Daddy Long Legs- A Review

It's probably one of those sad things about me that I take rootless interest in people I don't know and do a whole lot of aimless wondering. It feels creepy on bad days. Daddy Long Legs is weird for me 'cause it felt both not creepy and totally creepy. It must have been delicious for "Daddy" to get letters from someone who didn't know who she was writing to, be privy to hopes and desires and not have to figure his own out. (Too bad the sense that he knew them too well was creepy.) He had eight legs and none to hold with. (He was thinking with another appendage anyway.)

My favorite part of Daddy Long Legs is reading about how they survived on what they had then! Jerusha/Judy loves Jane Eyre, Stevenson, Little Women (only in college. She didn't have them before then). I've been thinking about Iranian readers of Jean Websters books. I used to email a Malay girl a few years back and she'd tell me about movies she had to watch in secret. Sometimes I'd disappoint her because I didn't value stuff like family honor. Are Websters books popular because they approach the line of freedom and step back behind firm lines of society and family? I would mentally shelve Webster under the heading of "Safe to have".

Daddy Long Legs is cozy and warm like inside the belly of a taun taun.
She calls him daddy.  The nick name is cute (daddy long legs 'cause his shadow looked spidery and long legged). It wouldn't be creepy if she didn't ask if she should still call him daddy in the last letter, now that they are engaged.

Did he choose to sponsor her for college as grooming for future wifedom? That's gross. That's what was creepy to me. She's supposed to become a writer. Jerusha doesn't know what she wants. Sure, parents pressure their kids to be doctors or something. (If he was paying for her to attend med school she'd dump him as soon as she graduated.) What is this vicarious living slash wife hunting? Don't know if I like it... Jerusha/Judy doesn't roll over for Jervis the man she knows, at least. It's lucky for her that she didn't figure it out (at first I forgave her because she grew up in an orphan asylum. Once she begins reading voraciously it is more troubling that her imagination couldn't do the numbers) because she felt so grateful to the "trustee" (this was creepy because inmates with special benefits are called this now) for her opportunities. It's a trap! (Picture your favorite Admiral Ackbar picture here. He smells fishy.)

His condition is that she write letters to him, letters he'll presumably never read, as well as standard great grades stuff. Jerusha/Judy takes to writing these letters with glee, sometimes annoyance or resigned longing, because she's never had anyone in all her life to write to. The relief to finally talk was the good part. The charm of Daddy Long Legs are the confidences that she makes in those letters. I liked how the girl tried to catch up to all the girls her own age, reading books she missed out on, the newness of academia and bigger social circles that can be taken for granted by those who have them. The weaker part is that it is the "safe" and "allowed to have". (I'm not begrudging anyone who has to have that. This is with me as a reader in mind. I wonder what other people want even as I'm hopeless at reading for anyone else.)

The downside is that it is one sided. Daddy/Jervis does not get to speak and over her shoulder it was easy to view him as someone who wanted to bottle her innocence and vibrance and direct it himself. When the world should have widened it cut off. Daddy Long Legs ends too soon and footnotes the growing up past the newness. Sometimes people tell themselves things. Jerusha tells herself she's over her past of being an orphan. She's not, it made her who she was. The telling and back and forth on that felt like a nervous tic, something to do with your hands when nervous, that one cannot disguise. Other things, being "grateful" and learning to smile through tedium was telling. Who wants to read a self help book? Letters should be like talking to yourself and to someone you care about at the same time. Mantras are not going to keep The Beatles from splitting up.

Yeah, yeah it was written eons ago. She marries a bossy man who "knows what's best" for her. If I were her friend getting letters about this guy I'd not worry about her because she knows when she's taken advantage of and told to be grateful (like the mistress of the asylum she tries to scorn with tongue and cheek but cannot help biting the insides of her cheeks not to scream). I liked Jerusha/Judy. I didn't fall in love with her. I'd have written back and asked questions. Maybe then.

Daddy waited too long to write letters (he does eventually, as Jervis. We don't get to read them). He could get to be warm too.

the fact that she called her romantic interest Daddy throughout the entire book wigs me a bit, and Jervis is so high-handed and lacking in candour that I'm deeply suspicious of him, but I'm gonna put down Judy's trilling that he's right most of the time because he's years older than her to the mushy-brainedness of the first flush of love, and believe that she's going to be able to handle him.

My dearest daddy long legs

 I decided to link this to tumblr because I have so much stories to tell about this thing.
When it comes to my very first anime', i didn't remember the very first day I watched my very first anime'... or "cartoons"-that's what I called it when i'm in my elem years,(haha, as if i'm old).
But, the first title that comes into my mind when I was a kid is..

Judy Abott.(Daddy Long Legs)

 Judy Abbott

Genres: slice of life, drama, romance

Plot Summary: Daddy Long Legs is based on the novel of the same name by Jean Webster. It chronicles the adventures of Judy Abbott, an orphan in New York. During a meeting for the superintendent, with other important and rich people in attendance, a scholarship is offered to Judy by a mysterious benefactor. Catching only a glimpse of his tall shadow as he leaves, Judy calls him "Daddy Long Legs" and writes him letters every month as per his request. While studying at the Lincoln Memorial school, she makes many friends and learns about a world she never knew about before.

