ROOMMATE Episode 18

Episode Title: Looking Back

The episode starts off with some reflection on how these past 4 months have been. One similar thought is that the house felt like there were people living there (like a home). Other similar thoughts are not doing enough for each other and not knowing enough about each other. With that, this sets the direction of the episode.



Soo Hyun and Nana are off to Nana's hometown, Cheongju. At the bus station, Soo Hyun naturally takes the lead as guide as she goes to purchase tickets. Nana is impressed with the ticket buying process, which is all done on machines, commenting "the world is such a better place these days."

During the bus ride, the ladies chat about Cheongju. Nana tells Soo Hyun about the famous hangover soup there. It is so good that Nana used to wake her parents at midnight to go get some. Soo Hyun asks what Cheongju is famous for. Nana bluntly says the Buddhist Zen teachings. The first printed teachings were printed in Cheongju. Nana shares that Cheongju is known as a learning city. Nana starts talking about her former homeroom teacher, who she would like to see. She recalls how he was a more like a friend than a teacher. Nana describes herself as a bad student at the time. She would always be late, but her teacher would always call her to tell her to wake up. Soo Hyun asks Nana if she wanted to sing and dance when she was working as a model. Nana shares that she always enjoyed doing both, but never thought to audition. In her interview, Nana shares that her teacher was the one that gave her the confidence to do so.

They arrive to Cheongju and set off to Nana's old high school by bus. The bus is packed, which brings back old memories for Nana. Soo Hyun asks a student on the bus if she knows that Nana was from around here. The student does and says she has seen Nana's graduation pictures. Nana jokingly asks why she would look up her pictures. As they make their way to the school, they take in the view of the countryside.

They head to the teachers' office once they arrive. Soo Hyun asks the teachers if it possible to look up Nana's old classroom number. While waiting, Nana tries to remember her old classroom number, but is unsure. She is handed her school records, which shows her old room number (that she guessed correctly) and graduation picture (which she cover ups). Soo Hyun reads through Nana's record. She reads that Nana's parents wanted her to be a veterinarian, but Nana wanted to be a makeup artist. Soo Hyun also reads aloud some of the comments about Nana. One comment read that she always smiled brightly and helped with school events. Another comment read that she was good at embroidery. Suddenly, one of the teachers announce that her homeroom teacher transferred to another school. Shocked, Soo Hyun tries to make light of the situation by reminding her that nothing works out the first time on TV shows. She deducts that they just need to go to the other school to see him. The teacher drops another bomb- it is summer vacation, which means he might not be there. Keeping a positive mind frame, Soo Hyun states that they just need to find the school first. If he isn't there, they will find his home address. Soo Hyun assures Nana that they will be reunited.

The pair head to Nana's old classroom. Nana takes a seat at her old desk. She recalls how she wanted time to go quickly back then.  Before leaving, Nana leaves behind a message and picture on the chalk board. Now outside of the school, Soo Hyun calls the other school. Once connected, she asks if Nana's former teacher is there. The person on the other line tells her she called the principal's office, but informs her the teacher is there. Soo Hyun asks for permission to visit and is granted. Now relieved, they are off to the next location.

Min Woo and Kang Joon are off to Chuncheon for a day of water sports and relaxation. During their car ride, they have a quiz to see how well they have gotten to know each other these past 120 days. They both correctly answer each other's height and weight. They incorrectly answer each other's blood type. When asked about the other's birthday, they just started guessing.

They arrive and are given a quick tutorial on wake boarding while on the deck. Kang Joon seems nervous as they head for the boat. On the boat, Kang Joon starts asking a bunch of questions. He asks about injuries and someone tells him that there isn't a possibility of major injuries unless they are jumping. Min Woo is up first, but the one scared is Kang Joon. Min Woo fails to stand up on his first try, which Kang Joon laughs at. On his second try, Min Woo is successful. Kang Joon is impressed as he yells out "you're cool." Min Woo stands up on the board for a long time. Kang Joon starts telling him to jump despite knowing major injuries are possible when jumping. When that fails, he gives Min Woo a thumbs down and Min Woo loses balance. Kang Joon boasts that he will get up on his first try.

It is now Kang Joon's turn. He wipes out on his first try. On his second try, he only stands up for a few seconds. He keeps trying, but continues to fail. He finally gives up, yelling "I'm not doing this." Min Woo compliments him by saying he did well for his first time. He keeps complimenting him until they get to the dock.

