www.youtube.com/watch?v=4okKSigjyc4

 

 

Unsurprisingly, Tae-joon has no intention to go to the hospital after he hears Dad has collapsed. He tells Jae-hee that it has nothing to do with him and to leave him alone.

Jae-hee won’t hear a word of it, knowing that he’ll regret it, “How can I leave you alone when I see it’s clearly hurting and tormenting you?”

 

Tae-joon hesitantly creaks open the hospital room door and Dad is already up and about, searching around. Dad is relieved to see him and explains that his blood pressure just shot up.

Without a word, Tae-joon adjusts the bed and turns on the humidifier, which reminds Dad how Tae-joon was the one by Mom’s sick bedside. Dad admits that he didn’t know how great the burden was and he starts to see why Tae-joon was so angry with him.

But Tae-joon bites back that no, Dad has no idea and mutters that he’s relieved to hear that it’s not anything serious.

 

Jae-hee and Tae-joon walk back to school and he silently takes Jae-hee’s hand. He says, “Can we… just walk like this for a while?” Don’t you think telling her the truth about two important things (her secret and your feelings) come before hand-holding?

He sighs that if he doesn’t hold someone’s hand like this, he feels like he might lose his way forever.

 

Seung-ri pays Hanna one last visit before he’s discharged, determined to make Hanna laugh. She warns him that she’s not the type to laugh easily but that won’t deter him because he came prepared. He delivers, “What’s it called when an almond dies?” Hanna: “A diamond.”

He lists off joke after as Hanna lazily matches them with each punchline until one finally stumps her. (“What’s the opposite of a compact car?”) Seung-ri breaks into a huge grin for his grand moment, “A big car.”

Hanna maintains her poker face until she wheels away with a small smile.

 

Jae-hee has taken to literally drawing out motivation for Tae-joon with a scribbled mark a centimeter higher than his previous record.

Seung-ri drills the track and field team and Jong-min gripes, asking whether the brutal treatment is punishment for not visiting Seung-ri in the hospital. Seung-ri: “Do I look like someone who’d hold a grudge over something like that?” Then he orders more sit ups.

Okay I get that as a girl, it’s hard to keep up with the guys in the number of sit ups, but how can a star runner get away with barely lifting her head off of the ground? Tae-joon lends a sneaky hand to help but he tugs too hard and Jae-hee flies on top of him. Omo.

They stare at each other, surprised, and then Seung-ri praises Jae-hee’s enthusiasm to the rest of the team. More sit ups.

Jae-hee puts a hand to her flushed cheeks, recalling the charged moment in practice. Adding his peculiarly nice behavior, a belated lightbulb flashes above her head, “Does Tae-joon like me?”

But that would mean Tae-joon likes guys and she shakes herself out of it, thinking it impossible.

Either Tae-joon has the world’s best selective hearing or has only paid attention to the last part of her freakout so Jae-hee puts her theory to the test. She shows him a picture in a magazine and asks what he thinks.

Tae-joon truthfully answers that he finds it pretty and would accept a date in a heartbeat. That makes Jae-hee gasp in horror, “Tae-joon… do you like guys?!” He clearly has no idea what she’s talking about since he’s staring at a photo of a woman. Then her eyes notice the fallen picture of the man on the floor.

 

Things are less tense but still awkward during high jumping practice and Hyun-jae fails to clear the 2.30m mark. Hyun-jae hears the same criticism that he’s jumping too early and Tae-joon suggests a tip to sing rather than count off his steps. The song? “A Frog Boy.”

One, two, and three times Tae-joon jumps and hits the bar on the same height. Coach Baek raises an eyebrow at the sudden regression. Is there something worrying him? Is he dating anyone?

Coach Baek tells him that one or two seconds can make a difference between success or failure in high jumping.

Tae-joon is puzzled as to why he’s been doing so terribly lately and dismisses the possibility that Dad’s condition may actually worry him. He’s been reviewing his jumps on Jae-hee’s phone when a text from Eun-gyul comes through.

Today’s the day of what was supposed to be Eun-gyul’s debut national soccer match and she’d agreed to watch the game with him. But then she’s like, “Should I tell him I can’t go if you have stuff to do today?”

