MaryMeKpop

This week’s episodes of “Our Unwritten Seoul” switched things up a bit by honing in on Ho-su and Mi-ji’s relationship as well as providing progress in the redevelopment project between Kim Ro-sa and Mi-ji’s work company. We also got to see a stranger eventually become a familiar face – one whose identity is still unknown but someone who’s proven so far to be helpful and beneficial to Mi-ji. And although Mi-rae and Mi-ji tried their best to hide their little secret about switching identities, they can only keep it a secret for so long.

Episodes 5 and 6 were such interesting episodes because it was more focused on the redevelopment project with Kim Ro-sa and also focused so much more on Ho-su and Mi-ji’s relationship. We got the truth about what Mi-ji saw on the day of her track meet between Ho-su and Mi-rae (turned out Mi-rae was sick on that day and Ho-su caught her so that she wouldn’t fall. The dating rumors between them were also false). Then there was also one moment back in high school where they went on a trip to the mountains where Ho-su’s feelings for Mi-ji were solidified. Ho-su wanted to prove himself and others wrong about his injuries from his car accident and that he could still be active physically so he climbed up the stairs to the top of the mountains by himself. And as all his classmates were running back down the stairs, there was someone waiting for him at the top – none other than Mi-ji. And this was the reason as to why Ho-su fell for Mi-ji: because she believed in him and knew that he had what it took to challenge himself and climb up the stairs. She knew he could do it. She had confidence and faith in him. And sure enough, Mi-ji waved at him and greeted him with a smile when he showed up. For Ho-su, this was such an impactful and meaningful moment in his life because he had someone who was on his side and someone who believed in him. He had someone who supported him. There was just something that was so wholesome and sweet about this moment. Maybe it’s because we’ve become accustomed in K-dramaland to see our main couples do pivotal things together so I expected Mi-ji to climb up the stairs with Ho-su. And perhaps that’s why I liked the little switch-up of Mi-ji waiting at the top for Ho-su even more and why I felt like the impact was even greater. Ho-su did what he wanted to do, which was climb up the stairs by himself without anyone bothering or interrupting him. And he also received confirmation that the person who he liked had supported him and felt the same way about him. It really was so heart-fluttering seeing Mi-ji wait at the top of the mountain for Ho-su. It may not seem all that grand and huge but because this moment was so simple and seamless, it was even more impactful.

Speaking of heart-fluttering moments, the ending of episode 6 between Ho-su and Mi-ji was also so good and well-done. Ho-su finally knew that it was Mi-ji who he had been interacting with this entire time (about time!!). He also gave her a piggyback ride on their walk home because she had injured her ankle and was limping. Again, like all their other interactions before, the piggyback ride was so sweet and simple and lovely and there was this one moment in particular where Mi-ji laid her head on the back of his as they continued their walk. I just love moments like these that are so simple, peaceful, and calm. There’s still plenty of chaotic times between the two (cough cough drunk Mi-ji cough cough) but I also just love the easygoing moments between Mi-ji and Ho-su. Whether in high school or in the present, they’re each other’s guardians and biggest fans. They’re there for each other, they stand up for each other, and they look out for each other. They protect each other at all times.

Things also ramped up with the involvement of Ho-su’s former boss, Chung-goo, who’s now working with Mi-ji’s company in the redevelopment project. He was trying to set up Mi-ji to go up against Ho-su so it’s going to be interesting to see how Mi-ji and Ho-su react to this. In episode 6, Mi-ji was already feeling conflicted by sharing information with Ho-su that she was told to keep confidential and by worrying about Kim Ro-sa. Her heart isn’t with her company but rather with Kim Ro-sa. Though it was a little frustrating seeing her be careless with the confidential documents that she lost or immediately confiding in Ho-su about the information she learned (like girl!!, take better care of your stuff T_T), her actions proved where she stood in the redevelopment project (she’s on the side of Ho-su and Kim Ro-sa). 

