Recap: Secret Relationships, Episode 6

😳
Well then! If I was shocked by the end of Episode 5, I don’t even know how to describe my reaction to the end of this one! And no, not the epilogue obviously lol

But wow! I mean, I obviously know that this isn’t simply a fluffy series. It was very dramatic from the start. And there have been inklings of the series diving into perhaps darker stories. So I think this episode was a natural, if also very dramatic, progression for the tumultuous stories of our four guys!

So let’s get to it.

Despite Sunghyun’s plea, Daon willingly goes into his apartment with Soohyun. As soon as they walk in, Soohyun begins passionately kissing Daon. When Soohyun sees Daon looking at the door, he stops kissing him and slams the wall.

Soohyun forbids Daon from ever looking at Sunghyun like that in front of him. Daon asks what happens if he refuses and Soohyun says he will kill Sunghyun. So if Daon understands, he better watch his words and behavior.

Next morning, Daon looks at Soohyun sleeping with his shirt open on his bed before leaving for work. Soohyun gets up and watches from the building’s walkway above as Sunghyun arrives and meets Daon on the street.

Sunghyun says he was worried all night and asks Daon if he’s okay. Daon says it’s none of his business and why would he be worried about him. He adds that this is how he really is. Even if he enjoys being with Sunghyun, if someone else shows up, he will just easily leave him.

Sunghyun says that doesn’t matter, he can wait for him no matter how long it takes. Daon thinks he won’t even be able to last a few days and just give up and resent him like everyone else.

Daon says Sunghyun shouldn’t hold on too much to his pride and just give up now. But Sunghyun replies that he will never give up and asks Daon not to push him away.

Daon walks away.

At the office, Sunghyun walks into the same elevator as Soohyun. Soohyun taunts Sunghyun who does not budge and gives it right back. Sunghyun says Soohyun must be anxious for him to be acting this way. Soohyun points out he’s known Daon longer and Sunghyun says that just proves his point.

Daon, Sunghyun and Soohyun are in the boardroom discussing plans for their proposal. While Daon tries to focus on their work, Soohyun tells him they will go home together later. When Daon ignores that and seeing Sunghyun’s longing look, Soohyun forcefully pulls Daon’s chair next to his.

Soohyun smirks when he is sure Sunghyun is upset. He says they can have another meeting after he meets with their clients. Sunghyun grabs his things and quickly leaves the room as does Daon.

Sunghyun takes a deep breath on the stairwell, trying to calm himself down.

After work, Sunghyun tries to approach Daon. But Soohyun stops his car in front of Daon. Daon turns to see Sunghyun standing there, but has no choice but to get in the car with Soohyun.

Soohyun drives Daon to his apartment and tells him to go. Daon says they must stop this now and asks why this bothers Soohyun so much when he doesn’t even hang out with Jaemin anymore. Hearing that name triggers Soohyun and Daon asks what the reason is then.

Soohyun says he wants to stay by Daon’s side, like before. Daon thinks he’s lying and asks who does Soohyun think he is to want that. Soohyun was never there when he needed him, so why is he coming to him now.

“I don’t need you anymore,” Daon says, adding that he erased him from his life when he left seven years ago. There is no chance for Soohyun to ever be with him.

Daon walks away.

Next day at the project site, Daon is surprised when Sunghyun comes instead of their co-worker who has something else to take care of. After meeting with a client, Sunghyun suggests they go for dinner or watch a movie tonight. Daon stops him, but Sunghyun reminds him that he said he can stay by his side.

Daon tells him to give up if he’s tired.

Meanwhile, Daon’s sister Daseul is at her part-time restaurant job when he greets her a Happy Birthday. After she serves a table their food, the guy complains that she splashed sauce on his white sweater. The guy gets in Daseul’s face and pushes her until she steps back into the cart and falls to the floor, the spoons and forks falling all over her.

Daon gets the call from the hospital and he frantically tries to get to his car. Sunghyun insists that he will drive him.

At the hospital, Daon mistakenly sees a bloody woman on the bed. But Jaemin suddenly pops up and tells him about Daseul getting hurt at her part-time job. Once Daseul walks out with a sling, Daon scolds her for taking a job when he already told her not to.

Daseul insists that moving out is more important and then she can continue studying. She points out Daon abandoned their family as soon as he got a job because he was sick and tired of their gambling addict father, their sick mother, and their twin siblings.

Daon says if she keeps this up, she can just do whatever the hell she wants.

Daon walks out and Jaemin follows. Jaemin tells Daon to take it easy on Daseul and that he will talk to her. Daon tells him not to worry about it and that he will take care of everything.

Meanwhile, Soohyun is in his condo drinking and thinking about Daon’s words to him. He gets a call from his mother, upset that he ruined his blind dates. Soohyun says he didn’t come back to Korea to inherit the company.

