Surplus Princess - Episode 9 (A SongJaeRimJob)

It's the second to the last episode. Will Pervy get her fun sekshi times? With whom? Or will she really vanish into pink bubbles of vanishment?!
good riddance! (guess who that was)
Did I ever stop to admire the cute animated sequence where they display the episode's title?
JoAnne: Nope. You were always chasing dat ass.
becca: Not that anyone blames you. An apple butt like that is worth chasing.

EPISODE 9 You can at least shoot for the stars

Hyun-myung watches like a pervert behind some bushes as Hani dries her tail and they turn back into human legs. He walks back to the cottage in a daze and ignores Big's and Ji-yong's invitation to go out for beer. He sits in the dark bedroom and connects all the weird stuff about Hani. Like her showing up nekkid near Han River. The tail that's supposedly a mok-bang costume. Why she's always guzzling down lots of water.
He says "She's really a mermaid?" out loud. Hani answers back, "Why? Don't you believe it?" Ack! Hani's here! She says that since he knows, he must die... *cue giant black pupils of horror-ness*
JoAnne: First there was The Ring...and now...The HERRING
kakashi: Ah, but you know ... she might as well NOT be a mermaid because it simply doesn't matter in this drama. Like ... not at all. 

Of course it's just HornDog's dream. But I can't be bothered to look up which horror film they're making a parody of. I'm too busy trying to distract koko. She's very agitated and keeps asking where's Shi-kyung and if he ends up with Hani or not.
JoAnne: I hate that there is even one second in my life where I wondered if your Koko sounds like a chipmunk on speed.
becca: I imagine it as a really hyper yorkie (probably gold - because Mary has a heart of same), complete with pink bow in it's hair. I heard it bites, so I'm still hiding from it.
kakashi: And now I'm thinking about petting koko and that is .... SO DAMN WRONG.
STAHP. ALL OF YOU. Heeheehee~
Next morning, Hyun-myung is very skittish around Hani. He squeezes into the other side of the bench instead of sitting beside her. When Ji-yong upsets a glass of water that spills near Hani's legs, Hye-young jumps up and scolds the shit out of him. Hyun-myung watches the two girls obsessively checking her legs and making sure they're dry. Further cementing what he saw last night.
JoAnne: He tells himself that, but really he's just checking out her legs.
becca: Again, no judgment. That girl has a fine pair of gams.
kakashi: I like this drama best for her legs and fine round bottom. 

They feed the sheep while brainstorming for a new contest entry. (So cute~ sheep! I wanna squish youuuuu~ Also, LOL that the place is called Pony World but it's full of donkeys and sheep. Nice touch.) Every idea they come up with is turned down by mok-bang queen Hye-young because it's already been done before.
JoAnne: Why is it in English? I mean it's not in English, but it IS English.
kakashi: Everything sounds better in English. 
Meanwhile, Hani keeps catching Hyun-myung staring at her but avoiding eye contact. Hye-young wonders if maybe Hyun-myung is still bearing a grudge (about the contest thing). She also teases Hani about caring too much whether Hyun-myung talks to her or not.

From Hyun-myung's POV, he keeps staring at Hani and thinking "she's actually a mermaid????" (Y'mean like the mermaid you were fantasizing about back in Episode 1? Heeheehee~ is that why you're troubled, HornDog?)
Now for some cute. :) Shi-kyung is staring at his phone, sad that he went all the way to the countryside to talk to Hani, but she still doesn't call him back. He dials Hani's number but it's busy. BECAUSE HANI IS CALLING HIM RIGHT NOW!!! They keep calling each other and wondering why the other one is busy. (This scene gave me ulcers from the stress.)
JoAnne: Wouldn't it be cool if they invented something like a little message that would come up on your phone to show you who was calling, even if you were on the phone? What? They've had that for how long? Bite me for being lazy, show.
becca: Wait, that's a thing? Now that is handy!

Shi-kyung tries one last time and finally connects. (Phew~) Hani is chilling w/ the Surplus Housemates on the other end. So when she squeal-answers the phone, Hyun-myung is in a pique and mutters 'how noisy' before walking out.

