barista. I'm surprised that Cindy hasn't picked her brain before. She clearly knows more about these boys than Cindy does.
Cute little rabbit.

Her first plan: catch them off guard. Using a series of “rock-paper-scissors” like games, she plays against each one of them, and their penalty is to eat together. But Player would rather get hit than eat, Ibeol says he doesn’t want to, and Biker flat-out refuses to play.
I admit that I really enjoyed the games and the boy’s bemused expressions while they played with her. Well except for the party pooper Biker.
 
Still she’s optimistic, and sets a lovely dinner table. Which remains empty and sad.

So, second plan is Food As Bait. She cooks up everybody’s favorite: Ibeol’s ramyun, Players 5-star Michelin Restaurant lamb chops,  Emo’s skin-on pork belly.  She sets it up in the middle of the house and waits for the smell to waft through the house. Soon enough, three little bunnies with three wriggling noses show up.  They all stare with drool in their eyes as PA Lee happily digs into everyone’s food.
And you must have many gifs of him eating because watching PA Lee eat is a gift.
I love how charmed he is by her, and by how much he clearly cares for each member of the family.
Personally, I was ok that the boys didn’t eat we get to see PA Lee thoroughly enjoying the food!
He seems to have two modes:  complete self-denial or complete indulgence.  It makes me...think things.

Ibeol is the first to turn away. How dare she serve ramyun when he has a shoot tomorrow! Player almost gives in while watching PA Lee, but ultimately smacks him on the back and leaves. Biker leans against the wall and asks about the taste. Cindy is happy to point out that it’s deeeelish. Biker steps closer and she makes a quick lettuce wrap and holds it up. It’s almost to his mouth when he stares and her and tells her to get lost. Boys 2, Cindy 0.
I love how Ibeol calls her a monster. Jaehyo talked about his extreme diet for his Men's Health shoots, and it's no joke how much people have to suffer to look good on camera. 

PA Lee points out that, for these young men, the word ‘family’ has no good or warm intentions, and that pain will be impossible to overcome. In the kitchen Cindy helps clean up, and she and Ms B have a nice chat. She gets some insight from the wise housekeeper.
 
Hyun-min has eaten alone all his life, so he finds it awkward to eat around other people. It started at age ten when he was sent to boarding school overseas. At what point did Fashion Girl become childhood neighbourhood friends with him, then? I need this back story and I need it now. We are supposed to care about them, and I don't want to think she's stupid. As for Seo-woo, he is always worried about his public image and so only nibbles on stuff and rarely eats. I bet he binges every now and again. Ji-woon is more of a mystery and rarely stays home. He seems to be there plenty if you ask me. He only recently found out that this was his family, so he had to undergo a major readjustment. This gives Cindy food for thought about these guys. Good pun.

In the morning Ibeol heads off for his idol gig, and finds a light breakfast on his seat. He happily sips the milk as he and his coordi head out.
Aish, he can't drink that before a shoot!  

Next stop, EmoCave. She calls to him, but there’s no Emo to be found. She looks around and lights upon a box of photos and negatives, but before she can do anything, Grouchy enters the room. He tells her to get lost, and she’s getting a leeeetle annoyed at his near-constant words. She asks if her presence annoys him. He shrugs; it was her decision to move in without knowing the playbook of the household. But he wants to be left alone. While he says this, he looms over her, but Cindy isn’t intimidated.  Since she has a mission to complete, she will never “get lost”. Just when he turns away, she asks the pointed questions. Has he ever considered these people relatives? Or this place a home? Or worried about anything but his own selfish feelings? No joy can be found in a dark place. Cindy turns to go, but before she leaves, she thanks him for rescuing her death-flowers. He still looks grumpy and emo when he sighs.
Emo will always look emo, or at least I’m afraid that will be the case.
I have to say that I felt for Emo here. Not because I like him but because I just wondered about her. Why would he think of these people as relatives? He just met them a year ago, and one of them treats him like crap. Why would he think of this place as home when he has a grandfather who clearly tries to manipulate his affections and wants him to erase everything he was fond of in the past to be a person he doesn't know and take a new identity that means nothing to him? I agree that he still has no excuse to be a jerk to anyone but the grandfather, but she shouldn't expect him to be organizing bonding moments at family reunions.
What Trot said.
Well, he's not a minor. He could have just rejected everything outright.
Yeah. And we saw how that worked. No money. No friends. Sleeping in a goshiwon. Blocked from all prospects.
Oops.  Forgot about that.
 Cindy finds Player in a game room doing brain-teasing math puzzles on a whiteboard. Wow, there’s more in his head than V’s? He counters that she must have found him due to his magnetic charisma. Gag. She scoffs, but brightens up when she finds a scrambled Rubik’s Cube on the table. She asks for a boon if she can spin the solution. He sets the timer for two minutes, aaaaaand….

