Yeong-Ju and Hyeon
Episode 5 of Our Blues starts with us switching perspective once more as we head back to the tranquil beauty of Jeju Island. Dong-Seok continues to do odd-jobs and sell things out the back of his van. He has an estranged relationship to his mother, who rings and tries to spark up a conversation. Unfortunately, he’s pretty cold toward her. It turns out she has cancer but can’t bring herself to tell her son. Dong-Seok calls his mother “aunt”, demands she never speak to him again and eventually storms out. When he does, Eun-Hui follows and hears his frustrations. Dong-Seok’s issues here stem from the fact she married his father’s friend. Meanwhile, Yeong-Ju heads out running in the morning. She hates it on the island, believing the countryside is dull and boring. And just to top it all off, a seagull defecates on her top. If that wasn’t enough, Eun-Hui continues to try and mother her. Thankfully, there’s Hyeon, the one person who doesn’t make her feel miserable. However, they’re about to face problems of their own, given Yeong-Ju could be pregnant. Yeong-Ju’s father is attentive and caring, putting her needs before his own needs. In fact, it’s to the point where he sacrifices his own socks and dental care so she can have the absolute best. However, that’s all about to change when Yeong-Ju does her pregnancy test (which Hyeon manages to buy for her) and it comes back positive. Yeong-Ju starts to avoid Hyeon until he confronts her about what’s happening. Outside, she admits to being pregnant and contemplates getting an abortion, bemoaning her luck. They only did it twice and apparently used protection too. Yeong-Ju tells Hyeon that they need to keep their mouths shut. After all, if anyone finds out about this, they could be in trouble. Hyeon does everything he can for Yeong-Ju, even paying the money he’d normally use to get into the academy. Yeong-Ju is struggling and at school, she clutches her stomach in pain. The nurse tells her not to take the pills, pointing out that the ones you obtain online are actually fake. So it would seem like she’s stuck with having this baby. At hospital, she receives even more devastating news. She’s 6 months pregnant. Yeong-Ju is also warned that she’s going to experience a lot of bleeding too. The doctor is pretty cold, giving her a number and assuming she didn’t use proper protection. Teary-eyed, she asks the doctor if she can just get the surgery but he tells her she needs a parental consent form. That night, Hyeon calls Yeong-Ju when he hears about what’s happening and reminds her that her baby is his too. Unfortunately, she just hangs up on him. Hyeon is torn up about this and does some research online, even posting on a message board asking for advice about how women feel about abortion. Hyeon clearly adores Yeong-Ju and tries to help her, offering up an empathetic ear and doing his best to be there. While Yeong-Ju visits the hospital, Hyeon comes rushing up to support his girlfriend as she speaks to a doctor. She does a scan, and even lets her hear the heartbeat as well. This causes Yeong-Ju to break down into tears, wailing and pleading with the doctor to stop. It’s all too much for Yeong-Ju, and as the pair hold one another, the episode comes to a heartbreaking end.
The Episode Review
Our Blues and My Liberation Notes have been an interesting duo of weekend K-dramas. Every time one looks down and out, the other comes along and bounces back. That much is especially true here when it comes to episode 5, which is by far the best episode of Our Blue’s whole season. The raw and heartbreaking topic of teen pregnancy is explored with an unflinching look at what it’s actually like for these two kids. They try and do what’s right, scrounging together money to get an abortion, but at the sane time Hyeon is conflicted over how he feels. Yeong-Ju is in a much tougher position. She hates it on the island, Has no one to talk to and realizes that if she does confide in someone, it’s a small community and word will get back to her father. She believes this news will break his heart so she tries to be responsible and stay quiet instead. Beyond this excellent storyline, is the intriguing ties between Dong-Seok and his mother. What on earth happened there? Clearly there’s a lot of animosity and pent up frustrations so we’ll have to wait and see. To conclude though, Our Blues delivers a very important and utterly enthralling episode. Let’s hope tomorrow’s is just as good!
