Love Next Door has a delicate vibe that feels like a warm hug on the winter solstice. No, I don’t think it’s Particularly impressive as a spectacle, but what it can do for you as an individual is. I don’t mean to sound cheesy, but this show has a way of pulling at your heartstrings if you’re, for lack of a better description, a dissatisfied millennial. There is a generational feeling of disappointment because no matter how hard you strive for anything, you never receive the desired result.
Those older than you worked hard to earn a name for themselves; the younger generation was born with a silver spoon in their mouth, but you have no idea what happiness looks like. No, I’m not saying that all millennials feel the same way; rather, Love Next Door embodies that philosophy. We’re just in the third episode of the program, so I’m not going to jump to conclusions, but this show is bound to be a fan favourite for many, at least among those released this year.
Anyway, with that said, let me just jump into everything that happened in episode three.
Table of Contents
Why Did Seung-Hyo Become an Architect?
The Love Next Door episode provides greater insight into Seung-Hyo’s life. Seung-Hyo was a swimmer who won the national swimming competition that qualified him for the Olympics in 2007. He was all set to represent his country, but on the day he was supposed to leave, he was involved in a vehicle accident (I know, it’s a drama!). Soon, Seung-Hyo realised he couldn’t swim anymore.
Devastated, Seung-Hyo refused to leave his room for several days, and it was Seok-Ryu who was able to nurse him back to health in her ridiculous ways. So, Seung-Hyo changed from an athlete to a great architect. On the flip side, it appears that Seung-Hyo’s home situation is not particularly good, and his parents do not get along well. Seung-Hyo’s mother is always travelling for work and dislikes staying in Korea for extended periods.
His father, on the other hand, does not appear to have much to say, and the car accident before the Olympics may have truly messed him up. Or rather, as a family. In the present day, Seung-Hyo has a major disagreement with his co-founder when he is asked to discreetly replicate a design, but his idealistic values prevent him from doing so. Soon, he’ll discover an interesting fact about himself, but more on that later.
What Happens When Seok-Ryu Meets Her High School Teacher?
In the present, Seok-Ryu wastes time since she doesn’t know what to do with her unemployed status. Her mother, too, understands she will struggle to be “useless” and will most likely come to her senses shortly. Seok-Ryu even lays out what she can do all day so she doesn’t feel bored, but she finally needs quality time with her colleagues, something they can’t afford because they work.
She becomes very happy after their miserly two hours, just to see them return to work. The following day, Seok-Ryu sees her high school homeroom instructor at her parents’ kimbap shop. Seok-Ryu agrees to assist the teacher in delivering a large order to the school.
There she discovers that Seung-Hyo is competing in a competition to build the school swimming pool. Furthermore, because the instructor is meeting two of her renowned students, she asks whether they can chat with some of their juniors. Seung-Hyo doesn’t have time, but the teacher is aware that Seok-Ryu works for Greip, an international corporation.
Seok-Ryu doesn’t have the heart to inform her she is quitting, so she does the meet and greet. The children ask her a variety of interesting things, but one in particular stands out: what was her dream when she was in high school? Seok-Ryu doesn’t have an answer for this, although she does say she wanted to make her parents proud.
Seok-Ryu appears to have spent her entire life striving to be exceptional, and this is the result of burnout. When she Subsequently meets with the teacher, she tells her that she doesn’t have the heart to inform her that she is quitting, but her teacher says it doesn’t matter. She was constantly concerned that she had not taught Seok-Ryu how to be content with not being perfect, but she realised later that Seok-Ryu would be able to manage herself.
This scenario is warm and emotional, and I was sweating from my eyes. Oh, and if you were wondering, sparks are flowing between journalist Dan-Ho, Seok-Ryu, and Seung-Hyo’s best friend Mo-Eum. Dan-Ho has also published an intriguing article about Seung-Hyo, which discusses his “watery” past. I wonder how he’ll react when the piece comes out.
Surprisingly, Seok-Ryu has already secured a position with a Korean company called Serendipity, which pays nearly as much as Griep and has a comparable job description, But Seung-Hyo questions her need to do this. Does she truly want to do it? And doesn’t she want something better for herself? Seok-Ryu doesn’t, because she doesn’t come from an affluent background like Seung-Hyo, who can stop and think of a fresh idea for himself while everyone else is stuck in the same position.
Seok-Ryu is stuck, and the only way she can get ahead is to return to work as “work” rather than as something she enjoys (dang, gal). Seung-Hyo realises he has to take on that project and has a moment of reflection for the first time since the swimming disaster. I assume they’ve both been working quite hard in their own right.
What Did Seung-Hyo Write In His Time Capsule?
At the end of Love Next Door episode 3, Seok-Ryu and Seung-Hyo are both at school looking for their time capsules. Seung-Hyo discovers it first, while Seok-Ryu is caught by her teacher. Seok-Ryu then sees Seung-Hyo at the swimming pool, where he tells her that she has matured as a person and is no longer the eccentric person she once was. In the heat of the moment, Seok-Ryu chooses to jump into the pool, despite her lack of swimming skills, to show herself.
He assists her in floating away from all she is experiencing. Seung-Hyo is asked if he could return to swimming at the end of episode 3; would he still have chosen to become an architect? He assures her that he will, but when he asks if she will return to her job with Griep, she responds negatively. Taking a risk, Seung-Hyo then asks Seok-Ryu what she would do if she had to go back to the time before her engagement ended.
In response, Seok-Ryu says she wouldn’t turn back. In the letter he wrote a decade ago, Seung-Hyo questioned whether or not he had told Seok-Ryu how he felt. Although we are aware that he didn’t, it appears that that time is getting closer (eep!).
