One Day Off (2023) Episode 2

May 25, 2023

Episode 2 of One Day Off (or Park Ha-Kyung’s Travels) begins with Ha-kyung trying to persuade a student, Yoon-seo, to go to college. Ha-kyung discourages her from pursuing a career in music, and Yoon-seo tells her that she is a lousy teacher and that she not only wants to not go to college but wants to drop out of high school, too. Yoon-seo leaves, and Ha-kyung’s face displays her feelings; she is dejected and has failed at teaching.

For her one-day trip this week, Ha-kyung goes to Gunsan. She visits an art exhibition with a bouquet of flowers in hand. Yeon-ju, the artist, arrives, runs to Ha-kyung, and hugs her. She is the same woman who was dancing at the end of the prior episode and is a former student of Ha-kyung’s. Ha-kyung is stirred by her paintings and praises one in particular, while Yeon-ju beams, hanging on to every word.

Yeon-soo calls and apologizes for calling Ha-kyung lousy.

Back inside, Ha-kyung meets Yeon-ju’s odd mix of friends and suffers through some awkward small talk. One of her friends, a tarot reader, gives Ha-kyung a “lovers” tarot card and tells her that she will meet a man soon.

Another of Yeon-ju’s friends criticizes the same piece that Ha-kyung had praised, and Yeon-ju kicks something in anger and goes outside to cry. When Ha-kyung asks if she is okay, Yeon-ju says that she is doing fantastic, forcing a smile. She tells her about how Ha-kyung once told her she was like a tiger moth and how much Ha-kyung encouraged her.

Some visitors come to the exhibit, and Yeon-ju gives a performance. She goes into a corner and curls into a ball, shaking her body, and then stands up and shoots, doing more odd movements. As they watch her dance, Yeon-ju’s curator friend appeals to Ha-kyeong to talk some sense into Yeon-ju. Ignoring Yeon-ju’s friend, she instead yells back at Yeon-ju when she comes next to her. She then sings back to Yeon-ju when she sings to her, and then everyone in the room joins in. Yeon-ju begins to cry. Ha-kyung ends up singing a lovely solo while one of the guests plays the sax.

Afterwards, Yeon-ju gives Ha-kyung a thank you and gifts her some sweets in butterfly shapes (to symbolize the tiger moth), and Ha-kyung asks to keep in touch. On the way home, Ha-kyung texts Yoon-soo and asks to listen to her music.

Somewhere, a man goes into a theater and sits alone, voicing aloud that he wants to love someone.

The Episode Review

This episode has a deep message, and the odd visit to the exhibit is a picture of what life is like sometimes—weird, unexpected, and somehow meaningful.

When Ha-kyung yells back at Yeon-ju during the performance, Yeon-ju finds confirmation that she isn’t crazy or talentless, and finds hope. Likewise, Yeon-ju’s sharing of how impactful Ha-kyung was on her life gives Ha-kyung confirmation that she isn’t a failure as a teacher and that she can still inspire students, like Yoon-seo.