Dong Wook and Se Ho are having lunch with their sisters and their families. Se Ho is clad in a t-shirt with the picture he took in Taiwan of him and his fans. He explains to Dong Wook that he made a promise to the Taiwanese fans to wear it on the show. As they are waiting for their guests, Dong Wook shares how uncomfortable he is with his brother in law. Suddenly, his sister and brother in law show up mid-conversation. Dong Wook introduces his family to Se Ho. His brother in law comments on how Se Ho is so funny. Se Ho wants to give them a gift. Dong Wook's sister asks if it is the same shirt he was wearing, which is exactly what the gift was. Dong Wook jokes that Se Ho has become cocky since the fan meet. His sister jokingly asks if the fans knew it was a fan meet for Se Ho. Keeping the jokes going, brother in law asks why Se Ho has his face on a t-shirt when only top stars do. Flustered by their comments, Se Ho argues that anyone can have their face on a shirt. He then fires back a question, asking if they really are Dong Wook's family since they are so funny.

Once the jokes die down, Se Ho asks how the first meeting between brother in law and the family went. Dong Wook's sister explains how they have a family dog. Their dog was feeling unwell and their veterinarian couldn't figure out what was wrong. When she brought over her now-husband for the first time, he knew right away what was wrong with their dog and fixed the issue. From that day, her parents adored him. Dong Wook shares how he knew his brother in law loved his sister just by watching him during a dinner.

Se Ho tells them about his sister and her family. The topic goes on to babies. Se Ho comments that one day he'll have one that'll resemble him. Dong Wook's sister jokingly asks if he really wants the baby to look like him. Flustered, Se Ho fires back that he is good looking, but he just doesn't take care of himself. Soon after, Se Ho's family arrives, kids included.

Dong Wook's brother in law gets the conversation going by asking how Se Ho was as a child. The roommates praise him for taking the lead. Se Ho's sister shares that Se Ho never pulled any pranks because she would have gotten mad. His brother in law shares how his wife talks warmly on the phone to Se Ho now that he is famous. Se Ho asks about Dong Wook's ex-girlfriends.  Dong Wook's sister divulges a bit, saying he has brought home one in the past. Se Ho bombards her with more questions. Dong Wook blurts out that Se Ho just wants to know how many (he has brought home). Dong Wook's sister divulges a bit more, saying she didn't see the girlfriend as a celebrity. Curious, Se Ho asks if the girlfriend was a singer, which the sister confirms she wasn't. Se Ho asks if she was surprised that Dong Wook brought a celebrity home. She explains that she wasn't and comments how pretty the girlfriend was.

Not wanting just his past revealed, Dong Wook asks about Se Ho's ex-girlfriends. Se Ho's sister shares that he has only brought one girlfriend home. Dong Wook asks if the girlfriend was also a comedian. Se Ho shoots down that idea, sharing that he never dated a celebrity. His sister shares that their father used to comment how the girlfriend looked like Song Yuri (former singer, now MC) whenever she appeared on TV.

Dong Wook says aloud that Se Ho likes Nana to allude to the next topic. Se Ho's sister is also curious about this. Dong Wook asks her if Se Ho's ex-gilfriend is prettier than Nana to which Se Ho's sister answers that Nana is prettier. She continues saying how her husband is also curious to know how it would be like if Se Ho and Nana married. She directly asks what is going on between the couple. Dong Wook chimes in that the couple asks him this too. Se Ho vaguely explains that he sees Nana positively and calls her a very good friend. Dong Wook's sister shares that Dong Wook told their family that he thought Nana was cute. She further explains that he stopped saying this after Se Ho started liking Nana. Dong Wook cutely puts a pause on the conversation and tells his sister to eat first.

After getting closer, Se Ho suggests they all speak comfortably and reveal everything. Dong Wook's sister proceeds to tell all. She starts off by telling the group about his strict training on how to use chopsticks correctly. The funny thing is they were both really young at the time and Dong Wook took it very seriously. The next bit of information she shares is that Dong Wook's paleness is due to him drinking a lot of milk. But that is not the worst part. She shares that he always drank milk from a bottle. She tells the story that she heard from their mother. When Dong Wook was in elementary school, his teacher called to ask why Dong Wook didn't know how to use a straw. His mother had to explain that he always drank milk from a bottle.

