'First, for love,' Park Hae-jun's unspoken comfort and sincerity reached late.
In the 7th episode of the tvN Monday-Tuesday drama 'First, for Love' (directed by Yoo Je-won, written by Seong Woo-jin), a love triangle formed around Ryu Jung-seok (played by Park Hae-jun), Lee Ji-an (played by Yum Jung-ah), and Lee Yeo-jung (played by Oh Na-ra). Meanwhile, after receiving the remains of his daughter who passed away in America, Jeong Moon-hee (played by Kim Mi-kyung) suddenly vanished without a trace, causing turmoil in the entire village. The 7th episode recorded a viewership rating of 3.8% on average, peaking at 5.0% for metropolitan households, and an average of 4.2%, peaking at 5.6% for nationwide households, marking the top spot in the same time slot including cable and general programming channels (based on Nielsen Korea paid platform).
On this day, Lee Ji-an and Kim Sun-young (played by Kim Sun-young) gathered the residents of Cheongha village for the opening ceremony of the restaurant. Lee Yeo-jung followed Ryu Bo-hyeon to the restaurant, and a rivalry began between Lee Ji-an and Lee Yeo-jung from their first meeting. Lee Yeo-jung subtly provoked her emotions by interrupting Lee Ji-an during her greetings or dampening the mood while trying to lighten the atmosphere. Even when Ryu Jung-seok left the table, she expressed her dissatisfaction, showing jealousy towards Lee Ji-an's closeness with him.
Lee Yeo-jung's monitoring of Lee Ji-an continued. After Ryu Jung-seok refused her request to accompany him for a site inspection, she sought out Lee Ji-an. After much deliberation, Lee Ji-an accepted his request, and upon learning of this, Ryu Jung-seok watched the two from a distance. However, each time Lee Ji-an shared her opinion, Lee Yeo-jung insulted her with dismissive words and actions, hurting her feelings. Though Ryu Jung-seok was hesitant to step in for fear that Lee Ji-an might get hurt, he pointed out Lee Yeo-jung's attitude, saying, 'Ji-an is not the kind of person whom you should treat like that.'
Jeong Moon-hee could not find the courage to sort out her daughter's belongings that arrived from America. Unexpected items were found in the tightly closed box of her daughter's remains: a depression treatment record and a pill bottle. Only then did Jeong Moon-hee understand the pain her daughter endured during her lifetime, and her heart crumbled. Amidst this, Lee Ji-an, who heard the news that Jeong Moon-hee's daughter's remains had arrived, visited his house with a worried heart. However, he was nowhere to be found, and Lee Ji-an was engulfed by a sense of foreboding.
Lee Ji-an set out to find Jeong Moon-hee with Lee Hyori, Kim Sun-young, and Yun Tae-oh (played by Yang Kyung-won). He was discovered on the breakwater by the beach. Jeong Moon-hee showed symptoms of confusion again, asking Lee Ji-an, 'Did you find mom?' and weeping tears of guilt and regret for not being able to protect her daughter. Seeing him like that, Lee Ji-an shouted as if to the mother who left him, 'You said you didn't know! Then you should just be by my side now,' and at that moment, Jeong Moon-hee lost her balance and fell into the sea, shocking everyone.
Fortunately, Yun Tae-oh jumped into the sea and rescued him. After returning home, Lee Ji-an pretended to be fine in front of Kim Sun-young but hid alone and cried in a place where no one could see her. Just then, Ryu Jung-seok came after hearing about the events from earlier in the day. His figure, crouched and crying in the pitch darkness without a single light, closely resembled teenage Lee Ji-an, who had been crying outside her father's funeral hall. In fact, back then, Ryu Jung-seok had turned away without approaching Lee Ji-an.
As soon as Lee Ji-an saw Ryu Jung-seok, she again pretended to be fine. Ryu Jung-seok then told her that it was excessive to pretend to be the only one having a hard time. 'Everyone else finds it tough, too,' he remarked, deliberately acting cold and indifferent to touch her heart. Lee Ji-an burst into tears, held back from expressing her resentment for so long, saying, 'Why does this world only take me lightly?' Then Ryu Jung-seok, unlike in the past, approached Lee Ji-an this time, saying, 'You don't have to hold back. It's okay to cry,' and embraced her gently.
Meanwhile, Ryu Bo-hyeon acknowledged Lee Hyori's confession, saying, 'Nowadays, for me, it's whatever you want first,' sharing the same sentiment. The two of them, in their fresh romantic beginnings, radiated a youthful excitement. However, they could not ignore the harsh reality overshadowed by the emotion of love. Lee Hyori revealed her situation in detail to Ryu Bo-hyeon, who'd said, 'There's no need to rush just because you are late.' In response, Ryu Bo-hyeon said, 'I can't like you more or less just because you are in pain,' granting a kiss filled with comfort and assurance that heightened the heart rates of onlookers.
[Photo] tvN 'First, for Love' broadcast capture
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