Results of Episode 5
The show actually included two nights' worth of text message exchanges, but the results did not change between the two nights. Those results are shown below:
* 오영주 (Oh Young Ju) => 김현우 (Kim Hyun Woo)
* 임현주 (Lim Hyun Ju) => 김현우 (Kim Hyun Woo)
* 송다은 (Song Da Eun) => 정재호 (Jeong Jae Ho)
* 김도균 (Kim Do Gyun) => 임현주 (Lim Hyun Ju)
* 정재호 (Jeong Jae Ho) => 송다은 (Song Da Eun)
* 이규빈 (Lee Gyu Bin) => 오영주 (Oh Young Ju)
* 김현우 (Kim Hyun Woo) => 임현주 (Lim Hyun Ju)
The mutual connections between Hyun Woo + Hyun Ju and Jae Ho + Da Eun continue this week! Meanwhile, Gyu Bin's efforts with Young Ju were only successful for one episode, as both nights this episode she texts Hyun Woo. Finally, Do Gyun may have made some headway in Hyun Ju's heart, but that has yet to be seen in the nightly exchanges.
This week, there were no official dates, but certain industrious residents took it on themselves to manufacture moments of opportunity.
Hyun Woo / Young Ju / (Hyun Ju)
The effects of the date Gyu Bin planned for Young Ju are short-lived, as by the very next night her feelings have shifted back to Hyun Woo.
However, we learn during that night that Hyun Woo's texts still go to Hyun Ju, and not Young Ju. Young Ju seems to know that she's not currently in the lead for Hyun Woo's affections, as it's apparent to her that the texts she's receiving are from Gyu Bin.
Meanwhile, though it's clear that Hyun Woo's feelings are currently being drawn to Hyun Ju following their eventful date night, the episode tries to tell us that something about Young Ju continues to catch his attention and he can't quite shake it. The early part of the episode has him showing great interest in which of the female residents had brought a particular Bluetooth speaker (perhaps appealing to his music/audio background). This intensifies when during one evening he hears his favorite song playing over the speaker.
The episode, through production, cinematography, and music choices, tries to tell us that Young Ju's arrival at breakfast is an awkward one, as she chooses to fit not facing Hyun Woo. However, I'm not entirely in agreement with this choice, as she also remarked that the sun was far too bright. Perhaps there is some calculation on her part, but it seems a bit overdramatized this episode.
Nevertheless, when Jae Ho and Da Eun leave for work is when the real fun begins. Young Ju has apparently formulated a counterattack to win back Hyun Woo's affections. She takes a day off from work that happens to coincide with a day off for Hyun Woo as well. With Hyun Ju sitting across from her, she asks if he'd like to help her that day to shop for groceries and prepare citron tea.
After casting a sidelong glance at Hyun Ju, Hyun Woo agrees to help Young Ju. Was the conversation truly as filled with tension as the producers would have you believe? Perhaps, but the sense that one woman is 'stealing' the other woman's man comes across a bit too strong.
Once Hyun Woo and Young Ju are on the road, we can quickly see that Young Ju's personality begins to change a bit when she's alone with Hyun Woo. She has always come across as rather cautious person, especially with her emotions. Now, with Hyun Woo, she takes a step forward in initiating conversation, and ramps up her playfulness.
During her car ride with Hyun Woo, she again finds a way to bring up the fact that he recognized her from seeing her come in to his restaurant, while she didn't recognize his face. Seeing him frustrated again seems to bring her some delight as she hides a smile from him.
Overall, there's a calm, comforting feel to the interactions between Hyun Woo and Young Ju. They seem to connect, verbally and nonverbally, in a variety of ways. Both share a career-focused mentality, but also know the hardships of sacrificing too much for career. They seem to share a quiet but thoughtful side. They even seem to both love soondae (which is delicious, by the way).
She also finds ways to signal her interest to him, letting him know that she found him attractive from the beginning. Their awkwardness and perceived emotional distance, she says, came after she tried to joke with him when they first met, but he seemed to respond too abruptly. His friend's insights seem most accurate to what we're seeing now from Hyun Woo -- while he seems to be a difficult and quiet man at first, you come to see his warmth and loyalty.
As the panelists seem to aptly describe their interactions, it seems that there is great potential for good, long-lasting chemistry between these two. While their interactions may not be as exciting as Hyun Woo and Hyun Joo, there is a great deal of comfort. You could imagine the two working side-by-side, making citron tea together for many more nights in the future.
