A Time Called You 2023 Episode 2

Episode 2 of A Time Called You begins with Jun-hee Googling Min-ju’s 27 Record shop in Noksan to find it closed. Meanwhile, Min-ju’s home is a mess, her brother Do-hun is cranky and mean while she has a drunk mother who puts all her responsibilities on her daughter. At school, Si-heon tries to help In-gyu with Min-ju but he is always awkward with her.

Da-hyeon, the popular mean girl is jealous of Min-ju, especially when the boys cheer for her during PE class. A bully picks on In-gyu for liking Min-ju and then insults her which angers the two boys. Si-heon tells In-gyu to calm down but then beats up the bully when he continues to insult In-gyu.

Jun-hee is obsessed with the photo and Na-eun calls her out on it. She thinks Yeon-jun loved her because she looked like his first love.

In 1998, Si-heon tries to set up Min-ju and In-gyu as he fakes an extra class and runs away. As the two awkwardly walk home, Min-ju marvels at the two boys’ friendship and wishes she also had a close friend. In-gyu reveals that he is deaf in his right ear and the kids bullied him till Si-heon stood up for him and became his first friend. On saying that he always has his back, Min-ju looks wistful. In-gyu suddenly says they can be friends and she smiles.

Meanwhile, Na-eun finds Cafe 27, owned by the guy who ran 27 Record but it turns out to be closed. While returning home, Jun-hee spots the scarred man whose face she clearly sees. He looks exactly like Yeon-jun and she runs after him. She stops and feels hopeless after he vanishes but from afar, the scarred man watches her intently.

At home, Jun-hee sees a vision of Yeon-jun who says maybe she can use Min-ju as justification to move on. She says she wishes but she cannot let go. She also adds that the scarred man is an illusion as she desperately wants to see him.

At home, Min-ju wonders if the boys are pranking her by being her friend. But she pushes the thought away as she recalls watching Si-heon on the scooty and smiles. She hears her divorced parents fighting over who should take Do-hun and she cries that they don’t care about her. Their excuses are flimsy and she runs out.

Si-heon spots her at a park and comforts her as she says no one cares about her. She says how she is not memorable or how even her own parents remember her birthday. To reciprocate, Si-heon spills a secret of his own – he is moving to USA next year and has not told In-gyu as he wants their last moments to be happy. He hopes she can be In-gyu’s friend so that he won’t be alone.

The Seo Ji-won cassette arrives and she gets excited as she decides to give it to Si-heon in person. She heads to the school grounds but on seeing all the girls fawn over him makes her self-conscious. She leaves but Si-heon spots her. He calls In-gyu and they run to her. She wonders why they approached her and he reminds her that she agreed to be friends with In-gyu and she smiles.

Na-eun and Jun-hee finally find the cafe open and learn that it is run by Min-ju’s uncle who also owned 27 Record. He cannot get over the similarities between the women but when they try to ask for Min-ju’s number, he says she is dead. He also says he doesn’t know much about the boys in the photo.

In 1998, the boys surprise Min-ju on her birthday by bringing cake and she is touched. They have a picnic and also gift her a player. Si-heon accidentally brings up their conversation from the park and In-gyu realises that Min-ju likes Si-heon. He is hurt and makes an excuse to leave.

Alone, Min-ju gives the cassette to Si-heon and even writes a personalized message. She also thanks him for a memorable birthday. He keeps trying to put the attention on In-gyu and how he found out from her uncle and bought the gift and basically set the whole thing up. But Min-ju disregards it all and says her birthday wish was to be the type of girl Si-heon likes. He curtly says he will never like her that way and they are just friends. 

At present, they learn that Min-ju died in 1998. Since Yeon-jun was in 4th grade at that time, it cannot be him in the photo. But this does not make Jun-hee feel any better and she cries as she cannot move on.

In 1998, Min-ju too cries over Si-heon. She comes to an abandoned home and panics as she realises her mother ran away with her brother. She calls her uncle who tells her he will be there. But she runs out and tries to catch a bus and then a taxi.

Jun-hee gets a mysterious package and opens it to see the Seo Ji-won cassette that belonged to Si-heon. She plays it and then texts Yeon-jun that her birthday wish is just to see him one more time.

Meanwhile, Min-ju keeps crying as she runs somewhere. She stops in the middle of the road to catch her breath and a car crashes into her. At that moment, in the present day, Jun-hee is sleeping on the bus when all of the texts to Yeon-jun turn ‘read’. The cassette falls and the bus warps as it goes through the memories of Jun-hee and Min-ju.

It cuts to Si-heon visiting a comatose Min-ju in the hospital. He plays the cassette for her and she suddenly wakes up. But it turns out to be Jun-hee who calls him Yeon-jun and hugs him.

The Episode Review

The whole time travelling mess is finally picking up in A Time Called You episode 2 with Ahn Hyo-seop also playing the scarred man. But wait, 1998 is not so far off. So, if Si-heon is a high schooler in 1998, he can be the scarred man in 2023 who is stalking Jun-hee. Maybe he is surprised to see that Jun-hee looks like his dead friend. But there is no reason for Si-heon to travel to the future so this whole thing with the scarred man is confusing. 

By the way, everyone needs a friend like Si-heon. He is supportive of In-gyu and Min-ju and looks out for them without any ulterior motive than they are his friends. The boys always share everything they know or do. Si-heon doesn’t betray his friend and he always cares for him which is super wholesome. 

But what was the reason for Si-heon to barge in alone to ask Min-ju’s name back in episode 1? Maybe the spirit of Yeon-jun possessed Si-heon and he wanted to learn more about the Jun-hee look alike.