Wait… so you’re willing to throw the friend who saved your life under a bus like that for Tae-joon who hasn’t told you anything? Why am I not surprised?

 

Doc watches the two from a distance and smiles warmly. But weren’t you afraid that the closer they’d get and if they eventually told each other the truth, Jae-hee would have to leave? Should I have this many questions?

Teacher Lee gazes at Doc (I don’t blame ya) when Coach Baek walks up behind her. I particularly love his scowl as Teacher Lee chatters on about how y Doc is with his bulging veins. Then Coach Baek flexes too and mutters, “There’s nothing different.”

At the hospital, Director Jang tells Dad to take it easy and asks if Tae-joon dropped by. Dad nods and she asks how long Dad intends to keep the truth about Mom from Tae-joon. Hmm.

Dad answers that Tae-joon is better off not knowing and asks that she doesn’t mention anything to his son.

Jae-hee asks a final time whether Tae-joon wants to go to the game and he gruffly refuses. She murmurs that it would be nice if he went. It looks like he’s had a sudden change of heart but she turns to leave, only to stop and turn around to grab her phone. He sighs. Whatever – you missed your chance, buddy.

Jae-hee and Eun-gyul watch the match on his phone while sitting in the soccer field. She apologizes about his leg again and he muses that he’s been hearing a lot of apologies lately.

Eun-gyul reminds her that she’s his best friend and he thought it was enough just to be by her side. But lately, he’s wanted more than that.

That prompts Jae-hee to say something but he cuts her off, asking why they both had to be guys. She apologizes again, this time for everything and hopes that he’s not too upset with her if she ever ends up disappointing him.

She wonders if they’ll still be friends. Eun-gyul says they can for as long as Jae-hee wants to be.

 

The boys still fail at clearing the bar at practice until Coach Baek finally stop them. He gives Tae-joon the day off because it’s his heart and not his body that’s getting in the way of jumping his best. As for Hyun-jae? He gets to stay and practice some more.

Coach Baek holds Jae-hee responsible – if they don’t have fun, they’re all in for “hell training.”

Apparently Jae-hee’s idea of preventing Tae-joon from exercising is sitting on his back while he does push ups. He gets in a few before he collapses on the ground. She laughs like she’s on an amusement park ride.

 

Coach Baek calls Teacher Lee over to impress her with his coffee making skills and bulging forearm veins. She notices them but her comments are more of the observant rather than the y compliment kind.

She particularly worries that one arm is much whiter than the other and pulls up his sleeve to reveal that he’s tied it off. Coach Baek resorts to drinking straight from the cup but it tips over, spilling hot coffee onto his pants.

Jae-hee connects the dots and makes the unsurprising revelation that Tae-joon’s numbers have dropped since Dad went to the hospital. Tae-joon isn’t keen on going out but Jae-hee’s determined to make sure he gets some fresh air and some fun. She has somewhere she wants to take him anyway.

They roam the town, playing games and visiting the local shops. Tae-joon tries to take pictures of Jae-hee without her looking. They stop by his old elementary school and Tae-joon marvels how she even knew where it was.

Jae-hee answers that she knows all things Tae-joon and if it were a test, she would have aced it. Sure you would, except for that bonus question asking whether he can eat eggs or not.

They spend some time in the playground and in his old classroom. Tae-joon, is it okay for you to take out a kid’s notebook and then take a picture of it?

 

When they exit the school, Tae-joon hears a voice call out. We see in the mirror a reflection of an old memory when Dad picked him up from school and doted on his son. Jae-hee asks after what he’s looking at and he says it’s nothing.

They take Sangchu for a walk when they return to school. Walking through his old school brought back some memories, Tae-joon admits. Jae-hee regales him with tidbits about her hometown and how nice it would be to show Tae-joon one day.

 

He asks if she ever regretted coming to Genie High (she doesn’t), finding it strange that he could be a source of strength to someone so far away. He wonders if she’ll leave when he’s back in peak condition again.

Tae-joon wraps her with his jacket when she comments that it’s cold. He gazes into her eyes and she stares back… and he goes in for the kiss. Whhhattttt.

