Love To Hate You – K-Drama Episode 9 Recap & Review

You Made Me Who I Am

Episode 9 of Love To Hate You starts off with Mi-ran confessing her feelings for Kang-ho on their drive to Kang-ho’s house. At the apartment, the two start making out considering it was Day 1 of their actual relationship. Just as they are about to have sex, Kang-ho stops the kiss in order to confess to Mi-ran that he was in love with her.

Shocked that she hadn’t ever said “I Love You” to anyone before, Kang-ho agrees to take the first step for her and wait until she is ready to say it. The new couple goes back to making out after which Kang-ho claims that he fell in love with her after her selfless act of sacrifice on set. Mi-ran gets flustered when Kang-ho starts showering his girlfriend with compliments.

A flashback shows how Soo-jin had briefed Kang-ho about Mi-ran’s family life and her father’s misogyny on the call. The two end up sleeping in each other’s arms as they call it a night. The next day on set, Se-na is still upset about Kang-ho rejecting her. Won-jun tries to get her to calm down before her kiss scene with Kang-ho for the movie.

A flashback shows Mi-ran returning the money Won-jun had given her to fake date Kang-ho. The lawyer claims that she could not keep it now that her feelings for Kang-ho were honest. In present-day, Kang-ho tells his CEO that he had forgotten his anxiety medication. Won-jun is stressed and asks if the actor wants to reschedule the scene.

Kang-ho does not want to inconvenience the crew and tries to attempt the motel scene. The scene is shot with Kang-ho coming out clear without any sign of a panic attack. Won-jun thinks Kang-ho was lying about forgetting the meds but the actor confesses that he thinks he is finally liberated from his Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) about women.

Mi-ran and Na-eun are out having drinks when the flight attendant notices how Mi-ran had been compromised and had turned into a girly girl who was gushing about her boyfriend – Kang-ho. The next day, everyone at work, including Mi-ran herself are shocked at how the lawyer was acting cute and speaking in baby talk with Kang-ho on the phone.

That evening, Mi-ran consoles Kang-ho as he shares details about his childhood including the story of his gold-digger mother. Mi-ran tells Kang-ho about Jin-suh and reassured him that they were just co-workers now. The couple starts talking about how Mi-ran was capable of acting cute and the teasing match turns into a make-out session.

A montage shows the couple in love as they keep going from hanging out to making love and working during the time they are apart from one another. Kang-ho is surprised at how much he misses Mi-ran when they are apart. However, on the other side, Na-eun wants to end things right with Won-jun.

In order for her to really get over him, Na-eun shares embarrassing details about herself being scammed by handsome guys. Rather than pushing him away, Won-jun ends up sympathizing with Na-eun making her plan fall flat on its face. Na-eun refuses to give up and politely rejects Won-jun before walking away.

The CEO is surprised about how he was mad about the rejection. Mi-ran is at work when Jin-suh runs into her and shares how she never appeared this happy when she was going out with him. Mi-ran tells Kang-ho that she will be having drinks with Jin-suh for closure. Meanwhile, Won-jun is drinking the pain of rejection away when Soo-jin joins them. She asks the duo to plan a surprise party for her to make a comeback after her scandal/s.

On the other hand, Mi-ran apologises to Jin-suh for treating him badly always. Jin-suh gets drunk out of his mind during the session and ends up causing a scene in the middle of the street. Kang-ho shows up outside the bar as Mi-ran is helping Jin-suh get into the taxi all by herself. Kang-ho shows up to help Mi-ran out and sends her home.

He drops drunk Jin-suh at home and heads back to his house. Won-jun asks to talk to Na-eun and the two meet up. Won-jun is very drunk and ends up saying the wrong things to Na-eun, infuriating her. Na-eun walks away yet again and Won-jun wonders what he was doing wrong with this girl who he was really attracted to. Mi-ran is waiting at the actor’s house for Kang-ho to return.

The actor is angry at the fact that she was always left to clean up after a guy like Jin-suh and did it without complaining. The couple makes up a lot of making out, wrestling in bed with Mi-ran winning as well as teasing one another. Mi-ran ends up telling Kang-ho that she loves him and the couple ends up sleeping together. The next day, both Kang-ho and Mi-ran are killing it on set with their respective fight scenes.

Later that night, Mi-ran sees Kang-ho internalizing himself before filming the final scene of the movie. She leaves him be and watches the actor perform the most intense scene in the movie afterwards. Once filming comes to an end, the entire cast and crew gather together for dinner. Se-na and Kang-ho have one final conversation and the actor politely rejects her claiming they were over years ago. Se-na is upset and runs out so Mi-ran asks Kang-ho to check up on her.

Outside, Kang-ho consoles Se-na and tries their best to mutually end whatever was going on between them. He invites Se-na to a party Kang-ho was hosting that weekend. On the weekend, Mi-ran tries her best to convince Na-eun to go to the party but the flight attendant is sure she wants to stay back.

Once Mi-ran leaves, Na-eun deletes Won-jun’s contact number from her phone. Kang-ho is oddly chatty with his female actresses at the party while Mi-ran is unabashedly herself. A woman starts hitting on Won-jun but he rejects her claiming that he already had feelings for someone. Soo-jin makes her grand entry to the party but people are ignoring her like the plague. It seems like no one wanted to be seen with the controversial actress.

Soo-jin sits alone moping when Mi-ran takes it upon herself to make sure her bestie is having a good time. Together the two friends are enjoying themselves while Kang-ho tags along like a third wheel. Won-jun and Grace have a conversation and the CEO clarifies how they will only ever be friends.

Grace is sure that Won-jun had feelings for someone else. At home, Na-eun is shocked after she sees something online. Meanwhile, everyone at the party is also having a similar reaction to seeing something online. As Soo-jin enjoys herself with Mi-ran, people from the party start looking at them and gossiping.

The same gossip channel has released a new video claiming that Mi-ran was a promiscuous woman and had a track record of dating around a lot before she started seeing Kang-ho. Won-jun is worried and wonders how he will handle a situation like such.

The Episode Review

This episode attempts to show us the truth of celebrity culture in South Korea. I wish there comes a time when idols and actors are not judged by their dating lives as well as their partners. Fans hold a lot of pride in making and breaking a celebrity which makes them feel like they have ownership of a celebrity just because they follow their work.

I wish there was a show that talked about the downside of fan culture in Korea which also points out how this impacts celebrity behaviour. For now, it is embarrassing how Mi-ran is judged on the basis of her past when Kang-ho is clearly head over heels in love with her. I wonder how this show will end given the suspicious rumour and the title of the next episode. Guess we will have to wait and watch.