K-Drama 'Last Summer' Sees Ratings Drop in Second Episode

The drama 'Last Summer,' starring Lee Jae-wook, recorded a 2.2% viewership rating for its second episode, a 0.5% drop from its premiere rating of 2.7%. The first episode, which aired on the 1st, had the lowest ratings among weekend mini-series broadcasted on the same day.

In the second episode of KBS 2TV's weekend mini-series 'Last Summer,' aired on the 2nd, it was revealed that an enigmatic character named Baek Do-young was part of the memories shared by Baek Do-ha (played by Lee Jae-wook) and Song Ha-kyung (played by Choi Sung-eun).

During the episode, Ha-kyung shifted her target to Do-ha's lawyer, Seo Soo-hyuk (played by Kim Gun-woo), after Do-ha, a co-owner, refused to sell the 'Peanut House.' She meticulously attended Soo-hyuk's trials and delivered a certified document to persuade Do-ha.

Despite the evidence favoring Ha-kyung, Do-ha remained confident. Even when Soo-hyuk mentioned that Ha-kyung's claim about negligence in managing the 'Peanut House' could be detrimental, Do-ha cleverly avoided the crisis by claiming that child support was paid under the guise of management fees. Upon learning this, Ha-kyung couldn't contain her anger and confronted Do-ha about his return, bringing up events from two years ago.

Meanwhile, Lee Seul (played by Jung Bo-min) clashed with her grandfather Lee Cheon-se (played by Jung Jong-jun) over her wheelchair-bound boyfriend Oh Seung-taek (played by Ahn Dong-goo). Cheon-se secretly arranged a blind date for Seul, which led to a heated confrontation when she found out. Despite Seul's tears, Cheon-se remained firm in his opposition to Seung-taek.

Elsewhere, Do-ha proposed a condition to Ha-kyung regarding the sale of the 'Peanut House.' He promised to give her the house if she could find a tree similar to the one in the front yard. The two ventured to a flower complex in search of the tree but failed. On the drive back, Do-ha gazed at the sleeping Ha-kyung with affectionate eyes, creating a moment of romantic tension.

As Ha-kyung awoke and attempted to enter the 'Peanut House' with Do-ha, her ex-boyfriend Jeon Nam-jin (played by Ahn Chang-hwan) appeared, heightening the tension. Nam-jin mistakenly believed Ha-kyung hadn't moved on from him, causing her discomfort. When Nam-jin tried to enter the house, Do-ha blocked him, leading to a confrontation where Nam-jin got injured, and all three ended up at the police station. At the station, Nam-jin, in a fit of emotion, revealed that he had cut down a tree at Ha-kyung's request, shocking everyone.

Enraged by the revelation that Ha-kyung was behind the tree cutting, Do-ha confronted her, asking, "Are our 17 years of memories something that will disappear if the house is sold?" Ha-kyung, unable to hold back her anger, retorted, "Don't force your memories on me." Ultimately, Ha-kyung decided to leave, stating, "If you don't leave, I will," and packed her things to head to Seul's house.

Later, a heavy rainstorm hit Pata-myeon, prompting Ha-kyung to rush to the basement of the 'Peanut House' with a sudden realization. Despite the basement being flooded, she risked her safety to retrieve a mysterious box. However, she found herself trapped as the water rose to her chin, facing a life-threatening situation.

At the end of the episode, an unconscious Ha-kyung, having forgotten that Do-ha saved her, clung to the box. Do-ha, frustrated by Ha-kyung's willingness to risk her life for a mere box, was left bewildered. Inside the box was a name tag belonging to Baek Do-young, hinting at the involvement of Do-young in the strained relationship between Do-ha and Ha-kyung. Their relationship reached a breaking point, with Ha-kyung declaring she wouldn't sell the house and wanted to sever ties. However, Do-ha responded, "I'm trying to endure this tiresome summer you mentioned. I'm not leaving this time."

By Se-yoon Jung, TenAsia Reporter yoon@tenasia.co.kr