In the aftermath of his discovery, Jihyeok has to make a choice whether to forgive or condemn Darim in episode 9 of Dynamite Kiss.
Dynamite Kiss is getting ready for the home stretch now that Jihyeok is finally caught up on the truth. On the other side, Darim finally takes her turn to yearn, and our love triangle heats up in Dynamite Kiss episode 9, entitled “Don’t go. I don’t want you to leave.”
Also Read: Pop Corner: Dynamite Kiss Episode 6 Recap: Softly Swaying
No one wants this
Everyone is trying to stop the engagement ceremony in some way. Jihye has pictures of Jihyeok and Darim’s “affair” teed up to play in lieu of an engagement ceremony video. Jihyeok’s supernatural hearing (hello, suspension of disbelief, our old friend) led him to overhear not only Jun calling for “Auntie Darim,” but also an old friend of Darim and Seonu’s asking why they aren’t married yet.
Hayeong is ready to blow this joint wide open, but just as she starts her big confession, In-ae collapses. Turns out Mama In-ae is way ahead of everyone, faking a collapse so she could stop the ceremony. She’s also building a case against Changho so she could regain ownership of the company she helped establish. Smiling brightly, In-ae reassures Jihyeok that she’s strong enough now to handle herself.
Namkoong Min, who starred in My Dearest with Ahn Eunjin, and Kim Jieun have cameos as In-ae’s lawyers.
Just pointing it out
With his mother’s words to “follow his heart” ringing in his ears, Jihyeok focuses on his own problems. He takes out his own pointer and gets Darim to rewrite the invitation for the photography exhibit over and over, saying it’s not sincere enough.
Hayeong comes to visit Jihyeok at work. Jihyeok reveals that he knows the truth about Darim and Seonu, and the two are finally honest with their intentions about their wedding. Jihyeok agrees to call off the wedding but tells Hayeong to keep acting like they’re engaged so as not to draw attention to In-ae’s plan. In the meantime, Hayeong is finally free to pursue Seonu without Jihyeok’s judgment.
Darim watches this interaction through the window, finally on the other side of the misunderstanding. She feels a pang of yearning for Jihyeok, the way he has for her this whole time.
After the conversation, Hayeong, happy to be rid of the burden of this secret, is also ready to tell Darim she knows the truth. However, Jihye walks in just as Hayeong speaks up, almost finding out the truth herself. Thankfully, Jihyeok covers for them.
The truth
Dropping the pretense of the photography exhibit, Jihyeok confronts Darim, saying she’s the one who hasn’t been sincere with him. He asks her if she is who she says she is. When she is unable to respond, he coldly dismisses her.
Darim is obviously distraught at being caught in her lie, as this means losing not just the job that keeps her family afloat, but also the trust of her coworkers. She goes to Jihyeok’s place in the rain to try to explain her side of the story. Despite being furious at her, he shows up with an umbrella and agrees to hear her out. Darim tearfully tells him about her financial situation and how it led her to do what she did.
Hayeong tells Seonu that Jihyeok knows the truth. Seonu is still locked on Darim, concerned at how this affected her. He joins her at the Grandfather Tree, where she is sitting contemplating what will happen next. Seonu finally confesses his feelings for Darim. He tells her she doesn’t have to reply right away and gives her time to think about how she feels.
Family intermission
Jihye tries to send the “affair” pictures to Hayeong’s dad but Taeyeong intercepts them. Once again, he uses this as an opportunity to taunt Jihye, saying that he did her a favor as the pictures will only make his father move up the wedding to avoid the scandal.
Meanwhile, In-ae thanks Myungsun for giving her the strength to regain control of her life. However, she is worried about having nowhere to go aside from the hospital, where Changho’s guards can monitor her every move. Myungsun, who is scheduled to be discharged soon, invites In-ae to stay at her place for the time being.
The liberation of Gong Jihyeok
While Darim has started to avoid Seonu out of awkwardness, she cannot help but run into Jihyeok at work. After spending another night agonizing about his feelings, Jihyeok sees Darim helping a custodian out at work and remembers how much he likes her.
Unaware that Taeyeong is now keeping an eye on them, Jihyeok and Darim go around the city putting up posters for the exhibition. On the car ride there, Jihyeok tells Darim he has no plans of telling the company the truth about her marital status. He also starts messing with her a bit, enjoying being close to her without the guilt of breaking up a family.
Who loves Darim more?
Seonu and Jihyeok are set to do an interview about the campaign. Now that the truth’s out, there is clear tension between the two. They “accidentally” spill water on each other and start preening for Darim when she gets roped into the interview herself.
Jihyeok overhears that Seonu has confessed his feelings to Darim. He senses that if he doesn’t make a move himself, he’ll lose his chance, so he asks Darim to stay at the office after the interview. He finds excuses to make her stay, but eventually loses his composure, tells her he doesn’t want her to go, and kisses her.
Episode 9 Thoughts and What To Expect Next
Last week, I predicted that the next dynamite kiss would be soon, and wouldn’t you know it? Jihyeok moves fast, wow. He is the definition of head over heels for Darim, so of course, he’d choose to protect her despite what she did.
It was also nice to see In-ae empowered and happy this episode. It seems like her decision to move in with Myungsun and Darim will lead to some heart-fluttering scenes in Episode 10. It’s nice to return to form after some angsty, heavy episodes. Hopefully, we can look forward to more sweetness than pain in Dynamite Kiss’ home stretch – that is, if Taeyeong doesn’t do anything about it.
Source: SBS Play, SBS Now Twitter/X
