Teeming with poignant moments that has been ever-present in the series, More Than Friends gave us a love-you-hate-you relationship this week.
Seven weeks after, we had been accustomed to check on the lives of the six friends in More Than Friends. It surely made us affected on pictures of one-sided love that have become our very own problems. Come to think of it, the conflicts in this series made our hearts break big time, and there’s even no villain in the story.
abbyinhallyuland watched More Than Friends on iQIYI
Recaps: 01&02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Finale + Review |
“Get out of my misery”
Not knowing that their beautiful date will turn to a nightmare, Hyun-jae listens to Young-hee firmly deciding to break up with him. Citing her life will never be better (which all of us and Hyun-jae understand) and it’s a logical decision for her right now. Explaining her situation keeps on being a burden to him, making him feel apologetic to her when he shouldn’t – mirrors what exactly she feels.
“If you don’t like the other person, you ruin the relationship. But if I don’t like myself, I’ll ruin my life.”
Tears welled on Hyun-jae’s eyes who refuses to let go. Holding her hand, he said no. But Young-hee tells him to let her win since he always does it and walks away. Inside his car, Hyun-jae stares at the ring he bought for Young-hee and silently cries. He sees Young-hee’s parting gift and reads the note inside it.
“Wear these shoes and go to nice places and meet a nice person. So that, I couldn’t even think about returning back to you. So that I couldn’t dare hold on. Meet someone very nice.”
“I’m not going to live your life for you. Why would I be against it?”
Mustering strength, Woo-yeon opens up to her mother about her plans to travel around the world. Confessing how she pondered how she still loves writing after publishing her recent photo book, she clears omoni‘s thought of doing it for Lee Soo.
Supporting her pitch that it is her dream to travel the world, the opportunity is hard to pass on. She also shares her plan on writing a travel essay after the trip.
Mom genuinely smiles and pushes her to do what she wants to Woo-yeon’s surprise. She tells her there’s no reason not to support it since she’s the one who should live her life. More so, she never listens to her anyway. Woo-yeon beams on the blessing of her being stubborn as her mother assures her that not all the things she say is right anyway.
She recounts not supporting all the things Woo-yeon liked and wanted to do, bringing her spirit down. As she looks at how she’s doing well, it was all pointless.
Confessing her photo book was really great, she thanks Woo-yeon for living well. They laugh heartily praising each other, but Woo-yeon’s laugh fades instantly when mom tells her not to forget contraception.
“Gosh, Woo-yeon! You’re putting your life on love!”
Woo-yeon shares her plan with the girls who were amazed on how brave she was to bet her life on a trip because of love. She explains that she’s also looking on a personal project and will still continue her calligraphy work on her social media site.
Moving to their catch-up chat, Woo-yeon asks what they will share. Jin-ju thinks her revelation is big so she asks Young-hee to go first. Comforting their unni for her lost love the three embrace to share each other’s warmth. Young-hee remembers Jin-ju has something to say, but refuses to say it thinking the timing is not right.
“I also don’t know the reason why we must break up.”
The boys are also huddling at Sang-hyuk’s place talking about Hyun-jae and Young-hee’s breakup. Lee Soo asks why he did not hold on if he knows he will suffer a lot. Hyun-jae responds not knowing the reason why they must break up but he understands why he can’t beg Young-hee to stay.
After drinking, Hyun-jae stalks nearby Young-hee’s place feeling relieved that she’s doing fine while she heaves a sigh knowing he still keeps coming everyday.
“You’ll always be in my future. I don’t think there will be anyone else.”
Lee Soo and Woo-yeon meet and talk about the break up of their friends. Mumbling her curiosity of how they would break up, Lee Soo was flustered on her thought. Woo-yeon explains that after seeing Young-hee and Hyun-jae not being able to sustain their love, it made her realize that nothing lasts forever.
Acknowledging that they don’t have control of what might happen in their future, Lee Soo mentions the possibility that she may meet someone in the future. But on his end, he tells her how he cannot see his future without her. That if they will break up someday, it will be Woo-yeon’s choice to leave and not his.
“I should be okay, but I’m not. I’m disappointed in myself so I’m not okay.”
Joon-soo meets his staff for a meeting discussing the company’s 20th anniversary. While talking about a calligrapher, one employee suggests getting Woo-yeon earning a kick from Secretary Min. But the employee sitting beside him mumbles how she already tried to reach out, but she responds unable to do the project because she will be traveling with her boyfriend.
Failed to stop the emotional disaster that hit his friend’s heart, Secretary Min checks on Joon-soo who admits not feeling fine and feeling disappointed because of it. Tipping Joon-soo of how his heart can be healed instantly, he tells her that Woo-yeon will have a staff meeting with them owing to the reprinting clause of the photo book.
Ever flowing with bravado, Lee Soo thanks the publishing company employees for acknowledging the success of his book, but he knows it will be a hit anyway. Upon learning that Woo-yeon was met by Joon-soo, he asked where they were.
Meanwhile, Woo-yeon and Joon-soo greet each other discussing the reprint clause of the book contract. Joon-soo tells Woo-yeon that he is glad that the reason she declined the project offered is not because of him, but her scheduled trip.
He tells her that when she returns from their trip, if its okay with her, he hopes to become friends with her. Enter Lee Soo, who invited himself to their chat and offered to become his friend, but Joon-soo has to buy him a meal first. Joon-soo asks what Woo-yeon likes about him, and Lee Soo responds he’s beautiful that’s why.
“Is there anything I did to disappoint you?”
Going for round two, Lee Soo and Woo-yeon head to Sang-hyuk’s resto for some soju. Curious if she ever disappointed Lee Soo, he responds that she has not and he likes everything about her. He returns the question and she responds how she can’t be upset when she’s happily in love. That because of love it’s easy to understand a person.