As the conversations flow on, Se Ho asks Dong Wook's sister about her wedding. Dong Wook interrupts, saying he only took care of their wedding car. He explains that he ordered his manager to decorate the outside of the van. His sister chimes in that it was corny. Dong Wook scolds her, reminding her that she told him it was pretty. Se Ho asks if that was all he contributed to the wedding. Dong Wook's sister reveals that he did 99% of the wedding- from the dress to makeup to photography and the honeymoon. Dong Wook calls this investing in his brother in law's future.

Dong Wook asks how Se Ho contributed to his sister's wedding. Se Ho shares that he is revealing this for the first time. At the time, he couldn't afford to give his sister much since he was a public worker. He thought that in the future he would treat his nieces and nephews well to make up for it. His sister comments that he did contribute. She explains that Se Ho arranged for Park Hyun Bin (trot singer) to be the wedding singer. To her, this was a gift from him. Se Ho explains further that he wanted to do a lot more for his sister.

Dong Wook shares there is something he feels sorry about towards his sister. He believes he received more love from their parents as the first born child. He tells them about a fire that occurred where their home was burned down. As a result, their family struggled financially. Se Ho asks if Dong Wook contributed financially when he started his career while a senior in high school. Dong Wook shares that he did, but that he doesn't want to judge his father's work and contribution. His sister shares how emotional she and their mother get when they watch the show. She remembers how she would say to her parents that they love Dong Wook more whenever she would argue with them. She recalls how Dong Wook pulled her aside after she argued with their mother once and told her she has gotten to do everything she has ever wanted while he hasn't. His words impacted her and she reflected about it. She realized her brother really hasn't done anything he wanted. Watching the show, she realizes that this has been something he wanted to do (getting to be around friends/socializing). Because they've come to realize it, they can only cry when they watch the show. Dong Wook shares that his hobbies now (comics/movies/collecting figures) are the things he wanted to do when he was younger, but couldn't.

Se Ho's sister brought along some letters and awards to share. One letter read "Let's not fight. Play with Mimi with me." She tells them about an incident where she was punched by one of the older boys in their building. Se Ho, who was protective over sister despite being younger, marched upstairs to confront the boy, but was also punched. Another letter was from when he went into basic training to become a public worker. The letter is light hearted as she jokes that he should have brought their mother with him and jabs him on his weight. Included in the letter was spending money. She shares that she once took out Se Ho and his friends to drink since he didn't have an older brother.

Dong Wook's sister shares that she brought a gift for her brother, something that he'll need in the house. With a nervous heart, Dong Wook opens up the box to reveal a pair of shorts from 13 years ago. She shares that she used all of her money to buy it for him while in high school. Dong Wook explains that he wears them when things are hard. Se Ho concludes that Dong Wook doesn't throw things away easily. Once he becomes friends with someone, he never lets them go. Feeling close, Se Ho says their family will only continue to grow.

Sung Woo and his friends are riding off to Sokcho. At their destination, the crew is at a restaurant. One friend breaks the ice by saying they didn't expect him to come alone. His  friends are playful as they say the food will taste good since Sung Woo is paying. During their meal, Sung Woo makes a call to Soo Hyun. He tells her one of his friends is a fan of hers. He turns the call into a video call and shows off his friends. He asks Soo Hyun to pick which of his friends did she think is her fan. She guesses wrong and Sung Woo tells her he'll see her later.

His friends start shooting him questions about the show like when do they start filming. Sung Woo informs them they are always being filmed. One friend puts him on blast and says he hides what he should. He gives an example- Sung Woo drinks 1 can of beer to help him sleep. He explains that in reality it is more like pounding back the beers. Another shares his wish for Sung Woo to marry so he would finally become an adult. After the verbal take down, Sung Woo's friends thank him for the meal and bows.

The next stop in their adventure is the beach. They hilariously stroll around the beach with their motorcycle helmets on and take a commemorative picture. Soo Hyun's fan shouts out "invite us all over" before running into the water. He didn't think things through as he doesn't have spare clothes or a towel. As they ride off, this friend stands on his motorcycle to attempt to dry off.

Back at Chuncheon, Kang Joon and Min Woo are having a serious talk session...but not really. More like get whatever off your chest before jumping down to the balloon jump and sending the other flying up and landing in the water. First up is Min Woo. He asks Kang Joon if he remembers what he said on the nightly news segment in Japan.The situation in question is when they differed in answers when asked how often they talk on the phone. Min Woo asks why he answered that way. Kang Joon apologizes and Min Woo accepts and hopes that they'll talk everyday from now on. Min Woo jumps down on the balloon and Kang Joon goes flying in the air. He ends up landing face first into the water.

