Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha season 1, episode 14 starts with the fallout of Hye-Jin and Du-Sik. The two lovers clash in between the past, the present, and the future. Not just relationship-wise, but also as an individual. Du-Sik, who afraid of showing his true colors, while Hye-Jin is uncertain about the future.
After the arousing confrontation, Hye-Jin leaves Du-Sik’s house and starts to break down in tears after bumping into Hwa-Jeong. She invites her to have breakfast. There goes the saying, good food heals the brokenhearted.
Hwa-Jeong serves her seaweed soup. The same meal that she cooks for her on her first day arriving in Gongjin. It’s also the day she loses her job and misses her mother. Now, she cooks it to comfort her heart because of the uncertainty of her relationship. The two of them reminisce about how things have unfolded for the past five months. Hye-Jin asks her about the reason behind Du-Sik quitting his job and goes back to Gongjin. Unfortunately, Hwa-Jeong and the villagers have no idea. All she remembers is that Du-Sik is a wreck, unlike the Hong Du-Sik that they used to know on the day he arrives at Gongjin. “He is no longer somebody that we used to know. It’s like he ditches everything,” says Hwa-Jeong.
Hwa-Jeong recalls that Du-Sik is someone who matures early. He never had anyone to share his pain and struggle with before. “Talking may seem easy for someone while it is hard for others,” Hwa-Jeong says. She reassures Hye-Jin that Du-Sik has never been this happy before he meets Hye-Jin. She gently advises Hye-Jin to be patient and gives him time to open up because she believes that Hye-Jin can become his “bamboo forest” or his haven.
The start of something
So we get our first twist not even 10 minutes into the episode. After failing to reach Hye-Jin through the phone, Du-Sik goes outside to do his job with heavy steps. While Du-Sik is walking, a car passes by. It’s not about the car, but the person inside it. It’s Seon-Ah. The woman in the photo that Du-Sik hides. The two are unaware of each other’s presence. But, the surprise does not end there. Guess who she is visiting? It’s Sung-Hyun. And guess their relationship? Siblings.
The sibling is having a chit-chat at Chun-Jae’s cafe. Seon-Ah brings his son, the baby inside Du-Sik’s hidden photo. Sung-Hyun asks him the reason why she comes to Gongjin. She later says that she’s been wanting to visit Gongjin for a long time because someone of someone story about it. Sung-Hyun asks her what she thinks about Gongjin and she says, “It’s great.”
Later, Hye-Jin wakes up in Hwa-Jeong’s living room. She calls Du-Sik after noticing his miscall. He quickly answers her and apologizes for not holding her back. Du-Sik asks her to meet but Hye-Jin refuses. She does not want to hear any apology because it’s not the issue. She wants him to open his heart to her that’s why she asking him to take a break from each other but she quickly says that she doesn’t want to break up. She just wants to gives both of them some time to think about where their relationship is going. Du-Sik agrees.
Finally, after clowning myself for almost the 14th episode, I am relieved that one of my predictions turns out to be right! One day, Cho-Hui visit Hye-Jin’s dental clinic for a checkup. Hye-Jin advise her to have her wisdom tooth removed. Cho-Hui does not have any idea what a wisdom tooth is and Hye-Jin explains it as a tooth that grows in your 20s. The time when we receive wisdom because of true love. Cho-Hui is suddenly taken aback and walking down memory lane to her 20s. Finally, we know the reason behind her leaving Gongjin. It turns out, she’s been in love with Hwa-Jeong all along.
Truthfully it’s heartbreaking how Cho-Hui’s sexual orientation is being seen as a disease to her family. When her mother finds out that Cho-Hui still likes to sneak out and visit Hwa-Jeong, she starts to blame herself because of her daughter’s sexual orientation. Cho-Hui is being threatened by her brother that she will be put in a mental institution due to her sexual orientation. But I admire how the writer decides to make her speak up for herself that it’s not anyone’s fault, neither her fault that she likes a woman. “Liking someone is not a sin!” Says Cho-Hui to her mother while both of them end up hugging one another.
I understand some of the viewers might not like the way Cho-Hui is represented or how her love ends, unlike in Nevertheless. But it portrays the realistic situation of the majority in a society where gender minority is often excluded from the society, but also shows the bittersweetness of the art of letting go. Love is something unconditional. To set your love free means to free yourself. Cho-Hui also knew all along that her love is one-sided, it’s been years after everything that happens. She needs to let go in order to heal herself and to love again.
“It’s not over until it’s over”
Another thing that some of you might like or dislike is Hwa-Jeong and Yeong-Guk’s (Mr. Chang) relationship. But first, let’s appreciate how Cho-Hui encourages Yeong-Guk to come clear with his feelings and intentions towards Hwa-Jeong, “What Hwa-Jeong wants to hear is not your apology,” says Cho-Hui. This scene also marks Cho-Hui letting go of her love for Hwa-Jeong. She tells Yeong-Guk that she will also muster the courage to remove her wisdom teeth which refers to her love for Hwa-Jeong, so he needs to find the courage to face her too.
The next MVP is Ms. Cho. Even though her lips need to be zipped due to all the rumors, she has the most sensitivity towards what’s happening around Gongjin. She gives the pressures that Hwa-Jeong needs to be more honest about her feelings. Later, Yeong-Guk comes to Hwa-Jeong’s restaurant. He finally throws himself out of his way and sincerely shares his feeling of guilt after taking her for granted and desperation of wanting a second chance. Hwa-Jeong breakdown into tears and starts to curse him, saying that only an idiot that needs 15 years to realize everything. Yeong-Guk embraces her. The couple shares an arousing hug. I know some of you think that Hwa-Jeong deserves better than getting back together with the man that wasted her, but things like this happen in real life. Some people and relationships take time to mend and finally come clean for their past mistakes. It’s humane.
The same thing goes for Sung-Hyun. After realizing his feelings, he starts to act differently and show consideration towards Writer Wang. From cleaning her eyeglasses to accompanying her to buy stuff from Gongjin. He also finally shares his honest thoughts: Director Ji is nothing without Writer Kang. He also comes to the conclusion that it’s not over until it’s over and he indirectly puts his feelings upfront by saying that he’s joining the long list of candidates who are trying to court her. We all know what he means by this, right? He’s not talking in writer and directors tone anymore.
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