Soundtrack #2 reaches its coda as our ex-lovers begin anew, rekindling the feelings they’ve harbored for each other all this time. If their love is to last, though, they’ll need to work through what drove them apart in the first place — or their relationship may grow discordant all over again.
EPISODES 5-6
From the very moment they reconnected through that first piano lesson, both Hyun-seo and Soo-ho have been circling around each other, instinctively drawn into each other’s orbits. It’s easy to seek the familiarity of an old flame, just as it’s easy to fall back into old habits, and our finale week encapsulates this for better and for worse.
But first — back to the kiss! One thing leads to another, and before they know it, Hyun-seo is waking up in Soo-ho’s arms. Unfortunately for our reunited lovebirds, they don’t get to enjoy their morning cuddles for long. A surprise visit by Hyun-seo’s bestie KIM JIN-KYUNG (Jeon Hye-jin) sends the two scrambling out of bed, culminating in a hilariously clumsy escape by our bumbling CEO.
Keeping in line with their knack for not communicating about difficult topics, Hyun-seo and Soo-ho don’t talk about their night together or what it means for their relationship. They do, however, share a late-night phone call just like romantic sweethearts would; Soo-ho cajoles Hyun-seo into staying on the line on the pretext of needing to hear her voice to fall asleep, and she rambles on about various composers until he drifts off into a peaceful slumber.
Now that Hyun-seo’s acknowledged her lingering feelings for Soo-ho, there’s the matter of letting K down easy. K is quick to read the room, and when Hyun-seo tries to bring up the topic over dinner, he asks her to delay her answer till they wrap up the project. He may be nursing an unrequited crush, but rather than fall into dejection, his thoughtful nature shines through when he amends his lyrics. No longer is he pouring out his one-sided feelings; instead, he’s written a song expressing our exes’ hopes of starting over.
True to his word, K bows out gracefully after a successful filming. Recognizing that he’d potentially make things awkward as a third wheel, he declines the invitation to their after-party. It’s time for him to return to the States, and he has a few last things to settle first. K bids his project partners a heartfelt goodbye, thanking them for their time together, and they part on good terms with a promise to keep in touch.
Meanwhile, Soo-ho’s been anxious about Hyun-seo’s proximity to K. Maybe she’s grown fond of him? Perhaps she reciprocates his feelings? Instead of voicing his worries and clearing the air with her, though, Soo-ho stews in his thoughts alone. It’s only when he stumbles upon behind-the-scenes footage of Hyun-seo turning K down, accidentally captured on a conveniently-forgotten camera left rolling at just the right angle, that he snaps out of his self-induced funk.
The next day, in the midst of their piano lesson, Soo-ho finally takes the route of direct communication and asks Hyun-seo what they are. His blunt approach prompts honesty from her — she admits she’d been afraid to fall for him again, and that she’s still terrified, but she’s fallen back in love anyway. Soo-ho smiles, and Hyun-seo can’t hold back anymore. Surging forward, she kisses him.
As a time skip, we’re treated to a cute montage of our reconciled couple, but a storm is brewing on the horizon. Our lovebirds are still at vastly different points in their lives; Hyun-seo’s still doing deliveries and preparing to open her restaurant, all while Soo-ho’s treating her to fine dining worth hundreds.
It all comes to a head when Soo-ho pays a year’s worth of her rent without consulting her in advance, since he knew she’d refuse if he asked. To Soo-ho, it’s a kind surprise to ease his girlfriend’s financial burden; to Hyun-seo, it’s yet another debt that she owes.
She attempts to avoid a confrontation, but Soo-ho chases after her to insist that they talk it out. Hyun-seo points out what I’m thinking — that he should’ve communicated earlier, then, instead of going behind her back. Both their insecurities rise to the surface, widening the rift between them. Hyun-seo feels guilty always being on the receiving end, while Soo-ho wants her to depend on him now that he isn’t poor anymore.
In a heart-to-heart with Jin-kyung, Hyun-seo blames her inferiority complex. She can’t accept help, because it makes her feel small. I can’t help but sympathize with her — Soo-ho constantly tries to do things for Hyun-seo, out of love and goodwill, but he goes about it in ways that strip her agency away. Soo-ho acts on what he thinks is best for her, rather than trying to empathize with Hyun-seo’s perspective and work through things with her. Unknowingly and unintentionally, he’s stoking the flames of Hyun-seo’s insecurity.
Yet Hyun-seo isn’t blameless, either. The main reasons for their initial breakup were misunderstandings stemming from a lack of communication, and even after all those years apart, neither has learned from their mistakes. Once again, Hyun-seo is insisting on shouldering her troubles alone, shutting Soo-ho out in the process. He can’t help if she won’t allow him to. Realizing they need time apart, they decide to take a break, but the distance soon solidifies into a breakup.
In the wake of their second parting, Hyun-seo arrives at an epiphany. She’s been taking baby steps, venturing out of her comfort zone by asking for help and seeking advice, and it’s taught her one very crucial lesson. All this time, she hadn’t truly known herself, or loved herself.
With that, Hyun-seo writes Soo-ho a heartfelt email admitting her need for introspection and self-discovery. She’ll be embarking on a solo trip to Santiago for some soul-searching, just as he had all those years ago. To that, Soo-ho replies by deleting her email and chucking his Santiago souvenirs in the trash. Sigh. These two and their pride!
Hyun-seo heads to the airport, but her bag strap snaps and she can’t get up because her backpack is too heavy. Then, someone helps her up. It’s Soo-ho, and he offers to carry a bag for her. Smiling, Hyun-seo accepts, and they walk hand-in-hand towards their new chapter together.
Well, I like the poetic symbolism of the ending, I just don’t like how we got there. The final scene nicely encapsulated Hyun-seo’s core issue; she’s been unable to pick herself back up from her stumbles, because she’s always carrying too much weight on her shoulders. As for Soo-ho, he’s learnt to do things with her, rather than for her. Instead of simply taking Hyun-seo’s bags, Soo-ho asks first, leaving the choice in her hands. When Hyun-seo accepts, it’s a conscious decision to rely on him and allow him to manage her burdens together with her.
However, both of them needed the time and space apart from each other to grow as individuals in their own right, yet we never saw them undergoing that journey. Throughout both their separation and reconciliation, they were hung up on each other, instead of learning to forge their own identity. Soo-ho may have achieved career success, but he was very much motivated by the desire to prove himself to Hyun-seo. As for Hyun-seo, she’s so fixated on letting go and moving on — whether it’s Soo-ho, or piano — that she’s been refusing herself the proper closure that she needs, and denying others communication as a result.
That’s why the final reconciliation doesn’t feel quite earned, because we never got to see them candidly work through their crossed wires. Hyun-seo needed to build her self-worth back up independent of Soo-ho, yet he’s joining her on a trip that was meant to be for herself. There’s no doubt that Soo-ho loves her and cares deeply for her, but there’s a line between supporting someone and smothering them, and I’m not quite sure he’s recognized that.
When K suggested paring down the song’s instrumentals to reflect the simple sincerity of starting over, I thought it was a hopeful sign for our ex-lovers’ trajectory. Alas, it was not to be. Rather than reevaluating their internalized beliefs and reconverging at a point where they could meet in the middle, they glossed over the fundamental conflicts in their relationship and somehow arrived at a new level of self-growth without demonstrating that they’ve gone through that process. It’s why I’m not entirely optimistic that the third time will be the charm — it seems likely that they’ll fall back into the same patterns yet again, retreading their mistakes instead of starting anew.
Still, apart from my grievances with the conclusion, Soundtrack #2 was a lighthearted and fun watch while the cuteness lasted. Poignantly filmed and underscored with sincere melodies, the drama delivered sweet supportive friendships, crackling couple chemistry, and genuine moments of warmth and comfort.