This week is full of reveals and new perspectives; we begin learning so much more about our characters. Nothing is straightforward with any of the characters or with the situation. Did you suspect any of these reveals, or did it hit you like a Truck of Doom?

New Looks

RaRa sets the pace by crashing through a hidden door. She smelled kimchi pancakes, hunted for the source, and found a door handle. Throwing herself at the wall, it gave way to reveal the hair salon on the other side. She commences mooching pancakes, while Stylist Mom tries to reseal the tape, or contact plastic, that concealed the door. This door will feature again later.

Telzeytalks: I was so caught up in RaRa finding that door handle that I forgot she could have used the front door. But it reminded me of a time when a piece of my back fence blew over, and the three-year-old in the house behind mine kept walking through the gap, entranced at the new world behind his back yard.

Clkytta: I loved it when she came crashing through! I felt bad for the poor guy getting a haircut though. I have to admit, if I saw a door handle I’d absolutely try to find out where it lead. Also, I want kimchi pancakes now.

MiataMama: RaRa certainly knows how to make an entrance! I was totally yelling at her to go around, as watched this crazy moment unfold. I think what made it most entertaining though, was the fact she busted through that hidden door, not once, but twice, lol!

Kmuse: Those kimchi pancakes looked delicious. I totally understand her need to get to one right away.

Don’t Say Goodbye

We finally get Joon’s background story. We meet his friend Ji Hoon and suffer the shock of the Truck of Doom sweeping down the street. I thought this would be the big scene for this week, but there’s something else coming! We see how Joon is affected by his nasty schoolmates and even nastier dad. Evil Stepmom seems less harsh this week as she tries to make peace.

Telzeytalks: I always get very nervous when drama characters stay standing in the road. We knew something happened to the friend; was he not on the sidewalk when he waved goodbye?

Clkytta: Oh the truck of doom! No wonder poor Joon doesn’t like to say goodbye. He loved his friend, that’s obvious. Losing someone like that just devastated him. It makes me understand why he ran away and why he is helping RaRa. I think it is healing for him.

MiataMama: Knowing his backstory now, it’s easy to understand why Joon doesn’t like goodbyes. Anyone else want to give this poor boy a momma-bear hug?!? Speaking of mommas. . . after this week, I’m beginning to wonder if Evil Stepmother is in fact his real mom? While her antics to track him down seem a bit over the top, I feel like deep down she does care about him.

Kmuse: That is a good twist… Evil Stepmom not being so evil. I look forward to seeing more of his backstory come to life.

We Love a Good Gangster

The man hired by Evil Stepmom to find Joon seemed like a gang member at first, but our view of him is changing. He turns out to be a private detective. He tracks down a clerk at the bus station who tells him Joon was pick-pocketed. The detective has a cute scene with RaRa at a snack truck where he bickers over her promotional handouts, and we nearly pass out because Joon is on the way to meet RaRa. But the detective misses seeing him by about half a minute!

Telzeytalks: I kind of got a soft spot for him when Evil Stepmom got to him and he muttered, “I’m starting to understand why the son left home.”

Clkytta: Our Gangster PI is just doing his job. I like him, he seems a bit like a bumbling idiot, which I find endearing, and I hope that he ends up being a helper to our little group. I always like it when the gangster type characters end up having a heart of gold. I hope he doesn’t disappoint me.

MiataMama: Gangster PI needs the money, but boy– I do not envy him his current client! I would love to see him actually turn up to La La Land to take piano lessons. He may be tough on the outside, but you just know he’s a softie in the middle!

Kmuse: Him declaring that he might take piano lessons while tugging the goody bag out of Ra Ra’s hand was hilarious.

More Than He Seems

A stranger steps into the hair salon, stunning Stylist Mom, and all the neighborhood ladies with his beauty. As she is giving him a haircut, RaRa barges through the hidden door for the second time. Startled, Stylist Mom accidentally whacks off a large chunk of his hair. We have seen this guy before; he’s the suspicious customer at Joon’s cosmetics shop. He had bought a package and (we think) left it at RaRa’s apartment. Well, after the hair chop, he returns at night and coats the front doorknob with glue. Then he shows up for a piano lesson.

Telzeytalks: Wasn’t he the one watching from a balcony as Joon tried to leave that marketing-scam meeting and had to fight the security goons? I’m sure it was him, but why was he watching Joon?

Clkytta: This guy is so suspicious! Hot, very hot, but suspicious. I think he’s either some kind of shirttail relative like a creepy cousin or maybe even a stepbrother or illegitimate child, BUT whose? He’s got a grudge against our Joon, that’s for sure. He also seems to know who RaRa is, so I’m really curious about him.

MiataMama: I love when Leila gets her conspiracy theories on, lol! He is indeed very suspicious and totally emits stalker vibes and I keep yelling at him to get away from our precious RaRa and Joon every time he shows up!

Kmuse: I love a good stalking. Please let this be a good stalking and not one that fizzles into nothing.

