Our father-son duo settles on playing fair and square, leaving the ball in our cellist’s court in the 5th week of Twinkling Watermelon.
Of course, things don’t go as planned, and there is some cheating going around. But why does it feel like the ball is already thrown in our guitarist’s way? Romance aside, our quartet is finally thrown together, and the band is ready for launching.
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 9 and 10 Highlights
“I gave you clothes, food, and a place to sleep! How could you stab me in the back like that?”
Lee-chan’s answer to Eun-gyeol’s confession is a punch in the face. After all he did for Eun-gyeol, how can he betray Lee-chan this way? The boys engage in a hilarious fight that involves pulling each other’s hair and Lee-chan getting a nosebleed.
In the aftermath, Eun-yu is caught out, getting her roped into attending school. She drags Eun-gyeol to conduct the spicy food test but stops him short before he takes a bite. The girl is already falling for him, so typically she is hesitant at the thought he is her mother’s first love.
“We will make a truce for the time being. That way, we can focus solely on the band before the festival.”
Well. Handling spicy food is relative. So, we need a more conclusive clue. Remembering Se-kyung’s words about said first love singing a serenade for her at the festival, Eun-yu resolves to wait until then. Also on board with this are our boys who settle on a truce. Neither will see Eun-yu until D-day, leaving the ball in her court to choose whom she really likes.
Of course, things don’t go as planned. Eun-yu is now attending school. Which means she will run into Eun-gyeol daily. To his credit, the guy tries to avoid her, but our girl chases after him persistently and catches him with a broom.
“Are you really going to do that? You promised me you aren’t going to see her until the day of the festival.”
One might think that Lee-chan will kick up a storm hearing the news, but he acts it cool, choosing to focus on practicing to outshine Eun-gyeol. But the thing is: they lost the practice room and need another place. Luckily, they find a new one quickly, thanks to their savior, none other than Grandpa Viva.
The new spot is supposed to be secret, with no outsiders allowed. And needless to say, both of our boys break this rule. To appease Chung-ah, who is mad at him for beating Lee-chan, Eun-gyeol brings her along.
Also, there is Eun-yu, who Lee-chan claims to be recruiting as their photographer. Okay. Eun-gyeol will recruit Chung-ah as their designer as well. He will take Eun-yu to an outdoor spot and check her photos. And meanwhile, Lee-chan should check Chung-ah’s drawings.
“Can I let myself follow my heart from time to time?”
Eun-gyeol’s plan is to wander around for a while to buy his parents time to get close. But the gas runs out, getting him stuck with Eun-yu in a remote place for the night. In what seems like his genuine feelings, he asks Eun-yu to throw the ball only at him. Is this a love confession? And then he pulls her in for a kiss, throwing everything else aside.
Elsewhere, Lee-chan looks through Chung-ah’s sketchbook, getting him amazed. But what really takes him aback is the portrait of him he finds among the drawings. And when he asks Chung-ah about her feelings, the girl doesn’t deny it. Through some cute minion drawings, Chung-ah asks him to be friends. She is already aware he likes “Se-kyung,” but her feelings are hers to handle.
“I hear no sound. I can’t hear anything.”
We also get a new hint from the music store master. You see, he isn’t that unkind. So, he has sent Eun-gyeol a helper who is perfect for this role. But to receive help, he should help said helper first. And our girl really needs help.
A while ago, Eun-yu’s friend took her life just before their cello competition. And instead of acting like a proper mother and consoling her daughter, Se-kyung tells Eun-yu not to waver and get over it quickly. But she might as well remember those feelings in case she needs to play a sad melody. Is that woman even human?
The poor girl suffered from PTSD and lost her sense of hearing for a while. And her so-called mother accused her of pretending to be deaf to rebel. No wonder Eun-yu now hates the cello and wants nothing to do with it. The thought of the poor girl going through this alone breaks my heart.
“Everyone just goes on with their lives while giving meaning to their lives and trying to find meaning”
Luckily, she has Eun-gyeol by her side now. Dropping by her house, Eun-gyeol senses there is something wrong with Eun-yu. And he is right about it. The girl got into a panic attack after the teacher asked her to play the cello. Eun-gyeol keeps her company and asks her not to think about dying anymore. She should live until the festival and see him acting cool.
But our band has another issue to handle regarding the festival. Thanks to Grandpa Viva, the boys are now reunited with Dong-jin. This is awful news to Lee-chan, Eun-gyeol, and Ma-joo, who run away hilariously. The only way out of this is to change the band’s name.
“Thanks to the saying he learned from mum, he was able to endure the hardships of his life.”
You know, every crisis is an opportunity. And a new name means a fresh start. Ma-joo can negotiate with the people in charge. They can readily get new T-shirts, posters, and pamphlets since they have Chung-ah as their designer and Eun-yu as their photographer. I like how Lee-chan and Eun-gyeol make it sound easy since they are both on board.
As for the band’s new name, it is Watermelon Sugar, courtesy of Chung-ah’s favorite painter, Frida Kahlo, who proved to the world how strong she is through her famous watermelon painting and the quote “Viva La Vida.”
All is well and good. Our quartet is brought together, and the band is ready to rock the stage. But there is an ominous feeling brewing in the background. In the original timeline, the band disbanded and couldn’t perform as Lee-chan got hurt on the day of the rehearsal. And while there are a lot of hints about enjoying the ride and not obsessing about the future, I hope Lee-chan makes it safe and sound. The boy went through a lot, and he deserves to twinkle.
Twinkling Watermelon Episodes 9 and 10 Musings
Eun-gyeol has been so focused on changing the future and getting his parents together that he forgets he is also 18. Sometimes, he needs to forget about everything and enjoy his life. Meeting Eun-yu, Eun-gyeol’s walls are starting to crack, and he wants to pursue his happiness too.
Throughout his life, Eun-gyeol focused on others. But he needs to learn he is important too. He shouldn’t let his youth days get wasted. One’s life shouldn’t be perfect for them to be happy. Instead, it is those sweet little moments that make life worth it. And if that is the takeaway of Eun-gyeol’s journey into the past, it is worth the trouble.
Also, we like how Lee-chan is falling for Chung-ah without even realizing it. And it is for the same reasons as he did before. The way she expresses herself using sign language makes him smitten. And the quote “Viva La Vida,” long live life, inspired him once again.
Brace yourself for a ride full of adventures, music and mystery as Eun-gyeol navigates the unknown in Twinkling Watermelon!
Photos/Videos: tvN Drama
