Jihyeok and Darim find themselves in a cave at the halfway point of Dynamite Kiss, with nothing but their growing feelings and the choice of whether to face them.
Episode 7 of Dynamite Kiss, entitled “I want to get married, as soon as possible,” brings us an almost kiss with a side of angst as Jihyeok wavers between making a move and possibly ruining a family or keeping his feelings to himself.
Also Read: Pop Corner: Dynamite Kiss Episode 6 Recap: Softly Swaying
Stay with me
Darim stays in the hospital overnight at Jihyeok’s insistence. She is moved to a private room because “it was the only one available.” Jihyeok gets her water, adjusts her bed, and causes a spike in her blood pressure. In the morning, Darim wakes to find that Jihyeok had stayed by her bedside the whole night.
Elsewhere in the one hospital in Seoul, Seonu is walking off after a visit to Darim’s mom, wondering where she went.
Tree planting day
After a quick recovery, Darim and the Mother TF team members excitedly hold the first tree planting event of their project. Everyone from Natural Bebe is present, including Chairman Gong, Jihyeok’s dad, who congratulates them on the event. Jihye is also present and tasks Mr. Ma to look for evidence of Jihyeok and Darim’s supposed scandal.
Mr. Ma tries to snoop but falls asleep just before Jihyeok and Darim get comfortable enough to fool around and be playful with each other. Jihyeok keeps falling in love with Darim, especially when he sees how well she interacts with Nansuk’s son. He jokingly covers her foot with dirt to “help her grow tall” like a tree, and she playfully returns the favor. Darim plants a tree in honor of her dad and opens up a bit more to Jihyeok.
In the sidelines, a possible romance between Gwangmin and Goeun seems to be blossoming.
Homecoming
Hayeong’s older brother, Taeyeong, comes home from the States, freshly divorced. He seems to be the kind of man whose pleasant exterior is a front for his deep-seated cruelty and ambition. Despite this, he is the object of his parents’ affections, as his mother wants him to remarry right away and his father trusts his business sense.
Taeyeong finds Jihye at the family park for the tree planting event. It is revealed that the two were in a secret relationship, but Taeyeong married someone else because he knew Jihye’s status as an illegitimate child would bring him down. Taeyeong tries to reconnect with Jihye, weirdly negging her by telling her she resembles the dogs she loves so much. However, Jihye, rightfully, seems to have had enough of him.
Off the beaten path
Nansuk’s son gets lost in the forests near the family park. They quickly find him, but not before Darim falls down a slope during the search. Jihyeok finds her just as the rain starts pouring. They take shelter in a cave, where Darim says she appreciates Jihyeok looking out for her like her dad used to. Jihyeok offers her his jacket to keep her warm, and Darim lets herself be held.
Meanwhile, Seonu has gotten word that Darim is missing and has rushed into the storm to look for her, once again leaving Jun with Hayeong. Hayeong takes this chance to bond with Jun and gain information on Seonu.
Jihyeok is delirious from being exposed to the downpour. As Darim tries to wake him up, he admits that he’s also swayed and that he’s “not a good person,” implying that he has an ulterior motive for being nice to her. He leans in to kiss her, and she very nearly lets him, but at the last moment, Seonu comes charging through the forest towards them.
At first, it seems like Jihyeok is ready to give into his feelings and fight for Darim, as he grabs her hand even as Seonu leads her away. But in the end, he lets her go.
This action is not lost on Seonu, who suggests that Darim quit her job because it definitely looks like Jihyeok has feelings for her. She defends Jihyeok, saying it was just because he was delirious and sick.
Opening up
Chairman Gong keeps using In-ae to show off that he’s a good husband and family man. A traumatized In-ae runs away and hides elsewhere in the hospital with the help of Myungsun. In-ae finally shares her story with Myungsun, who encourages her to be strong for her son.
Don’t cross the line
The Mother TF team receive their first paychecks. Darim is excited to pay off her debt to Jihyeok and show him how grateful she is, but she is told he is sick and resting at home.
Meanwhile, Jihyeok is going through it. He is so wracked by the guilt of being in love with Darim that he has a nightmare where he turns into his father, the man he hates for ruining his family with an affair.
When Darim comes by to give him a little care package with food, medicine, and part of the payment for her debt, he coldly turns her away, saying she’s rude for coming by to a single man’s house and that shouldn’t cross the line. She walks home, brokenhearted. The episode ends with Jihyeok telling Hayeong that he wants to get married as soon as possible.
Dynamite Kiss Episode 7 Thoughts and What to Expect Next
With so many characters cheating in the name of love, it’s almost rare and quite admirable that Dynamite Kiss is taking the issue of cheating seriously, even if the threat isn’t real. It was also nice to see Jihye’s softer side this episode, from the way she lovingly brushes the dogs and how hurt she was by Taeyeong’s games. It really makes her more human and empathetic.
In the next episode of Dynamite Kiss, Jihyeok and Hayeong’s engagement seems to be on the fast track. Since we’ve gotten the full arc of Jihyeok’s internal struggle, it would be interesting now to see how Darim reacts to this. Also, Jihyeok hits Seonu! Is it finally time to tell this man the truth?
Source: SBS Play, SBS NOW Twitter/X
