I think we have been looking at this all wrong. It's never been about HJP being honest with his feelings, or NDS being honest with SDM. The story has always been about SDM finally being honest with herself.
We assume that SDM was a cruel woman for three years for leading HJP. But what if, that is not the case. The reason that for three years SDM was not able to let HJP go, and the reason she feels awkward around her, is because she hasn't yet been honest with herself and admit her growing feelings for him.
Its very telling in Ep. 15, that she still doesn't know why she likes NDS, how she was still looking for a sign of whether she should be with NDS. The bid for the smart city, is a symbolism of being with NDS or not. And for the first time the audience is starting to see SDM's doubt.
Throughout the show, there is a lot of physical touch between NDS and SDM, touching her shoulders, kissing, touching her hair and etc... While HJP and SDM are NEVER been shown, awake, to physically touch each other. But in that one scene in Ep. 15, SDM catches HJP, it's even slowed down. This is the first time they touch each other knowingly. HJP even has time to look at her.
At the beginning of Ep. 15 there are mentions of ghost that could completely stop or confuse the algorithms of Tarzan. I see this as a symbolism of how Tarzan represents SDM and NDS love. And how the "Ghost" of sdm's past, IE. the memories she shared with HJP, will cause the smooth sailing of Tarzan (SDM and NDS Love) to stop unexpectedly.
Also, I noticed how everything from the past is slowly coming true. In episode 1, SDM's dad promised Halmoni he would get Ae Hyun and WIJ back, and give her a building. In the present, Ae Hyun and WIJ have come back to the family, and Ae Hyun has leased a commercial space for Grandma. SDM even uses the dad's name as the name of her company, ensuring that the father, even in spirit, has come back home as well. The only thing missing is the boy whom she shared the most parts of herself, HJP.
The reunification of SDM past is slowly coming true, and it's only missing one vital piece now, HJP.
Now, it's up to SDM to be honest with herself, and be the one to make the first move.
Ok. time for one last prediction before the last episode. Apologies to the 1% nation if I give you more hope!
I am just thinking and going back to the letters. Because Young SDM and Young HJP never meet, the letters were never her knight in shining armor. Instead, the letters represented to both HJP and SDM, comfort. It gave them someone to vent to, someone to share their happiness and dreams with. More important that a pen pal or a boyfriend/girlfriend, the connection of SDM and HJP through the letters has always felt more like friendship. I would even say that SDM's best friend is HJP. Nobody understands SDM more than HJP, and he has shown this consistently with how he acts for her betterment, without her asking for it. If you watch all the HJP and SDM scenes, as little as they were, don't you get the feeling they are best friends more than anything? They talk so comfortably, so casually, she shows him her inner most weaknesses. She even tells HJP about her feelings of love for NDS, as painful as it was to hear for HJP, this just goes to show she really values his friendship.
It's interesting that in the present, their pen pal relationship has been replaced by a mentor/mentee relationship. Without SDM knowing the truth, she already felt a kinship with HJP. The number of times she wanted to share good news with HJP, or bad news, all reminded me of the letters they wrote each other 15 years ago. The number of times she is antsy in contacting him, finding him. It's the same feelings she had whenever she saw his letters in the birdbox. It's an emotion she cannot explain. She goes the extra mile for him, but she doesn't' know why. It is only when he leaves her side, that she will realize a big part of her heart is missing, and the answer to why she is always looking for him, and why she always values his advice, will become clear.
Also, we very clearly see that when NDS points out all his faults, and ask why SDM ask she likes him, she is at a clear lost for words. In fact, notice how her eyes are looking everywhere but at NDS. She gives NDS a nonsensical answer, and because NDS is so insecure, desperate, and in love with her, he would have accepted any answer. If SDM had repeated, because of your big hands, for NDS that would have been enough.
I think another important point we should consider is that NDS has never been one to believe in fate. He eavesdrops for information a lot of times, he doesn't believe in superstitions, he cheated on his test when he was young, and in Ep. 15, he gets his own wish rather than let SDM find it. What this tells me is that NDS is someone who doesn't leave things to chance, he doesn't believe in leaving things to fate.
Compare this to SDM and HJP. Both are huge believers of fate. We often see SDM praying, hoping for signs, or divine intervention. In Ep. 15 she is hoping for a sign from the tarot reading app. And she hopes for a sign by finding NDS wish as a deciding factor of when to bid or not. HJP also waits for signs, the right moment, to act. He only acts on his feelings when Yong Sil gives him a good fortune. This shows that both HJP and SDM believes in fate.
With this in mind, I feel that NDS, someone who is forcing destiny, will finally be strike down by fate itself. And SDM will rebuke his proposal in lieu of her real soul mate HJP.
With this in mind, I feel the following things will happen in episode 16.