Jae-hee pulls back and Tae-joon can barely stutter a response when she asks if the chocolate he ate earlier had any alcohol. They both know that he’s fully sober but Tae-joon just blubbers that that’s probably what it was. She runs off.

Tae-joon kneels down to Sangchu and confides that if Jae-hee catches on that he knows her secret then she’ll probably leave right away. See what your seed of doubt did there Doc? He muses, “But it’s getting harder to see her as a guy.”

 

Doc doesn’t find the situation a big deal at all (though he’s told they just brushed hands). He asks what Jae-hee would hypothetically do if Tae-joon knew that she was a girl. She says that she’d probably leave because, “It’s getting harder acting like a guy around him.” And here I thought you were doing a pretty good job of acting like a girl around him.

Doc tells her that her secret can’t stay hidden just by trying and tells her why he turned a blind eye to her in the beginning. “It was because there was some sort of desperation in you. And I was curious to see how you were going to solve it.”

He won’t intervene so the rest is up to Jae-hee. Wait, is this a heartwarming way of telling us that you’re wiping your hands clean of responsibility Doc?

She tells him Doc that there’s one more thing she needs to do.

 

The following morning, Jae-hee tells Tae-joon to keep his dinner time available. He wonders if she has something to say but no matter how much he presses, she doesn’t budge.

Gah, how cute is it that Hyun-jae now takes to calling Eun-gyul “Master”? He inquires about Master’s love life and asks if it’s a guy. Eun-gyul says yes. And then Hyun-jae leeaanns in and asks, “Is it me?” HA – oh how I wish it was.

Eun-gyul says that his crush is like a mirage he can’t get a hold of and he feels like he’s just walking in place. Hyun-jae wonders who it is that’s made Eun-gyul so hung up on them. When Eun-gyul gives a forlorn sigh, Hyun-jae grabs him into a headlock, telling him to stay strong.

Tae-joon returns to the room to find Jae-hee gone and wonders if the important thing Jae-hee wants to tell him over dinner is that she’s a girl. Meanwhile, Jae-hee visits Dad at the hospital for a favor.

 

Jae-hee returns to school with a heavy heart and Eun-gyul walks up to her and asks if something bad happened. She tells him that she did something that might make Tae-joon really angry.

Eun-gyul asks if it’s good or bad for him. When she tells him it’s for his benefit, he tells her that the important thing is that Tae-joon will pick up on her sincerity. He sends her off with a smile and then updates his status with another selca: “I’d rather see you smiling than smiling myself.”

Tae-joon is initially excited about dinner but his face is stern when he learns that he’ll be eating with his father. He gets up to leave just when Dad walks in. Jae-hee excuses herself and despite Tae-joon telling her to stay, she steps out.

They sit and Dad says that he has something important to tell him. Tae-joon doesn’t want to hear it and gets up and hears, “About your mother’s death… what you know isn’t everything.”

 

Next thing we know, we see Tae-joon by the Han River, holding back tears. We flashback to Dad telling us the truth: Mom knew about her illness from the start but she kept it hidden from the rest of her family. The doctors proposed a liver transplant in her late stage liver cancer even though the success rate would be too low.

She didn’t tell Tae-joon because he had the Olympics coming up. So Dad figured that it would be better if his son hated him instead if it meant that it made things easier on Tae-joon. Near tears, he finally says, “I’m sorry.”

Back in the present, tears stream down Tae-joon’s face.

Jae-hee waits back at school and thinks back to the earlier conversation with Dad at the hospital. She told him that Tae-joon needs someone to lean on and that he’s just a kid who tries his best to act strong and hide his pain. If it was her, her heart would have already been black and blue. If Dad truly cares for Tae-joon then he shouldn’t hide anything from him.

Tae-joon returns, still crying and Jae-hee pulls him into a comforting hug. They both cry.

 

Things are looking up at Genie High again – Eun-gyul’s back on the field and better than ever. (He still accidentally kicks a ball at Coach’s head, heh.) Tae-joon sends Dad an e-mail with a smile.