Hani chats with Shi-kyung about random stuff like the goats and the food contest, giving us an excuse to watch Rim and Jo Boa smile at each other and be cute in general. After the call ends, Rim rubs his cheek because it got too hot from the long convo. (Face, people! Face cheek!)
JoAnne: You don't know. He could have butt dialed.
kakashi: Butt talks to kokoro. It happens. 
He remembers Hani's story about the contest and goes to CEO Hong, asking to be a judge in that same contest. This puzzles Hong because it's a position he turned down before. Shi-kyung claims he was too hasty then but wants to do it now. For the "Globalization of Korean Food". Pffft. He also assures the CEO that he's a totally, like TOTALLY, impartial judge. Like, definitely the epitome of fairness, yessir! (Heehee I wanna see Rim do a Dokko Jin or Lee Geon type of role.)
JoAnne: If he's only joining now because she's in it, but he's swearing to be impartial, does this not cause anyone to pause and wonder why the hell he's bothering? He could just, you know, WATCH THE CONTEST if it's just that he wants to be there at it when she is there at it. Maybe in the REAL Princess, the one that was taken from us too soon, before it ever got a chance to go to Paris or inspire a generation, maybe in that one he used his clout for his honey. But we'll never know, because they wouldn't even give us two weeks. 

CEO Hong is confused about Shi-kyung's recent behavior. Then again, she's just confused in general these days. She opens her laptop and there's a gallery full of pictures of Ahn Ma-nyeo and his yummy octopus balls.
JoAnne: Poor woman didn't stand a chance. Once you've got balls on the brain...
becca: ... the appetite has been whetted, and the craving must be satisfied. But it won't be. Because episode cut.
kakashi: Balls are dangerous. 
Hani meets Hyun-myung in a fenced-in path and he has no choice but to walk across her. She calls him out for acting distant. He says he isn't. But he refuses to look at her. Hani says fine! She won't talk to him too, then! Poor HornDog looks like he wants to take it back. Awww... poor confused HornDog. You know she's a mermaid but your kokoro still beats for her, right?
JoAnne: I expect him to burst out with this awkward pick up line: I really love sushi!
becca: And then she'll burst into tears because Juan Oppa was caught and turned into sushi.
kakashi: Now I know why I've been craving sushi for at least two weeks!! 

Ji-yong calls them to lunch. He's playing with some sort of water sprayer. Hani arrives first and Ji-yong aims the spray at her boots w/ the excuse that she stepped on some goat poop. Hye-young runs to stop him but she's too far, COMMENCE JI-YONG'S SPRAY OF DOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
JoAnne: But WHY? Why couldn't she have gotten sprayed and then flopped around on the lawn like a dying goldfish until all the roomies pick her up and toss her into the pond? WHY?
Hani opens her eyes to see Hyun-myung standing in front of her to block the water. Hye-young finally gets to Ji-yong and hits him for almost damaging Hani's favorite shirt #874. LOL. Hani looks up gratefully at Hyun-myung and thanks him for being thoughtful or whatever. Hyun-myung still can't look her in the eye so he just walks off to lunch.
JoAnne: Oh just stop being a wuss and kiss her.
becca: Yes, please. Do that. Do the thing.
Their lunch is bibimbap stored in tins. While shaking the cans and goofing off, Hyun-myung gets the idea to use shake-able lunchboxes for their contest entry. Which, I dunno. It sounds lamer than the pot insulator. But we'll see later if it'll work.
JoAnne: All I could think about was Taylor Swift's Shake It Off

For now they go home to find Ahn Ma-nyeo shooting water at Sun-kyu's plants. Hehe. He thanks his chingu in their shorthand way and everyone else heads in, too tired to chat. Except Hani.
Ahn Ma-nyeo asks her if she met Shi-kyung, proudly saying that he was the one who gave him the farm's address. Hani realizes that Shi-kyung went for her and not for the cheese and the two merpeople titter and squee. Yes, even AMN. (I KNOW, RIGHT?!) While Hyun-myung eavesdrops and mutters grumpily about their Shi-kyung obsession.
JoAnne: I somehow did not realize that she did not realize that right away. Stupid goldfish brain. Her, not me.
becca: I'm going to miss Ahn Ma-nyeo! Good thing Ahn Gil-kang is getting steady work these days. Speaking of whom, I recently watched The Beast and the Beauty, and he was roll-around-in-bed-laughing-like-a-crazy-person funny. Which surprises no one, I'm sure.

