4 Past Events That Haunt Pyo Ye Jin And Kim Young Dae In Episodes 11-12 Of "Moon In The Day"

Two more episodes and it’s farewell to “Moon in the Day”! This show’s been an absolute delight from start to finish in terms of characterization and chemistry. Almost every truth is out in the open, so this week, the past takes center stage as we learn everything leading up to Do Ha’s (Kim Young Dae’s) and Han Ri Ta’s (Pyo Ye Jin’s) fates in Goryeo. And Young Hwa (Pyo Ye Jin) only has one question: is a happy ending possible this time around, or were she and Do Ha doomed from the start?

Warning: spoilers for episodes 11-12 and the “Moon in the Day” manhwa and mentions of suicide below.

1. Han Ri Ta killing Soribu

We’ve seen Do Ha’s death scene out of context several times now, and each time Ri Ta seemed like she was robotically killing Do Ha. It was like there was nothing left in her. Young Hwa, on the other hand, has only just been informed by Seok Chul Hwan (Jung Woong In), who’s really Soribu (Lee Kyung Young), that she killed Do Ha. She doesn’t want to believe it. She knows that Do Ha’s suffered greatly because of his death. When she tentatively asks if it hurt to die, she tears up hearing how painful his death was. But Young Hwa’s never shied from the truth, and she goes to sleep, determined to relive what happened.

And as it turns out, Han Ri Ta was one hell of an amazing woman. On the eve of her wedding day, Soribu told Young Hwa that he would be sending Do Ha into battle after her wedding night and ensure that Do Ha died there. He assumes that since she’s been forced into marriage and hates Do Ha for killing her parents that she’ll be happy about this. He tells her that all she needs to do is drug Do Ha’s tea, so that he’ll be clumsy and sluggish the next day. His men, the same men who are supposed to be Do Ha’s army, will take care of the rest. But he doesn’t know that Young Hwa’s had a hundred chances to kill Do Ha and just hasn’t been able to do it. And she’s already realized that the reason Do Ha had to become the weary, killing machine that he is, is because Soribu used him like a hunting dog his entire life. Do Ha is 19, and at that terribly young age, he’s been forced to take so many lives. He’s even described himself as living in hell and thinks he deserves it. That is the man Ri Ta fell in love with, and she knows the only way to save him from that hell is to kill Soribu. So that’s what she does.

Instead of drugging Do Ha’s tea, she drugs Soribu’s. And in the middle of the night, when she walks in with her father’s sword and kills him, she makes sure he knows why. Because it’s the only way to set Do Ha free. As he dies, Soribu curses her, saying he’ll find and kill her across a 1,000 years. She’s found with Soribu’s corpse and is arrested, but she’s okay with dying because she’s freed Do Ha from hell. If anything, death feels like a relief because it feels like punishment for falling in love with the man who killed her parents. But Ri Ta’s also only 19. And she underestimates just how much Do Ha loves her. And it’s that love that undoes everything.

2. Do Ha doing anything to protect Rita

Do Ha knows what Ri Ta’s done the second he sees her sword beside Soribu’s body, but the look on his face is glorious because for just a moment, he thinks she’s dead. His men (the same ones who were due to kill him) inform him that she’s captured and awaiting execution. He asks her why she did it. And these two have always laid themselves bare before each other because Ri Ta explains that it was the only way to save him. And that’s enough. Do Ha slices through her bonds and slices through every man who tries to stop him from leaving with her. And Ri Ta realizes then, that by removing one shackle, she’s put on another.

Before, Do Ha was a murder machine because his father demanded it of him. But now, he’s doing it because Ri Ta is his reason for living, and he won’t let anyone hurt her. But the entire city is hunting them down as criminals and that means that Do Ha needs to kill more and more to keep them safe. All he wants is to escape the city and find the rest of the Gaya survivors and live there in a small village, finally free of burdens that should never have rested on their shoulders. But Ri Ta’s hit rock bottom. She knows just how many lives Do Ha will have to take to ensure that their dream comes true. Every time someone finds them, Do Ha will have to kill them. That isn’t living. And she simply can’t do it anymore. She needs to free them from this cycle of violence, and that’s why, when he gets up to leave and murder an entire squadron hunting them, she kills him. And Young Hwa wakes up, knowing everything.

She breaks down, apologizing to Do Ha and is shocked to realize that he always knew. Do Ha admits that he just wanted to know why she did it. He freely admits that he loved her with everything he had so he never understood why. But when Young Hwa explains what Ri Ta was thinking, he relaxes completely. He already knew he was in love with Young Hwa, but this seals it. Ri Ta killed him out of love. That’s all he needed to hear. Only, Young Hwa’s being stubborn now. She’s decided that their relationship was doomed, then and now. Innocent people keep being hurt because of them (though those Goryeo guards didn’t seem all that innocent). Even though Soribu’s behind the bloodshed this time, she can’t take being the cause of so much pain. She storms off, but Do Ha is not having it.

