When last we left our rich cousins and their scammers, a head injury prevented another divorce.
Tim is pleased that the divorce is on hold
At the bakery, Bakery Friend invites North on a safari trip and offers to pay. North refuses, because he’s learning The True Value of Money. But he admits to U that he wants to go.
Perfect timing for Grandpa to offer North an internship. Despite the bakery’s success, North is still a helpless baby. He’s learned no new skills, and without Bakery Friend or Pai, he’d be unable to support himself.
If he works for Grandpa and proves himself, he’ll forgive him. For… standing up for Pai?
North agrees as long as U gets a job too, but Grandpa requires that they work for him for 10 years. Is that legal? North is reluctant, but U wants to be able to take North on a safari one day. So, 10 years of their lives it is.
But Grandpa is still not ready to forgive Pai
For… being taken advantage of and having his heart broken?
Upset, Pai wants that divorce NOW. Next, he tells Tim he never wants to see him again, and he’s fired. Then, he gets picked up for a date.
Poor Pai, this is a terrible idea.
Meanwhile, North and U start their internships. They’re working at different stores in the mall, and getting judged by random strangers with no specific criteria. Perfect. After a long day of this, they go back to U’s place, where Pai is staying and using a lot of gecko spray.
Pai’s dates were a mixed bag. He didn’t feel comfortable, and he didn’t enjoy them. North wonders why he’s dating new people when he still loves Tim.
When he sees Tim, he remembers the wedding and can’t forgive him. Starting something new is easier.
Pai’s latest online match has a mysterious, faceless profile picture
Pai is intrigued by his texts. The next day, he discovers that, of course, it’s Tim. Tim swears nothing in his profile was a lie. In fact, he was more himself than his fake-for-Pai-Tim, and Pai still liked him.
Tim throws an unsexy tantrum to force Pai to stick around. He takes Pai to a thrift store and turns picking clothes for each other into a game. Pai enjoys himself, but claims the other dates were better. Tim isn’t convinced.
Pai wants to know why he’s being so persistent, and Tim says he’s perfect for him, he could never replace him, and he can’t let him go. Pai looks moved.
Meanwhile, Horrible Aunt tests North’s salesmanship skills, and he fails while U passes. Horrible Aunt shames North for his lack of effort until he cries, because that’s how people learn.
Thankfully, North has other, kinder people around him. Bakery Friend has North work on a new drink recipe for the bakery. Then U buys North a tent to help him better understand and sell them.
Once the tent is up, North and U spend the night in it. It’s not a safari, but it’s romantic.
Tim gets Pai to drink booze in a park and stagaze
But Pai wants to return to where they first met and see if he likes meeting this version of Tim there.
Poor Pai can’t get past how everything was a lie. The date was good, but he doesn’t know if he likes Now Tim, or if he is still in love with Previous Tim. He wants to fall for someone who resembles Tim, but he couldn’t find anyone.
He has no one, and should be furious that Tim isn’t going away, but instead, he’s relieved Tim’s still there. He’s crying, confused, and wants to know how it can work and how he can forget everything.
Tim accepts all these feelings, reassures him that he’s not leaving, and that Pai doesn’t need to forget anything. He’ll still be there if Pai is mad for the rest of his life.
Pai goes in for a kiss. Then they flee security because Pai doesn’t own the place anymore.
Tim gets busy with his new job, reassuring Pai he’ll make time for him
Pai makes it clear that things haven’t changed. They are not dating. Unbothered, Tim kisses his cheeks while Pai smacks at him.
Two months later, North and U are promoted from their internships to working together in the office. Also, they can move back into the condo.
Now Pai is Extra Alone. He pretends he doesn’t miss Tim, but is so eager to deliver Tim’s order that he nearly forgets the food. He brings duck cookies he made, acting like it’s just to make Tim his test subject.
Meanwhile, Grandpa wants North and U to learn to work together, so they are pitted against each other in a task. They immediately start fighting. Oops.