The time I saw this episode when she catched a glimpse of someone that she doesn't know and came to help her makes my heart jump because it is so magical and mysterious.

I like those episodes of Judy writing letters about her stories at school and receiving them from a name of "John Smith".

It is like this anime open up a world of romance that exists even if the couple is far away. At that time, long distance relationship matters(even if it's not a romantic atmosphere at first) and can end into happy one. It offered me about innocent love and I realized how love is(well, that's what I think that time).

It turns out that Jervis Pendleton(friend's uncle), her friend who visited her and his friends is her daddy long legs. He who always rescues her whenever possible and deliver warmth and love that Judy didn't felt before.

How am I gonna say the ending.... I will never forget the ending of this epic anime.

They married after those problems(last few episodes). I remember that I almost cried. Good thing, it is my summer break that day and don't have any internet yet.(long live net!)

So, that's it. If you never watched it yet, you're missing a good anime'.

;)

A Gentleman’s Dignity: Episode 10

I guess the good thing about a late recap is that you can quickly refresh your memory of the previous episode before watching the next one immediately after you finish reading. Har har. Anyways, I want a pet like Jung Rok. He makes me laugh even when my soul has temporarily gone to the dark side. Can we please put him in a dress for fun? No? Too dark? Okay. How about a pretty wig?

EPISODE 10 RECAP

 

The guys have an epic Starcraft battle at a PC bang. Do Jin and Jung Rok face off against Yoon and Tae San again and phone calls from girlfriends and wives get ignored as the competition starts to heat up. Jung Rok receives a call from a café employee who tells him that Jeon Ji Hyun just showed up.

Jung Rok pauses for a second and then snaps that she better get a discount on her drink before hanging up. Haha. The other guys commentate on how pretty Jeon Ji Hyun is before resuming the game.

Soon Jung Rok’s phone rings again and the employee announces that Im Yo Hwan (a professional Starcraft player) came with the actress. The guys quickly get up and head towards the cafe. Hehehe.

 

Jung Rok calls Yoon to inform him that Me Ahri is waiting for him at the bar. Yoon plays it cool and tells Jung Rok to take care of his own customers. After he hangs up, however, he looks at a text from Me Ahri worriedly.

Do Jin warns Yi Soo to stop flirting with him and she stares at him in shock while he sits back with a satisfied smirk on his face. She begins downing shots of soju and he offers to pour her some more. She bristles at his coarseness and then proposes that they talk outside. He replies that he doesn’t want to converse with her unless it’s to sleep with him and then stands up.

He leaves the restaurant with Yi Soo hot on his heels. She angrily declares that she will never sleep with him. He nods and says that he expected as much. She expresses that she understands he’s mad at her but his previous words were beyond rude. He asks why a man’s sincerity is rude; did she think he liked her only because of her soul and personality?

 

Yi Soo requests that he let her finish talking first. She apologizes for wearing the shoes so carelessly, but explains that she never meant to hurt him. She starts to become frustrated, saying that he should have said he wanted to sleep with her earlier; then their relationship would have just ended with a “simple” one night stand.

He lets out a smile at her burst of anger and admits that he finds her pretty even at this moment. He expresses that the days he spent with her were much more youthful than the future since he gets a little older every day. As a result, he is always much more passionate yesterday than he is today. She blinks at him in silence and Do Jin confesses that his temper flared when he saw her wearing the shoes.

Yet today, he has realized that he had been throwing his feelings at her like they were rocks and that she may have gotten hurt in the process. He finishes by saying that he has to let her go now and sincerely apologizes for not acting like a gentleman. With that, he gets into Betty and watches her walk away from his side view mirror. ::sniff::

Do Jin comes home with cans of beer and invites Yoon to join him. Yoon comments that summer has officially come and that they just keep getting older. Do Jin reminds him that they’re already ahjusshis. Yoon proclaims that they’ve become more cowardly with age by making a hundred excuses not to do anything. Do Jin adds that doing so makes them feel like they’re adults even though they’re not.

Yoon wonders if Teacher Seo taught Do Jin ethics lessons and scolds him for fighting with a woman. Do Jin quickly responds that Yoon must not fight because he’s dating a child, which causes Yoon to spit out his drink. HAHA. Do Jin sighs that he probably won’t sleep well for many nights. They clink their beer cans together to celebrate four boring boys who couldn’t become gentleman.

Yi Soo cries at home and tells an exasperated Se Ra that someone important has left her side. Yi Soo tearily declares that she’s going to forget everything and Se Ra wonders if she’s talking about Do Jin. Gah. I still don’t like you.

 

The next day, one of Yi Soo’s students asks why he can’t solve math problems during her class. It’s not like ethics are important for college entrance exams. She answers that it’s not ethical for her to let him do something when he’s not supposed to. Also, there are reasons why ethics is taught in school; he just doesn’t know what they are.

The student huffs that he doesn’t understand what she’s saying and that he’s going to call his mother. LOL. Okay man. You do that. Dong Hyub observes the entire encounter and approaches the student after Yi Soo leaves with her shoulders hunched.

