'When I was the Most Beautiful' Episode 2: Ye-ji's past holds a bloody secret, but Jin and Hwan don't care
Between Seo Hwan (Ji Soo) and Seo Jin (Ha Seok-jin), a conversation takes place about how Jin would like to date Hwan's student-teacher Ye-ji (Lim Soo-hyang). This is after Jin says that he is not exactly interested in dating Ye-ji. Hwan then tells Jin that for all his interest in Ye-ji, it only matters if Ye-ji reciprocates. Of course, Ye-ji is completely clueless that these brothers are discussing her or her interest in them. Initially, she seemed like a very happy woman who is content in working on ceramics and art. However, in this episode, we see Ye-ji recall a moment in the past where her mother, hands bloodied, tells her to leave her be and not search for her.
Ye-ji's mother informs that she has to leave and that she will not return. She also warns her daughter that if she were to search for her mother, that would only result in her mother's death. In the present, we see Ye-ji arrive in Seoul with Jin, who gives her a ride. Unfortunately, her aunt who happens to be Ye-ji's guardian seems like an inconsiderate, evil human at first glance as she begins yelling at Ye-ji the minute she sees her. She swears at her for wanting to be a teacher, something that is beyond her standing in society and tells her that she shouldn't be greedy. It is clear that she hates her niece and even warns her that she will tell the school that she works at the truth about her.
Jin, who had accompanied her is unable to see the girl that he is interested in go through something like this, so he asks her to return with him. However, Ye-ji, knowing her aunt decides to return to her aunt's place. However, this doesn't make her aunt satisfied. She wants to see Ye-ji give up on her dreams of teaching or even art and so she decides to follow Ye-ji to her school and there, she creates a big scene. She yells at her and also tells the other teachers that Ye-ji is not worthy of being a teacher.
Hwan decides to help her, and even steps in when her aunt continues to verbally abuse her. After she is disciplined by the teachers at school, Hwan decides to help Ye-ji by distracting her and asks her to bunk school that day. He takes her out to a stream where the two of them pick snails that they later plan on cooking in a soup. Hwan's father loves cooking with fresh ingredients and Hwan tells Ye-ji that fishing for snails actually helps one forget their worries.
Ye-ji ends up in tears instead because she remembers fishing for snails with her mother too. Hwan comforts her, and she feels better for it. He also helps her at school by ensuring that the students don't spread rumors about her, which allows her to stay back as a student-teacher at his school. Jin, on the other hand, notices Hwan's growing closeness with Ye-ji and yet, he decides to continue hitting on her. He takes her away on a long drive and the two grow close too. For Ye-ji, her relationship with Hwan seems more like friendship while with Jin, it seems to be the beginning of a romance.
From the looks of it, the show might turn out to be about two brothers fighting over a girl. However, if we look at Jin and Hwan's past and how Jin had been the one to cause his father's accident while hiking, there might be more to these brothers' relationship than meets the eye.
'When I was Most Beautiful' will air on MBC on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9.30 pm KST. It will be available on Viu outside South Korea.