Growing angry, he says she promised to protect “him” if he went to study abroad. So why have things reached this point. His mother can’t believe he’s still dwelling on the past.

Soohyun throws his phone at the wall and tells himself that it is not over yet with Daon. He believes they can start over.

That evening, Daon is in his apartment when Daseul rings his doorbell. She apologizes and says she didn’t know he was so worried about her. Daon invites her inside and cooks her a birthday dinner.

Daon apologizes for yelling at her earlier, but Daseul says they should just enjoy their dinner. He asks how she hurt her arm and she says she just slipped. But she can’t help but think Jaemin is a bit weird. She didn’t tell anyone about her part-time job, but Jaemin was there almost immediately. Seems too much of a coincidence.

Turns out Jaemin hired that guy to cause a scene at the restaurant. Though he only wanted for the guy to scare her, not get her hurt and lose her job.

Daseul says it was like Jaemin knew exactly what was going to happen. Daon says that’s impossible since Jaemin has always been a big help to them.

After Daseul leaves, she texts Sunghyun and they meet. Earlier at the hospital, Sunghyun stood in as Daseul’s guardian so the nurse could explain how to change the dressing on her arm. He bought medicine and other items for her.

Daseul wanted to thank him and pay him back for the items. Sunghyun laughs and says she’s just like her brother. He’s helping just because he wants to, not because he’s expecting anything in return. But if it bothers her, he will accept her paying for his drink. He pushes the money back toward her.

Daseul asks if Sunghyun likes Daon. She says he can be stubborn and prideful and can say mean things. But he never means it. So even if he acts like a fool, she hopes Sunghyun won’t give up on him. As long as he stays by his side, he’ll warm up to him.

Next day at the project site, Sunghyun approaches Daon to tell him about the instructions for Daseul’s arm, but Daon says not to worry about it. Sunghyun asks why he can’t worry and Daon says it’s only because he pities him.

Sunghyun says that is not that the case and Daon says he is embarrassed. Sunghyun goes after Daon when he tries to walk away. Sunghyun says he’s shown even more embarrassing sides of himself than Daon, including clinging on to him after being rejected.

Daon says Sunghyun doesn’t have to go this far to stay by his side. Sunghyun feels miserable and his pride is hurt, but he just can’t let him go. His heart has been crushed many times over and does think about the possibility that Daon may never come.

That’s why, Sunghyun asks Daon if he can like him too. Sunghyun takes Daon’s hand in his and says if he doesn’t want him near him, he will stay away. If he doesn’t want to see him, he’ll hide. Just as long as Daon does not abandon him. He will wait no matter how long it takes.

Daon takes his hand back and walks away.

Daon arrives at his apartment later that evening where Soohyun is waiting for him. They head to a restaurant to talk.

Soohyun gives Daon a ring, reminding him that Daon once said he would accept a ring if Soohyun gave him one. Soohyun confesses his true feelings for Daon and puts the ring on his hand. “It’s always been you,” Soohyun says and asks for them to start over. He promises he won’t ever leave Daon again.

Daon thinks about Sunghyun asking him not to leave and abandon him.

Daon takes the ring off and puts it in Soohyun’s hand saying he can’t go back to that time. It’s been too long. Now he understands it’s useless to regret what has been missed and that he won’t run away anymore. Daon wants to follow his heart.

Daon gets up to leave. He texts Sunghyun, but Soohyun chases after him and says he can never do whatever he wants. Soohyun can’t take it anymore and reveals that it was Jaemin all along. From what Jaehun did to him to why Soohyun had to study abroad, all of it was Jaemin’s doing. Daon refuses to believe it. But he remembers what Daseul said about Jaemin.

Daon texts to meet with Jaemin and Jaemin prepares a nice dinner for them two.

Daon arrives and immediately confronts Jaemin about everything he’s done. Jaemin scoffs and says yes, he did it. Daon asks why he did it and Jaemin says it’s because he loves him.

“I did all that for you.”

Daon can’t believe it. But Jaemin suddenly grabs Daon and tries to kiss him. Daon tries to fight back. Jaemin forces Daon onto the couch and ends up able to suck on his neck.

Daon is able to push Jaemin off of him and says they will have to talk next time.

Suddenly, Jaemin grabs a butter knife and stabs his arm several times.

Flashback to seven years ago, Soohyun is laying his head on Daon’s lap in the library. Soohyun sees Daon looking at his face and teases him. Daon says he was just looking at his ring and that’s when Soohyun asks if Daon would accept a ring if he ever gave him one.

Little did they know, Jaemin had been watching them the whole time.

Episode Thoughts

WTF!

