Kim Seon Ho and Shin Min Ah are not just giving us feel-good K-Drama time in Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha – but also resonating life lessons.
We’re just on the third episode, but the addictive hook of this new series has fastened securely.
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 3 Key Moments
“I heard you’re going to Seoul today. Let’s go together.”
Settling in the refreshing town of Gongjin, Hye-jin prepares diligently for a Seoul showdown. She is set to attend a gathering where her fellow dentist acquaintances will be going as well.
Unintentionally dragging Du-sik to her preparations, he busily delivers a spree of packages for her. Finally, she gets the right lipstick and attire for the battle she is keenly prepared for.
But, on the day she is about to go to Seoul, she finds Du-sik and the grandmothers also set to carpool with her. Learning about her Seoul plans, Du-sik nonchalantly solves the grandmas’ concerns without giving Hye-jin an option to decline.
En route to Seoul, a car switches lanes causing Hye-jin to abruptly step on the car break, causing a mess inside the car with the spilled food brought by one of the grandmas.
Enraged, Hye-jin chases after the irresponsible driver. However, explaining his misdeed is futile since he does not care at all and even made a snide remark about women being allowed to drive.
Stepping up, Grandma throws a scary line of ripping out the driver’s lungs and kidneys and playing jumping rope with his intestines. With that outburst, the driver opts to wind down his car window throwing in a white towel.
Hye-jin’s instant driving duties could not get any more adventurous as they halt at nearly all rest stops because of the grandmothers’ weak bladder.
When they settled the grandmothers to their destinations, Hye-jin softly chides how he cornered her to do an unsolicited kind deed. But she decides to forego and will just write off what she owed him.
“No wonder people think Seoulites have narrow views. Rural areas are more developed now. It’s truly wonderful. You don’t need to go abroad to appreciate nice views.”
At the party, Hye-jin listens to her classmates’ humble brags and intentional deriding of her small-town clinic. But she makes sure to respond with an articulate branding of her business complete with scenic appeal and income pitch.
After the gathering, Hye-jin bumps on Du-sik who gave an excuse that he left his phone. They drive back to Gong-jin unaware that one of her classmates took a photo of them together. While she spews all the good things she loves about Seoul, he counters it with all the best things Gongjin offers.
At night, Du-sik reminisces how Hye-jin casually bickers with him earlier but has a warm side to her when she noticed him sleeping uncomfortably.
On the other hand, when Hye-jin’s photo with Du-sik reached their group chat with glowing comments, she boasts that the cute guy they mentioned is persistently chasing her. A few hours before, she childishly claimed that Du-sik has a common face in Seoul.
“Starting next year we don’t need to celebrate my birthday party. You two are divorced already.”
Armed with stinky garbage bags, Du-sik and Hwa-jung ajumma make their demand at the neighborhood office for the CCTV installation. Promising to extend their wish to the city hall, Yeong-guk (Hwa-jung’s ex-husband) temporarily stops the two from their threat.
Hye-jin’s clinic continuously does well. Her friend Mi-seon has also set a romantic plan with their patient police officer Eun-chul, also a friend of Du-sik. After work, Hye-jin and Mi-seon find Bora waiting for them to visit the hedgehog she and her friend I-jun entrusted to the dentist temporarily.
Bora gives her a pep talk on the importance of building a connection with the hedgehog when she learned that Hye-jin only feeds it. She also tells about I-jun celebrating his birthday with his parents who have long been divorced.
At I-jun’s house, he makes it clear to his parents that they should not celebrate his birthday together anymore. He explains how he understands their separation. He admits how he used to feel sad when he was younger, but he has since realized their family situation.
“A dental clinic is not a convenience store where you can ask for whatever you want.”
Du-sik rushes to Hye-jin’s clinic with Grandma Gam-ri on his back. Explaining the treatment plan and the cost, Grandma Gam-ri refuses it and opts for the teeth to be taken out.
Without regard to the elderly’s feelings, Hye-jin asks if she is short of money so the patient defensively boasts she’s not and walks away.
Confronting Hye-jin for her tactless words, she remains uncaring and even whines at his overreaction when he is not blood-related with Grandma Gam-ri. Du-sik can only express disappointment of how old habits are hard to die.
Getting money for his favorite grandma’s treatment, Du-sik coaxes her to agree with the treatment. He tells her how he grew up so big because of the food she has been feeding him. Still, she refuses and orders him to not pester her anymore.
Meanwhile, Hye-jin gripes about Du-sik being a busy body and “kindness poster boy” in the town. Mi-seon is surprised at why she is so annoyed with Du-sik since she rarely expresses that kind of emotion.
“She’s been selfless all her life. So, she doesn’t know how to take care of herself.”
Answering a call from Du-sik, she meets him for a talk and listens to his request of proceeding with the treatment but lying about the cost. Hye-jin denies his request as a responsible dentist committed to her profession.
Reasoning how Grandma Gam-ri loves eating squid so much but she has not been able to, he changes his approach and asks her to proceed and just tell her she will give a discount.
He rants how she has given her all to her children and does not want to be a burden to them as well. Having a different perspective, Hye-jin thinks Grandma Gam-ri is being selfish for enduring the pain.
