Based on comments round the web, it seems some people had qualms with Joon-hyung going through Bok-ju's wallet and reading her bucket list. But I thought it was cute, and didn't at all cross the line with regards to invasion of privacy. Had he gone through it at an earlier stage in their relationship (when they were not all that open with each other) then I might have had some issues. I'm just glad it wasn't her handbag!! Then I would have legit throttled the guy!
The closer Joon-hyung gets to Bok-ju, the more he'll come to learn of her likes and dislikes, but sometimes, a little help (in the form of a bucket list) can do wonders to help kick-start some of that initial discovery, especially when you're on a tight one month schedule! At least that's what Joon-hyung thinks when he thanks the heavens for showing him the way. But whilst the list does well to point him in the right direction, it doesn't tell him how to get there - and once he realises this, he won't need to rely on any bucket list, but will instead, start to navigate his own way based on heart and sincerity alone. In fact, with the way he's upheld his friendship with Bok-ju, I'd say half the battle's already won. Her heart already knows what it wants, it just needs the mind to catch up!
Bucket list no.1: Study at the library
It's sweet how well he knows his girl. She's not into academia, clearly, and her visit to the library in the previous episode was proof of that when she dozed off within minutes of studying. Aww, it's admirable that she was willing to give it a try, it's just that Joon-hyung was bang on the mark when he said she wouldn't even last five minutes - hee!
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| I'm totally studying here guys! |
Bucket list no.2: Learn how to play the piano
She'd told Joon-hyung about this in the previous episode, and I love how encouraging he was of her to go ahead with it. It's one of the things I love about Joon-hyung, that even though he has enough words of ammunition to poke fun of her for his own merriment, or even just to be the teeniest bit obnoxious, he doesn't once go there. Knowing that her passion for classical music, notably the cello, was a complete and utter lie, I like how he doesn't just assume she has zero interest in it. So it was a lovely moment when he just sat there listening to her talk about her childhood fantasies of playing the piano in the previous ep coz it shows his attentiveness to detail which leads him to become the supportive friend that he is.
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Bucket list no. 3: Go to the theme park on a weekday to avoid queuing
Their trip to the theme park was so much fun! And I love how he
I love how excited Joon-hyung got in trying to fulfil the things on her bucket list. But in trying to do so, he got too caught up in worrying about the finer details to actually notice how much fun Bok-ju was having with her friends in tow. What I like about Bok-ju is how much she values her friendship. Even with Joon-hyung by her side as her "trial" boyfriend, she doesn't skimp on time spent with her best buds - although the less said about her tendency to keep secrets, the better. So it made perfect sense for her to want to invite her friends along, leaving poor Joon-hyung sulking by the wayside!
Which was great though, coz it left him vying for her attention, which I super loved! The moment they stopped to try on some themed headbands was hilarious, coz Joon-hyung actually got jealous of his friend for wearing a headband that coupled him up with Bok-ju. The best bit was watching Joon-hyung yank the headband off his friend's head so that he could be the one to couple up with Bok-ju instead - talk of the devil! I love how he puffed up his chest in an effort to get Bok-ju to notice, and to shower him with compliments. lol I thought you said this stuff was childish, Joon-hyung!? Ha, what a man child!
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| OMG, that face - LOL! |
Bucket list no. 4 Get a boyfriend (sub-list: drink out of one cup with two straws, walk with my hand in his pocket, receive a bouquet of roses)
After the ride is over, he stops to get them some snacks and remembers another one of her bucket list items - to drink out of the same cup with two straws. Ha, I love how ahead of time he thinks this all through! She questions his motives when she notices that there's only one drink, but doesn't think much of it when he says he'd share it with her. But the moment she swoops down to take a sip, he follows her lead and swoops down with her, putting them at close proximity. It was a heart stopping moment, and it was thrilling to see Bok-ju so affected by his closeness. But as romantic as the gesture was, it was also pretty damn unnerving for bok-ju, who was noticeably uncomfortable with it all. I love how even though he teased her for making her heart flutter, he was willing to take a step back the moment she recoiled. Easy now, Joon-hyung - don't get too ahead of yourself! Baby steps, remember!
And how I loved it when the fluttery moments continued. The moment they stopped to watch the fireworks was great, coz not only did it create the perfect romantic backdrop, but it was also the perfect moment for Joon-hyung to up his game.
