A history of a long-term crush between Pat and Pran is out in the open, as the punishment for the rebuilding of a bus stop forces the engineering and architecture students to work together in the latest episode of Bad Buddy.
All the while, Pat and Pran must still keep their ongoing friendship a secret from their own social circles and families.
The latest episode of Bad Buddy really begins to pick up steam as a crush between the two is hinted at through flashbacks to their time together in the high school band.
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Bad Buddy Episode 3 Key Moments
“When you fall for someone, your heart flutters.”
At school, Pran is struggling to come up with ideas and draw. His friend, Wai, tells him to think with his heart and not his head if he’s drawing a blank. He draws examples from a famous singer who does so.
As Wai asks whether Pran has ever had a secret crush before, Pran’s memories turn to when he used to go to school with Pat. Pran had forgotten his guitar pick and was trying to play with his bare hands.
When Pat walked in, he offers to make him a pick out of Pran’s student ID. Balking the idea, he makes one out of his own. He calls it the one and only handsome pick. As Pran smiles into the face of Pat on his guitar pick, Pat looks back at Pran and smiles back.
Back in the present day, Pran and Pat share a table outside a food truck. When they arrive back at the dorm, the two of them playfully fight each other to get back to their dorm first. Pat wins the race, but informs Pran that if he ever wants a rematch, he can knock on the door, or just come in if he isn’t there.
The next day, the architecture students are punished with the responsibility of rebuilding the bus stop. The one they broke during their fight the night before has been completely destroyed. As such, it must be repaired at their expense. Looking for more cost-effective solutions, Pran goes to Pat’s father’s store. There, he speaks to Pa, Pat’s sister, in order to get a good rate on products to rebuild the stop.
When Pat’s sister speaks to him about the incident, he finds out from Pran that his friends posted a video online picking on Wai that caused the fight. And Pran informs him that he looks very happy in the video.
“You can’t do it without me. I’m your lucky charm.”
After class, Pat follows Pran to apologize and inform him that he has taken down the video. Despite Pran walking away and telling Pat to leave him alone, Pran follows him to the library. Here, he finds a poster for an environmental innovation project.
In the elevator up to the company offering the award, Pat and Pran are squished close together by the number of people in the elevator. This leads to a long, slow moment with the camera focused on the two of them.
After presenting his idea for the bus stop to the company management team, they inform Pran that while the idea is very good and they like it, they have also just approved funding for a project very similar. A dejected Pran thanks them for their time, but an excited Pat interrupts.
“Let’s say we’re both hot guys and we’re boyfriends.”
Pat puts forward the idea of using the same plans, but making the project an eco bus stop. They would use all recycled materials, and the project would work well as a promotional tool for the company. Back in the elevator, Pran notices a poster on the wall regarding the company’s new eco-policy. It was this which inspired Pat’s interruption.
Celebrating by going to a music store, Pran takes a look at the guitar section. He remembers back to his old guitar which was lost. Pat is looking at getting a guitar, as his father is willing to buy him a present for his class presidency title. The two end up needing to hide from one of Pat’s friends behind a large speaker, with Pat getting a little too close for Pran’s comfort.
While Pran is trying to envision plans for the bus stop, Pat arrives to assist. They argue that engineers aren’t creative, and that architects need to come up with all the plans. However, Pat disagrees, saying engineers need to make sure the designs are fit for purpose. The two pretend to be a couple walking near a bus stop to figure out all the amenities it needs.
When they go back to the company, the management team loves the project and the plans, but can only sponsor half of the funding, leaving Pran feeling dejected once more.
“You’re an engineering student, in case you forgot.”
Pat confronts his friends about the fight that took place. He informs them that the architecture students were now on the bill to repay and rebuild the bus stop. They, however, do not care, reminding Pat that he is an engineering student.
As the architecture students have gathered around the bus stop, they wonder how long it will take for the four of them to rebuild it alone. Then, the engineering students arrive. In a flashback, Pat tells the engineering students the story of how architecture and engineering students built the bus stop together in the past. He also reminds the engineering students that if the architecture students alone rebuild it, the engineering students will lose their right to claim the land.
Back in the dormitory, Pran thanks Pat for convincing the engineering students to help with the bus stop project. Pat gets Pran to wait for a moment, before giving him back his old guitar, which had been taking up space in his room.
Bad Buddy Episode 3 Musings
The relationship between Pat and Pran comes to the forefront in this episode. It makes a change from the way in which Asian BL dramas – and all Asian romances, to be honest – hold off on everything until the very end of the show.
The showcasing of a crush developing between the two main characters in the past shows the future of the show. It’s clear that these feelings have not died down between them.
Although, neither of them will ever admit it this early on in the show, of course. But the romance doesn’t blossom from anywhere. This gives fans something to look forward to other than the obligatory almost-kiss bound for every BL drama that comes our way.
And while Pat and Pran’s relationship is becoming a more integral part of the storyline, the ongoing battle between architecture and engineering students is not losing its group to make room for it.
Being forced to work together is set to make it so that more drama will ensue between the students. Whether this is a drama that Pat and Pran can stop, however, remains to be seen.
Don’t miss each week as we recap the newest episode of Bad Buddy the weekend it comes out!
Image source: GMMTV YouTube