Even though episodes 5 and 6 were more about Ho-su and Mi-ji as well as the redevelopment project, there were still some moments outside of these sub-plots that I liked. One of them being Mi-ji’s report that she wrote and the humiliation and shame that she felt after she got scolded for all her mistakes in the report. It was interesting to see her open up to her co-worker about the situation and how she felt about it. She put so much effort into it but it still wasn’t good enough and it reminded her of why she initially shut herself out for 3 years. Mi-ji didn’t want to return back to that dark place. Grandma was the person who pushed her to finally step out into the world again and to start feeling okay again. They made a promise to each other to keep living, to endure each day, to never run away, and to keep going. Even though Mi-ji didn’t have the most experience in doing the more tedious work such as writing reports, she still showed her cleverness and knowledge in certain situations, such as the meeting with the CEO where she answered his questions correctly. She proved that this was her project, her work, and that she was the one who rolled up the sleeves to do the dirty work. She refused to let her team leaders get the credit for the work that she did and they also embarrassed themselves by not being able to answer the CEO’s questions properly. Mi-ji is looked down upon and bullied at work which was why the moments where she answered the CEO’s questions or understood work terms like KPI stood out. It was why things that her company was never able to do before such as setting up a meeting with Kim Ro-sa which Mi-ji was finally able to do was crucial. It proved that she was learning, growing, getting the hang of things, and that she belonged. It proved that she had what it took to succeed.

If there was anything that stood out to me a little bit more after watching episodes 5 and 6, it’d be that I wished there was a way to blend the Seoul and countryside storylines just a little bit better. There’s not enough of Se-jin and Mi-rae in the first place which was such a shame because I like the both of them a lot. Ho-su and Mi-ji’s relationship is different and has their own strengths. The same thing could be said about Mi-rae and Se-jin. Mi-rae distanced herself from Se-jin after hearing the dating rumors about them which reminded her of the rumors that started at her workplace so she quit working at the strawberry farm. However, she realized that the only place she had and could go to was Se-jin’s strawberry farm so she returned back to him. We also got a hint about Se-jin’s feelings for Mi-rae at the end of episode 6 when he admitted that he liked the dating rumors between them. He didn’t mind the dating rumors. It was one of those scenes that would have been so much more impactful if the drama had just devoted a little bit more time to developing their relationship. I thought the scene was sweet and adorable and I was still squealing like an idiot but it would have hit even more if there was more time spent on building their relationship. And it’s because the drama hasn’t spent as much time on Se-jin and Mi-rae’s relationship that I felt like episodes 5 and 6 were a little bit choppy and jumpy. The majority of the time was spent on everything that was happening in Seoul which was fine, but then it’s as if it remembered that there were still people back in the countryside so it quickly pivoted back to Se-jin and Mi-rae for a few minutes and then went back to Seoul again. I understand that Mi-rae and Se-jin are more of your second lead characters but I wished the drama spent a little bit more time on them. I wished there was a way to blend the two worlds more seamlessly.

I also would have liked to see more interactions between the sisters. They do little check-ins with each other to confirm information or to ask each other questions, but I especially liked the scene where Mi-ji called Mi-rae to ask how she was doing since Mi-ji realized that she had never really done that before. I want to see more of the twin sisters acknowledge what the other person was going through and how hard it must have been for them. Yes, switching identities was a way for Mi-rae to take a brief break from her toxic workplace and suffocating life but the intention behind it was to also open up Mi-ji and Mi-rae’s eyes to what they each were enduring. I hope we get to see more of that in the upcoming episodes. Learning the backstories of our characters and their relationships is great and fun, but I also hope the drama continue to focus on the familial aspects of the show, such as the twin sisters with Grandma, the twin sisters with Mom, or with each other.

Mi-ji and Mi-rae agree that they’ll wrap things up soon and return back to normal, but it may not happen so smoothly. Work is chaotic and crazy for Mi-ji. Everyone (except for Mom and Ho-su’s Mom) already pretty much knows what they were up to. Mi-ji’s relationship with Ho-su is finally starting to stabilize and go in the direction that she wants (the timing is finally right!). Will the twin sisters get out of this unscathed? What kind of things will unravel once they return back to their lives? Do they even want to return back to what it was like before or perhaps do they prefer to live the life that they’re currently in?