Kang Joon is up next and brings up how Min Woo always says they'll go out for a drink. He yells out, asking when exactly are they going. Min Woo asks if he remembered. Kang Joon fires back, asking if Min Woo has money. Min Woo yells back that he does to which Kang Joon questions him again about why they have't gone. Min Woo honestly answers that he thought Kang Joon wouldn't remember. This sends Kang Joon laughing. Next, Kang Joon asks if Min Woo knows his character's name in his current drama. Min Woo pretends not to hear what he says. Kang Joon asks again and Min Woo answers that his role is nice. Kang Joon yells for him to pay attention. Min Woo agrees to before questioning if Kang Joon knows his character's name from his upcoming drama. Kang Joon guesses "farmer," but Min Woo corrects him by saying that that is the name of the drama. After this bit, Kang Joon jumps down and like Kang Joon, Min Woo lands on his face in the water.

Nana and Soo Hyun arrive to the next school with treats in hand. They are greeted by a crowd of students. The ladies stop by the principal's office first. They greet the principal before sitting down to chat. Soo Hyun apologizes for calling his office. The principal assures them it is okay and tells them he was looking forward to their visit. He informs them that Nana's teacher should be on the 4th floor. Nana is nervous so Soo Hyun volunteers to bring the teacher down. She opens the door to see a larger crowd of students. She doesn't flinch one bit and proceeds with her mission.

Soo Hyun makes it to the teachers' office and finds Nana's teacher, Lee Kang Won. Soo Hyun covers his face and asks him if he remembers a student who liked cross stitching and reading. He does and Soo Hyun asks if the student was in grade 2, room 7. The teacher names off Nana. Soo Hyun asks the last question - are you Lee Kang Won. He confirms and Soo Hyun reveals his face. She goes back to Nana with the good news. Like the natural guide she is, Soo Hyun suggests Nana call out the teacher's name. Nana yells out once, but isn't loud enough. She tries again and again, yelling louder each time. The teacher enters and both are in awe. Nana starts to get teary eyed. Soo Hyun shares that the teacher remembered Nana right away after the hints. She asks the teacher if Nana is still the same. He seems to think so and shares how he saw a recent interview of hers. He compliments Nana by telling her she did well.

Nana gives her teacher a cake and catches herself almost calling him "oppa." She explains that they were like friends. The teacher comments that it feels strange. Soo Hyun asks if he knew she would become famous. He shares that he knew she was preparing to debut, but still found it strange when he saw her on TV. Soo Hyun alludes to how Nana wasn't interested in studying English back then. The teacher confirms that, but starts listing off things that Nana was good at like cross stitching and nail art. He also alleviates it by saying Nana was good at speaking English and that she was always enthusiastic and bright. Nana comments that 11th grade was special and shares that she still meets with her classmates. The teacher also agrees, saying that it was fun.

The teacher shares that he listens to Nana's music and comments how the music is bright like her personality. Soo Hyun puts him on the spot and asks him to sing a bit. Flustered by the request, Nana starts cheering for him. He starts singing "Catellena" while Nana performs the dance. Both end up laughing. Nana defends his efforts by saying he is normally shy and that he really was trying. Nana asks her teacher if he is still in a band. He explains that he still is and plays at the local clubs. Soo Hyun compliments his looks by saying there is something charismatic about it. He hilariously agrees, but then backtracks saying only when he is playing guitar does he seem charismatic. Nana asks if he has a girlfriend. He doesn't and Nana shares that she is matching him with Soo Hyun. They both high five and play up the antics. The teacher and Soo Hyun share their ages. The teachers tells Soo Hyun she should hurry up and get married. Nana starts saying something and the teacher pipes in that he has liked Soo Hyun from the start.

Nana offers to buy his class pizza. Her teacher jokes that she has made a lot of money. Nana comments that she is working hard. The ladies pay a visit to the classroom. They have some fun with the students before the pizzas arrive. Afterwards, Nana plays some baseball, which she is actually good at. The ladies, teacher, and principal have lunch together as well.

Now alone together, Nana and her teacher talk freely. Her teacher shares how all the kids sing and dance to her songs. When he sees this, he feels proud.

It is now time for the reunion to end. They agree to keep in touch before parting ways. As Nana is walking off, she yells back "don'y cry." In his interview, her teacher shares how glad he is that Nana came to visit him despite all of the great teachers (she could've visited). In regards to Soo Hyun, he says Soo Hyun can contact him anytime if she wants.

Min Woo enthusiastically greets someone as he and Kang Joon arrive at a restaurant. The restaurant owner is Young Mi (singer Lee Min Woo's sister). They all sit down to chat. Min Woo remembers when he first came to Seoul to become an actor. He looked up on the internet how to become an actor. Tips he found were study acting in college, send your pictures to different agencies, and find a part time job in Gangnam. As the actors in the group, Kang Joon and Min Woo explain that the part time job could lead to castings. Young Mi remembers how they got restaurant regulars after Min Woo started working here. She shares that she lost some of those regulars after Min Woo quit. Min Woo shares that he landed his first role after working at the restaurant. Kang Joon asks how much Min Woo was paid hourly. Hesitantly, Young Mi answers that she paid Min Woo more (over 10,000 won). Kang Joon is shocked and shares he was only paid 5,000 won. Min Woo tries to alleviate the conversation by saying people get raises as they get more experience. Kang Joon comments that he only got a 300 won raise. Min Woo starts teaching him the right things to say to get a better pay and the right things to say depending on the situation. Kang Joon chimes in that he should have learned more about the ways of the world.

They try acting out a scenario with Kang Joon as the terrible customer and Min Woo as the waiter. After Kang Joon tries his act, Young Mi and Min Woo comment that that was not a terrible customer at all. They give it another try with Min Woo acting as the customer. Min Woo plays his role well, leaving Kang Joon flustered.

They get back to chatting. Min Woo shares that he always apologizes to Young Mi for not visiting as often. He recalls when he was about to give up on acting. He was heavier back then and decided he should just work instead. So he worked 12 hours a day and would drink afterwards. But then Lee Min Woo came into his life. Lee Min Woo pushed him to change and did everything for him. Min Woo gets choked up just talking about it. They end the talk by cheering to Lee Min Woo.

At the share house, Dong Wook is the only one home for once. As he is enjoying some ramen, Se Ho arrives. Dong Wook asks why no one was home. Se Ho jokes that Dong Wook will be home now that he is a bum. Dong Wook is surprised by the comment. Se Ho argues that it is true and asks what projects he has now. Dong Wook argues that he is taking a break. Se Ho jokes that Dong Wook looked pathetic when he walked in on him (eating ramen by himself).

Later, Chanyeol arrives and Sung Woo and his friends as well. Sung Woo introduces his friends and not long after Soo Hyun and Nana arrive. Soo Hyun's fan seems nervous. Soo Hyun greets everyone and could tell right away which one of the friends is her fan.

Everyone is gathered in the upstairs living room. Soo Hyun struts out in a dress. Dong Wook calls her out, asking why she dressed up when she said she was only washing up. Sung Woo spills that his friend kept talking about how much he liked Soo Hyun. Slowly, the roommates start interrogating the friend. Se Ho explains it is because Soo Hyun is like family. After talking, it seems like they would be a nice match.

After their guests leave, the roommates gather into Sung Woo's room. They call in Soo Hyun and lay down their feelings (playfully). Dong Wook sternly says he doesn't like the idea of the women of this house liking men from outside the home. Sung Woo strolls in and asks what is going on. The roommates joke that they need to get out.

In front of all of the roommates, Se Hoo asks Nana if she wants to go see a movie together. Nana agrees to it.







Thoughts:

I enjoyed this episode. We get to know more about the roommates that we haven't known... and it seems like we might not have if not through this episode.

Nana's reunion with her teacher was a pleasant event. It makes you think about your own past in school and the teachers that played a role. You could really tell what Nana meant when she said her teacher was more like a friend.

It was nice to see Kang Joon  and Min Woo together without it seeming awkward. The awkwardness between them stemming from earlier in the season seemed to disappear. Hearing about Min Woo's past was intersting. It really seemed like Lee Min Woo came into his life at the right time. From what I've seen of Shinhwa (Lee Min Woo's group), they really do take care of their juniors.

The lunch with Dong Wook's and Se Ho's family was fun. We gained insight on the guys that we would have otherwise not found elsewhere. Se Ho seems to treat his sister well. Despite being younger, he seems more like an older brother. Hearing him talk about not being able to contribute to his sister's wedding like how he wanted to is heartbreaking and relate able. Dong Wook's simple statement to his sister about not being able to do the things he wants was also heartbreaking. Now that his sister has shared how she feels, I wish that his mother and sister will be able to the watch the show and laugh instead of crying.