Haha, I cry at the story, “I thought I could be abandoned again”

Ha Sang-min, who appeared as the story of a high school dad for the first time in the history of 'High School Dad', was anxious due to the conflict between his wife and daughter, but expressed 'deep happiness' after witnessing their passionate reconciliation.



In the 6th episode of MBN's 'High School Dad 3 that Adults Don't Know About' (hereinafter referred to as 'High School Dad 3'), which aired on the 22nd, the daily life of Ha Sang-min's family, a high school dad who raised his 18-year-old daughter alone, and the hidden secrets were revealed, drawing great attention. The broadcast on this day recorded a viewership rating of 2.8% (based on the second part of Nielsen Korea's pay-TV households), the highest figure for the same time slot on general programming channels, reflecting viewers' sincere support for Ha Sang-min's family.



First, the story of Ha Sang-min, who appeared as the first high school dad storyteller in 'High School Dad', was introduced as a reenactment drama. Ha Sang-min met his girlfriend through a friend when he was in his second year of high school, and only found out that his girlfriend was pregnant when she was eight months pregnant. After struggling to get permission from his girlfriend's father, he worked tirelessly to make a living. However, Ha Sang-min said, "Hye-na's mother's attitude began to change around the time she was four years old, and after she enlisted in the military, she began not to contact me and we eventually broke up."



Ha Sang-min, who was left to take care of Hye-na alone, was deeply frustrated after being scammed by a close friend and losing a large amount of money. While he was in misery, a woman appeared and shook Ha Sang-min's heart. Before his feelings deepened, Ha Sang-min confessed, "I have a daughter who is in the 6th grade of elementary school," and left. The scenes of Ha Sang-min, who is trying to give up on love after hitting the wall of reality, and his girlfriend in confusion intersect, and the re-enactment drama ends on a sad note.



Then, father and daughter Ha Sang-min and Ha Hye-na appeared in the studio holding hands. In the daily camera, Ha Sang-min showed off his amazing cooking skills by taking charge of the weekend breakfast, and continued to eat in a somewhat awkward atmosphere with his daughter Hye-na, who has already turned 18. At this time, a five-year-old child suddenly appeared and changed the atmosphere. The child's identity was Ha Sang-min's daughter from his remarriage, Hairu. Ha Sang-min's wife Bae Jin-ah, who appeared immediately after, is the main character in the reenactment drama, and Ha Sang-min revealed, "After confessing the existence of Hye-na, my current wife comforted and encouraged me by saying, 'She is not a sinner,' so I decided to get married." It drew applause.



With all four family members sitting around, a problem(?) was discovered. Unlike Bae Jin-ah, who actively talked to her, her daughter Hye-na, who was 12 years older than her stepmother, reacted bluntly and was reluctant to join the family. Eventually, Hye-na embarrassed her father by confessing, “I feel uncomfortable being with (my mother),” and then met a friend with whom she could open up to her, played with her until late, and returned home. When her daughter returned home well past the '8 p.m. curfew' that she had set, mother Bae Jin-ah tried to talk to Hye-na, asking, "Why are you late?", but was unable to communicate clearly due to Ha Sang-min's active intervention. Bae Jin-ah expressed her frustration to Ha Sang-min, saying, “(If the situation is the same now), Hye-na and I will never be able to talk for the rest of our lives.”



Then, Ha Sang-min and Ha Hye-na left the house and had a conversation. In response to Hye-na's resolute remark, "It seems like you don't trust me too much," Ha Sang-min confessed, "I had so much responsibility after giving birth to you when I was in school, so I'm honestly scared that I might make the same choices as my father." Hye-na, who heard her father's honest feelings, also said, "I want to talk to my mom, but I don't know how to say it." Accordingly, under Ha Sang-min's mediation, Bae Jin-ah and Ha Hye-na's mother and daughter's date took place for the first time.



After shopping in silence (?), the two sat down at a cafe and talked. Bae Jin-ah, who spoke first, said, “Every time I approached her, she didn’t respond, so I thought she didn’t want to talk to me.” “Even though it’s been 5 years since we lived as a family, why hasn’t a single wall disappeared?” “He said in tears. Hye-na said, “I was so happy to have a mother, but I thought that I could be abandoned again... “He couldn’t continue his words, which brought all the cast members to tears. Bae Jin-ah, who heard Hye-na's true feelings for the first time, said, "If you don't let go of my hand, I have no intention of letting go of my hand first," giving confidence to Hye-na, who had inherent anxiety.



Ha Sang-min, who had been waiting anxiously for them at home, was busy going back and forth between the mother and daughter to keep an eye on them after they returned home. In the end, when he heard the news of mother and daughter's reconciliation and said, “The story ended well,” Ha Sang-min was overcome with ‘deep happiness’ and hummed. After the family of four had a hearty meal with ribs made by Ha Sang-min, he said, “I believe that our family will be able to become more harmonious in the future. The family's story ended happily with Ha Sang-min's video letter saying, "I will try harder, so I hope you can continue like this."



In response to the story of Ha Sang-min's family, who said, "It was difficult raising a daughter alone, but I mustered up the courage to appear on the show to provide hope to other single fathers," viewers said, "Ha Sang-min, the high school dad who raised Hye-na well! I felt that a life devoted to family was so wonderful.”, “I applaud Bae Jin-ah, who wholeheartedly accepts her daughter Hye-na, who is only 12 years older than her, and is doing her best as a mother.”, “It deals with realistic concerns that can arise in remarried families. “I was very immersed in the episode,” “I hope that you and sisters Hye-na and Iru will continue to walk only the flowery path as a family!” There was an explosive response.



MBN's 'High School Dad 3', a real family entertainment show that shows the growth of 'high school dads' who became parents in their teens, airs every Wednesday at 10:20 pm.

Ryu Ye-ji, Ten Asia Reporter ryuperstar@tenasia.co.kr