I loved it when Joon-hyung reached out his hand to intertwine it with hers. It was another bucket list moment as he proceeded to place it inside of his coat. You can practically hear Bok-ju's heart thumping away as she grows increasingly flustered. Joon-hyung clocks in her reaction and decides to devilishly (ha, see what I did there!?) tease her about needing resuscitation at this rate - pfft! Although I love how forthright he is in his actions, he's so caught up in following the bucket list that he fails to notice how shy and timid she becomes the moment he makes his intentions obvious. He's doing it to make her heart flutter, and she knows it, because boy does it flutter! But as she's not yet used to such feelings, especially since it's Joon-hyung who's stirring them, it makes her counteract by pushing him away, leaving him to wonder out loud: "Aah, I thought the bucket list would work on her". And I'm there screaming, but it is YOU FOOL, you're just being too heavy handed!! Give the woman some space and have pity on her poor heart!!
He catches up to her and uses the opportunity to secretly take some pretty pics of her using his phone whilst she's busy being wowed by the fireworks - it's a running theme (which I absolutely love), that whenever Bok-ju stops to admire things from a distance, Joon-hyung is always standing right beside her, admiring her from up close - the view in front may be pretty, but in his eyes, she'll always be prettier. And it's that look of tenderness he gets in his eyes whenever he looks at Bok-ju which gets the heart racing, and the audiences swooning.
And I LOVE that this is the moment he decides to take hold of her hand again. The first time may have proved heart stopping, but this second time was heartfelt and sincere and therefore made more of an impact. This time, rather than follow some list, he repeats the gesture out of his own accord, bringing his hand (tentatively) close to hers and letting them rest in her pocket as opposed to his, making it a lovely turn around. I love how much delight he takes in holding her hand, especially since she had once told him that they were too rough for any guy to want to hold. The first time he held Bok-ju's hand had her reeling back, but this time, it seems she was a lot more prepared for the feelings he evoked, and though it still made her nervous, she doesn't push him away, and nor does she shy away from his gaze. *squeeee* atta boy, Joon-hyung - you're learning!!
Thing is though, what do you do once you've reached the end of the list? How do you deal with an outcome that turns out vastly different to what you were expecting. I love the moment Joon-hyung goes to greet Bok-ju at the station with a massive bouquet of roses. He smiles wistfully to himself as he notes that she's a woman after all (for liking things like flowers). But the moment she reaches the station, she walks past him in a blind panic, rushing to get to the hospital. He stops her in her tracks and she rattles off how she's in a hurry to get to her father, who collapsed after receiving dialysis.
Of course we already know how thoughtful Joon-hyung is, but when we see it reflected in his actions, as well as his words, it becomes more and more apparent how perfect he is for Bok-ju. I love that he looks to stabilise Bok-ju's emotions first as soon as she breaks down in tears asking him what to do. The way she's come to depend on him emotionally says a lot about her feelings for Joon-hyung and how much she's grown to trust and rely on him. And he, like a true friend, doesn't hesitate to put her first, and calmly re-assures her that her father would be just fine under the care and attention of the doctors.
Rather than let her continue in her panicked state, I love that he just leads her by the hand and takes her there himself. It's wonderful the way she just follows too, like a lost little child. When at the hospital, Joon-hyung maturely continues to take the lead, and goes to the desk to enquire about the room Bok-ju's dad is in. It was a great to see the contrast in the way they deal with situations. He's very much calm and collected, while she's flapping around like a headless chicken. And I love how he just calmly goes to the room first before alerting Bok-ju to where it is. She rushes to the door in a frenzy, which Joon-hyung has open for her - I love the small attention to detail in this drama, it really helps to round off each and every character in a way which makes them seem grounded in reality.
We've already seen how caring he is of Bok-ju, and how far he'll go to support her. But it takes someone with a very big heart to extend that kind of support to the rest of the family too. And he does so in the most selfless of ways. When Bok-ju finally re-appears from the room, too distressed to have noticed Joon-hung's absence, she finds a bag of toiletries sitting there at the door. It's a quiet moment, but one that speaks volumes of Joon-hung's thoughtful nature when it comes to thinking about others first. She certainly takes note of the kind gesture, as she peers around to see if he's still there. And how lovely of him was it to have gone straight to Bok-chicken and leave a signpost there, notifying customers that the place will be closed for the afternoon. And the best boyfriend
Bok-ju came to a lot of realisations this episode - about her family, her friends, her love for weightlifting, and of course, Joon-hyung, and I love how they came to her in short bursts, so that we got to realise their significance right along with her. It's not that she hadn't done so before, but this episode really helped put a lot of things into perspective for her in a way that finally made her come to some decisions about life.
