An avalanche of sweet love confessions makes Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha episode 10 so memorable!
Du-sik and Hye-jin have been giving us doses of uncomplicated love lessons. They’ve been teaching how to own to mistakes and be unapologetic to personal convictions. From the initial apprehension of their social class not matching, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha provided the sonorous message that friendship and shared memories are equalizers when it comes to love.
Episode 10 marked the highest nationwide rating to date at 11.3% nationwide and 12.4 in Seoul Metropolitan Area.
abbyinhallyuland watched Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha on Netflix
Episode Recaps: 01 & 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Finale Episode + Review |
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha Episode 10 Musings
“I was so scared. Who jumps with a guy who has a knife in his hand?”
Receiving a call from PD Ji, Hye-jin’s attention shifts to the fixed streetlight which Du-sik helped resolved. Unaware that someone is tailing her, Hye-jin dials blindly and tries to negotiate with the evil-looking man but it was useless. When the door hints of being unlocked, the pervert checks on it.
Of course, Du-sik’s talents extend to brawling skills and he successfully protects Gongjin’s-pretty-dentist-in-distress. However, he was stabbed with a knife while protecting her. At the hospital ER, thankfully Du-sik only requires suture. When he sees the bruise on her arm, he was worried but stops when she breaks down to tears.
He responds how he feared for her being hurt. Suddenly, PD Ji arrives appearing more worried than them. He thanks Du-sik for saving Hye-jin and heads back to Seoul again. After getting treatment, Hye-jin is left no choice but to spend the night at Du-sik’s place since hers is still a crime scene.
He gives off a warm look seeing her wear his clothes. Concocting cups of chamomile tea for them, he adds an extra service by massaging her foot.
“I want to remember everything about him. But it keeps fading away.”
Noticing the stack of items for a memorial service, Du-sik shares it’s for his grandfather’s. He fondly recounts stories about his dear grandfather who looked after him when he was orphaned. Openly remembering his childhood memories with Hye-jin, Du-sik also reveals how he used to love soccer.
However, he stopped liking it when he blamed himself for not being there to save his grandfather. He was out to watch a game when his grandpa died and was not found in time to be revived.
Hye-jin lightens up his mood by telling about inevitable situations. So she asks him not to blame himself. Pointing out how it’s the first time for him to unload fragments of his emotional baggage, she learns she’s the second person who knows about it.
“You need to give yourself a gift every now and then.”
PD Ji surmises his memories with Hye-jin while staring at the night sea. When Hye-jin dolled up and broke up with his friend, he was there to stop him from chasing further. He also lent him a band-aid for the would she got from wearing pretty heels.
Sharing the shoes were worth two months of her salary, she hesitated a lot before taking it eventually. She added how she never thought of buying herself a gift. PD Ji, praised her for doing it as self-love is important. He also taught her a life hack for new shoes not to bite back her heels.
Back at Du-sik’s place, Hye-jin finished a bowl of noodles and heard him say that she is off-limits to his kitchen. Before getting the reason why her phone rings with Mi-seon on the other line reporting about her mom’s hospitalization. Hye-jin allows her to be on indefinite leave so she can take care of her mom.
Eun-cheol arrives and gives her an energy drink. She thanks him genuinely and tells him to go home since he still has work the next day. But he replies he’s on a rest day tomorrow so he wants to stay.
“I’ll put you to sleep in five seconds.”
It’s bedtime for the “two friends”. But Hye-jin’s nervousness seems unstable that she can’t sleep alone on Du-sik’s bed. Pulling his shirt, they end up back in the living room with him promising to know a fast way for her to doze off.
Poem reader Du-sik fills the night with his charismatic voice and true to his promise puts Hye-jin to dreamland. He stops abruptly and sees her asleep. But as he motions to stand, Hye-jin again pulls his shirt and mumbles to ask who was the first person he shared his grandfather’s stories with.
Amused at her sleeptalking, he smiles and stares at her fondly.
“I think I’m in love with him.”
The next day, Gongjin people talk about what happened last night. Spotting the two who were involved, they warmly and cutely check on Hye-jin forgetting the man who even risked his life for her.
Trust Nam-suk ajumma to ask the right question and she did. She gets curious how Du-sik was in the vicinity that night making even the grandmothers giggle. Walking Hye-jin to her clinic, they stopped when Mi-seon and Eun-cheol call for them. The two besties comfort each other and start another workday at the clinic.
Mi-seon feeds her on how Eun-cheol offered to drive her to Seoul and stayed with her through the night. She also worries even more that she has fallen too deep for him not because of his looks, but his personality.
“I’ll put some distance between us so that you won’t feel uncomfortable. So you can keep being comfortable with me and only consider me as one of the citizens.”
Du-sik finds PD Ji’s car but he’s not inside. Pondering on his emotions, PD Ji receives writer Wang’s call. Getting an earful for letting his personal issues affect his job, he pleads for her to give him a day to be alone. Needing some rest, Mi-seon heads home early and bumps on Eun-cheol who asked her if she wants to have coffee together.
He politely explains he wants to tell her something and she also says the same. Allowing her to go first, Mi-seon thanks him again for the kindness to help with her family concern.
