For the record: that was indeed a real kiss (in every way), and it was smokin’ hot. Best k-drama kiss of 2011 has added a new contender. What kiss, you ask? Read the recap, I say. Lie to Me hit a turning point in this episode, and it wasn’t because there was major kissage. That helped, but really it was because the OTP finally have normal and in depth conversations with each other.

Ah Jung talked about why she can’t give up on the lie, and Ki Joon saw deeper into Ah Jung’s personality and history. Today, my friends, LTM no longer sucks (as much). Or shall I say, this drama doesn’t go further down the sucky hole, and instead appears to be clawing its way back to sanity and hope. This was the first episode I liked, and for that I let out a giant sigh of relief.

Perhaps in a dry patch of K-drama offerings, Lie to Me would be a nice breezy treat that satisfies an immediate thirst, like a popsicle after a hot afternoon swim in the Summer. No one would bemoan the popsicle for being just flavoring mixed with water and then frozen, the simplest of treats. Sadly, this May has seen a pretty impressive array of dramas, including a rom-com called Best Love that is both as romantic and comedic as anything I’ve ever seen. So the story of Lie to Me pales so much in comparison it’s left viewers jumping ship by the dozens.

I won’t be jumping ship, because rarely have I loved an acting pairing as much as I love Kang Ji Hwan and Yoon Eun Hye, plus the romance is finally taking off, so I’m in it for the duration. Not only am I sticking with it happily, I’m finding enjoyment in it because my expectations have been readjusted. So my recaps will be as fun as possible – I’m going to squee when the time comes for it or mock the ridiculous elements with good-natured snark. Either way, join if you want to take the LTM ride with me. I have a feeling it’ll keep getting better.

Episode 6 Recap:

So Ran, who would be a great Queen Bee of the Mean Housewives Club if only she weren’t so competitive plus insecure, expertly drops another challenge before Ah Jung – have a housewarming party for the entire gang to visit your new abode. All the friends chime in their concurrence, and Ah Jung has no choice but to stammer out a yes.

That night, Ah Jung waits outside Ki Joon’s house and waylays him when he comes home. Ki Joon comes out of the car and is immediately tackled by Ah Jung, who tells him that “we have a problem, what can we do?” To which Ki Joon incredulously repeats “we”? The neighborhood patrol officer happens to be standing nearby so this conversation gets moved into the house.

Ki Joon gets briefed on the housewarming party request, and Ah Jung promises to handle everything, all he needs to do is lend her the house. Ki Joon, like a normal sane human being, asks why he should do that? Because we’re married, is the response of not-currently sane and normal Ah Jung. She vows to clean up afterwards, and Ki Joon doesn’t even have to attend.

He stands up and walks away, telling Ah Jung it’s not going to happen because it’s not in the contract. She grabs his hand and pleads again, telling him to stop being such a stickler to the terms of the contract. Yup, especially since it’s written on a restaurant stationary and clearly has the weight of the law on it. Ah Jung tries to massage Ki Joon’s hand and do an oppa pout wiggle on him, but he’s not budging.

Ah Jung lays in bed talking to and beating on her poor stuffed animal hippo head, rhetorically asking what she can do? The next morning, her dad’s cooked breakfast but Ah Jung swans out of the house without eating, leaving poor dad eating alone again.

Ah Jung meets up with Sang Hee and they nibble on a corndog. Hhhmm, are corndogs popular in Korea? Sang Hee sees Ah Jung’s lackluster attitude and wonders if perhaps the bling bling he arranged to be loaned to her didn’t sufficiently impress her friends? Ah Jung says the jewelry was impressive, but now the stakes got upped again, and she’s been cornered into hosting a housewarming party. But she doesn’t have a house!

Sang Hee asks if all Ah Jung needs is a house, and she says yes. He tells her that since he’s her fairy godmother, he’ll continue to help her and get through this hurdle as well. His friendship and offer to help cheers up Ah Jung, who pinches herself to make sure she’s not dreaming. I love their no-strings attached friendship, one without expectation or possibility (in my mind) for romantic entanglements. He likes her because she’s amusing, and so he wants to keep helping her. Plain and simple.

Ki Joon’s Aunt is looking through a stack of pictures of Ki Joon meeting with Ah Jung. She asks her secretary if Ki Joon is really married to the young lady in question, and is told that there is no proof of the marriage. Suddenly Yoon Joo arrives to pay her respects to Aunt, explaining that she just returned to Korea last week and doesn’t have any definite plans for how long she’s planning to stay. Aunt is friendly and kind to Yoon Joo, but there is some awkwardness there when Yoon Joo tells Aunt that she’s already seen Ki Joon.

