I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that a school-based drama is so full of well… drama, but I kinda am. I guess I expected more from a college-centered drama than what you typically get in a high school setting but looking back at my own life, I’m reminded that college really isn’t anything more than glorified high school. That being the case, the drama we’re dealing with in these next two episodes makes a bit more sense but it doesn’t make it any easier to handle.
Picking up where we left off last time, Hong Seol and Yoo Jung’s relationship is still in some sort of semi-hiatus, complicated, not-really-sure-what-to-call-it mess. I get that Seol was upset to learn Yoo Jung played a part in her having to deal with the creeper Young Gon and I don’t blame her for separating herself from him for a while but she never made any sort of definite declaration about their relationship and as such, Yoo Jung has been left waiting for her for months without any sort of idea as to whether she’s ever going to come back or if their relationship is done for good. As much as I’d like to see Yoo Jung and Hong Seol separate forever, I know that’s not going to happen and I don’t like the way she’s decided to just keep every man in her life hanging in some sort of tormented limbo.
This separation from Yoo Jung seems to have almost no effect on him, which really, how would we know if it did or didn’t since the man has the emotional range of a rock? I’m simply assuming Seol’s leaving him bothered as he did tell her at one point that he’d be willing to wait for her, so long as she continues to takes steps towards him. I’m not really sure how he’s gauging which way she’s stepping as their separation drags on for months, but something has to be keeping him satisfied since he’s sticking around, at least in the background, doing what he can to help Seol out in his own uniquely twisted ways.
I can’t say I’m really a fan of the way Yoo Jung exposed Min Soo’s lies but they were effective in exposing the truth. How people could be so easily swayed by the lies of a single crazy girl are beyond me but it seems like the entire school bought into Min Soo’s lies and as such, they were shocked to learn the truth once it all came out. Honestly, I’m having a really hard time buying this bit because from what we know about Hong Seol she’s nothing but an upstanding citizen/model student. She doesn’t have a history of lying or cheating or manipulating people so why on earth would people believe she’s that way now, without any sort of evidence to back it up? Are people really so stupid they’re wiling to take the word of a crazy, Hong Seol impersonator over their own personal experiences with Hong over the past few years? Are they all driven by jealously or something? I mean I just don’t get it.
As frustrated as I am with pretty much the entire student body, I can’t say I’m any happier with Hong Seol herself. I get that she’s become the victim of more than a few random crazies and I feel for her. I really do. But I can’t stand the fact that she’s let so much of this victim mentality seep into her head that she begins to believe the entire world is after her. Yes, life is hard. Her life is hard. She does have a lot of crap she has to deal with but in the grand scheme of things, she’s not really dealing with anything more difficult than anyone else in the world has to deal with at any given time. Life is hard for all of us. We all have moments when we feel like the universe is trying to crush us but that doesn’t mean we have to give up fighting and become a whiny brat who takes their anger out on anyone within a five-mile radius. Sadly, that’s exactly what Seol has done. She’s used standing up for herself as an excuse to become a jerk, not just to her classmates (which, I’ll admit, there are some who deserve it) but also her family and her friends. She could have totally handled that whole cheating scandal differently, as well as all of her interaction with Min Soo. She does admit later on that if she’d dealt with things differently, life wouldn’t have gotten so crazy but that doesn’t do anyone much good now. The damage has been done and in the process Hong Seol has alienated herself from pretty much all of her peers.
The sad thing is, in the one case where she needs to get all sorts of crazy, she’s not doing a darn thing. Oh Young Gon has stepped so far over the boundaries of acceptable social behavior, he’s entered the land of the crazies and if Hong Seol doesn’t do something soon, I’m going to find a way to step inside my computer and throttle the punk myself. Seriously Hong Seol! Stop letting this guy torment you and get his creeper butt hauled off to jail. I know that really, that’s exactly what she’s trying to do with all of these videos she’s collecting but honestly, this is something she should have been doing last year. She should have never given him a chance to carry on like this for so long and she should totally let Baek In Ho beat the crap out of Young Gon because it may be the only way this punk will ever back off.
Speaking of In Ho… Once again he’s the only character in this entire story showing any sort of growth and I love him even more, for that. Not only has he submitted himself to the humbling instruction of a university music professor, he’s also starting to take steps towards getting his GED, he’s holding down a steady job and now he’s also taking care of his bratty sister. On top of all of this, he’s managed to look out for Seol and be there for her without overstepping the natural boundaries of friendship. (Which honestly I hate because I want him to be with Seol so much more than I want her to be with Yoo Jung but whatever. His sweetness as a friend only makes him that much more lovable as a person. *sigh*) I swear, if this boy becomes any more perfect he’s going to grow wings and start taking harp lessons. It kills me that one so worthy as In Ho has to love from afar while a guy like Yoo Jung wins the heart of the lady. I mean what is it, really, that Yoo Jung offers that In Ho can’t offer more of. Yoo Jung has no heart, no feelings of any kind, he’s governed by this weird set of standards he’s created himself and operates on his own level of morality. He sees the world through strangely tinted glasses and he’s dragging Seol into his crazy world in such a way that she’s losing her grasp on who she is and what she’s always stood for. In Ho, on the other hand is sweet and caring and sure, he started out a little rough around the edges but he’s soften up so much, he’s changing and learning and growing and he’s doing his best to become someone others can love without demanding anything in return. He may be hot-headed at times and he still gets into trouble every now and then but his heart is pure and his intentions are usually noble. He may not be perfect but at least you can look at him without feeling like he may murder you in your sleep.
Overall, I was rather disappointed in these two episodes and I don’t even want to watch the next two as the previews alone were enough to break my heart. (Poor In Ho!) Still, there’s more of this story that needs to be told so I’m hanging in there. I’m really hoping we’re given some sort of reason to start cheering for Yoo Jung because as of right now, I’d be happy if he walked out of the story forever and never came back. But what about you? Are you happy with the way things turn out in these two episodes? Where do you see things going from here? You know I always love hearing from you so be sure to let me know what you’re thinking by leaving me a comment below!
You can catch up on all my reviews of Cheese in the Trap here: