“Backstreet Rookie” Episode 4 Recap

We have every reason not to root for Dae Hyun and Yeon Joo as the latter has so far given us pictures of annoying girl we don’t want to be friends of.

It makes us want to kidnap Dae Hyun to shield him from the trouble named Yeon Joo. It also makes us really root for Saet Byul to claim her first love.

Backstreet Rookie episode 4 kick starts the beginning of the love triangle set in the series. In the right corner vying for Dae Hyun’s love is his self-centered girlfriend while in the left corner is Dae Hyun’s part-timer who selflessly gives love. The dice is rolled, cast your votes now! *wink

Episode Recaps:  01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | Mid-Series | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Finale Week Feature | REVIEW

abbyinhallyuland watches Backstreet Rookie on iQIYI

Episode 4: Torn Between My Lover & My Part-Timer

“Tell him that I saved you. I wasn’t bullying you.”

Rushing to his girlfriend’s side, Dae Hyun inadvertently pushes Saet Byul who was pleading Yeon Joo to let her use the comfort room. Thinking Saet Byul is part of the unruly girls who bullied her, Yeon Joo ungratefully shoves Saet Byul’s request to clear her name.

Upon reaching the gate of Yeon Joo’s home, she blurts about her frustration and demands Dae Hyun to do something about Saet Byul. Rebutting she told him to be nice to her, and he already made a promise to keep her, Yeon Joo runs down all selfish reasons she could think of.

Dae Hyun apologizes for the bad memory he caused when he just only want to reminisce the good times they shared before. But Yeon Joo responds by walking away.

Saet Byul and her friends move to a nearby convenience store to wallow some more alcohol. Suddenly, an old friend of Saet Byul (cameo by Kim Min Gyu) approaches them when he recognized Saet Byul. Not minding his celebrity status, Saet Byul playfully pinches his cheeks while mumbling how her puppy has grown up well.

“Does that mean that people don’t change?”

Mulling over the talk he had with Yeon Joo, Dae Hyun passes by the spot in the neighborhood where he first met Saet Byul and her friends. He contemplates whether time did not change his part-timer’s old ways.

He stops by at the store to check on the sales as Dal Shik sighs feeling weary. Dae Hyun mumbles how the store sales decreases without Saet Byul. Battling inwardly if he should tell what he witnessed about Saet Byul, Dal Shik eventually spilled out how Saet Byul beat up the neighborhood slackers.

When he reaches home, he gets another round of pondering about Saet Byul’s actions and the words he learned from Yeon Joo and Dal Shik.

“Don’t you know how much the sales have gone up ever since she started working?”

In the morning, Yeon Joo starts her day annoyed at the thought of what happened last night. At Choi’s breakfast table, his parents lecture him of taking care of Saet Byul as family since she has been helping the store’s sales.

Dae Hyun calls his still sulky girlfriend and tells her not to worry since he will be firing Saet Byul that day. That lightens up the mood of Yeon Joo as her team preps up for a shoot.

Saet Byul wakes up remembering the harsh words she got from Dae Hyun. Taking her rage is Dae Hyun’s stuffed toy as she mutters her disappointment with him for being quick to judge without knowing the person first.

“Oh right, there’s a rule of my own. If I hit someone, I say so, If I didn’t hit someone, I say so. If I didn’t get beaten up, I say so. If I got help, I say so. I truly hope that all you guys are also honest with yourselves.”

Whining about her fate of falling in love with him at first sight, she kicks the non-living toy to vent out her frustration.

Announcing she is awake, her chat room with Geum Bi and Yoon Soo burst as the two begs her about her puppy. Forgetting her encounter with Ji Wook (Kim Min Gyu), she goes on her business to munch on her ramyun. She finally remembers her encounter with her childhood friend just as she receives a text message from him saying he was happy to see her again.

Contemplating what to respond to Ji Wook, Saet Byul seeks daily guru’s help which advised her not to be selling goods that day. So, when she receives a call from a promotion manager, she ignores it. But, when she was offered double pay, she rushes to attend to it.

Turns out that the part-time job is at the convenience store headquarters PR meeting where Yeon Joo discusses key ideas about promotion. Saet Byul was invited for being good at sales so she can share tips.

Taking the opportunity given to her, she gave a faint warning on Yeon Joo for being unkind to her when she extended help without hesitation.

After the meeting, the team heads to eat but Yeon Joo asks Seung Joon if she can excused as she is not feeling well. Saet Byul remarks how she is also not in good condition, but she got up to be there to support the event. When Dae Hyun calls, she sweetly answers the call, but Yeon Joo gives a knowing smile since she knows why Dae Hyun wants to speak with her.

“I guess you only work for money.”

At the dine out, Yeon Joo asks Saet Byul why she keeps working at convenience store when she can work in sales. Saet Byul responds that Yeon Joo might be working for money but she likes her job.

Exchanging words about Dae Hyun, Yeon Joo remarks helping her boyfriend always. Saet Byul replies that it would be good when she is honest when helping Dae Hyun.

Back at the store, Dae Hyun meets the three slackers who fulfilled their promise of returning the amount of money from the goods they stole plus reflection letters.

Realizing the story of Dal Shik, Dae Hyun goes to the break room and finds Saet Byul’s notepad. He nonchalantly peeks on it and reads Saet Byul’s eagerness to do her task well in the convenience store.

“Did you think Saet Byul took a day off so she could just go out and drink?”

Geum Bi and Yeon Soo pay Dae Hyun a visit to tell him that yesterday was Saet Byul’s father’s death anniversary. They drag her out so that they can comfort her, and even helped his girlfriend avoid getting beaten up.

Griping about getting disappointment instead of thank you for what Saet Byul did, they get straight to the point and tell him that Yeon Joo is a liar and that Saet Byul never beat anyone without a valid reason.