She can’t do it.  He just smiles, grabs it, and in less than 8 seconds, it’s done. Hah! He receives a phone call, plops the now-perfect toy in her hand, and walks away.
Am I the only one who wanted her to be able to solve the cube?

Emo is doing emo things outside in the sun: thinking about her words to him, thinking about his words to her, blah blah. For what it’s worth, I think he looks good in the halo-lit fuzzy black sweater. True.  He also gets a phone call. It’s Fashion Girl and that perks him up out of dolorous thoughts. He heads out to meet her.
 
Ah, Player is on another matseon. He decides to ignore his date and send a playful text to Cindy, asking if she has solved the Rubik’s Cube yet. MatseonChick acts pushy but backs away when he threatens to dump her now instead of next week. She starts to delicately eat the tiniest French fry I’ve ever seen. He sarcastically asks if she’s ever watched “mukbang”, which are popular SK video podcasts where people are eating and interacting with an online audience. But she was told that he didn’t like girls that enjoyed their meals. He asks her the important questions: Does she ever eat heartily? Throw a punch? Beat up on people? He asks her to hit him, but she whines that her wrists are too delicate for violence. That’s it, he’s done, and leaves. Hmm, between you and me, I think the little duck has imprinted. No more Player!
All I could think of was that at least he remembers that Cindy is tough. the writers seem to be forgetting this and turning into a "can we all hug and get along" girl.
I would like to see her punch and kick more.
The important questions!  They were hilarious! Poor delicate flower has no chance now that Hyun Min’s world of women has been broadened.

Best gif ever.

At Casa de Crap, the StepWhatevers sulk. Do I have to recap this part? No. A bunch of stupid sighing and whining. They decide to crash the house and be general nuisances.
I see no reason to recap the evil steps, they suck, end of recap.

Our little ducky calls Cindy to come outside and play but she isn’t biting. He offers to help her with her mission. He says he has a plan, but does he really?

StupidStepSleaze shows up at Sky House. Where the heck is Security at this place? I know. They have surveilance following people around and did a major background check on Cindy, and they can't create a no trespass zone around this house? How come the reporters aren't there all the time then? StepBiatch sees her hated nonsibling hop into Hyun-min’s car and drive off. That gets her panties in a knot.
Seriously?  Sky House is supposed to be impenetrable and no outsiders should be able to make their way in! Yet step-snot-nosed-brat waltzes right up with the most horrible disguise in the history of disguises. Right up to the door practically and no one stops her?

Ducky brings Cindy to a high-end clothing store.  She reluctantly goes into the dressing room, and not-so-reluctantly throws him out of it.

This is Plan 3: Make their hearts race! Clothing montage, but amusing. Player matches the perfect gabang and shoes with each outfit. I guess he really knows his way around women’s couture. My favorite is the dark blue outfit with the wide-brimmed hat. He settles on a white dress with layered sleeves that remind me of Taipei 101, with flowered embroidery to the skirt hem. Ducky matches it with a purple leather handbag that gets my thumbs up, and they are ready. He points out three outfits, but those are the ones he doesn’t want. The rest? Box them up with their accessories and call it a good day's shopping.
There were so many other, and better outfits then the one he settled on!  It was not flattering at all.
He needs a job.
In fashion.
He'd actually be quite good.

