Rising Tensions and Unspoken Emotions: 'Assembled Family' Captivates Viewers

Hwang In-yeop begins to express his feelings towards Jung Chae-yeon, overcoming conflicts with his mother.

In the episodes 5 and 6 of JTBC's Wednesday drama 'Assembled Family', aired on the 23rd, viewers are increasingly engrossed in the whirlwind narratives of the youth. The ratings for episode 5 were 2.3% in the metropolitan area and 2.5% nationwide, while episode 6 saw a slight increase to 2.3% in the metropolitan area and 2.6% nationwide, according to Nielsen Korea's paid household ratings.

In episode 5, Yoon Joo-won (played by Jung Chae-yeon) struggles to reconcile Kim San-ha (played by Hwang In-yeop) and Kang Hae-jun (played by Bae Hyun-sung), who had been in conflict. Despite taking them to a new sky bike in the neighborhood, they failed to reconcile, and Yoon Joo-won, who pedaled alone in the front seat for their smooth conversation, collapsed from exhaustion.

Mistaking this as an attack by delinquent students, the two formed an alliance again and engaged in a brawl with the innocent students trying to help Yoon Joo-won, bringing laughter. After the commotion, Kim San-ha and Kang Hae-jun pretended to reconcile in front of Yoon Joo-won but gradually grew closer while bickering.

On Kang Hae-jun's birthday, the whole family and his aunt Kang Yi-hyun (played by Min Ji-ah) gathered to celebrate. Kang Yi-hyun expressed gratitude to Yoon Jung-jae (played by Choi Won-young) for taking care of Kang Hae-jun for ten years, but this made Kang Hae-jun feel awkward, and Yoon Jung-jae couldn't hide his disappointment. Yoon Jung-jae confided in Kang Yi-hyun, saying, "Why should Hae-jun feel awkward about something I do for my own good?" Hearing Kim San-ha's words that Kang Hae-jun is just like a blood-related child to his fathers, Kang Hae-jun felt the warmth of family love again.

However, in episode 6, Kang Hae-jun's mother, Kang Seo-hyun (played by Baek Eun-hye), who had lost contact for ten years, appeared at Yoon Jung-jae's noodle shop with an envelope of money, surprising everyone. She offered a large sum, including the money Yoon Jung-jae had lent her in the past and the cost of raising Kang Hae-jun, and left without even seeing her son's face, adding to the mystery. However, Kang Hae-jun was shocked to learn from the hospital, where he rushed upon hearing his aunt's childbirth news, that his mother had visited.

A commotion arose when Kwon Jung-hee's (played by Kim Hye-eun) daughter So-hee (played by Kim Min-chae), whom she had from a remarriage, took a taxi alone to meet Kim San-ha. Losing her composure, Kwon Jung-hee shouted that her brother Kim San-ha was responsible for her sister So-jung's death. Eventually, Kim San-ha learned that Kwon Jung-hee had returned to give him a last chance because her remarried daughter So-hee resembled her deceased daughter So-jung. Kim San-ha stopped eating and fell ill, but with the devoted care of his family and the calm yet sincere comfort from his father Kim Dae-wook (played by Choi Moo-sung), he regained his strength.

When Yoon Joo-won expressed frustration at Kang Hae-jun's obliviousness to Park Dal's (played by Seo Ji-hye) feelings for him, Kim San-ha subtly revealed his own feelings by saying, "You're oblivious too." In a flustered moment, Kim San-ha ended up hugging Yoon Joo-won to protect her from falling, freezing in place. The subtle gaze between the two left viewers' hearts fluttering and their pulses racing.

Lee So-jung, Ten Asia Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr