by: Raine

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*Squee* Smiling Park Shi-hoo. *Squee* Lots of pictures. I can’t help myself.

As for the story, we finally get some big developments. I’m rather enjoying the police activity in this show. It lessens the drama tropes of the angsty chaebol and the nasty mothers and second female leads.

Oh yeah, did I mention smiling Park Shi-hoo. *claps*

“Seaside Lovers” – Connection featuring Choi Seung-chan on piano (from the How to Be a Perfect Neighbor OST)

episode 5 recap

Our four leads are in the midst of doing the ‘shocked’ stare when Yoo Joon-suk steps forward to greet his fiancee-to-be, Evil Go Hye-mi, with a sullen expression. As he does, the neighborhood ahjummas (including Yang Duk-gil) come around the corner. Song Young-ja, Evil’s mother, is happily surprised to see him.

Introductions are made all around and fawning over Joon-suk commences. When they discover that he drove Jung Yoon-hee home and that Evil drove Baek Soo-chan home, the air becomes awkward. Young-ja invites him for tea but he politely refuses and Yoon-hee explains he is tired from getting lost.

We get reactions from the meeting including Evil shunning Young-ja as her husband does; Yoon-hee’s mother, sister and niece scolding her about her sense of direction; and Joon-suk smiling over all Yoon-hee’s antics on their three-hour journey to her house.

The next morning Yoon-hee is late for work and rushes by the ahjummas and Soo-chan. Because Joon-suk drove her home the night before, Yoon-hee’s mom, Sun Woo, is bragging and Byun Hee-sup’s wife, Bo-kyung, wants Yoon-hee to put in a good word for him. Overhearing all of this, Soo-chan smirks that one drive has made Yoon-hee.

At the resort, Joon-suk is with the three stooges, Byun Hee-sup, Cha Young-jae and Kim Dae-shik. Hee-sup is stuttering and nervously sucking up to Joon-suk, much to Young-jae’s severe annoyance.

Back at the company, Yoon-hee reads Joon-suk his schedule and she offers to make him coffee, which makes him ask if he looks tired. It’s an adorable little quibble. Then he tells her not to ask if she should bring him coffee – just bring it. It’s bothersome. (Oooh, is that icy little heart melting, Joon-suk?)

She also offers him smelly medicine because his legs must be sore. Annoyed, he tells her not to make his legs hurt in the first place. She thinks he’s joking and leaves laughing. Cue Evil who enters in time to see her mention that Joon-suk is “oh-so-funny”. When she goes into his office, he shuts her down as per usual and she is furious and jealous.

When Evil leaves, he opens the medicine Yoon-hee gave him, which reeks, and then laughs. “She’s special. Just…special.”

Soo-chan has been made permanent staff at the university thanks to his affair with the female professor, who is the president’s daughter, I think. He is ecstatic. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him smile genuinely. I think he’s sick of the deceitful living and is glad for something real.

Anywho, Sun Woo and Duk-gil hear the news first and are ecstatic. Duk-gil asks for a washing machine with the raise. Heehee. He DOES belong to the group of neighborhood ahjummas.

Joon-suk scolds Hee-sup in front of the other two stooges and stalks into his office, but Hee-sup is actually happy: Joon-suk didn’t say “so what?” today as he usually does.

But he’s still cranky when Yoon-hee serves him lunch and suggests that he eat at the restaurant downstairs with other people – meals taste better that way. He wants to be left alone but she mentions that he should be gentler with Hee-sup. He repeatedly asks her to leave and she finally gets the hint when he stares at her with abject annoyance.

Everyone is getting ready to celebrate Baek Soo-chan’s promotion: Sun Woo, Duk-gil and Bo-kyung are preparing food and Soo-chan is luxuriating in a bath and calling himself professor over and over again.

A doting Mi-hee brings Soo-chan flowers and congratulates him. She cried when she heard the news. “Is it his birthday?” Yoon-hee asks, passing by, breaking the mood.

It’s party time and there’s plenty of food thanks to a neighborhood of doting ahjummas. When asked for a speech, he gets up with a thinly masked pleasure and begins – only to be interrupted by many tiny disasters. After a few half-hearted attempts, he gives up.

Dan Myung-hee, the pregnant ahjumma, gets lectured by her husband, Kim Dae-shik, for attending a party for another man but neglecting to make him anything. Not a happy household.

At Hee-sup’s home, his wife is nagging their daughter and him. Sick of it, he goes outside for fresh air where Yoon-hee comes upon him. She tells him a little white lie that greatly pleases him – the director may yell at him, but it’s because the director knows he won’t take it to heart. When Hee-sup asks her about the major personel reorganization, she tells him not to worry about it.

Turns out, she was right. Hee-sup got promoted to general manager to the pleasure of all, save one: Cha Young-jae. He looks angry and slightly, but more confused and suspicious. Why?

Chairman Go and Joon-suk are meeting in Go’s office. Joon-suk doesn’t think Byun should’ve been promoted and wants to know why he wasn’t consulted. Go tells him to accept it because Joon-suk doesn’t have the final say – he does. Is it me, or is this guy getting skeezier by the second?

Go explains that Byun is someone that Joon-suk’s mother looks up to which greatly disturbs Joon-suk. Why is his mother still involved in company matters?

Sun Woo, Bo-kyung, Duk-gil and Na Ha-ni, Young-jae’s wife, are outside preparing vegetables when Yoon-hee comes home. She informs them of Byun’s promotion. His wife is excited and then bitches that he didn’t call her with the news. Ha-ni asks after her husband who didn’t receive anything so she skulks away.

Bo-kyung carries a drunk Hee-sup into the house and wants to know if he gets a raise. Meanwhile, Ha-ni is watching Young-jae throw up after returning from Hee-sup’s celebration. She wants to know how she will face Bo-kyung now. Young-jae said Hee-sup would be fired. When she leaves, he looks extremely pensive.

In another tense meeting, Joon-suk confronts his mother about promoting Byun Hee-sup. Because the company was set up by his maternal grandfather and because she is the second largest share holder, she has the power to do what she feels is necessary for the company.

Then why did she ask him to come back if he is to be treated like a puppet? You wasted your life over a woman so you turned yourself into a puppet, she replies nastily. Don’t fight it and you won’t be seen as one.

At the office, Yoon-hee praises Joon-suk for “his” decision to promote Byun Hee-sup because she didn’t think Joon-suk had it in him based upon how he used to treat him. Annoyed, he tells her to leave.

Detectives Kang and Kim mull over Dan Myung-hee’s relationship with Yeon Soo-yeon when Duk-gil spots them. Kang tells Kim he’s a stalker and to ignore him. Haha. But Bo-kyung emerges and tells them that Myung-hee has gone to visit her mother.

The police chief asks after the lead on Soo-yeon. Kim is skeptical but Kang is adamant that it’s a strong lead. It is strange that a woman would suddenly up and go to her mother’s place. The chief berates Kang for speaking informally to him and makes fun of Kang’s “gut instincts” as everyone else does.

Soo-chan is on the phone and flirting mercilessly with the female professor who got him promoted. When Duk-gil comes in for the laundry, he gets playful and pretends to be another women to bother Soo-chan who is forced to hang up in embarrassment. Duk-gil wants him to stop being a jebi and think about Go-ni, but Soo-chan would rather they leave instead – so Duk-gil leaves without the laundry. Hehe.

At the hospital, Yoon-hee is on her way to visit the president when she hears a commotion from his room. He has taken a turn for the worst. The doctors work on restarting his heart as Joon-suk breaks down. “You can’t do this! You have to apologize to me!” he screams. Yoon-hee grabs his arm and is shocked to see his anguish.

They wait, he pacing, she oddly still, until the doctor tells them they have to move the president to intensive care. Yoon-hee decides to stay, which moves Joon-suk to share, “I don’t like my father.”

He was afraid of him as a child because he was so serious. Yoon-hee agrees but says that he also enjoyed how she made him laugh.

“It’s not easy to find a woman like you, Jung Yoon-hee ssi,” Joon-suk replies while smiling. *squeeee*

Yoon-hee thinks that he and his father resemble each other when they smile, but no one in his family noticed because there is not much smiling in his household.

Then we see Sun Woo and Duk-gil laughing over a television show in Yoon-hee’s home, a direct contract to Joon-suk’s somber household. Mi-hee enters and wonders why Duk-gil is still there, suspicious that he and her mother like each other. She mentions a hankering for leeks and Duk-gil gets up to make her some, and some sweet corn for Ye-seul.

While he’s cooking, he frets over Yoon-hee who hasn’t come home yet. Mi-hee decides he likes Yoon-hee.

Duk-gil is pacing outside, worrying about Yoon-hee’s late appearance when Soo-chan comes home. He frowns upon Soo-chan’s continued jebi behavior and then returns to his Yoon-hee preoccupation.

Soo-chan smirks. How can anyone like someone who hits another person? Duk-gil is incredulous and Soo-chan looks awkward, unwilling to admit that he was the one who was decked, several times, by Yoon-hee.

The president is finally out of the woods and the doctors are moving him out of intensive care. Yoon-hee is ecstatic but very tired. A concerned Joon-suk says she should go home. She wants him to do the same and rest. Although he will return to the office, he tells her to take the day off. Aww!

On her way home, she spots Soo-chan running and snarks that he does it to catch the attention of the ahjummas who will then give him banchan and other gifts. He denies it – he needs to stay in shape. Ah yes, she muses. That’s important to be a good jebi. She walks away, continuing to rag on him and thoroughly pissing him off.

He heads inside, grumbling that she stays out all night but is shameless enough to criticize other people. Duk-gil overhears him as he is preparing breakfast and becomes alarmed. She was out all night? Where? Why? What for?! Tee-hee, que cute.

At breakfast, Yoon-hee wants bean sprout soup but her mother refuses because she stayed out all night. Mi-hee thinks Duk-gil is interested in her because he was worried about her staying out all night. Sun Woo calls her on her changing theory and then says that Duk-gil doesn’t lack common sense – i.e., he’d never choose a girl like Yoon-hee.

As Yoon-hee is running off to work, Duk-gil stops her to say that it’s only right for one to sleep in one’s own house. She nods, looking at him rather blankly and he assumes she gets his drift. Uh, buddy, she definitely doesn’t.

When Joon-suk comes in to work, he’s surprised to see a sleepy-faced Yoon-hee. She brings him his coffee and he inquires why she came in. She isn’t so weak as to stay home after only losing one night’s sleep. Then, *squeeeee* he tells her that the morning coffee is good. She looks as ready to squee as I do!

Joon-suk comes out of his office and sees Yoon-hee passed out on the desk. A hint of a smile crosses his face and he leaves, passing a returning Mi-na. She hurriedly wakes Yoon-hee and says that the director did not look happy. You missed the almost smile, lady.

The ever persistent Detective Kang is waiting in front of Myung-hee’s house. Duk-gil brings him some cold tea, which Kang refuses, citing digestive issues. But then Mi-hee walks by and Kang is instantly smitten. Cue slowmo and a dropped jaw.

Who is she? She’s beautiful! Is she single? Divorced.

Duk-gil informs him that she’s single and that her sister is even more beautiful. Kang grabs the cold tea and downs it, needing to cool off. If he’s as persistent with women as he is with his case, I fear for poor Mi-hee.

Evil brings Joon-suk some papers and invites him to visit the president with her. He turns her down, citing the president’s turn for the worst and need for complete rest.