Dong Hyub orders Sung Jae to copy all the chapters in the books that Yi Soo had assigned as a punishment for sleeping in class. Hee. Dong Hyub gives his classmate a menacing glare while pointing out that this is his second warning: don’t mess with the ethics teacher.

Do Jin and Yoon eat lunch with Jung Rok who pours on the baby talk as he converses with Min Sook on the phone. The guys give him looks of disgust and Jung Rok states that he’s going to change his name to Mr. Chicken Jobless after Min Sook hangs up on him. LOL. Do Jin wonders if Jung Rok has finally gone crazy. Hee.

He starts to get up to bring some more food over but is blocked by the chair of another customer. His peeved mood instantly disappears when he realizes that the other customer is a pretty young girl. The charm starts to ooze out automatically as Yoon sits in awe at how fast Mr. Chicken turned into Mr. Sexy.

Do Jin later prank-texts Jung Rok as Min Sook, which puts Jung Rok immediately on the defensive. He assumes that Min Sook is spying on him and quickly leaves the restaurant to go home. Hehe. Do Jin announces to Yoon that he just gave Jung Rok a little scare in order to protect everyone’s peace. He trails off at the word “peace” and Yoon shoots him a quizzical look.

 

Tae San and Se Ra go on a date and watch a street concert as Tae San remarks that he must be the oldest guy here. Se Ra heaves a sigh and agrees with his observation. She comments on how fresh and pretty the young guys are and how well they pull off skinny jeans. Tae San’s jealousy meter rises and he bitterly responds that the teenagers look stupid. Heh.

Se Ra comes home to find Yi Soo sitting on the couch holding a trash bag, which contains the pink heels and black laptop. Se Ra gasps; is she really going to throw all of these things away? Yi Soo hesitates for a second before pulling out the laptop. She then walks outside and places the plastic bag near the garbage cans. She glances at it and congratulates Do Jin on losing her.

Do Jin has a business meeting with his employees but momentarily freezes when he sees a drawing of Yi Soo on one of his blueprints. He thinks back to when he drew the sketch and becomes lost in his thoughts of Yi Soo.

Yi Soo returns  just as Se Ra sees the photo of Yi Soo photoshopped onto Do Jin’s bed. Yi Soo yanks the laptop away from a snickering Se Ra and runs into her room while cursing Do Jin. She moves to change the wallpaper but spies something named “Kim Do Jin’s Private File,” which contains four audio clips.

The first clip is a reminder of when Do Jin first saw Yi Soo in the rain and the second file is a recording of when her sweater dress became unraveled. The next clip has Do Jin tell Yoon that he met someone special and the last excerpt reveals that Do Jin didn’t want Yi Soo to leave his apartment on the day she fell on top of him. She comes to her senses and bolts out to find the pink shoes. Oh thank goodness.

 

Tae San watches a group of young men saunter into Jung Rok’s bar and he wrinkles his nose at their skinny jeans. Do Jin brags that he tried on skinny jeans last week and that he looks pretty freaking awesome in them. Heh. Tae San laments that women are difficult and that love is even harder. Do Jin puts on a chic air of “love is stupid” that is quickly interrupted by Jung Rok’s phone.

Min Sook’s name pops up and the boys let out shouts of displeasure before running to their back-up bar. However, they find Min Sook waiting in their regular room. Uh ohs. Do Jin cuts in and praises Min Sook’s superior beauty which earns him dirty looks from Yoon and Tae San. Hehehe.

Min Sook stands up and instructs them to clear out their architecture and law offices within two months. Jung Rok abruptly bursts in but fails to make the situation any better. Min Sook leaves with one comment: she’ll see Yoon at his office soon with her personal seal and divorce papers. Crappers.

Jung Rok ends up kneeling in front of his friends again but refuses to confess who he was with this time. The person turns out to be Eun Hee (wha?) but we are given no more details about their meeting.

The guys pressure Jung Rok to give up his secret but he defends himself by saying that he wasn’t doing anything wrong. Do Jin steals Jung Rok’s phone in retaliation and Tae San scoffs at the number of sergeants, corporals, professors, and company presidents in his contacts list. Heh.

 

They threaten to reset his phone but Jung Rok begs them to let him at least write down the number for his business’s coffee bean supplier. They grudgingly hand the phone over and he tries to memorize Eun Hee’s number but gets caught instantly.

He ends up forgetting the number but he commends his friends on their intelligence instead of getting annoyed at their meddling. Hehe. Aw. Suddenly, his eyes fill with terror. He doesn’t know his wife’s number! LOL. They recite it to him and he praises them again for being so smart. Ha. I love you, Mr. Chicken.

 

Yi Soo meets Yoon at Do Jin’s apartment to present him with a book. He hands her some juice and her eyes start to wander around in search of Do Jin. Yoon informs her that Do Jin will be coming home soon and she quickly denies waiting for him. Yoon smiles knowingly in response.

He opens up the book to a random page, which reads “We are in the fire and I am by his side,” causing him to pause momentarily. Yi Soo cautiously points out that Me Ahri cried a lot the other day, but he looks away without giving her an answer.

