Episode 9 Analysis and Synopsis

Ae-ra sneaked into Dong-man’s fight, she started to show jealous when Dong-man took off his shirt and some random women were praising him. She watched nervously at first, but then could not bear it when fight became intense, she closed eyes and cover her ears, tried to block the vision or sound of Dong-man’s possible lose. But actually Dong-man won and he already spot her as soon as she walked in. After the fight, he went to the audience seats and found Ae-ra in the last row, gently told her “I’m in trouble. Now you look pretty even when you cry.”.

Afterwards, while they were waiting Coach Hwang, Dong-man teased her unusual behaviours. He confessed that somehow, he only saw her tonight in the arena, and that she’s becoming pretty to his eyes. There is an ambiguous atmosphere in the room. The relationship between Ae-ra and Dong-man was no longer pure friendship, and they were more open up to their feelings compare to few episodes before, but still too afraid to actually start the first step.

After agreeing to marry once Joo-man gets his promotion, he and Seol-hee exited their bus to find his admirer Ye-jin standing there. She had heard Seol-hee calling Joo-man by a lovers’ endearment, but instead of freaking out, she kicked off her shoes and lay down on the bench for a nap. Apparently she was drunk and didn’t actually understand what was happening. While Seol-hee let Ye-jin’s head on her lap and check closely on Ye-jin’s appearance, she suddenly wake up and whining about how she really in love with Joo-man, but lay back down again. Joo-man came back with something like energy drink to wake Yejin up, when Seol-hee and Joo-man argued about what should they do with Yejin, Yejin’s phone had an incoming call which belong to her mom. When Yejin’s mother came, they lied that three of them were having a company dinner, and Yejin’s mother appreciated their effort and said that she would meet Joo-man someday again.

Coach Hwang drove Ae-ra and Dong-man home. Coach Hwang was moved by what Dong-man accomplished today, he was crying and Ae-ra left them to have “a moment.” Coach Hwang demanded a hug which Dong-man was very uncomfortable about, he afraid that people would think they are couple lol. While they hugged, they were scared by a voice ordered them to move their car. It was Landlady Hwang, who tells them that she doesn’t judge, but they should move their car before continuing with what they were doing. Coach Hwang recognized something strange, wishpering that he saw her somewhere.

After seeing Dong-man’s fight, Tak-soo seemed finally realized that if he do not start to training, he would soon lose his place as a champion. Two more people were also checking on Dong-man’s fight, the first is Dong-hee, and Dong-man’s PD friend, who seemed have interest especially towards to Dong-man and Ae-ra’s photo shot by photographers in Arena.

The next morning, Joo-man, Seol-hee, and Ae-ra take turned feeding Dong-man, their new star, who milked it for all it’s worth.

Ae-ra went outside to call her father, who worried over how Ae-ra is taking care of herself and offered to send her some money. She saied through tears that she hates it when he sends money, grousing that he hardly makes a living with his restaurant. She warned him not to or else, unaware that Landlady Hwang is listening from around the corner.

Dong-man’s PD friend Kyung-ku invited Dong-man to appear on a new show about super rookies. He joked that he knows what Dong-man’s fists feel like, which made Dong-man fidget uneasily. They madee vague references to Dong-man feeling sorry, and mention a blind date sometime in the past. Kyung-ku told him not to worry about it, but then he asked about Ae-ra. Dong-man warned that Kyung-ku should not ever ask Ae-ra from him, and left quickly when he got a text that his fight winnings have been deposited.

At the ATM, Dong-man already weeped when he saw a wealth of money the machine dispensed. He called his mother proudly on his way home, saying that he send pocket money to her. Then he bought a pair of sports shoes for Dong-hee.

Joo-man and Seol-hee met secretly in the office stairwell, which were almost caught by Ye-jin.

Dong-man teased Coach Hwang for still selling soondae when he was on his way to stardom. Coach Hwang told Dong-man to be ready for a trip to a festival in Daecheon tomorrow, to perform and raise some money for the gym. While a female customer was buying soondae, Dong-man slipped a flat roll of money into his tips bowl.