Woo-yeon playfully insists on not telling, so Lee Soo decides he will figure it out on his own. He will adjust according to her will. When Woo-yeon head to get some water, a scary sight of her two friends kissing greeted her making her scream.
Sang-hyuk and Jin-ju emerged from the room not realizing they were the cause of Woo-yeon’s nightmare. Sprinkling water to them, Sang-hyuk shielded Jin-ju and goes for an exaggerating pose of protecting his woman making the other couple cringe.
“I can’t give up on my dream, so how can I get angry that you won’t give up on yours.”
Before meeting Woo-yeon’s parents, Lee Soo met with his parents and sent them to have a sumptuous dinner. Telling them instructions while he is away, he tells them that he does not have knots in his heart anymore because he has someone who adores him so much.
Woo-yeon’s parents had practiced well their dont-hurt-our-daughter stance before Lee Soo arrived. However, at the sight of the amazing gifts he prepared. Woo-yeon who has decided not to go anymore because of the opportunity presented to her can’t find time to bring it out to Lee Soo.
Finally, she blurted it out surprising her parents and boyfriend. Inside the car, Woo-yeon asks if Lee Soo is mad. Understanding her decision, he responds that he’s not since they are both on the same predicament of not being able to give up their dreams.
He asks if he wants her not to go, but Woo-yeon tells him to go and chase his dream. She explains how both of them can’t fulfill each other’s dream. It will result to one of them holding resentment for not being able to fulfil their passion.
Thinking he is worried that they might break up, he sighs how timing is not working for them. Woo-yeon assures him that she does not believe about what they said about love dependent on timing since they are the perfect example of defying it.
“Get back safely.”
Lock in embrace, Woo-yeon sends off Lee Soo at the airport and tells him to come back quickly. Unable to part, they muster courage or else Lee Soo will miss his flight. They walk in opposite direction and sees each other’s back fading away. Lee Soo rushes to give Woo-yeon a back hug and tells he loves her so much. In the brink of tears, she responds she feels the same.
Lee Soo and Woo-yeon proceed to nurture their romance to frequent catching up. But just like any other long-distance relationship, the frequency dwindle to Lee Soo barely calling her in a day.
Eventually, the lies that they are both okay overwhelmed Woo-yeon, and they sadly break up unable to sustain their initial promises.
“I think that if we keep doing this, I’ll end up hating you. It’s too hard for me.”
Understanding her sentiments, Lee Soo accepts it easily and asks her to take care of herself.
“You’re still just as good at making me feel shameless.”
By chance, Joon-soo sees absent-minded Woo-yeon and follows her emotionless and aimless walk to where her feet will lead her. Resting at a bus stop, she asked why he was following her. As usual, he answered giving her comfort without her permission.
Woo-yeon acknowledges his amazing ability to console a heavy heart. She also points out how he’s still as good as making her feel shameless by offering to be someone she can go to when she needs comforting.
Joon-soo reminds her that he sees himself in her that he might have liked her in order to console himself.
“First love is memories.”
Days passed and Woo-yeon’s decision to pursue her dream has yielded great results. She opened her calligraphy business and even gets interviewed for her work.
While fixing her shop, the door opens and she sees Lee Soo right before her eyes. He said hello, but both were unable to push the conversation further.
Lee Soo looks back on how he lied that he was okay after their break up conversation. That moment was just as hurtful to him as it was with Woo-yeon, but listening to her having a hard time, he chose to relent.
More Than Friends Episode 14 Musings
I just realized that this will be my last recap of More Than Friends. The finale week recap will be included in my review. From the bottom of my heart, I really wish it will run like a hundred years. Since Woo-yeon and Lee Soo trained me well enough, my patience is now unparalleled. *wink I won’t even complain if there are transmigration, amnesia, sickness and all the rest of plot clichés because I really enjoyed watching this series each week.
Episode 14 is pumped with partings and broken promises. I hope the story will close without feeling hurried. It seems that two of the three couples we had supported, can’t decide whether to stick on love or even friendship.
Woo-yeon did not surprise me at all with her newest chase-my-own-dream-and-break-up decisions. After witnessing her previous choices, like her mom, nothing surprises me to whatever she wants to do in her life. It also did not surprise me how the blame goes to Lee Soo for not getting the plane ticket back to Korea to salvage the relationship. We all know how mercurial Woo-yeon is, but she is always won over by how much love she had for Lee Soo.
At the end of the day though, they both committed to endure. However, they both agree giving up to endure. So both of them are to be blamed.
I thought Joon-soo has the saddest fate in More Than Friends. It turns out to be Hyun-jae since he suffered throughout the series. While we understand Young-hee’s concern of not wanting to be a burden to someone she loves. It’s partly her fault for dragging the situation and going through half-hearted breakups and reconciliations.
What’s annoying in her love story with Hyun-jae is how insufferably consistent she is, when she can’t process the simple solution that Hyun-jae is willing to accept her warts and all. Her going on circles of self-pity is not even accepted in real world, much more in the imaginary ones.
Based on the preview of episode 15, it’s gonna be another emotional episode with Lee Soo trying to win back Woo-yeon once more and Young-hee’s mom’s passing. Another thing this episode taught is how a lot of things can happen when love is not physically nurtured. That a crack can go through, no matter how much lovers believe that it is unbreakable.
That leaves me to another point of telling Woo-yeon that she should start believing that “timing plays an important role in a relationship”. Timing in the sense of acting accordingly what needs to be done right there and then, when you want to keep the relationship going.
Photos/Videos: JTBC
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