5 Times Our Hearts Hurt As Much As Dan Oh's In Episodes 25-28 of "Extraordinary You"

First off, quick quiz: How many times did Dan Oh clutch her chest/heart and keel over in agony in this week’s episodes? Head down to the comments and let us know! Okay, now back to your regularly scheduled programming!

It’s the penultimate week of “Extraordinary You” and the show continues to put our OTP (and us) in pain! It’s kind of a bummer that we didn’t get more of flirty Ha Roo (SF9’s Rowoon) and overly-smitten Dan Oh (Kim Hye Yoon) before they were sent to Angstville, but I suppose that’s one transit we have to make before reaching our final destination at Happy Ending.

We need more of these moments, yes? 

So before we can get to happier times, here’s five times the storyline made our hearts ache in this week’s episodes:

Warning: Major spoilers for episodes 25-28 ahead! 

When we learn about Dried Squid Fairy’s past

Oh pardon me, I mean KING Dried Squid Fairy. We finally get more insight into Jin Mi’s (Lee Tae Ri) past this week — and yes, we also found out his actual name is Geum Jin Mi — and learn why he’s been so against our characters trying to change the Stage. As it turns out, he fell in love with one of the palace maids, Soo Hyang, and when trying to run away together (in the Shadow, by the way), she gets killed. But before King Jin Mi even has a chance to mourn her death, he gets pulled into an actual scene, only to find that Soo Hyang is alive and well but without any memories of him. Then right away, Prince Baek Kyung, in an attempt to hurt King Jin Mi, kills Soo Hyang (again?).

In present day (aka in “Secret”), Soo Hyang and Dried Squid Fairy cross paths, and it’s painful to watch DSF having to suffer through conversations about first loves and dried squid (the dish, not the person). He’s already resigned to his fate of not being able to be with his love (in whichever world), but the cruel, cruel writer just continues to dangle her in front of him tauntingly. I can’t imagine a scenario where this pair could possibly have a happy ending (especially with next week being the finale), but at this point, I do hope Soo Hyang stays blissfully unaware. It’s just less painful for everyone involved.

When Dan Oh and Baek Kyung have heart-to-hearts

We’ve mostly seen Dan Oh as the happy-go-lucky girl who sometimes even goes a little overboard with her quirkiness (throwback to her bumping her back into all the male characters in episode 4). So seeing her trying to fight back her tears while telling Baek Kyung (Lee Jae Wook) that he wouldn’t have to visit the hospital any more in the future just broke me.

And speaking of Baek Kyung, man oh man oh man! THIS Baek Kyung is the Baek Kyung that we-slash-Dan Oh deserve! The Baek Kyung this week is so gentle, so attentive, and so genuine, and it pains me that we only get him so late into the drama!

So. 

Ship-

-able!

If he had behaved this way a few episodes earlier, then he would have been a MAJOR second-lead syndrome contender. But instead, both writers (of the drama and manhwa) kept turning him back into a jerk just when he was getting nicer.

*shakes fist at writers*

When Ha Roo becomes overprotective

With Ha Roo being the expert flirt that he is, my first thought when he suddenly became overprotective was, “Heh! He’s taking advantage to have skinship with Dan Oh, the cheeky boy!”

How cute is it that he can so easily *shift* Dan Oh?

That is… until I realized that there was not a cheek in sight. Ha Roo was being absolutely serious about keeping Dan Oh safe. And while it’s obvious to everyone that he’s going overboard — and even arguably unreasonable; I mean, water drops ain’t going to hurt her — the fear of losing Dan Oh is very real to him, so much that it’s making him neurotic and even clouding his judgement. It’s sobering to watch this sweet puppy of a boy — who was just practicing how to smile a few scenes ago — now being so overwrought and burdened with fear.

When Joo Da takes a wrong turn

We learned last week that Joo Da (APRIL’s Naeun) had gained awareness. But what we hadn’t realized was that Joo Da has memories from waaay back, starting from the time Do Hwa (Jung Gun Joo) first admitted his feelings to her on the night of Nam Joo’s (Kim Young Dae) birthday (back in episode 10). And while I was definitely fist pumping when Joo Da revealed her self-awareness and stood up for herself against the bullies last week, I’m less thrilled about her character progression this week.

Sorry Joo Da, but bullying is bullying.

There’s a difference between standing up for yourself versus actively taking revenge, and Joo Da even resorts to taking advantage of Nam Joo. Sure, he isn’t going to remember anything, but it still hurts to see the poor guy be treated this way. This Joo Da is no different from her bullies, and it’s saddening/maddening to see her go down this route.

#JusticeForNamJoo

When Dan Oh dies… twice

Both “Trumpet Flower” and “Secret” reach their climaxes this week by killing off Dan Oh in each respective manhwa. And while both times involve Baek Kyung and both times he attempts it out of selfishness, it’s arguable that at least in “Secret,” he’s trying to keep Dan Oh from disappearing permanently. As foreshadowed with Soo Hyang’s case, when a character dies in the Shadow, the person loses their self-awareness; but if they die on the Stage, they disappear permanently.

And even though Dan Oh tearfully pleads with the Writer to allow her live on, her ailing heart still lands her in the hospital. Baek Kyung, trying to save Dan Oh in his own way, removes her oxygen mask, but he suddenly flashes to “Trumpet Flower” where he realizes he was actually the one who thrust Ha Roo’s sword into Dan Oh.

Frightened by the realization, Baek Kyung presumably puts her oxygen mask back on, because when Ha Roo arrives at the hospital, she’s still hooked onto the machines and beeping along. But Ha Roo only manages to get a few words out before she crashes, flatlines, and…the next Stage starts!

And then we see Dan Oh walking by. She’s not only bangless but also self-aware-less. It’s Dan Oh 2.0, y’all!

And just in case you’re feeling too bummed about Dan Oh 2.0, here’s a PSA from Ha Roo:

Watch the latest episode of “Extraordinary You”:

Watch Now

Did anyone else find Joon Hyun creepy as heck when he was warning Ha Roo off? What do you think his deal is? And which scene/storyline hurt you the most this week?  Head to the comments and discuss! 

Belinda_C is STILL playing Stray Kids’ “Neverending Story” on loop while writing this. Or is it called “The Story That Never Ends” now? Talk “Extraordinary You” and SEVENTEEN with her on Twitter!

Currently watching: “Melting Me Softly,” “Extraordinary You”
All-time favorite: “Kill Me Heal Me,” “Defendant,” “Hotel Del Luna”
Looking forward to: “Chocolate” starring Yoon Kye Sang & Ha Ji Won