StepBiatch sneak-followed them and has turned a permanent shade of envy green. Puce, maybe? She watches Cindy argue with Ducky about the cost of the clothing, but he shrugs off her arguments and wrist-drags her to dinner. SB uses the chance to check the price tag on a few of the items, and blows a head gasket when she sees how much a single dress is.
I can't believe the workers are not calling security about her. She is clearly not there to buy anything. She is also clearly spying on a well-paying customer. Sigh. She plays how she is written and so do they. It's exhausting hating her because she isn't really worth any time at all.

Slightly less moping and more backstory flashback. Emo shows up at Fashion Girl’s workshop, only to find her asleep over her desk. He covers her with his jacket and thinks back to the first time he saw her. She was draping a jacket over his shoulders when he was asleep outside EmoCave.
I really thought they'd known each other longer than a year.
She covered him with a jacket and so he follows her around like a puppy? I wanted more from the flashbacks.

Aww, he does have teeth!

She wakes up, and he is ready to take her out for some food. But she wants her question answered first.  He pouts, he wins, and they go eat first. The restaurant is empty except for the pair, and she play-gripes that the place is way too expensive. They seem comfortable in each other’s presence, at least, until she uses those dreaded Friend-zone words. She likes that they are friends and equals, and don’t have an Oppa relationship. He doesn’t react, although his smile freezes for a moment.
Why is the place empty? That threw me.

Aw, poor Emo. I feel like his unrequited love is something to emo about, though not hers because Player is a slimy bore, so I feel for him here. 

On the other hand, she clearly has a long, close history with Player, which would be something to mourn losing. Clearly he wasn't always the jerk that he is now. The other one has a crush on a girl who's never returned the feeling, and it's been less than a year.

Just then, a new couple is led in by the wait staff. Of course, it’s Cindy and Ducky. Now everyone freezes for a moment. Ducky turns away, ready to leave this joint. Cindy asks if it’s okay to join them, and Fashion Girl, a bit reluctantly, agrees.
Because she’s a glutton for punishment.
Why is this the only restaurant? Why are Ducky and Cindy here when I thought Emo and Fashion Girl had the place to themselves--meaning I thought Emo had rented it out.
Why do they have to join each other?
Because Cindy would like to be friendly with Fashion Girl, and because she recognizes that there is something between FG and Player and she wants it to be clear that she is no impediment to that.
 
They are the only white banquet table in a sea of black circles. Boys pink, girls blue. Fashion Girl makes the first attempt at conversation, complimenting Cindy on her frock. She asks if Hyun-min bought it for her. Ducky snaps back that Fashion Girl is jealous because he didn’t buy her anything. Another awkward pause.
Such a jerk, that guy. I wish he'd leave the show and let everyone else get on with things.
I wish they'd get around to explaining why he is behaving in a way that is clearly out of character so that we can move forward.

Fashion Girl has other questions. What’s it like to live at Sky House? Cindy stumbles over a response, and Ducky butts in that’s it a great place to live, especially for someone who is his fiancée. The first course comes out, but the only one who is eating is Ducky.

Plates of clams are placed on the table. Hye-ji asks the restaurant worker s to thoroughly cook them. Emo joins the convo on that one, since they are too chewy if they are overcooked, and he knows she likes them soft. She ignores him and addresses Ducky; it’s the tall one across from that has preferred the chewier version since their childhood. I think I’d prefer it if she uses leg cilices to punish herself rather than this method. It appears Ducky ended up in the hospital as a child after eating raw clams.
Just more of the same from Hye Ji and it is getting so tiresome!

Always be careful when rockin' out with undercooked seafood.

He decides he won’t eat the clams then, and starts cooking a slab of beef on the table grill. For  some reason, Cindy decides to poke the raw meat with her fork, and ends up burning herself  on the wrist. When she squeaks in pain, Ducky grabs her wrist, accidentally knock a glass of juice into her lap and all over her new dress.

