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Now that Eun-ho has grown in his role as Ji-yoon’s secretary and has gotten used to things, it’s time for him to move on up to the next level: to go out and meet with candidates. Just how well will Ji-yoon and Eun-ho work with each other as headhunters and what things will they learn about each other along the way?

Love Scout: Episode 3 Recap

The episode starts off on a dark and somber note and covers the moment when Ji-yoon and Hye-jin learned the news about the death of their CEO, Lee Yong-hoon, at Career Way. Because Ji-yoon had reported the wrongdoing of her company, the company was under fire and ultimately lead CEO Lee to commit suicide. Hye-jin confronts Ji-yoon and blames her for CEO Lee’s death. She assumes this was what Ji-yoon wanted all along. This was the end result of her actions.

After picking Ji-yoon up at Career Way, Eun-ho drives Ji-yoon home. But she has other plans and she proposes for the first time that they go grab some food. So together, Eun-ho and Ji-yoon stop by one of her favorite street vendors for some spicy rice cakes. She makes sure to thank Eun-ho for his help before diving into some of the very spicy tteobokki. Eun-ho isn’t the greatest at eating spicy food but he was hesitant to voice his opinion since Ji-yoon had scolded him earlier at work to only do what she tells him to do. So Eun-ho didn’t mention anything about eating spicy food. He’s also unsure if he should grab some napkins for Ji-yoon. Should he even be allowed to sit right next to her? (Haha, I love how petty he is!). Ji-yoon is a good sport about his teasing and she apologizes to Eun-ho for her comments. She also wishes for them to work well together. With that, Eun-ho digs into the tteobokki and sure enough, it’s way too spicy for him. He panics and drinks all of his water as well as some milk to cool his mouth that feels like it’s on fire. Aww, they’re both so cute! I love them so much.

That night, Jung-hoon does some pondering of his own and recalls the moment he witnessed Ji-yoon lean unconsciously on Eun-ho earlier that day. His mood sours at the thought of this memory (oooo, someone seems jealous). But it’s not just Jung-hoon who’s thinking about that specific moment. Ji-yoon eats a piece of candy that Eun-ho had grabbed from the tteobokki street vendor right before they were leaving and she’s also reminded of the moment from earlier that day when she fell on his shoulder (oooo, someone’s in love~).

It’s a new day at work which means a new candidate to focus on. Ji-yoon is fired up and she’s determined to make up for the loss from her former client. She meets with her main group of consultants to go over the new candidate and assigns them all to prepare the appropriate materials needed for a meeting with him. She wants it all done by that day which throws her staff off but they have no choice but to get it done. Wow, Ji-yoon sure is on another level. So while our main group of staff members get to work, there’s someone who doesn’t bother to get any work done. And, of course, it’s me our silly goose Jung-hoon. He goes on a field trip to the same daycare that Seo-joon and Byeol attend. Soo-hyun notices Jung-hoon standing outside the entrance doors and peeking into the windows so she calls for his attention. She mistakes him to be a father to one of the kids which offends Jung-hoon. He clarifies that he’s not a father. He’s not even married. Haha. Eventually, the kids are released from daycare and Jung-hoon visits the principal of the school, Park Sung-kyung. She’s his sister-in-law and he came by to visit and celebrate her birthday. Though his brother has passed away, Jung-hoon still keeps in contact with Sung-kyung. Through their first interesting and fascinating interaction, Soo-hyun can’t help but grow curious about Jung-hoon. She even asks Seo-joon and Byeol for some intel (I already know Soo-hyun and Jung-hoon are gonna be my favorites! They were soooo cute in their first interaction with each other!!).

Back at the Peoplez office, our consultants and Jun-ho enjoy some pizza together. Kwang-hee’s busy poking fun of Ji-yoon and doing an imitation of her to the group only to find out that she was standing behind him all along. Ji-yoon isn’t happy seeing the group not working and she expresses her disappointment to Mi-ae. No, she’s not impressed with how kind and helpful Eun-ho has been to other employees within the company. She doesn’t feel anything for him at all. All she cares about is work and positive end results (sheeeesh Ji-yoon, have some mercy!).

The new candidate that Peoplez is targeting is successful and renowned Chef Han Jeong-won. He has a spectacular resume and star power, it’s no wonder Peoplez’ client wants to recruit him to work for them. But it’s not easy as there’s one condition that Jeong-won proposes: he wishes to bring his sous chef, Yoo Hae-in, with him to his new job. In a meeting with Ji-yoon and Gyu-rim, Jeong-won outlines the reasoning for this. He and Hae-in work really well together and they complement each other. She’s basically his second-in-command. Ji-yoon too has an employee who complements her and she watches on proudly as Eun-ho assists Hae-in in carrying some products over to the restaurant. Eun-ho and Hye-in then take a quick tour of the garden at the restaurant and he points out how passionate and talented she is about cooking. After the meeting, Eun-ho directs Ji-yoon to their correct vehicle after she almost got into the wrong car. Their hands touch slightly and it’s a feeling that she can’t forget. She grows nervous just thinking about it.

