Ha Seok-jin seeks advice over Ahn Hee-yeon's sudden behavior, "I want to get my Gyu-rim back"

The emotional rift between the characters in the drama 'Love on the Menu' is deepening. In the highlight video for episode 21 of the drama 'Love on the Menu' recently released by KBS, Ha Seok-jin is depicted experiencing confusion due to Gyu-rim's (played by Ahn Hee-yeon) sudden change in attitude.

"Gyu-rim is pushing me away"... Ha Seok-jin's sincere concerns

In the video, Ha Seok-jin cannot hide his embarrassment at Gyu-rim's unusual behavior. Gyu-rim shows a different side than usual, such as demanding that Kim Mu-jin (played by Bae Jung-nam) buy her a refrigerator, or even asking to exchange the washing machine and TV as a bundle. Even her family members are puzzled by Gyu-rim's sudden actions, wondering, "Did she hurt her head?" Among Gyu-rim's family, the change is so significant that there is talk that it is as if Gyu-yeong's soul has entered Gyu-rim.

Ha Seok-jin judges that this attitude of Gyu-rim is an intentional act to distance herself from him. Sharing his concerns about Gyu-rim's change, he said he is upset that Gyu-rim is deliberately pushing him away. He mentioned that he had once tried to date Gyu-rim, and expressed complex feelings about the situation where Gyu-rim is pushing him away even while using alcohol. Ha Seok-jin suffered, saying it is obvious that Gyu-rim looks down on him and is trying to shake him off on purpose.

Conflict between conglomerate background and love

Ha Seok-jin believes the reason Gyu-rim is pushing him away is related to his background. He analyzed that the fact that he is the second son of a conglomerate family is acting as a great burden to Gyu-rim. Ha Seok-jin questioned how burdensome it would be from Gyu-rim's perspective, asking if, given her personality, she would marry someone like Kim Mu-jin to make him rich and place him on a bed of thorns. He also revealed that he left home in opposition to his mother's way of judging people based on their background.

In particular, he raised his voice, asking if an only son of a conglomerate family cannot even marry the woman he loves, calling this a form of reverse discrimination. He emphasized the belief that marriage is not something done with one's mother, but with oneself. Since Gyu-rim is not the type to be obsessed with luxury goods or desperate for money, Ha Seok-jin appeared unable to escape the thought that his economic background is actually placing a burden on Gyu-rim.

Diverging views of the family and mismatched conversations

Gyu-rim's family also perceives Gyu-rim's change as unusual. While Gyu-rim's mother recognizes that her daughter's behavior is strange, she shows an attitude of wanting to observe the situation, saying, "I'll tell you everything later, so let's just let it pass today." In response, Gyu-rim showed a sharp reaction to her mother, asking if her goal was to be rejected by Mr. Mu-jin.

Ha Seok-jin's consultation ultimately ends without obtaining a clear answer. Ha Seok-jin tried to continue the conversation by suggesting to the other person that they go eat bean sprout soup, but the other person did not provide much help, stating they would remain neutral. Attention is focused on how the diverging interests between the characters and Gyu-rim's intentional distancing will affect their future relationship.

Source: KBS Drama (YouTube)