One house, two childhood friends, and an unforgettable season have combined to stir our hearts with all kinds of feelings in “Last Summer.” The latest weekend K-drama, starring Lee Jae Wook in a dual role as the Baek brothers and Choi Sung Eun as charismatic Song Ha Gyeong, is slowly progressing into a romantic comedy filled with drama and emotions. Last week in particular, the couple showed us that they are more than ready to butt heads in order to get what they want, even if that means hurting each other and themselves in the process. Here’s a recap of all these clashing moments!
Warning: spoilers from episodes 3-4 ahead!
1. Learning about the high school renovation project
After a dramatic ending the previous week, where Song Ha Gyeong (Choi Sung Eun) confronts Baek Do Ha (Lee Jae Wook) about his return to their hometown, she continues struggling with his insistence to stay at “peanut house,” planning to recover the time they lost two years ago. Though she is barely tolerating him in hopes to get back the rights to sell their property, when she learns that he has won the project to renovate Patan’s old high school and will turn it into an observatory, she kind of loses it. As the place holds some of her dearest memories from her youth, she opposes the project with all her might.
However, what Ha Gyeong doesn’t know is that Do Ha has spent the last two years crafting a meticulous plan that not only would allow him to go back to Patan and spend time with her but also to fulfill an important promise he had made in the past. Though these moments might not seem so action packed, they do give some important background information that was lacking, such as how Ha Gyeong and her friends used to spend their time together. With more context about the characters, we can start to understand more about their motivations, empathizing with them a lot more.
2. Remembering their time with Baek Do Yeong
One of the most intriguing aspects of the show is explained after some of Ha Gyeong’s old memories resurface while trying to stop the renovation project. Finally, we get to see Baek Do Yeong (also played by Lee Jae Wook), Do Ha’s identical twin, who so far has been out of the picture. Given that the brothers’ parents were divorced, Do Yeong lived with his father in South Korea while Do Ha lived with his mother in the States, only visiting during the summer vacations. Though the moments are brief, this clarifies more in detail how the friends’ dynamic was. Now we learn why every summer was so important for Ha Gyeong, since it was the only time when they all were together.
Finally, we get to see that their big fall out was due to Do Yeong mysteriously dying while on a photographic expedition and Do Ha pretending to be his older brother with Ha Gyeong for a whole year. Once they open the box that contains all of their memories with Do Yeong, they can’t keep ignoring the big elephant in the room anymore.
Romance aside, this confrontation digs deeper than any other quarrel. And it’s only natural. The weight of this revelation makes the mood shift completely, distancing from the lighthearted banter that they commonly have. The main issue isn’t only about the deception or the lies but also about the mourning of a family member, the mental and emotional struggles that come with it, and the inability to move on from that pain.
3. Working together in Patan village
Even with such a heavy atmosphere, Do Ha isn’t willing to back down. He charges with every sly trick he has under his sleeve to make sure Ha Gyeong can’t run away from him. It’s not in a creepy way, only in a little overbearing sense. Do Ha directly asks Ha Gyeong’s boss to assign her to his team for the renovation project, forcing her to comply with his plans, which include meeting almost every day. Such is the tragic life of an office worker. But just as she is about to give up, she remembers she is one of Patan’s aces.
Being born and raised in the village has its perks, and one of them is knowing every single villager in town, who ultimately can stop Do Ha’s project. However, instead of faltering at the challenge, Do Ha uses all his charms and a tiny bribe to win the villagers’ hearts. In the end, even Ha Gyeong gets drawn into the energy bursting from them, showing a bit of that old self that she thought would never come back after Do Yeong’s passing.
But the moment dies soon enough, and when Ha Gyeong realizes what’s happening, she makes a major decision. These couple of episodes might not be the most fun or the easiest to watch due to the slow pace, but no one can deny the importance of going through this arc. While slowly building up the tension and the background story, you have a solid foundation for what’s to come.
4. Deciding on the future of the “peanut house”
Tired of the constant push and pull, Ha Gyeong makes up her mind to give up her rights on the “peanut house,” and she lets Seo Su Hyeok (Kim Gun Woo), Do Ha’s attorney, know her decision. Even more intrigued about Ha Gyeong now, Su Hyeok lets his guard down with her a little. At this point, his presence is such a blessing, a breeze of fresh air after the almost suffocating interaction between the leads, but everybody can already predict that he is destined to meet with heartbreak sooner or later.
Reaching a dead end, Do Ha uses his last card: if by the end of the summer he can’t convince Ha Gyeong to forget about selling the house, he will disappear for real from her life. In a win all, lose all bet, they aren’t only putting on the line the house where they spent some of the most beautiful days of their life but also most likely their hearts.
Things are already set in motion, but living under the same roof might not be as easy as they expect. Who will be the one taking it all? Don’t miss the upcoming episodes to find out!
Watch the latest episodes of “Last Summer” here:
Andy zar is an avid drama watcher, from K-dramas to C-dramas, she believes any weekend is a good weekend to enjoy 12 hours of binge-watching dramas. She loves romance, web comics, and K-pop. Her favorite groups are EXO, TWICE, Red Velvet, and BOL4.
Currently watching: “Dear X,” “Last Summer“
Plans to watch: “Spirit Fingers”