Later, Hyun-myung divvies up the tasks for the contest. They only have two days left! Chop! Chop!
Hye-young hosts a sad mok-bang (because she's still in a funk about that musical). Someone calls on her phone and she grumps at them that she's busy on air-- until the caller says that she passed the 2nd audition after all. She hastily ends the mok-bang and runs downstairs to share the good news with Big. (LOOK HOW CLOSE THEY ARE GETTING. MIGHT AS WELL KISS, YOU TWO.)
JoAnne: If they're gonna kiss she might as well grab his tush, right?
becca: That sounds reasonable, yes.

Hye-young says it's a secret. The 3rd audition is a week from now. Big volunteers to be the stand-in for the guy role during her practice, and I laughed my dirty ass off at how they make like cats and sneak upstairs. It looked like a girl and her boyfriend sneaking to have fun, sekshi times, no?
JoAnne: You just wrote a note to remind yourself to get a multi-story house for when Rim is your boyfriend, didn't you.
The audition piece is a scene from 500 Days of Summer. The one where they shop for a bed and discuss their relationship. Big gulps as he confirms that they have to practice... in b-bed? Hye-young is all business like as she lies down and pats the spot beside her.
JoAnne: This should be good.
kakashi: How stupid can you get. Sorry, I promised not to be negative! I mean it in a positive way! 

Big nervously lies down but can hardly keep still when Hye-young gets within kissing distance and stares at his face while she "captures the feels". He calls for a bathroom break and runs downstairs to splash his face with water and tell his heart to calm down. Calm down.
becca: Or not. You could just go for it, Big. One more episode - chop chop!
He gets back upstairs and Hye-young teases him for pooping because he's so nervous. Ha! He becomes defensive and lies down immediately. But it's no use. Once Hye-young gets near him again, he can only stutter and stare at her lips and forget his line.
JoAnne: Well that's one way to pretend you're not into someone...connect them with pooping. Yes.

Hye-young sits up and ends the rehearsal, saying it's no use. Big makes a decision and pulls his noona back down for a kissssssssssss~ That's a good boy. I'll let Jo reward you, shall I?
JoAnne: As a reward, Young Pup, I will teach you to kiss. Bring chapstick. Unflavored.

(Also take note: We are happy for the kiss, story-wise. But this particular kiss gets a 1/10 for hitting lips but not moving whatsoever.) hahahahahahahaha totally unplanned.
Big apologizes to his noona and runs away after the kiss. (Probably to get Jo's reward?)
JoAnne: If he has any brains at all, yes.

Meanwhile over at JH Food Corp, Jin-ah is having a mini birthday party with her teammates. Shi-kyung's absence is notable, but the teammates assume that he's preparing a separate special event for Jin-ah. (Me: NO. HE IS NOT.) In fact, he is busy confirming his order of flowers and is on his way to pick them up.

Jin-ah intercepts him in the lobby and I almost get another ulcer from the stress, lest she Ursulas her way between My Cuties again. Thankfully, Shi-kyung says he has plans tonight, and runs away to go to his Pervy. (Not me or So Eun, the Mermaid.)
Wow, he looks particularly good in these shots.
*sigh* Rim, thank you for being born.
Sorry, Jin-ah. You can't touch this.
Sun-kyu texts Jin-ah a birthday greeting and tells her to feel free to visit her old home. Jin-ah is so lonely she actually goes. She arrives in time to see Shi-kyung bashfully giving Hani a bouquet of flowers from the living-room's glass walls. Pwahaha~ she walks away, leaving us to enjoy the next scene.
JoAnne: Why would she go there? Did that make any sense at all? No it did not.
becca: She's lonely. She has no one. Even witches want someone to care about them. (That's what henchmen are for.)
kakashi: I've always been a bit pro Jin-ah, but didn't dare tell.

