Ghosts from Seoul
In the latest episode of Hometown Cha Cha, Hye-Jin confronts Du-Sik about his past. Du-Sik refuses to answer her questions, so she walks away. However, she walks right into Hwa-Jeong who happens to be out walking. When Hye-Jin begins crying, she tries to pass it off as not paying rent but Hwa-Jeong senses there’s more going on here. He doesn’t pry for now, and instead takes her back to the restaurant to feed her seaweed soup.
Chief Hong has finally opened up to Hye-Jin about his past, and she’s confident that he’ll eventually open up to her when he’s ready. She points out that what’s easy for some people is hard for others, and that it takes time for everyone to heal.
After the incident with Du-Sik, Hye-Jin decides to spend some time apart from him to give him space to work through his problems. ..
Du-Sik, the owner of the local bar, is a man with a complicated past. He’s been through a lot and has had to work hard for what he has. Seon-A is a woman who’s been through a lot too. She’s been through tough times and has had to fight for what she’s got. The two of them hit it off and start spending time together. Meanwhile, Seon-A’s old friend from back home comes to visit her and they reconnect. ..
Mi-Seong is uncomfortable with the way Eun-Cheol is treating her, but she decides to stay and see what happens. As they walk back to their car, Mi-Seong can’t help but feel a bit disappointed in herself.
Cho-Hui, who has been largely overshadowed by other contestants this season, returns to help clean up rubbish with Yeong-Guk. As they stop and talk, Cho-Hui reflects on how special his marriage was with Hwa-Jeong. She specifically remembers the banter they had while out at a restaurant together and how it helped to show just what he’s missing. Despite being determined to try and make things right with Hwa-Jeong, Cho-Hui admits that he still misses her a lot. ..
Hwa-Jeong notices them talking and laughing together, suspecting the worst. Eventually she drowns her sorrows in alcohol that night. Nam-Suk stops by and notices her though, prompting the pair to start talking. It turns out Hwa-Jeong’s love for Yeong-Guk started years back when he was looking after her mum while in the hospital. As she passes out from the alcohol, Nam-Suk messages Yeong-Guk and tells him that Hwa-Jeong is out drinking with her blind date. However, this is completely false of course; an excuse to see Yeong-Guk rush over to take care of his ex. ..
When Hwa-Jeong awakens, Yeong-Guk happens to be sitting opposite her. Eventually though he opens up and tells her not to go on her scheduled blind date. He asks her for forgiveness, pointing out that he didn’t know what he’d lost until they were no longer together. It does the trick too and eventually the pair let down their defences and hug tightly, weeping.
Seong-Hyeon learns about Du-Sik’s issues involving Hye-Jin and heads over to find out what actually happened. Du-Sik mentions how inadequate he is and that they’re going through a rough patch. Seong-Hyeon offers some encouraging words though, pointing out that he knows Hye-Jin really well and he’s confident they’ll get through this together.
Du-Sik reflects on his past and remembers a moment in school where his upperclassman Jeong-U joined him as they paid their respects to Du-Sik’s grandfather. This friendship extended across to work too, as Jeong-U bought Du-Sik a suit that’s pretty expensive. It’s all smiles and happiness…until the next scene. Jeong-U has passed away, with Seon-A - his wife - lashing out at Du-Sik. Tears streaming down her face, she claims it should have been him instead. This explains the significance of the picture Du-Sik clutches in the present - the same one he snatched off Hye-Jin last episode. ..
Hye-Jin is impatient to be with Du-Sik, but she’s okay with the vagueness of their relationship for now. She wants Du-Sik to promise this, and when he does, their break is lifted and the relationship is back on.
Gam-Ri has been offered a job back in Seoul, and Hye-Jin keeps this a secret from Du-Sik. He warns her that there will be a long story to tell, hinting at the possibility of him opening up about the past. ..
When Kim Do-Ha returns to the party, all the villagers are gathered at. He learns that Chief Hong’s real name is Du-Sik. He immediately approaches Du-Sik when he returns, questioning if he used to work at YK Asset Management. Du-Sik looks like he’s seen a ghost, and as Do-Ha’s father, Gi-Hun, is mentioned, he smacks Du-Sik across the face.
The Episode Review
This chapter is a bit of a twist, as it seems to be about Jeong-U and the Asset Management company. It’s still unknown what’s really going on, but it’s an interesting development to the story. I’m guessing we’ll find out next episode with Du-Sik opening up to Hye-Jin in secret.
Despite the fact that the Hwa-Jeong and Yeong-Guk subplot is still unresolved, we can finally expect some movement on the issue in the near future. This is likely because both characters are realizing what they’ve been missing and want to be together again.
With only one more week left of this show, Hometown Cha Cha has been a thoroughly enjoyable series, with lots of drama, laughs and memorable characters. Quite how this one will end though, remains to be seen.
