review: Hi! School: Love On Episode 15

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Woo Hyun is the perfect drama hero without being too perfect. His determination to protect Seul Bi just shatters me and my poor heart bleeds at how much he and Seul Bi want to protect each other. This is the first time I’ve come across an OTP who are so selfless yet they do no lose themselves in the process. They remained unchanged, grounded and themselves throughout loving each other and if they don’t end up happily-ever-after at the end of the drama, I’m going to bawl my brains out. Because there isn’t an OTP out there who deserve to be together more than Woo Hyun and Seul Bi. They way they fight to stay together and for each other is phenomenal.

So we didn’t see WH’s bag in the last episode but damn, he’s hell-bent into moving the SY’s house to be with SB. OMO. There’s isn’t anything he won’t do to keep SB safe – that stubborn set of his jaw says it all. The thought of SB unwell or unprotected even a little frightens him. SY creates a fuss but WH remains undeterred. Stepmom tries to chase WH away but Dad with a heart stops her. He says since WH is already here, he should stay.

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Dad goes out to drink with SY. Dad starts to drink and explains morosely that sometimes alcohol is medicine. On hearing that, SY promptly takes a swig too. Back home, WH and SB do a scaled-down Romeo and Juliet – hahaha. He slips out of the house to wait under her window. SB implores him to go home the next day – she doesn’t like that he’s having a hard time because of her. WH tsks at her for being too much – he’s here to watch over her.

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SB smiles and says she’ll join him outside. He literally orders her to “Stop!” Heh. He doesn’t want her to step out in the cold and SB replies she doesn’t want him to catch a cold. WH says if she falls sick, he has to tend the shop and go to school alone, so she definitely can’t keel over. IF someone is to fall sick, it is going to him, not her. These two are the cutest.

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Their bickering is so natural and effortless. Love, love WH and KSR. Anyway, WH is outside waiting for SY to return. Awwwww. This boy has a golden heart. SB responds that SY is with his dad so he doesn’t have to worry. WH tells SB to turn in first – he throws the universal sleep sign at her and hollers that they’ll meet in their dreams. HAHAHA. Soooooo cheesy to the point of cringe but why does it come across so adorable???

SY is wasted and WH helps him into bed. Honestly, I think WH owes SY nothing. It isn’t his fault that his mom became SY’s stepmom and that SB loves him to the ends of the universe. SB is still awake and she texts him that she is worried that he’ll be uncomfortable sleeping on the floor. WH texts back that he’s fine because he is with her and even types a heart. SIGHHHHHHH. I love WH and his uncomplicated way of expressing himself. It makes him that much more genuine.

He starts to sing his official lullaby for SB and I love it more each time he sings it. SB listens in peaceful contentment and WH ends it with asking SB to dream of him. Heh. This corny boy. SY tosses a pillow at him and growls that he’s noisy. SB heaves a tired but relieved sigh and thanks WH for insisting to stay by her side. Awwwww…

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Next morning, WH ends up in bed with SY and hurts his shoulder when SY throws him off. SB makes a hangover tonic for Dad and promises him she’ll treat him much better from now on for taking in WH. Sigh. The things they do for each other. They walk to school together and chat along the way about SY. They start to bicker again. When SB starts to comment about humans, WH urges her to stop talking that way. SY and his dad are having breakfast when the couple walk by, with SB playfully sparring with WH, who has her in a head-lock. Arghhhhhh. The actors are daebak. I love this cute scene of them fooling around. Dad realises how close WH and SB are and sees how affected SY is by them.

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Bully and Hotdog girl get their screen-time and I do find their blossoming relationship kinda cute. In school, JS is his usual obnoxious self and rats about the unique living arrangement between SY, SB and Stepmom. SY calls JS out and the bully is stunned when SY compliments him for doing well and orders him to continue bringing up the subject. SY…. why so evil…

Anyway, SN does her usual nonsense and YE gets more disgusted. WH and SB walk home after school and SY sees them. SY barks that SB isn’t heading back to his home and she admits she’s going to the shop for a bit and begs him not to tell Stepmom. WH assures her he’ll be fine since KS and bullied with be there and asks her to leave with SY. WH nicely instructs SY to be careful and escort SB well. SB parts with WH reluctantly.

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SB fibs that she has left something behind in school and hastily tells SY she needs to get it. Ha. SY of course knows she’s planning to head to the shop. Stepmom informs Dad that she has bought over the shop. KS, Bullied and Hotdog girl are helping WH out at the shop. KS wonders whether SY and SB will eventually fall for each other since they are staying together. WH actually does look a little worried. KS resumes if a girl and boy keep seeing each other, they’ll up kissing. Hahahaha. SB arrives and WH is delighted to see her. SB lies that she’s here because SY was worried that WH would be busy, but WH replies he can tell straight that she is lying.

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JS and SY meet at the game centre. JS orders rice-cakes and SB delivers. She feels guilty seeing SY and quickly rushes off after mumbling she’ll see him at home. JS mocks how sweet that sounds. SY brings the classmates to the shop and JS announces that SB is picking up the tab. But when it comes to paying the bill, SY refuses to pay up since WH is now the son of the shop owner. He leaves with SB.