So, Shi-kyung is giving Hani some flowers while the three sharehouse boarders look on. Ji-yong is pissed that Shi-kyung doesn't greet or remember him despite meeting thrice already. Big is a bit wary (this guy hurt his pervy noona!) but acts as peacemaker. While Hyun-myung, OH MY LORD. Hahaha~ Hyun-myung is muttering "We don't need flowers here". And shooting puppy betrayed looks at Big for being cordial to their guest.
JoAnne: I'm irritated.  He was crushing on her, then he was horrified to learn her secret, then he was subconsciously afraid she'd kill him (how, is he gonna choke on a fish bone or something?) and then he was just right back to crushing on her. No internal dialogue about it, no sharing of thoughts with the audience, just BAM! she's a fish? whatever.
becca: No one in the show questioned the logic. Why should we? NEXT!
He asks Big to ask Shi-kyung questions like "What are you doing here?" despite Shi-kyung being right in front of him. Shi-kyung isn't shy at all about saying he dropped by to see Hani. Hyun-myung's face at this outright admission is priceless. Hahaha! He gets mad when Hani talks about the contest, so she invites Shi-kyung to her room. Which puts me in giggles because (1) I iz dirty nao, and (2) Hyun-myung's face is priceless again.
JoAnne: I just realized I was snacking on goldfish crackers and now I can't stop laughing. (I like the cheddar ones, and I mix with raisins. Go on. Try it.)
becca: I love goldfish crackers!
kakashi: Me too, me too! 
The two lovebirds put some cheese on starting with Shi-kyung's "Is it the lighting in your room? You look really prettier right now." (I just can't stand this scene. I keep expecting another of Hani's erotic daydreams. Hahaha.) HornDog has his ear pressed up to the door again. When Shi-kyung "encourages" Hani by patting her hair, Hyun-myung can't take it and barges in, calling Hani down for a "very important meeting" about the contest.
JoAnne: Why am I the only person who thinks that giver of one of those head pats deserves to have his octopus balls handed to him on a platter? You pet dogs. You pat toddlers. (kokoros?) You don't do anything approximating that kind of move on a woman you want to show your takoyaki to.
becca: Word. And yet it's a thing. In movies, dramas, manga/manhwa - you name it. Rim did it to So-eun, and we know what we know about that, right?
kakashi: It's an Asian thing, maybe?
I think so. Some guy explained it to me once. It's like squeeing for them. They think you're so cute and squishy, they just want to touch/cuddle you but it's not that type of relationship yet. They dare not touch anywhere else. So yes, patting hair/head seems "safest" for them.
She says "just a moment" to Shi-kyung, but Hyun-myung emphasizes it'll take a loooooooong time. And even after Hani leaves, he looks at Shi-kyung and repeats. A looooooooooooong time.
JoAnne: I immediately begin shipping an entirely new, heretofore unconsidered OTP.
becca: *jaw drops* HAHAHAHA. Rim's smile suddenly looks really dirty.
Shi-kyung checks his phone and sees the company chatroom full of birthday greetings for Jin-ah. He goes drinks with her in a bar. (I assume she called him? Maybe he just KNEW. Cause they have that very special unmyeong connection, hehehe) They must've cut that part. Together with the 4-6 more promised episodes we didn't get to see EVER.) Shi-kyung tells her to stop drinking. She uses her birthday as an excuse. She's so happy he came! Now she doesn't feel lonely like in her past birthdays.
JoAnne: I think he just saw the greetings, remembered her invite, and realized why she suggested it. So he went because he feels sorry for her. I don't. She is way too 'Pity? Party of one.' for me.
becca: She is. Just shut her down, Rim! Why must you be so nice? It makes what is to come so much more painful!

(Sure Jin-ah, because your past birthdays were spent with HornDog. And you always were against his offer of fun sekshi times. No wonder you're lonely.)
JoAnne: I wouldn't have turned that down even in my sleep.
becca: She's less human than Hani!
The next scene also almost gave me an aneurysm. Rim trying to support a drunk Jin-ah back to her apartment. But she's too drunk to tell him her unit. She wakes up only enough to call his name and hug him further. Shi-kyung has no choice but to bring her up to his apartment and plop her on his bed.
JoAnne: Fucking fuckers who fuck, it's the oldest trick in the book you dumbass.
becca: *guttural growling* I do not believe for a minute that she's as drunk as she seems to be.