The front door soon swing opens and Do Jin enters to find Yi Soo in the living room. He looks at Yi Soo without a word and Yoon slips outside to give the lovebirds some privacy. Aw. Being the third wheel is always awkward. He sits in the gardens and receives a text from Me Ahri, stating that she’ll wait until he comes out to meet her.

 

Back in the apartment, Do Jin inquires as to why Yi Soo is here; is it to slap him or sleep with him? She gives him a pleading look but he reminds her that they have no business to talk about if she’s not here for those two reasons. With that, he walks into his room and slides the door shut.

She makes her way towards his room but can’t bring herself to knock. Do Jin and Yi Soo stand on opposite sides of the door, wishing the other person would make the first move. After some time, Do Jin hears the front door slam shut. He comes back into the living room only to see that Yi Soo is still in the apartment.

She wryly comments that he must have really not wanted to listen to her. She apologizes for inconveniencing him and leaves. Once outside, she turns around in hopes that Do Jin would come out to hold her back but remains disappointed.

 

Me Ahri gives up waiting for Yoon and tries to call him before leaving but finds that his phone is busy. She starts to cry (again) and steps onto the side of the street to wave down a taxi. The cars zoom past her and she notes that even the taxis won’t come to her.

Just then, a taxi driver pulls up and asks if she’s the “1201″ customer. She realizes that 1201 are the last digits of Yoon’s phone number and she perks up. She asks the driver to call Yoon and lie that the customer is nowhere to be found, but Yoon replies that he saw Me Ahri get into the taxi already. Ha.

She pays the driver cheerily and searches for Yoon. She spots him hiding behind a sign and shouts out “oppa,” which makes him sigh in annoyance. Hah. It helps not to wear a bright orange sweater when you’re trying to hide. Me Ahri tries to run across the street as cars whoosh by in either direction ::face palm::

Yoon commands her to stay there and that he’ll go to her as he weaves his way around the traffic. Oh gosh. If he gets hit, I swear. Shizz will go down. Fortunately, he gets to her alive and drags her away to yell at her stupidity. How old is she? She responds that he would have left if she didn’t try to approach him.

Yoon replies, “If you want to be treated like an adult, then act like one. From now on, I don’t care about your well-being because I’m not your guardian. Tae San is. I came here tonight because I was worried about me…in case I worried about you.” He advises that she stop contacting him and that he won’t meet her separately ever again. He flags down a taxi to send her home.

She sniffs that he’s not even going to drop her off and he firmly commands that she stop whining. Woot! Finally. I like Me Ahri but all the crying was getting a little annoying. He shuts the car door and Me Ahri gives him the sad puppy face.

Tae San calls Me Ahri for some advice on what skinny jeans to buy. They chat and then he tells a clothing store employee that he’ll buy the turquoise jeans. Hahah. Yoon observes his friend modeling and cringes at how wrong the entire situation is. Does Tae San think he’s G-Dragon from Big Bang?

Tae San responds that he’s wearing the jeans because he wants to do an event for Se Ra. Other guys use presents and candles for events but he’s different; if he can wear this and make Se Ra laugh, then he’ll be happy. Yoon scoffs…and then sincerely informs him that he wants to be Tae San’s girlfriend in the next life. What?! Hah. Tae San gives a smirk and then walks out while singing “Pretty Woman.” Bwahah.

Se Ra bursts into laughter when she sees Tae San after they meet up for another date but then quickly hides her face in embarrassment. He proclaims that he wore skinny jeans just for her and she grudgingly admits that he does look a bit younger. They head to Se Ra’s house so she can “reward” Tae San for his good behavior.

 

Jung Rok gets kicked out again and shows up at Do Jin’s apartment. The two irritated roommates sigh at Jung Rok’s pathetic life and Do Jin goes out to take a walk to clear out his frustration. Yoon warns Jung Rok that he’s dead if he tries to sleep in one of their rooms. He’s banished to the couch.

Yoon goes back into his room and Jung Rok notices that Do Jin left his phone at home. He gleefully grabs it and searches for the numbers of various girls but ends up with nothing. A message arrives from Yi Soo then and Jung Rok looks at it curiously. It states “Tae San sshi, I’m at the cafe where Do Jin and I first saw each other. Do you think he would come if he knew I was waiting for him here?”

Jung Rok cocks his head in confusion; why would Yi Soo send a text to Do Jin when it’s meant for Tae San? Meanwhile, Do Jin broods outside as Yi Soo’s face keeps popping into his head. When he returns, Tae San calls and asks him what this text message he received means. Jung Rok calls out that he sent Yi Soo’s text to Tae San because it came to Do Jin’s phone on accident. Haha. Well, his reasoning does make sense.

 

Do Jin panics and checks the message, which was sent an hour and forty minutes ago. He curses at Jung Rok before bolting out the door. Poor Mr. Chicken wonders why Do Jin is so mad; didn’t he do a good thing? Keke.

Do Jin rushes to the café but finds that Yi Soo has left already. A half-finished drink indicates where she was sitting and he unhappily sinks down in the same spot. He glances out the window dejectedly until he becomes conscious of Yi Soo’s presence outside the cafe.