Sang Hee takes Ah Jung to a grand mansion. They sit in Ah Jung’s car and watches Aunt leave. Sang Hee telling Ah Jung that she can use this place for the housewarming party since the owner goes to Jeju Island on the weekends. Ah Jung thought Sang Hee would find a way to borrow Ki Joon’s house, and is a bit apprehensive about using this place. Ah Jung thinks Sang Hee is playing a trick on her. Wouldn’t it be easier to just kidnap Ki Joon instead, to which Sang Hee reminds her that is illegal. Ah Jung leaves and thinks Sang Hee just wasted her time.

When Ah Jung heads back work, she sees So Ran waiting for her and she has to hide. Ah Jung calls Sang Hee, asking if it’s true that she can borrow the house. Sang Hee reiterates that he’s her fairy godmother, and she can trust him. Ah Jung calls Park Hoon and finds out Ki Joon schedule, arranging it so she meets him when he’s out jogging alone.

Ah Jung walks up to Ki Joon mid-jog, startling the poor guy who lands in a bush. Ah Jung is here to announce to Ki Joon that she got the house thing squared away, so she doesn’t need to borrow his house anymore. Ki Joon wants to know why she came to tell him this, to which Ah Jung simply wanted to tell him to not be so stingy with her in not lending her the house. She’s courteous as she turns to leave, telling him there is no reason to meet again.

Aunt meets up with Ki Joon and the conversation is purely about Yoon Joo. Aunt wants to know if Ki Joon has changed his mind about Yoon Joo, and he confirms that he has not. Aunt is satisfied with his decision, because she refuses to trade Sang Hee for Yoon Joo, despite liking everything about Yoon Joo. Since Sang Hee has finally returned, Aunt doesn’t want to risk him leaving again.

Ki Joon is touring a department store when he runs into Yoon Joo, who is a designer for the department store displays. Yoon Joo pretends to be meeting Ki Joon for the first time as she is introduced to the President of World Group. Ah Jung is out walking at night and passes by the park bench where she sat with Ki Joon and he almost kissed her. She smiles as she remembers the moment.

Park Hoon is asking Ki Joon what he wants to eat, and Ki Joon doesn’t care, telling Hoon to pick a place. Hoon takes Ki Joon to the same coffee shop where Ki Joon met up with Ah Jung. Hoon says he heard this places was good, and when pressed, admits he heard it from Ah Jung. Jae Bum happens to be at the café and walks over to talk with Ki Joon.

Jae Bum identifies himself as Ah Jung’s sunbae, and then he recognizes Park Hoon, asking if Hoon’s friend’s legal problems have been resolved. Jae Bum boasts that he would have gotten a great legal settlement if he handled the case. He wonders how Ki Joon and Hoon know each other, and is told that Hoon is Ki Joon’s secretary. After Jae Bum leaves, Hoon tells Ki Joon that Jae Bum was Ah Jung’s first love. Ki Joon is surprised, and Hoon is curious as to why Ki Joon had a reaction to the news. Ki Joon orders just coffee from the menu, the same coffee Ah Jung recommended the other day.

At work, Ah Jung’s co-workers all head out to lunch, but Ah Jung stays behind. She is hard at work….looking at recipes for the housewarming party. When the Minister happens to pop by the office, he looks pleased to see Ah Jung working through lunch.

Back to lunch, Park Hoon explains how Ah Jung liked Jae Bum, so she studied hard to pass her civil service exam, hoping to confess after she passed. But Jae Bum was secretly dating Ah Jung’s friend during that time. Hoon feels bad for Ah Jung, whereas Ki Joon thinks she merely injured her pride, and that all women hate to lose. Ki Joon wonders how Hoon knows so much, and is told that Hoon is rooting for Ah Jung, and if he had a house he would lend it to Ah Jung.

Ah Jung is at the café showing Ae Kyung and Suk Bong the dishes she wants to make for the housewarming. Sang Hee comes to see her and drops the bad news – the house won’t be available this weekend because the owner changed her plans. Ah Jung is upset, and Sang Hee offers to look for another house. Their bickering makes it look like they are close to people watching them.

Ki Joon thinks back to Ah Jung telling him not to be this way, and he appears to have a change of heart. He calls her and asks her to meet, saying that he has something to say to her. He’s in the park, and looks in his rearview mirror to see Sang Hee and Ah Jung strolling and talking about Ki Joon not lending her the house.

