K-Drama Reaction: Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food

It’s a bittersweet ending to a love story we all came to cherish, and even though this romance was slow-paced and not everyone’s cup of tea, I think the drama’s final episode gave its audience a decent portrayal of fighting for one’s passionate love.

The pain of losing one’s love

Joon-hee (Jung Hae-in) came back to Seoul to attend Seung-ho’s (Wi Ha-joon) wedding. Whenever we bump into our exes in gatherings, it’s either we keep our cool or we lose it, especially when there was no proper closure. Jin-a’s (Son Ye-jin) current state was not what Joon-hee expected her to be. He admitted that he wanted her not to be happy while he was gone, but the reality kicked in when he saw her in a miserable state.

Jin-a is now in a relationship with a man she doesn’t love… someone who has a good background, stable job, and accepted by her parents. And this is the price that she has to pay for following her parent’s will – her own happiness.

Just as we all thought Joon-hee and Jin-a was strong enough to withstand even the most destructive storm, the painful truth remains the same: that love is not enough to save a relationship. Sometimes, growing apart solves what working together cannot. Joon-hee and Jin-a needed time off because it was not the right time yet for their relationship.

The only thing I felt sad about in the finale was the lack of screen time for Kyung-sun. We never really got to witness if Jin-a and Kyung-sun restored their friendship. The bond that I thought was there through thick and thin vanished in the air. I know Jin-a tried to reach out to her and try to start all over again, but the connection just wasn’t there anymore. Kyung-sun was also a different person now.

The joy of gaining that love back

One of the most powerful emotions that one can feel is intense, passionate love. It can make us a better person or direct us to the wrong path. Jin-a and Joon-hee’s relationship was a case of right love at the wrong time. All throughout the drama, they were the epitome of a romance built with a strong foundation. They were constantly giggling, pigging out, and tangling up the sheets. But then, the final hours made us realize that their relationship cannot be saved by their mere resistance against the elders. If they pursued their love, if only Jin-a followed Joon-hee to the US, if everything went as Joon-hee planned it to, there was still no guarantee that they will live a happier life.

My favorite scene in this finale was Jin-a’s conversation with Bo-ra about moving on. Oftentimes, people in a relationship find it hard to leave a relationship because they already established the idea of spending a lifetime with their loved one. The thought of being incomplete when someone leaves you behind is the same misconception that binds us with our past. You WILL live even without the person you loved the most. It’s hard and sometimes, nobody could ever fill that void in your heart. But as Jin-a explained it, maybe their fate was only up to some point. And when they reached that point, their fate ended.

But now, after so many years, even though they had to go through a rough break-up, they both realized that their love was never gone. Distance made them lost communication and start a new life, but it’s also the distance that made them tougher as individuals. Jin-a was finally stepping out of her Mom’s shadow and started to fully live on her own in Jeju Island with Bo-ra, while Joon-hee had basically established himself a career in the US.

What I also liked about this ending, though I know this may be another unpopular opinion of mine, was Mom’s apology. When Jin-a announced that she broke up with her boyfriend, resigned from Coffee Bay, and decided to live with Bo-ra in Jeju Island, her ever-so-annoying Mom started ranting again. But then when Jin-a left the house, ahjumma ran like crazy for her daughter and started apologizing for being the monster mom that she was. It was the most realistic approach that I can imagine when it comes to Jin-a and Mom’s relationship. Who the hell here expected that Mom would even change her mind overnight and like Joon-hee all of a sudden?

In the end, Joon-hee and Jin-a had the most natural reconciliation and a pretty light scene of getting back together… No more hurtful words uttered. Joon-hee simply went to Jeju Island and asked Jin-a for his old umbrella – a conversation which represents their relationship. After all the heartbreaks, all you sometimes need is a simple question with no complicated script.

GRUMPY ALLEY

Let’s hear this the full OST of this one-of-a-kind noona romance, shall we?

Credit to YT user Jeon Jimin for this curated playlist.

I’ve invested a lot of emotions in this drama. Sad that it already reached the final episode, but I’m glad, at the same time, that it has now come to an end.