Time slows to a stop as they gaze into each other’s eyes. Do Jin breaks the spell first and takes out his pen to write, “Today’s appointment is with Seo Yi Soo,” on a napkin. He places the napkin with the text facing the window and she quietly reads what’s written. After a moment’s hesitation, she presses her lips against the window in response.

Comments:

So this episode had a lot of filler scenes. It makes me wonder if the writer doesn’t have enough plot planned out to sustain the rest of the drama. We still have some significant plot points, like who Colin’s dad is or why Yi Soo ignores calls from her mom, but I still think 16 episodes would have been enough. I could watch the crazy antics of the F44 all day long but I hope that we get some more meat to chew on soon.

I get that Yi Soo’s kiss against the window was supposed to be romantic but I found it kind of funny to look at. Heh. I think the idea was good but the execution was a little clunky. Maybe she could have written back to him on a post-it instead of kissing the (I would guess dirty) window. I don’t know. I do hope that her strange action prompts Do Jin to come outside and lay a swooping kiss on her. I think it’s time we see more of Yi Soo + Do Jin smexy times, no?

 

I read a lot of comments about how Me Ahri seems too immature for Yoon and I kind of agree. She’s very bright and passionate but her whining is a little off-putting. She is, after all, a twenty-four year old woman. However, I tend to write off her immaturity as a result of being babied by everyone. She lives an extremely sheltered life and big brother Tae San would probably cut off his arm before letting anyone hurt Me Ahri.

I’m not excusing her immaturity; in fact, I want her to be forced out into the “real world” and realize that not everything revolves around her. Call it tough love if you will. Yet I would be more impressed if she took it upon herself to take a chance and step outside her comfort zone, whether it be starting her own career without anyone’s help or meeting someone outside her little bubble.

Yoon’s “stop whining” command was so refreshing to hear. It sucks that he’s holding himself back because he doesn’t want to hurt Tae San, but I also think this period of withdrawal can be a good thing for Me Ahri. I hope that she realizes that she needs to grow up before anyone, including Tae San and Yoon, can take her seriously. We still have ten episodes to go and I pray that the writer puts some more thought into Me Ahri’s character.

 

My favorite scene was when Do Jin and Yoon were talking to each other over some drinks. The setting was so pretty and the two actors have a great rapport with each other. Their discussion about age was so honest. I felt a little pang in my heart when Yoon confessed that they’ve grown more cowardly than before because they try so hard to do the “right” thing.

There’s a sense of responsibility and maturity that people expect of you as you grow older and adults have to constantly restrain themselves from pursuing what they want to do in exchange for normalcy and stability. Do Jin touches on the subject of maturity and tells Yi Soo that he loses passion as he grows older which seems so tragic to me. I want him to find that spark of life, and maybe a new relationship with someone he loves will ignite his passion again. Episode 11, you’d better blow our minds.

A Gentleman’s Dignity: Episode 9

This episode gives a great reversal and there’s some good drama that got me howling at my computer screen while wishing the episode wouldn’t end yet. It’s a quite dangerous situation, really. This is how addictions begin…

EPISODE 10 RECAP

 

Jung Rok joins Tae San and Yoon in front of a locker room mirror and stars to pull out bottle after bottle of skin care products. Tae San and Yoon start to mock him for his girly tendencies but Jung Rok remains unruffled; a man’s gotta do what he has to do to stay handsome.

Do Jin enters the scene but abruptly puts his hand behind his back when he sees Yoon and Tae San making fun of Jung Rok. The guys catch Do Jin’s strange movement and make him show off what he’s hiding, which turns out to be a pink eye brow shaper. Lol.

Jung Rok tries to take the tool away from Do Jin as Tae San and Yoon slink back to the counter to steal some of Jung Rok’s lotions. Heh. You sillies.

Yi Soo interrupts Do Jin and Tae San’s conversation and Tae San quickly informs her that they’re here to finish Se Ra’s kitchen. He makes up an excuse to explain why Do Jin will be finishing the project and Yi Soo absentmindedly nods while congratulating Tae San and Se Ra’s one-year anniversary since they started dating.

She ignores Do Jin as she walks past the men but he calls out to her, saying that it’s nice to see her too. Yi Soo forces herself to turn around and greets him coolly before heading inside.

 

The guys watch her go inside and Tae San wonders if Yi Soo heard them talking. Do Jin playfully responds that they might finally go for the same girl after 40 years and Tae San replies they already fell for Eun Hee at the same time before.

Do Jin stiffens at Tae San’s words and quickly changes the subject. He asks what Tae San means to do about Yi Soo and Tae San says that if he were 20 years old, he would meet both women without thinking. If he were 30, he would have met both women after thinking for a little bit.

Now that he’s 40, however, he’s going to stay with Se Ra because she stands by him even though she probably wavers in her feelings from time to time.

 

After Tae San leaves, Do Jin asks the construction workers to leave and heads inside the house. Yi Soo asks how long the kitchen work will take and Do Jin responds that it’ll take at least a week. She heaves a sigh and then walks into her room to change.

She comes out in work attire and asks what she should do to help. He responds that she should sing because she has such an amazing voice. Hee. She ends up holding a bunch of nails in her hands for him to look through and he takes the chance to trace his fingers along her hands.