She grabs his hand and asks him to stay, but Shi-kyung, OUR STEADFAST SHI-KYUNG SHIP, it does not waver at all. No sirree. It gently but firmly removes her filthy hands from his glorious, chubby fingers and walks away. Jin-ah immediately wakes up and calls herself unbelievable. (Points for awareness! But awareness never did help a shit unless one acted on it. Chop chop, PoopWorm. Thou hast 75 minutes to redeem thyself!)
JoAnne: I retract my previous statement. *awkwardly pats Rim's shoulder while clearing throat* Errr... good job, there.
becca: How could you doubt Shi-kyung?? Also - I was totally right. She was awake and new EXACTLY what she was doing. Koko, you have my permission to bite this one time.
kakashi: Uhm, alright. I don't like her. I was wrong. 
Next morning, the Surplus Team is nervous but excited to go to the contest. Big lets his teammates leave first and takes a moment to talk to his Hye-young noona. He asks her if she didn't feel anything. Noona does her usual defense: baby-talking with Big to show him he's not a namja to her. Big wants none of that shit and hugs his noona close. He says he's just a jobless student right now, but he promises to make something of himself. For noona. He leaves and Hye-young clutches her kokoro. The upper one. On the chest.
JoAnne: Yeah, cause he got me in the other one.
becca: *covers ears*
We get a glimpse of the contest area while Elite Study Group presents their-- I mean, Hyun-myung's pot insulator idea. BTW, that cute, really tall guy who looks like Daniel Choi in some angles is Big's model friend. He shows up in lots of Big's pic tweets and is taller than Big (Wooot? O____o). //End of my "pimp a random k-actor" deed for the day.
JoAnne: He has no eyebrows. *next*
becca: Also passing on this one.
Jin-ah arrives at the contest venue too. Conveniently ordered by Team Leader to bring some documents to Shi-kyung for signing. And it's funny how scared she is to see Hani there before realizing she's also joining the contest. (She probably thought Shi-kyung brought Hani along as a date.) Jin-ah tries to leave, but Hani stops her, calling her out for lying about dating Shi-kyung. Hani even quotes Shi-kyung's "No. Absolutely not." answer. Ha!
JoAnne: She can be quite vicious on occasion. I'm thinking there's a little piranha in that family coral.

Jin-ah, who is probably getting the worst post-birthday day ever, bites back with "So what? It doesn't change anything. You're still not good for Sheppunim, so stop dreaming." WOW that is some MAJOR projection action going in there, Jin-ah. Why don't you talk to a mirror instead?
JoAnne: *Bites back*  hehehe someone's been spending time at DSS working on Bad Guys, I see.
becca: *thinks of Park Hae-jin and explodes again*
Hani gets the final word when she tells Jin-ah to watch out. She'll definitely win the contest and get into JH! Jin-ah is rightfully scared. Your brain's scheming can only take you so far, but a crazy kokoro's power is limitless. And we all know which one Hani uses.
JoAnne: Has anyone here ever seen the (incredibly cheap and poor quality made in the 70s) horror movie 'Basket Case' ? Because this is now sort of how I picture Koko.
becca: HAHAHA. Oh, those actors are so bad it's hilarious. Also, thanks. Now I'm going to have nightmares.
I watched that clip and was just mad they didn't show what happened after the door opens. Also, koko is cuter than that. (Ssshhh... she's sitting beside me.)

Hyun-myung sits in the toilet practicing his spiel and doing smiling exercises (he should get a retainer like Rim's). I try not to remember Rim's smile-straightener, but the images. They are STRONG. (Haha! That was not planned, folks. I swear.) He exits his stall only to find Shi-kyung using the urinal. (*sigh* I wanna do that too) I was expecting some sort of pissing contest, but Shi-kyung doesn't recognize him and just leaves. Haha.
JoAnne: I am unclear on what it is, exactly, you wish to do with Rim. (I wanna exit the bathroom and just find him there. Hanging around.)
kakashi: They didn't compare sizes, no. 
Hyun-myung echoes Jin-ah in panicking that Shi-kyung is there to cheer for Hani. (Haha at everyone assuming anything these two do is solely for each other. Then again, they're not exactly wrong.) He follows Shi-kyung out and I almost have a panic attack that he'll leave his presentation folder again. (He doesn't.)

