Car Scene Analysis: Love Language (15 August 21)

I’m seeing so many mixed reactions over this scene. While I agree with some of them about how it was anticlimactic, I think it perfectly encapsulated Jae Eon and Na Bi’s relationship.

JE once again makes something, by hand, for NB. Instead of making a big deal out of it, he just hands it over nonchalantly. He’s not the type of person to blow things out of proportion, except for the few times he’s let himself openly express emotions.

He is also not the type of person who expects something in return. He gives without assumptions. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s selfless and NB is selfish. It just means his love language is gift-giving and NB’s is affirmation.

Here’s the tricky part. If his love language is acts of service and NB’s is words of affirmation, they won’t see eye to eye. We only get glimpses of NB looking at JE’s gifts, the sun catcher and bracelet, but never of her contemplating what they mean. 

She even brushes off the bracelet at first, saying that JE can probably sell it. JE, obviously, laughs it off like it’s the funniest joke in the world. Because to him, why would he sell something he specifically made for her? While thinking of her.

It’s an intimate gift, no less intimate than the sun catcher he made for her that he hung by the window of her studio apartment. He made these things by hand with only her in mind. And the saddest part is I don’t think NB fully realises what that means.

And no, it isn’t because she’s dense. I think it’s partly because she’s used to receiving gifts from the men in her life; Think of her ex giving her “gifts” like the sculpture and DH always cooking for her. One she hated, the other one she barely pays attention to.

But, mostly, I think it’s because she still cannot believe that JE would ever go that far in terms of sincerity. That’s why she needs to hear the words “I like you” straight from his mouth. Then and only then can she start to look at him in a new perspective.

But again, JE is not the type to talk. I know you’ve noticed this but it needs to be said again: The boy needs to open his mouth so people can understand how he thinks and feels. Not justify his actions, but simply let people in on why he is the way he is.

Some people might say, “Well, why can’t they just talk it out? NB can ask JE if he likes her. JE can ask NB if she wants to be with him.” But that’s the thing — they can’t just talk it out. They’re on the same page but the book is in a different translation.

Meaning, they can talk all they want until their eyes gloss over but as long as they don’t bridge the gap of straight up saying they like each other, without pretence, neither of them will move an inch. And we saw that they talk! They talk a lot actually. 

It’s the talking that gets them in trouble. I get why people say they need to talk more, but it’s actually a case of miscommunication and not non-communication. The bar scene, the apartment, the ferris wheel. They talk. But they’re not speaking the same language.

To sum it up, this scene wasn’t anti-climactic for me. Viewers expected a grand gesture from JE but the bracelet *is* the grand gesture. There’s nothing grander or more intimate for JE. They also expected NB to fall head over heels. She is. She’s just very scared.

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