Hyun Woo / Hyun Ju
As the panel describes, while there is a comfortable connection between Hyun Woo and Young Ju, there is an exhilarating one between him and Hyun Ju.
Where Young Ju works hard to find quiet moments where her best traits are put on display, Hyun Ju seems to have a natural talent for unleashing her full arsenal of charm in an instant. With a simple pulling back of her hair and an intense look, she seems to repeatedly capture Hyun Woo's interest.
Sometimes, when faced with two romantic options, part of your brain might tell you that one option is the safer, more sensible long-term choice. However, the other has a charm you simply can't ignore, and it's often more fun to chase the exciting choice. Hyun Woo may be caught in this choice right now. As long as Hyun Ju focuses her efforts on Hyun Woo, he may find it hard to escape.
As he stared again at the photo they took, it is clear that he continues to find Hyun Ju intriguing. In the end, the question for him will be whether he finds enough substance to pursue something long-term, or whether he will stop finding her charms alone to be irresistible.
Do Gyun / Hyun Ju
The other big effort this episode came from Do Gyun. He, too, found a way to manufacture some alone time with Hyun Ju, away from the rest of the house. A trip to buy groceries became a mini-date, and an opportunity for Do Gyun to both show his interest in Hyun Ju and to collect more data on her so as to better formulate ways to catch her interest.
Perhaps not every woman would find Do Gyun's robotic interpretation of a caring human individual to be cute and charming, but it seems that Hyun Ju is able to recognize the heart underneath it all. He audibly logs away everything she says, storing it away for a future opportunity to impress her. He pulls up one such data point this episode, as he recalls from his memory banks that she loves ice cream and suggests they get some.
This leads to a cute moment where she feeds him ice cream as he drives. It seems the ice cream and her overall sweetness is melting his slightly stiff exterior. In fact, as Do Gyun gets more comfortable around his new housemates, it appears he is gradually "drawing his sword," as his brother-in-law might say. The women seem to have noticed, for instance, just how funny and easy-going he actually is. They share a laugh about him as they recall how openly he attributed his complexion to BB cream (makeup).
Similarly, he easily smiles away the teasing he receives as the other guys joke about his "accomplishments" as the leader of a dancing club back in his school days. One might wonder if his charms, as they are revealed more and more over the course of the show, might do more to attract the attention of the female residents. By the end of this episode, however, his efforts have not yet swayed Hyun Ju's heart.
The audience, however, gets to see a touching moment between Do Gyun and Young Ju, as they share a warm conversation about believing in themselves and not giving in to anxiety.
Ultimately, the message is simple and universal. You can't control what others do, and you can't worry about what's outside of your control. All you can do is try to be the best version of yourself, and be honest with others. Despite it's simplicity, the fact that she conveys this message so well to Do Gyun, while also encouraging him and pointing out his strengths and charm, shows a new side of Young Ju to the audience.
Jae Ho / Da Eun
Da Eun and Jae Ho, for the time being, appear to be the most "stable" of matches. So far, she has been returning his interest in her. He continues to be very forward with his romantic interest, between cleaning a bit of yogurt off her cheek and helping pick her dog up to bring home.
As Hyun Ju jokes, the two almost appear like a married couple already. However, while we already know how strongly Jae Ho feels for Da Eun, we have yet to learn how strong her emotions are to him.
We know she had interest in Hyun Woo, but she's fallen into a distant third for his attentions. It would appear that, until something shakes up their dynamic, she will continue to enjoy her time with Jae Ho and see if his puppy dog eagerness will ultimately win her heart.
Other Thoughts
* Can we acknowledge, for a moment, the two cutest couples in the house?
Definitely in the lead in my heart is Do Gyun and Gyu Bin, who have both had to share in the disappointment of not receiving texts for multiple nights, yet find strength in their friendship as they commiserate and encourage each other.
Coming in second is Hyun Woo and Jae Ho, which is also rather entertaining in how quickly Jae Ho has taken on the mantle of the younger brother trying to learn at the feet of the older brother, Hyun Woo.
* Finally, I know Gyu Bin got almost no mention in this post, which unfortunately reflects his contributions to this episode overall. Between the HW-YJ-HJ-DG love quadrilateral that took up the vast majority of the screentime, Gyu Bin falling back to second for Young Ju got short shrift. Here's to hoping that things improve (or change) for him soon.
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