Episode 4 Results and Discussion (Spoilers)

Results of Episode 3

Each house resident was asked whom they were interested in following their date. For some, this meant their interest shifted to someone new. For others, their interest stayed consistent. Those results are shown below:

* Oh Young Ju's interest changed from Kim Hyun Woo to Lee Gyu Bin
* Lim Hyun Ju's interest changed from Kim Do Gyun to Kim Hyun Woo
* Song Da Eun's interest changed from Kim Hyun Woo to Jeong Jae Ho
* Kim Do Gyun's interest stayed consistent with Lim Hyun Ju
* Jeong Jae Ho's interest stayed consistent with Song Da Eun
* Lee Gyu Bin's interest changed from Lim Hyun Ju to Oh Young Ju
* Kim Hyun Woo's interest changed from Oh Young Ju to Lim Hyun Ju

Discussion
The big news here is that there are now three new mutual connections. Gone are the two mutual connections from last week (Kim Do Gyun + Lim Hyun Ju; and Kim Hyun Woo + Oh Young Ju). 
Now we have: 
* Kim Hyun Woo + Lim Hyun Ju
* Lee Gyu Bin + Oh Young Ju
* Jeong Jae Ho + Song Da Eun 
And the one left out, for now, is Kim Do Gyun.

Dates
Kim Hyun Woo and Lim Hyun Ju
The first date we saw was between Kim Hyun Woo and Lim Hyun Ju. Hyun Woo had bought the gold necklace in the small decorated wooden box, which Hyun Ju had correctly guessed was from him.

He takes her to a cute tea house, complete with a tiered tray of sandwiches, pastries, and desserts. Throughout the date, he displays a softer side than we had perhaps initially expected from him. He offers her handwipes, and even tries to cut a small pastry for her, rather unsuccessfully. Nevertheless, she seems to recognize and appreciate his efforts. As she tells him, he has revealed himself to be quite different than the initial impression he gave off.

 As always, Hyun Ju seems to put people at ease. Hyun Woo continues to feel more comfortable around her, and we learn that he is actually a very sincere and sentimental person. He opens up about his love for people, including his friends from Busan, the same hometown as Hyun Ju. He also talks openly about his regrets from having focused too much on his career and having neglected his past romantic relationships. Hyun Ju suggests that he would fit well with a career woman, likely with Young Ju in her mind as she does so. Yet, it would be wise to keep in mind that, while Hyun Ju is not yet finished with school, she too expects to become a career woman in the world of fashion. Even that would give her and Hyun Woo something else in common, as he too has career experience in that field.

It's many of the little things that make their date feel natural, as Hyun Ju and Hyun Woo easily share little moments of physical contact as they make their way through the virtual reality gaming center. In the midst of all this, it appears that Hyun Woo's eyes begin to open to Hyun Joo's charms. Certainly, he already knew that she was cute and pretty with an easy laugh, but there may be something more there that intrigues him about her.

The date appears to be a great success as the two share many moments of fun and playfulness, as well as moments of intimacy and honesty. Between the many laughs, we also see Hyun Ju probe about Hyun Woo's potential interest in the other women, namely Young Ju. She had observed, along with the audience, the sparks of potential interest between the two, and had likely kept a safe distance from Hyun Woo as a result. In some ways, it appears that, despite her gregarious spirit, Hyun Ju is rather cautious when it comes to her romantic interests. 

One might say that she's simply returned the interest of whomever gave her the most attention. So far, that has mostly been Do Gyun, but with this date, it would appear that Hyun Ju sees the new possibility of a shared connection with Hyun Woo. 

Kim Do Gyun and Song Da Eun
The thoughts this date brings to mind are of missed connections and crossed wires. From the very start, as Do Gyun approaches Da Eun by the side of the road, we see Do Gyun doing his best impression of a charming man. (It's not a very good impression). His lines about how she must not have eaten yet, and that they should go eat first, sound robotic and rehearsed in a way that would be endearing if you already found him cute. Da Eun, however, has largely seemed to view Do Gyun as an amusing curiosity. 

 Even here body language creates more distance between the two, as many times during the date she leans back. While she laughs during much of the date, it feels as though her laughter doesn’t disarm the situation as much as it creates a sense of distance. Whatever bit of chemistry the two shared when they cooked the "udon" pasta in episode 2 appears to have evaporated.

It's clear from their meal together that everything about this date doesn't match her expectations. We know coming in that she had wanted to be paired with Hyun Woo, and one could guess that she would have loved the little tea house. Instead, Da Eun finds herself in a fancy but old-fashioned Korean BBQ restaurant. She admits to Do Gyun, perhaps in an attempt to melt some of the tension, that while she initially didn't like the restaurant, she has grown to appreciate it. 

 The lowlight of the date comes when Do Gyun talks at length of his love for animals, and of going to the zoo to visit his beloved red pandas. Da Eun, perhaps not realizing how coldly her words would come across, admits that not only does she not like the zoo, as she feels sorry for the animals, but doesn't understand their attraction as 'all zoos are the same'. While Do Gyun's response is polite, the sadness and dejection in his eyes betray his true feelings in the moment.

While the two stay friendly and cordial throughout the night, at no point are we led to think that they are sharing a moment that could lead to more as a couple. As Da Eun asks him over a glass of wine whether Do Gyun is interested in anyone in the house, it seems all to clear that there is little implication that his response would include her. Instead, Do Gyun answers earnestly that he does find his heart being drawn to someone (presumably Hyun Ju). Fortunately, there appears little sadness on either end as they realize that there may be nothing left to explore between the two of them. There is no shame in the knowledge that two people are better off as friends.

