Yo and Ren have similar experiences getting to know Yu and Maki. The two assistants make a point of being helpful and are both a little more proactive in becoming friendly than Yo and Ren are.
Yu is very observant and thoughtful. When Yo gets knocked to the ground by some rowdy customers, he is there and offers to help her up. He thinks ahead and has information ready for her when she needs it – leaning over really close to access her computer! She likes him a lot. When she takes the spring design proposal to the director, he offers to go with her and she accepts.
Ren gets a phone call about trouble at one of his sites, which Maki overhears. She offers to go with him but he turns her down, which is different from Yo’s decision. His staff members ignore him when he issues instructions as he leaves. At this, Maki turns on them, sternly slapping her hands on their desk. Even though she says nothing, they immediately get busy. Ooh, she has a tough side!
We see Yo gushing to Ren about all the helpful things Yu does, and he takes it pretty calmly. Then he gets a call from Maki about some paperwork he left at the office, and has her bring it to the restaurant where he and Yo are eating. Maki actually checks to make sure he is available by asking directly why they don’t date.
Yo, unaccountably annoyed by Maki leaning on Ren’s shoulder, escapes to the washroom and asks herself if she’s jealous. (Anyone who has seen While You Were Sleeping knows how important leaning is.) In answer to herself, she thinks of Yu and smiles.
As the three start walking home, Yu arrives to walk with Yo. Ren goes with Maki to her apartment, where they find that there has been a break-in. Of course she asks him to stay; I knew she would. I didn’t quite expect her to kiss him and ask to date.
Their conversation is interrupted when Yo calls Ren as she often does at the end of the day. She is irritated again to hear that Ren is still at Maki’s. She yells at him and then tells herself it is because he is ahead of her in the marriage contest. Because he feels hurt he accept’s Maki’s offer, and when he leaves we see Maki has an advice book on how to get married.
Yo’s supervisor unexpectedly asks her to go on a business trip and suggests she take Narumi Yu. When she leaves work, it rains unexpectedly, so she takes shelter under an overhang. Ai (the ballet shoe girl) follows her there, saying that her finacee (Yo’s old boyfriend) is coming to pick her up. When he arrives he looks shocked to see Yo, but allows Ai to offer her a ride.
Just then Yu runs up with an umbrella. Yo asks him to get tickets for the bullet train and a hotel in Nagoya, and invites him to come. He accepts. As she packs she considers whether she will let Ren win the bet, and decides to bring a lacy red bra.
At the Nagoya store, Yo observes the staff’s behavior. Then she dresses them down for not really helping the customers and takes some of their stock for another store. Later, Yu tells her he admires the way she handled it all, says he is enjoying the evening, and asks to come to her room. Arriving at her room first, she laughs and unpacks the red bra. And then she waits. And waits.
Finally she opens the hall door to see if he is coming, and there he is talking on the phone. “My boss trusts me, I can probably get a full time job,” he says. “Are you being a good girl? Daddy will be home tomorrow.” Wow, that was a plot twist I didn’t expect! He turns around and sees Yo. “What do you mean by Daddy?” she snaps, and shuts the door on him.
About this time Ren and Maki are walking down the street hand in hand. Maki has asked him to come over and he has just said yes when Yo calls him. She’s in tears. If Ren has given up on her and decided to give Maki a chance, this could get wearing. How will it all fall out? Join us next time!
Telzeytalks
Dramas With a Side of Kimchi