I feel that when SST wins the contract, the first person SDM feels like telling the good news, is not NDS but rather HJP. This reminds me of the drama Jealousy Incarnate where GHJ wanted to tell JJS character the good news before the other guy. I think a similar scene will occur. She will start to realize the the first person she wants to tell when things are good or bad is HJP. And this will make her realize her feelings for him, and he will turn down NDS proposal. In episode 15, HJP says, it hurts a lot right now, and that's how I know that I genuinely liked you. I think in Ep. 16 SDM will start to feel this pain, and that's when she will begin to realize she has feelings for HJP also.
Also I want to remind everyone, SDM is actually able to verbalize what she likes about HJP. Fake or otherwise, the feelings were real, and she knew exactly the reason she fell for him. All the times she described fake Dosan, were the manifestations of why she loves HJP.
With NDS, she doesn't know.
Also notice that HJP in his car with fortune plant and letters, what is surrounding his car? It is cherry blossom leaves from the look of it. The same leaves that has always surrounded the love of Young HJP and Young SDM in the first episode. And HJP getting both the fortune plant and the letters means, he will be getting SDM back as well.
HJP does not know it yet, but the winds of fate has started to blow his way.
I think when HJP look at his hands one final time. He realizes that SDM is a shallow person. And that physical attractiveness, and infatuation beats a lifetime of solid memories.
Ok, sorry going on a little bit of parallel here. Sorry if this is a bit religious, considering the presence of Catholicism here, I feel this parallel story may be warranted. I was just thinking a little bit of how NDS and HJP reminds me of a god and his prophet. Let me explain.
The way I see HJP is that in the story he is a god. He is all powerful, and all knowing. But he is always up in the heavens, never having the chance to roam the land. The land below prospers under his watchful eyes. The people of this land does not know the good deeds the god does.
The god, feeling lonely in isolation, wanted the people to have some people revere him and his good deeds. So he chose a man to be his prophet (NDS). Initially this man is happy, as he is able to form a connection with this god. The god gives his prophet powers to perform miracles, so that the people will believe him.
For 3 years the prophet performs miracles, and saves the people from multiple disasters like famine and the plague. For each miracle he performs, the people revere him more. Soon though, the god notice that the people were not revering him, but rather the prophet. The people were seeing this prophet as a god. The god became jealous, and came down to the lands in an avatar to show the people of the land, that he was the real reason these miracles were happening. But nobody believes him and continues to revere the prophet.
One day, a meteor comes to destroy the land, and the prophets power proves to be no match. The prophet goes to the top of the mountain to pray to the god for help. The god, still loving the people of the earth, decides to help the prophet. Once the disaster is averted, everyone feels the prophet is the one who stopped the meteor, and continue to revere the prophet.
This reminds me of Start Up, LOL, sorry random post!
We assume that SDM was a cruel woman for three years for leading HJP. But what if, that is not the case. The reason that for three years SDM was not able to let HJP go, and the reason she feels awkward around her, is because she hasn't yet been honest with herself and admit her growing feelings for him.
Its very telling in Ep. 15, that she still doesn't know why she likes NDS, how she was still looking for a sign of whether she should be with NDS. The bid for the smart city, is a symbolism of being with NDS or not. And for the first time the audience is starting to see SDM's doubt.
Throughout the show, there is a lot of physical touch between NDS and SDM, touching her shoulders, kissing, touching her hair and etc... While HJP and SDM are NEVER been shown, awake, to physically touch each other. But in that one scene in Ep. 15, SDM catches HJP, it's even slowed down. This is the first time they touch each other knowingly. HJP even has time to look at her.
At the beginning of Ep. 15 there are mentions of ghost that could completely stop or confuse the algorithms of Tarzan. I see this as a symbolism of how Tarzan represents SDM and NDS love. And how the "Ghost" of sdm's past, IE. the memories she shared with HJP, will cause the smooth sailing of Tarzan (SDM and NDS Love) to stop unexpectedly.
Also, I noticed how everything from the past is slowly coming true. In episode 1, SDM's dad promised Halmoni he would get Ae Hyun and WIJ back, and give her a building. In the present, Ae Hyun and WIJ have come back to the family, and Ae Hyun has leased a commercial space for Grandma. SDM even uses the dad's name as the name of her company, ensuring that the father, even in spirit, has come back home as well. The only thing missing is the boy whom she shared the most parts of herself, HJP.
The reunification of SDM past is slowly coming true, and it's only missing one vital piece now, HJP.
Now, it's up to SDM to be honest with herself, and be the one to make the first move.
I am just thinking and going back to the letters. Because Young SDM and Young HJP never meet, the letters were never her knight in shining armor. Instead, the letters represented to both HJP and SDM, comfort. It gave them someone to vent to, someone to share their happiness and dreams with. More important that a pen pal or a boyfriend/girlfriend, the connection of SDM and HJP through the letters has always felt more like friendship. I would even say that SDM's best friend is HJP. Nobody understands SDM more than HJP, and he has shown this consistently with how he acts for her betterment, without her asking for it. If you watch all the HJP and SDM scenes, as little as they were, don't you get the feeling they are best friends more than anything? They talk so comfortably, so casually, she shows him her inner most weaknesses. She even tells HJP about her feelings of love for NDS, as painful as it was to hear for HJP, this just goes to show she really values his friendship.
