Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-ju - ep13: Jealousy is love rounded up to the next step

HA! Jealous Bok-ju is both cute and frustrating at the same time! She definitely needs to learn how to communicate her feelings better. But with a boyfriend like Joon-hyung, who needs words, when actions can do all the talking! Try not to let your imaginations run wild! *devilish grin*

Okay, how friggin CUTE was their little text conversation? Pssht, not that they had much to say to each other - they spent most the time laughing and giggling away like two lovesick fools! LOL Joon-hyung's over-excited limbs were the best though!! They were flapping around like no man's business! Talk about giddiness personified!

I just love how healthy and realistic their relationship is - #relationshipgoals! Of course, the cute frolicking is always fun, and the energy with which they display their youthful love - the constant hand-holding, the adoring gazes, and the endless hugs and kisses - perfectly capture the feelings of giddiness which come with young love. But, beneath all the frolicking, what I love most is how the core of their relationship remains firmly rooted in friendship and loyalty. They don't let the status of their relationship define who they are, rather they each in their own unique way, seek to compliment the other when the time calls for it - even if it does take one longer than the other, you can be sure that they get there in the end!

LOL I love that he literally describes her kisses as someone who'd been starving for days!! Joon-hyung, truer words have never been spoken - why so funny!!? And how about his little massive outburst of jealousy at seeing the red clip in her hair, knowing his brother probably liked it. Can't believe he just yanks it out of her hair! *laughing like a maniac*

I love the recurring motif of bok-ju's hands being too "rough" to want to hold. Because for Joon-hyung, that's never been the case. For him, her hands have always been the epitome of warmth, hence why he never hesitates to reach out for them. They bring him both comfort and joy, and in this case, a pretty damn good massage too! But I love that he doesn't sidestep her own insecurities either, rather he compliments her in a way which seeks to not only console her, but also to positively build self-esteem. I love how even these small moments encapsulate how much Joon-hyung values Bok-ju - he may enjoy pulling on her pig tails (LOL like when he calls out "Bok-ju" to a piglet he sees on a hairclip), but he'll also gladly be her knight in shining armour - just, yunno, not the conventional kind!

It's a small moment, but I love that when Tae-kwon rushed to tell Joon-hyung about Shi-ho being hospitalised, Joon-hyung's concern visibly heightened at the mention of Bok-ju being the one who discovered Shi-ho unconscious.

I love that he physically meets her up to ask how she's holding up after the shocking incident, and (after seeing her blame herself) gently assures her that she's not at fault.

But boy, how awkward was that hospital visit!? Joon-hyung, you were doing so well too!! Ha, after re-watching the ep, I do think that his concern for Shi-ho was a little over emphasised, but I don't blame the guy for it too much, coz his actions were clearly born out of guilt for not having answered Shi-ho's call. And I love that this show never paints his concern as anything else. It made perfect sense for Shi-ho to reach out to Joon-hyung, not because he's her ex-boyfriend, but because he's probably the only ever friend she could rely on in terms of her professional struggles. It was sweet how they both mutually consented to becoming friends, coz let's face it, Shi-ho was fighting it alone out there in the world of gymnastics. And whilst she has to learn how to pick herself up, as Joon-hyung wisely reminded her in a previous ep, sometimes, it helps knowing that there are people out there who can empathise with how you feel. And it was great how Joon-hyung had her back as a fellow athlete when he recommended his psychiatrist to her - props for positive healing!!  Now, if only Bok-ju was filled in on all of this, then maybe she wouldn't have flown off the handle in a jealous rage.

It was hilarious seeing Bok-ju go through this process of jealousy though, especially after she'd boldly claimed that she's not one to get jealous over "petty stuff" - HAHA, at this point, you're just waiting for her to eat her own words. And it's doubly funny seeing how different the two are when it comes to dealing with such emotions. Joon-hyung confronts his jealousy directly, and will actively take steps to rid himself of the emotion - like yanking the clip off Bok-ju's head and replacing it with one that he bought, or confessing to her that he liked her first, and always has (before "slimy dude" steals his thunder), whereas Bok-ju tries to conceal it because she's too worried about sounding too petty, expecting Joon-hyung to figure it out by himself!

I love the moment Bok-ju's "i'm not angry" escalates into a full blown argument. Poor girl doesn't know how to express her jealousy, so naturally, it fuels her anger and frustration the more Joon-hyung tries to appease her. Lol how funny was it seeing her wolf down those fish sticks - nom, nom, nom! Unfortunately for Joon-hyung, not only was he left to foot the bill, but he also has to figure out what's fuelling her anger. I love that Joon-hyung is as honest as always when he confronts Bok-ju; he pretty much tells her to spell it out for him why she's so angry - that's your cue right there Bok-ju!!! As frustrating as it was watching Bok-ju ignore Joon-hyung's plea to tell him why she's so mad, I totally get where Bok-ju was coming from. Sigh, the nature of relationships. As a friend, I don't think she'd ever hesitate to tell Joon-hyung why she's annoyed, but as his girlfriend, Bok-ju is seemingly a lot more tentative when it comes to opening up to him. LOL Joon-hyung resorts to stereotyping when he concludes that Bok-ju is indeed a woman (for walking away in a fit without telling him the reason why).

It just goes to show how the two end up on a different page whenever they fail to communicate how they feel - in this case, it's Bok-ju who needs to learn to loosen up a little lot, and be more upfront with her feelings, coz Joon-hyung is out there in full force, wearing his heart on his sleeve! It's always been a constant with Joon-hyung, that no matter how angry or frustrated he gets with Bok-ju, he can't not care for her. Their moments of disagreements never get in the way of how he feels for her, and he remains true to those feelings no matter how much they drive each other up the wall.

