Family Reunion
Episode 9 of Hometown Cha Cha Cha begins with Hye-Jin and Du-Sik separating after hugging out in the streets. Du-Sik’s heart is beating too fast, which he convinces himself is just being startled. Hye-Jin meanwhile, is flustered and hot. Neither of them can sleep, clearly too busy thinking about the night’s events. ..
Nam-Suk tells her parents the secret from the previous night and they are both excited. Nam-Suk’s father, however, is not so sure. He believes that Du-Sik is a troublemaker and needs to be taken care of.
Du-Sik eventually finds himself in a difficult position of claiming he is Hye-Jin’s boyfriend. The conversation is cagey but Du-Sik has a plan. If they can keep up the charade of being lovers for the day, Hye-jin can then break up with him after. ..
Hye-Jin agrees to keep up the lie and offer a 30% discount at the dentist to those who follow her instructions. When Hye-Jin shows her parents around town, all of the residents jump in and overact - or struggle to act - in their presence. Oh Yoon, of course, takes the time to show off his music. ..
As they walk down the street, Hye-Jin’s gang and Seong-Hyeon run into each other. Seong-Hyeon greets Hye-Jin’s father warmly and they get along well.
Meanwhile, Eun-Cheol is on patrol when he sees Mi-Seon. She asks him out on a date, but Eun-Cheol rejects, claiming they don’t know enough about each other. Upset, Mi-Seon skips out and hurries home.
Nam-Suk struggles in the wake of her gossiping ban, and instead turns her attention to Yeong-Guk and Cho-Hui. As they sit and talk together in the bar, she snaps photos and sends it on to Hwa-Jeong. Of course a picture can only say so much.
In a recent interview, Cho-Hui admitted that she has never had romantic feelings for him and actually she’s always seen him as a friend. It completely crushes the guy and eventually he takes off, leaving Yeong-Guk to try and put together the broken pieces of his heart.
Du-Sik continues to get involved in Hye-Jin’s family affairs, playing Go with her father and breaking down his harsh exterior to help him try seafood. Hye-Jin can only smile warmly but the conversation soon takes a turn for the worse when Du-Sik admits that his parents and grandfather passed away. ..
Tae-Hwa, Hye-Jin’s father’s name, is completely against Hye-Jin dating him. He wants them to break up, claiming that Du-Sik being an orphan is a “flaw.” ..
Du-Sik listens as Tae-Hwa tells him about his past and how he wants to make things right for Hye-Jin. Du-Sik is impressed by the sincerity in Tae-Hwa’s story and decides to sit with him.
Du-Sik admits that they’re actually just friends and not dating after all. He just wants someone who’s good to look after Hye-Jin…which Tae-Hwa suggests could be Du-Sik. When Hye-Jin’s parents eventually do leave, Tae-Hwa whispers something in Du-Sik’s ear but he refuses to spill the beans over what he said to Hye-Jin.
That afternoon, Hye-Jin heads home and finds Mi-Seon waiting for her. Mi-Seon has been crying and has makeup on her cheeks. Hye-Jin rushes over to comfort the girl, but she needs emergency dental work. With other appointments at the dentist used up, Mi-Son is taken to Seoul for a check-up. Eun-Cheol drives her there. ..
She asks him what he’s up to and he tells her that he fixed the streetlight so that it would be more visible in the dark. Hye-Jin is surprised and asks him why he did this, but Seong-Hyeon just tells her it was a way to make her feel more comfortable.
As we enter the final days of this love triangle, Hometown Cha Cha Cha bows out with a quick look at the past, specifically of Du-Sik in therapy following the death of his parents and grandpa.
The Episode Review
This week’s episode of Hometown Cha Cha features a family reunion, with Hye-Jin’s parents joining in. This addition is a great idea and helps to add something a little more unique to the show as Du-Sik remains his ever-loving self.
In his travels, Tae-Hwa meets a man who breaks down his tough exterior and wins him over. This moment leaves no doubt that Du-Sik and Hye-Jin are going to be together.
The drama surrounding Seong-Hyeon’s inclusion in the show is clearly designed to create a “will she/will she not” angle for Hye-Jin as she deliberates over who to date. However, I can’t see her dating him at all. I know this is a common trope in k dramas, but there’s just not a lot between them, despite their past. And I think a lot of other people will see that too.
Despite the focus on this family, it is still interesting to see how the characters are developed. Yeong-Guk’s poor heart is shattered when he misinterprets Cho-Hui’s signals. Cho-Hui revealing she doesn’t love him is certainly a tough one to take! It also opens up the possibility for Yeong-Guk and Hwa-Jeong to patch things up. ..
With another episode of “The Walking Dead” coming up later today, thankfully we don’t have long to wait to find out what happens next!
