'Mr. House Husband' delivered fun to viewers with the deep bond between siblings Park Seo-jin and Hyo-jeong and the cheerful friendship of Oh Jung-tae and Oh Ji-heon, who stepped in to help Ji Sang-ryeol.
On the 15th episode broadcast on KBS 2TV 'Mr. House Husband season 2' (hereafter 'Mr. House Husband'), Park Seo-jin and Hyo-jeong's fandom war and Ji Sang-ryeol's childcare experience episode unfolded. The episode recorded a nationwide rating of 2.9% according to Nielsen Korea, and a scene in which the Park Seo-jin siblings promoted younger sister Hyo-jeong's fan meeting in a park drew the highest rating of 3.5%.
On this episode of 'Mr. House Husband', ATEEZ, the 'performance masters', appeared as special guests. MC Lee Yo-won greeted them with a smile, saying, "It's eye candy."
In the VCR that followed, Park Seo-jin and Hyo-jeong engaged in a lively back-and-forth. Hyo-jeong organized gifts she had received from fans by creating what she called a 'self-esteem zone,' and Park Seo-jin pulled out the many fan letters he had carefully collected over the years to tease Hyo-jeong, drawing laughs. Watching this, Lee Yo-won recounted receiving a fan letter from singer Ailee, saying, "I ran into her at the airport and she greeted me and handed me a Post-it. I was so moved," adding warmth to the moment.
Park Seo-jin provoked Hyo-jeong, saying, "If you have real fans, make a fan cafe and try holding a fan meeting." When cast members said, "There are many people who like Hyo-jeong," he honestly confessed, "Honestly, I'm a little intimidated by my sister's popularity. Looking at the comments, there are many posts saying they are Hyo-jeong fans," which caused laughter. When someone suggested that Seo-jin's fandom might shift to Hyo-jeong, Eun Ji-won joked, "You have to accept fandom shifts. The population is declining, so adults should have more children," unexpectedly bringing up birth rates. Lee Yo-won replied, "Then hurry up and do it (have them)," adding to the laughter, and Eun Ji-won quipped, "I'm done. I'm tied down," cracking up the set.
In the following footage, Park Seo-jin proposed to Hyo-jeong, "If you can prove you have fans, I'll ask for seating at the 'KBS Entertainment Awards' for you." Eun Ji-won even hoped for Hyo-jeong's chances of winning an award, and Park Seo-jin joked, "I'll keep you tied up in Samcheonpo on that date," drawing laughs.
Park Seo-jin explained why he urged Hyo-jeong to hold a fan meeting, saying he worried about the difficulties his sister would face after gaining public attention. He said, "If she meets fans in person, she'll feel, 'I'm someone who is loved like this,' and that will likely boost her self-esteem, so I suggested it."
Hyo-jeong created a fan cafe named 'Ttungbyeol'—meaning "the big star that protects oppa's star"—inspired by Park Seo-jin's fan club name 'Datbyeol.' While browsing Park Seo-jin's fan cafe, she was surprised to find that Park Seo-jin, following Lim Young-woong, ranked second in fandom rankings with about 66,000 members.
Park Seo-jin said he had created and managed a fan cafe himself 13 years ago, and as he looked back at writings and photos left from his childhood, he fell briefly into nostalgia. He recalled setting up a small stage in a corner of the living room to sing, recording and editing the videos himself and uploading them to the cafe, and rushing to an internet cafe after school to manage the cafe and interact with fans for an hour each day.
Even during hard times when his mother fought cancer, poverty, and obscurity overlapped, he never gave up his dream of becoming a singer and continued to communicate with fans. Watching this, Lee Yo-won said, "I think Park Seo-jin is who he is today because he didn't just think in his head but showed it through action," expressing deep emotion at his effort and sincerity.
The touching moment was short-lived as hidden past photos of the siblings were revealed, turning the set into a sea of laughter again. Seeing them, Lee Yo-won said, "It's really worked out well," admiring their changed appearances, and Park Seo-jin added another laugh with an overly candid confession: "It's thanks to the eight fathers. I think I spent my 20s wrapped in bandages like that."