I love the moment he spells it out for her that the reason he doesn't want her protesting in the freezing cold is because he cares, period. And I like that you see a flicker of guilt passing on Bok-ju's face the moment he says it, but of course, she's too stubborn to give up on her own silent treatment. Joon-hyung storms off telling her to do as she pleases - good on you! It was funny reading some of the comments blaming Joon-hyung for not considering his own actions and for not "trying" to figure out why Bok-ju was so angry in the first place, which I would get, had he done something so blatantly obvious enough to make her angry in the first place. In his eyes, he'd done nothing wrong to warrant such a reaction, so it makes perfect sense for him not to question his treatment of Shi-ho, who's lying ill in hospital.

His own grudging behaviour doesn't last very long though, coz in the next moment, he's out rushing to bundle Bok-ju up in a layer of thick, wooly winter-wear after hearing that it's due to snow. Duuno bout you Bok-ju, but that sure warmed my heart!! Seriously, it was a scene in which actions spoke a thousand words - I'm not even kidding. As soon as reaches her, he bends down to massage her numb feet and applies heating pads on them before putting the shoes back on for her. Lol, he's like mother-hen! And I love how he obliges to the silent treatment by proceeding to wrap her up in a dozen layers without saying a single word, other than "arms" and "foot".

  

I love the turnaround in this scene. Previously, Joon-hyung wouldn't think to offer his coat even when she complained of it being too cold, but here, he offers it without a word. He doesn't need her permission to care for her, he does it because he loves her. And I love, that like always, his reason for getting mad at her isn't to do with how she's treating him, but rather how she's treating herself. After doing all that he can to keep her warm, he crouches down to her level and gently requests her to take care of herself whilst protesting - "please". I love that it's a plea, because he knows Bok-ju well enough to know how stubborn she can be.

I love the longing in both their eyes, more so in Joon-hyung's. It points to an invisible barrier which only Bok-ju can take down, leaving Joon-hyung to wait patiently on the other side. The way he searchingly staaaarees at her *melts*

Ok, it's official. This guy is way too good to be true!

It's a small moment, but I absolutely LOOOOVVEE it!!! The moment Joon-hyung sees the weightlifting team celebrate the success of their protesting from afar! My face had already split from all the grinning at his thoughtful gesture of bringing the whole team some snacks, but when his whole face lights up after seeing Bok-ju so happy, I smiled away gleefully before proceeding to stamp my entire face in the pillow. It was like a flashback from his childhood where just watching Bok-ju from afar was enough to make him happy. I love that his love for her isn't of the selfish kind. For him, even when they were just friends, her happiness always took priority, and it would bring a smile to his face whenever he saw her passing by. Arghhh Bok-ju, how can you stay so angry with like the most adorable puppy, ever!?

            
And there's nothing quite like releasing all that anger by letting it out full steam ahead!! I love that Bok-ju is forced to just blurt it all out the moment Joon-hyung coaxes her by using his aegyo voice. And it's hella funny that the very thing she deems to be childish is making her behave in a childish and unreasonable manner regardless - touche!! That puzzled look on Joon-hyung's face said it all!!! When she rattles off her reasons for being angry - you were too considerate towards your ex, how dare you mention her pollen allergy in front of me, you sure had a lot to talk about - LOL Joon-hyung looks genuinely puzzled and he furrows his eyebrows as if to say, huh!? Was that seriously the reason for your long ass silent treatment!? I love that she's so caught up in her jealous rant that she fails to notice how amused Joon-hyung is by all of this. The moment he realises she was jealous is so friggin adorable, coz he just sits there wearing this big smile on his face as if her ramblings were sweet music to his ears - I guess for Joon-hyng, it's one way of knowing just how much Bok-ju loves him! And he's relishing in it, coz up until this point, feelings of jealousy had always been pretty one sided! This now makes it 1:1, Joon-hyung - score!

I love the way he makes it up to her as well - he tells her the exact reasons for treating Shi-ho the way that he did, and then pulls her in for a MASSIVE bear hug (knowing how much she luuurrves skinship lol) - see Bok-ju, that was easy as pie!! It was super sweet the way he told her that next time she has to make it (her jealousy) obvious, so he can tread carefully and basically treat her better, coz seriously, how else is the dude supposed to know!? And he says it in earnest that they should tell each other everything from here onward, be it sadness, hard times or even embarrassment *contented sigh* - hear that Bok-ju, no more secrets!

I love that he uses the point of both their jealousy to get in more hugs - lol he totally milks it!

Those bear hugs though! And ALL the frolicking which ensues the following morning - honestly, it's just one big SQUEEEEE fest!!

It was cute seeing Joon-hyung heed Bok-ju's jealousy to immediate affect, coz he literally stops being the gentleman and holds himself back from carrying Shi-ho's bag for her after getting discharged from hospital - HA, the way he nervously side-glances Bok-ju.

Ye, Bok-ju noona, I'll do whatever thou say!!

I love how naturally playful their skinship is. And it's great coz even though they're now moved into boyfriend/girlfriend territory, nothing much has changed aside from amping up the touchy-feely! I love that Joon-hyung continues to bounce around Bok-ju like an overexcited puppy, and cheerily calls her "chubs" at every opportunity, while Bok-ju remains gruff in her affections and will not hesitate to give him a kick up the backside giving him as good as she gets. It's not a cheesy type of love - at least not in the cringe worthy sense - I mean Joon-hyung drawing hearts on her back, SO CUTE. But then he'll also play a game of rock, paper, scissors with her and will flick her forehead as punishment! And I love that even when he loses to her on purpose, he quickly admits to doing so coz he's afraid of her strength, lol.

Their cuteness amidst all the pitfalls of jealousy literally had me grinning like an idiot! Only with Bok-ju!

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