Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-ju - ep11: It's the end...it's not the end

"Father, I don't like weightlifting. I don't want to weight-lift anymore..."

Uff - not at all surprised she came to this decision. Of all the things that have taken a downward-turn in her life, the most recent of those events have all been in some way connected to weight-lifting, and have caused her the most emotional grief. She didn't just decide overnight that she wants to quit, rather her conflicted feelings regarding her outlook on weight-lifting and what it means to her have been gnawing at her for some time now. And those feelings became all the more prominent when she experienced her first real crush, which (perhaps for the first time in her life) made her feel like a woman - by Bok's ju's definition. But that very crush also took her out of the world of weightlifting, as she began to associate herself more with the fabricated life she created for herself in which weight-lifting held no value. Her lack of self esteem and increasing self-awareness is therefore a result of her wanting to find her place in society as a woman, rather than a weightlifter, and until she figures out for herself that there's no separating the two, she will not find it it within herself to love both herself and the world of weight-lifting.
I love the way Bok-relays her passion for weightlifting, describing everything from the smell of barbells to the powder filled air of the weightlifting room. - but it's heartbreaking how she associates that feeling of happiness to the past. It's how she once used to feel, but not anymore. It's the kind of fleeting passions which come with youth - and until you've figured out for yourself what you want in life and what truly makes you happy, only then does that passion return to you. The tears which stroll down her face are very telling of the passion she's lost for her sport, and how much she's lost motivation for it. And it's very true to life how she loses that motivation no sooner she gets her first gold medal - because what would have been looked back on as a massive achievement in her life, she will now associate with memories of growing pains. Her coach very aptly diagnoses it as falling into a slump, which on a professional level, explains her feelings of emptiness after having worked so hard for something. And for Bok-ju, that holds true on both a professional and personal level. Ah, tough job being a growing adult!
   

I love how Joon-hyung realises his feelings for Bok-ju as soon as he gets back from consoling her. It's as if Bok-ju's sense of security in him makes him want to take responsibility for his own feelings, giving their relationship the status it deserves - that of love. And it was incredibly sweet how he confessed to have been dating all along by himself whilst holding up Bok-ju's origami frog - guess he finally realised that he's never felt burdened by Bok-ju's show of affection and has in fact, always welcomed it, even if they were coming to him as friends.

That look of delight on his face though as he realises to have been in a one sided relationship all this time - love it!!   

I love how dad was able to see how miserable she was after she poured her heart out to them. It's one thing throwing a tantrum saying you no longer want to do something, but Bok-ju's outburst wasn't childish, and nor was it a moment of immaturity - her words were real, and were a result of her insecurities. And it was very comforting to see when dad understood it as such and does the sensible thing by consulting the coach about it. They advise her to take a break, which is just what Bok-ju needs, giving her both the space and time to mull things over.

The moment Joon-hyung has a slight panic attack when Bok-ju calls him up to tell him she's taking a break. I love how instead of catching up with her on her way there (which let's face it, in any other drama, would end up being a missed opportunity), he takes his ass all the way to Bok-chicken first. Like duh, where else would she be heading. That's the way to find your woman all you other drama heroes out there- take note! And no sooner does he see her coming, his face lights up all over again, gah!! The feels!!

Joon-hyung goals!!

And aint it sweet how he becomes all gentleman like all of a sudden, offering her a ride on his bike an all!! Yep, the dude is officially in boyfriend mode!

LOL and then he almost has another heart-attack when she mentions going off into the mountains to do some reflecting, and he's all like: woman! you better stay right here where I can see you!! I love how his realisation of being in love with Bok-ju has only made him open up his heart even more to her. He doesn't play it awkward, but does what he's always done, and that is be a good friend to Bok-ju, but this time with added purpose And it's hysterical to watch, coz he's basically just decided to continue dating her all by himself, leading him to say things with double intent.

   

when he tells her to call him up when she's bored <Joon-hyung in friendship mode>, but after giving it some thought, (and you can practically see the wheels turning in his head lol), he quickly backtracks and changes it to: No! Call me even when you're not bored. I'll always hang out with you, and keep myself on standby - <Joon-hyung in boyfriend mode>. And I love how throughout this whole one-sided exchange, Bok-ju just looks on at him like he's lost the plot. Ahahahaha! I LOVE Joon-hyung in boyfriend mode!

I swear, all of Joon-hyung's dialogue this episode is just pure GOLD! And Bok-ju's dense reactions to them are equally so!! After flapping about for a moment or two, boyfriend Joon-hyung ups the ante by instructing telling Bok-ju to give him a call practically every moment of the day: as soon as she wakes up, before going to sleep, after eating, before eating, before going to the bathroom... LOL and I kid you not, he says all this wearing a straight face, as though what he's requesting of her is normal! Bok-ju just responds with: Are you a pervert!? LOL she cracks. me. up.

