Daily Dose of Sunshine (2023) KDrama Episode 4

Episode 4 of Daily Dose of Sunshine begins with Da-eun continuing to practice her ping-pong skills. She’s determined to try and take Kim Seo-wan down, but it’s no good. Her self-confidence is gone, and she admits to the other nurses that she just wants to win a few games. They suggest she learn from “the master”. This being Mr Yoon.

The ward is interrupted though by one of the patients, Tae-gyeong, lashing out and having an attack. He throws a metal cup right at Mr Yoon, who begins bleeding from his forehead. He barely reacts, instead holding Tae-gyeong’s haand while he’s sedated.

Da-eun helps patch him up and then asks the master for tips on how to play table tennis. It turns out he’s spent over 30 years getting to the level he’s at now, and he promises to help teach her. Da-eun is settling in well at the ward, especially with one of the patients, Seo-wan, who wants her to join his party and slay a fire dragon.

However, Da-eun’s new patient Ha-ram is suffering from paranoid delusions, and believes that Da-eun is taking money from her room. When she raises her voice, Da-eun does the same until she realizes what she’s done and covers her mouth. Soo-yeon is quick to point out privately how she should handle patients like this. She also berates Da-eun for apologizing too.

It turns out Ha-ram suffered in the past from a voice phishing scam, where the guy on the end of the line preyed on her vulnerability and she lost all her money. Da-eun struggles to deal wih Ha-ram’s delusions, who believes that she’s the culprit.

That night Jung-ran and Da-eun manage to sneak in some black bean noodles and eat in secret, away from Soo-yeon’s prying eyes. However, Ha-ram rats them out and learns about the noodles. They’re reprimanded, Mr Yoon gets off scot-free, and thankfully it doesn’t go much further.

The tensions between Deul-re and Yeo-hwan continue. Flashbacks show more of their past together, including how Yeo-hwan liked her from the very beginning. These moments are broken up though when a patient tries to kill herself. Deul-re is the one who gets cut badly, and Yeo-hwan is there, concerned with her wellbeing.

Deul-re continues to work hard at the hospital, refusing to go home. She’s living paycheck to paycheck, and her sister rings, hassling her for money. She even tells her to get a loan out too, which only stresses her out further.

Meanwhile, Go-yun continues to find himself distracted by Da-eun and they both go for a haircut individually. They both are shocked at the cost of the haircut, before eventually deciding to go for bite to eat together. Once there, Go-yun admits how he got into his occupation and the pair share a lovely dinner. The whole time, Go-yun’s finger cracking disappears.

Go-yun admits that he likes a nurse in the ward to Yeo-hwan .Naturally, he thinks it’s Deul-re and breathes a sign of relief when he finds out it’s not her.

The night day though, Da-eun finds writing scribbled all up on the walls all over the ward. The whole place is covered in crayon from Ha-ram, who’s fixated on Da-eun and believes that she’s stole her money. Ms Song gets involved and decides that she should keep a distance. Da-eun wants to continue on, but of course that’s not good for Ha-ram.

Seo-wan is an absolute sweetheart though and he hands over a card, with 30 million won scribbled on the back. Mr Yoon shows off a secret area to Da-eun after, which is a spot that different nurses and doctors have used over the years. There are burn marks on the wall from Soo-yeon grilling meat, and even a spot where Song’s tears hit the ground too.

After having a bit of a nap, Da-eun is grabbed by Yeo-hwan outside. He tries to speak to Da-eun about Ha-ram’s situation, but things get a whole lot worse when Ha-ram breaks into the staff room and begins looking through the lockers for the perceived money. Eventually, in the middle of everyone, she collapses on the ground and begs Da-eun not to let this happen, as she’s taken into the Seclusion room. It turns out she got into the staff area by swiping the cleaning lady’s card.

As for Da-eun, she takes herself away and cries in the hidden room. Mr Yoon heads over to comfort her, with Da-eun pointing out that she hates herself for genuinely disliking Ha-ram and what’s happened.

Mr Yoon admits that she needs to let herself listen deeper than that of a nurse, but more as a person. Da-eun eventually decides to make some food for Ha-ram and head in to see her herself. Alone, Da-eun learns that Ha-ram used to make a packet of instant noodles last for two days. She struggled to find a consistent job, picking up trash outside and becoming resentful of those who spent their money recklessly.

Struggling to get by, she’s eventually offered a job and hired at an office… but she needs to hand over her credit card details first. She ends up with 0 won. It’s a scam. She’s lost everything and eventually left with no choice but to commit suicide. Thankfully she’s stopped from doing so, but this explains her desperate need for more money.

Back in the present, Deul-re ends up working the day and night shift, given one of the nurses phones in sick. After, Yeo-hwan picks her up from work and she takes him all the way up a whole bunch of stairs (man, it looks like Croatia here!) and to her home, including how she lives. Deul-re points out that climbing all these stairs is something she starts to resent and he will too if he continues.

Eventually, Yeo-hwan drops a bucket of cold water over his head, admitting that he wants to try and understand her way of living. When Deul-re objects, he leans forward and kisses her.

Meanwhile, Da-eun finally hears Ha-ram and agrees to take her to the bank, where she starts a brand new checking account with 30,000 won. It’s a really touching moment, and there’s a lovely scene here intercut in the middle, with Ri-na and her mum leaving the hospital together, smiling.

As the episode closes out, Yu-chan thinks back over al the times he’s been there with Da-eun and he makes a decision. He heads over to see Go-yun, and tells him at the hospital to stop liking Da-eun.

The Episode Review

This episode is touching and will resonate deeply with those that have either been scammed, or been stuck on that line with no money. As someone who has been there on the verge of being homeless, it definitely strikes a chord seeing what Ha-ram has been going through, and how badly she was scammed.

Meanwhile, the situation involving Go-yun and Yu-chan continues to escalate in interesting ways, with the whole dilemma between them involving Da-eun looks set to bubble up over the episodes.

The way this drama adds in little lessons in between the longer arcs, like Deul-re and Yeo-hwan (which is actually handled well this time around), helps to give this show more depth. Either way, the ending sets everything up beautifully for more drama to follow.