“Serendipity’s Embrace” is running at the fast pace it promised in the premiere week. Lee Hong Joo (Kim So Hyun) and Kang Hoo Young (Chae Jong Hyeop) have become seemingly closer. Despite Hoo Young’s inability to confess his 10-year-old crush to Hong Joo, she is already falling for him. But most importantly, four secrets were unveiled in episodes three and four, revealing previously unknown facts about the main leads and their relationships with each other.
Warning: Spoilers for “Serendipity’s Embrace” episodes 3-4 ahead!
Hoo Young’s unhealthy relationship with his mother
In the premiere episodes, unlike most of the other brooding K-drama main leads, Hoo Young did not seem like a guy with a dark past. However, new information about his relationship with his mother has since been revealed, challenging viewers’ initial assumptions about him. Though he still does not have an extremely dark past, Hoo Young’s relationship with his mother does not appear healthy.
In one of the scenes in episodes three and four, Hoo Young’s uncle tells him how his mother is a perfectionist and how he has always adopted that trait from her. At first glance, this interaction does not seem out of place, as being a perfectionist is not inherently evil. However, later in the episode, Hoo Young’s mother sends him a short message asking him to come back home. Without any further dialogue between them, Hoo Young packs his bag and gets a taxi to the airport.
This small scene indicates that Hoo Young’s mother does not need to repeat herself; he follows her every order. It makes one wonder if the reason he never confessed his crush to Hong Joo was because of his overbearing mother. Additionally, his mother could have been the reason he cut off all contact with his high school friends for almost a decade.
However, in the very next scene, he cancels all his plans and rushes to Hong Joo, foreshadowing how the control Hoo Young’s mother has over him is weakening and how he is becoming more independent.
Bang Joon Ho’s secret
Ever since Bang Joon Ho (Yun Ji On) was mentioned in the drama, the audience knew he is a walking red flag. Years ago, when Joon Ho and Hong Joo were dating, he left her without any explanation. There was no proper breakup, not even a text; he packed his bags and left, leaving a heartbroken Hong Joo behind. Then he has the audacity to come back and act like there is nothing wrong? There might never have been a character easier to hate than him… until we learn about Joon Ho’s story.
In one scene, Joon Ho is watching an animated movie. The credits roll, and he sees Hong Joo’s name, which brings a smile to his face. There’s a flashback that shows how they started dating, and they look in love. Finally, the secret is revealed: Joon Ho actually left because of his panic attacks. He could not write anymore and thought that since Hong Joo fell in love with him because of his creativity, he could not show her this side of him.
It is easy to discredit Joon Ho by saying communication is key. However, everyone’s way of dealing with depression and anxiety is different. Some people want support, while others stop interacting with everyone because they feel like a burden on others. So, Joon Ho’s refusal to talk with Hong Joo while going through a tough time does not make him a villain, just a human.
However, Joon Ho immediately loses everyone’s sympathy when he acts like he did nothing wrong in front of Hong Joo and shouts at her for being absent from work despite her being in an accident. No matter what he does in the future, right now, he seems quite unredeemable.
Hye Ji is the BEST best friend
During the high school flashback scenes, we see that Hong Joo’s best friend, Kim Hye Ji (Dasom), had a crush on Hoo Young. Viewers have been worried about the future of the best friends’ relationship after this revelation. Hong Joo seemingly does not have any relatives, and Hye Ji appears to be the only person she can call family. Losing that type of friendship over a romantic relationship would have been sad.
However, in episodes three and four, Hye Ji wins the award for being the best best friend when she does not give Hoo Young her blessing to pursue Hong Joo, but also actively creates situations where the couple has to be in close proximity, giving Hoo Young opportunities to confess his feelings for Hong Joo.
Hoo Young and Hong Joo’s special connection
No matter how nonchalant Hong Joo tries to seem in front of Hoo Young, it is evident that she is developing a crush on him. However, after episodes three and four, it seems like our main leads always had a special connection, or at least Hoo Young was never just “classmate #3” to Hong Joo as she tries to pretend.
In one scene, Joon Ho even says that Hong Joo got into her current company because she wanted to adapt his book “My Avant Garde Love.” That claim is proven when we see a newly graduated Hong Joo at a job interview with her “My Avant Garde Love” animation idea proposal. However, what seemed like a link between Joon Ho and Hong Joo turns out to be a connection between her and Hoo Young instead.
She did get into her current company with an animation proposal of Joon Ho’s book, but she had never thought of becoming an animation producer until Hoo Young gave her his animation producer career dream in exchange for five percent of her monthly income. Though he has now given up on this five percent commission, it looks like he will definitely be winning her heart as his reward soon.
Watch “Serendipity’s Embrace”:
Hello Soompiers! Did you watch episodes 3-4 of “Serendipity’s Embrace”? Do you think Bang Joon Ho’s character is redeemable or not? Let us know in the comments section below!
Javeria is a binge-watching specialist who loves devouring entire K-dramas in one sitting. Good screenwriting, beautiful cinematography, and a lack of cliches are the way to her heart. As a music fanatic, she listens to multiple artists across different genres but believes no one can top the self-producing idol group SEVENTEEN. You can talk to her on Instagram @javeriayousufs.
Currently watching: “I Hear the Sunspot” and “Serendipity’s Embrace”
Looking forward to: “Squid Game Season 2,” “Love Next Door,” and “Bad Memory Erasure”