On her way out, she hears Yoon-hee inquiring after the president’s health. She is relieved to hear he is doing better because they were very worried yesterday. Evil’s face clouds over, jealous that Yoon-hee was with Joon-suk and knew about the president’s condition before her.

Duk-gil is doing Go-ni’s homework with him when Myung-hee comes back from her mother’s. He informs her that the detective is looking for her and she looks nervous.

She hurries home and runs to the fridge, taking out a pitcher of water and chugging directly from it. Suddenly, she feels a pain and drops the pitcher.

The detective returns and Duk-gil informs him that Myung-hee is back. Kang finds her on the ground, writing in pain. Screaming, she is taking to the hospital while the ahjummas look on with worry.

In a tense meeting where Joon-suk is laying into the three stooges, all three of their phones ring consecutively, irking Joon-suk further. The wives are unable to reach their husbands, so Sun Woo calls Yoon-hee. She interrupts the meeting to Joon-suk’s annoyance and glances with worry at Kim Dae-shik, Myung-hee’s husband.

He rushes to the hospital and Detective Kang informs him that she’s in surgery.

At Yoon-hee’s house, they wait impatiently for news. finally, Duk-gil calls the station for Detective Kang’s number.

Myung-hee has passed away from too much blood loss.

WHAT?!

Dae-shik crumples to the floor, sobbing.

They are shocked at the news and Mi-hee asks if the baby is okay. We see Dae-shik staring lovingly at his baby in the nursery as his eyes well with tears.

Of course, this is when the search warrant for Myung-hee’s home comes through. Detective Kang is hesitant to disturb Dae-shik in his fragile state, but justice must prevail. They carefully ask about his wife’s involvement with Yeon Soo-yeon. They two women used to be close and Myung-hee’s number was found in Soo-yeon’s purse. But Dae-shik is useless.

The detectives are searching her office. Kim is on the computer and finds a university website and a personal blog that is chock full of pictures of Soo-chan. And, we have our photo-taking stalker.

Oh man, I pity Dae-shik right now. She dies, leaving him with an infant and now he gets to learn his wife was obsessed with someone else.

(I know I’m pictures happy. So shoot me.)

At the hospital, Yoon-hee is giving the nurses small thank-you gifts for taking care of the president. Joon-suk watches her with a smile. Outside, they’re walking together. Was his father that good to her because she’s good to him? She is thankful for her position. Is she that thankful? Or did the president see her as a woman?

She is shocked by his attempt at a joke. Haha, she thinks he’s joking when he’s not and then doesn’t get his real jokes.

Anyway, he thinks it’s strange that a stranger can care for his father in a way that he can’t.

Duk-gil tells Sun Woo and Mi-hee that Soo-chan is going to Europe. Mi-hee is completely affronted and stalks inside. She pulls out photos of Soo-chan (stalker!!!!!) and a rather evil, determined look crosses her face. Stalker #2 is going to do something stupid, isn’t she?

Joon-suk has taken Yoon-hee to dinner (oh la la!) and she’s enjoying it. The meat melts in her mouth. The wine is sweet. But why isn’t Joon-suk drinking? He tells her he doesn’t drink and she asks how he can have fun without drinking.

Once, at a friend’s house she fell into a soju barrel and since then she’s been able to drink any alcohol without getting drunk. The saying “fall into a liquor barrel” refers to her. He is quite amused by her antics.

A little later, Yoon-hee, drunk, stumbles around and Joon-suk comments that he thought she didn’t get drunk. Apparently, she has downed three bottles of wine and now wants to go for some soju.

On the way home, she drunkenly tries to direct him to her home, but he remembers. Then, she offers to buy him fried chicken and he’s incredulous that she’s still hungry. The steak melted in your mouth, remember? She doesn’t and he asks her to be quiet. Haha. That’s a recurring thing with them.