Ki Joon gets out of the car and stares at the surprised Ah Jung and Sang Hee, who stammers out a “hyung.” Ah Jung mouth drops and she looks at both guys. Ki Joon shakes his head with a knowing grimace, getting back into the car and driving off. Sang Hee chases after Ki Joon, trying to explain. Sang Hee tells Ah Jung that his brother has quite the quick temper.

Ah Jung asking Sang Hee if Ki Joon is Sang Hee’s real older brother, and Sang Hee nods his answer. Ah Jung kicks him in the shin and stalks off. Ah Jung goes to So Ran’s house and tells her the housewarming is off. So Ran acts all high and mighty and tells Ah Jung that she knew this would happen, since not everyone can have a housewarming party. Ah Jung wakes up from this dream pissed off.

Sang Hee is having breakfast with Ki Joon the next morning. He apologizes and asks what punishment Ki Joon demands of him? Shall Sang Hee hold his hands up and kneel in contrition? Sang Hee explains that Ah Jung really didn’t know they were brothers, and Ki Joon is reluctant to believe him since she’s tricked him before. Sang Hee tells Ki Joon to recall how shocked Ah Jung was last night to find out.

Sang Hee asks Ki Joon to lend Ah Jung the house, which isn’t a hardship, especially considering Ki Joon has already agreed to be married to Ah Jung. Ki Joon lays the blame for that on Sang Hee, wanting to know why Sang Hee is doing all this? Sang Hee’s motivation is that it’s fun. Ki Joon isn’t keen on being in a marriage while Sang Hee has the fun. Ki Joon doesn’t want to be a party to Sang Hee’s games anymore, and walks off.

Sang Hee goes to Suk Bong’s studio, opening the door to see Yoon Joo inside. She’s chatting with Suk Bong while waiting for Sang Hee. They discuss Sang Hee, who always supported Suk Bong, and lent him the money to rent this studio. Suk Bong wants to call Sang Hee home, but Yoon Joo tells him not to. Sang Hee will refuse to come back if he knows that she’s there waiting for him. Yoon Joo leaves without meeting up with Sang Hee, who goes to play basketball by himself.

Ah Jung is waiting outside Ki Joon’s house, trying to work up the courage to ring the doorbell. She yells at the doorbell that she won’t do it and walks off. Park Hoon arrives and see Ah Jung walking away. He goes inside to hand documents for Ki Joon to sign. Hoon is surprised to know that Sang Hee and Ah Jung know each other. Ki Joon confirms that Hoon also didn’t know this surprising connection.

Hoon wonders what Ah Jung spoke with Ki Joon about, and Ki Joon is surprised to hear that Hoon just saw Ah Jung outside his house. Hoon leaves and Ki Joon looks a bit curious. He looks at his cell phone, texting Ah Jung with a question “how are preparations for the housewarming coming?” Ah Jung reads the text and thinks Ki Joon is being perverse and itching to pick a fight with her, since he knows she doesn’t have a house to hold the party in.

Ki Joon pretends to read but is wondering why Ah Jung hasn’t responded to his text. Ah Jung texts him back, asking if he’s suddenly so concerned about her situation? Ki Joon finally makes the first move and calls her, asking to meet. Ki Joon drives to an upscale apartment building and wonders why she’s asking to meet here?

Ki Joon goes up to the door of a unit, having a potential change of mind and turning around to leave, before turning back and going inside. The realtor thinks Ki Hoon is the husband, and shows him inside where Ah Jung is looking around. The realtor assumes Ki Joon and Ah Jung don’t know their way around because they’ve never lived in such a fancy place. Ah Jung smirks, telling Ki Joon after the realtor leaves how funny it was that she assumed Ki Joon’s never lived in such a place before.

Ah Jung looks around and touches everything, and Ki Joon’s OCD flares up, needing to check the cleanliness and move a wine glass right back to the exact position it was in before. Ah Jung sees this, thinking back to their first meeting when Ki Joon asked her correctly button her shirt. Ah Jung thinks Ki Joon’s nitpicky ways net him a big fat zero points in husband material.

So Ran calls Ah Jung, asking about preparations for the party and suggesting they meet tomorrow. Ki Joon listens to the conversation and smirks. She asks Ki Joon why he wanted to meet, and he asks her what she’s doing here? She thinks this place can pass for Hyun Ki Joon’s house, and is told that Ki Joon’s house has been featured in magazines before, and no one will believe this is his place.

