4 Times Shin Hyun Been & Moon Sang Min Faced Reality In Episodes 3-4 Of "Cinderella At 2AM"

The fairy tale is giving us more than just butterflies in the most recent episodes of “Cinderella at 2AM.” The romantic yet somehow tragic story of Ha Yun Seo (Shin Hyun Been) and Seo Ju Won (Moon Sang Min) is getting a little too realistic this week, proving that life can’t always be magical, even in a K-drama. This week we got to see more of how our leading couple fell in love with each other, how it is like during and after a breakup, and of course, a lot of funny moments. Plus, there’s the introduction of a mysterious new character who surely will bring more trouble for our Prince and Cinderella. 

Warning: spoilers from episodes 3-4 ahead! 

1. Ha Yun Seo keeping her promise to Seo Ju Won’s mother 

Even if Ha Yun Seo and Seo Ju Won got to an impasse for a moment while having meal dates in the last episodes, reality strikes them again this week with the unexpected visit of Ju Won’s mother. Though she might be posing as the “evil stepmother” in their love story, in reality, she doesn’t appear as a truly hateful character. She is an antagonist since she opposes her son’s relationship; however, she isn’t acting upon irrational hate for Yun Seo, but merely due to her background and interests, which focus only on the thriving of her company. 

But even after she slightly threatens Yun Seo to remember her promise to break up with Ju Won, she can see that the feelings Yun Seo has for her son are genuine, inspiring in the chairwoman a feeling of admiration for the young woman. Nonetheless, Yun Seo is aware that she cannot continue dragging out the current situation any longer. Not only for her sake and the agreement she has with Ju Won’s mother but for his sake as well. Despite appearing slightly clumsy, Yun Seo isn’t a dreamer, nor does she wish to turn herself into a princess who needs a prince to rescue her, so she makes up her mind to end things.  

2. Ha Yun Seo taking care of her younger brother’s problems 

There’s nothing that can give you a reality check quicker than the problems within one’s family. And that’s exactly what happens to Yun Seo when she finds out her younger brother, Ha Ji Seok (Kim Tae Jung), is in trouble at school. Different from what people might expect from a young man raised by his older sister, he isn’t rebellious or a troublemaker. On the contrary, he tries his best to not raise his sister’s burden. However, not getting involved in certain incidents could also bring consequences, and that’s the case this time. Despite his wishes, Ji Seok gets involved in a case of bullying at his school because he knew his friends were taking advantage of another classmate and he simply turned a blind eye to the matter. 

To Yun Seo, who experienced all her life the pain of being ignored while she was mistreated by her father, her brother’s actions strike her just as much as if he were the bully as well. And, understandably, she feels like she failed to raise him properly. After all, she took care of him since he was a child when they escaped a life of abuse and violence and turned into each other’s only family. Luckily, the bond these siblings share is deeper and stronger than anything else, which gives Yun Seo a sense of comfort. She might not be able to be with the person she loves, but at least she can focus on giving her brother a good education and future.

3. Seo Ju Won and Ha Yun Seo breaking up for good 

With all the weight of the world falling on her shoulders at the same time, she decides that it’s time to break up with Ju Won for real. No more time-outs or trying to avoid the situation. Seeing the resolution in her eyes, Ju Won accepts the inevitable and agrees to break up after one last date. The typical amusement park we commonly see in a lot of K-dramas has a bittersweet touch when Yun Seo recalls all the moments they spent together during their one-and-a-half year together. Here it’s noticeable the great ability this show has to portray cliché scenes with a new twist and in a very fairytale-like way. There have been many confessions that happen during a firework show, but watching a breakup in such scenery is quite rare. 

Another amusing twist is the way they introduce the second male lead into the plot. When Yun Seo starts to get weird text messages from an unknown number, she naturally believes it’s Jun Won who is sending them. However, those texts are not from him but from a complete stranger who apparently will get involved with Yun Seo in a future project. Whether his appearance will be of relevance to the plot or if he will be just a prop to ignite Ju Won’s jealousy is something we still have yet to discover. 

4. Ju Won and Yun Seo dealing with the outcome of their breakup 

As two working adults, the harshest of realities that this couple has to face after their breakup is having to keep working together. Despite Ju Won trying his best to avoid getting in her way, they inevitably share the same space since he is still her superior. At the end of the day, it is Yun Seo who concludes that she will have to quit her job to fulfill her promise. But to Ju Won, who fell in love with her partially for her professionalism, this is unacceptable. He tries to plead with his mother to send him abroad, only for her to shut him down in a very cold way. 

What’s even worse is that they have to pretend to be their best in front of their coworkers so that they don’t notice they ever dated. But as in any romantic comedy, they end up getting caught in the worst possible way, creating a big misunderstanding among everybody. How this misunderstanding will play out for our couple is still uncertain, plus there’s still so much we can expect to happen, not only between the main leads but also between the second lead couple and the mysterious man. So let’s keep tuning in for next week’s episodes of “Cinderella at 2AM”! 

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Andy zar is an avid drama watcher, from K-dramas to C-dramas, she believes any weekend is a good weekend to enjoy 12 hours of binge-watching dramas. She loves romance, web comics, and K-pop. She is a declared “Subeom” and “Hyeppyending.” Her favorite groups are EXO, TWICE, and BOL4.

Currently watching: “Bad Memory Eraser,” “Cinderella at 2AM.”
Plans to watch: “Love Next Door.”