Drama 'Dynamite Kiss' Hits New Ratings High as Secrets Unfold

Jang Ki-yong finally discovers Ahn Eun-jin's secret.

The 8th episode of SBS's Wednesday-Thursday drama 'Dynamite Kiss,' aired on the 4th, achieved its highest viewership rating yet, reaching 7.1% in the Seoul metropolitan area. The peak rating soared to 8.5%. While it holds the top spot globally on Netflix for non-English shows (November 24-30), it also clinched the number one spot domestically.

In this episode, Gong Ji-hyeok (played by Jang Ki-yong) and Go Da-rim (played by Ahn Eun-jin), who have feelings for each other but can't express them, drew a line between themselves. However, when Gong Ji-hyeok learns Go Da-rim's secret, a significant turning point occurs in their love story.

Previously, Gong Ji-hyeok announced his engagement to Yoo Ha-young (played by Woo Da-vi). It was a painful choice, prioritizing Go Da-rim's happiness over his own. However, for Yoo Ha-young, who knows that Go Da-rim is neither a mother nor Kim Sun-woo's wife, it was an emergency. As a result, Gong Ji-hyeok and Yoo Ha-young hastily got engaged.

The news of Gong Ji-hyeok's engagement complicated Go Da-rim's feelings once again. Believing that Gong Ji-hyeok's cold demeanor on the night she visited was due to his engagement with Yoo Ha-young, Go Da-rim decided to treat him only as a colleague, pretending to be unaffected. However, Gong Ji-hyeok couldn't help but worry about Go Da-rim, who kept making mistakes and getting hurt, and thus treated her coldly. Seeing this, Go Da-rim's heart ached, and she broke down in tears on the street.

Meanwhile, Gong Ji-hyeok and Go Da-rim found themselves stranded on an island with only one room left at a guesthouse, thanks to a scheme by Marketing Team Leader Ma Jong-gu (played by Park Jin-woo). Despite their efforts to maintain distance, spending a night together slowly broke down the barriers between them. Late at night, Gong Ji-hyeok, overwhelmed by his uncontrollable feelings for the sleeping Go Da-rim, rushed outside.

Back in Seoul, Gong Ji-hyeok witnessed Kim Sun-woo comforting a crying Yoo Ha-young. To Gong Ji-hyeok, it seemed like their affair was ongoing. Consumed by worry for Go Da-rim, love, and anger at Kim Sun-woo for betraying her, Gong Ji-hyeok confronted him physically. Yoo Ha-young, unable to bear it any longer, was about to reveal all the secrets, but Kim Sun-woo stopped her once again. Gong Ji-hyeok warned Kim Sun-woo, "If this happens again, you'll pay for it." Yet, he painfully realized once more that he couldn't be by Go Da-rim's side.

The day before the engagement ceremony, Gong Ji-hyeok unconsciously found himself at the 'Grandfather Tree' that Go Da-rim had mentioned. There, he witnessed Go Da-rim, Kim Sun-woo, and Kim Sun-woo's son, Kim Joon (played by Chae Ja-woon), together. Gong Ji-hyeok had no choice but to turn away. On the day of the engagement ceremony, he saw them together again, but this time, Kim Joon called Go Da-rim "Aunt Da-rim," not "Mom."

Gong Ji-hyeok realized that Go Da-rim was not a mother, nor was she Kim Sun-woo's wife. The episode ended with Gong Ji-hyeok in shock. Having seen his mother suffer from his father's infidelity, loving a married woman like Go Da-rim was unbearably painful for him. But now, that obstacle is gone. All eyes are on whether Gong Ji-hyeok and Go Da-rim's romance will finally blossom.

By You-Na Tae, TenAsia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr