Time’s Up
Episode 14 of The Interest of Love starts with Su-yeong drying off back home after being caught in the rain. Sang-su is still outside though, having kept his distance and giving his crush some space. She hands him a towel and the pair talk outside. Sang-su admits that he saw her and Jong-hyeon’s fight and is ready to do what he can for her, trusting that they can both be together in the future.
At work the next day, Mr Yuk briefs the team. With winter rolling in and end of year evaluations on the horizon, he warns them all that this is the last opportunity they have to make a big impression. The bank have a number of calendars to give out, which we know is grueling work, given the flashbacks we’ve seen across this season.
Su-yeong has also taken a day off from the office too, so Mi-gyeong offers to cover for her at the sub-branch. On the way, she stops to pick up Gyeong-pil who begins humming cheerfully and generally annoying her.
At work, Mi-gyeong learns just how far her father will go to “protect” his daughter. Remember that story about Gyeong-pil sleeping with all her friends and breaking her heart? Well, that’s not strictly true. In reality, Chairman Park found out that Gyeong-pil’s dad is an ex-convict and refused to let him marry her daughter. This explains why Gyeong-pil was all on-board with breaking Sang-su and Mi-gyeong up, as well as doing all of this for her. It would appear that he still has feelings for her.
After spending a long time after-hours rolling up calendars, Sang-su heads over to see Su-yeong, who’s sick and bedbound. He helps her out and gets some medicine, but in doing so Sang-su realizes, properly, that he’s in love with Su-yeong. He makes her some food, warning that it won’t taste good with a note and dropping off some medicine, a calendar and a plant for her veranda.
At work the next day, Sang-su is crushed when he finds out Su-yeong has finally been granted her transfer. He congratulates her, as she thanks him for helping her out. She suggests they hang out that weekend, with her treating him to a meal.
There’s also a final meal for Su-yeong and Mi-gyeong too, with the latter admitting she doesn’t like her nor understand her but felt compelled to show up all the same. After offering a sincere apology, the pair part ways. It’s a bit of closure Mi-gyeong needed and it’s a surprisingly somber moment.
Jong-hyeon is now working in a hotel and through Seon-jae, Su-yeong drops off her ex boyfriend’s gear again, including his clothes and the books for studying the police exam. There’s also an envelope with Jong-hyeon’s photos inside, and a flashback of Su-yeong telling him to never give up no matter what and keep fighting for his dream.
Sang-su shows up to see Mi-gyeong’s father, but Chairman Park is a tough nut to crack. He offers to front a loan to help with Sang-su’s performance at work and goes on to reveal he wants to meet his mother too.
However, Mi-gyeong appears and confronts her father, putting him in his place. As Sang-su and Mi-gyeong talk, the latter points out she slept really well for the first time and here, she decides to go full-on Two-Face and decide their fate with the flip of a coin. She claims it was heads, deciding that this is the end and properly breaking up this time.
With everything resolved as best as it could be, Sang-su and Su-yeong meet for dinner. And where should it be? In that very place they tried twice to have food all those episodes ago. Sang-su admits that he wanted to ask her out before and be her lover but obviously a bunch of inconvenient circumstances got in the way!
The pair head out for coffee afterwards and whilst there it begins snowing. It’s a nice way of contextualizing the earlier chat the pair had about winter. Su-yeong also reveals that the flower he left on her veranda actually has another meaning – “future happiness”. Sang-su wasn’t aware of this though, funnily enough, and admits he just picked the prettiest one from the shop.
The pair haver different ideas about what they want for the future, with Sang-su deciding that his version of future happiness comes from stability and living the next day better than his current one. Between his job and friends, he just wants to settle down and live a good life with a good wife.
Su-yeong meanwhile, has decided to put her feelings and happiness first, and part of that comes from not trying to please others and just doing what makes her happy. This almost feels like a nod toward Sang-su and Jong-hyeon’s expectations for her and the final scene of this episode only reinforces that. But we’ll get to that in a sec!
After their night together, Sang-su arrives at the KCU Bank and is shocked to learn Su-yeong has left a letter of resignation in her locker. She’s not at the Sindo Branch after all.
Sang-su, upon learning that the oyster shop has been shut and replaced, drives up to Su-yeong’s place, where he finds all the furniture being cleared out. The apartment is completely empty.
The Episode Review
Did anyone else notice that the coffee shop Su-yeong and Sang-su visited at the end was called “Time’s Up”? That almost feels like a nod toward their relationship prospects, which I think confirms that the pair are just not on the same wavelength and want very different things from the future.
Their chat about future happiness, not to mention Sang-su admitting that he likes “pretty things” (bit shallow that, surely!) is indicative of this, while Su-yeong is still trying to find herself and figure out where her place in life is. She’s very much like a caged bird right now and she needs that space to fly and stretch her wings.
What’s particularly interesting is the way this has been framed through that transfer to the Sindo Branch. She doesn’t really want to transfer, nor does she particularly want to progress up the ladder at the bank. What she wants is something different and a new challenge, and with her parents moving back home because Seoul is “too cold” for them, Su-yeong has finally decided to do the same and move to her proverbial idea of warmth. The fact that her parents so easily and quickly committed to this and moved on I think helped Su-yeong with her decision.
The drama itself has felt like an unending car crash of miscommunication and frustrating red flags but to be honest, Su-yeong’s life has very much been about the lies through most of the episodes we’ve seen. Not just the big ones like Gyeong-pil and Jong-hyeon but even the small ones, like lying about being somewhere else but actually being at the bus-stop. It seems Su-yeong has embedded herself in these lies so much that this is the only way she knows to live her life. Until the end here, where Sang-su and Su-yeong end up together at “Time’s Up”.
This has been undeniably enjoyable to watch, albeit also rather frustrating too. It’s one of those tricky shows that has a lot wrong and embraces many K-drama tropes (are we going to get the nervous pacing outside the surgery and the white truck of doom too I wonder?) but has some surprisingly good character growth too.
The final week of this emotionally draining K-drama is almost upon us and this one is certainly going to need a thorough post-mortem to dissect all the themes and ideas this one has been wrestling with!
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Episode Rating
(3.5)
This is what happens when script is weak. Horrible Horrible story and characters. ML character is the only one I watched it for. FL is a sad person and wants everyone around her sad. Don’t know what ML saw in her.
I loathe FLs character in this series. The only person that is likeable is the ML. Security guard makes me want to vomit. Weak whinny man. YUCK. Rich bitch is so manipulative. SS best friend is a bastard.
ML I believe loved SY from the beginning and messed it up and couldn’t overcome the situation. He does not understand the issues for SY. I believe SY loved S S. From the beginning. However she is so traumatized from the death of her brother and what she thinks her father did. She cannot roll with whatever happens in a relationship. I think SY did not want to hurt SS; a lot of what she did I think she did it to protect him. All you had to do was see her face when they were talking about his life, being ruined by the girlfriends father, and all of those kind of statements. That ridiculous security guard made me want to vomit. I hated him from the beginning. What a total jerk.
Dreadful drama! FL was so emotionless with blank look on her face all the time. Thought 2nd fm lead even though drom rich family had guts enough to say how she felt, I felt hours of my life wasted on this awful drama
What we will do for love misunderstanding can cause havoc in this love drama and how different children understand parents plus the gossip in the workplace I simply enjoyed every episode can’t wait for the 8th/9th February hope my favourite two end up together
I think it’s cheap of us to expect yet another simple fall in love type kdrama. The writer has tried to be more real life but stretch that out to 16 episodes and that is why it feels like a slow motion car wreck. The main issues are forgiveness (the discussion with her mum), it’s a new concept to her. How should she deal with her dad, and why would Sang-su treat her so nicely after what she did (or didn’t do). I didn’t get the same understanding from the discussion in the coffee shop. Be actually said ‘I used to..’, he has changed. She is still struggling with how to progress, I think the goodbye is actually a call for help – “you call even when I tell you not to, you even visit..” and I think that is still going to happen (2hrs to fill 🙂
Oh wow! I thought i am the only one frustated. I initial wanted Su Yeong and Sang-su to end up together but not anymore. They’re toxic. I only want what’s best for Mi Gyeong at this point. She’s the only lovable character here.
That’s why this is a drama. In the real world she would have been left behind a long time ago. If I were Sang Su I’d have left that alone after leaving me on the beach. F all that mind game non sense. You not ready for anything then I’m out. Play these games your damn self.
I think su yeong purposely give ultimate test on sang su love for her. Or su yeong want to protect sang su from mi gyeong father as sang su mentioned that he wanted a stable life in future. This is what su yeong wants from the beginning and whatever she did were merely to ptotect sang su and probed of her deep love for him. Can’t wait to see sang su next move!
I’ve fallen in love with K Drama’s but not this one,I watch them for a happy ending and of course a good story. This show laked so much dialogue ,it’s been toucher to watch.
