In episodes 3 and 4 of JTBC's Friday series 'Shining' (directed by Kim Yoon-jin, written by Lee Sook-yeon), which aired on the 13th, viewers were moved by the tearful farewell of Yeon Tae-seo (played by Park Jin-young) and Mo Eun-ah (played by Kim Min-ju) and their reunion 10 years later.
Episode 3 depicted Mo Eun-ah's busy life as she started working at a hotel, introduced by Bae Sung-chan (played by Shin Jae-ha). Upon hearing the news, Yeon Tae-seo cheered for Mo Eun-ah, who had finally found something she wanted to do, and the two continued their sweet romance, enjoying happy times together.
Despite being apart, they managed to meet whenever they could, but one day, due to a scheduling mistake by Mo Eun-ah, they couldn't meet for a long time. After his exams, Yeon Tae-seo went to the hotel to see Mo Eun-ah, but due to work rules prohibiting meeting outsiders while in uniform, they couldn't even have a proper conversation and had to part ways regretfully.
Soon after, a shadow of separation loomed over them. Mo Eun-ah, who became a hotel intern and moved into the dormitory, hinted at a breakup by suggesting they use their time for themselves. She didn't want to miss sudden opportunities due to the uncertainty of the future and felt it was a waste of Yeon Tae-seo's time to wait indefinitely. Yeon Tae-seo, accepting the breakup with tears, evoked sympathy. Thus, facing the harsh realities, they let each other go and went their separate ways.
Episode 4 captured the attention with the sight of Yeon Tae-seo and Mo Eun-ah at thirty. Yeon Tae-seo, who left a large corporation, was now living as a subway driver, spending his spare time making frames and living diligently. Meanwhile, Mo Eun-ah, after facing issues with her stay in Tongyeong, sold it and moved to Seoul to find a job at a new old house stay.
One day, while listening to music, Yeon Tae-seo received a notification that another device was streaming, interrupting his music. He instinctively knew it was Mo Eun-ah, with whom he had shared the account in the past. Mo Eun-ah, hearing the subway station announcement, recognized Yeon Tae-seo's voice and approached the control room. Seeing this through CCTV, Yeon Tae-seo steadied his wavering heart and, after finishing his run, rushed to the station where Mo Eun-ah was.
However, upon arriving, Yeon Tae-seo witnessed Mo Eun-ah in a dispute with Bae Sung-chan (played by Shin Jae-ha), with whom she had run the stay in Tongyeong. Mo Eun-ah also encountered Yeon Tae-seo but left without exchanging greetings due to the situation. Concerned for Mo Eun-ah, Yeon Tae-seo went to Gangneung to find traces of her, while Mo Eun-ah called him with the contact number given by the shopkeeper grandma, telling him not to worry.
Reflecting on their fateful reunion after 10 years, they briefly returned to their daily lives, only to meet again at the subway station soon after. Despite seeing each other on the platform, Yeon Tae-seo and Mo Eun-ah turned away, holding back tears, but eventually faced each other after a long yearning. Yeon Tae-seo's words, "It's been a while," exploded with affection.
The next chapter of Park Jin-young and Kim Min-ju's story, who met again in an unexpected way after a long time, continues in the Friday series 'Shining,' airing every Friday at 8:50 PM with two consecutive episodes.
Reporter Lim Chae-ryeong, Ten Asia syjj426@tenasia.co.kr