In the second episode of JTBC's weekend drama 'Waiting for Kyung-do', aired on the 7th, Lee Kyung-do (played by Park Seo-joon) is seen blocking his first love Seo Ji-woo (played by Won Ji-an) from leaving the country. Despite being Park Seo-joon's return to romance after seven years, the episode recorded a low viewership rating of 3.6% in the metropolitan area and 3.3% nationwide, according to Nielsen Korea's paid household standards.
A month after the news of Seo Ji-woo's divorce broke, Lee Kyung-do found himself embroiled in an unexpected scandal, with rumors suggesting that he was the reason behind her divorce. The day Seo Ji-woo visited Dongwoon Ilbo, a media outlet published an article showing Lee Kyung-do talking to her at a cafe.
To calm the internal atmosphere of the company, which had lost focus due to the issue, Lee Kyung-do began discussing solutions with his superior Jin Han-kyung (played by Kang Mal-geum). They decided to use their college theater club, 'Jirimeolryeol', as a connection, concluding to frame it as a long-standing friendship through a group photo and started persuading the members.
To take the group photo, cooperation from Seo Ji-woo was necessary, along with the 'Jirimeolryeol' club members. Having already told Seo Ji-woo not to see him again, Lee Kyung-do found it awkward to approach her. He planned to ask for help through Park Se-young (played by Lee Joo-young), a member of the club.
Contrary to Lee Kyung-do's expectations, Seo Ji-woo, who was not easily swayed, showed up at his apartment with Park Se-young, catching him off guard. Seeing Lee Kyung-do wearing a couple's T-shirt from 18 years ago, Seo Ji-woo teased him, saying, "You wear it until it stretches because it reminds you of me."
Seo Ji-woo accepted Lee Kyung-do's proposal, allowing the 'Jirimeolryeol' members to reunite after a long time. The playful interactions among the theater club members, reminiscent of their college days, brought warmth to the scene. The subtle expressions of Lee Kyung-do and Seo Ji-woo, maintaining a certain distance yet reacting to each other's stories, touched the viewers' hearts.
After successfully taking the photo, Seo Ji-woo subtly expressed her apologies to Lee Kyung-do for the trouble caused by their association. Lee Kyung-do reassured her, saying, "I was never caught up or tangled," alleviating her guilt. The two parted ways calmly, each dealing with their lingering emotions.
However, contrary to their expectations, their connection was not easily severed. Seo Ji-woo's sister, Seo Ji-yeon (played by Lee El), met Lee Kyung-do and revealed her Alzheimer's diagnosis, unexpectedly asking him to "please hold onto Ji-woo."
Faced with a difficult request that was hard to refuse or accept, Lee Kyung-do eventually decided to stop Seo Ji-woo from leaving. His sudden action of taking her luggage left Seo Ji-woo bewildered, and she chased after him, marking the end of episode 2.
Reporter: Jung Se-yoon, TenAsia yoon@tenasia.co.kr