Drawing on his experience, Park Seo-jin rented a venue for Hyo-jeong's fan meeting himself and even prepared the fan meeting poster. Seeing the large venue for the first time, Hyo-jeong was surprised and began promoting it on the street herself.
As the fan meeting time approached, Hyo-jeong could not hide her nervousness. When the fan meeting began in earnest, she went on stage wearing an eye mask. When she removed the mask and opened her eyes, 10 fans had filled the venue, surprising her. Overwhelmed, Hyo-jeong smiled and said, "I didn't think you'd really come. I'm grateful you came in such unexpected numbers, and I will work hard from now on." Singer Jae-ha was also in the audience and showed warm affection for Hyo-jeong, saying, "I came as a Ttungbyeol today."
Afterwards, Hyo-jeong, warmly embraced by fans, held a moving autograph session, and Park Seo-jin staged a celebratory performance accompanied by janggu drumming. Hyo-jeong said, "Seeing people who watched me on the show be kind to me and love me in person made me very happy. It was a happy experience and an unforgettable memory," expressing her feelings.
Ji Sang-ryeol took on a one-day childcare challenge for his niece's daughter on behalf of his nephew. First, Ji Sang-ryeol went to the school to pick up his granddaughter and felt his popularity as elementary students flocked to ask for autographs. One child even told Ji Sang-ryeol, "The 'Mr. House Husband' sister is pretty. Marry her," referencing Ji Sang-ryeol's romantic interest Shin Bo-ram.
Ji Sang-ryeol sought help from close juniors and parenting veterans Oh Jung-tae and Oh Ji-heon. Contrary to Ji Sang-ryeol's claim that "a handsome celebrity will come," his granddaughter was briefly taken aback by the appearance of the two, who represent the comedy world's looks. However, as fathers, the two displayed expertise in parenting and skillfully entertained the children at a kids' cafe, while Ji Sang-ryeol broke a sweat at the tireless energy of the children.
During the parenting talk that followed, Ji Sang-ryeol asked, "They say daughters take after their fathers?" and Oh Ji-heon revealed, "When my first child was on the way, I was so worried that I attended early-morning prayers for months. I was afraid of being teased, but fortunately she was born very pretty, and people even said, 'Oh Ji-heon delivered a miracle.'"
Oh Jung-tae said, "I also worried a lot after having kids. My first child studies well, but when she smiles she looks like my face," he confessed. It was then revealed that his daughter attends a prestigious science high school, which surprised many. He credited his daughter's success to a turning point: "One day she ranked first at her academy. Her name was posted on the academy wall, and that seemed to motivate her," expressing gratitude to his wife for supporting their daughter.
Next, the discussion turned to Ji Sang-ryeol's tentative baby names. Watching this, Lee Yo-won said, "My children's tentative names were Happiness for the second and One Shot for the third," and Eun Ji-won laughed, "One Shot was so predictable. Her husband must have strong pride," provoking laughter.
After sending the children home, Ji Sang-ryeol, Oh Jung-tae and Oh Ji-heon shared honest conversations over beer. At that time, Oh Jung-tae and Oh Ji-heon mentioned Shin Bo-ram and emphasized, "You must not lose her now."
Oh Jung-tae and Oh Ji-heon then shared a 'bittersweet' anecdote about how their mother-in-law cried in shock when she first saw them before their marriage, causing the set to erupt in laughter. The two teased Ji Sang-ryeol with cutting remarks like, "Our looks are from our department, but our actions are top-star level," and shared their own dating tips. Oh Jung-tae said, "You have to get hurt in front of someone you like. You should stimulate maternal instincts," and Oh Ji-heon quipped, "Keep someone uglier than you by your side," offering an absurd tip that drew laughs.
Ji Sang-ryeol then called Oh Jung-tae's wife to ask about marriage. Oh Jung-tae's wife replied, "Marriage is responsibility," and Lee Yo-won, watching, agreed and said, "Eun Ji-won still has love," displaying the composure of 23 years of marriage. Eun Ji-won wittily responded, "Love is what makes responsibility arise."
Meanwhile, 'Mr. House Husband' airs every Saturday at 10:35 p.m.
[Photo] OSEN DB, 'Mr. House Husband'
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