It’s great to see a man who communicates, and Do Ha’s nailing it. He doesn’t let her shut him out but runs after her and opens up to her in the hope that she’ll reciprocate.  And she does! Just such a green flag man. But Soribu strikes again.

3. Soribu victim-blaming Ri Ta and Do Ha

Then and now, Soribu remains a master at gaslighting. He has this strange mind-manipulation power that he’s used on Goo Tae Joo (Jung Heon), Han Min Oh (On Joo Wan), and now Jung Yi Seul (Jung Shin Hye) to great success. This time, he has Yi Seul push Young Hwa in front of a truck. Only, Young Hwa’s loyal friend Choi Na Yeon (Moon Ye Won) takes the hit instead. Young Hwa’s distraught and breaks down even more when Soribu vows that he’ll come after her and everyone she loves until she’s dead.

He confirms that he’s been behind the death of all Young Hwa’s previous reincarnations. All it takes is one whisper by him in the right ear, and he amplifies every evil intention the person already had and directs it toward Young Hwa. Plus, the person doesn’t even remember that they weren’t the ones from whom the initial intention originated. This is relevant because Young Hwa’s currently convinced that Soribu must be right—that everything here happened because she fell in love with Do Ha. Young Hwa’s always been someone who risks everything to save lives, hence her choice of profession as a firefighter. So to have people hurt because Soribu’s trying to get to her hurts badly. Hence why when Young Hwa starts acting suspiciously bright and happy with everyone around her, Do Ha suspects that something frightening is at play.

4. Ri Ta’s and Young Hwa’s decisions

Ri Ta makes her decision to kill Do Ha out of love for him and for the people whose lives he’d take. Young Hwa does it for the same reasons but inverts the sword on herself. She wonders if she should have done this from the start and just taken her life to tie any resulting curse to her so that Han Min Oh and Na Yeon wouldn’t have been hurt. She feigns happiness around everyone and silently makes her farewells, giving Do Ha the second protective bracelet she found and prepares to drown herself in the Han river. She runs through every moment she had with Do Ha and tells herself that it’s okay. That she’s grateful for all the time she had with him. But it sounds like she’s just trying to convince herself.

Do Ha arrives just in time to stop her. She tries to argue that this is her discussion, but he points out that Soribu is skilled at manipulation and that the Young Hwa he knew did everything she could to live and help those around her live. Soribu has killed 18 of her reincarnations already, how does she know that he hasn’t gotten in her head the way he got in Min Oh’s and Yi Seul’s heads? He asks her to make a bet with him in a call back to Ri Ta doing the same 1,500 years ago. Back then, it was Do Ha attempting to stifle his feelings and ensure her safety at the cost of his sanity by helping her escape before their wedding. This time, it’s Young Hwa’s turn. He vows that he’ll find a way to break this curse and for them to finally be happy in this lifetime. And it’s Young Hwa’s turn to stop. She admits that she’s terrified that she’ll regret not dying when she had the chance, but she truly wants to live. And eternally stoic Do Ha also tears up but promises that she won’t regret it. And just like they did 1,500 years ago, they seal that promise with a kiss.

Stop, they’re so cute. SO CUTE.

The show’s diverged pretty far from the manhwa at this point, especially with Ri Ta’s motivations for killing Do Ha. Plus, the final week’s preview shows Do Ha vowing to Ri Ta that their ending will be a happy one this time. But there’s so much to still wrap up: Jun Oh’s body still has cancer, and Soribu seems pretty all-powerful at this point. Plus, is there a reason that Young Hwa needs to die before she hits 30? It seems pretty relevant given that Do Ha and Soribu mentioned that they’re growing weaker as her birthday approaches. Despite the manhwa’s tragic ending, the way the show keeps telling us that Do Ha and Young Hwa have vowed to change their fate hints that we aren’t facing a tragedy. Make it happen Do Ha! We’re all cheering you on!

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Shalini_A is a long time Asian-drama addict. When not watching dramas, she fangirls over Ji Sung, and spins thrillers set in increasingly fantastic worlds. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram, and feel free to ask her anything!

Currently Watching:  “My Demon,” “Moon in the Day,” “The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract,” “Vigilante,” and “A Good Day To Be A Dog.”
Looking Forward to: “Gyeongseong Creature,” “Ask The Stars,” “Queen of Tears,” and Ji Sung’s next drama.