Call It Love (2023) Recap Episode 10

While at work, Dong-jin gets a call from Sun-woo who tells him how Woo-ju got hurt. He rushes to the hospital where Sun-woo and CEO Shin are already waiting. He rushes at Shin, bursting with anger and ready to fight him but Sun-woo stops him.

He yells at Shin saying he let him get away with things for too long. Sun-woo convinces him to go and see Woo-ju instead. Sun-woo tells Shin that he advised Woo-ju to sue Shin but she refused. She said the fact that Shin didn’t run away and was trembling was enough for her. Shin apologises for everything and breaks down, sobbing.

Sitting by Woo-ju’s bed, Dong-jin puts his hand by her face and she reaches out to hold it. He asks if it hurts and she says it’s not too bad. She an athlete and could have dodged the rock but didn’t because she thought this needed to happen for him to finally stop. She went to his place to tell him she really meant it when she told him to live a comfortable life.

The pair head out and end up eating noodles at the grocery store. Woo-ju decides to tell her family that she fell, and even if they don’t believe her, they’ll let it go. She asks if she can go get Ji-gu’s things. He tells her she can come anytime she wants to, he’ll be waiting.

Min-young gets a call from Sun-woo but doesn’t pick up. He messages asking if she got home and tells her to rest well.

The next morning, Jun is really concerned about how Woo-ju got hurt. Her reluctance makes him assume it must be related to Dong-jin. Hae-sung enters and asks her what happened. She says she fell down. Seeing the tension between Woo-ju and Jun, she tells her to make up with him. Later, Woo-ju tells Jun that she’s not crossing the line that he thinks she is. So he shouldn’t worry.

At work, Dong-jin leaves the office and messages Woo-ju, saying they should have lunch together. Woo-ju replies that it’s on her. Director Kim comes by the office. Sun-woo tells Dong-jin the urgency of having Kim waiting for them with another offer but Dong-jin would rather go have lunch with Woo-ju.

He tells Woo-ju he once waited outside Director Kim’s office for five hours. Woo-ju tells him to go back to the office in two and a half hours to make it even. When he asks if it was his fault for waiting, she says no. They get coffee after lunch, where Dong-jin recalls all the criticisms Woo-ju had said of him before. He gets up to leave with an hour still left. He says it’s alright but Woo-ju counsels him to not force himself either way but rather do what his heart tells him to.

Later, Director Kim storms out of the office, disappointed with their meeting. Sun-woo seems happy that Dong-jin finally ‘erupted’ and admits he didn’t want that contract either. He claims to not have feelings for either of them.

Jun’s mother comes by the pharmacy, having found out that he’s living with the three siblings. She asks which of the sisters he’s seeing. He says he’s lonely and likes having them around, he doesn’t feel that way about either of them.

Su-ho suggests to Hae-sung that they go to a popular place and get photos for their couple’s account. When she seems a bit reluctant, he makes them get off the bus at the next stop. He’s angry about her pretending to like the things he likes, instead of just being honest. He says that everything she does feels fake.

While at a coffee shop, Dong-jin gets a text from Kang with a picture of Dae-hong, saying he’s become old. Dong-jin asks if she wants to go camping with him overnight, which she agrees to.

As they drive there, they talk about the first time he drove, when he thought she was a spy. He admits even back then, she read him like a book. He even tells Woo-ju that he and Min-young had broken up at the camping site. When she asks why they’re going today, he admits that he wanted to go with her. They reach the camping site and Dae-hong is elated to see him and Woo-ju.

While at a café, Hae-sung thinks about what Jun had told her while they were drinking. He told her that her face, when she isn’t putting in any effort, looks nice. He encourages her to be herself more.

She admits that it’s not theme parks she doesn’t like but the feeling of being in a closed-off, crowded place. Ever since the woman fought with her in the bank, she’s been having these symptoms and needs medicine to deal with it. She tells Su-ho how she doesn’t even sleep well and was determined to date him so people would think it wasn’t a big deal to her. She used him and apologises for it. Nevertheless, Su-ho reaches out and holds her hand.

At the camping site, Dae-hong is really happy to have Dong-jin back. He tells him his old tent is still there, he didn’t remove it. Dong-jin and Woo-ju then set up his old tent together.

Hae-sung and Su-ho have dinner. Su-ho gets up to leave for a phone call. While going to the bathroom, Hae-sung hears him talking about her ‘sickness’ in a very flippant way to his friends. She leaves money on the table and leaves. He tries calling her but she doesn’t pick up. Jun sees her walking near the pharmacy and calls out to her. Upset about everything, she runs and hugs him. She tells him what happened and admits to feeling humiliated. He consoles her.

Sitting by a real campfire this time, Dong-jin tells Woo-ju how he started camping in order to feel rested.  He tells her about his favourite camping spot and says they should go next time. She says she’ll think about it.

Sun-woo brings Min-young some porridge because she sounded sick on the phone, so Ji-gu goes to his karaoke job and leaves his bag on the table. His phone rings. Su-ho keeps trying to call Hae-sung but she shuts her phone off. Woo-ju sleeps in the car on the drive back. Ji-gu tries reaching her but she doesn’t pick up. He looks at a text on his phone from their mother, saying that she’s in Seoul and they should all have a meal together.

Their mother, Hyun-ju, reaches the house and tries to enter. Hee-ja’s boyfriend tells her this isn’t their house and Ji-gu arrives in time to pick her up and tell her the truth. She talks with Jun inside his pharmacy while Ji-gu and Hae-sung wait outside. Woo-ju tells her not to go in, as per Hyun-ju’s orders.

As they walk back home, Hyun-ju is clearly furious at them. She tells them to consider her dead, as Hae-sung and Ji-gu apologise. As Hyun-ju breaks down and sobs, Woo-ju gets up and leaves.

At his house, Dong-jin thinks about everything Woo-ju has said to him. Woo-ju is sitting on a bench somewhere outside when she gets a text from Dong-jin saying that he put away the tent in his house, the one he had abandoned like an island. He says he would still be on that island if not for Woo-ju, and he breaks down reading the messages.

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The Episode Review

After all these episodes of not much happening, this one is a bit like whiplash – but in a good way! Woo-ju and Dong-jin, Hae-sung and Su-ho, and the siblings’ mother (who finally makes an appearance), each of these added a fair amount of movement to the plot. And not just shallow developments but substance-filled ones.

Woo-ju and Dong-jin’s relationship moves by bounds and we can see both of them leaning into their romantic feelings for one another. Dong-jin’s thought processes emphasise just how much a change Woo-ju has brought out in him. Hae-sung opening up about her illness was a massive leap of faith and honesty for her and also adds a mental health angle to this story which is a pleasant surprise. Su-ho’s insensitivity towards it just makes one feel for Hae-sung even more. I’m truly rooting for her and Jun at this point.

Having Hyun-ju turn up is an interesting turn of events and I’m guessing this is what will fuel the last 6 episodes. While other episodes have simply dragged, this episode makes me feel like there is hope for the last leg of the show. It finally feels more like a melodrama than an office drama.