* This review contains spoilers for Episode 9 of A Time Called You
The last episode centered around Si-Heon adapting to life as Yeon-Jun, and trying to woo Jun-Hee. He also discovered that the mystery man appears to have his own agenda within the timeline. Will we find out his reasons at last?
READ |Â A Time Called You Episode 8 Recap
A new chapter begins
While sharing her birthday cake with ‘Yeon-Jun’, Jun-Hee tells him of a high school boy whom she had a crush on when she was a child. ‘Yeon-Jun’ then remembers that he met her back in 1998, and feels happy that their connection began years ago. He says that since Jun-Hee is now single, he will pursue her to his heart’s content. Jun-Hee rejects the idea, saying she has sworn off dating. ‘Yeon-Jun’ then promises not to date anyone else, as she’s the only woman he wants. He also gives her a pair of earrings as her birthday gift.
We then see In-Gyu bringing flowers to Min-Ju’s grave. He stands there and remembers all the happy moments he spent with her, as well as holding her dead body. He returns home to his grandmother to find that she has collapsed. At the hospital, he yells at Si-Heon for not telling him that she was ill. Si-Heon later breaks down in tears.
At the college, Jun-Hee notices that all the girls seem to be attracted to ‘Yeon-Jun’. However, her friend Na-Eun tells her that he has not shown interest in any of them. She tells Jun-Hee that she overheard him say that he was “waiting for his destiny”.
While studying, ‘Yeon-Jun’ plays the cassette tape, and remembers the time he spent with Jun-Hee in the past. At that moment, Jun-Hee enters his room and he lets her listen to the song. He tells her that whenever he plays it, he feels as if he is transported back in time to someone he once knew. He once again states his love for Jun-Hee.
Joys and sorrows
As the days pass, we see the two of them grow closer, repeating all the key moments of their romance. One day, Jun-Hee is absent from class, and ‘Yeon-Jun’ volunteers to visit her. He finds her unconscious and takes her to the hospital, staying beside her until she recovers. She later tells him that she has accepted his intention to date her, causing him to celebrate.
Elsewhere, In-Gyu’s grandmother passes away. In-Gyu and Si-Heon later reminisce about the past, and In-Gyu mentioned the time during their childhood when he broke a bottle of ginseng that belonged to Si-Heon’s father. Si-Heon took the blame for it, and In-Gyu always felt guilty that never admitted he was the culprit.
He tells Si-Heon that afterwards he promised that if Si-Heon ever “did something bad”, he would always stand by him. Si-Heon tells him not to worry about the past. In-Gyu then says he plans to move to Seoul and begin a new life there.
The two continue drinking, and Si-Heon eventually falls asleep. In-Gyu leaves the house, and we get a flashback of Si-Heon, Min-Ju and In-Gyu celebrating Christmas in the record store. Si-Heon later wakes up and searches for In-Gyu. Remembering the conversation with Min-Ju’s uncle about In-Gyu killing himself, he rushes to the place where Min-Ju’s body was found. However, he can only watch as In-Gyu throws himself off a building. He begins to cry in despair over failing to save In-Gyu.
Caught in a time paradox
Back in 2023, Jun-Hee continues to ask the mystery man his identity before embracing him. Si-Heon hugs her back, revealing an engagement ring on his finger.
She brings him back to the apartment she once shared with Yeon-Jun. Si-Heon later tells her that he thought they “would stay happy forever”, until the day that she told him she was going to New York. He says he never imagined they would ever be apart.
He explains that he went to the airport to follow her to New York. Jun-Hee asks him if he knew that he would be involved in a plane crash when he boarded the flight.
We find out that as ‘Yeon-Jun’, he encountered his future self at the airport. The mystery man called him “Nam Si-Heon”, and told him that this would be the flight where Koo Yeon-Jun dies. Si-Heon’s soul would then return to his real body, shortly after his accident in 2002. The man begged him not to board the flight, and handed him a new ticket.
In control of fate
‘Yeon-Jun’ then said that if he didn’t get on the flight, Jun-Hee would never go back to 1998 and meet him for the first time. The older Si-Heon is silent, but appears to accept his decision. ‘Yeon-Jun’ adds that he always knew it was only a matter of time before he would have to die so that he and Jun-Hee could meet and fall in love again.
Si-Heon tells Jun-Hee that everything happened as expected, and he endured a long rehabilitation while waiting to meet her again. He spent his time trying to figure out who killed Da-Hyeon and Min-Ju, was, and how he could prevent In-Gyu’s death.
Jun-Hee says that if everything is predetermined, then there is nothing they can do to change it. Si-Heon then tells her that is not true, as this time, “a miracle happened”. When it was his turn to go to the airport and meet ‘Yeon-Jun’, something changed: ‘Yeon-Jun’ gave him his phone and the engagement ring for Jun-Hee, before boarding the flight. He says that this proves they were in control of their fate the whole time.
He then placed the engagement ring on Jun-Hee’s finger. Jun-Hee apologizes for arguing with him before she left, and they kiss.
Our opinion
This episode provided plenty of catharsis in relation to the romance plot. There were many tear-jerking moments, and we were amazed by the performances given by Ahn Hyo-Seop and Jeon Yeo-Been. Despite the convoluted time travel paradox, it made sense in the context of the story. And now that Si-Heon and Jun-Hee have left the paradox, will they be able to find the murderer from 1998?
Join us as we explore the next episode of A Time Called You!
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