Pride and Prejudice
In this episode, Yeon-Su is trying to make new friends and open up to them, but she is struggling with the fact that her family is poor.
After Yeon-Su’s classmates interpret her behaviour as being self-centered and not caring, they eventually lead to the tough exterior we’ve come to expect. After all, if you don’t let anyone care about you then no one can get hurt. Except, Choi-Ung does grow close to her.
In a montage, Yeon-Su shows how hard she tries to find a job and how her background and family life prevent her from flying.
The resentment that begins to seep in for the protagonist is due to their differing life paths. Choi-Ung, who has always been able to rely on her family’s money, has never had to go through the struggles that the protagonist has. The debt collectors are a constant reminder of how bad her family’s life is, while Yeon-Su’s grandmother being taken to hospital is the last straw - especially when she receives the bill. The protagonist believes that Choi-Ung has it all figured out; an innocence not swayed by hardships and unaware of how hard some people have it. ..
The Yeon-Su relationship ended because of the differences in their lives.
In the present, Choi Ung wakes up and struggles to remember moments from the previous night. Working 95 hours really wiped him out and he has no recollection of holding Yeon-Su’s arm or asking her to stay.
The article discusses the work of Yeon-Su and Choi-Ung, both of whom are asleep in the meeting room. Yeon-Su is observed by Choi-ung, who notices her and watches as she sleeps.
Yeon-Su is flustered when Choi-Ung asks what happened last night. When she hurries into the main hall, Yeon-Su notices the video of Choi-Ung working playing up on the big screens.
The time has come and Choi-ung and Nu-a are both standing side by side, separated by a wall and a different crowd. Yeon-Su watches him work, captivated by the intensity in his eyes. She’s surprised, believing he’s changed since she last saw him. The thing is, he’s always been like this. ..
When Yeon-Su’s parents skip away midway through the presentation, they reveal to her that they’ve always been sad when Ung drew by himself. Holding her hands, Yeon-Su’s mum goes on to reveal that he didn’t take the break-up well. This really affects her, and she skips away to get some privacy.
Yeon-Su has always believed that Choi-ung hasn’t changed, even though he has paid off all his family’s debts and worked hard. Seeing Choi-ung flourish while also maturing and working hard has shifted her perspective of him as a carefree immature guy. ..
After the big show, Choi-Ung runs into NJ outside. She’s delighted to be referred to as her friend (she very clearly wants more than that!) although he does reject her offer of partying, given he’s exhausted after the show. Meanwhile, Eun-Ho is still massively enthusiastic about her - anyone else think there may be a chance Eun-Ho romances with this celeb? ..
“I’m so sorry,” Yeon-Su says. “I didn’t mean to wake you up.”
As Yeon-Su tries to leave, Ung stops her and calls out how cold and standoffish they’ve been with one another. Of course, all of this is because of Yeon-Su’s pride… her pride of not being able to live without Choi-ung. As she lowers her head and looks at the floor, the episode comes to a close.
The Episode Review
We finally see the real Yeon-Su and the heartbreaking reality about her past. All this time we’ve been led to believe Yeon-Su’s cold and standoffish display has been her true persona when in reality, it’s a front to hide how she really feels.
In this chapter, Yeon-Su expresses her fear of falling in love and not being in control. This is a common fear, and the author does a great job capturing that in its rawest form. ..
Similarly, this chapter also shows how much Choi-ung has grown next to her, flourishing with his drawing but also burdened by the past. He’s matured and grown, albeit through hardships, while she’s struggled to move past what’s happened. In other words, she’s the one still held back with those proverbial shackles. ..
It’s a great way of shifting the focus and this episode in particular does a great job adding a bit more serious drama to what’s otherwise been a simple romance up until this point.
We hope to see more of this over the coming weeks.
