Summary
Episode 5 provides clarity for the lead character, tapping into her past and present and her way of dealing with grief in an oddly touching chapter.
This recap of Netflix K-drama series The School Nurse Files episode 5 contains significant spoilers.
We recapped every episode — check out the archive.
The opening
There’s heavy snow — it’s a flashback to when Ahn Eun-young is in school and she’s asked to swap seats. She ends up sitting next to Kim Kang-sun. Rumours fly in class that Kang-sun’s father kills people. Another student asks Ahn Eun-young if she can see ghosts and if there’s any near her. Ahn Eun-young is then slapped by the student because she scares her.
Episode 5 is a chapter of grieving and coming to terms with the past — it shows Eun-young in a different light.
The return of a friend
In the present day, the spirit Kang-sun finds Ahn Eun-young and welcomes her. He wanted to see her. She invites him inside her house. In a flashback, Kang-sun asks about her face rash. Ahn Eun-young blames it all on the jellies. The pair clearly had a bond.
Party time
With her new friends, Baek Hye-min goes to a party. It’s a crazed disco karaoke and she seems to be having fun — genuine happiness resonates from her face. The next day, the group of friends are all tired and sleeping in class.
I’ve found a way
Ahn Eun-young tells Hye-min that she might have found a way that she can live past 20. She wants the student to think about herself and the life she wants after Hye-min raises the safety of the school.
You always get the sense that Hye-min likes her purpose — she asks too many questions.
Spending more time with Hong In-pyo
After school, Ahn Eun-young meets Hong In-pyo. In the car, she sees lipstick on a coffee cup and learns Gwang-su has been here. She wonders if she can still hold Hong In-pyo’s hand and he says yes. She holds his hand while he drives and blushes.
Stomach removal
Ahn Eun-young heads to a fishery with Hong In-pyo to find a solution for Hye-min. A woman quotes 2 million for the removal of a stomach. Ahn says she will think about it — she believes it’s too much money. The next day, Baek Hye-min states if she no longer eats mites, it will bring back bad luck. Ahn Eun-young gets impatient and tells her to live her life like this forever.
Eun-young is a caring character and she cannot help but let her emotions get the better of her when it comes to Hye-min.
Meeting the young dead girl
Ahn Eun-young meets the spirit of a dead girl who died before she was born at another school. She isn’t a danger to others so she’s not had to deal with her. The girl doesn’t seem to remember how she got there or how time works — Ahn Eun-young has to tell her that she’s not her mother.
This is a sad scene; the young girl has no concept of time and does not understand that Ahn Eun-young has aged since they last met — it’s a sad situation for a child spirit.
Eat all the mites
Ahn Eun-young collects all the mites for Hye-min. She seems more bothered about school but Ahn Eun-young promises to protect the school. Hye-min doesn’t seem to want a new life. Afterwards, when she has eaten all the mites, she tells Ahn Eun-young that she feels more at ease — she’s given more mites to eat.
I couldn’t avoid the crane
Kang-sun tells Ahn Eun-young that he died at work and he tried to make a living. He was killed by a crane. Ahn Eun-young remembers hearing the story of the crane on the news. She gets emotional, saying she can’t avoid what’s coming in her life just like Kang-sun couldn’t avoid the crane. Kang-sun is in a lot of pain and he asks Ahn Eun-young to “take me there”. Kang-sun slowly disintegrates in front of her.
This is a sad moment for the lead character — making this the most engaging chapter.
The ending
In a flashback, Kang-sun drew something for Ahn Eun-young — a flip story. She’s happy about what he made her. The story is about a young Ahn Eun-young with a light sword. In the present day, she wonders how she can fight without Kang-sun and sobs on the floor of a construction site. The crane breaks apart which shocks her. She sees Kang-sun look up at it. He didn’t move out of the way. She snaps out of her daydream and sees an iPad nearby — there’s a drawing on there similar to what Kang-su did. She tells the acupuncturist that she dreamed that she died and she feels freer now. Ahn Eun-young ends the episode stating she hasn’t seen jellies since she has woken up.
The School Nurse Files episode 5 provides clarity for the lead character, tapping into her past and present and her way of dealing with grief in an oddly touching chapter.