Outside the store, they bump with Dal Shik and time stops angrily for Geum Bi and Dal Shik, who seem unable to quench the mutual disgust with each other.

Note to Ladies: We all need Geum Bi and Yoon Soo in our lives. 😉💕#BackstreetRookie #BackstreetRookieEP4 pic.twitter.com/jnsqiZY2TV

— kdramadiary (@kdramadiarylogs) June 28, 2020

“This might not mean to you. But to that kid, her life might depend on it.”

Dae Hyun picks up Yeon Joo after her workout session with Seung Joon. As they walk home, Dae Hyun opens up about the truth about the incident at the bar, but she remains indignant to her lie.

Trying to reason out that no employee should be dismissed for unsure reason, Dae Hyun explains to Yeon Joo how he does not want to dismiss Saet Byul because of mindless decision. He also let her know that he will do as deemed fit for the situation.

While exchanging kisses, Yeon Joo’s mom calls her attention so she rushes to where her mom is while Dae Hyun hides. She admits her relationship with Dae Hyun and explains she did not tell it because she was not confident before.

Meanwhile, Dae Hyun rushes to the police station because Saet Byul twisted the wrist of a crude man who sexually harrassed her. The rude complainant keeps mumbling holding Saet Byul’s hand is but normal, thus, infuriating Dae Hyun even more.

Losing his cool, Dae Hyun tells the rude customer to apologize to Saet Byul. Refusing to do so, Dae Hyun presents the evidence which then humbled the rude customer.

Dae Hyun lectures her of letting people trample on her easily, and she replies that given her orphan and dropout situation, people would just believe that she is lying. He assures her that he has her back and how there are battles that are not worth fighting. He also apologizes for what Yeon Joo did which made Saet Byul jealous.

Continuing his scolding, he also declares that he will be her guardian while working at the store. Reminding her not to beat up people, he taunts her to try her strength on him. Saet Byul obliges and stretches a kick that sent him to a not so sweet oblivion.

“Dad, I got scolded today.”

Saet Byul runs while remembering the last time she got scolded by her father. She sits on a bench, and as she stares at the moon, she tells her father that she got scolded that day.

The Choi family holds a meeting and are elated at the surging high sales of the store thanks to Saet Byul. She also secured the employee of the month status thanks to her hard work.

Congratulating his diligent part-timer loudly, they make amends and he dismisses the thought of firing Saet Byul when she reminded him of what he was about to tell her yesterday.

She promises not to incite situations where Dae Hyun has to make a quick visit at the police station.

“Dae Hyun, quit your office job.”

Both feeling chirpy for acknowledging their mistakes, Saet Byul got curious and asks him why he left the company when he loves working in the convenience store.

He jokes first that he had a vision to do it, but later told her that he can’t say since it is a secret and he would look too cool if she knows it.

Demanding a piggyback prize for her effort, Dae Hyun refuses and enter the counter to grab the hidden bouquet of flowers he has hidden and presents it to him. Surprised and happy for getting her favorite flower, Dae Hyun explained the meaning per the floritst information. Saet Byul beams because its other meaning is “declaration of love”.

Pushing her luck, Saet Byul insists for a piggyback ride prize to which Dae Hyun agreed for three seconds. Mischievous Saet Byul though refuses to go down no matter how much Dae Hyun tells her to. Just then, the door of the convenience store opened. Yeon Joo enters and sees her boyfriend giving a piggyback ride to Saet Byul while she holds the flowers given by Dae Hyun.

"I saw my boyfriend giving a piggyback ride to the pretty part-timer while holding a bouquet of flowers."

What would Yeon Joo do? 🤔#BackstreetRookie #BackstreetRookieEp4#JiChangWook #KimYooJung #HanSunHwa pic.twitter.com/a2jKRgAMBy

— kdramadiary (@kdramadiarylogs) June 28, 2020

Peak Points & Musings

This is probably the first time I am rooting for the third party in a love triangle, because who doesn’t get annoyed with Yeon Joo? *chuckles

Now that the story is moving to focus on the love triangle, I am having a dilemma of wanting to push for the breakup of Dae Hyun and Yeon Joo to set the love vibe in motion for Saet Byul and Dae Hyun.

Can Seung Joon make a move already to snatch away Yeon Joo? However, doing this and when we still have 12 episodes in the horizon would rush the storytelling. And we all know there’s nothing much to tell.

Backstreet Rookie is heading to the love conflict direction of who deserves Dae Hyun’s heart. While the pacing is sure fast, given the limited space the story can move to, it will be a feat hard to accomplish.

Episode 4 hints on the characters’ back stories and perspectives on how they make their jobs, no matter how simple or grand, become attached to who they are as a person. Just like how Saet Byul remarked on not minding getting more money as long as she is happy with her job.

Dae Hyun, as a manager, is an ideal picture of a mentor to young people exploring their career options. While Yeon Joo perfectly exemplifies strong career people who look down on work position disregarding the heart and hard work given to fulfill one’s job.

We almost got the reason why Dae Hyun decided to quit his corporate job, but it seems to be a future episode highlight.

To be honest, I can only tolerate Dae Hyun’s fixation on his girlfriend for a couple more episodes. I hope he makes a sound realization soon.

I live for Saet Byul, Geum Bi and Yoon Soo’s girlfriends’ moments in this series so far and also the smart quips from the characters. But the challenge to really spice the narrative up is apparent.

With the awkward situation in the closing scenes of episode 4, will we see Yeon Joo stake her claim of Dae Hyun by being nice? Or, will she play it her usual cunning and selfish way? Will Dae Hyun finally see the bad in her? Will Saet Byul remain unfazed in front of her love rival?

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Photos: Screencaps from iQIYI

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