He continues by saying: Call me at seven too, I like seven *melts*  😍😍😍 - and I just about died when he anxiously waits for her call in bed later that night! In all seriousness though, the way he comforts her whilst consciously showing his love is utterly delightful because it shows just how precious she is to him. He wants her to heal and find her mojo back, not only as a friend, but as someone who loves her - Joon-hyung: *swag!*

I love the moment Bok-ju writes down a list of things she wishes to accomplish - the smile on her face grows brighter as her list grows more and more fanciful - she's such a romantic at heart, uri Bok-ju! And it's great that she's been given this time to think about other things aside from weightlifting. I love how mundane her list it, especially when put next to weight-lifting! Things like learning how to play piano, going to a theme-park on a weekday, and studying at the library, ha! Best thing is though that she actually takes steps to accomplish each of her goals which I love, coz it shows how proactive she is in leading her own life and making the best of this free time she's been given. She could have easily spent her days wallowing away, but she pretty much bounces back up from her funk, and works hard to overcome her feelings of emptiness.

Okay, this is was a small moment, but I friggin loved it!! When Jae-yi calls Joon-hyung out for a casual chit chat, and they both catch up on the latest re both their static love lives. There's this moment when Joon-hyung gets all defensive about Bok-ju when her name comes up in conversation, and he practically goes into jealous mode by telling hyung to back off, and how he'll be the one to worry about her from now on - omo!! LOL and hyung gets this happy bunny glint in his eyes, having discovered Joon-hyung's true feelings for Bok-ju. I just LOVE how a smile escapes Joon-hyung's face even before bro calls him out on it. Bro just continues to tease him while Joon-hyung smiles away giddily.

I loved Joon-hyung's response to Jae-yi's question too - when asked when he'd confess, Joon-hyung responds by saying how it's not quite the right time yet, and how she's still in the process of healing. It's great coz it clearly shows that for Joon-hyung being a good friend to Bok-ju comes first, and nothing is more important to him than her health and well-being. The fact that he's willing to just stand by her, and protect her from the sides without asking for more proves how much he cares for Bok-ju. His love for her isn't restricting, and nor does he wish to pressure her in anyway, which is incredibly mature of him. Sigh, where can I get a Joon-hyung of my own!? He lashes out at hyung one final time by threatening to...*shows fist* if ever he made Bok-ju cry again, heh - brotherly love, love it!

LOL Joon-hyung's jealous face is everything! The moment he sees Jisoo and Bok-ju be all pally pally, his pettiness reaches new heights, HA! The whole scene is funny as hell coz they're having this three way conversation in which Bok-ju asks Joon-hyung questions, and he replies whilst shooting daggers glaring at Jisoo, leaving poor Jisoo confused as he

looks on at Bok-ju as if to say WTF? As if that weren't funny enough, Joon-hyung ends up talking out of his backside when he too gets invited out to eat with them - he legit talks nonsense by coming out with all sorts of excuses, like how he gets social phobia and gets too violent. Lol and the way Bok-ju responds CRACKS ME UP!! They have this epic silent convo between them while Jisoo stands there scratching his head. Seeing as though the fire in Joon-hyung's eyes won't be put out anytime soon, Bok-ju apologises to "oppa" (adding fuel to the fire) before letting him go home first. On his way out, he actually stops to give Joon-hyung a hug, telling him to "cheer up", OMG I'm dying! HA, Joon-hyung legit looks traumatised by it and proceeds to walk Bok-ju out in a jealous huff & puff.

The moment Joon-hyung stops at a convenience store with Bok-ju - I can't emphasise enough how much I love the casual-everyday conversations between Joon-hyung and Bok-ju. They're just so natural and free spirited that you forget they're following a script. And I love how with each conversation they have, they reveal to each other a little something about themselves - like for Bok-ju, her desire to play the piano isn't just some random fantasy, but is something she's always wanted to do since she was a little kid. And it's not that she's never had the talent for it, rather her days were spent training instead, leaving her to miss out on all the things other kids were doing at that age. Like always, I love how Joon-hyung makes Bok-ju the centre of their conversations. He doesn't miss a beat when it comes to Bok-ju and how she's been coping in her current state. The way he encourages her to learn the piano, seeing how happy it makes her feel, is super endearing too.

There's this point in their conversation where it becomes strikingly clear where each of them lie in their affections for one another. While Bok-ju remains firmly rooted in the friendship zone, still as clueless as ever - seriously, things just fly over her head, it's Joon-hyung's remarks which leave me both grinning like an idiot, and rolling about the floor laughing. The moment she offers to play the piano at his wedding, he quickly declines saying she'll "ruin it", but then he nervously pauses, only to follow it up with: "instead, you can stand next to me..." - Omo!! Dude is already thinking about wedding bells!

LOL it's funny, coz whilst our hearts are busy doing somersaults, Bok-ju's just there casually eating away, protesting the idea by calling him a "lunatic! - why would I be standing there by your side, your bride should be the one standing there". Joon-hyung looks like he could cry and just snaps at her to carry on eating. It's like they're practically having two different conversations due to one of them not being on the same page as the other.