Ji-yoon stops by Dodam Bookstore since her meeting ended earlier than expected. But she’s not the only one there as Byeol is also at the bookstore and they even end up picking the same book! Haha. The two go back and forth on who gets to keep the book and Ji-yoon eventually gives in to Byeol. Though the book is a picture book for adults as written on the cover page, Byeol still wants to read it and Ji-yoon even teases her to give it a try. Back at the office, Jung-hoon once again gets no work done. He instead has his eyes on Eun-ho (literally) and watches his every move. So Eun-ho finally asks Jung-hoon what his deal is, to which Jung-hoon admits that there is something he wants to know. He’s curious as to what cologne Eun-ho wears. LOL. Jung-hoon is so unserious, I love him so much.

When Eun-ho arrives home that night, he discovers Seo-joon and Byeol studying the alphabet. She’s taken on Ji-yoon’s challenge of reading the adult picture book very seriously and she’s determined to do it. Soo-hyun explains the situation to Eun-ho since she was there earlier at the bookstore when the moment went down between Ji-yoon and Byeol. Byeol is so serious about her studying she even shuts the door on her dad and scolds him to only do what she asks of him. Hmm, this feels oddly familiar to Eun-ho. Haha. Speaking of Ji-yoon, she returns to her office that night only to find it completely organized and cleaned. Thanks to Eun-ho, her desk is no longer messy and all documents are neatly organized and filed away. Ji-yoon feels grateful for Eun-ho’s hard work. He’s always thinking about how he can contribute and be the best secretary for her as possible (I seriously need my own Eun-ho in my life!).

While conducting reference checks on Hae-in, former co-workers assume that Hae-in and Jeong-won must be in a special relationship with each other. How else would she have been able to rise up the ranks so quickly and become sous chef? Our Peoplez team discuss the rumors about Jeong-won and Hae-in and Ji-yoon decides that only Jeong-won will be recruited to work for their client. He won’t be able to bring Hae-in with him. But Eun-ho suggests that they check with Hae-in and Jeong-won directly themselves. Maybe there’s more to this story than what the rumors are letting on. So Ji-yoon and Eun-ho conduct individual interviews with Jeong-won and Hae-in. The two chefs dismiss the relationship rumors. Jeong-won acknowledges Hae-in’s skills and talent as a chef and Jeong-won inspired Hae-in to keep cooking.

But there’s something about their relationship that is still bothering Ji-yoon and Eun-ho. They notice how Jeong-won has difficulty using his right hand and they discuss the two-year gap in his resume. Sure enough, Jeong-won got surgery on his right wrist which explains the reason for the gap as well as why Jeong-won hired Hae-in to work with him. Ji-yoon confronts Jeong-won about his wrist and he isn’t too concerned about it. It’s fine for the most part and he wishes to keep his information a secret. Hae-in is the only one who knows about his wrist and he still wishes to bring her with him if he gets the new position. Ji-yoon revisits Hae-in’s resume later on that night at the office and unlike what former co-workers have mentioned, Hae-in does indeed have the skills as a chef. They were just hidden this entire time.

It’s just Ji-yoon and Eun-ho working at the office that night so Ji-yoon brews the both of them some coffee and Eun-ho proposes that they drink their coffee together (EEEEEK!). They chat about Jeong-won and Hae-in’s case and Ji-yoon seeks some advice from Eun-ho. As someone who worked in HR, what types of cases did he handle? What was his experience like? He’s dealt with cases related to betrayal and scheming – something that Ji-yoon is used to. Does Eun-ho think she’ll betray someone or be the one who’s betrayed? Eun-ho has no answer to her question but he does want to know more about Ji-yoon and who she really is. While they converse, he notices the paper cut on her finger and places a band-aid over it. Ji-yoon takes great care of her candidates that she forgets to take care of herself. But sometimes, she doesn’t have the capacity to take care of herself. Such a basic thing can be a luxury to some people.