She speaks about how parents need to understand that staying healthy is the best thing they can do for their children. Taking care of themselves than sacrificing their needs to save money for their children should be their utmost priority.
“Someone told me that the best thing a parent can do for their child is staying healthy.”
Going back to Grandma Gam-ri’s house, Du-sik works his magic and helps her with her chores. When she told him she loves the sound of the bell he set up, he replies he also hopes for her to enjoy a good view and good food. He also shares what he learned from Hye-jin last night that she needs to be healthy for her children.
Grandma Gam-ri calls her son to check on him and learns that Du-sik already called about her teeth treatment. However, her son opts for the cheaper solution since money is tight for him and his family.
Back at her clinic, something nags at Hye-jin about Grandma Gam-ri and she finds herself in front of our house. Grandma serves her food. She also shares an anecdote of her TV documentary guesting and how she learned her father is a patriot through Du-sik.
“Toothaches are really painful. It does not show so no one but yourself knows how painful it is. Not even your kids.”
Engaging in a heart-to-heart talk, Hye-jin confessed how she went to meet her to talk but ate instead. Grandma responds that eating comes first naturally before anything else.
Taking on what Grandma said, Hye-jin softly chides her on wanting her teeth to just be pulled out. She softly lectures her on how she knows the pain she’s bearing. She also asks her to go back to the clinic and will give her a special deal.
Making her promise to keep their deal a secret so other townspeople won’t demand the same discount, Grandma disregards it. But Hye-jin insists because she wants her to enjoy her favorite food again.
“I’ve been working like a dog all my life. So, don’t you think I deserve to eat as much squid as I want?”
The next day, Grandma Gam-ri rides on her motorbike and stops at Hye-jin’s clinic. Paying upfront, she demands to get her implants. Declaring she deserves to eat her favorite food, she now understands to dote on herself more.
Yeong-guk displays the newly-built high-definition cameras to keep track of the people illegally throwing garbage. Still, his ex-wife nags about why it took a while when it could have been done in the first place.
Just then, Du-sik receives a call from Grandma Gam-ri who asked him to bring porridge. Worried about what happened, Du-sik beams widely when he listens to grandma’s story of getting her implant.
Grandma also fondly tells her talk about Hye-jin and smiles at the thought of how she appears cold but has a warm heart deep inside.
“What don’t you have in that bag of yours?”
While washing her hair, the electric power went out so Hye-jin rang Hwa-jung for help. Of course, the resident handyman came to her rescue. Apparently, there was an issue with the power supply line.
Not wanting to show she wants Du-sik to stay to accompany her, she suggests for them to eat ice cream so that it won’t be wasted as well. Noticing Bora’s hedgehog, Du-sik teases her of how she is similar to the cute animal with spikes.
Suddenly, he apologizes for the harsh words he said when he does not know much about her at all. Feeling awkward to his direct apology, Hye-jin responds he is scaring her. Accepting his gratefulness, Hye-jin reacts like it’s no biggie and blabs about her plans of earning money so she can move back to Seoul.
He hopes for her wish to come true and hands some tissues to wipe the dripping ice cream on her hand. He steps out and sends her a text message to open the fuse box. What greeted her is the lost shoe which was fortunately caught by Du-sik when he went fishing earlier.
Rushing to thank her shoe rescuer, Du-sik also smiles. She slips on the shoes just as power came back to her house.
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha Episode 3 Musings
I’m still going to play hard to get and not fall in love with Du-sik in this episode. I must protect myself from his kindness, his smile, and those dimples. I’m not weak. *chuckles
The mix of faintly emerging romance between our leads and the stories of people around them perfectly synced in this episode. I hope this will stay forever this way.
I thought Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha might take the slow-then-vibrant route for its weekly episodes. But it looks like the creative team intends to surprise us with each episode.
We know we are going to get doses of heartwarming moments when Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha introduced quite an age range in the opening week. The elderly, the children, and the setting of the seaside town would effortlessly hit home. Especially since the world requires any kind of healing we can get these days.
Hye-jin obviously has not moved on from the pain of her mother’s passing. It does explain why she sticks to reality. She has learned to fend for herself because her growing up has forced her to have no room for acting weak.
Her plan to get more money so she can move back to Seoul is obviously something viewers won’t support. Sooner, she’ll realize she’s already home with people she just met, and who will all definitely show her genuine care.
Just as she keeps an emotional pain from her past in her heart, Du-sik also hints of similar knots in his heart. His remark of not keeping anything that has a life in his place suggests deep-seated anguish he has been struggling to move on.
Mutually healing together seems to be the route Du-sik and Hye-jin are about to take. Probably, it would be my sole K-Dramaland advocacy this year as well. Notably, the reality-biting lines and sad-but-true situations are adding charms to the narrative.
This episode is a soft nudge for anyone who has elderly family members to take charge in assessing the medical care they might need. As our old loved ones tend to keep to themselves physical pains to avoid being a burden, we should be vigilant to know when they need it.
At the same time, the message of encouraging parents to weigh on their sacrifices efficiently is also a remarkable lesson. Ultimately, parents taking care of themselves lead to a healthy and longer life – the best gift their children can receive.
Don’t miss the weekly episodes of Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha exclusively on Netflix.
Photos: tvN
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