Early Access: Mad For Each Other E5

E5. Ooh. There's reluctant empathy happening on both sides this episode, and it feels like we're making progress! At the same time, the misunderstandings and hijinks still have me groaning in sympathy quite a bit, for Hwi Oh. Good times? 😅

Even though it takes a pretty huge misunderstanding and an unfortunate trip to the police station, it feels good to see Min Kyung start to see Hwi Oh with new eyes, and realize that he's telling the truth, and she'd really gotten the wrong idea about him. With her deep-seated trauma, it takes a lot for her to see beyond her anxieties, and this feels like an important breakthrough. Finally, she knows for a fact that Hwi Oh isn't a pervert, and isn't out to get her.

I have to give it to Hwi Oh. No matter how frustrated he gets with Min Kyung - and I do think that there is much to feel frustrated for, in his shoes - he never reacts maliciously towards her. He might get upset, and he might talk really loudly, but he's mostly just very exasperated, and you can just tell that all he wants is to be left alone. There's no hint of him ever wanting her to get her comeuppance for attacking him. It's probably partly due to the fact that as a detective, he's trained to take the high road, but I also think that it's just who he is.

Each time Hwi Oh swears off ever talking to Min Kyung again, or having anything to do with her, he ends up going to her rescue. First, with the flasher pervert guy, and then at the end of the episode, with the dubious-looking dude in the elevator. And, he springs to her rescue without hesitation, too. Again, it's probably partly because he's a detective, but also, it's just who he is.

This endears him to me a great deal.

The growing understanding and empathy flows the other way as well. When Min Kyung talks at length about her anxiety attacks and what her symptoms are like, Hwi Oh does look rather sorry for her. Plus, there's how he teaches her how to do deep breathing exercises to calm herself down, which she really does take to heart.

That moment of mutual hyperawareness between them, as they practice the deep breathing technique together, is quite nice. I mean, at the very least, it's a refreshing change to have them be aware of each other's presence in a positive way, yes? Plus, they both even think of each other a little fondly, at their respective sessions with their psychiatrist. Aw. That's nice too. I'm looking forward to more of this, heh.

I do also like the little detail, that Hwi Oh's empathy for the neighbor in Unit 705 has grown deeper, having now experienced what he had experience the other night. And because of this, he brushes off the ahjummas' apologies, and tells them to go apologize to the neighbor instead. That's so decent of him.

I like that Min Kyung's trying to give Hwi Oh food by way of an apology, but when she started asking for lessons in self-defense, I saw Hwi Oh's unfortunate incident coming from a mile away. Ack. Poor Hwi Oh. And after trying to defend himself from the potential injury, too. Man, I wouldn't trust Min Kyung either, in his shoes. 😝

Therefore, I don't blame him at all, when he gets up to leave the convenience store when Min Kyung walks in (yay that he got an apology from the clerk, and some gifts of food as thanks too). And yet, like I said earlier, he still goes to Min Kyung's aid, when she calls for him.

I wonder whether Helmet Dude will turn out to be an actual threat, or just a red herring. With this show, it could really go either way. I'm just happy that our two neighbors are slowly reaching a better understanding of each other, even though there are some rather big (and sometimes painful) hiccups along the way.