Dong-man bought gifts to his friends, fluffy pink bunny for Seol-hee, an expensive piece of in-game armor for Joo-man’s favorite video game. But when Ae-ra demanded for her gift, Dong-man pretended that he does not prepare. When four of them were discussing to go somewhere for drinking, Dong-man and Ae-ra both pretended that they have something else to do. Joo-man was very confusing, but Seol-hee found out something happened between Dong-man and Ae-ra. Although worrying if they were about causing trouble, she still brought Joo-man home and give them some space with each other. Dong-man and Ae-ra went to somewhere else, and finally he gave the gift for Ae-ra, it was a ring.

Seol-hee helped Ae-ra get ready for her interview the next morning, and just after Ae-ra complained to the others that Dong-man probably had forgot about her big day, he bursted in dramatically and offered her a double-handful of taffy (supposed to be good luck for tests and interviews and such). He got shy when they ask where he had got taffy so early, the fact that he had covered in sweat giving away that he ran a long way to find it. They all headed out for the day together, determined to conquer their challenges.

Dong-man worked on some wrestling techniques with a fellow fighter named Doo-ho and ended up with an injured ear from practice. Coach Hwang came to collect them for their Daecheon trip, and when they ask about Byung-joo (the fighter who lost to Dong-man), he said, “Let’s just say he’s sick.”

It was Joo-man’s big day too— his kimchi account debuted on the home shopping show. When one of the people eating the kimchi on the live broadcast started to break out in hives, the PD thought fast and replaced two actors with Joo-man and Ye-jin posing as a married couple. Seol-hee sees Joo-man and Ye-jin on TV together when fielding on calls, and she snapped. She abandoned her position and marched to the recording studio, all the way to the stage until she was on camera. Everyone stared at her in shock as she glared at Joo-man and Ye-jin like she is about to make a scene…. but then she started stuffing her face with kimchi, making it looked so good that sales skyrocketed.

While Ae-ra started her interview with two other candidates, she found out Hye-ran is there watching her. The interviewer asked a few questions, and clearly were discriminating and judging Ae-ra. Ae-ra got angry, and the interviewer became much more harsh and mean toward her.

After she left the interview room, Hye-ran followed her and made her stop before elevator. She asked if Ae-ra really thought she would make it into the business. Ae-ra said that she used to thought first place was for the best—but looking at Hye-ran’s success, she doubted that now. She said that she’s sure she can be even better, and when Hye-ran smirked that about it, Ae-ra vowed that she would wipe her smirk on her face in the future. A text from Ae-ra’s father made her frustrated, because her father still sent her money. She called Dong-man, said she would meet him in Daecheon.

After the broadcast, Seol-hee had to explain her action. Joo-man argued on her behalf, and the manager agreed to let Seol-hee also on the broadcast. When the manager said that she could be a sister-in-law, Seol-hee muttered that she is not sister-in-law, she is the wife. The manager was angry and pouted that this is not child play. Meanwhile, the matriarch of the kimchi company arrived, she appreciated Joo-man’s work and said she was introduced by her sister, Ye-jin’s mother. Ye-jin’s mother recognized Seol-hee, and talked about the company dinner. Both the manager and Yejin were confused about the company dinner that didn’t exist. Seol-hee were imagining that she would be brave and confess the relationship between Joo-man and her, but she couldn’t say it. Surprisingly, Joo-man confessed, which made her very happy.

Ae-ra found Dong-man in Daecheon beside ocean, he was performing Taekwondo with other groups of young lads. The MC was drank and unable to continue her work. Dong-man immediately thought about Ae-ra, he recommended her. Ae-ra got the opportunity to stand on stage and MCing. The festival became a lot more successful and fun.

At night, Ae-ra called her father, proudly described her accomplishment.

When Dong-man and Ae-ra went to hotel, they were both sort of awkward, they were suppose to have different room, but then both of them encounter giant cockroaches, Ae-ra killed the one in her room, and Dong-man were cowardly running into Ae-ra’s room. Afterward he refused to leave, and stay in Ae-ra’s room.