He’s mad she’s injured; she’s mad that the expensive dress is stained. Fashion Girl watches the interaction. Emo watches Fashion Girl. Gah, these circular glances make me dizzy. Cindy heads for the bathroom to clean up. Emo notices that the other girl’s hands are clenched into fists under the table.
They should've said no to eating with Player and Cindy or gone to another restaurant. Really, this whole scene was too irritating.
You really shouldn't watch rom-coms that involve love triangles/love squares. You never like them.
I don't like them that much either, but I haven't found them as annoying as this one is a long time. It's because we keep getting hints that there is more, but they won't tell us. It's like the show is a parent who keeps telling us to wait until we are older for an explanation. Half the time when I did learn those things I was resentful because I thought everything would've made mor esense if I'd been told right away.
Two minutes of honest conversation and all of this would be done with.
Well, great, Jaime. We all agreed, did we not, that we would not mention this, so that KDrama wouldn't be embarrassed and go home? Taking their puppies with them? Hmmm? Way to go.

Cindy is scrubbing away at the hem of her dress when she looks up and sees Emo in the bathroom, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. As soon as their eyes meet, he’s ready to rumble. Does it make her happy to get expensive items from his cousin? And eat expensive food? She is no mood for a fight, but he strides over until they are face to face. He offers his coffers. If money is her only objective at Sky House, she’s pretty pathetic. She counters that she isn’t that shallow and her objective is much greater than that. She will do her best to make them behave like a family.
 
He can’t stand that word, and warns her not to use it again. But from her point of view, cousins are as good as any famil…He crowds her against the wall, and growls for her to stop messing with him. With that, he spins around and leaves. She ends up almost sinking to the floor. This is a hell of a part time job!
What was that scene even about? It definitely did not push the plot forward. Emo hates her or hates her going so low for money. Check. Emo wants her out of his sight/house. Check. Emo keeps getting in her space. Check. Seen it all before multiple times, and we are only on episode 4!

Emo walks down a corridor that looks like a shipping container full of apples. He pauses to glance behind him, and flashes back to an argument he had with Gramps. During the heated conversation, he told the elder man how hard it was to switch identities. Gramps seems really unsympathetic, and feels his grandson should jump at the chance to reboot his life and shake off the losers of his past. After all, now that he is associated with a glorious family, everyone else is just going to mooch and parasite off of him. And he won’t acknowledge a child that won’t acknowledge him.
One of the first signs of domestic violence is when the person in power (tries to ) cut off the other person from every support network but him/her. I sorta like grandpa with Cindy, but then I have to remember how clearly cold blooded and selfish he is. Also narrow minded. Why does he have to have them? He could clearly adopt anyone he wanted to be his heir.
Gramps really needs a lesson on how to get people to want to be family, he’s done a botched up job of it so far.
I call Gramps' bluff. He's totally acknowledging a child who won't acknowledge him. Also, what Trot said re domestic abuse.
Not that you're wrong about domestic abuse, but I do think you are viewing Grandpa too harshly. The lesson in that conversation was that his life is different now, and people will approach him differently, and mostly to use him - so he should be ready for that. From the perspective of a powerful man who has experienced that behavior all his life, being proactive about it is just smart.

We have a flashback with Ducky. When Emo was first brought to Sky House, his mother stopped by to remind him that he and only he is the heir to the family holdings, and he had better fight for what he is owed. He promised his mother then that he would never admit that boy as family. Aww, and Emo overheard this conversation. Coming off the fight with Gramps, that must have hurt. He just leans against the container wall and sighs.

With just the two of them at the dinner table, it was silent except for the clinking of utensils. Finally she asks him if it was his decision to bring that girl to Sky House. He offhandedly says yes, of course. Cindy is different than any other girl he has known, present company included. With that, Fashion Girl slams her fork down, apologizes for interrupting their date, and leaves.
Dummy, Player interrupted your date.
Actually, Cindy did.
 