On the way home, SY gets a good look of the mark on SB’s wrist and is mystified. Clueless, SB apologies for lying to SY. She says WH’s shoulder appears as if it is hurting and he can’t lift his arm, and that’s why she went to help. At home, SY sketches out the mark and it suddenly glows too. URGH. Is it sunbae at work? SY stares at SB’s wrist as she is helping out with dinner. When WH catches him, he quickly pulls SB’s wrist away from sight.

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WH has a chat with Dad and apologies for Stepmom for buying the shop. Dad sighs it’s natural since she’s his mom and he would do the same in her shoes. WH assures Dad that if SY falls, he’ll catch him. Dad asks what happens if WH is the one who falls? WH replies firmly that he isn’t going to fall – he cannot fall. He has someone he needs to protect. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

Dad returns home drunk again. WH and SB head out to the playground. WH voices out that SY, Stepmom and Dad are all feeling terrible because of him. SB answers brightly even if WH causes everyone in the world to feel terrible, there’s one person he is making happy. WH asks who it is and SB super adorably raises her hand and declares she’s the girl. When WH raises him arm in reply, it winces in pain. SB grumbles he should have said something about being hurt and WH quickly says it’s all better because she is fretting over him.

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SY comes by and WH stops him and says they need to talk. WH tells SB to return home first and she begs them not to fight. WH comes up with yet another wager: if he wins, SY will keep WH’s relationship with Stepmom a secret. SY wonders if he wins…what about SB’s secret. WH says SB has no secret and SY calls him on it. They start to do chin-ups and WH hangs on to win. The power of real, true love. He tells Sy to shut his mouth forever and SY brings up SB again. WH says they should just try not to fight while living together – SB is getting hurt because of SY too. Awwwwwwwww.

WH’s arm aches like hell and he heads out to find painkillers. Stepmom finds him in pain outside and finds him the painkillers. Meanwhile, SY sneaks into SB’s room and sees her glowing wrist again. SB wakes up and is shocked to see him. He quickly covers her mouth before she makes a sound. And quickly leaves. SB suspects with dread that he has seen her wrist.

The next morning, SY offers to make breakfast and whaddya know, he makes soup with crab. WH is allergic to shellfish. WTH. Stepmom quickly takes his soup and starts shoving it down. SY yells at her to stop and Dad yells at him to stop. Dad finally tells him off. WH goes to see Stepmom and she finally explains why she left him.

SB rails at SY for pulling such a stunt. She tells him to stop picking on WH because she can’t endure it any longer. SY starts to corner and reaches to grab her wrist. WH is out looking for them and when he sees what SY is doing, he quickly rushes over to stop him. And covers his mouth before SY can blurt out anything. The glowing on SB’s wrist intensifies.

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OMO. Is SB going to disappear in front of WY’s eyes next episode??? OMO. OMO. NOOOOOOOOOO.

WH is a saint. His tolerance, understanding and patience are limitless. He has morals and he has integrity. SY’s dad realises that WH is really a lovely boy. I want WH to fight SY hard yet I love him more for choosing to endure SY’s taunts. Anyway, SY totally bordered on evil by making the soup with crab and being so rough with SB. And I don’t think he’s going to stop, is he? Poor WH. Poor SB.

I love the way WH and SB love each other. I know I have said it dozens of times but they are truly selfless when it comes to each other and I finally know why. Both are aware each other always places the other first so that way, they are able to be selfless…because the other is always watching his or her back so tightly and preciously. Thus, they have the confidence to display such selflessness. WH knows SB will always have his back. SB knows that WH will always have her back. Their mutual trust and belief is humbling. If only we were all this way…

The writer and PD have gotten to a point that they think WH and KSR have enough chemistry and emotional rapport that they don’t need to be in the same frame in order to express their love for each other. And it’s true. Their actions -even when not together – speaks volumes about how they treasure each other. WH deciding to move into SY’s house was downright swoony. He wants to protect her, pure and simple. Nothing else. To do that, he is willing to endure anything SY throws at him. SB noting that WH was hurt, though he was trying to hide it from her. is proof just how attuned she is to him.

To WH, SB is more than family and a girlfriend. She is his life, his hope, his everything. He loses her, he loses everything. When he said that previously, I did wonder a little whether he was being dramatic because he had lost Grandma. In a way Grandma dying did make him this way, but it is really beyond SB being his replacement family. She has grown to mean the world to him and to an 18-year-old with nothing else, she is his world. He doesn’t obsess over her – he loves her. And SB is the same way because she literally gave up the world (her own world) to be with him. If that’s not precious, I don’t know what is.

ONLY FIVE EPISODES LEFT. WRITER-NIM…Please please please don’t break my heart… my WH and SB need to end up together.

On a happier note, I was swooning when WH and KSR were fooling around, with WH head-locking KSR. They look so chummy and relaxed…I just grinned like a silly billy. Despite the relatively low TV ratings of this drama, I’m grateful the writer isn’t caving into pressure to write in a way to please the audience. The storytelling remains confident and fluid, WH and SB remain awesome awesome awesome. KSR and WH remain the best thing in dramaland in 2014 for me…