I loved the moment she replayed back (in her mind) Seon-ok's words to her about how lucky she was for having both talent (for weight boxing) and a father who supports her enough to put his life on the line for her. The fact that she was thinking about those words before finding out about her father's ill health, proves that she was ready to come to terms with reality, and move on from her funk. So it's no wonder that the news of her father's collapse left her utterly distraught. I legit cried the moment she found all those insurance policies in his room. And though she'd always been a filial daughter, it must have killed her to think how much pain she brought to her father in those past few weeks. She'd been too caught up in her own woes to notice the hardships faced by her father, whilst he'd been nothing but supportive of her. Coming to that realisation had her crying buckets, and I love how she called her father up there and then to express how sorry she feels, and how grateful she is for having a father like him. She was crying, her father was crying, samchoon was crying, and I too was a sobbing mess by the end of it all! And if Joon-hyung was there to hear it all, I'm sure he'd be crying in the corner too, somewhere.
The moment she decides to take up weightlifting again, I love how she calls up to let dad know first. And even though he was trying to act all nonchalant about it, the grin on his face said it all! Love their father daughter tandem! But what I love most about the scene is how after ending the conversation with dad, she sits there taking in the solace of the weightlifting room. It's in that moment that she thinks to call Joon-hyung - happy to have finally found her place.
The moment he meets her up; I love how natural it is for them to catch up on what's happening with the other. Joon-hyung enquires about her father, and after filling him in, she sincerely thanks him for being there for her at a time when she felt really lost. I love how the mood shifts at this point, as she calls out his name in earnest to tell him of her decision to go back into weightlifting. It's clearly a big step for her, and I love that she chose to tell it to him face to face. And it's wonderful to see how happy he gets hearing it, saying how she's most Bok-ju like when weight-lifting.
I love how her eyes grew warmer the more she relaxed into the conversation. It showed her readiness in expressing how she truly felt. And I just love how that further shifted the mood. The moment she relays to him how he was the first person she thought of when she returned to weightlifting was beautifully done because you can see how it genuinely warms his heart to hear it. It's a nice moment, because the sport she feels so passionate about is now the very thing which ties her to Joon-hyung, who was there for her at her lowest point. And she's well aware of it, because it seems that's the very thing which made her want to keep him, and not return him back - which I thought was a super cute way of confessing. It's enough to make him feel all shy, that's for sure!! Awww Joon-hyung, you big teddy bear!!The heartwarming exchange is made all the more beautiful by the snow falling around them, creating a dream like ambience in which the two are the only ones that matter - maybe I'm reading too much into it, or maybe I'm just cheesy like that, but either way, this scene leaves me with way too many feels!! And it's downright
And I love how she confidently chooses to tell him:
Meanwhile, namedx *dies of happiness* seeing all the cuteness unfold before her very eyes. Usually, in dramas, it's always the male lead's declaration which gets me swooning, but here, Bok-ju's no nonsense heart to heart made my heart skip several beats, especially since you can see how much Joon-hung is affected by it - his heart is literally overflowing with joy!
The thing I love about Bok-ju is that even though she finds it difficult to express herself at times, when she does go for it, she does it with so much certainty, poise and affection that it's difficult not to be swept off the feet by her. Her words at each point are filled with nothing but warmth and sincerity.
In the next moment, I love how she grabs Joon-hyung in for another kiss...or two! The second time she goes in for the kill, her expression hilariously takes on this "yuuuum, I want moarrr" kinda look - I honestly died laughing at that.
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| Yum, Joon-hyung!! You taste delicious! |
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| Joon-hyung: I'll show you a proper kiss! |
As wonderful as their kisses were, what I loved most about this episode is how they reached to that point. It turns out that Joon-hyung didn't have to rely on any shortcuts to make Bok-ju feel his sincerity - he did that all by himself when the time came. And though those moments were subtle (and mostly behind the scenes), like taking her to the hospital, buying her father some necessities, and leaving a sign outside of Bok-chicken, they were the moments which made her feels his presence the most.
This episode hurt, but it hurt soooo damn good. And the fact that it made my heart skip a beat, and left me grinning like an idiot for hours on end was just icing on the cake, really!
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