This particular comment by Ji-yoon sticks with Eun-ho and he decides to take care of Ji-yoon in his own way. When they arrive at Ji-yoon’s house, he decides to extend the drive so that she can continue to enjoy her nap in the back of the car. So Eun-ho continues to drive in no particular direction in mind. He just wants Ji-yoon to be able to get as much rest as she can. Eventually, she wakes up from her nap and bids farewell to Eun-ho. She’s aware that he was going around in circles to extend the drive and commends him for his hard work (I will never shut up about this scene! Seriously soooo so heart-fluttering and touching and relaxing and beautiful!).

Ji-yoon meets with her clients to update them on Jeong-won’s current situation with his wrist and Eun-ho watches her from nearby. They’re still interested in having him on their team but him and him only. No Hae-in. So Jeong-won breaks the news to Hae-in and she pleads for him to take her as well. She’s not so sure she’ll be able to succeed without him. But Jeong-won only looks out for himself and he’s perfectly fine with moving to the new company alone. As if things weren’t bad enough, Hae-in’s co-workers continue to make fun of her and look down on her. As a last resort, Hae-in runs after Eun-ho who’s getting ready to drive Ji-yoon back to the office. Hae-in’s scared to be alone. She doesn’t have the confidence to be on her own. She’s not so sure what to do next. She wishes Eun-ho had just kept Jeong-won’s wrist surgery a secret and not said anything about it to anyone. Eun-ho listens intently and then offers some words of encouragement to Hae-in:

“No secret in this world is forever. Relying on another never lasts either. Did you enjoy cooking alongside Chef Han? A chef who doesn’t believe in herself can’t enjoy life anywhere. Hae-in, you’re an amazing chef. From now on, don’t rely on others. Trust yourself.”

And it’s Ji-yoon’s turn this time to watch Eun-ho. She listens to their conversation while sitting in the car and is impressed with Eun-ho. She’s proud of him.

There’s someone else who Ji-yoon is proud of and it involves stopping by Dodam Bookstore. Byeol anxiously and excitedly waits for Ji-yoon to arrive at the bookstore and when Ji-yoon shows up, she’s quick to update her on her reading progress. She can read now and even proves it to Ji-yoon by reading a children’s book. This book is one that Ji-yoon is familiar with and has read many times before. She recalls from memory parts from the book, reciting,

“The road makes its way back. You will see so many things on your journey, but you will miss the warmth of your home. Once you’ve seen all you wanted to see, the road will take you back to your place.”

Ji-yoon successfully hires Jeong-won for her client which is great news for her. But he’s not the only candidate that she’s focused on. Ji-yoon and Eun-ho meet with their next candidate: Hae-in (nice!). She’s interested in becoming a food researcher since she’s developed a fear of being in the kitchen due to an incident where she burned herself. Thanks to Eun-ho, she gathered the courage to try something new. She’s still uncertain if she’ll do well as it is something new she hasn’t done before, but Ji-yoon reassures her that she’ll succeed. All the experiences, time, and effort she devoted as a chef will aid her in this next chapter in her life. Eun-ho can’t help but feel touched by Ji-yoon’s thoughtful words.

Eun-ho is seeing new sides to Ji-yoon and he’s quite fascinated by it. She’s changing right in front of his eyes and he likes it. While walking back to their car, the two take turns complimenting each other and giving each other credit for the success with Jeong-won and Hae-in’s case. Eun-ho feels like he finally has a better grasp and understanding of what headhunting is and what Peoplez does: they help candidates find a job where they can fully utilize their abilities and perform meaningful work.

While the two continue on their stroll, Eun-ho warns that they should hurry back before it rains. He’s come well prepared in advance and grabs Byeol’s pink umbrella from his bag to shield both him and Ji-yoon from the rain. She can’t help but laugh at the silly situation they’re in and they share some adorable giggles. Umbrella in his hand, bright smiles on both of their faces, Ji-yoon and Eun-ho are the perfect pair for each other. Complementary partners at its best.

My Thoughts:

How does this drama continue to deliver with each episode? I can’t even say that each episode is better than the last because all three episodes so far have been great and strong in their own ways. I don’t think one episode outperforms the other because I have enjoyed what each episode has brought to the table so far. There’s sort of this theme that is presented in each episode and as we saw with episode 3, it was the theme of complementary partners. Just like how Jeong-won and Hae-in thought they were the right complement for each other, we saw what actual complementary partners looked like through Eun-ho and Ji-yoon. We saw all the ways that they balanced each other out. We witnessed the ways that they helped each other grow and become a better person. We witnessed the impact and change that they made on each other. We are witnesses as to why Ji-yoon and Eun-ho are perfect for each other.