Something else I noticed after re-watching this episode is how Joon-hyung's usual happy go lucky spirit feels a lot more subdued and contemplative. His expressions whilst listening to Bok-ju talk about her desire to learn the piano is both lovingly serene and anxious, as if finding it difficult to see her so disconnected from the way he feels about her.

And the jealousy he feels only adds to that anxiousness. And it's amusing to see how obvious he makes his feelings known to her, even though he said it himself that it wasn't quite the right time to confess yet. He's already agitated enough with his feelings, but each time Bok-ju mentions her "oppa" at work, who we know is just a casual friend, the closer Joon-hyung gets to breaking point.

Yep, Jisoo - it's all your fault! 

And my word, how beautiful was it when he finally reached that point? The moment he confesses is delightfully honest and so well executed that it makes my heart flutter no matter how many times I replay it.

And I love how we get to this moment without any major fanfare. True, Joon-hyung was fuelled by his jealousy which got him to this stage in the first place , but I love that the cue he took to reveal his feelings wasn't taken from a moment of heated jealousy, but rather from a natural course of their conversation.

The moment Bok-ju brings up their relationship status in conversation saying how his being there (at her workplace) causes others to misunderstand, is when Joon-hyung seizes the opportunity to confess. And it was perfect the way his change in expression revealed to us the moment he'd turned serious, making his intentions known. He lets the look in his eyes do all the talking before quietly revealing "it's not a misunderstanding". *dies*

      

His gaze points to his childlike nervousness as he gathers the courage to openly let his feelings known, pushing away that barrier of friendship between them, literally. The minor symbolic moment is enough to get anyone squealing, but when he walks up to her in the next moment and holds her face for a good moment before going in for a kiss - that was the point he makes it clear to her just how special she is, and that he likes her, not as a friend, but as a woman. *major swoon*

     

I love how he confesses in a way which leaves no room for confusion, because seriously, Bok-ju is as thick as two planks put together when it comes to recognising Joon-hyung's advances!

In the next moment, we see Joon-hyung standing by a tree, peeling away at the bark like a little school boy being reprimanded, lol. I love how the scene doesn't just end with a confession and that we get to see the full aftermath of both their reactions. And I truly appreciate how Bok-ju's feelings remain the same even after the confession, and doesn't just change because he kissed her. Her questioning Joon-hyung's affections for her is downright normal, and healthy, especially considering how she was crying over his brother only till very recently. Her asking him whether he pities her was adorable because it's clearly another one of her insecurities, that whilst Joon-hyung has always been by her side, she fails to understand why he'd like her as a woman. So naturally when she asks "why?" Why then does he like her? His answer to her, albeit simple, is beautifully honest: "I like you, because I like you. And thinking about it, I've liked you since a long time ago - you're my first love *giggles*, no really, he actually giggles - like a shy little school girl, whilst she sits there going "HA"!  LOL.

 

I love that whilst she'd never considered liking Joon-hyung as a man, it doesn't stop her from finding him attractive, and she says it as such - which is so refreshing! Not only does she think him good looking, but has also come to rely on him a lot more than her two best friends. And it was incredibly sweet of her to let him know that coz he gets to hear first hand just how much he means to her, even without the boyfriend tag - making him super happy! That smile, though!

 

And it's great how Joon-hyung doesn't take that as a rejection, but rather as an invitation to make her think that he could be the one for her. He offers himself up for a month, so she could test him out as a boyfriend - and then decide after that whether or not she wants to keep him as one. I LOVE how realistic those goals he sets up for her are; he doesn't just expect her to grow feelings for him over night just because he confessed, but rather gives her the opportunity to decide for herself whether the growing affections they have for one another can be turned into something more than just friendship. It was incredibly mature of him to lay it out like that, further showing how much he respects her feelings.

I just love how Joon-hyung takes her exasperated mumbling as having agreed to his offer. And it's super adorable the way she pushes to continue their friendly banter coz of how awkward she finds it all. He calls her out on the awkwardness during their walk home, and she's all like, "is it obvious"? lol. But the awkwardness only lasts a moment, and before you know it, Bok-ju is back to being her normal self, shouting at Joon-hyung to not walk her home further, and to just hurry up and leave. He stops in his tracks while she continues on home, clumsily tripping over a can, HAHAHA! I love how he's just standing there laughing, while she turns back to give him a deathly glare, hee!

In the next moment, Joon-hyung finds that she dropped her wallet. He picks it up and goes through it when he returns home *naughty naughty*. He finds her bucket list and thanks the heavens for giving him a hand, because for once, this isn't about him being in a one sided relationship anymore, but about them being together on the same page. And I can't wait to see her catch up to where he is coz the two are going to be delicious as a pair!  

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Images/gifs credit: Soompi forum & Dramabeans.