Witch's Romance - Episode 9 (A SqueeCap)

He is still here. In fact, this episode is probably WORSE than the ones that have come before. Because we actually get to see Asshat with Ji-yeon. They may have absolutely not chemistry, but still, I get why they would want to be together again.

JoAnne: The level of hate I feel for this relatively innocuous person (not you sweet boy, the other one) is kind of epic.

Episode 9 


Remember how we all went: “YES!” at the end of Witch 8, when he backhugged her and said: “can you maybe not go back to him?” Yeah. Well. We open 9 with both of them seeing the other where there is nobody, remembering happy stuff when there is just sadness left. Stoooopid. Stooooopid, stoooooooooopid!
JoAnne: I just want to die by the end of this episode, honestly.

When they meet in real life at the office (it’s very early before anybody else gets there so I’m guessing they’re both having trouble sleeping) things are just extremely awkward between the two. I’m not even sure what is worse? The sad fantasizing or the awkwardness?
JoAnne: Whichever is worse for Puppy. I am firmly on his side. I will never budge from Camp Puppy, no matter what he does or where he goes.  Team Puppy forever! Fucking Polar Bears, who needs them anyway?  Can you cuddle a polar bear? No. Can a polar bear cheer you up? No.  Does a polar bear come running to greet you at the end of a long day? AGAIN NO.

Just when they’re ready to talk about “yesterday”, PhotoGuy comes in. Ji-yeon punishes him for the paparazzi incident and PhotoGuy tortures Dong-ha with pictures of Ji-hyeon smiling happily at Asshat. Fawk you!
JoAnne: How are they all so STOOPID that they don't see his sadness?

HatefulAssistant is cooking something up. Apparently, Asshat fired her. Good. Because I really, really hate that woman. She is crazy and obsessed and needs to leave right this minute.
JoAnne: She was evil in something else too and it kills me that I can't remember what but I think it was gisaeng-y and hanbok-y and the sound of her voice makes me want to shoot things.

Intern gets some interview training (anybody else that girl is extremely annoying?) from Ji-yeon while her mother starts cooking for her at home. She is cooking looooooads of food and has the great idea to adorn the table with some guycandy: Moldy Spinach and Dong-ha are also invited! Thank you Dramagods for Cutie Soo, he just makes me laugh, calling her mother Noonim and everything.
JoAnne: I loved this and it was a complete surprise!  How awesome that Mom has decided (now she knows he could have a proper career, plus she always knew he was a good person) that Meestah Yoon is the one for her daughter. And I totally love this Mom anyway.

Mother asks “how can he be so perfect, lacking absolutely nothing” while looking at their butts. Obviously a lady who has got her prriorities right. She is totally in love with Mr. Yoon now, parts of it being based on a deep hate for Asshat. Bravo. Keep that up. Very suddenly, both Mother and Cutie Soo leave – probably thinking they’re doing the two NotQuiteLovers a favor.
JoAnne: I keep hoping there will be a stunning departure from KDrama norm and they will get back together early and be affectionate VERY OFTEN.

Nope.
JoAnne: Sigh.

Awwwwwwwkward ....

But while there’s not much sizzling in the one place, it sizzles quite a lot in the other. At the fishcake restaurant where she drops some side dishes off, Mother runs into Mr. Sheksi by chance. At least we get some romance.
JoAnne: Without them and Cutie Soo to take the edge off the AGONY of watching Puppy suffer...I dunno.  Objectively speaking, the fact that we can feel so strongly about this means they are doing a great job.  But the great job pretty much requires that we hate every minute of it.  What is wrong with us?

Is this drama just going to get more and more painful? Dong-ha, who deposited the magic book into her bookcase in secret the night before seems to be regretting that now – and he tries really hard to make her notice the book. It’s not happening. They joke a little, but it’s not working. When they get too close, they just look like frightened deer. Nope. Not working.
JoAnne: There's just not enough cheesecake ice cream in the world.

The latest news is that Asshat is going to Africa. Do we care? No we don’t. The one who leaked it is HatefulAssistant. Do we care? No we don’t. Asshat is pissed (I think that's what it is, but I'm not sure cause his face isn’t moving) and HatefulAssi keeps lying about Ji-yeon, telling him she doesn't care about him leaving or not. To his credit, he doesn't seem to believe that though. 
JoAnne: Which is good because if they both fall for the same trick again then they deserve each other and I will personally rewrite the ending to this drama and it will NOT involve Puppy getting tossed off a bed mid-kiss by a much older woman. Oh no, it will not.

Ji-yeon goes to Asshat’s place and makes a little scene. Just let him leave, please!!! But he doesn’t friggin WANT to leave. Because she doesn’t want him to leave. She cries, they hug … and I’m feeling them a little. But only because it’s really late and I am so annoyed at the internet connection here. Here being far, far from home ...
JoAnne: I'm telling you, the fact that I hate him does not diminish the truth: I also think these two got a very raw deal 6 years ago. Were it not for puppy I'd be cheering them for trying to overcome all of that, stupid face and all. But Puppy exists, so as far as I am concerned Polar Bear is shit out of luck.

But then, the stupid woman goes and breaks Dong-ha’s heart. She tells him outside the apartment how she told Asshat to stay. He puts on a smile and says that it’s good she did, but you see just how hurt he is. And then, both sit in their apartments, sad and lonely.
JoAnne: She sure doesn't seem to spend a lot of TIME with the stupid bear. Can't Puppy console himself with that? Be strong, Puppy! Have faith! We are rooting for you! And bravo for living what you believe!