Ah Jung says she’ll make them believe by saying their real house is under renovation. Ki Joon wonders about furniture, which Ah Jung wants to rent. Ah Jung tells Ki Joon that if she wants to do something, she can make it happen. Ki Joon derides her for going so far simply for her pride. All that happened was a friend stole the guy she liked, so why is she doing all this?

Ah Jung says that Ki Joon has never had his pride trampled on, has he? So he shouldn’t pretend to understand. He asks her to explain it to him then, her pride? Ah Jung sadly tells him that she KNOWS what she is doing is all wrong, but she doesn’t know the right way to go about it. She can’t really get married just to get back at So Ran, so what’s left is this.

The realtor comes back to ask what they think. Ah Jung asks to live here for one day and try out the place. The realtor kicks Ki Hoon and Ah Jung out. They sit outside, and Ki Joon asks her what she is planning to do. She says nothing, and he prods her to just say what she wants (he’s dying for her to ask him again to borrow his house, so he can say yes without losing face). Ki Joon laughs about whether it really is a sign of success to have a fancy house. Ah Jung tells him she has a final ace up her sleeve but won’t divulge what it is.

Ah Jung goes to see a hypnotist, asking if he can get a person to agree to her request to lend his house to her. The guy tells her no, because that would be ILLEGAL. Mwahahaha, okay, that was funny. Ah Jung is walking when she runs into Sang Hee. That leads her to think about all her run-ins and interactions with him, realizing that all the hints were there that the two Hyuns were brothers. She calls herself an idiot. Sang Hee smiles at her and she walks over to him ruefully.

He asks if she’s going to hit him again, and she raises her fist and gently punches him on the arm. Over dinner at a pojanmacha, he apologizes to her, and she tells him there is nothing to apologize for since he has done nothing wrong. In fact, she’s only gotten this far because of Sang Hee’s help. Ah Jung asks if Ki Joon is really upset with him?

Sang Hee say yes, Ki Joon is holding a grudge now. When Ah Jung chides Ki Joon for being so mean, Sang Hee stands up for Ki Joon, saying he’s not like that. Sang Hee says Ki Joon is a sad fellow, and asks Ah Jung to please be Sang Hee’s pretend sister-in-law for Ki Joon. He apologizes again for the housewarming issue, and says he will speak with Ki Joon again. Ah Jung says not to worry about it, she’s planning to tell So Ran the truth tomorrow. The only way to get Ki Joon to change his mind is if his house burns down. They give each other a knowing look.

We see Sang Hee and Ah Jung dressed like ninjas as they set fire to Ki Joon’s house. Ki Joon wakes up in a haze of smoke and can’t get out. Ah Jung and Sang Hee gives each other high fives as they take off. Suddenly Ki Joon wakes up from the nightmare, clutching his throat like he can’t breathe through the imaginary smoke. He tells himself that this unease is driving him crazy. He goes to drink some water, wondering if this is what happens when everyone pressures him, thinking back to Sang Hee, Hoon, and Ah Jung all asking him to lend her the house. Ki Joon smiles.

The next morning, Ah Jung runs out of the house to meet Ki Joon. She promises to be careful and treat the house like it’s her house. He warns her not to get him involved. He hands her the key and tells her the code is 1004. Ki Joon walks away, and Ah Jung tells him that he won’t regret it. Ki Joon says he is already regretting it now.

Ah Jung goes to Ki Joon’s house, letting herself into her presidential suite. Sang Hee arrives to help her move her belongings into the house to make it look like she lives there. They then go to the supermarket to buy groceries. Ah Jung prepares the dishes, pleased with her creations.

Ki Joon is at the movie theater with Hoon, who buys tickets to see a melodrama movie, because Hoon likes the genre. Ki Joon is not pleased, telling him to go see such movies with a girlfriend. Hoon confesses he doesn’t have a girlfriend, and Ki Joon calling him out on a Sunday is pretty demanding for a boss. Ki Joon says that watching a melo with Hoon on a Sunday violates his very principles. But when Hoon pouts, Ki Joon agrees and Hoon toddles off to buy popcorn.

Ki Joon gets a call from Yoon Joo, asking what he’s doing today? She invites him over to eat because she’s cooked too much. Sang Hee has arranged for new clothes and accessories to be brought over and hung in the closet. So Ran is primping for the party, while Jae Bum sits in the closet a nervous wreck thinking back to how Ah Jung caught him with his mistress.

