“Backstreet Rookie” Episode 5 Recap

Cheering for Saet Byul has been set since day 1 of Backstreet Rookie. More so now, that the people she loves are not reciprocating her genuine care.

Episode 5 of Backstreet Rookie deepened the relationship crack between Dae Hyun (Ji Chang Wook) and Yeon Joo (Han Sun Hwa) as Saet Byul (Kim Yoo Jung) confronts a disheartening moment about her stubborn sister. A bonus cameo of dapper Kim Min Gyu made this chapter more endearing.

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 5: Saet Byul’s Sacrifices + Dae Hyun’s Broken Promises

“Sorry, did I interrupt you two?”

Put on an awkward situation, Dae Hyun calmly explains to Yeon Joo as Saet Byul also helps out so as not to create misunderstanding. Pretending to be totally cool about it, Yeon Joo responds that she understood that he is just congratulating Saet Byul for being the best employee.

She even offers for a proper celebration but Dae Hyun declines the suggestion stating there’s no one to man the store. Thanks to Dal Shik’s impeccable timing, he solves the problem right there and then and the three set forth to have dinner.

Yeon Joo and Dae Hyun brings Saet Byul to a high-end restaurant in a hotel where the two previously celebrated their 2nd year anniversary. With the menu written in foreign language, Saet Byul genuinely asks Yeon Joo to decide what to eat and drink since she hasn’t been to anywhere fancy before.

Inevitably, Saet Byul feels small as the couple share their dining memories so she settles to indulge on the steak and expensive wine uncaring of how the food and drink are properly enjoyed.

We love a girl who does not pretend. 😉

Yeon Joo's note to ladies from #BackstreetRookieEp5: It's okay to be honest when you're unfamiliar with something, than pretend to fit in to something you're uncomfortable with.#BackstreetRookie #JiChangWook #KimYooJung pic.twitter.com/cInbvAE7mk

— kdramadiary (@kdramadiarylogs) July 4, 2020

“I work hard for everything. For my job and for everything else”

Yeon Joo congratulates Saet Byul for working hard at Dae Hyun’s store and tells her to continue doing so. Saet Byul responds how that has been the case and her becoming the best employee of the month attest to it. Clearing what she’s trying to insinuate on just focusing on the store and not his man, Saet Byul responds cheekily how it’s always a done deal for her to work hard for everything she wants.

In front of her boyfriend Yeon Joo opens up about the misunderstanding at the rest room encounter, but still not apologizing formally to Saet Byul. Dae Hyun quips that his part-timer is an understanding girl so she does need to worry.

Dae Hyun receives a call about a problem with delivery goods they are expecting at the store. Spacing out to the two convenience store employees, Yeon Joo feels ashamed of how the two discuss the problem casually amidst people in the background.

Aware that Dae Hyun’s store issue needs to be personally attended by him, Yeon Joo tells him to fix the issue. Just then, Seung Joon arrives and offered to drive Yeon Joo back home.

Feeling Yeon Joo’s sour mood while driving her home, Seung Joon politely asks what’s bothering her and she implies a relationship woe that he would probably not understand.

Meanwhile, Dae Hyun and Saet Byul bicker on board a bus as the manager reminds his employee of how Yeon Joo is nice so she should not cross the line. Later, the two also fixed the issue of the goods being forced to sell by the main office.

“I will never do something that might give you the wrong idea.”

The morning after, Yeon Joo opens the gate of their house and finds Dae Hyun waiting to drive her to work. Sensing the awkward events the night before, he solemnly pledge that he would never do something that she might misunderstand.

In spirited mood, Dae Hyun welcomes a representative from a magazine that will do a feature about the convenience store he manages. His family is unitedly elated as they prepare to be in their best appearances.

Saet Byul, who is supposed to be interviewed, unfortunately gets a bad day when her sister stole the dress she is supposed to wear for the interview.

“I just feel great when I stand at the counter.”

The journalists arrive to interview Saet Byul who undeniably shines with her bright smile. She shares her happiness at her job because the people she meets do not judge based on their opinions.

After the interview, pictures were also taken while Dae Hyun is being pestered by his family to take a piggyback ride photo with Saet Byul.

