Love Next Door – K-drama Episode 12 Recap & Review

Puppy Love

Episode 12 of Love Next Door begins with Seung-hyo and Seok-ryu sharing a kiss, marking a shift in their relationship. Myung-u and another employee of the company spot the two sitting together, drinking banana milk, and Seok-ryu struggles to explain why she came to see Seung-hyo all the way from Seoul.

Later, at dinner, the change in their dynamics is obvious, but they try to hide it. Seok-ryu stays with Seung-hyo’s team at the lodge, and around midnight, unable to sleep, they sneak out to meet each other. Seung-hyo tells her how much he’s liked her, which warms Seok-ryu’s heart. At Seok-ryu’s insistence, they agree to keep their relationship a secret from their families.

The next day, the new couple returns home to find Mi-suk trying to set Seok-ryu up on a blind date. They awkwardly make excuses and brush off the subject. Meanwhile, Mo-eun receives an interview invitation for her Antarctica mission.

She successfully attends the interview and later discovers that Seok-ryu and Seung-hyo are finally together. Mo-eun reveals that the two may have subconsciously avoided the idea of a relationship because they were teased about it as kids.

When Mo-eun returns home, she finds Yeon-du and learns that she’s never been outside to play. Mo-eun plans a camping trip with Yeon-du and Dan-ho. During the trip, while Yeon-du is asleep, Mo-eun expresses her desire to become Yeon-du’s mother and shares her feelings for Dan-ho, but Dan-ho rejects the idea, leaving Mo-eun disheartened.

On another front, Seung-hyo’s father, Gyeong-jong, confronts the vice minister about his suspected relationship with Hye-suk and discovers that the minister is actually gay, meaning they couldn’t have been involved romantically.

Hye-suk, who is present during the confrontation, is embarrassed by her husband’s interference. They later visit the doctor, who diagnoses Hye-suk with short-term memory loss caused by extreme stress, rather than any serious illness.

Elsewhere, Seung-hyo and Seok-ryu go to see a movie, but their time together feels awkward, and Seok-ryu feels isolated. After her cooking class, Seung-hyo invites her to meet, and Seok-ryu is excited to have him try the dishes she made.

However, when she arrives at his company, she finds it full of people, including Tae-hui. Though Tae-hui leaves after some time, Seok-ryu and Seung-hyo argue later because Seok-ryu feels uncomfortable with how easily they work together. She leaves, but later regrets throwing a tantrum

The next day, Seok-ryu and Seung-hyo’s parents leave for a trip. Mi-suk and Hye-suk promise to find the best matches for their children. Meanwhile, Seok-ryu and Seung-hyo miss each other but are too proud to admit it. Things between Mo-eun and Dan-ho are also awkward, and Yeon-du no longer spends time with Mo-eun.

Late at night, Seok-ryu and Seung-hyo cross paths and finally clear the air between them. They return to Seok-ryu’s house for dinner, which is empty since her brother is also away on a trip. Seung-hyo confesses that he felt nervous around her and didn’t know how to act. The episode ends with the couple kissing and sharing an intimate moment.

The Episode Review

Love Next Door has been relying on several classic K-drama rom-com tropes, such as Seok-ryu’s burnt-out homecoming, hidden sickness, and the friends-to-lovers storyline.

While these elements worked well for the show in the earlier episodes, largely thanks to the excellent cast and their performances, the plot now feels somewhat directionless, especially with only four episodes remaining. At this point, the series feels dragged out.

Moreover, Gyeong-jong and Hye-suk’s storylines continue to be frustrating. This episode reveals the vice minister’s sexuality as proof against Gyeong-jong’s accusations of Hye-suk having an extramarital affair.

This development feels problematic, as Gyeong-jong only trusts his wife once he learns there was no way she could have cheated. It’s troubling that such a notion is being romanticized, but K-dramas are notorious for unhealthy, sometimes toxic, portrayals of love and romance. Even so, since *Love Next Door* is meant to be a healing drama, these subtexts feel especially out of place.