Early Access: Mad For Each Other E7

E7. I have to admit, I was a little thrown by how Hwi Oh and Min Kyung seem to be suddenly quite distant from each other, after the comparative closeness of the last episode.

I rationalize that Min Kyung's withdrawing into herself, from the anxiety that she's experiencing, and also, perhaps she's cutting off possible connections with other people, now that she's decided to move. And I estimate that Hwi Oh's grumpy because he doesn't want her to move, and is likewise distancing himself from Min Kyung's comings and goings, almost in retaliation.

Also, given how the thing with the guy at the door plays out, I'd say that this confirms (again) that you guys were right about that previous scene outside the restaurant, where we'd seen Min Kyung's ex-colleague gossip about her. It was most likely all in her head, just like how that ominous man at the door had been her anxiety amplifying the situation. Yes, it was not polite of the realtor to come by like that without making an appointment, and worse, to just go ahead to try to unlock the door, but it's also true that Min Kyung's anxieties came into play.

I do think that Min Kyung's fragility comes across more distinctly this episode, than in previous ones. It's a lot to do with the look in her eyes; her gaze communicates a sense of uncertainty and tentativeness, like in the way she looks at Hwi Oh, when he goes to her apartment to demand that she return his shoes. The fact that she doesn't even try to argue with Hwi Oh like she usually does, is surprising, not only to me, but to Hwi Oh as well. I feel like Hwi Oh went blustering over there, not because he was actually angry, but because he was expecting to rile her up and get a reaction - and a bickery interaction - out of her.

As always, though, when Hwi Oh concludes that Min Kyung needs his help, he does come through. I kinda love that not only does he offer her his apartment to hang out in, while waiting for the locksmith, he even calls out the passcode to his apartment so casually to her, like it's the easiest and most natural thing in the world to share such personal information with her.

I love that Hwi Oh's mom is such a warm person, that she'd be able to make Min Kyung feel at home, and even have a proper conversation with her, even though Min Kyung's usually really anxious around strangers. I mean, sure, Mom's keen on the idea that Min Kyung might be romantically involved with Hwi Oh, but Min Kyung does make it clear that she's just Hwi Oh's neighbor, and Mom still treats her warmly and makes sure she eats her dinner. It's such a motherly sort of thing to do, and it feels like Min Kyung hasn't had a home-cooked meal, nor received any kind of motherly attention, for a long time.

I think Hwi Oh rushed Min Kyung out of his apartment because he felt awkward having her and Mom in the same space, and given that he knows how anxious Mom is that he settle down, I kind of understand where he's coming from.

Importantly, I like that when Hwi Oh realizes the kind of fear and danger Min Kyung faces as a woman living alone, he goes over pretty quickly, and offers his things as a solution to Min Kyung.

And I really do love their conversation as they share a bit of soju and barbecue together. It's true that Hwi Oh's slightly tipsy when he tells Min Kyung that she doesn't have to move, if she's moving because of him, but that's just what makes him so wonderfully unguarded, as he tells her that he's gotten used to her, and that it's interesting to see what new thing will happen with them, each day. It's clear from Min Kyung's gaze, that she's really quite touched by this; it feels like no one's actually appreciated her presence in a long time. I think that she counters it with rough words, as a defense mechanism, so that she won't betray any vulnerability, in the moment.

I'm glad, though, that the portion of conversation that follows, is one where Min Kyung allows herself to be truly vulnerable with Hwi Oh. It feels sad - and honest - when Min Kyung tells Hwi Oh that she can't trust anyone, not even herself. And, given that she'd been so deeply betrayed by the person whom she'd trusted the most, I can imagine why she'd feel so wary of everyone, even herself. Plus, Terrible Ex had accused her of knowing that he was married, and just pretending not to know.

When your self-confidence is so low, you start to believe terrible accusations like that, and it's really awful. Poor Min Kyung. I hate the thought that her bad experience with her ex-boyfriend has not only destroyed her trust in others, it's also destroyed her self-confidence. That's a really hard thing to recover from, and what she says is true; you do second-guess yourself a lot. You do get paralyzed just making the smallest decisions. Gah. This just makes my heart ache.

I love that last part of the episode, where Hwi Oh comes back to Min Kyung's door, and asks her whether the gas valve had been turned off, and whether the windows had been closed - and then, when she answers in the affirmative, I love how he then tells her that, see, she can trust herself, and she should trust herself. Oh my gosh. I love Hwi Oh, so much.

I love that he'd been listening to everything that she'd said, and had been thinking it over, and had even found a way to prove to her that she is more trustworthy than she'd assumed, and that she didn't do anything wrong. It's no wonder she's galvanized into taking that next step - inviting him over for ramyeon.

Ha. I do wonder how this is going to pan out, considering that this can mean either that she  is asking him to sleep over, or that she literally just wants to invite him in for some instant noodles. Either way, Min Kyung is reaching out and asking Hwi Oh to come near, and that's a huge step, and I am all for it.