Magic Carpet Ride 

Frankly Speaking, episode 9 picks up where we left off, with Ki-baek finding Jung-hyeon and Woo-joo hugging on the street. Jung-hyeon actually fainted, and we all misunderstood the situation.

Ki-baek and Woo-joo rush him to the hospital, and the doctors diagnose him with exhaustion. After getting treatment, Ki-baek drives Jung-hyeon home. The latter sets Ki-baek’s mind at ease by telling him that Woo-joo likes him. He advises Ki-baek to officiate his relationship quickly.

After hearing this, Ki-baek rushes home and texts Woo-jo to be official. As expected, she agrees without any qualms. Days go by with them happily dating.

Ki-baek does his best to always cheer and be there for her. His golden retriever vibes make him the best boyfriend, and by all accounts, they seem happy. The dating show also does well, and they enjoy the popularity of the show. Unfortunately, Woo-joo is officially kicked out of the show as a writer, but she hides this from Ki-baek. She is also even more hurt to be invited to more shows as a cast other than a writer. One request secretly comes from Cho-hui; she wants to reunite the cast for her show. 

Meanwhile, Ki-baek is doing well and even manages to book a commercial shoot alongside Jung-hyeon. Although it is an embarrassing gig, he is happy to earn money and help his family out. He also gets a manager, and a few fans start recognising him in public.

He excitedly tells Woo-joo all about his adventures, and she is proud of him. However, she continues to lie that everything is good on her side, too. 

On the other hand, Jung-hyeon is also having a rough time after being rejected on the dating show. His reputation as the Nation’s son-in-law takes a hit, and one of his shows is cancelled. Luckily, he gets another show starring alongside Ki-baek.

The theme of the show focuses on their friendship, and we go back to when they were close in high school. They were actually best friends before they drifted apart. Jung-hyeon confided in Ki-baek about his abusive dad and the humiliation he endured at home. Ki-baek told him about his family’s debt and how they are always on the run to hide from creditors. 

Presently, the two are rekindling their friendship. They are shooting the show at Jung-hyeon’s house, and even though things are awkward between them, they have great chemistry. Ki-baek also quickly comes to Jung-hyeon’s defence when the director makes an unreasonable request.

Jung-hyeon refuses to allow the camera into one room, which makes the director curious, and she keeps bringing it up, making Jung-hyeon uncomfortable. 

At Bok-ja’s salon, the mysterious woman returns, but Bok-ja denies her service. It turns out she is Woo-joo’s biological mom. A few years ago, Bok-ja was on the verge of committing suicide when she ran into a young Woo-joo. Woo-joo begged her for a meal, and Bok-ja soon learned that no one had reported the kid missing.

Every day, Bok-ja postponed her suicide plans to give Woo-joo a meal, and after a while, she adopted the kid. After seeing the birthmark on the mysterious woman’s hand, Woo-joo immediately recognises her but still keeps her distance. The lady also stays in her lane, never outrightly confronting the two. 

After the success of the reality dating show, Cha-young approaches Ki-baek with an offer to return to the show. He is surprised to learn that Woo-joo left the show and wonders why she hid it from him. He meets up with her later, and they talk about it. He asks Woo-joo to feel secure enough to tell him when she is having a hard time.

Woo-joo assures Ki-baek that she is okay. To cheer her up, they go on a date but keep running into fans discussing the show. Everyone is angry with Woo-joo for rejecting Jung-hyeon. They are unable to find a good dating spot, so they take a romantic stroll. 

The following morning. Ki-baek accidentally approaches Woo-joo when she is with I-na. The couple tries to play it off, but I-na is already on to them. She invites Ki-baek to join them in a charity event where they clean blankets for the elderly.

Ki-baek quickly agrees, and I-na uses this opportunity to give the couple space to date. She even secretly organises a way for the two to go camping. Now, that’s a girl’s girl! While on the camping trip, Woo-joo finally admits she is struggling, and Ki-baek sings her a lullaby to comfort her.

Back in Seoul, Choi-hui meets with the director she secretly used to get in touch with the cast. The director asks to speak frankly and informs Choi-hui that Ki-baek unequivocally turned the request down because he said he didn’t want to see her.

The director is surprised as Choi-hui has been acting like she and Ki-baek are close. Their “relationship” is all Choi-hui talks about on her social media platform. Out of jealousy, Choi-hui releases a damning story stating that the dating show was fake. 

The episode ends with Woo-joo waking up the following morning and seeing the numerous posts about the show.

The Episode Review

It is cute to see how Um-baek is trying hard to get  Gun-woo on his side. However, Gun-woo is playing hard to get, which makes it even more fun. Um-baek will have to amp up his game to win his heart.

This episode gave us an authentic look at how sometimes the people we love can be struggling right under our noses. Woo-joo has been through a lot. The show and the return of Jung-hyeon to her life brought up some painful memories for her. Losing her job as a writer on a show she created was also not easy.

There is also the return of her biological mom, who abandoned her. As if that is not enough, Choi-hui and deranged fans are also on her throat. How much can a girl take? Ki-baek does his best to be there for her. He doesn’t pressure her; he lets her know that he has her back. He also silently listens and allows her the grace to deal with things on her terms. He is a considerate boyfriend.

As for Choi-hui, she is trying so hard to be the drama. She needs to get off social media and go to therapy. Seriously, is she allergic to other people’s happiness? Just because she is miserable doesn’t give her the right to ruin other people’s lives. 

Lastly, we can’t wait to see if Woo-joo will reconnect with her biological mom and hear her out. Why did she abandon her daughter? What is her story?