This week’s episodes of Twinkling Watermelon take us on an emotional ride as our guitarist goes all out to save his teenage father from the impending accident.
At long last, we are two days away from the festival. Be it T-shirts, photo cards, and pamphlets, everything is ready to launch. There is also an abundance of romance and some cute jealous moments when Eun-yu spots Eun-gyeol surrounded by girls who come to cheer on him and gift him with lunch boxes.
Bunny S. watched Twinkling Watermelon on Viu
Episode Recaps: 01 & 02 | 03 & 04 | 05 & 06 | 07 & 08 | 09 & 10 | 11 & 12 | 13 & 14 | Finale Week Recap + Series Review |
Twinkling Watermelon Episodes 11 and 12 Highlights
“He is a middle-aged man who is the same age as my mother. I am here to find my mother’s first love, not mine”
Through that sequence, Eun-yu finally gets a long-awaited answer to her question. Eun-gyeol has no tolerance for spicy food whatsoever. And his name is checked off the candidates’ list permanently. It’s funny watching Eun-yu get upset over the fact that Eun-gyeol isn’t the most potential suitor and then remind herself he is now a middle-aged man to stop thinking about him.
“Is the one who will get hurt during the rehearsal tomorrow my dad?”
Romance aside, putting two and two together, Eun-gyeol realizes the accident will occur on rehearsal day. So, he tries to get it canceled or at least have Lee-chan not attend. But it just makes Lee-chan mad, thinking Eun-gyeol is talking nonsense again.
All sorts of ideas cross Eun-gyeol’s mind. Should he tie Lee-chan and lock him up? Is kidnapping a better option? What about knocking him out until the day is over? But why go through the trouble when we have someone who can convince Lee-chan of pretty much everything?
“I was always lonely. I felt lonely and isolated as if I were stuck on an island by myself and couldn’t join the world my family was living in.”
Enlisting Eun-yu’s help, Eun-gyeol sends Lee-chan on a wild goose chase to an island. And awaiting him isn’t Eun-yu as he hopes for, but Eun-gyeol. Desperate, Eun-gyeol tells Lee-chan the truth. He is his son from the future who came to save him from a terrible accident. But how can you get an 18-year-old guy to believe this?
Eun-gyeol even takes things further, threatening to jump off the cliff if Lee-chan leaves. He has always felt isolated and stuck on an island, not being able to join the world his family lives in. He has had it enough, feeling guilty for being able to experience things his family can’t.
And he really does jump when Lee-chan attempts to leave. Shocked, Lee-chan jumps after him, getting us an emotional parallel between this moment and his father rescuing young Eun-gyeol. (Who is cutting onions here?)
“Why are you being like this? Get off me, will you?”
Touched by Eun-gyeol’s determination, Lee-chan calls Ma-joo, saying they won’t attend the rehearsal. And what a relief it is. You see, some lighting equipment fell off all of a sudden. And thankfully, no one was on the stage at that moment. Hence, our boys made it safe and sound.
But the thing is, this wasn’t coincidental. Remember the delinquent boys who beat Lee-chan before? They hold a grudge against one of the band members for turning their boss in. And now that he is out, they are thirsty for revenge.
“Don’t hurt Lee-chan, you jerks!”
Thinking it is all solved now, Eun-gyeol rushes over to Eun-yu’s to keep his promise and watch a movie with her in return for her help. But hearing the boys are doing a night rehearsal, he rushes off to the school. And he arrives just in time to save Lee-chan from getting beaten by a wooden rod.
Eun-gyeol frantically asks if Lee-chan can hear him. To which the latter says he can hear Eun-gyeol loud and clear. Hooray! Eun-gyeol did it and changed the future.
“I am done being the girl who is only loved when she is needed or useful.”
Having saved Lee-chan and cleaned the ensuing mess, Eun-gyeol shifts his focus to getting his parents together. But to do this, he should get “Se-kyung” falling for him. What? It finally dawns on Eun-gyeol that he left Eun-yu without a word the night before.
The girl is understandably hurt. There is nothing Eun-yu hates more than being abandoned. Her parents fought over her for a year, but not out of love. Her father didn’t want to be the bad guy who left his daughter behind. While her mother deemed her a fancy accessory that makes her life shine. Eun-yu is done being a trophy grabbed when needed and abandoned when useless.
“So, the bandsman was dad!”
Eun-gyeol tries hard to apologize, but it isn’t easy to tell others he is a time traveler on a mission. And Eun-yu just ignores him. When she visits the band’s booth on the festival day, she buys out all the boys’ photo cards except for Eun-gyeol’s. Also, she leaves him in charge of the booth and goes to try out the games with the others.
Our boys head on stage and rock their performance. But when it is time for the last song, the one dedicated to the girl behind the band setup, said girl is nowhere to be seen. Having learned her father was also in a band, it finally hits Eun-yu that her father was her mother’s first love all along. He also checks off all the criteria. Then what about her mission?
“I thought I would be able to go back as easily as I came here. But I can’t find my way back.”
Confused, Eun-yu settles to meet her parents and ask them. She lashes out at Eun-gyeol, who is waiting for her, and packs up her things. But getting back to the present isn’t as easy as going to the past. And Eun-yu is left with no way to return to her ordinary life.
When Eun-gyeol finally finds her, she is crying in front of the airport. And our boy can’t hold his feelings in anymore. It doesn’t matter if she is a middle-aged woman or even a zombie. Can’t she stay with him? He will help her get back to where she wants, but can’t they stay together for now?
Also having some romantic issues are Lee-chan and Chung-ah. Mad at Eun-gyeol, Eun-yu lies about choosing Lee-chan at the festival, totally oblivious to Chung-ah’s crush on him. Disheartened, Chung-ah stops by to drop off a parting gift to Lee-chan and lies about attending the festival.
Notably affected by her absence, Lee-chan drops by her house. And Chung-ah pretends to be mad at him for inviting her. Doesn’t he know she is deaf? How is she supposed to listen to music? But like Lee-chan says, one listens to music through his eyes, mind, and heart. The boy has already fallen for her.
Twinkling Watermelon Episodes 11 and 12 Musings
The journey into the past is about to come to an end. The remaining two weeks will likely focus on character development for our teenage characters.
Bringing us to emotional highs and lows, the fun side of Twinkling Watermelon keeps the charm of this series.
And as much as it hurts to bid them farewell, I hope we get enough time to relish in the present after the changes this journey caused.
And on the top of the list are Eun-gyeol playing music with his father and Eun-yu leading a happier life and a healthier relationship with her parents.
But for this, we need the real Se-kyung back and free from her suffocating parents.
Brace yourself for a ride full of adventures, music and mystery as Eun-gyeol navigates the unknown in Twinkling Watermelon!
Photos/Videos: tvN Drama