Grandpa is Everywhere!

Remember the Haraboji (grandpa) who got RaRa to play his favorite song on that piano in the park? He comes to her for piano lessons and complains about how hard it is until she shows him the sheet music for the song he wants to learn! He now has Joon watering plants at his greenhouse, and we find out he owns the flower shop and is the elderly man who Joon helped during an emergency. He gives the Hair Chop guy a suspicious look, and the guy turns all serious and quietly leaves.

Telzeytalks: It seems to me that Haraboji is going out of his way to help RaRa and Joon. How much does he know about everybody? Does he even know Hair Chop?

Clkytta: I do not like the way that Hair Chop (that name makes me snort laugh) looked at Grandpa. Grandpa seems to be aware that something is off about Hair Chop. Saying a little prayer right now that Grandpa stays safe as the drama goes on. (MM: Do not even put that thought out there – nothing better happen to our Angel Harabeoji!!!)

MiataMama: I love Harabeoji!! It makes my heart happy that he’s been hovering as a sweet guardian angel to Joon, and now RaRa. I do hope he’s somehow related to one of them. . . And can I just say, thank goodness someone is giving Hair Chop the stink eye?! Begone, Hair Chop, begone!

Kmuse: Him giving Ra Ra lessons on aggressive marketing were cute.

Are you kidding me now?

Joon is in high school!?! (There aren’t enough exclamation points!) It’s Dr. Cha who finds out, of course. He spots a poster at the hospital and remembers seeing Joon at RaRa’s recital. He had dropped his glasses case, and Joon picked it up. To be fair, we have had some hints. Joon doesn’t drive, said that he only graduated from middle school, and several people have assumed he was younger than RaRa.

Telzeytalks: This could be a deal-breaker for the drama. I’ve seen time jumps and young marriages before, so I hope they do something unexpected here. Still, they are handling it really well this far, and didn’t it spark up the plot?

Clkytta: I absolutely HATE this trope, the whole high schooler acting like a grown up trope is so unfair to the OTP. I knew he was young, but couldn’t they have made him a college student instead of a high schooler? Sheesh. I’ll stick it out, but now I’m ready to switch to Team Doc cause RaRa has enough on her plate without having to sign permission slips for someone.

MiataMama: So, yes, they are walking a fine line with this new plot reveal. Math isn’t my strong suite. . . but I do feel like Joon could be very close to being an adult here. So I’m going to give the writer the space to let this play out and work out, so our cute OTP can still be a thing. However, if this can only be accomplished via a time-jump, I’m warning y’all now, I’m going to get REALLY grumpy – I detest the time-jump trope the most!!

Kmuse: I am going to continue on and hope that the writer fixes the whole age situation with a time jump in the future.

Dr. Cha is Steady and Comforting

This development generates some of Dr. Cha’s best scenes. He puts some thought into how to deal with the situation. He leaves the glasses case for Joon to see and lets him think about it and call him first. He is tactful, but definitely is the adult, as he asks Joon, “If I contact your parents, will you run away again?”

Telzeytalks: Dr. Cha has been a little weird at times, but he is great here. He knows how adults should relate to kids, and that grounds his response.

Clkytta: I think that Dr. Cha’s character has been pretty fuzzy up to now. He’s been kind of creepy and secretive, but with this new development, he seems to be steady as the day is long. I just know that he is going to help Joon and I hope that Joon trusts him and lets him help.

MiataMama: I like Dr. Cha. But that being said, I don’t really want him romantically involved with RaRa. I just don’t think they are a good match. Please let him continue to be a wise, older brother figure to the young and wayward kids. (And yes, RaRa is still a kid in my mind.)

Kmuse: I still think Dr Cha has some back story regarding RaRa but is so far a pretty stand up king of guy. However, I just don’t feel that he and RaRa are meant to be a couple. I’m still Team Jun.

What do we think?

RaRa has been invited to meet her Instagram benefactor at a restaurant. We only get to see his feet coming in, but we’ve seen those Twinkle Shoes before, a couple of times: at an overlook watching the main bridge, and in the alley behind RaRa’s apartment the night they got the basket of flowers. Who is this, and what is going on?

Telzeytalks: Yes, those shoes with the white dots! He’s been hanging around the whole time. He’s too thin to be Haraboji. Could he be Secretary Moon?

Clkytta: I don’t know what to think. It’s a bit much with the whole secret benefactor and Joon being a minor. At this point, her benefactor could be anyone. What I really need is for RaRa to be able to stand on her own two feet, especially now that Joon isn’t old enough to protect her.

MiataMama: I DON’T KNOW!!!! And the suspense is killing me! I still strongly feel like it’s going to be Dr. Cha. But maybe it’s Hair Chop?? I am still on the edge of my seat anxiously waiting for next week’s episodes to drop!

Kmuse: What is going on? Can’t wait to find out.

Until the next song,

The Fangirls

Dramas With a Side of Kimchi