Drama Review: Flower Boy Next Door Episode 7

Flower Boy Next Door

Episode 7

            Everyone speculated that there is something special going on between Enrique and Dok Mi since it appeared as if the first is living with the latter.  Jin Rak invited Enrique to go to the roof top of their apartment building for a confrontation.  However, what supposed to be was an affray, ended up being a fracas of words between two stalker-ish individuals. 

            It started serious or I should say, Jin Rak started serious and mature but Enrique’s childishness overpowered the façade that the first tried to put on.  He ended up semi consoling Enrique when he mentioned about the increase in the number of people who don’t like him. Then just like the conversation between two lunatics, an inevitable happened.  They argued over trivial things.  In that frivolous argument, only I, the viewer won.   

            How?  Because just in that first five minutes, I got a lot of laughs from the funny scenes.  First was when Jin Rak described Enrique as a decent punk then explained to him that it was just an expression.  The term “punk” wasn’t meant to be negative.  In return Enrique called him a decent punk.  And he repeated it too, like he really was teasing him of being a “punk”.  Second was during their battle royal of who knows Dok Mi better. 

Enrique:  And also…after all that time, you still know less about Ahjuma than I do.  Really, you must have planned to get to know her slooooowly.

Jin Rak:  I’ve been watching her for more than 3 years.  Don’t you think I know her a lot more than you do? 

Enrique:  Oh.  Is that so?  Do you know what Go Dok Mi’s dream is?  Do you know that she has scallions this big?

Jin Rak:  She has scallions at home?

            It was so hilarious because of all the things that Enrique mentioned, what caught his attention the most was the scallions!  And his facial expression was epic. 

            Then it was his turn to brag about his stalking activities’ results.  He asked Enrique if he knows how many times Dok Mi goes to the post office then how much Dok Mi likes trash!  Oh, I was laughing my butt out.   The way he said it, sounded like Dok Mi likes trash as in “trash”.  Enrique’s reaction made him realized that what he just said about Dok Mi was kind of gross.  So he took that back and mentioned about how much she likes organizing recyclables, instead.  Then as he went on, Enrique started looking at him like he is a creepy stalker of some sort.  Ha ha ha ha!

            Anyways, later Enrique was impressed at how much better a stalker is Jin Rak than him!  Just kidding! J  I mean Enrique was fascinated by how much Jin Rak knows about Dok Mi so he told him that he’s supporting him.  Do Hwi, who was secretly listening to the two, burst in upon hearing

Enrique’s declaration.  For a minute there she forgot her sweet sham.  Suddenly she realized she needed to tighten the lose screws in her head.  Right after that, she turned around smiling from ear to ear.  Next, the sweet and kind Do Hwi entered the scene.

            Jin Rak’s reaction when Do Hwi insinuated that Enrique and Dok Mi have a special relationship startled her.  Jin Rak was like Mr. Scrooge who didn’t get enough sleep.  Oh my goodness!  He always turns into a grump when someone tries to link Dok Mi with another man.  But his reaction is just always convivial and gut-busting!

            Before Do Hwi went up the roof top there were two men in black suit looking for Jin rak.  They said that Jin Rak was guilty of fraud, embezzlement, and impersonation.  This was a total shock especially to his friend Dong Hoon.  Remember how much he wanted to know what the story was behind Jin Rak’s change of name.  He hasn’t even gotten the answer to that and now, a new revelation?  Who the heck is Jin Rak?!  That was probably his biggest question just like it is my biggest question for crying out loud, it’s killing me having to wait for the answer.  So this issue is the reason why Do Hwi went up to make sure the supposed “criminal” doesn’t go back down and then get caught.

Going back to the roof top….

            Do Hwi told them the story about Dok Mi and their Language teacher in high school.  The problem is she manipulated the story to her advantage. 

            I like the part when the two male leads showed different reactions on the story.  Their reactions distinguished one from the other.

Enrique’s reaction:  “Just one-two-punch!  Throw a punch at each other and resolve everything!”

            This just reflects his immature behavior.  His actions added to the fact that he is more the type that sits in front of the computer to play games.  Well, he designs them anyways.  He’s just so animated I swear, I had a hard time capturing a scene where his face won’t look blurry.  And I don’t blame some viewers who feel annoyed by his immaturity.

Jin Rak’s reaction:  “What was the style of that Language teacher?  If we were talking celebrities, who would he resemble?”  

            At first I thought his was going to be a mature, I-want-to-know-more-about-it kind of reaction but no.  His was just out of this world.  It wasn’t immature—just “different”.  I swear this man’s brain has the ability to focus or discriminate the most unimportant detail out of a group of information transmitted by the receptors connected to his ears.  But you know what? I thank the writers for making him this way because this is one of the reasons why I enjoy watching this show!  Every character has depth and at the same time funny genes that never ceases to make me laugh. 