They arrive and she’s asleep. He watches her with a smile. She wakes herself by asking for more soju and is confused. Where is she? Why didn’t you wake me? He’d tried, but she tried to hit him, so he’d stopped.

She doesn’t usually get drunk and he wants to see her drunk. She keeps mumbling that she never gets drunk and then stumbles away.

He laughs. “Special. Just special.” Yes, she is. Special to you.

Back at the station, Detective Kang is staring at the university’s homepage, wondering what it has to do with anything. Then he randomly clicks a link and sees the man from the photo’s faculty profile.

Kang discovers that they’re from the same village and is stoked that his instinct is correct. The head of the village remembers Soo-chan well and that he and Soo-yeon were in the town at the same time ten years ago.

He and Kim suspect a love triangle.

They show up at Soo-chan’s place and ask about Yeon Soo-yeon.

Soo-chan looks shocked to hear her name.

 Comments:

Omigosh, lots of Park Shi-hoo smiling. This episode was an eyeopener for me in terms of his acting. I have thought up another Park Shi-hoo mini-series installment!

Wow, I totally didn’t expect Myung-hee to die. That blew my mind. Just like when Cambodian wife got taken out by a car. This show sure  has a flare for the dramatic.

I’m not quite as surprised that Myung-hee was the stalker. But I’m pretty sure that Soo-chan has little to do with Soo-yeon’s death. She does, however, have some significant role in his past if the look on his face in the last scene was any indicator.

And how about stalker #2, Mi-hee. What was that look for? Soo-chan is a jerk to women, but I really hope she isn’t planning any real retaliation. I doubt I’ll get my wish because then what kind of drama would that be?

As for Hye-mi/Evil, her tolerance for Joon-suk’s apathy towards her seems to be lessening by the second, especially since he seems to have a liking for his goofy secretary with no status. She isn’t Evil for no reason, so I expect her to be thoroughly disgusting in the future.

Joon-suk really starts to open up to Yoon-hee. She doesn’t judge, even when she’s doling out unsolicited advice. She listens well and doesn’t make him feel insignificant or pathetic like his mother and Director Go do. He is absolutely smitten and he knows it. She is happily oblivious.

BUT, Yoon-hee likes him back although she isn’t privy to that information yet. I like how forward she is and I hope she doesn’t lose that aspect of her personality when the angst to come rears its head – ’cause it is a-coming.

And Bae Doo-na, holy cow. She is such a powerhouse. When she’s on screen, she eats it up.

By the way, Soo-chan is totally starting to dig, Yoon-hee. I’m just saying.

Did anyone notice how weird it was that Cha Young-jae was more suspicious than mad and/or jealous over the fact that he was passed up for a promotion? I wonder what he’s thinking.

Now for uri Park Shi-hoo.

I’M SORRY OPPA FOR WHAT I’M ABOUT TO SAY!

So this was aired in 2007 and is one of his earliest works. He still has the charisma and the smile that it a total scene stealer. His ability to bring out the best parts of his fellow actors is still there.

However, I’m watching this retrospectively and one thing really shocked me, especially after watching Prosecutor Princess and The Princess’ Man.

Park Shi-hoo is having a really hard time embodying angst! He puts on the right faces and has the right posture. But he can’t seem to throw himself completely into the emotion. It’s just one of those emotions that the actor has to feel in his entire being in order to portray it properly.

If you’ve seen The Princess’ Man, you’ll know that he is QUITE capable of doing this. Oppa, you’re awesome for growing this much. But as of right now, as I watch this, I’m just so surprised because he is so capable now. It’s one of the things I admire most about him, the active growth in his work and the utter dedication.

I bet we’ll see him improve throughout the drama. You can do it, Shi-hoo oppa!

For the recaps of episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 check out my recaps.

Character introductions.

How to Be a Perfect Neighbor Episode 5 Screencaps. Seriously, check ’em. Park Shi-hoo galore.