Well, that was definitely nothing I ever expected! At first I thought maybe it was just a dream or something. Maybe Jaemin thinking the worst. Or even Daon thinking the worst on his way to confronting Jaemin. I have no idea. But Jaemin stabbed his damn wrist three times. Like, my goodness. I was probably in more shock than Daon, to be honest lol

But this episode definitely highlighted just how obsessed, possessive, manipulative, and downright unhinged Jaemin truly is. Not just that last scene, but really focusing on the lengths he has gone through to basically control Daon’s life and feelings. And not even Daon, but he targeted his family too.

Now, we don’t know the underlying issues to have him behave in this way. It’s definitely more serious than simply Jaemin being in love with Daon. Or even being in love with Soohyun, to be honest. We have no idea at this point. But until we do learn a bit more about Jaemin, the main takeaway so far is the effect it has had on Daon.

Daon has just had everything pile up and weigh him down. And having someone like Jaemin going further than the proverbial rich mother in law trying to end her son’s marriage to the poor girl; it’s really crazy to think about.

For us the viewer though, it definitely riles us up as well. And it provides for a very dramatic and pretty dark story. But one that is very much engaging and that is being told with purpose. I have confidence the series will land its last two episodes, whatever direction they will be taking these characters and their story.

Now, the other three guys had some wonderfully nuanced performances in Episode 5. This time, it was Hoyoung’s turn. He really has done a great job of carefully balancing Jaemin’s green and burning red flags. Like, even when we learned of him orchestrating a staged sexual assault of Daon (?!?!), there was still a less than one percent chance that he’s not that horrible a person. I think that all changed here. But that was at the end of Episode 6. To have reached this point and still hold out hope for Jaemin, even as tiny as a speck of dirt, is testament to Hoyoung’s strong performance.

Now to the rest of the episode, I kind of side-eyed Daon at the beginning. He wasn’t really fighting back against Soohyun’s kisses. I think I saw him kissing back a few seconds too. So… lol

Then the morning scene with Soohyun in Daon’s bed with his shirt open, I was ready to toss Daon aside. Lol But then they subtly showed a blanket and pillow on the couch, so we can assume Daon slept there and not in the bed with Mr. Temper. Lol So that’s good.

But the way Daon knew that Soohyun probably could really, truly, sincerely kill Sunghyun, it’s hard to fault him for being afraid. It’s moments like that though that makes you hesitate to truly understand Soohyun. On one hand, you can understand his frustration regarding pursuing a relationship with Daon. Hearing Daon talking about how Soohyun abandoned him must have hurt bad.

On the other you can understand the pressures of his family and even society for someone like him. But then when he acts like this, being emotionally and physically violent, it’s hard to full sympathize or even empathize with him. You can’t just always excuse his behavior away to “he’s had it rough in his life”.

And of course, the fact that he almost killed a guy for coming on to Daon and yet he’s forcing himself on Daon like this. Bro, you’re losing the argument. Lol And it’s too little, too late, unfortunately.

Then the conversation between Daon and Sunghyun. Daon saying that part about everyone leaving him and being tired of him and such really provides huge insight into his thinking and his past. That’s probably what he’s felt like from everyone, whether his family or these two guys he thought were his friends.

It’s all probably what’s forced him to be independent. And has prevented him from becoming attached to or even just friendly with anyone else. We’ve seen that with his coworkers who commented about him being a bit cold to them all. And of course we see it with Sunghyun now.

It was very nice though how Sunghyun pretty much knew Daon did not mean what he was saying and was just intentionally pushing him away. But that doesn’t mean that it won’t still hurt for Sunghyun either. And he expressed as much later in the episode.

Not gonna lie, when Daon saw that bloody woman on the hospital bed, I was like WTF? It can’t have been that serious. Lol So once Daseul actually walked out with Jaemin, I was so relieved. It would’ve been a bit too crazy otherwise lol

Daseul was pretty harsh with Daon I thought. I think particularly bringing up their sick mother? Like Daon was tired of his sick mother so he left them? 😖

But it was very interesting how Daseul immediately clocked Jaemin after what happened today yet Daon remained in denial. Nonetheless, a nice little scene between the siblings. And even that scene with Daseul and Sunghyun too.

I did enjoy the scenes between Daon and Soohyun though. Soohyun finally laying his true feelings on the table. But obviously it’s too late. It’s interesting how Daon explains that he couldn’t possibly wait for Soohyun this long. Yet here’s Sunghyun willing to do just that.

Again, so great how the series can tie everything together. And have each piece supporting each other as a whole too.

Speaking of nuance in their performances, Junseo delivered some great subtleties in that epilogue flashback. Showing Daon’s reaction to Soohyun’s flirtatious acts, a bit timid, but also feeling kilig and happy too. So good!

Overall, this was definitely a very dramatic episode that turned very dark at the end. But it’s all very much in line with the story the series has been building since the beginning. It’s a bittersweet feeling that there’s only two episodes left. But I am definitely looking forward to seeing how this excellent series (so far!) will end.