“I’ve dated my fair share of men. I was offended when you talked about how easily I start dating, but you were right. That time my feelings for you weren’t serious. However, those feelings ended up growing into something more. I’m scared they might grow as big and tall as Jack’s beanstalk. But that’s not me, you see. That’s why I have decided to put a lid on my feelings.”
“It takes a lot of love to peel this for someone else.”
On her way home, Hye-jin sees some pancakes in the market and remembers Du-sik’s grandfather’s memorial service. She buys some and brings them to his place. But when Hwa-jeong came to present the home-cooked side dishes she prepared, she kept the food she bought a secret.
When she attempts to present it again, Gongjin people arrive with a big bunch of food and fruits for the service. When the people left, she helps Du-sik set up the table. He makes sure the pancake portions she bought at the market are included in the food for his grandfather.
Sensing she has to exit for him to have time with his grandpa, Du-sik invites her to stay if she wants. She stands behind him while he pays respect to. After talking to his grandpa in the local dialect, he asks her if she wants to say something, and she politely introduced herself.
After the quick ceremony, they head to eat together. Going the extra mile, Hye-jin peels off the snow crab Du-sik likes and uses his wounded arm as an excuse. But she keeps on peeling it the wrong way making the crab meat splash on his face.
Muttering how bothersome peeling the crabs is, Du-sik agrees and remembers how she’s the second person to do it for him. She nonchalantly mentions how doing it also equates to the big love someone has for that person which stops Du-sik’s train of thoughts.
Realizing what she has just said, she follows up that she’s doing it because of the special occasion and his injury.
“I like you. Just like I did all those years ago. No, even more than that. I like you a lot.”
Flustered at what she just remarked, Hye-jin refuses Du-sik’s offer to walk her home. She finds PD Ji waiting in front of her house waiting for her. She agrees for the time she promised and joins him with his dinner since she already ate hers.
Unable to summon the courage to spill what he wants to say, he requests her to cue “action” for him to proceed. She obliges and listens to his sudden confession – of how he regrets not being able to say his feelings back then. He tells her not to feel pressured in answering right away. He just wants to express how he feels and not have some regrets for not saying it.
Back at Du-sik’s place, he is also making a confession to his grandfather of how he feels empty when Hye-jin is not around.
“She has taken all the space in your heart. Why on earth are you fighting it?”
Surprised that her mindless words of Hye-jin receiving a confession from PD Ji are correct, Mi-seon beams and coaxes her to go for it. Lining up all the reasons why she should date him, Hye-jin appears conflicted. Mi-seon deduces her woes correctly again by mentioning Du-sik.
Successfully changing the topic, Mi-seon decides to give up on chasing Eun-cheol. They both heave a sigh at their love predicaments and decide to unwind in Seoul. The weekend came and the two head to Seoul.
While shopping, Hye-jin seems to be looking more at male outfits than what she needs. Back at Gongjin, Du-sik serves the grandmas with some cold food. Du-sik confronts Grandma Gam-ri’s question of his feelings for Hye-jin with a safe answer that they’re only friends. Grandma urges him to make a move since life is fleeting. She tells him not to overthink and be honest with himself.
Admitting her friend is a hopeless case who still thinks of the person and the village they were trying to forget in their Seoul getaway, Hye-jin promises not to be a party pooper anymore.
As if in a daze because of the pouring rain, Hye-jin walks under the rain as flashes of memories shared with Du-sik overwhelm her. Finally, she acknowledges what her heart yearns for. She drives back to Gongjin and finds Du-sik sitting and staring at the sea.
Wondering why she’s back, she responds she can’t wait to say what she has to say. Listing down their differences, she bravely declares her feelings. She admits she likes him big time.
“Don’t say anything. I’m not asking anything from you. My feelings keep growing in my heart and it could burst any second. I can’t help it anymore.”
Afraid to hear a response that would hurt her, Du-sik takes her hand and plants a sweet kiss on her lips. He replies not knowing to deny his feelings as well and goes for a deeper kiss.
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha Episode 10 Musings
Every Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha fan will be happy with this chapter. We could only hope that the remaining love stories are also heading to the same blissful situation shared by the lead pair.
Having characters in their 30’s and 40’s makes this series sane in tackling relationship issues featured. They communicate their emotions well and are also prepared for the worst scenario.
Mi-seon’s attitude in this week’s episodes hopefully would resonate with those who are often indecisive when it comes to love. She knows she’s at the age when processing feelings does not require what-ifs, but facing the reality heads-on.
But we know, she’s bound to be treated “not just a regular citizen” by Eun-cheol eventually. I hope her emotional giving-up moment would be returned in a more sweeping love confession.
If Gongjin village can magically turn to a real place where people can head to for unloading of stress, I bet a lot would sign up for it. The villagers’ interactions have been reminding us of the beauty in living with friends and harmonious relationships with neighbors.
As Dusik and Hye-jin officially sealed their relationships, the aftermath would directly hit PD Ji who also gave a heartfelt love admittance to this episode. Let’s hope his broken heart would heal fast and keep the friendships he had with them still going.
Down to the last three weeks, we are expecting the uncovering of Gongjin’s three secrets. An unlimited supply of fan service is also much welcome. *wink
Don’t miss the refreshing romance and healing stories in Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha only on Netflix.
Photos: tvN
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