Jae Bum tries to pretend that he’s not feeling well, and begs to So Ran that he can’t go today. So Ran calmly tells him that she doesn’t care what he does, but today he has to show up in front of Ah Jung and behave properly. We see Ki Joon walking towards Yoon Joo’s apartment. Ah jung has finished cooking and is putting on the finishing touches. She says everything looks perfect, except for the husband, but that’s alright.

Suddenly the doorbell rings, and we see Ah Jung and Yoon Joo both turn around and go to open their door. Yoon Joo opens her door and her face falls to find Sang Hee standing at her door. Ah Jung is equally shocked to find Ki Joon standing there. She asks what he’s doing here, and he walks inside, announcing that this is his house.

Ah Jung’s friends arrive for the housewarming party, and a few friends ogle Ki Joon a little too long. The friends go inside their closet and exclaim over Ah Jung’s expensive wardrobe. Ki Joon smiles through clenched teeth, asking if this is all Sang Hee’s doing? Ah Jung says of course, and promise to clean it all up. So Ran looks at two dresses, wondering why one is a small and one is a large.

Ah Jung is setting the table, and Ki Joon walks up and offers to help. She asks him what he is doing, and he says that he is just acting. On today’s stage, he’ll be a great actor. The friend exclaim over Ki Joon’s helpfulness, which he chalks up to not liking Ah Jung’s hands to get wet. Ah Jung hears this and almost drops the plates she’s bringing over to the table.

So Ran asks if Ah Jung cooked everything, and she says yes, but isn’t sure about the taste. Everyone takes a bite, and compliments her on the food being delicious. They ask if Ah Jung cooks all the time, and she says no, only because the friends are coming over. Ki Joon confirms that this is the first time he’s eating Ah Jung’s cooking. Ki Joon feeds Ah Jung a giant bit of steak and salad, which she gamely shoves into her mouth.

Ah Jung is asked whether she’s taking cooking lessons, and she replies that she doesn’t have time. Jae Bum suddenly speaks up that Ah Jung used to be a great cook. When they would go visit their professor during the holidays, Ah Jung could make a dok hot pot which was delicious. So Ran gives him a dirty look. The friends remark that Ah Jung is a wonder woman, working, cooking, taking care of the house. They simply can’t compare.

So Ran doesn’t think it’s all that, a woman is supposed to be able to take care of the house. The friends point out that So Ran doesn’t work, but she refuses to concede her point. Jae Bum suddenly speaks up again, revealing that Ah Jung’s mom died when she was young. Ki Joon pauses in the middle of taking a drink of his wine. The friends never knew about this, asking when she passed.

Ah Jung says she passed when Ah Jung was in third grade. She just helped her dad around the house, it wasn’t like she was a child parent or anything like that. Ki Joon stares at her, and Ah Jung tries to change the subject, asking about her friend’s lives. Ki Joon continues to stare at Ah Jung, as her friends complain about their married lives not being all that happy after the honeymoon period has ended. Ah Jung stands up and excuses herself.

Ah Jung runs to the bathroom, fanning herself and asking what is wrong with her. She’s about to walk out of the bathroom when Jae Bum grabs her back into the bathroom. He begs her not to tell So Ran what she saw. Ah Jung says that she won’t say anything, because it’s between Jae Bum and So Ran. Jae Bum smiles, grateful for Ah Jung’s genuine heart and promising to take her out to lunch.

They walk out of the bathroom to find Ki Joon standing there. Ki Joon stares at Jae Bum long and hard, and then smiles and takes Ah Jung’s hand, telling her “honey, let’s go back.” The friends notice Ah Jung standing between Ki Joon and Jae Bum, and tease her for having a guy on either side of her. The friends let slip that Ah Jung used to like Jae Bum.

So Ran gets annoyed when Jae Bum accidentally sits down next to Ah Jung. Jae Bum moves back to sit next to So Ran, and he starts to hum a song because the mood is so awkward. He asks Ki Joon to sing, and Ah Jung tries to deflect for Ki Joon. Jae Bum the moron says that Ki Joon must be tone-deaf which is why he doesn’t sing.

Ah Jung stands up and offers to sing, which is when Ki Joon follows her and agrees to sing as well. Ah Jung tries to get Ki Joon to change his mind, but he tells her to enjoy it while it lasts (meaning his playacting for her sake). Ah Jung picks a song that Ki Joon thinks is too old, and he changes to something cute and trendy.