The next day, Asshat is at TroubleMaker, I think that’s considered smiling what he is trying to do? (Trying not to pass gas, looks like to me.) Anyway, he has decided to publish a photo book with them. Sense it makes not, but care we do not. Asshat is all happy and drags Ji-yeon outside. After they spend the day together, Asshat brings her home and she invites him in. Yeah, I know.
JoAnne: Fucking fuckers that fuck things up so fucking stupid who does a photo book with a tabloid stupid shitheads how can puppy survive having to look at them all day those stupid fucking fuckheaded fuckwits.

She goes off to make tea and he finds the SOS heart. And pulls on the alarm string. Because … well. He is that kind of person. Stoooooooopid! Of course, Dong-ha comes running right away, just to find Mr. FaceDoesNotMove standing there smirking or whatever he always does. (Secretly passing gas and trying to keep his face from showing it.) Ji-yeon explains to Asshat that Dong-ha gave her the alarm and I think Asshat gets it. Yeah, these two are really close. Much closer than you are with your ex. Swallow that, you toad.
JoAnne: Fuck swallowing. Choke on it.  GO AWAY. NO ONE WANTS YOU.

He even thanks Dong-ha for taking care of his Beloved while he was gone. I want to scratch out his eyes so bad!!!
JoAnne: I do not know how Dong Ha restrains himself from beating this man to a pulp and then pissing on the gory pile of remains. Because right now it's all I can imagine.

Dong-ha just gets sadder and sadder – and then, he hands in his resignation letter. Of course, Ji-yeon isn’t just quietly letting him go. But he simply says: “please consider my feelings” and I’m about to cry. Those little sad things work much better on me than the loud ones.
JoAnne: I feel like if I breathe my heart will shatter into a million pieces.  It's not just that he's in pain, it's that she doesn't understand how deep that pain is and expects him to just continue on like nothing is different. He's begging her to save him and she just doesn't get it.

Dong-ha hangs with Cutie while Ji-yeon goes out with Asshat. Only … she keeps thinking of Dong-ha constantly. Stoooooopid! Who is being dragged to a club by Cutie. We get a few more Cutie highlights. For the record, it’s a terrible idea to go to a Club with a broken heart.
JoAnne: Thank you, Cutie, for giving us a few minutes where we aren't crushed under the weight of Puppy's misery. Like him, we are trying to be brave.

Dong-ha also thinks so and leaves. He is quite drunk. And he gets into a fight … with Asshat’s poster at a bus stop. I need to gif this. 
JoAnne: This is the part where I said you needed to gif every second of it, I think, and you asked me if I was trying to kill you. But now that you've seen it, you understand!

A worried Cutie Soo calls Ji-yeon from outside the club, but she doesn’t know where Dong-ha is either, of course. But now she’s really worried. Good. Just then, she gets a phone call from Dong-ha – only it’s not Dong-ha on the other end but the police. Ji-yeon goes to pick him up (as his "guardian"?) and they walk home, in silence. She in front, he a few steps behind. Love, he says in his head, can be heaven …. But it can also be hell.
JoAnne: He must be so embarrassed. I want to KICK her.

When they finally talk, she is nice to him and obviously cares – but he doesn’t want any of it. She still wants to know more or just talk more, be with him some more – but he has had enough. He cannot blame them for meeting up again, he cannot blame God. So what can he do? He walks away from her, but Ji-yeon still cannot let him go: does he really mean to quit?
JoAnne: Somewhere in here I began ranting at the tv that she cannot have her cake and eat it, too.

What is he to her, he demands to know. Is he a part-timer? A younger brother? A plaything? Does she not understand? He cannot see her anymore, pretending that everything is alright. She dumped him before he even got a chance to start with her. He may have pretended to be okay, but he really is not. Not at all. So just … let him go. Yeah, show. Just break our hearts, will you?
JoAnne: I feel terrible that he has to show himself like this to get her to even START realizing how bad it is for him, but she still thinks he can just power through, you can see it.

 

Comments

How many more episodes with Polar Bear?
When you know that the answer will make you unhappy, you should not ask the question to begin with. I know we need these episodes. Ji Yeon needs to finish her unfinished business but she also needs to realize that it doesn't make sense to continue thinking of him as a boy when she relies on him like a man. She needs to finally realize that what she feels for him is not simply affection.  
yeah, yeah, yeah.


But Dong Ha also has some things to work out. He's a TERRIFIC person, but he is living rather aimlessly if you think about it - a series of odd jobs, no plans for the future, issues with Dad to work out, a rebellious streak. He isn't as grown up as he seems to be, and that age difference would actually be a problem in a serious relationship because of it.  This is one area where maybe this version has gone a little too far - because he is such a sober, reliable person you forget that he's living hand to mouth and sleeping on someone else's couch.  
Sure, sure, sure. 

Ethan Ruan was much more visibly 'college-aged' - he dressed more casually/rougher, he was a surfer, he was defiantly NOT making plans for the future. It was easier to understand that even though they were meant for each other,  he had some growing up to do to be READY for that.  So anyway...this is hard to watch but the pain does serve a purpose. Be brave, my Puppy People! Be brave!
Let's just say I'm glad I only need to watch this once. Bleh.