Summary
Episode 4 has an eeriness to it, mostly because a new character keeps eating big mites in a compelling yet rather confusing chapter.
This recap of Netflix K-drama series The School Nurse Files episode 4 contains significant spoilers.
We recapped every episode — check out the archive.
The opening
A woman named Hwang Ga-young introduces herself to Hong In-pyo — he doesn’t remember her. When she takes off her glasses he suddenly recollects who she is. The pair reminisce about their times together at school. Hwang Ga-young seems to have a bad back but she references how In-pyo was in a terrible accident and she’s glad he’s doing better. There seems to be an unusual bond between them both. At school, Ahn Eun-young asks Ji-hyeong where he got his sneakers from and if he likes Mr. Mackenzie. This question encourages Ji-hyeong to walk off.
Investigation time
Hong In-pyo and Ahn Eun-young learn that Mackenzie wants access to the basement. They both tell themselves that they will keep an eye on him. They both also vow to look into Ilwang Sterilization — on the organization’s building, it says “HSP” — Happy Safety Protect. Both characters head out to investigate. Ahn Eun-young finds some strange algae in Mackenzie’s apartment. After she touches it, a strange mark appears at the back of her neck. She finds a map and it marks the school she works at. When Mackenzie returns home, he sees that the strange-looking algae are all dead.
Everything in this series seems to work with cause and effect — no matter what Ahn Eun-young gets involved with, something strange lurks.
A nasty rash
Ahn Eun-young now has a nasty rash all over her face. The doctor says it looks like poison ivy. Afterward, she meets Hong In-pyo — he tells her he likes hanging out with her. He then tells her he went into Ilwang Sterilization offices and gets a bit too excited about the prospect of telling her what he found.
Ahn Eun-young goes to Hong In-pyo’s house; he tells her how he lived with his grandfather and the reasons he learned about Chinese characters. Ahn Eun-young points out how fond Hong In-pyo is of his grandfather. Hong In-pyo shows her some books and marks the quote — “If you can control the breathing hole, you can turn great luck to your favor and control the nation as you wish”.
The pair are getting closer in this abject story but of course, Ahn Eun-young is more compelled by her enemies.
I don’t want my destiny
Ahn Eun-young wants Hong In-pyo to continue translating and they carry on into the night. Hong In-pyo talks about how he was exempt from the army due to his injury. The next day, Ahn Eun-young tells her acupuncturist that she’s not comfortable as everything keeps circling back to HSP. She’s told her destiny has been entwined to another person. Ahn Eun-young cries, wanting her destiny to be different.
Ahn Eun-young seems to want to be alone — a running theme in the series.
Mite-eater
Ahn Eun-young comes across Baek Hye-min that takes her by surprise. This new student is an international transfer. She’s instantly bullied by other students. Baek Hye-min tells Ahn Eun-young that she’s a mite-eater and demonstrates. She claims she only comes into being when mites around — she notes there are too many at this school.
It’s disgusting the crunching noise Baek Hye-min makes every time she eats a big mite — it adds to the story but in a queasy way.
They are migrating
Ahn Eun-young tells Hong In-pyo about Baek Hye-min and now mites are migrating to this school. Suddenly, Hong In-pyo talks about an old friend as he receives a message — Hwang Ga-young. Ahn Eun-young appears slightly jealous. Hong In-pyo then shows a photo of him and his grandad fishing — there’s a man in the photo with a coat that has Ilwang Sterilization printed on the back.
The conspiracy strengthens.
Cramps
Ahn Eun-young goes home and she’s mad that she has more competition — this time Hwang Ga-young. The next day, Baek Hye-min wants antacids as there are too many mites at school to eat. She then has menstrual cramps and is sent back to the nurse’s office with two other students supporting her. Ahn Eun-young asks her what it feels like to be a woman — Baek Hye-min says she enjoys it as before, as a man, she fought in a battle. She also reveals she will only live until 20 and then disappear. Ahn Eun-young calls her a liar.
There’s little explanation behind the mite-eater to why she can only live until twenty but it’s abundantly evident that she remembers her previous life.
What do I do?
Ahn Eun-young asks for advice from her acupuncturist about Baek Hye-min and the mites. She then eats a mite herself with tears filling her eyes. She then reveals she hasn’t really eaten it and the acupuncturist puts it back in the jar.
The ending
At home, Ahn Eun-young wonders why Ilwang Sterilization abandoned the school. She thinks about quitting the school herself. The episode ends with Baek Hye-min seeing a car full of people laughing. She then sees 538 on the wall.
The School Nurse Files episode 4 has an eeriness to it, mostly because a new character keeps eating big mites in a compelling yet rather confusing chapter.
