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Ji-yoon and Eun-ho continue to test the limits of their relationship. Their interactions have primarily been work-related and they try their best to remain professional with each other. But it isn’t easy and they both realize that the more time they spend together, the more difficult it is to conceal or deny any feelings for each other. Their relationship is blossoming into something more.

Love Scout: Episode 5 Recap

We resume with where we last left off in episode 4. Ji-yoon studies Eun-ho’s face carefully and wakes him up. She whispers how handsome he is and then leans in towards him. But she’s intoxicated and she ends up falling over onto his shoulder. Eun-ho lends his shoulder (literally) for Ji-yoon to sleep on and he relishes in the moment for a few minutes. Ji-yoon wakes up the next morning to find herself alone at the office. Memories of her with Eun-ho from the night before flashes in her mind but she’s unsure if that actually happened or if it was just a dream. Mi-ae reassures Ji-yoon that everyone at the welcome party went home once it ended and Eun-ho himself denies having been with Ji-yoon at the office the night before. But Ji-yoon can’t stop thinking about Eun-ho. While in a staff meeting, she drops her pen and squats to pick it up but Eun-ho also bends down to grab her pen for her. Being so close to Eun-ho’s face causes Ji-yoon to see another flashback from the night before and she panics. She maintains her distance with Eun-ho and refuses his help on the way to a meeting. Haha, someone is acting shy~

Ji-yoon stops by Dodam Bookstore and reunites with Byeol. The two discover that they both enjoy mint chocolate ice cream so Byeol suggests that they go to a store nearby to try some mint chocolate related snacks. So Byeol and Ji-yoon head out together and bond over mint chocolate. Byeol may have referred to Ji-yoon as ahjumma in the past but she actually really likes Ji-yoon. She likes her so much she starts to call her Unni. Haha. The two finally put their past behind them and bond over their love for mint chocolate. When Kang-seok talks to Mi-ae about seeing Byeol and Ji-yoon together, he ponders over whether there could be something there between Ji-yoon and Eun-ho. Mi-ae isn’t a big fan of the pairing and she scolds her husband for thinking such a delirious thought. Ji-yoon and Eun-ho. There’s no way, right? (Mi-ae, there is always a way).

The next client in line to find the perfect candidate is Jin Sung-ho, CEO of a popular online platform that sells name brand products and items. He meets with Ji-yoon and wants to find a name-brand appraiser to oversee the platform, train appraisers, and make final appraisal decisions. There’s someone Eun-ho and Mi-ae have in mind to be the lead for this project and it’s none other than Kwang-hee.

Jung-hoon meets with one of their clients, a publishing company. While at the meeting, he discovers Soo-hyun at the same location as him and discovers that she’s a writer. Haha. While in the elevator together, Jung-hoon grabs one of her books that he got from the publishing company and asks for her autograph. It’s sort of an investment for when she eventually becomes a successful and bestselling author. Soo-hyun signs the book for Jung-hoon and bids farewell to him. Of course, Jung-hoon is Jung-hoon and he embarrasses her in front of people as she walks out of the elevator with his silly antics. Haha. They’re both so cute.

Kwang-hee presents information about the top three candidates for the name-brand appraiser position in a staff meeting. But even though he and the team do the proper work in meeting with the preferred candidate, it’s all for nothing. The preferred candidate ended up choosing a job with a competitor and you guessed it, Career Way was behind the move. To make things worse, the employee who managed to steal the preferred candidate at the last minute is a former staff at Peoplez that was fired by Ji-yoon, Go Jeong-nam. This was his way of seeking revenge.

Kwang-hee gets in trouble by Ji-yoon for mismanaging the project and candidate. Ji-yoon has no choice but to meet CEO Jin and update him about the situation. Understandably, he’s upset with losing his top preferred candidate and there’s even more pressure on Peoplez to succeed this time around. Kwang-hee is responsible for finding another candidate for the position and Eun-ho is to closely follow the project to make sure that everything goes accordingly. So Kwang-hee devotes tons of hours to making phone calls for his search but he ultimately fails to find the best candidate. Eun-ho steps in to help Kwang-hee by suggesting that they maybe take a more novel and creative approach. Maybe they should find someone who’s well experienced with repairing name brand products. As repair specialists and experts, they’d be able to differentiate the authentic products from the counterfeit ones.

So Kwang-hee proposes the new strategy to Ji-yoon and she’s impressed with the quick pivot. She approves of the plan. Once it gets late at the office, people start to leave one by one to the point where it’s only Ji-yoon and Eun-ho. Ji-yoon finds the sticker that was previously on his cellphone on the floor in her office and she realizes that Eun-ho was actually with her the night of the welcome party. He had lied about not being with her. Ji-yoon presents the sticker to Eun-ho and confronts him about his lie. Why did he lie that he wasn’t with her in the office after the welcome party? How much does he remember from that night? Eun-ho questions how much Ji-yoon wishes that he remembers everything from that night which throws her off. She requests that they pretend as if nothing ever happened and as if he doesn’t remember anything. The two agree on the terms but it’s clear that they both are bothered by it. Eun-ho has a new sticker on his phone put on by Byeol and Ji-yoon distracts herself with some reading. But they both can’t stop thinking about this specific conversation.