Lee Gyu Bin and Oh Young Ju
This date is a second chance of sorts for Gyu Bin, as following the age reveal, it appeared that Young Ju had difficulty as seeing him as something other than a 'younger brother' type. His goal for the date, then, is to change her view of him and get her to look past his age. 

The start seems promising, as he shows a willingness to look out for her and provide, as he brings hand warmers to protect her against the cold.

Things pick up even more as they reach the restaurant and he pulls out the other part of his gift. He shows her his photographs, which he had made into cards. The artistic gift seems to strike a chord with her, as she appreciates their simple beauty, remarking how the photos seem to transport her to places she’s never been. It’s as if she’s allowed to share in his memories. Further, when she asks whether he would have brought out these photos to give to whomever he was matched with, he quite openly admits that he would not have given them to just anyone. She seems touched by the honesty with which he conveys his interest in her.

While the two had seemed to quickly get long well as friends, they seem to learn that they both share a serene, contemplative side. As they discuss the movie La La Land, it brings up their thoughts on the movie's themes on love and dreams, and the potential tension between those two things. Gyu Bin admits that he had previously heavily valued his dreams, but he was beginning to increasingly value love. His dream of becoming a high-ranking civil servant had led him to a path of studying for many years, and sacrificing the time he could have devoted to pursuing love. One could imagine that this is an experience Young Ju could relate to, as she too has pursued an ambitious career, first studying in America, now working at an international Fortune 500 company. 

So much of a date's success or failure rests on knowing your partner, and it appears that Gyu Bin chose well in following up their meal with a visit to a jazz club (in a sense continuing their bonding over La La Land). At the club, he decisively gets up and gives the jazz band a song request, again showing Young Ju that beneath his boyish smile is an assertive and masculine side. It appears that Young Ju is beginning to realize that there is a strength within the youngest member of the house she finds attractive.

Jeong Jae Ho and Song Da Eun
Finally, we find ourselves with another date where a man is making his best effort to sway the heart of the woman of his dreams. The panelists on the show have dubbed Jae Ho the puppy of the house, and in so many ways the nickname seems to fit. He is certainly earnest, but he also seems hungry for attention and affirmation from the others. On this date, however, he can finally focus all his efforts on the one woman he has had eyes for since the very first day. Perhaps his earnest spirit will win her over. 

From the first moments, one senses a stark difference between this encounter and Da Eun’s other date with Do Gyun. Early on, her smiles and laughter appear more flirtatious. Her voice changes into a cuter, playful tone as she remarks on how beautiful the flowers and jewelry are.

Jae Ho is also the most straightforward of the men. Whereas the other dates involved the women coyly asking if the men had a preference as to their eventual date, Jae Ho comes out firing from the start, saying he had hoped Da Eun would choose his gift, and that he had even asked her if she liked accessories to better choose a gift she would appreciate. He’s unafraid of showing how much effort he puts into things, including his pursuit of Da Eun herself. 

Da Eun seems to like the attention. Jae Ho seems to be the type where he would need a woman who views all his efforts as charming. Perhaps he's found that woman. 

There is an ease of conversation between them as she tells him that, initially, she had thought that Jae Ho was the type to be good at everything, but has since learned that he's all talk. To his credit, Jae Ho readily agrees. The things he says, to the wrong woman, could come off as too much. Describing his gift to her, he says that the earrings would shake and sparkle with the wearer’s heartbeat, and he intended to use it as a way to see whether his date had interest in him. Indeed, he says, they do appear to be shaking that night, and that his job has been accomplished. Da Eun smiles and seems to enjoy his humor and honesty.

One interesting aspect of their date is how often the two seem to bring up Hyun Woo. It is clear that Jae Ho sees Hyun Woo as his main competition for Da Eun's heart. Indeed, most of the dates appear to be somewhat affected by the spectre of other potential love interests. With these two, Hyun Woo's presence is often felt. With Hyun Woo and Hyun Ju, Young Ju often comes to Hyun Ju's mind. With Do Gyun and Da Eun, it is difficult to stop oneself from imagining how differently a date between Do Gyun and Hyun Ju would have been from that mess. Interestingly enough, it is only with Gyu Bin and Young Ju that no one else is mentioned, even indirectly.

Nevertheless, the night does seem to bring these two closer together as they draw closer physically and emotionally. Much as with Young Ju and Gyu Bin, it would appear that Jae Ho's efforts are beginning to pay off in being honest and direct about his singular focus on Da Eun.

Aftermath
Of course, another big development following the dates is that Hyun Woo goes to the hospital late at night to address his injured finger, accompanied by Hyun Joo. During the car ride to the hospital, Hyun Joo sheds a few tears as she admits that she didn't realize how serious his injury was, as Hyun Woo feebly suggests that he could have gone alone.

The moment is also punctuated by the looks of concern from the other residents, especially from Do Gyun as he sees Hyun Joo leave with Hyun Woo.

Meanwhile, Young Ju arrives home and shares a quick hello with Hyun Woo on his way out, while Hyun Joo, for reasons yet unknown, decides to not explain why the two of them are leaving.

As the two are out on their hospital visit, the other residents bond over some cake and alcohol and share about their dates. Gyu Bin takes the opportunity to double down on the success he had through his directness and tells the others that he had been on a date with a very pretty girl.

When Hyun Woo and Hyun Joo return, the rest of the house falls into a time of laughter, while Hyun Woo asks Do Gyun to update him on the other residents' dates. His newfound interest in Hyun Ju notwithstanding, he still finds time to inquire about Young Ju and her date with Gyu Bin.

With the residents having each gone on one date with one another (two for Da Eun), we can already see their interests beginning to shift, and new connections being formed. The episode ends, however, with the camera lingering on Do Gyun as he looks longingly upon Hyun Joo, unaware as of yet the impact the night has had on her and her heart.