8 Times "Hotel Del Luna" Episodes 11 And 12 Made Us Ugly Cry

Raise your hand if you ugly cried through “Hotel Del Luna” Episodes 11 and 12! From this week’s featured ghosts to the humans we’ve become so dearly attached to, “Hotel Del Luna” delved into the depths of human emotions this week: sorrow, love, loss, and fear — particularly the fear of losing those we love. As Man Wol’s (IU) and Chan Sung’s (Yeo Jin Goo) entwined fates draw closer, they grapple with these worries, while still putting each other above all else. That’s enough to make any viewer shed some tears!

Warning: spoilers for “Hotel Del Luna” Episodes 11 and 12 below.

1. This grudge-less ghost

This week began with a touching story of compassion, from a ghost who surprises us by using his one chance to speak with a living person on the man who accidentally killed him.

Rather than call his wife or a family member, the selfless ghost’s last act is to comfort the man who killed him and his son, forgiving the truck driver so that the man can forgive himself and not live a life steeped in guilt.

This anecdote on human kindness is moving enough to affect even Man Wol, and when Chan Sung senses that she is feeling emotional and suggests they rest, she is resolute that they meet with the rest of the ghosts to help them heal and move on. It’s a sign of Man Wol’s growth that she has allowed herself to open up and be touched and inspired by other beings; to care. There’s the Man Wol we always knew was in there!

2. Man Wol’s deepest fear

On the other hand, the more Man Wol starts to open up and feel again, the more she stands to lose — as we are sharply reminded when the hotel employees mistakenly report to her that Chan Sung is dead. We’ve never seen Man Wol so beside herself — until Chan Sung shows up at the hotel and she is able to confirm that he is still alive. The scene makes it clear just how much she cares for him.

3. Sanchez’s loss

Unfortunately, Sanchez (Jo Hyun Chul) is not so lucky with his own romance. When his girlfriend Veronica (Seo Eun Soo) is killed in a car accident the very night that he is going to propose to her, Chan Sung is at least able to grant his friend the opportunity to see Veronica once more at the hotel, thanks to a lunar eclipse that enables human guests and ghosts to mingle. But that just makes their last farewell all the more sorrowful, as the pair hugs until Veronica’s ghost disappears.

4. This blossoming love

This week wasn’t all horribly sad, though, and Hyun Joong (Block B’s P.O) and Yoo Na (gugudan’s Kang Mina) experienced a sweet moment with their first kiss. But the fact that the scene takes place in front of Yoo Na’s real body’s memorial and her kindness in placing a drawing of Hyun Joong at the site since he doesn’t have a grave of his own was definitely worth a tear or two.

5. The truth about Chung Myung

We knew he couldn’t actually be evil, and we were right. We finally learn this week that Man Wol’s lover of old did not betray her, but lied to her and lived his life as a traitor in order to keep her alive. And what’s more, he hasn’t left her side for the past 1,000 years — there was a purpose to that firefly that is always following Man Wol around, after all. Chung Myung (Lee Do Hyun) loves Man Wol so much that he has spent a millennium living as a bug, just to be with her.

Of course, we have a whole host of new questions after this revelation: will Man Wol ever learn that the firefly is Chung Myung? Will she find out that he didn’t actually betray her? If Chung Myung and Chan Sung are both in the picture, who do we ship?!

6. The impending grief

There’s a tragic beauty to how Chan Sung has allowed himself to grow attached to Man Wol despite knowing he will be hurt in the end when she is gone. And so far, even knowing he will have to see her off, Chan Sung has shown relatively stoic determination to stay by her side.

But we get a reality check when Chan Sung and Man Wol must aid in the death of a young boy whose parents had been keeping him alive past his due death, and they witness the overwhelming grief that the couple feels as they learn of their son’s passing.

In this chilling moment, Chan Sung and Man Wol both realize that this is the level of pain and devastation that Chan Sung faces when Man Wol disappears. (Also, how haunting is Punch’s OST song “Done For Me” in scenes like this?)

As Chan Sung is brought face to face with a reflection of his own future, he begins to show more emotional cracks — which makes us feel for him even more.

7. Chan Sung’s price

The heartbroken parents and Sanchez’s own grief both serve as reminders of the pain of loss, and Man Wol loathes the idea of Chan Sung feeling that devastation once she has left the world.

For his part, Chan Sung is not worried about being incredibly sad after Man Wol is gone; he’s already accepted that as his fate. What he fears for himself is that he will become a burden to her — even before she moves on — because she will so hate the idea of him being sad over her.

8. Their acceptance

But when Chan Sung reassures Man Wol that he takes full responsibility for his own feelings, she relents and lets go of her guilt. He did, after all, choose for himself to stay by her side. Finally understanding how the other feels, and deciding to love and accept each other, these two appear ready to face whatever lies ahead — together.

But we are also constantly reminded that sorrow will not be all Chan Sung is left with after Man Wol’s departure, as Ma Go (Seo Yi Sook) continuously hints at a steep price that he must pay for seeing Man Wol off.

To be fair, we still don’t know the extent of Man Wol’s crime for which she is being punished, so much so that her penalty must extend to Chan Sung as well. But with the vengeful spirit of a serial killer dead set on bringing Chan Sung down now, we’re more than a little worried.

Hey Soompiers, what did you think of this week’s “Hotel Del Luna”? This author ugly cried at five of these scenes — did anyone beat that? Let us know in the comments!

Catch this week’s episodes of “Hotel Del Luna”:

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hgordon stays up way too late on weeknights marathoning K-dramas and trying to keep up with the latest K-pop releases. Follow her adventures in Seoul on Instagram.

Currently watching: “Hotel Del Luna” and “Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung”
All-time favorite dramas: “Scarlet Heart: Goryeo,” “Goblin,” and “Hwayugi”
Looking forward to: “Vagabond”