Kwang-hee and Eun-ho meet up to find the top repair specialist on their list. The name of the shop is Garim Repair Shop and it’s located in a market full of shops and vendors. Since they don’t know where exactly the shop is, the two go on a grueling search to find it. They inquire with a bunch of store owners and rush endlessly through the walkways but their search is unsuccessful. But not all hope is lost and Eun-ho notices something strange while eating some snacks with Kwang-hee at a vendor. A woman puts in an order for some snacks at the same food vendor and Eun-ho notices that her finger has a band-aid as well as the piece of leather that’s fallen from her wallet. After receiving confirmation from the vendor that the woman repairs bags, Eun-ho and Kwang-hee quickly depart to chase after the woman.

They eventually find the woman’s repair shop in the back alleyway and they’re confident that she’s the repair specialist they’ve been looking for. They confirm by finding a bag with the name of her repair shop printed on it. The repair specialist’s name is Jo Yeong-sook. She has 37 years of work as a repair specialist for name brand products and she’s the perfect candidate for the position. Ji-yoon and Eun-ho meet with Yeong-sook and they offer her the position with CEO Jin’s company. Though Yeong-sook is initially hesitant about the offer since she doesn’t feel qualified enough, Ji-yoon reassures her that she’s the best fit. She will be compensated for all her years of hard work and she should seize the opportunity.

It’s an exciting day for Byeol and Seo-joon since their school is hosting a sleepover. Before dropping Byeol off at daycare, Byeol reminds her dad to be a little bit more independent and have some fun. It’s time he finds a girlfriend and go on some dates. Hahaha. Soo-hyun and Seo-joon also join the father and daughter pair in walking to school and all the parents bid farewell to their kids. Eun-ho has the night to himself. How will he spend his free time? Eun-ho shares with Mi-ae that he plans on getting some more work done but that’s not so fun! So with Jung-hoon’s support, Mi-ae suggests that they all have a get-together at her house that night. But since Mi-ae isn’t the best cook, Eun-ho volunteers to have it at his place instead. He’s a great cook. So plans for the staff dinner are set and Mi-ae makes sure to extend the invitation to Ji-yoon. Ji-yoon’s not interested in the dinner but she’s provided with Eun-ho’s address just in case. Ji-yoon is invited by Eun-ho himself later on that day in the office. He reiterates that he’d like her to join them as he wishes to cook a home-made meal for her. And this is enough to persuade Ji-yoon to set out to his house. She gets out of her comfort zone and arrives at his place.

But there’s only one problem – the dinner has been canceled and she had no idea about it (OMGGG poor Ji-yoon. Hahaha). There’s no one else at Eun-ho’s apartment when Ji-yoon arrives and she’s persistent on leaving. But Eun-ho manages to persuade her to stay. He’s already bought all the ingredients for dinner and Ji-yoon already brought a cake for dessert. They might as well enjoy dinner together. So while Eun-ho is busy cooking in the kitchen, Ji-yoon sits quietly and awkwardly in his living room. She takes a look around the living room and even notices Byeol’s pink umbrella that they previously used. Aww. Meanwhile, just a few levels down the building, Soo-hyun’s mom suggests that Soo-hyun reach out to Eun-ho to see what he’s up to. The both of them should spend some time with each other. Soo-hyun is embarrassed and nervous at such an idea.

Ji-yoon can’t help but fall for Eun-ho. She continues to watch him cook in the kitchen and she’s impressed with his home-cooked meal. Eun-ho’s so good at cooking she wonders if he chose the wrong career. Haha. Ji-yoon isn’t one to eat much but she can’t stop eating Eun-ho’s food. She clearly enjoys it. Once they finish eating, they chat about Eun-ho and his cooking. How long has he been doing it? Eun-ho estimates that it’s been roughly about 30 years since he’s been cooking. 30 years of learning to live alone since he was in elementary school. Eun-ho throws out the question that he grew up well, right? Ji-yoon realizes how serious he is with his question and she showers him with support. Yes, he did grow up well. In response, Eun-ho reciprocates the same feelings back to Ji-yoon. Just like Byeol does to him as a sign of acknowledgement, Eun-ho places a stamp on Ji-yoon’s hand. She’s also done well. While Eun-ho steps away to answer a phone call from Byeol, Ji-yoon stays out in the living room and takes a good look around his apartment. She eventually knocks out on the couch due to exhaustion. Just like he did a few times before, Eun-ho takes care of Ji-yoon while she sleeps. He covers her with one of Byeol’s blankets, turns off the lights, and then retreats to his bedroom.

