K-DRAMA RECAP: “Love Next Door” Episodes 7 and 8

An unwelcome guest enters the scene, turning everything upside down with his sudden appearance. Also, we get a shocking revelation, making us question everything we thought we knew about our heroine.

At least, we got a confession out of our male lead, though it seems he might have to wait for a while to get an answer. Hopefully, it won’t be as long as he took to utter the word.

Love Next Door Episodes 7 and 8 Highlights

Before Seok-ryu can get any answers from Seung-hyo, the drama surprises us in a bad way and has Seok-ryu’s ex-fiancé show up before them. As expected from a cheater, he is shameless to the core. And I bet no one would have minded it if Seung-hyo beat him to a pulp. But our rational boy held back for Seok-ryu’s sake since he believes she is still in love with her ex-fiancé.

Rewinding to Seok-ryu and Mo-eum’s conversation from last week, we learn that Seok-ryu didn’t mean she wasn’t over her ex, but that she was still trying to forget their time together. Since Seung-hyo only overheard a part of the conversation, he misunderstood the situation. And unless Seung-hyo listens to Mo-eum and musters up the courage this time, things are bound to get only worse.

정해인의 오랜 짝사랑 알고 있었던 절친 김지은, 응원의 한마디(?) #엄마친구아들 EP.7 | tvN 240907 방송

And by that I mean Mi-suk’s annoying matchmaking attempts to get Seok-ryu back with her ex-fiancé even though he admitted to being the one in the wrong, though he didn’t state what he did wrong. To Mi-suk, Seok-ryu getting back with her ex-fiancé also means returning to the US and the successful lifestyle. So, she is up for it, without taking a moment to ask her daughter what she really wants.

The only perk of this sequence is getting a biking session between a dressed-up Seok-ryu and a jealous Seung-hyo who couldn’t help but butt in, having spotted Seok-ryu with the ex-fiancé . Make no mistake, Seok-ryu only dressed up because of Mi-suk’s nagging. Yet I guess this sight got Seung-hyo to take action. But can’t he be more honest instead of going around in circles and annoying Seok-ryu?

질투심에 심통 난 정해인, 정소민 심기 건드리다 망친 벚꽃 라이딩ㅠㅠ #엄마친구아들 EP.7 | tvN 240907 방송

Having realized his mistake, Seung-hyo finally decides to give Seok-ryu a proper answer and confess his feelings but surprisingly she stops him short before he utters the work (probably because she already knows the answer), arguing that things are too complicated for her right now so Seok-ryu wants Seung-hyo to give her his answer later.

Trying to be considerate, Seung-hyo agrees to postpone that conversation until later, but not without asking if Seok-ryu plans to keep seeing the ex-fiancé. And when Seok-ryu reassures him that isn’t the case, Seung-hyo looks relieved.

Things turn chaotic again, though, when Seung-hyo walks in on Seok-ryu while she is having lunch with her ex-fiancé. Further complicating things, he wasn’t alone but with the ex-girlfriend. Is this a love square we are getting here?

Seung-hyo is only focused on Seok-ryu and how she broke her promise to not see her ex-fiancé and Seok-ryu seems uncomfortable and quite jealous too, spotting Seung-hyo with the ex-girlfriend. But yet again, what is the use if the right words aren’t uttered?

Thankfully, before I deemed both of them lost causes, Seung-hyo finally utters the right words, telling Seok-ryu he likes her. I was on the edge of my seat, watching this scene from the moment Seung-hyo started running to the moment he said the word. Actually, I got worried this was another failed attempt, but no. We have a confession here.

[고백엔딩] "이번엔 꼭 말할 거야" 정해인, 정소민에게 드디어 짝사랑 고백! #엄마친구아들 EP.7 | tvN 240907 방송

Before we could get an answer, a taken aback Seok-ryu burned herself, getting Seung-hyo worried. He rinses her hand in cold water while bringing up how taking care of her and worrying about her has been his fate all along. Not that he is complaining about it.

Still, the part that cracked me up was the post-confession freak out where Seung-hyo was all over the place, going back and forth between scolding and praising himself for the confession and then peeking through the curtains to check if Seok-ryu was up. Actually, both of them spent the night peeking. And it would have been much better to just call each other and meet instead of staying up all night wondering.

In a flashback, we see young Seok-ryu getting too scared to enter the pool and young Seung-hyo comforting her. It was back then that Seok-ryu started developing feelings for Seung-hyo. But as they grew up, those feelings faded away until Seok-ryu completely forgot about it.

Given the hints, I am not surprised Seok-ryu liked Seung-hyo in the past. And maybe those feelings have already resurfaced, but she hasn’t realized it yet. I mean, she kept calling every day to check if the results of the gym remodeling competition were out and worried about it more than Seung-hyo himself. (Side note: Seung-hyo won the competition and now he can get some closure with that chapter of his life.)

//이불킥// 고백 후폭풍에 몸부림치는 정해인X정소민, 인고의 시간 #엄마친구아들 EP.8 | tvN 240908 방송

Initially, Seung-hyo told Seok-ryu to take her time and think it through before answering him. He knows things are confusing for Seok-ryu with the ex-fiancé’s return. So, Seung-hyo doesn’t want to pressure her. Still, setting an expiration date for the answer would be fair. Cue: our leads visiting a convenience store to check which product to go with and Seung-hyo choosing the one with the shortest shelf life.