This has been the most enjoyable and frustrating series
I have seen so far. The writer has done an excellent job and the actor’s also giving it their best.
As I see it, the ML has gone back and forth because he would like a better life. The girlfriend wants to give it to him, but she’s forcing the relationship which I agree is toxic. The other FL has been traumatized due to her father’s infidelity and is trying to find herself. Her boyfriend is really one of the saddist characters.
You guys heard of how (really) nice guys end up with crazy girls..this is a true example. Sang Su seems like such a decent guy; liking and wanting to ‘save’ Su Yeong 😞. Please warn your sons to run very fast..away..if they encounter such drama. That’s how this show can be used. Unfortunately, I’m no longer keen on them getting together. Atleast Mi Yeong would have loved Sang Su and treated him well.
It’s irritating. So slow. Su young talks in riddle’s. She should love who loves her. Not someone who likes the look of her.
Writer’s emotional intelligence is off the chart, even though unguarded. So is the real meaning of true romance, however toxic! She is onto something “writer”, with a little guidyyou could create something wonderful! Beautiful people with an amazing chemistry, all oozing from the ML. Just want to see a little ooze from the FL. Wrongfully paired ML and FL, but love, the fact that love will win in the end!
If Su-Yeong was less attractive, would we be so sympathetic toward her character? She can be quite heartless toward Sang-su in the camera when he drops her off. Her comments like the ” icequeen” herself. What will it take to melt that? I have always “rooted” for Sang- su. I hope he has a happy ending. This drama has been very stressful to watch ” a never ending carcrash” I believe in happily ever after, I hope I am not disappointed.
Wow!! Spot on!! Couldn’t classify the emotions and needs the way you did.
She was leaving a lie, her brother’s hope for a different life however I think the character has evolved to a more mature person to understand that she needs to persuade(arts) her own life. As per the male carácter essentially was also trying to please other people needs and live without hurting others although he knew that will take him to an empty place.
The second characters very selfish, can’t force other people to love you. Sound bit toxic
Hopefully the caracteres will reunite in the next two episodes as the audience, we definitely will be happy for them.
Yeah, all she thinks about is herself. I’ve tried to see all angles but keep coming to the same conclusion. She doesn’t want to be happy and anyone around her either.
I agree. This is one of the most frustrating dramas ever. Either the writer is clueless as to who Su Yeong is or just wants to purposely confuse us which I personally don’t appreciate. Are we supposed to feel sorry for her? No problem if not! I’m not sure the writers know. They didn’t commit and so it’s a downward spiral of frustration with no relief. 14 is the last for me. I can’t finish it.
She might have put everyone first except for the people who make themselves truly vulnerable to her and have her best interests at heart. Su young is a representation of someone who is weak willed. Too scared to stand up to exploitative people and not putting herself out for those who genuinely care for her.
Este drama es como un rompecabezas, no tiene ni pies ni cabeza. Hasta ahora lo que he visto es una mujer con serios traumas mentales, que no valora a quienes la aman y se preocupan por ella y es desconsiderada porque le hizo creer a los dos hombres que la aman que se acostó con el mejor amigo de uno de ellos. ¿Los guionistas no tenían otro modo de presentar ese desenlace que coloca a Su Yeong como una cualquiera? ¿Con quién terminará Su Yeong? Yo creo que ni los creadores de este drama lo saben aún.
The ending was horrible . This episode was just shacking . Maybe they can continue the drama . Like , the time passing by and having the true love meet again . The actors were great doing the drama and all so physically beautiful.
I think Su-Yeong is a stunning beauty with a seriously damaged personality who should have never diverged from Sang-su. She has been the source of so much pain for so many without being happy herself. I like Mi-gyoeng so much but she deserves better than Sang-su. She’s so cute and kind…and generous and loving and Sang-su can’t even grasp how wonderful a mate she would be. His attraction to Su-yeong has been toxic and his clingy desperation is really pathetic.
Yuck! This series is messed up! I was hoping for a sweet romance but it’s not in this episode for sure. The FL does not know herself and has no concern for the ML who was honest with her. Who needs that? She will be back with her family chopping off fish heads. Enjoy that honey! Wish the ML could meet a better woman, not the rich, spoiled, manipulative one either.
Thank you for your quick recap. Su Yeong is a nut case. It is always all about her. She never tried to put other people’s happiness or feelings first. In protecting herself from future rejections, she caused unnecessary pain to those who care about her. It would be great if episode 14 is the series finale. Goodbye forever to Su Yeong!