Cinderella at 2am – K-drama Episode 2 Recap & Review

Episode 2

Episode 2 of Cinderella at 2am continues from where Yoon-seo discovers that her former boyfriend, Joo-won, instead of relocating abroad, has been reappointed as the director of the company. This is when Joo-won enters and prevents Yoon-seo from falling off the staircase. In a flashback scene, she recalls how Joo-won had charmed her into liking him when he’d first indirectly confessed to her.

To her surprise, Joo-won’s office is right next to where Yoon-seo’s team sits, allowing him to see her from his room. Yoon-seo’s team members are also shocked to learn that their youngest team member is the son of the chairwoman. Yoon-seo confronts Joo-won in his office about the recent developments, but Joo-won plans to act on his promise of being clingy.

He adorably adds that he’d received advice on showing a new side to win his ex back from the internet, and that’s why he’s talking informally to her. In one of his attempts to charm her, he caresses her head, and Yoon-seo accidentally presses the button to turn the screen transparent, shocking their teammates who see them. Thankfully, due to their dense nature, they don’t have any clue about the two’s relationship.

Now that Joo-won is back, he not only intends to keep being around Yoon-seo by having meals with her team but also blatantly tells her that he will get her back. No matter how hard he tries, though, Yoon-seo is adamant about breaking up.

While visiting his older brother, we find that Si-wan comically lounges at his house in his underpants, relishing the freedom he never had before he was married. Since his wife lives abroad, he has no reason to dress appropriately, and the entire scene serves as a silly comic relief. Through the two brothers’ discussions, we gauge just how much Joo-won likes Yoon-seo. He did not like watching movies, but since he started dating Yoon-seo, he’s now become a cinephile.

While Yoon-seo is on her way home from I-rae’s restaurant, it’s revealed that Yoon-seo had been abused by her alcoholic father.

The next day, Yoon-seo is unwell but still goes to the office due to an important ongoing project. She meets Si-wan in the elevator, and he tells her how stubborn Joo-won is. He also reveals how Joo-won has become a cinephile after meeting Yoon-seo, despite hating movies before. Yoon-seo recalls how much they used to watch movies together. Talking to Si-wan, she realizes that even though Joo-won liked the opera, he never brought it up again after she unknowingly declined to go. She starts feeling guilty about it.

Later at night, Joo-won brings her some porridge and medicine after noticing her coughing. Yoon-seo faints while they are on their way home, and Joo-won rushes her to the hospital. After she wakes up, Yoon-seo confronts him about the movies, and Joo-won replies that he went with her because he really liked to see her smile and eventually began liking films as well. They decide to have 27 meals together to try hard to break up (according to Yoon-seo), though Joo-won is pretty confident about winning her back.

They start meeting up for meals and having fun together again as they used to. With each meal, they start reverting to how they used to be, with Yoon-seo shedding her guard but still firmly stating, “we broke up” if asked whether they are dating. Joo-won’s mother learns about their meetups but confides in Si-wan that she thinks Yoon-seo will keep her promise.

After Yoon-seo and Joo-won have drinks at their dinner meet-ups, Yoon-seo finally lets her guard down when Joo-won asks her if she really dislikes him. “I still like you a lot,” she says, and the episode ends with Joo-won leaning in for a kiss.

Cinderella at 2 AM is on the right track with its adorable and sweet romcom plot and events. The show is a typical romcom but is still quite enjoyable with its silly humour and lovable characters.

The charm of this episode lies in how it illustrates that a healthy relationship can help partners expand their perspectives and worldview. As Joo-won states, meeting Yoon-seo didn’t change him but merely exposed him to more of the things he enjoys—things he wouldn’t have tried if not for her.

While we might have missed out on how Yoon-seo and Joo-won originally met and got together, it’s equally interesting to watch them rekindle their love amidst Joo-won’s mother’s disapproval. The show is certainly a light and breezy watch for anyone looking for a delightful romcom.