It's interesting that in the present, their pen pal relationship has been replaced by a mentor/mentee relationship. Without SDM knowing the truth, she already felt a kinship with HJP. The number of times she wanted to share good news with HJP, or bad news, all reminded me of the letters they wrote each other 15 years ago. The number of times she is antsy in contacting him, finding him. It's the same feelings she had whenever she saw his letters in the birdbox. It's an emotion she cannot explain. She goes the extra mile for him, but she doesn't' know why. It is only when he leaves her side, that she will realize a big part of her heart is missing, and the answer to why she is always looking for him, and why she always values his advice, will become clear.
Also, we very clearly see that when NDS points out all his faults, and ask why SDM ask she likes him, she is at a clear lost for words. In fact, notice how her eyes are looking everywhere but at NDS. She gives NDS a nonsensical answer, and because NDS is so insecure, desperate, and in love with her, he would have accepted any answer. If SDM had repeated, because of your big hands, for NDS that would have been enough.
I think another important point we should consider is that NDS has never been one to believe in fate. He eavesdrops for information a lot of times, he doesn't believe in superstitions, he cheated on his test when he was young, and in Ep. 15, he gets his own wish rather than let SDM find it. What this tells me is that NDS is someone who doesn't leave things to chance, he doesn't believe in leaving things to fate.
Compare this to SDM and HJP. Both are huge believers of fate. We often see SDM praying, hoping for signs, or divine intervention. In Ep. 15 she is hoping for a sign from the tarot reading app. And she hopes for a sign by finding NDS wish as a deciding factor of when to bid or not. HJP also waits for signs, the right moment, to act. He only acts on his feelings when Yong Sil gives him a good fortune. This shows that both HJP and SDM believes in fate.
With this in mind, I feel that NDS, someone who is forcing destiny, will finally be strike down by fate itself. And SDM will rebuke his proposal in lieu of her real soul mate HJP.
With this in mind, I feel the following things will happen in episode 16.
I feel that when SST wins the contract, the first person SDM feels like telling the good news, is not NDS but rather HJP. This reminds me of the drama Jealousy Incarnate where GHJ wanted to tell JJS character the good news before the other guy. I think a similar scene will occur. She will start to realize the the first person she wants to tell when things are good or bad is HJP. And this will make her realize her feelings for him, and he will turn down NDS proposal. In episode 15, HJP says, it hurts a lot right now, and that's how I know that I genuinely liked you. I think in Ep. 16 SDM will start to feel this pain, and that's when she will begin to realize she has feelings for HJP also.
Also I want to remind everyone, SDM is actually able to verbalize what she likes about HJP. Fake or otherwise, the feelings were real, and she knew exactly the reason she fell for him. All the times she described fake Dosan, were the manifestations of why she loves HJP.
With NDS, she doesn't know.
Also notice that HJP in his car with fortune plant and letters, what is surrounding his car? It is cherry blossom leaves from the look of it. The same leaves that has always surrounded the love of Young HJP and Young SDM in the first episode. And HJP getting both the fortune plant and the letters means, he will be getting SDM back as well.
HJP does not know it yet, but the winds of fate has started to blow his way.
Only when we accept the cold, desolate future of HJP will be finally be able to rise from the depressing tone and message of Start Up.
BF: Why are you breaking up with me?
Me: Just because...
BF: Why did you eat the last french fry?
Me: Just because...
BF: Why are we watching Start Up Episode 16?!?
Me: Just because...
HJP: Why not?
Halmoni: Just because...
HJP: Oh wow, that's a good reason, Ok I am staying.
Can we get this trending?
It's enough...
The way I see HJP is that in the story he is a god. He is all powerful, and all knowing. But he is always up in the heavens, never having the chance to roam the land. The land below prospers under his watchful eyes. The people of this land does not know the good deeds the god does.
The god, feeling lonely in isolation, wanted the people to have some people revere him and his good deeds. So he chose a man to be his prophet (NDS). Initially this man is happy, as he is able to form a connection with this god. The god gives his prophet powers to perform miracles, so that the people will believe him.
For 3 years the prophet performs miracles, and saves the people from multiple disasters like famine and the plague. For each miracle he performs, the people revere him more. Soon though, the god notice that the people were not revering him, but rather the prophet. The people were seeing this prophet as a god. The god became jealous, and came down to the lands in an avatar to show the people of the land, that he was the real reason these miracles were happening. But nobody believes him and continues to revere the prophet.
One day, a meteor comes to destroy the land, and the prophets power proves to be no match. The prophet goes to the top of the mountain to pray to the god for help. The god, still loving the people of the earth, decides to help the prophet. Once the disaster is averted, everyone feels the prophet is the one who stopped the meteor, and continue to revere the prophet.
This reminds me of Start Up, LOL, sorry random post!