With proof that the culprit is closer at hand than they thought, our cop and cadet face a lot of turmoil at the university. And in addition to turmoil, there’s pressure. Whether it’s pressure from the higher-ups around them, or the pressure they put on themselves, our duo have a lot on their plate this week.
EPISODES 7-8 WEECAP
With the bug discovered in Dong-man’s office, Dong-man and Sun-ho realize how close at hand the culprit really is — but the truth is hard for Dong-man to accept, because everything is pointing right at Chul-jin.
The wire-tapping device might get accidentally crushed in the road, but that doesn’t stop Dong-man and Sun-ho in their investigation. From the laptop breach to the phone logs to the fingerprint analysis, they are pushing forward to find more clues.
What makes this plot line more interesting, though, is that it’s about what’s at stake emotionally for our cop and cadet. Dong-man is having a hard time facing the fact that his partner, who’s like a brother to him, could be behind all of this, while Sun-ho is worried about possible repercussions on his family.
Dong-man might scoff at Sun-ho, but he treats his worries as legitimate, and seems to realize that the case really is serious and perhaps they’re not as safe as he thought. He tries to ice Sun-ho out (to keep him safe), but Sun-ho won’t give up that fast — especially with his proof against Chul-jin.
Sun-ho is also motivated by Kang-hee. While attending her mother’s trial with her, he notices a connection between the gambling ring she’s purportedly been involved with, and the very ring he hacked in the past. We could have guessed this was coming, but I liked seeing these storylines pulled together. The more emotional investment there is from our characters, and the more that’s at stake, the better the story gets.
Meanwhile, we start to see a little more of Chul-jin’s side of the story. It looks like he’s being manipulated and strong-armed by someone, and the snippets we overhear make it clear that Dong-man must be stopped from investigating the gambling ring any further.
Then starts our mini case this week, where Dong-man’s exam is leaked to the students, he’s framed via a wad of money in his desk drawer. He’s quickly slapped on the evening news as a bribe-taker and awful human. It’s a little bit over-the-top, but I suppose we can take this as Chul-jin’s way of removing Dong-man from the equation without actually causing him physical harm.
The best part of this whole plot arc, though, is that Sun-ho’s here to save the day. And it’s not just Sun-ho: he’s joined by Kang-hee, Bum-tae, and Joon-wook, who put their all into proving Dong-man’s innocence… even though it’s exam time and all the students are practically glued to the library.
This little plot resolves quite quickly, but it’s all thanks to the kids, and especially Sun-ho, who’s able to reason with Professor Seo and continue his investigation. So, just as Sun-ho rushes into the police station with evidence to prove Dong-man’s innocence, Chul-jin has just arrived as well, admitting that he set up the entire thing.
So what was the point of all of this? It feels like there’s something else going on. Well, there is something else going on, but this plot distraction makes me wonder where the power behind the university (and gambling ring) really lies. I’ve grown super fond of all the faculty by now, so I’ll be endlessly upset if one of them proves to be behind it.
What’s a red herring and what’s an actual clue drop? Is Professor Kwon as harmless as they’re now telling us? Is our adorable Judo expert Hee-soo really that interested in Dong-man? Is Professor Seo (our great Dumbledore-esque leader) truly trustworthy? I hope I’m just borrowing trouble here, and that the crime ring lies elsewhere. But there’s just enough uncertainty around the university to make me wonder.
The students and their cuteness and interactions continue to be the highlight of this show for me. Leading that, of course, is the Sun-ho/Kang-hee romance. Here, they’re leaving us hanging by a thread — or rather, their future romance is hanging by the thread that is the investigation. I’m not exactly sure what’s keeping them from getting together before the investigation is solved, but I don’t really care that much, since I like that the case holds so much meaning for each player.
Sun-ho promises to tell Kang-hee everything, but each time he tries, a new layer of this case makes things more complicated. Still, they have a half-spoken understanding between them. Kang-hee knowns how she feels, and we see she turned down Min-kyu (not looking good on that angle!), and Sun-ho basically moons over her whenever he gets the chance. They study together in the library at one point, and he just stares at her with hearts in his eyes.
Lastly, her sleepover at his home, and the way Kang-hee fit in with his family and father, warmed me all the way through. There’s so much sweetness in this story to drink up! As the investigation proceeds, as I expect it will, I’m hoping Dong-man will not only get more help from Sun-ho, but the rest of the crew too. They make such a great ragtag bunch, I’d be willing to follow them anywhere.