As if Seok-ryu’s plate isn’t already full with the ex-fiancé acting clingy, things get more complicated when Seok-ryu’s parents find out she has been taking cooking classes and scold her for it. Satisfyingly enough, Seok-ryu refuses to take it, calling her parents out for having double standards, allowing her brother to do whatever he wants but being too strict with her and not allowing her to make a single mistake.

Having had enough, Seok-ryu storms out and Seung-hyo, who happened to be there, follows her out. Taking her on a stroll to help her feel better, Seok-ryu is embarrassed that Seung-hyo keeps witnessing all her embarrassing moments. But our boy is only focused on counting down the days left until Seok-ryu gives him an answer. I wonder how Seung-hyo managed to keep it in all this time when he is that smitten.

Since she can’t practice at her father’s diner anymore, Seung-hyo offers to let Seok-ryu practice in the firm’s kitchen after working hours. But the ex-fiancé follows her there, arguing he wants a consultation. And I really have had enough of those pointless and annoying confrontations.

While waiting for feedback on the dishes, Seok-ryu starts to experience severe pain in her stomach. Both Seung-hyo and the ex-fiancé rush over to help her, but surprisingly Seok-ryu chooses to go with the ex-fiancé and leaves Seung-hyo behind.

갑작스레 고통 호소하는 정소민, 정해인 대신 기댄 전 약혼자?! #엄마친구아들 EP.8 | tvN 240908 방송

Luckily, the drama doesn’t leave us to wonder for long and reveals the reason for Seok-ryu’s decision. Shockingly, Seok-ryu had stage 2 stomach cancer 3 years ago, and that was the reason she took one year off. Back then, Seok-ryu got the tumor removed through surgery and received chemotherapy but given the nosebleed from last week and the stomach cramps this week, I am worried about a relapse.

Back at the firm, Seung-hyo sits down all alone and sad, wrongly assuming Seok-ryu chose her ex-fiancé over him since he has no idea about Seok-ryu’s sickness. Seeing how Seok-ryu’s family is, I understand why Seok-ryu didn’t tell them and got treated all alone, but why did she keep the truth from Seung-hyo? Even as a friend, they had the right to know and surely he will feel betrayed after learning the truth.

[비밀엔딩] 모두에게 숨겨온 정소민의 과거 위암 투병 사실 #엄마친구아들 EP.8 | tvN 240908 방송

Love Next Door Episodes 7 and 8 Musings

With the first half of the drama over, I guess it is time to address the poor writing decisions. For an average running time of 80 minutes per episode, one might expect that either the drama has so much to cover or we are digging into the secondary characters and giving everyone a fair share of the spotlight. Alas, it is mostly filler or unnecessary plot points no one asked for.

I tried to give the drama the benefit of doubt since there are some moments where the drama shines and the sparks are there. But the story lost me with dragging out the ex-girlfriend storyline and worse, getting the clingy ex-fiancé on board, too. The premiere had us believing he was a cheater, but now we are left to question everything we knew about him and guess Seok-ryu broke up with him because of her illness.

Either way, his sudden return isn’t welcomed by anyone except for Mi-suk, who seems to have returned to her old ways. And at this point in the story, I can’t tolerate her harsh treatment of Seok-ryu. Mi-suk is busy pampering her dear son and attending to his whims while leaving her daughter to suffer alone.

If I had some hope left for the drama, the terminal illness dashed it. There were multiple ways the drama could go with, so why go down this trodden and frustrating path? This was billed as a story about friends turned lovers, but I am not sure what we are getting here. Between Seung-hyo’s multiple hesitations and Seok-ryu’s indecisiveness towards her ex-fiance, things were frustrating enough, and now this!

My favorite character is hands down Mo-eum. She is such a good friend to Seok-ryu and Seung-hyo. And though she has known everything for a while, she never crosses her boundaries. Mo-eum might root for Seung-ryu to confess his feelings, but she would never bring it up in front of Seok-ryu. She can listen to Seok-ryu ranting about her ex, but not before making sure Seung-hyo isn’t in the room.

Also, Mo-eum is competent at her job and does her best to save people. No wonder both Dan-ho and his daughter deem her a hero. Speaking of heroes, Mo-eum finally learned that her dream man, a.k.a Mudflat Man, is none other than Dan-ho himself. So, one can only imagine how embarrassed she is to face him.

Honestly, the second lead couple’s story is far more interesting than the leads’ story. And I enjoyed the part where Dan-ho worked as a paramedic for a day so that he could write a good story about paramedics having experienced it firsthand. For sure, he did it mainly to get close to Mo-eum, but through that sequence, we could also see how hardworking and passionate he was.

Kim Ji-eun is shining and it won’t be an overstatement to say this is her best role so far. Yun Ji-on is also doing a good job, and I am glad he is playing a likable character this time. Our two Jungs are also doing their best and I doubt the drama would have been half as watchable had it not been for them doing the heavy lifting. But what can we say? Another drama with a strong cast and a weak plot.

[9화 예고FULL] "내가 너한테 이것밖에 안됐어?" 정소민의 고백에 억장이 무너지는 정해인 #엄마친구아들 EP.9

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