We’re in Korea! In the past! It’ll be great, right?
Nope, everything sucks
The first character we see, Hyeon Ho, is neither of our leads but likely to be important. He watches Do Hoe, one of our leads, play soccer. It looks like a good time.
Except the teachers at this school carry sticks and beat students. Do Hoe VO’s that there was a time when it was common for students to be beaten everywhere. We see Do Hoe’s father, local taekwondo grandmaster, beating some students.
At home, Do Hoe’s father casually dumps dirty dishes in the sink as Do Hoe washes them. He orders his son to find the student arriving today. Do Hoe goes outside and locates a tall guy wandering in the rain, covering his head with a bucket.
This is Ju Yeong, he has a great smile and no umbrella. Do Hoe gives him the latter and a curt greeting, showing him to his room. They spar for Do Hoe’s dad, and Ju Yeong struggles before Do Hoe lets him knock him down.
After their sparring, Do Hoe wants to know why he’s in the countryside instead of Seoul. Ju Yeong wants to know why he let him kick him. They bicker and we learn Do Hoe is the top student, though he goofs on a multiplication problem.
This ray of sunshine settles into the perpetual gloom of this horrible place
Every morning Ju Yeong eats the breakfasts Do Hoe makes, which go from healthier Korean fare to cereal and toast. Ju Yeong prefers the latter. He jog-dances, works out under Do Hoe’s dad, and spars with Do Hoe.
The walls are thin, and Do Hoe hears Ju Yeong getting rejected by his old friends on the phone. Ju Yeong hears someone stumbling around late at night.
One morning Do Hoe oversleeps and gets hit by his father in front of Ju Yeong. After, Ju Yeong knocks on his door and tries to get Do Hoe to eat garlic ice cream. He thinks it’s a local delicacy but it’s in a 40-minute walk away.
Ju Yeon won’t leave Do Hoe alone and Do Hoe wants him to leave his room and go back to Seoul. He can’t because he was expelled and kicked out by his family. Do Hoe kicks him out of his room and tells him to stay out of his business.
Do Hoe cannot expel Ju Yeong as easily as Seoul did
In the middle of the night, Do Hoe’s father sends him to get cigarettes and soju. Do Hoe catches Ju Yeong spying on him. He should have ignored him because Ju Yeong tags along to get ice cream.
Do Hoe tells him not to pity him. Ju Yeong’s got his own sad story: his family looks loving but it’s all a show. His mom is a pastor and because of that she abandoned him.
Guys are hanging by the convenience store, including Hyeon Ho from earlier. Do Hoe’s dad beat them and they want to beat Do Hoe, but Ju Yeong steps in the way. They warn him about the crazy elders, and that Do Hoe’s dad is the worst.
Ju Yeong is ready to fight but Do Hoe grabs him and they run and hide. Later, they eat ice cream as they walk back. Do Hoe won’t share his so Ju Yeong stuns him by biting the tip of the cone off while it’s in his mouth. He takes their picture and posts it on his blog.
At school, people know about the nearly-fight. It won’t become a bigger issue as long as Do Hoe’s dad isn’t told.
It’s raining and Dohoe has no umbrella, but Ju Yeong brings one to share. Do Hoe smiles and runs over. Ju Yeong asks if he’s happy to see him. Do Hoe asks why he didn’t bring two.
Aww, it’s a grumpy sunshine pairing
As a grump, I understand the appeal of a smiling, lighthearted, tall guy like Ju Yeong. Do Hoe is in so much trouble. I think we are too because this will not be a smooth easy relationship. Do Hoe’s father is scary and one smiling teenager can’t fix that.
Ju Yeong has said he was kicked out and I assume it’s because of his sexuality. Does Do Hoe doesn’t ask him why he got kicked out, so does he know? It feels weird he’s not asking. Ju Yeon’s friends are also clearly avoiding him.
Hyeon Ho is a mystery to me except he seems as miserable as Do Hoe and like he’ll be important.
Also, this setup is a great reminder that, except for rare exceptions, even the recent past sucked everywhere. Don’t let anyone with selective memories and starry-eyed nostalgia tell you otherwise. The joy of the story will be, hopefully, seeing these guys win happiness despite everything awful.