Because they’re fighting, Pai eats dinner alone
He scrolls social media to make himself even more lonely. Then he calls Tim, says it’s nothing, and hangs up. So Tim rushes from work to be with him.
Tim gets Pai to open up, admitting he wonders if he’s an awful person because no one wants to stay with him. Tim assures him no one hates him. They just don’t know that he needs them.
Pai nearly says that Tim made him feel different. Tim is happy to see this vulnerable side of Pai again, which he doesn’t share with others.
Pai wants to know why Tim likes him, because he doesn’t know, and it’s easier to think that everyone dislikes him. But Tim wants him to believe it when he says that everyone loves Pai.
No kissing but starrrrrring.
North and U quickly make up and work together
It’s all silly, but adorable.
Pai’s useless parents show up because Bakery Friend asked them. Everyone, U, North, Pai’s parents, and Pai meet with Grandpa. Grandpa asks Pai if he’s crawling back because his life is so difficult. Ugh.
Pai wants to know why a grandson needs a reason to visit his grandfather. They only ever talked about North or work. He wants to know if he’s family, and if anyone felt anything when they lost him.
That scam hurt him the most, and Grandpa asked him to take responsibility rather than asking how he felt. Yes. This.
Everyone stares stupidly. Grandpa tells Pai that he forced Pai’s parents not to call him. But they pleaded for him. How nice?
Grandpa forgot Pai was a child… Or a human being? He was angry about the mistake and abandoned him in his worst moment. Grandpa squeezes out tears, apologizes, and hugs Pai. At least he asks if Pai accepts his apology.
Pai does, and gets hugs from Grandpa and North while the parents sit stupidly on their couch.
But it wasn’t Bakery Friend that made this happen
It was Tim. Learning this, Pai immediately goes to Tim’s and pouts at him. Then he panics that Grandpa offered to forgive Pai if Tim got out of the picture. Tim pretends this is true for too long, but promises Pai that he can’t leave him.
Tim was waiting for Pai tonight, because when something weighs on Pai’s mind, he always comes to him.
Pai wishes he didn’t, but Tim reassures him that he’s there for him, and he likes him. When Pai asks what’s to like, this time Tim answers: Pai is good at everything, stubborn and sensitive, but romantic, and truly cares for someone he loves.
Who wouldn’t love such a lovable soul? There’s sweet nose-nuzzling and then kisssssing.
The next day, North gives Pai a ride to work to show he loves him. Good North.
Tim worries that once Pai works for the family again, he’ll never see him. He no longer has an excuse to go into his office. Pai asks if he’s giving up. Of course not.
Grandpa gives Pai his job back. He knows about Tim and only asks that Pai not love Tim because he thinks Tim is the only person who can love him. That’s fair.
Since Pai won’t get rid of him, they both need to get to know him. Also, Grandpa made a nice bouquet with pictures for Pai. Learning.
That evening, U and North come over to make Pai play a dumb game with them while Tim cooks. Grumpy Pai looks happy with everyone there again.
All I want is for Pai to be happy.
So I’ll accept whatever Pai wants. But his complaints about Grandpa controlling the family were all valid, and seemingly forgotten with one Sincere Apology. It doesn’t feel like anything really changed.
My only hope is that they don’t overwork Pai again. Will he want to return to his project with Tim? I guess we’ll see.
Tim got that new job pretty easily, so why was he ever a conman? I can imagine situations with loan sharks pressuring him while he dealt with the trauma of being abandoned, but the show hasn’t told me. Overall, Tim’s backstory has been a little thin.
But Tim’s shameless behavior for the win. He gave Pai the chance to slow down and heal while knowing someone was there for him and wouldn’t leave. I also think if Pai ever really, truly told him to get lost, he’d do it. But as he said, Pai always goes to him when he needs him.
I also appreciate that after Pai’s criticism of the fancy restaurant, he kept things cheap on their date.
And U and North are the sweetest.
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