Since he just promised to be at his best boyfriend behavior to Yeon Joo in the morning, he strongly refuses. However, thinking about the positive impact, Dae Hyun relents having guaranteed by the journalist that it will not generate wide exposure.

Yeon Joo receives a call from Dae Hyun about the interview while Saet Byul pesters her manager to go back to work. Through Yeon Joo’s lead, she secures another hard-to-bag deal so the team will be having a dinner to celebrate.

“You don’t know what you’re asking for.”

Dae Hyun responds to Saet Byul’s griping of entertaining personal activities while working by stressing how she does not have friends to call. She counters that she has a male friend and mentions Ji Wook.

Not believing her statement he taunts her to invite him on their dinner get-together to which she gladly obliged. She dials his number, but Ji Wook did not pick up the call because he was currently shooting.

Geum Bi calls Saet Byul to alarm that her sister did not go to school. Upon investigation, she learns that Eun Byul went to a talent audition, which the latter eventually passed.

Eun Byul’s happiness becomes short-lived as she learns from her friend that Geum Bi found out why she was absent. On cue, Saet Byul also arrives to where she is and she runs for her life as her sister is set to give her a lesson.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make money for you to finish school.”

Reaching her school, Saet Byul is unable to chase her further as Eun Byul tells her that if she passes the second audition, she will become a trainee. She remains firm of her plans amidst the warning Saet Byul said when she gets home later.

Staring at the school she used to belong, Saet Byul reminisces the time when her father died. Their aunt offered to take care of them, but the two suffered keeping to themselves the harsh words and treatment from her.

They decide to leave as Saet Byul takes on jobs after jobs to support the two of them.

At night, Choi family together with Saet Byul and her friends dine out to celebrate. Saet Byul invites Ji Wook as well who happily agrees. He finally learns of Saet Byul’s father’s passing and felt bad about it. Dae Hyun still fawns over Ji Wook and mentions he is dating the PR manager of a product he models.

“During my entire life, no one has ever given me a piggyback ride.”

Awaiting for the article release, he finally gets an update and gets shocked when the featured image shows him and Saet Byul in a picture that Yeon Joo won’t be happy about.

He calls the magazine to complain, but he even gets bigger problem as he was informed of how the photo will be featured on the website and SNS for a month.

Dae Hyun’s fear came into life as Yeon Joo sees the picture and wallows in a sour mood. Knowing he messed up, he tries to look for his girlfriend but she had left with Seung Joon.

From afar, he spots Yeon Joo who seemed to have taken much alcohol. She asks Seung Joon to give her a piggyback ride and mumbles how she has not experienced that all her life.

In her drunken state, Yeon Joo mumbles frustration on why Dae Hyun kept giving Saet Byul a piggyback ride until she finally dozed off. At the store, Saet Byul cleans up the table outside unaware of the sudden attack the she will receive.

Peak Points & Musings

Usually the female characters show indecisiveness in K-Dramas. On that scenario, I am honestly worried to the length of the love triangle and secret love loops that Backstreet Rookie still has to explore.

This episode, I was able to relate to Yeon Joo’s character. Finally, she achieved the genuine side of herself by acknowledging the jealousy she felt is real. It was made even sadder by the thought that her concept of love is also the same as others. She wants to feel special and she doesn’t want her lover to be promising something he cannot fulfill.

I hope that Seung Joon’s adoring gazes towards Yeon Joo would evolve to verbal declaration that he likes her. At least now, Yeon Joo’s situation is worth empathizing. We are all waiting for Dae Hyun to mature. Either in a realistic way of realizing the love they shared is really not enough or the painful way that there’s another person who can love his girlfriend more than he does.

Saet Byul’s problematic sister appears to be another conflict in the story that appears shallow at the front. But given the the “sacrifices” of Saet Byul hinted so far, the writing is on a trajectory of a harrowing moment for the heroine whose dreams only revolve to give a better life to her sister. A simple life of finishing school, a life that she deprived herself to fulfill her promise to their father.

The unruly girls as villains are not convincing enough to draw a definitive dagger in the story. Honestly, the love conflicts too. I am waiting for continuous surge of interest in the narrative. I hope it won’t take more episodes for that to happen.

Photos: Screencaps from iQIYI

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