4 Times Lee Jun Hyuk & Han Ji Min Tugged At Our Hearts In Episodes 7-8 Of "Love Scout"

The recent episodes of “Love Scout” gave us several swoon-worthy moments as things got hot and sweet between Han Ji Min’s Kang Ji Yun and Lee Jun Hyuk’s Yu Eun Ho. Kang Ji Yun is attracted to Yu Eun Ho, who has stirred up unknown feelings and emotions in her. Should she follow her heart and take the plunge? Or should she be practical? After all, Ji Yun doesn’t like to complicate matters in her personal life. On the other hand, Eun Ho has his own dilemmas, and romance is a luxury he may not be able to afford. But the irresistible pull between the two gave several moments which tugged at our hearts and even made us squeal in delight.

Warning: spoilers from episode 7-8 below.

Kang Ji Yun coolly confessing her feelings

Kang Ji Yun (Han Ji Min) is a straightforward person. She doesn’t play games and tells it like it is. The same rule applies for the matters of the heart as well. But she is fiercely attracted to her charming secretary Yu Eun Ho (Lee Jun Hyuk), and the feelings only keep getting stronger. She is cutely nervous sitting by his side when they attend a piano recital together. Rather than the performance, her gaze is fixed squarely on his face, and she sternly tells herself to get a grip on her feelings. But the moment her eyes lock with Eun Ho’s, she knows she is in trouble because she has fallen hard for him.

Nose deep in her work, Ji Yun, who has been oblivious to people and her surroundings, seems to be very aware now, since Eun Ho is in the picture. From stealing glances at him and smiling to herself to acting nonchalant when caught, Ji Yun is giddily infatuated. But she is quick to shake herself off her reverie and tells her colleague and friend, Director Seo (Lee Sang Hee), to replace Eun Ho and get her a new assistant since he distracts her too much. When Eun Ho confronts her on why she wants him gone, Ji Yun looks him squarely in the eye and confesses that she likes him and can’t deal with her feelings.

Though she tries her best to avoid him at work and goes back to her brusque snappy self, it seems Eun Ho has stirred feelings in her which are only getting more intense.

Kang Ji Yun is really refreshing in the way she takes the lead, and the way she maturely confesses and shows her feelings is absolutely winsome. This is a woman who has walked the long road alone and deserves the happiness she has often denied herself.

Eun Ho’s inner conflict

Eun Ho is not oblivious to Ji Yun, and it’s clear that he does feel something for her. Though taken aback with her bold confession, he is equally flustered when she says to act as if nothing happened. He is uncomfortable and frazzled with her detached and icy behavior. Plus, Eun Ho can’t get Ji Yun out of his head either, but what’s stopping him from moving forward?

He spills the truth to his friend, that though he has someone on his mind, he is unable to take a step forward because he is concerned about Byeol, his daughter. For the past seven years, his world has revolved around his daughter and her needs.

While he doesn’t lack female attention, Eun Ho has never been interested in anyone, but things feel different when he is around Ji Yun. He feels protective towards her, as well as an instinctive pull that he finds hard to resist.

When his friend encourages him to give love another chance, Eun Ho is conflicted, and one understands his concerns. It is a sweet moment when he asks Byeol how would she feel if he were to find someone he likes. Byeol’s answer is simple as it is pure—that she would like that for her father.

Despite his reservations, the longing and the intensity of his feelings are reflected in his eyes. And when he goes out to meet Ji Yun instead of watching a movie with Su Hyeon (Kim Yoon Hye), the look in his eyes and the feelings he has are palpable.

After kissing in front of Gwanghwamun and confirming their feelings, Eun Ho is upfront with Ji Yun, revealing he had never thought there would be room for anyone other than Byeol in his life. Eun Ho, who had channeled all his energy into rising Byeol, is now confronted with feelings and emotions that he can’t seem to avoid. What’s endearing about Eun Ho is his gentle charm, which he effortlessly notches up with his calming presence.

The beginning of an irresistible romance

Kang Ji Yun in love is infectiously adorable. Though she clearly tells Yu Eun Ho that they need to keep their relationship under wraps at work and not complicate things, she’s the one who can’t control or resist her deepening feelings for him.

She’s good at keeping her eyes off him at work, but it seems the rush of romance has also made her bold. When Eun Ho asks her to give him a high five, Ji Yun flirtatiously takes his hand in hers and plants a kiss. There is yet another uncharacteristically Ji Yun moment when she tells Eun Ho to not get off the car to drop her off—otherwise she wouldn’t be able to let go of him. It’s nice to see Ji Yun wearing her heart proudly on her sleeve.

And it’s not just Ji Yun. Eun Ho too seems to have a spring in his step, and it is Byeol who gives us the lowdown. She guesses that her dad likes someone when she explains the facts to the bookshop owner, who is Eun Ho’s friend. Her father spends a lot of time staring at himself in the mirror, takes care with his appearance, and is even stuck to his phone, and she approves of it as much as the viewers do.

Even though Ji Yun and Eun Ho are doing their best to keep their relationship a secret, the tell tale signs are a giveaway to those who know them best. When Director Seo confronts Ji Yun, she is taken aback with Ji Yun’s confession that she does like Eun Ho. When her friend warns her that Eun Ho comes with emotional baggage, Ji Yun responds that she likes him for the life he has had and how that made him the man he is today.

Even as they adorably tease each other and are playfully delightful in their relationship, there is also maturity and tacit understanding between the two, as people in their own right. “Love Scout” cleverly upends the gender and romantic tropes one has been so used to in narratives in a simple yet poignant way.

Eun Ho’s loyalty towards Ji Yun

Even as Ji Yun’s personal life is looking up, her professional life is gearing up for some rough weather. Her former boss, Hye Jin (Park Bo Kyung), has been slyly playing games and trying to destroy Ji Yun’s credibility. On the other hand, Chairman Woo (Jo Seung Yeon), who helped Ji Yun set up Peoplez, is not too happy about Ji Yun being independent when it comes to running her business. Chairman Woo is manipulative and seems to have found the perfect ally in bring Ji Yun down, and it’s none other than Hye Jin.

After turning Chairman Woo’s request down to recommend a political candidate, Ji Yun is summoned by him for an event. She is aware that something is amiss and confides in Eun Ho. She is upfront that though she is grateful to Chairman Woo and his support, his constant interference is making her weary.

At the event, Chairman Woo humiliates Ji Yun and is passive aggressive with her, suggesting that if she continues to rebel, things could get dangerous. No one messes with Chairman Woo, and it is an open threat to Ji Yun. However, Eun Ho’s timely intervention irks Chairman Woo, who warns Eun Ho that this disrespect would cost him dearly. Eun Ho calmly responds that an assistant’s loyalty only belongs to his boss. It’s a simple yet strong statement, which once again proves Eun Ho’s quiet confidence and strength of character. A loyal employee, here is a man who is also standing up for the woman he loves. This is the first time Ji Yun’s eyes reflect the security and surety that she no longer needs to fight alone. We’ll have to wait to see what happens next, but I am definitely shipping Ji Yun and Eun Ho, since we know they are in it together.

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Puja Talwar is a Soompi writer with a strong Yoo Yeon Seok and Lee Junho bias. A long time K-drama fan, she loves devising alternate scenarios to the narratives. She has interviewed Lee Min Ho, Gong Yoo, Cha Eun Woo, and Ji Chang Wook to name a few. You can follow her on @puja_talwar7 on Instagram.

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