The next morning, Ji-yoon is horrified to find herself still at Eun-ho’s place. She panics when she realizes where she is and accidentally steps on Eun-ho’s hand as she stands up. He was asleep while sitting on the ground next to her and he also wakes up. Eun-ho is horrified when he realizes that he’s late to pick up Byeol and he rushes out the door. Ji-yoon follows after him but their departure is delayed when he has to return to the apartment to grab her cellphone and purse. When the two finally get into the elevator to leave, they realize that it’s too late. The elevator doors open to the appearance of Byeol, Soo-hyun, and Seo-joon standing in front of them. While Eun-ho is shocked to find his daughter in front of him, Ji-yoon is confused. Byeol is happy to be reunited with her father but she also notices Ji-yoon standing next to him. Just what exactly is going on?

Epilogue

So just how exactly did Eun-ho end up sitting by Ji-yoon on the couch overnight? Turns out he overheard her crying in her sleep that night, repeating the words “don’t go” a few times. He makes his way to her side and reaches his hand out to hold hers. He reassures her that everything’s all right and pats her hand a few times to calm her down. It eventually works and Ji-yoon stops crying in her sleep. Even after she calms down, Eun-ho doesn’t leave and he chooses to stay by her side the entire night.

My Thoughts:

And yet, the drama delivers once again with another fabulous episode! Seriously, I’m so impressed with how wonderful each episode has been so far and how the drama manages to deliver on so many fronts. I enjoy watching Eun-ho be involved with company operations and the staff, but I also love seeing him in his element outside of work. He’s great at work but he’s also at his best when he’s with Byeol or cooking something up in the kitchen and I’m glad that we got to see that side of him – this time with Ji-yoon as witness. This episode was definitely a lot more emotional which was a nice break from the more standard formula that we’ve seen in the previous episodes. Though there were still scenes of clients and candidates, the episode also dove into other parts that focused more heavily on the emotional side of things.

That conversation between Ji-yoon and Eun-ho during dinner probably has to be up there in terms of my favorite scenes from the drama so far. It was one of our first few glimpses of them bonding over something that wasn’t work-related. They weren’t in the office nor were they CEO and secretary in that moment. In that moment, they were themselves. Ji-yoon initially thought Eun-ho was joking around with her when he mentioned that he had learned cooking since he was in elementary school. How could someone start cooking at such a young age? But when Ji-yoon saw how serious and sincere Eun-ho was, she realized that he was telling the truth. And my heart ached for him because of the rough upbringing he had but also because he didn’t have anyone there for him. Eun-ho was so used to being alone and then taking care of others that he didn’t have anyone to take care of him. And in this moment, he was finally able to be vulnerable for once and let his walls down. He presented a new side of himself that Ji-yoon definitely was not expecting. As much of a superhero as Eun-ho is to Ji-yoon, Byeol, Soo-hyun, and everyone else in Peoplez, he’s also human. He’s gone through his fair share of trauma and struggles and challenges. He wanted someone to reaffirm that yes, he did do well. He did grow up well. Even though it may have been challenging for him, he took great care of himself and was able to overcome his challenges to get to where he is now. He must have been lonely and then it must have been challenging to be a single father. Eun-ho is always there for everyone, but who is there for him?

And I’m glad that Ji-yoon comforted him by acknowledging just how great of a person he is. Her response was brief and simple but yet so impactful. It was emotional for Eun-ho to hear words of affirmation because he probably never got them before. Imagine the countless amount of doubts that he must have had about himself growing up. Was he doing the right thing? Is he going to be okay? And then Ji-yoon is there to compliment him and see him and reaffirm his thoughts. Then Eun-ho reciprocated the same thoughts by expressing something similar back to Ji-yoon. She too went through her own struggles having lost her father at a young age. She too went through a lot with her old career at Career Way and everything that transpired there. Though Ji-yoon and Eun-ho haven’t opened up to each other about their painful experiences and heartbreaks just yet, they don’t necessarily need to at this point in time. They can still be there for each other by acknowledging and affirming each other like how they did during the dinner scene. Small moments like this can be so impactful and do so much. To hear that you’ve grown up well must have felt so relieving and good. It’s what they both needed to hear and they heard it from each other. That dinner scene is going to sit with me for a long long time.

And I liked that Eun-ho’s been the more direct and honest one with Ji-yoon. He invited her to his welcome party because he wanted her there. He was the one to reach out to her. He wanted her there at the staff dinner at his house because he wanted to show off cook a home-made meal for her. He was well aware of her complicated relationship with food so he used his cooking skills to win over her heart. And it was through his cooking that they were able to bond on a completely different level. It’s been so heartwarming to see the different ways in which Ji-yoon and Eun-ho have gotten to know each other. Whether it’s inside or outside of work, it’s become automatic for them to notice and observe each other. In the process of doing so, they can’t help but just fall in love more and more.