Cough And Love
Youth of May episode 6 begins with Hee-Tae and Myung-Hee running away together. Only, they’re spotted by Soo-Ryeon who watches them out the window. When her parents ask where Hee-Tae is, Soo-Ryeon lies and claims she sent him home. As the evening ends, Myung-Hee and Hee-Tae stand and talk outside under the street lights. After running his hand tentatively over her ear, the pair exchange mementos (her earring and his tie) to remember their evening together. Just before they kiss, a guard arrives blowing a whistle questioning what they’re doing. In the morning, Hee-Tae’s father confronts his son and slaps him several times, telling the boy that if he disappoints him again he’ll get more than a slap. As the pair head downstairs, Soo-Ryeon shows up with a gift. She notices his red cheek and the two start talking. Soo-Ryeon uncovers a picture of his Mother tucked away in a book, giving them common ground to talk as they mention the loss of a loved one. Meanwhile, Myung-Hee volunteers at a church but she’s given the cold shoulder by Hye-Gun. He saw her and Hee-Tae together. Myung-Hee doesn’t say anything but her look is enough to reveal the truth of the situation to him. Upon hearing this he turns and walks away. Elsewhere, Hee-Tae’s father meets Han Suk-Joong, who has big plans for Changhwa Pharmaceuticals. With the president inexperienced, he suggests joint management with his cousin, Yong-Gil. However, this would also mean upsetting Lee Chang-Keun and essentially handing his business over. With martial law a very real possibility in the near future, Ki-Nam caves and agrees to the terms. That evening, Soo-Chan heads out for drinks with Hee-Tae. There, he reminds him of his responsibilities and how he noticed the pair running away. He bemoans his recklessness but Hee-Tae changes tact and asks whether he’s really upset about Soo-Ryeon. Given the affection he has for Myung-Hee, it’s unsurprising that he has this reaction and Hee-Tae knows. Well, given how drunk Hee-Tae ends up, he eventually heads over to Myung-Hee’s place ready for tutoring Jin-A. Only, he passes out long before that can even begin. When he awakens, Hee-Tae finds himself with a number of dishes on the table ready to serve his hangover. This trend of eating continues at lunch too, as Myung-Hee and Hee-Tae find themselves dining with Myung-Soo and Jung-Tae. Midway through eating, the kids suddenly ask what the nature of their relationship is. They cough, sputtering food as they tentatively mention how they’re just friends. Spending time together, the four head to the theme park before getting the bus home. With the kids asleep, Myung-Hee encourages Hee-Tae to reach out and spend more time with Jung-Tae. Myung-Hee can sense that the boy wants that, and tells Hee-Tae that there’s some things that are hard to disguise. On the way home, the truth about Jung-Tae is revealed as he lashes out and confronts Hee-Tae about their Mother and how she’s been referred to as a mistress. He’s obviously not happy but Hee-Tae reminds him that he’s the legitimate son as he was born in wedlock. He pats the boy on the shoulder and tells him he doesn’t need to be anxious. When Myung-Hee heads home, she finds Soo-Chan waiting for her. He asks outright what’s going on with Hee-Tae and claims he’s fooling her. She knows it’s not foolish and that their feelings are true. She tells Soo-Chan as much and decides to put up with any abuse that may come her way. Soo-Chan’s woes, of course, stem from the fact he likes Myung-Hee. In the morning, Soo-Ryeon heads over and confronts Myung-Hee about what she’s doing with Hee-Tae. She believes things will be better when Myung-Hee leaves. This hits deeply, especially given their ties go back years, all the way to their childhood at the church to be precise. It turns out the pair got into protesting back then, with posters up on the wall and flyers handed out to students regarding oppressive religious leaders. When she heads home, Soo-Ryeon is confronted by Ki-Nam and Chang-Keun who both blindside her. They ask outright exactly who Hee-Tae has been seeing but Soo-Ryeon plays dumb and claims she doesn’t know. It’s enough for the parents to decide not to break things off for this relationship. Ki-Nam however, promises to teach his son a lesson. It’s the calm before the storm, and as we cut out to the street Hee-Tae and Myung-Hee both kiss each other properly. Smiling, Myung-Hee walks away after telling Hee-Tae she’ll see him tomorrow. As the two part ways, Myung-Hee is suddenly grabbed and bundled into a car.
The Episode Review
So who could have grabbed Myung-Hee there? It seems like it may well be the protestors, potentially wanting her to get involved and help them with this upcoming martial law. That’s just a theory of course but given Myung-Hee used to be into protesting it may explain why. Meanwhile, the situation between the two families continues to grow more complicated, with Hee-Tae and Myung-Hee’s relationship causing a whirlwind of issues around them. In fact, this actually works really well to add layers of depth to this series that something like She Would Never Know failed to do earlier this year. Unlike that entangled office romance, Youth of May has a really interesting backdrop and the romantic drama lends itself nicely to this time period and the situation between the two families. Topical issues like bribery, protesting, martial law and even family attitudes all lend themselves nicely to this show and Youth of May excels in portraying this. As we hit the halfway point of this drama, Youth of May has been a very solid watch so far, and the second half looks set to be just as dramatic as the first.