Ah Jung and Ki Joon sing a duet about ice-cream. A friend runs up and gets Ki Joon to put his arm around Ah Jung, who starts to get into the performance. Even Ki Joon smiles as he allows Ah Jung to direct the performance. He watches Ah Jung sing and starts to think back to all their previous encounters.

He stops singing, just staring at her. Ah Jung also stops singing and stares at him, though she tries to get them to finish the performance. Suddenly Ki Joon drops his microphone and walks up her and pulls her into his embrace for a kiss. All the friends look shocked to see this public making out. Jae Bum turns his head, and So Ran looks even more curious.

Ki Joon and Ah Jung keep on kissing. Anyone have any issues if I throw in an extra screencap or two?

Thoughts of Mine:

Let’s talk about The Kiss first, shall we? Wow-wee, now that is a real kiss, both within the drama and the acting by the leads, or shall I say by the leads’ lips. While I’m still confused and not quite connecting with WHY and HOW Ki Joon suddenly has these faint stirrings of the heart and attraction to Ah Jung (bad scriptwriter, bad, I spank you for the bad writing), I love that this was a real kiss and not one for show at all. And if it were a fantasy then I would have spit up blood.

Because 6 episodes in and I still don’t understand the character motivations and interactions and developing emotional connections, let me try to extrapolate my own analysis based on limited data. Ki Joon, I like his character SO MUCH more than Ah Jung, whom I don’t care for but can’t hate her behavior. This is what I think about Ki Joon. I think that he has ended things with Yoon Joo 3 years ago, and it really was the end for him, even if he still has feelings for her. He doesn’t harbor any hope of a reconciliation, because for all he knows, Sang Hee still loves Yoon Joo and still can’t accept her as his sister-in-law.

For Ki Joon, he has closed the book on the Yoon Joo possibility. Which is why it’s always been possible that he could start having feelings for Ah Jung right away, because he’s been in statis for the past 3 years. What does he see in Ah Jung? I think she disrupts his orderly life, she challenges him, and she needs him. Ki Joon, like Sang Hee, is starting to see past the shallowness of Ah Jung pretending to be married to stick it to So Ran. Ki Joon sees Ah Jung’s vulnerability, and little by little it is affecting him.

Assuming Ah Jung is written so unlikeably on purpose, then she becomes the one to be redeemed and saved in this story. While most K-dramas idealize the heroine and picked a flawed hero, LTM turns the table on this stereotypical set up. If that is the case, it’s working, because the more Ah Jung annoys me, the more I realize that she annoys herself and she doesn’t like who she has become. That I can jump onboard, rooting for her to move on past her hang ups and her issues, learning from her mistakes and growing up emotionally.

We found out in this episode that Ah Jung lost her mom in elementary school, at the time that a girl most needs a motherly influence. I think it’s well-written that a girl like Ah Jung doesn’t understand love, doesn’t realistically view marriage, doesn’t have the self-esteem to tell So Ran to bugger off and be proud of who she is – a 5th level civil servant who may not have a marriage, but is successful and content with her life.

I find Ah Jung’s insecurities tied to losing her mother, having her father likely want to marry Ae Kyung shortly thereafter, and bumbling her way to falling in love with and losing Jae Bum to So Ran. If we accept the premise that Ah Jung is unlikeable and full of flaws (some of which are understandable and others not so much), then from that premise I can totally get behind the OTP. If Ki Joon, rich and normal, can fall for Ah Jung, ordinary and insecure, then it turns the table around their fake marriage, and creates the pull between the characters that brings the relationship to life.

It’s taken me 6 episodes to be able to analyze this story and parse through what it’s about. The lie may have taken up too much time and as a driving force remains inconsequential (the truth getting out will not have any significant impact on Ah Jung or Ki Joon’s career or life), but I can see that starting from the next episode, it will no longer be the reason for Ah Jung and Ki Joon to spend time together and develop their relationship further.

For all that I bemoan this story not making much sense narratively, and the emotional connection between Ki Joon and Ah Jung feels like not much foundation has been laid, perhaps that is the crux of it all. Ki Joon is inexplicably drawn to Ah Jung, and she is in turn finding herself through his eyes. If loving the wrong man and holding on to the memory of that love is what got Ah Jung into this mess in the first place, then it will be loving the right man that saves Ah Jung from herself, and allows her to reclaim what she always was and could still be – a strong, confident, and smart young woman.