Thankfully, Ji-ho’s quick situation assessment settled the ambiguous feelings he shares with Sang-eun in the 9th episode of Love In Contract.
Will Hae-jin take advantage of his family chaebol situation or will he settle to keep her as a fond first love memory?
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Episode Recaps: 01 & 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06| 07| 08| 09| 10 | 11 & 12 | 13 & 14 | Finale + Series Review |
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Love In Contract Episode 9 Highlights
Previously, Sang-eun sees unwell-looking Hae-jin in the basement parking of the building. She nurses him back to health but made Ji-ho worry about the situation.
As a rational judge, he didn’t jump to conclusions and called to ask her what happened. He then declares to pick her up where she is. However, while she waits, Hae-jin spots her with his new lawyer, Ji-eun, who turns out to be Ji-ho’s ex-wife.
“What I wanted to know from you today was why you were looking for me and why you wanted to leave with me earlier?”
When the awkwardness dissipates, Ji-eun greets Ji-ho and invites him for tea. But he ignores her and leaves with Sang-eun. Wondring why Sang-eun went with her ex-husband, Hae-jin covers that he asked Ji-ho to pick her up.
Assessing the need to explain about his ex-wife, Ji-ho narrates how Ji-eun used to be his family, but he has grown distant from her after the divorce. When they reach the building, Sang-eun tells him that the explanation she needs is not about his ex-wife but about why he came to see her that day.
Meanwhile, Hae-jin looks back on his conversation with Sang-eun if he can pursue her. He ends up looping in Jamie the cat to his love dilemma.
Also struggling with what he feels for Sang-eun, Ji-ho calls the counselor he’s seeing and was invited to meet her at a local bar. While enjoying soju, the counselor listens to Ji-ho shares stories from his divorce and how he reached another point of caring for another person when he thought he won’t be able to do so anymore.
He also confessed how a life without her is something he does not want to look forward to. Elated at the progress of her unique patient, the counselor urges him to go to her and tell exactly the words he just said.
Leaving his counselor who was actually set for a drinking session with her brother and his senior at work; Ji-ho returns to join with his weird concoction of orange juice and soju.
“He never acts out of character in front of me. But he suddenly travels to Incheon to see me. How many times a day does he play with my heart?”
Surmising Ji-ho’s actions, Sang-eun gets surprised to see Hae-jin who drags her to go somewhere to hang out. Unknown to them, drunk Ji-ho sees them from afar and thought Sang-eun was being attacked by the helmet guy, they have yet to capture.
After kicking Hae-jin with all his drunk might, Ji-ho falls to the ground, immediately dozing off. Dragging the intoxicated judge to impromptu camping with Hae-jin, Sang-eun wonders how Ji-ho has been doing things that he does not usually do.
With wine and food pairing meticulously set by top star Hae-jin, the two casually chat. Sang-eun advises him to quit the meds he’s taking. When he asked her about her pain in the past that made her turn to medicines, she responds that she wants to live in the moment and not think of the past anymore.
Later, when alcohol hits her system, Hae-jin gets the answer to his question. Drunkenly mumbling how she’s good at everything, she painfully remarks that because of her merits and charms people use her.
Just then, Ji-ho woke up so Hae-jin stood to get more food and water. Sang-eun asks why he is in her neighborhood, but Ji-ho hesitates to confirm if the feelings he felt for her are mutual. While worrying that he’s rushing things, Ji-ho struggles with his drunkenness.
Remembering the kiss she gave her, Sang-eun who is also tipsily staring at the starry sky mutters wanting to have true love and to be kissed.
“You could have told me earlier that you were trying to confess. You let me hit my self-esteem hit rock bottom!”
Bothered by Hae-jin’s words that he and Sang-eun confirmed their feelings for each other, Ji-ho is tormented if the kiss he vaguely saw is real or not. Expecting Sang-eun since it’s Monday, Ji-ho chances upon Ji-eun who met with Hae-jin about the contract.
Imposing her opinion, Ji-eun asked if the dream house Ji-ho bought is because of her. He flatly tells her that he bought it for his marriage and adds that he has a wife of five years making Sang-eun, who is inadvertently eavesdropping smile. But that smile fades quickly when she heard him say that he fits his current wife since she’s a divorcee of 12 marriages.
She calls Hae-jin to tell him about the kiss mistake which also drops the happiness meter he’s been feeling all day. To destress, Sang-eun goes for aerial yoga and finds Ji-eun as a new member there. Getting competitive, she strikes her confident pose brightly. After her exercise, she receives a message from Ji-ho questioning if she’s going to work.
Meeting in front of the building, they bicker like a true married couple and also come clean about their frustrations. However, the rain forces them to go inside Ji-ho’s car to continue their sentiments.
Finally, realizing the missed opportunity for them to confirm each other’s feelings, Sang-eun’s complaint of Ji-ho pushing her to wallow in self-doubt was silenced with his sincere kiss, which she passionately returns.
Love In Contract Episode 9 Musings
Finally sealing the love direction, Love in Contract moved to an expected route. But what made the development worthwhile is the emphasis on making the characters communicate well in the story.
Only Madame Yoo is the character in the series that is out of place, to be honest. Everything will be perfect if Sang-eun will be less tolerant of her or make her understand that she can’t really be a marriage doll for her anymore.
That line from Sang-eun about not receiving genuine love in this episode of Love In Contract sums up the trigger point of why she turned her back on a coveted life offered to her as an orphan.
Accordingly, the scene where she opened up with Hae-jin speaks about a sound consoling moment for the second-lead syndrome viewers appreciate in the story. Hae-jin is Sang-eun’s soulmate even if she is leaning to find true love with Ji-ho.
Accepting the past of someone you are feeling affection for rings emphatically in this episode. In the case of Sang-eun who has already voiced out her concern about Ji-ho’s slight disappointment with her job, obviously, she takes a hit anew.
This resonates with a message about how normal people struggle to accept someone’s past relationships or marriages that are not something to be proud of.
Looking ahead the pressure on Hae-jin’s marriage along with Ji-eun is shaping to be problems to be resolved in the second half of the series. Can Sang-eun and Ji-ho sustain the romance that took five years to blossom?
Learn to love and live incidentally to the messages of Love In Contract every Wednesday and Thursday on tvN and TVING! International fans can watch it on Prime Video!
Photos/Videos: tvN Drama
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