Emo is back at the table just in time to see her walk away. He demands that Ducky tell him what they said to each other.  After all, his cousin is an expert at hurting his childhood friend.  Ducky shoots back that Emo is an expert at healing that hurt, and has been since he arrived at Sky House.  Emo calls jealousy on Ducky, since Fashion Girl is his. Ducky, without blinking, states that he has never seen Fashion Girl as a girlfriend. Steely-eyed glare from Emo – is this the truth? – Ducky doesn’t say yes or no, just that he’s bored.
Time for everyone, especially Fashion Girl, to read He's Just Not That Into You.
Except that it's not true.
I wanted Fashion Girl to grow a backbone here and give Hyun Min what for, but sadly yet again she runs away and Emo is there to see the hurt. All he can see is his own pain and hers, nothing else.

Cindy rounds the corner, still brushing her hands against her dress. She is looking down, and doesn’t see our posturing boys.  Emo barks that Ducky is never sincere about anything; he agrees, why should he obssess about it? Emo storms away. And then there are two. She is puzzled, having missed the entire thing. Who’s paying the bill?
The restaurant knows where to send it.

Fashion Girl is walking down Cliché Street, looking down and not paying attention.  Emo runs down the sidewalk looking for her, just in time to see…A Truck of Doom!!! Tch, empty street, five lanes and yet it neither swerves nor slows. Was that a “W” on the grill? I think it’s time to contact Kang Cheol. This will probably not be the last time I say this, but I did not see a street in Seoul that would have a restaurant of that size or a street of that size that was that empty at any time of day or night? I'm voting for the truck from W. That would make more sense. Anyway, of course he yanks her out of the way, and the truck never stops. Once he has her pulled safely back to the curb, he berates her for her inattention. She’s completely unapologetic, and he warns her that she is the one who is going to end up hurt.
Truck of Doom doesn’t swerve or deter from it purpose of bringing terror to the characters in the plot!

In a defeated tone, she says there is only one thing she wants in the world. That girl gone from anywhere near Hyun-min.
Please drama gods, don't make her into a hateful 2nd lead. It would just make her more boring.
Ha!
 
The guy in question is walking out into the lobby with Cindy, who is staring at him strangely.  She mumbles that Emo is always unpredictable, but why did Fashion Girl leave? Ducky warns her to mind her own business.

Cindy wonders why Ducky is such a jerk to Fashion Girl, as he appears to like her.
Really, when? 
You aren't serious, right?  We've seen his truer response to her a half dozen times, most notably when he kissed her on that first matseon.

Ducky blusters no, but Cindy pushes a bit. She thinks maybe he hired her as the wedding fiancée because of Fashion Girl and not Gramps. Hmm. Maybe she has kept some of her wits. He leans in, is she jealous? She rolls her eyes and lightly slaps his shoulder. He fleetingly smiles as she walks away, then sighs and follows her.
A true Pervert loves even a slap from the target.

Ducky drives to a cute, contemporary house, and parks. He offers it to Cindy as her place after she’s kicked out of Sky House for failing her mission. And even if she manages by some small miracle to succeed, she’ll still be kicked out, because he intends to date her.  And since he always provides an extravagant goodbye present, this is hers.
Is it wrong of me to sorta want her to take that house?
It's too weird to me that even a chaebol son who does nothing can offer prime real estate.
He has money at his disposal. I see nothing weird. It's probably something they already own.

They both step out of the car. He walks to the passenger side and slings a arm around her. Is he great or what? Her response is a spin-and-pin of her own, crushing him against the car. He taps out, but she won’t let go until he hears her. (Hurray. Tough Cindy is back) She will not ever date him, and if he pulls something like this again, she’s gonna put a real hurting on him.
Mysterious martial arts skills make a rare appearance! Though I’m glad that Cindy stayed true to herself and didn’t even waver at the offer.

With that, she climbs back in the car. He yells at her profile: what does she want from him? They didn’t even stay long enough to put the hazard lights on.

At Sky House, Cindy is scrubbing that probably-dry-clean-only dress in the bathtub, using her ire at the evening’s shenanigans for energy. These jerks! One is bull-headed, the other is violent. Neither ever thinks before they act.  Anyway, she won’t be cowed.

Her next try is to make yet another meal and group-text everyone, promising this is the last time. One by one they all leave the group chat. Ms B and she begin to cook.