            Anyways, Do Hwi couldn’t think of anything to answer Jin Rak’s question…at first.  Then she thought of using Enrique probably to take all of Jin Rak’s hopes.  She said that his [Language teacher] style is that of Enrique—he was so cool.  She even acted like she remembered it all vividly then added that that must be the reason why Dok Mi likes him.  Before Jin Rak started to flare up again, Enrique already tried to debunk that speculation by saying Dok Mi doesn’t even treat him like a human being.  But guess what?  Jin Rak flared up anyway.  So Enrique didn’t have a choice but to once again emphasize that his connection with Dok Mi mainly has to do with work.

            Jin Rak turned his attention to Do Hwi saying why she was making a huge deal about it when it was just nothing but their high school love.  This was when she became more detailed about her twisted story. 

I like Jin Rak’s reaction when he said, “she must have been so lonely,” after hearing the whole story.  Every time he talks like this, he looks like the main lead—the person Dok Mi should end up with. Unfortunately, all I could give him is a deep *sigh. 

            In the meantime, the two men in black were still waiting for Jin Rak outside of his door.  Dong Hoon denied that Jin Rak lives in their apartment.  Later he received a text message that caught the attention of the two men.  He tried to hide it from them but they grabbed his cellphone, anyway.  What did they found out?  A text message from one of Dong Hoon’s flings asking where her undergarment went.  Once again the reactions were comical.

            Later Dok Mi came out and threatened the two men that if can’t show any proof of their identity and what not, she will call the cops.  Whoah!  Dong Hoon slowly moved himself towards Dok Mi.  He was amazed by her guts.  This was a totally different Dok Mi he’s seeing this time and he’s impressed.

            Meanwhile, Jin Rak asked Do Hwi what she was doing on the roof top anyway.  She explained about the two men looking for him—Jin Rak.  Before she finished saying his name, he interrupted her and signaled her not to say anymore especially when Enrique [who thought his name was Oh Jae Won] asked who Jin Rak is.  To avoid any more questions, Jin Rak just said it’s his hyung.

            Do Hwi received a call saying the two men already left.  But before they all went back down, Do Hwi put up his poor-me mask and told Enrique and Jin Rak that in the past incident with Dok Mi, she had difficulty too and that she wants to become her bestfriend again.  The two guys decided to help her.

            Inside their apartment, asked Jin Rak if he was hiding something dark about him.  The latter appeased him with just few words insinuating he can take care of the misunderstanding.  Dong Hoon also told about Dok Mi’s huge help in deterring those two men looking for him.  Jin Rak was so happy upon hearing this.  He felt like Dok Mi believed him – that he’s a good person.

            Both Jin Rak and Enrique decided to help Do Hwi rekindle her relationship with Dok Mi.  They came up with a plan:  make sure Dok Mi attends the cooking lessons in Watanabe’s apartment and Do Hwi will also be invited so the two will get the chance to talk again and be close to each other. 

            Well, Enrique was successful in making Dok Mi attend the gathering.   The plan to get Dok Mi and Do Hwi sit next to each other was also successful.  What wasn’t successful [and will probably take some time] was the two getting back together as bestfriend.  However, towards the end, the one best thing that happened that didn’t skip Enrique’s smiling eyes were Dok Mi’s smile while watching everybody sharing the dish that Watanabe cooked for them.  That smile looks like a good sign that Dok Mi will be opening her door to the world in the near future.

            In this cooking demonstration, Watanabe spoke in his native language—Nihongo.  For the first time, he didn’t look awkward.  He actually looked really cool!  He was talking with a matter-of-fact like tone which was impressive.  Another sigh from me for this guy is one piece of hotness wrapped in white apron and chef’s hat.

            Enrique acted like he knew how to speak Japanese so Watanabe requested him to interpret for him.  Now that I am looking back at what happened, I am laughing again.  When it was time for him to interpret right after Watanabe said a bunch of things, all he could say was, “So basically…he’s saying that this is a delicious dish (plus a smile).”  The others were suspicious of his interpretation and started deconstructing what little of Watanabe’s words that they have understood. 

            On the way back to their respective apartments, Enrique grab a hold of Jin Rak and told him that he will invite Do Hwi to Dok Mi’s apartment one of these days.  At first, Jin Rak raised his brows but when Enrique mentioned that he will invite him too, his reaction changed.  On the other hand, Dong Hoon looked at them wondering what was going on—like, is he missing something? 

            In Dok Mi’s apartment, Enrique was all stoke in trying to help Dok Mi to become her old self again.  He even came to a point when he shared something about Seo Young’s experience and all.  Unknown to him, his meddlesome attitude only made her even angrier.  Her reaction was totally

understandable especially knowing that the information that was shared to him by Do Hwi was false and twisted.  His talking like he knew everything about her and that he has the solution was annoying and irritating to the ears.  If I was Dok Mi, I would feel the same way.  It wasn’t like she has the responsibility to explain to him everything.  The frustration led her to put all of his things back to his luggage and telling him to leave.  After that, she pinned him to his place.  She let him

know [what he already knew] what people think of him:  a know it all, big mouth [which he really is], etc.  It was good that she did that.  Although it is understandable that he wanted to help her, but the method became wrong because he doesn’t really know her that well but he acted [or at least it appeared to her that he acted as if] like he knew her. 