In voiceover we hear, “I went to the elementary school for the first time in a long time. Back then your shoulders seemed bigger than the athletic field. But now I know it’s not like that. So don’t try to carry the burden alone.” Dad smiles.

And finally, Tae-joon clears the high jump again.

 

Jae-hee asks if Tae-joon and his father made amends. He tells her not yet and adds, “How can you get over that overnight?” He keeps staring at her which makes her uncomfortable and Tae-joon says, “Grungy… this is all thanks to you. Thanks.”

Poor Eun-gyul sees the two of them laughing and lets out a deep sigh.

He lies outside on a bench and wonders why he can’t act natural like Tae-joon does. Uh, I don’t think he should be your role model on this kind of thing. He sits up and pulls himself together, “Who cares if it’s a guy or girl? We’re all human!”

Eun-gyul slaps on a smile but then flip-flops between scratching his head and revving himself up. “A guy? A human?” He hangs his head, just as confused as before.

Tae-joon finds a pot of flowers waiting for him on his desk (the same ones he admired when he and Jae-hee were at a florist). He looks at her and asks, “Can I take this to mean in whatever way I want?”

That catches Jae-hee off guard and she tries to change the subject, but Tae-joon looks at her, his eyes unwavering. You can’t blame it on alcoholic chocolate if you kiss her again – you two just ate!

He takes her by the arm and tells her not to act as if nothing happened between them. She still doesn’t get it and Tae-joon tells her, “I’m telling you that I like you right now.”

 

She stares back… and he leaves her hanging. DUDE. Once he’s outside, Tae-joon leans against the door and smiles.

After Jae-hee gets over the initial shock, she decides that now’s the time to tell Tae-joon that she’s a girl.

Eun-gyul has another bathroom emergency and rushes next door to Jae-hee’s room. The door’s unlocked (go figure) and Eun-gyul lets himself into the bathroom…

…where Jae-hee is in the middle of changing. Epic revelation music plays in the background as Eun-gyul gapes, “Gu Jae-hee… you were a girl?!”

 
COMMENTS

Now everyone who needs to know finally knows. This is surely going to throw Eun-gyul for a loop. The boy’s reality just rotated 180 – it hasn’t been that long since he came to terms with his feelings for Jae-hee as a guy but now that he knows she’s a girl, what is he supposed to do? I foresee another, “Tae-joon, you knew that she’s a girl but why didn’t you do anything about it?” conversation on the horizon.

While most of this episode was unsurprising, there were a few nuggets of saving grace. I loved the scene with Eun-gyul and Hyun-jae and I wish that these two were highlighted more often – not only as individual characters (which I love) but together as well. The best part about their budding friendship (or is it master/slave relationship now?) is Hyun-jae’s acceptance of Eun-gyul and where his feelings lie. I love that there was a tiny moment of vanity for Hyun-jae but it doesn’t take away that he supports his roomie. The bromance – I’m a er for it.

As for the romance? I’ll admit that the kiss was great but Tae-joon’s confession about how he feels towards Jae-hee didn’t have that punch that I wanted because that’s not the confession I’m waiting for. If we’re going for that last burst of angst, I want it to be about the fact that she’s a girl compounded by the fact that he likes her. I want Jae-hee to wrestle more with that and face some obstacles because of it. Because right now, apparently she can go up to anyone, give them her two cents and they’ll actually listen. I know – I don’t get it either.

Though the Mom’s illness revelation wasn’t that much of a twist, I still appreciated what it meant for Dad to come clean to Tae-joon about their misunderstanding and lack of communication. It’s a hurt that time and effort from both parties can heal. I’m still not okay with Jae-hee being the agent of motivation and meddling when it comes to everyone’s business but her own, but at least this time it led to repairing a relationship rather than injuring those around her.

Now that we’ve got one week left, we still have a bunch of questions left unanswered that I wonder if we’ll ever get answers for. I feel like the boats about Jae-hee’s motivation for coming to Genie High and staying here has left as well as the question about what led to Tae-joon’s injury in the first place have long left the harbor.

It’s a miracle that Jae-hee has lasted this long as a girl in a boys’ school. Maybe it’s the selective hearing thing again.