Ibeol decides to take a stretch break and wander around the courtyard. He finds Cindy’s paper things drying on a clothesline and looks them over. A scrap from her planner book catches his eye because is says “My Birthday”. He compares it to the planner on the table, and matches it to today’s date. Ooh, is it her birthday?

Next thing we see, he’s digging through the cabinets for party goods. He really is a kind-hearted Great Dane puppy this one. PA Lee hears the story from Ibeol, and together they plan the surprise for the poor waif among them. Um, PA Lee is hawt and smart; didn’t he create her dossier including her stats? Shake it off, Shuk, it’s a party. And he looks good in white pants.
It makes for good story…let go of your logic!
I wondered about this, too. And then I wondered if he just went along with it because he wants her to be able to complete her mission?
Aww at both Ibeol and PA Lee.
The sweeties.

Emo is in his cave, thinking about that almost-kiss in the courtyard, Ducky’s avowal that he has never considered Fashion Girl as his, Fashion Girl’s wish for Cindy to disappear, and his need to win out over Ducky. He’s made a plan and a decision.

Emo observes the movements of Cindy and Ducky in the house, and follows his cousin to the kitchen. He keeps snatching drinks out of Ducky’s hands, and challenges him to show up in the courtyard to see something fun. He wonders if it’s the dinner Cindy is putting together or her birthday (he overheard PA Lee and Ibeol? When? How?).
I think he was sitting outside of the room in which Seo Woo was looking for party supplies.
He's been spying remember? He's got some mission to unearth some secret, which is the only reason he's back. He's got to be a great lurker if he is going to do this.
Hyun-min overheard, not Ji-woon. So that was a lurker fail.
The two nice ones of the four have finished arranging snacks  and such on the outdoor coffee table. They hide it with a cloth when Cindy shows  up with her own food tray. She sets it down on a nearby side table.

Right at that moment, and arm snakes around her neck, and she tells Hyun-min to let her go. A split second later, she realizes it’s not him, but Ji-woon. He tightens his grip as she struggles, until he’s practically sniffing her bangs.
Weird. 
Break the hold and throw him over your shoulder onto the floor woman! No? Ok fine…
 
In a low voice, he wonders why she belongs to his cousin, of all people. She is a free woman, and doesn't belong to anyone. Ducky is standing a short distance away, staring at Emo. He walks over until all three of them are in each other’s personal space. What’s happening? Emo states he intends to steal Ducky’s fiancée, hah. Ducky grabs Emo’s sweater as Cindy looks on in confusion. But only for a moment before she pushes the two of them apart and yells at them to cease and desist.

The daggers fly between two set of aggressive eyes as fireworks explode over the house.
Those two should just dance already.

FINAL COMMENTS

Okay, the writer has started ham-handed attempts to make Emo seem like more likable, or at least less of an ass. But making more scenes of him staring out into space and backtracking through events will not make me sympathize with him.
The backstory flashbacks are not enough to like him, he needs to start acting like less of a jerk in the present for me to feel anything positive for him.
Who?

While it's amusing to watch Cindy run around herding the Kang Cats, we haven't really addressed the underlying issues that make that proximity such an anathema to them. Any good doctor would tell you to treat the disease along with the symptoms.
I understand why P and E hate each other, but why doesn't Ibeol get on with them? Although he's not in an open fight with them, he still didn't get close to either in a year.
He might have if they were open to it, I think, but mostly, he just wants to do his own thing. Of them all, he's the busiest.  
To me, this his strategy seems the healthiest of the lot. He has to live here and the rest of the people are mean spirited and/or depressed. It's like being put in a dorm with people who aren't friendly. You have to live there, but that doesn't mean they are your only option for friends.
Kang Cats! Yes! Exactly the perfect description. Cindy is just thrown into the house without little direction and no training, Gramps sure thinks she can perform miracles.

And here we are at episode 4 and she hasn't been able to do the very first mission. What the heck will she do with the rest?
I want to spend more time with Barista girl. I think she and PA Lee and Mrs. B should open a restaurant together. 
At this rate she’ll get two jobs done at most by the end of the show.