Do Jin asks her to hold a piece of wood still so he can drill it in place. She grabs it and then he puts his arms around her to drill the nails. Gah. He’s such a player. She squirms uncomfortably and he tells her that something else will get drilled if she keeps moving. Heh.

He continues to flirt with her which earns him a fist near his face. Kek. Yi Soo quickly laughs and asks brightly what she should do next. She winds up holding a light fixture against the ceiling as Do Jin screws it in.

She stares at him, surprised at how immersed he is while working. He glances down and she looks away. She warns him not to give her a surprise kiss or anything strange like that and he smirks. So that’s the kind of skinship she likes. Hehehe.

 

They finish working for the day and Do Jin asks Yi Soo to feed him. She replies that she’ll buy sandwiches since she can’t cook in the kitchen. While Yi Soo goes out to the store, Me Ahri stops by Do Jin’s apartment to drop off Yoon’s present. She laughs when she spots a flowery apron and then looks curiously at a clean set of dishes on the table.

As Yi Soo buys sandwiches, she thinks back to Do Jin and Tae San’s conversation earlier in the day. She had hidden behind the truck and then interrupted them to avoid hearing Tae San’s answer to what he would do now that he knows about Yi Soo’s crush.

She returns home to find Do Jin sleeping on the couch. She sits and observes him until he opens his eyes. He asks her if she bought delicious sandwiches and she says yes. He then asks if she can’t just like him and all he receives is a blank stare in response.

She tries to stand up but he grabs her arm to keep her from leaving. He asks if she looked at the new laptop and she lies that she didn’t. She stands up again but he man-handles her onto the couch. She ends up lying down on the couch as he comments that she looks like this on his bed too…

Yi Soo turns red and she reaches out to give him a good smack but is blocked again. He laughs that she must really like violent skinship and tells her to check the laptop for a folder labeled “Do Jin’s Private File.”

She quickly responds that she didn’t see anything like that and he grins like the Chesire Cat. So she did open the laptop. Hahaha.

 

He tells her to open the file and asks if he can take the sandwiches. She looks up at him in surprise; is he leaving now? Haha. Wrong question. He wonders if he should stay over for a sleepover since she seems so sad about him leaving and she rushes him out the front door. Heheh.

Do Jin murmurs that he really doesn’t want to leave as he drives home. Oh you lovesick puppy. At the same time, Yi Soo ponders over what to wear to class the next day but keeps getting distracted by thoughts of Do Jin.

A bag falls out of the closet and she reaches down to see the partially unraveled sweater dress. She smiles at the memory of her first meeting with Do Jin. However, her mood changes when her phone indicates that “Mom” is calling. She ignores the call. Ah, yes. We can never have too many parenting issues in dramas, can we.

Yoon comes home to see flowers and Me Ahri’s present on his desk. He opens the card which reads “I’m sorry for ruining your birthday. It’s late but happy birthday.”

Min Sook comes out of the bathroom after a shower to see Jung Rok with a rose in his mouth as he lounges on the bed. Puaha. He tells her that he’s being a good boy today, while walking towards a table to pour some wine.

She ignores his request to sit with him at the table and climbs into bed. Jung Rok’s eyes sparkle and he comments that she moves fast. Bahaha. He climbs into bed with her and she tells him to stretch out his arm so she can use it as a pillow.

 

In a disappointed tone, he asks if she’s just going to sleep and she orders him to pat her gently until she falls asleep. He awkwardly follows her commands and she sighs.

Min Sook: This is all I wanted from you. Not something hot, but something warm.
Jung Rok: What’s something warm?
Ming Sok: It’s being next to me and patting my back until I sleep. Then when I wake up, I see your face first thing in the morning.

Jung Rok studies Min Sook’s face as if seeing her in a different light. She tells him that an entire season has passed and all she did was dislike him. He says nothing in return.

 

Me Ahri and Colin step into a restaurant and see Yoon with his evil colleague having lunch at another table. Me Ahri marches up to the table behind the two lawyers and purposely sits in the chair closest to Yoon. Colin wonders what the relationship is between her and Yoon.

Me Ahri replies that they’re a modern version of Romeo and Juliet. Erm. Without the dying part, right? Colin informs her that she can observe Yoon better if she switches seats but she replies that she wants to be close to Yoon. At that, Yoon springs up and tells his colleague that he’ll head into the office first. D’aw. Me Ahri sadly watches him leave.

Later, Colin speaks to his mother on the phone. He comments that Korea is great and then begs her to unfreeze his credit card. Heh. Tae San and Do Jin pass him by as they head out to lunch and he whips out the picture of his mom and F44. Wait. Are you searching for your father without your mom knowing? ‘Cause…couldn’t she just tell you? Or does she not know either…wah…confused.

Tae San watches Se Ra play golf on his phone during lunch and Do Jin urges him to cheer her on in person. Tae San shakes his head no, even as he worriedly observes the game. Meanwhile, Se Ra looks around for Tae San at every putting green.

Do Jin comes back to the office and commands his employees to drop what they’re doing and work on a special project. He then calls Jung Rok and Yoon to inform them that they need to save Tae San’s love life. They head to the tournament in Betty but see Tae San’s car swoosh past them on the highway.

