Conviction

Mi-Jo admits that she cheated on her test and is determined to tell the truth.

We then cut back to the present, with Seon-u’s overbearing father who has arrived to have dinner with Seon-u. However, he wants So-Won and Mi-Jo to attend as well. Unfortunately, it makes So-Won uncomfortable, as she keeps her head down at dinner. ..

Mi-Jo’s father constantly calls her out for making everyone uncomfortable. However, when the conversation turns to orphans, Mi-Jo speaks up given she knows a thing or two about this. Mi-Jo reveals that she used to grow up at an orphanage. However, this sees her father throw shade at So-Won again, claiming that it’s his failings for not raising her in a good environment. So-Won eventually leaves the dinner table, prompting Mi-Jo to follow. Seon-U isn’t exactly happy, especially when his dad tells him he needs to go and see a shaman.

After getting drunk, Mi-Jo leaves the pair and heads to the park. Chan-Young happens to show up and notices her friend smells of alcohol. Chan-Young jokes that it’s good she’s making friends, given she’s going to be lonely when she’s gone. This is enough to set Mi-Jo off, as she starts crying uncontrollably. Of course, seeing her friend like this causes Chan-Young to start crying too. ..

Meanwhile, Joo-Hee broaches the subject of Mi-Jo’s birth parents with her mother. She seems a bit uncomfortable and claims she doesn’t know anything. However, her body language seems to betray her. Is she really hiding something? ..

Mi-Jo’s chat with So-Won provides a unique insight into her life and how she has changed since she was last seen. Mi-Jo tells So-Won that everything seems the same, but she is not the same. She has lost her father and is now living with her aunt and uncle. Despite this, So-Won seems to be content and happy.

M-jo and Seon-u sit together, both of them intending to be by M-jo’s side through her times of need. They both color and draw together.

Hyeon-Jun, the owner of a small restaurant in Seoul, is offered a promotion at his current employer, a much larger restaurant. He initially accepts, but later decides against it after meeting with the head manager and discovering that he would be working under Chief Jeong. Hyeon-Jun is content with his current position and is happy to continue working there. ..

That night, Joo-hee showed up for her usual meet. Joo-Hee vented about her obnoxious customers earlier in the episode, regretting her life choices and even finding it’s starting to hit personally when customers bad mouth the products. ..

Hyeon-Jun can relate to Joo-Hee’s story of taking a leap of faith and leaving her job at the hotel. Joo-Hee is worried about getting too old, but Hyeon-Ju teases her, claiming she’s only in her early 30s and there’s still plenty of time left. After their meeting, Joo-Hee goes to see Chan-Young and Mi-Jo, where the three of them have some playful banter with one another. ..

Chan-Young urges Mi-Jo to actually spend some time with Seon-u and do something he wants for a change. Given they’ve been out eating together and even coloring, they haven’t done anything special just them two. Well, that’s good because Seon-u just so happens to ring there and then. What a coincidence! Anyway, he invites her along to go camping with him.

Joo-Hee, meanwhile, has had enough of customers and decides to move on with her life. To be fair, the customer she had that pushed her over the edge was absolutely awful so I’m not surprised really! ..

Jin-Seok and Chan-Young’s mother show up and question what Jin-Seok is doing and whether he’s Chan-Young’s boyfriend. It’s pretty awkward and eventually she decides to cook them some food. Naturally, everyone else heads over to join in as well.

Sun-Joo, who had been following Chan-Young, tracks her down to her home and prepares to confront her. Mi-Jo, who had been watching the situation unfold, intervenes and takes Sun-Joo outside, pleading with her not to do this. ..

Mi-Jo begs Chan-Young to have a happy afternoon, including tasting her mother’s cooking. Sun-Joo scoffs and leaves, but Seon-u arrives like a knight in shining armour to help. ..

The Episode Review

Mi-Jo’s conviction is a powerful force in the episode, and it comes from her belief that she will always stand by her friend. This is a strong message in the context of the episode, and it helps to create a more positive tone.

The best part of this show is the story between Joo-Hee and Hyeon-Jun. Their moments are so powerful and their bond is so strong that it’s hard to not root for them.

This one feels like it could have been a lot more interesting if it had been focused on Chan-Young’s diagnosis and the people around her trying to grapple with what that means for their lives. But instead, we get a light slice of life drama that doesn’t really add anything to the story.

However, the halfway point hints that things are about to step up a gear and I’m sure we’ll get a time jump at some point for after the funeral too. Until then, it looks like we’ve got more drama between the characters to tide us over. ..