Ji-yoon watching Eun-ho give words of encouragement to Hae-in and then adding onto that message by helping Hae-in as her next candidate was a perfect example of their top-tier teamwork. Ji-yoon usually only treats her clients and candidates well so seeing Eun-ho treat Hae-in so kindly and respectfully compelled her to do something for Hae-in as well. Eun-ho was the one with the words and Ji-yoon was the one with the actions. Eun-ho believed in Hae-in and offered her words of support when she was in disbelief and panic. Ji-yoon helped relieve that panic and stress by recruiting Hae-in as a candidate. Eun-ho and Ji-yoon teamed up to take care of business (as seen with Jeong-won’s case) but they also teamed up to take care of people (as seen with Hae-in). Those two things don’t have to be exclusive. You can do what you’re supposed to do to keep your clients happy, but you can also do what you personally feel is right and honorable.

The other example I loved that proved how Ji-yoon and Eun-ho are complementary to each other was during the coffee break scene when Ji-yoon asked Eun-ho for his opinions. This scene proved just how much Ji-yoon has learned to trust Eun-ho and how much Eun-ho has grown in his position as her secretary. She went from ignoring him and refusing to acknowledge him to seeking his opinions on an important case. She wanted to hear his thoughts on the case; she wanted to know if his previous work experiences could come in handy for the tricky situation that they were in. Ji-yoon makes the final decisions and the final calls but it’s also nice that she can go to Eun-ho for situations like this.

And of course, Eun-ho is always making sure to take care of Ji-yoon. I find it so fascinating how easy, effortless, and smooth he is in looking out for her. Taking care of Ji-yoon just comes naturally to him. It’s less about him feeling like he has to do it because he’s her secretary but rather that it’s automatic to him and this is just simply the type of person he is. As we saw with the other staff members in the office, Eun-ho is a kind and thoughtful person. He’s helpful, he gets along with other people, he’s a good guy all around, and everyone likes him. To Eun-ho, taking care of Ji-yoon also means taking care of candidates and her staff. When he drives in circles so Ji-yoon gets some extra nap time or when he organizes her entire office, it’s because he genuinely cares about her. Yes, it’s important that he does well in his job. But what he does for Ji-yoon is not to impress her or to get bonus points or cookies. Eun-ho stays true to who he is and he’s not afraid to show it. When he encouraged Hae-in to keep going, he did it from a place of sincerity because he maybe saw bits and pieces of himself in her and could relate to the uncertainty of starting anew. When he bought pizza for the Peoplez staff, he did it because he cared about their wellbeing. Working with Eun-ho on Jeong-won and Hae-in’s case opened Ji-yoon’s eyes to new sides of him that she didn’t know existed. The same thing applied to Ji-yoon and Eun-ho saw a new side of her that he had no clue about. They really do balance each other out in a way that feels natural and seamless.

While Ji-yoon and Eun-ho remain the primary focus of this drama, I can’t forget about our second leads, Jung-hoon and Soo-hyun. I could have done without the one-sided crushes for either characters because it’s so obvious that Ji-yoon and Eun-ho are endgame. For the drama to set up Jung-hoon to have feelings for Ji-yoon or for Soo-hyun to have a crush on Eun-ho just seems a little unnecessary to me. But I can live with it because the drama will set up for Jung-hoon and Soo-hyun to eventually (and hopefully) become a couple and I am so ready for this to happen. I enjoyed their first meeting so much and I felt like there was already so much chemistry between them (am I weird for thinking that??). From Soo-hyun calling Jung-hoon “father” and assuming he was a father to Jung-hoon growing offended to Soo-hyun growing curious about Jung-hoon – there were so many fun aspects about their first meeting. Jung-hoon is so unserious and hilarious and wacky, I cannot wait to see more of his interactions with Soo-hyun. They’re going to be such a fun and funny pairing.

The last thing I want to mention before I proceed with my recap for episode 4 is I know people will probably talk about the umbrella scene at the end of the episode or the scene where Eun-ho put a band-aid on Ji-yoon’s finger. But my favorite scene in this episode (and one of my favorite scenes so far in the drama) definitely has to be the night drive/car ride. OH. MY. GOODNESS. Look, the action itself of Eun-ho driving Ji-yoon around so she could get some more sleep was already so sweet and endearing. But to combine this scene by playing “Wonder” by ADOY in the background?? It was seriously the perfect combination (talk about being complementary!!). This drama just knows how to stir up the butterflies in your stomach and how to get your heart pacing at an irregular beat. That night drive scene has to probably be one of the more memorable scenes that I’ve seen in a while. Everything about it was just absolutely perfect and heart-fluttering. Ji-yoon may find it challenging to have the time and energy to take care of herself but it doesn’t have to be that way anymore. She can take care of other people and also now be taken care of thanks to Eun-ho.