Some time later, Se Ra looks around again for Tae San, who actually shows up. They look at each other lovingly but get distracted when the other three guys run over to hold up a huge pink sign that has words of encouragement on it for Se Ra. Hehe. They’re such dorks. After the tournament ends, Se Ra and Tae San hug and reconcile.

 

The gang heads to Jung Rok’s bar to celebrate Se Ra placing 11th in the tournament. Jung Rok and Yoon wonder why Yi Soo isn’t joining them and Se Ra awkwardly says that she’ll call her right now. Tae San follows Se Ra out to the hallway and assures her that she doesn’t have to do anything if she’s uncomfortable. It’s her day. She pats his shoulder and tells him that she’s okay.

After he leaves, Se Ra calls Yi Soo and states that everybody wants Yi Soo to come over to Jung Rok’s bar. However, she entreats that Yi Soo retrain from coming because it will make her and Tae San uncomfortable. Ugh. You two selfish beings belong together.

Yi Soo ignores Se Ra’s request and replies that she’ll go to the bar. Se Ra and Tae San need to face her sometime. Her eyes start to wander towards the shoes that Do Jin bought her and she informs Se Ra that she’ll be there soon. I have a really bad feeling about this.

Some time later, Yi Soo walks into the bar and Do Jin’s eyes widen when he realizes that she’s wearing the special pink heels. His face lights up with hope and he grins widely. OH CRAP. Please turn around.

Yi Soo sits down and commends Se Ra for getting out of her slump. Se Ra snipes that Yi Soo came pretty fast, as if she was getting ready to come when she called. Tae San jumps in and nervously asks if Se Ra is ready to go home yet. Se Ra replies that she wants to drink more while glaring at Yi Soo.

Jung Rok comments that Yi Soo looks different and wonders if something good happened today. Do Jin happily responds that Yi Soo really does look beautiful, especially because high-heeled shoes give women wings. She gives him a guilty look which he misses in his giddy state.

 

Jung Rok and Yoon continue to praise Yi Soo but Tae San cuts them off; how dare they lust after their umpire. Jung Rok responds that his words are habit, not lustful. Kekeke.

Yi Soo smiles and comments that it feels good to have Tae San defend her. It’s no wonder a lot of girls like Tae San. Se Ra looks up at Yi Soo in alarm but Yi Soo plows on by saying that Tae San is quite popular with the girls. Even she liked him at one point.

Everyone freezes at those words and I hit pause for five minutes. I don’t want to watch this. Noooo. Yoon’s mouth drops and he looks at Tae San and then Yi Soo. Jung Rok then laughs that Yi Soo is praising Tae San too much.

 

Do Jin stares at Yi Soo in confusion but she ignores him. She insists that what she just said was true. She used to like Tae San before he and Se Ra started dating. She finally drops the bomb by saying that now, her world is full with Do Jin’s presence. She informs everyone that she and Do Jin are dating. EFF!!! You went there. I’m going to cry for Do Jin in a corner now.

The boys start to congratulate Do Jin and Tae San remarks that he should have told them before. He quickly excuses himself to the bathroom and requests Yi Soo to come with him. When they walk into a separate room, he whirls around and reminds her that she was to wear the shoes when she was sincerely ready to return his feelings for her.

She quickly states that she’s sorry and she can explains but he cuts her off to reject the apology. She pleads with him to understand and he angrily responds that this isn’t the time for him to be understanding.

Do Jin: I really like you but that doesn’t mean you can use me.
Yi Soo: It wasn’t meant to be like that.
Do Jin: But that’s how it turned out. I admit that I was wrong too. I lied that I fell for you at first sight. When I first saw you, I wanted to sleep with you. But the more I saw you, the more I started to fall for you. I started thinking that we could be together for a long time even as I was accepting chocolates that were meant for another man.
Yi Soo: Se Ra and Tae San’s relationship was rocky because of me. So..
Do Jin: So I wasn’t considered when you thought about who would be hurt because of you.
Yi Soo: I wanted to make peace…
Do Jin: Peace? I don’t care about that. My pride and my feelings are more important to me. I still like you but not enough to accept this kind of treatment.

They leave the bar and he requests that they not see each other again and drives off, leaving her shell-shocked in the parking lot.

Yi Soo sits on the bathroom floor and memories of Do Jin start to swirl around her head. The flashbacks are accompanied by bubbles which start to shatter as she realizes that she hurt someone she really cares about.

Tears start to roll down her cheeks as she cries out “I’ve liked him all this time. I like him.” Se Ra pounds on the door outside when she hears Yi Soo crying but receives no answer. ARGH. This all started because of YOU.

Min Sook walks around her art gallery when the sound system cuts off. She hears a familiar voice singing throughout the store and we see Jung Rok in the security room strumming a guitar while singing his heart out. Min Sook starts to tear up. Aw.

The next morning, Yi Soo waits outside Do Jin’s office and she lights up when she sees Betty heading into the parking lot. Do Jin gets out of his car and checks his messages. He sees Yi Soo’s text but puts his phone back into his pocket.

