Doona! (2023) Episode 2 with Suzy

Doona episode 2 starts with a flashback to when Doona quit her job. She was at a concert, in the middle of a performance, when it all got overwhelming and she fainted.  Aman rushed over to her as the crowd remained stunned, wondering what happened. For Doona, it felt like she was swimming in water as the scene unfolded.

Presently, Doona is living at the Co-ed house along with three men. Of course, Won-joon is one of them. Speaking of Won-joon, he is trying to learn more about his roommates. He narrates what he has learned about Yoon-taek; he can’t seem to keep a romantic relationship. On the other hand, Jung-hoon has strict dating principles and mostly cares about his fit, healthy body. Lastly we have Doona, who is still an enigma to Won-joon.

The scene cuts to Doona getting ready to leave the house. She heads to a convenience store nearby. Won-joon is also on his way to his new job as a waiter and notices her. He, however, decides not to call out to her. She goes into the store and is anxious about someone recognising her. Thankfully, the man was only taking a screenshot on his phone to send to his boss. Once Doona is done, she leaves the store and notices Won-joon. Before she can call out to him, the bus arrives, and he leaves. 

At the new job, Won-joon is surprised to discover Jin-joo also works there. They quickly greet each other and start working. Jin-joo seems pleased by this unexpected turn of events. They get along well, making it easy to work together. During his break, Doona calls Won-joon, but he fails to pick up. Instead, he enjoys coffee with Jin-joo.

Through a flashback, we learn that Jin-joo and Won-joon meet in high school. They used to compete for the top position in class.  Won-joon liked her, and Su-jin informed him that Jin-joo comes from a wealthy family. One day, Jin-joo approached Won-joon, asking for help with a mathematical question, and they started getting close. 

Presently, Won-joon sees Jin-joo off and heads back home after work. On his way back, he realizes they mixed up their aprons.

On the other hand, Doona stays home watching TV and ignoring her mom’s calls. She calls P, but he ignores her call.  In a flashback, we see her getting a phone from a man, presumably P and being reprimanded for not keeping a low profile. The man asks her to stay out of trouble. 

We circle back to the present; Doona leaves her house for some fresh air and sees Won-jun feeding a cat. She tells him that she hates it the most when someone ignores her call. Won-joon tries to explain he was working, and Doon says she is referring to someone else. He asks why she called, and she answers she wanted to hear his voice. Won-joon is flustered but says nothing.

The next day, Won-joon gets a message inviting all Civil Engineering Students to the new semester welcoming party. He considers not attending but changes his mind after learning absentees will be fined. 

Won-joon heads to the party while Doona sits at home thinking about her days as an idol. It seems she was struggling a lot those days. Out of boredom, she calls Won-joon, but some rude guys interrupt their phone call. They are curious to speak to her and grab Won-joon’s phone. Won-joon tries to stop them, and they threaten to beat him. 

Doona, who was just around the corner buying drinks, arrives in time to save him. She is so angry at the men who threatened Won-joon that she loses her cool and moves to smash one of the men’s heads with the wine bottle she is holding. Luckily, Won-joon picks up a ball and stops her. He ends up getting a minor cut in his arm. He gets the cut treated and asks Doona to manage her anger better. 

While these two talk on the streets, Won-jun spots Jin-joo with a group of friends. They are also from the party. Jin-joo excuses herself and comes over to say hi. She is surprised to see Won-joon is with Doona, a famous idol.  She starts talking about being a fan and asks if she can join them. Doona says no, but they end up getting drinks at their house. 

Doona and Jin-joo get along and enjoy their drinks. They start joking about the possibility of Won-joon liking Jin-joo. To change the subject, Won-joon reminds Jin-joo that she has missed the last bus and worries about her getting home. Doona allows Jin-joo to sleep over, and she drunkenly falls asleep in the middle of the conversation. 

As it is getting late, Jin-joo’s dad calls, and Doona picks up the phone. She explains that the semester ushering party took longer than expected. She says Jin-joo is safe, and they are currently at home with her parents. Won-joon is surprised by her acting skills and jokes she should have been an actress instead. This joke ruins the mood, and Doona leaves to smoke. 

Won-joon follows, and they talk about his crush on Jin-joo. Doona admits she feels jealous of Won-jun and Jin-joo’s friendship. All her life, she has never had friends.   Doona stands to leave and nearly trips. Thankfully, Won-joon helps her. This puts them in close proximity to each other, and Doona moves to kiss him. However, she holds back at the last moment and walks away.

The following morning, Won-joon still thinks about his almost-kiss with Doona. He tries to push those thoughts away and heads to school. While there, he returns Jin-joo’s apron, and she admits she saw him kissing Doona on the rooftop. Unfortunately, Won-joon has no time to clarify as he spots Se-hun and leaves.

Later that day, he returns home to find Doon putting out her garbage and helps her. He tells her about the misunderstanding with Jin-joo. Doona asks why he didn’t tell Jin-joo the truth. Won-joon admits he will tell her but is scared to wish for more. Jin-joo has hurt him in the past because he assumed she had feelings for him.

He is not willing to make that mistake again. He says he is different from Doona and cares about what people think about him. Doona gets angry at his comment and lashes out. She goes to her room and thinks about her past. 

On the other hand, Won-joon wonders what is wrong with Doona. He calls Su-jin to ask if Doona is mentally ill or has anger management issues. Su-jin says he doesn’t know, but Doona is reputed always to do things her way. 

Later, Doona puts out food for the cat and realises Won-joon put away her trash correctly. She is touched. She is even more touched when Won-joon invites her over for dinner. She acts hesitant but joins him and the boys for a meal. As expected, Jung-hoon is unwelcoming, while Yoon-taek is all smiles. 

After dinner, Won-joon and Doona go for a walk. He asks her why she quit music, and she says it felt like she couldn’t sing anymore. Won-joon takes her to play a game and softly watches her as she plays. Her excitement seems to warm his heart.

Through a flashback, we see what happened to Doona the night she collapsed on stage. She told her manager that her anxiety was through the roof, but he did not pay attention. Her group members gave her the side eye, accusing her of seeking attention.

Upon getting on stage, the anxiety overwhelmed her as people continued to take photos. Everything she had gone through while an idol suddenly got to her, and she collapsed.

Later, Won-joon advises Doona to take care of herself and eat better. She confesses that it is her birthday, and he pretends he didn’t know even though he made her seaweed soup.  Doona questions if he has feelings for her, and he says she is not his type. She offers to give him lessons to win Jin-joo over.  They start practising, but Doona is shaken momentarily. It is obvious Won-joon needs no lesson; he is smooth!  He gets home and calls Jin-joo, clarifying there is nothing between him and Doona.

Doona heads back to her room and is shocked to find a present and a message on her table. She rushes out, trying to find the person. She ends up walking barefoot in the streets, looking confused. 

The Episode Review

Based on this episode, we can tell that Doona suffered a lot as an idol. She was going through too much. She was being accused of plagiarism and being overworked, and her teammates hated her guts. It is no wonder she felt anxious. It must have felt like everyone was out to get her.  Sadly, she had no one to turn to. 

It is possible that Won-joon found out it was her birthday and wanted to do something special for her. He truly cares for her well-being, and even though he has a hard time understanding her, he is willing to be there. He is a good friend, but maybe they can be more. Yes,  I know he likes Jin-joo, but who knows what can happen. 

Lastly, we are curious to see who left the present and letter in Doona’s house. It is scary to think they got into her house without anyone noticing. Is it a stalker, P or her mom? Also, what is the deal with her mom? Why is he ignoring her calls? Let’s see if the next episode will shed some light on this.