Cinderella at 2am – K-drama Episode 4 Recap & Review

Episode 4

Episode 4 of Cinderella at 2am begins with Ju-won and Yoon-seo separately reminiscing about their time together following their mutually accepted breakup. They attempt to avoid each other at the office until Yoon-seo starts receiving text messages from an unknown number, with the sender claiming they “cannot forget her.” Although she initially dismisses the idea that Ju-won could be the sender, she grows suspicious after noticing that Ju-won has two mobile phones.

Believing the messages are from Ju-won, Yoon-seo confronts him but is embarrassed when she discovers that the messages were not from him. The second phone he carries turns out to be a company test sample.

Later, Yoon-seo shares her concerns about the mysterious texter with I-rae, and they decide to call the number. It turns out to be someone who mistakenly texted Yoon-seo. Meanwhile, Yoon-seo and Ji-suk resolve their conflict, with Ji-suk agreeing to apologize to his classmate and take responsibility for his actions. He also decides to prepare for a competitive exam, even though he doesn’t have a clear goal in mind.

On their way home, they run into Ju-won, and Ji-suk learns that Yoon-seo and Ju-won have broken up. After Ji-suk leaves, Ju-won asks Yoon-seo about the text messages, and she tells him they were just spam. Ju-won then offers to change offices if Yoon-seo feels uncomfortable around him.

Meanwhile, Si-won is dismayed to find out that his wife has returned from France. Having grown accustomed to living alone, he is particularly irritated by the changes in the house and wonders when she will leave. In a flashback, we learn that Si-won and his wife, Mi-jin, met on a blind date during a plane journey to Paris. Their marriage was arranged, and the two are complete opposites.

As Yoon-seo prepares for a business trip, she receives more messages from the same unknown number. Frustrated, she calls the sender and vents about how difficult it is to go through a breakup while receiving these messages. We discover that the anonymous texter is a painter who appears to be interested in Yoon-seo.

On the way to the business meeting, Yoon-seo’s colleague’s new car gets into an accident, prompting Ju-won to pick them up. During the car ride, their colleagues become suspicious of Yoon-seo and Ju-won when Ju-won’s car Bluetooth connects to Yoon-seo’s phone. The situation escalates when Ju-won accidentally refers to Yoon-seo as “honey.” Despite the awkwardness, they eventually arrive at the meeting location, and Yoon-seo feels proud of Ju-won for progressing in his career.

Meanwhile, Si-won is unhappy to learn that his wife plans to stay in Korea for an extended period, signaling the end of his freedom.

At the opening ceremony, Yoon-seo decides to quit her job, realizing that it’s impossible for both of them to continue working together. She informs Ju-won of her decision later that night, prompting him to return home and ask his mother to send him abroad. He also learns that he is expected to take Si-won’s place as his brother and sister-in-law will be in charge of business expansion.

After a heated argument with his mother, Ju-won goes straight to Yoon-seo and embraces her, telling her that he has nowhere else to go. Unfortunately, Yoon-seo’s colleagues are at her place and discover their relationship just as I-rae arrives, exclaiming whether the two have rekindled their romance!

The Episode Review

This episode continues the repetitive back-and-forth between Yoon-seo and Ju-won, offering little progression from the previous episode. The introduction of a potential new love interest for Yoon-seo is a welcome addition despite being another overused cliché, as the plot has been stagnant. However, Ju-won’s sudden decision to ask his mother to send him abroad, only to visit Yoon-seo immediately afterward, lacks logical sense.

Overall, Cinderella at 2 AM continues to disappoint with its reliance on overused clichés and lackluster character development. The show’s repetitive tropes and uninteresting characters are not doing it any favours. Now that Yoon-seo and Ju-won’s romantic secret is out, there is a glimmer of hope that future episodes might offer something more engaging.