            Finally, I am seeing Enrique’s serious face.  This is way better than his all happy face.  Part of me is thinking that maybe, he is just trying to hide his disappointments or sadness with his childish behavior.  But deep inside this serious, smart, reasonable man is just hiding there and this woman, Dok Mi, brought it out.  Kudos to her!  Enrique just liberated all his thoughts about Dok Mi’s way of life.  It does make sense to me.  There are times when the best help is the truth.  Unfortunately the truth is the harshest thing to our ears.

            I have to say this part of the episode is one of my favorites because here, I could actually see them as a couple, ironically.  I like what Enrique said at the end of their conversation [or argument]: “I don’t care about those words about me that are made by some people who don’t know me. But you know at least a little about me.  Saying that I am an empty person is too much.  I’ll take that you spoke harshly to cut me off, so I will cut you off harshly as well.”  It hurt him that she spoke like she believed those people on the internet than the Enrique in front of her.  No matter how little she knew about him, she still knew him better than those people that scrutinize him.  He could have been meaner but no, he sounded really mature.   Gosh, why didn’t he show a little of that to begin with, then maybe she wouldn’t have reacted the way she did.

            Now that Enrique has left, she can work peacefully in her little space without having to worry about intruders.  The more she read his autobiography the more she learned about him, including his thoughts of genuinely trying to help her.

            Enrique tried his luck next door.  Unfortunately Jin Rak didn’t welcome him to stay with them in the apartment.  Since he didn’t have anywhere to go, he went back to Tae Joon’s apartment.  When he came back he explained why he’s coming back.  Seo Young got curious as to which girl made her bestfriend into this state.  Enrique never used to care about speculations about him.  Seo Young concluded that he isn’t really affected by the comments of people on the internet; instead he’s affected by what “this new girl” thinks of him.  You got to love characters like Seo Young that open the mind of the male lead to realizing that they actually care about the female lead. 

            While sitting on the couch, Enrique couldn’t help but glance at the room across the street.  The curtains were closed.  What could Dok Mi be doing at this time?

Dok Mi was updating her diary (blog?):

That woman’s scars are like sinking underwater.  Spectators who don’t know how deep that scar is, simply advised her why she can’t escape from it.  There are too many people who are rude to other’s scars.  That woman didn’t want to hear such empty words.  At least from this one person…not from this one person…

            Omo! Omo!  Did she just say, at least not from this one person?  Is he falling for him and she’s so disappointed that what she considered empty words came from Enrique?  Wow!  I honestly didn’t see that coming.  This girl didn’t show any sign!  Or did I miss something her?  Enlighten me, please!!!

            The book was finally finished.  The book signing was held with no problems.  Dok Mi met up with her senior at work. Upon hearing from her senior that Enrique was coming, she decided to leave.  But outside of the office she came across Enrique.  No hi or hello.  They looked at each.  That’s all—no more, no less.  While Enrique was at the office, and Dok Mi walking and waiting for the bus, they both thought about each other.  Dok Mi thought about him rooting for her to reach her dream of becoming a writer.

            That evening, Jin Rak saw the two men in black again.  He told the one guy that it doesn’t work, he will have to go back to being “Oh Jae Won”.  Then the one guy handed him an envelope saying it contains the amount he needs to complete.  Jin Rak took the envelope but insinuated that if they continue to do that then that means he need to give them something too.  He took a tangerine from his plastic bag, told the man that he’ll contact them first, gave the rest of the tangerine, and opened the car for him.

            Right after the car left, he noticed Dok Mi.  He was kind of explaining to her why he was talking to those men but Dok Mi didn’t seem to care at all.  She was about to continue walking when he grabbed her hand.  This scene was witnessed by Enrique. 



Jealous?



            Jin Rak wanted to tell her something but when she noticed Enrique, she suddenly said, she’s tired.  Jin Rak changed his tone and let her go.  The three of them looked awkward walking—one following the other in line, except there’s a big gap in between.

            On their way back to their respective apartments, the saw Seo Young looking upset.  She confronted Enrique regarding Tae Joon’s plan to move to the islands.  To appease her, Enrique dropped the bag of food in his hand and gave Seo Young a hug.  However, he was aware that Dok Mi was watching and he was very conscious of her.  Meanwhile, Dok Mi watched that scene looking a little surprised and I am pretty sure I saw a hint of jealousy in her eyes.  OMG!  When Dok Mi is showing that kind of reaction and I am watching Enrique in his serious aura, I am just floored.  I can feel the tension in the air. 



He's making Seo Young calm but his eyes and his mind were on Dok Mi.

Dok Mi looking jealous? 



            Then something unexpected happened:  Dok Mi ran towards Enrique, grabbed his arm, pulling him away from Seo Young.  It was almost like an act of declaration—Enrique is hers!

            The writer really knows how to end each episode.  Each one is a cliff hanger making the series very riveting!  Kudos to all the hardwork Flower Boy Next Door team! J

Thank you for taking time reading my article. J J J