Yi Soo walks slowly to Do Jin but he gives her the cold shoulder and quickly goes inside the office. She spends the entire day waiting for him but ends up leaving late at night without seeing Do Jin. He watches her walk home from his office window.

Yi Soo comes home and Se Ra asks about the kitchen. Yi Soo explains that it’s a one-year anniversary present from Tae San and gives a half-hearted “congrats.” Before she heads into her room, Se Ra bluntly tells her that she knows Operation “Dating Do Jin” is made-up.

 

She goes on to say that she heard Yi Soo crying the other night. She now believes that Yi Soo is a sincere friend who won’t mess up her relationship with Tae San. I’m so close to hurting you right now…

Yi Soo changes the subject quickly and informs Se Ra that she’s currently looking for another place to stay. Se Ra replies that Yi Soo should just stay. She doesn’t think she’ll have her deposit by next month either.

Meanwhile, Yoon packs for the baseball game tomorrow and Do Jin asks if Yi Soo will be the umpire tomorrow. Yoon nods and Do Jin quietly mumbles that he misses her. He wants to see her but also doesn’t want to see her, which makes Yoon (and me) question his friend’s sanity.

 

At the baseball field, Yi Soo cheerfully greets the other players but stops in her tracks when she sees Do Jin in baseball gear practicing his swing. A smile plays across her lips and she warmly says hi to Do Jin.

She comments that he must have been very busy yesterday and he replies that he left late because someone that he didn’t want to see was waiting outside. She blinks in surprise. Is he not here because he’s not mad at her anymore? Oh, lordy. Really? You don’t get off that easily…

He scoffs; she’s not important enough to move around scheduled appointments. He moves away from her and she looks after him while heaving a disappointed sigh.

F44 and their teammates get pummeled by the other team and the score is soon 2 to 7. Cheerleader Me Ahri puts on another energizing performance to pump up her oppas, which makes Se Ra wrinkle her nose at how stupid Me Ahri looks.

Me Ahri scolds Se Ra for being such a downer and challenges her; can she cheer any better? Se Ra rips off her jacket and starts to chant “Im Tae San,” which distracts the opposing team and embarrasses Tae San.

The tide begins to turn as the other team loses their focus because of the loud cheering from the pretty girls and the game goes to F44. They decide to go to dinner to celebrate the win but Me Ahri nervously chirps that she has other plans tonight, after a stern glance from Tae San. Ugh. I want more Yoon and Me Ahri and less of you and your annoying girlfriend.

 

At the restaurant, Yi Soo tries to get Do Jin’s attention but he keeps avoiding her. When he reaches for a side dish, she puts the entire plate in front of him only to have him slam down his chopsticks. Yoon observes the entire exchange with a worried expression.

Yi Soo texts if they can talk after dinner but Do Jin refrains from answering the message even though he sees it. She hesitates for a little bit before interrupting Do Jin’s conversation with an employee to point out that he got a text.

The employee turns away to let the two have some privacy and Do Jin motions for her to come towards him. She leans across the table and he whispers one sentence into her ear:”Don’t flirt with me if you’re not going to sleep with me.”

Comments:

There was a criminal lack of Yoon and Me Ahri today which made me quite sad. On the other hand, we had two great scenes with Jung Rok and Min Sook. It was surprising to see Min Sook’s vulnerable side and I think Jung Rok was also taken aback at how honest she was about what she wanted from him.

Jung Rok is probably the least mature out of all the four guys. He’s hilarious and perfectly honest about his faults which I love, but he also takes Min Sook for granted. She’s actually quite insecure and sensitive beneath the icy, snobby demeanor and it made me a little sad when she talked about how she just wants something warm from Jung Rok.

He’s really into the hot, unpredictable side of romance whereas Min Sook just wants stability. He can act the part of the perfect husband (like when she’s at her meeting with her friends), but we’ll see if he can actually become the part.

 

Whoo. Yi Soo. I had to stop watching when I saw her come into the bar with the pink shoes on. The look on Do Jin’s face and how quickly it changed from surprise to elation to confusion and then anger was astonishing. I still can’t believe that she played around with his feelings like that.

Honestly, she could have come in without the shoes and still pretended that she and Do Jin were dating. I don’t even understand why she had to go out of her way to make Tae San and Se Ra feel secure about their relationship. If they feel threatened by a woman (who by the way has said OVER AND OVER again that she doesn’t want to interfere), then that’s their problem. It shows that they lack faith in each other.

Also, Se Ra knew that Yi Soo was lying. Wouldn’t that bring us back to square one? “Your crying in the bathroom made me believe in your sincerity?” What kind of crap is that? I’ve said that I cared for Tae San and Se Ra the least and now I just find them insufferable. Please go aawayyyy.

I know that something needed to push Do Jin over the edge so that he could turn away from Yi Soo, which would help her realize that she’s liked him all along. I get the plot point and that it’s a necessary evil for us to move along, but did she really have to hurt him like that? Sigh. It’s time for Yi Soo to pursue Do Jin and I hope he doesn’t give in too easily.

Lastly, apologies for the delay! Life put on its crazy hat and wouldn’t take it off for the past couple of days. I’ll try to finish up the next recap soon.