He DOES go to his teammates and assure them that he's fine. The others are all breaking into a nervous sweat and drinking calming meds. They insist that Hyun-myung take one. Then, since he's the presenter, they press him to take another. He takes it and collapses. (Ohn Joo-wan rolls his eyes up really well. Haha)
JoAnne: That was pretty good, I agree.
The next time we see him, he's being rolled away into an ambulance. The paramedics lecture Ji-yong for buying medicines online. Then they take Hyun-myung away, leaving the three idiots to present the product themselves. Ji-yong and Big try to practice Hyun-myung's lines, but they're both really bad at it and can barely speak from nervousness. So it's left to our Mermaid to do it.
JoAnne: Of course it is.
kakashi: Foook, I just sat through 120minutes of VERY painful presentations. I can't even hear the word presentation.

Since they're the last presenters, she takes the stage to a bored audience and judge panel. Except Shi-kyung, who gives her a big smile and a hwaiting sign. Meanwhile, Hyun-myung is up inside the ambulance and begging to be let out. He runs away at a stoplight, but will he make it?
JoAnne: Honestly they're not even TRYING.
Hani starts with the presentation, making lots of mistakes while reading the usual corporate bullshit about graphs and organic food boom. She gives up and puts down the mic beside her phone, which she uses to play some music on her phone (Noh Hongchul's and PSY's Heundeureo Chuseyo?)
Hani dances while shaking the lunch box. The audience sneer at this "cheap gimmick" and even CEO Hong whispers to the judge beside her that this is what newbies do when they don't have a decent idea. Shi-kyung half-face-palms, probably not knowing how to react.
JoAnne: Of all the things she has done as Ha Ni, for some reason this is the thing, the one thing, the most terrifying thing. I bow to her.
becca: Very gutsy, yes.
But when the song ends, Hani opens the lunchbox to show her instant bibimbap. She talks about millenials all over the world being too busy job-hunting/climbing corporate ladder to eat a complete meal. And adds the bonus that you can exercise while preparing said meal. LOL. Everyone laughs (in appreciation this time). Shi-kyung cheers and gets a goofy "my girl is so cute and GOOD" grin. And Hyun-myung arrives just in time to fall a little more in love as Hani saves their presentation.
becca: I'm conflicted about that love-line. He's a complete darling, but we just don't have time to feel the love. It feels very oppa-dongsaeng to me at this stage.
He finds her exiting the presentation room in a nervous high. She's glad to find him okay and chatters on about the presentation, and Hyun-myung does that male lead thing of walking namja-ly towards the girl and just pulling her close.
JoAnne: It's kind of swoony, though.
becca: It is. But then it gets awkward when they just stand there like that. It's not even a real hug, which I would find even more swoon-worthy. This is a gripe I have about many hero-hugs, though.

Hani blink-blinks that she was... uhm... very nervous. And Hyun-myung also tries to act normal, telling her she did a good job. Well, as normal as you can act while hugging the girl-slash-mermaid you might maybe like?
And now, if you have a Kdrama Bingo Card, feel free to cross out the entry that goes: Other Guy In Love Triangle Walks In On The Other Two Having A Moment. Because Shi-kyung, my poor Shi-kyung runs out looking for Hani with a huge grin on his face, only to find her hugging "some guy" in the hallway.
JoAnne: Remember when he couldn't recognize people? hahahhaah, that was so long ago...
kakashi: He just sees "Hulk pressing against what is most likely my girl, now NOT my girl".

COMMENTS


Poor Shi-kyung. T^T I dun wanna comment! Let's go to Episode 10! Palli!!!
JoAnne: It's okay. We'll find so eun else for him.
becca: ba-DUM-chhhh.
kakashi: Yes, I'm sure he's in love with her, but we don't realize this. The show knows though. They'll explain in episode 10.
Hahahaha!