3 Crucial Revelations In Episodes 3-4 Of "Dear Hyeri"

Even though there are still 12 more episodes to go, the plot of “Dear Hyeri” is moving at light speed. While the couples, Eun Ho (Shin Hae Sun) & Hyun Oh (Lee Jin Uk) and Hye Ri & Joo Yeon (Kang Hoon), are growing closer and delivering the much-needed romance, episodes three and four also answered several questions viewers were left asking after the premiere week. From Eun Ho’s trauma leading to her dissociative identity disorder (DID), to the secret behind how Hye Ri got her job, here are three crucial revelations in “Dear Hyeri” episodes three and four.

Warning: spoilers for episodes 3-4 ahead!

What happened to Hye Ri?

As was evident from week one, Eun Ho developed DID due to an unknown trauma related to her sister, Hye Ri. It was only a matter of time before the true story behind her trauma was revealed. In episodes three and four, we learn that Hye Ri went missing on a college trip.

While her exact age at the time of her disappearance is not explicitly mentioned, the monologue playing in the background makes it clear that she was a college student. Eun Ho also mentions that Hye Ri was an adult when she went missing, which is why the police closed her case, assuming she had simply run away.

While Hye Ri and Eun Ho’s relationship dynamic has not been fully revealed, hints are sprinkled throughout the drama about the sisters’ story.

First, in the scene where Eun Ho receives the call about Hye Ri’s disappearance, she is shown with a woman who seems too old to be their mother and fits more the role of a grandmother. This implies that Hye Ri and Eun Ho’s parents were not in the picture during their teenage years.

In the last sequence, when Eun Ho has a panic attack, a VCR plays, showing two sisters who lost their parents, with the older sister taking on a parental role, exhausting her. This further suggests that Hye Ri and Eun Ho lost their parents.

Another point to note is that Hye Ri was suffering from depression and didn’t want to go on the trip, but Eun Ho pressured her into it, leading to her disappearance. These flashbacks, along with Eun Ho’s panic attack, indicate that she blames herself for Hye Ri’s disappearance, and this guilt, compounded by the pain of losing her sister, may have contributed to her developing DID.

While these revelations shed light on Eun Ho’s trauma, her DID seems somewhat illogical, as DID typically develops before adolescence. It will be interesting to see how the timeline of Eun Ho’s DID development is explored in later episodes.

What happened to Joo Yeon’s brother?

In the premiere episode, it is clear that Joo Yeon lost his brother, which may have contributed to his reclusive personality. In episodes three and four, we finally learn that his brother, Se Yeon, was in an accident after returning from Joo Yeon’s graduation ceremony. Shocked by the loss of one son, Joo Yeon’s mother blames him for his brother’s death, believing that if Joo Yeon had not asked Se Yeon to visit, the accident would not have happened.

This revelation parallels Eun Ho and Hye Ri’s situation: both lost a sibling. While Eun Ho blames herself, Joo Yeon’s mother places the blame on him, leading him to believe that he caused his brother’s death. It seems this shared trauma will bring Eun Ho and Joo Yeon closer in the future.

How did Hye Ri get her parking lot job? 

One of the biggest mysteries from the premiere episodes was how Hye Ri got her parking lot job. Since Hye Ri is not a separate person, but one of Eun Ho’s personalities, she wouldn’t have a national identity card, making it technically impossible for her to get a job. However, she did have a job, and it seems Eun Ho might have helped her secure it.

In one scene, Eun Ho is shown reminiscing about her conversation with her sister, who says she wants to work at a parking lot when she grows up. The conversation cuts to another scene where Eun Ho speaks to a man at the parking lot where Hye Ri works, asking him for a “strange favor.” Although it’s not explicitly stated, it can be assumed she asked him to hire Hye Ri.

It’s still unclear whether Eun Ho was dissociating when she helped Hye Ri get the job. When another employee asks Hye Ri for her name and age, she hesitates, almost saying she’s in her thirties instead of twenty five, and doesn’t speak like the Hye Ri we know. This suggests that Eun Ho might have taken on the job to alleviate her guilt and briefly live the life Hye Ri wanted. This scene again shows how Eun Ho and Joo Yeon are similar, as he also becomes an announcer solely because his late brother wanted to be one.

With each revelation about Eun Ho’s past, it becomes increasingly clear how much she has endured — from losing her parents and sister to facing workplace sexism and discrimination, and finally, losing Hyun Oh, the person she wanted to spend her life with. As Eun Ho and Hyun Oh grow closer once again, will she open her heart to his love and end up separating Hye Ri and Joo Yeon, or distance herself from Hyun Oh to let Hye Ri find happiness? Either way, both possibilities are bound to devastate us.

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Hello Soompiers! What do you think will happen to Hye Ri and her relationship with Joo Yeon after Eun Ho’s DID symptoms disappear? Let us know in the comments section below!

Javeria is a binge-watching specialist who loves devouring entire K-dramas in one sitting. Good screenwriting, beautiful cinematography, and a lack of cliches are the way to her heart. As a music fanatic, she listens to multiple artists across different genres and stans the self-producing idol group SEVENTEEN. You can talk to her on Instagram @javeriayousufs.

Currently watching: “Dear Hyeri,” “Love Next Door,” and “What Comes After Love.”
Looking forward to: “Squid Game Season 2,” “Good Boy,” and “Reborn.”