A Love So Beautiful episode 8 recap – “Happy Birthday”

By Daniel Hart
Published: January 14, 2021
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Netflix K-Drama series A Love So Beautiful episode 8
3.5

Summary

Episode 8 shows the beauty in treating someone with their interests as Sol-i tries to plan an expensive date with Cha Heon.

This recap of Netflix K-Drama series A Love So Beautiful episode 8 contains significant spoilers.


The opening

A Love So Beautiful episode 8 opens in July 2007. Sol-i passes a note to Cha Heon in class and asks if he wants to hang out on Saturday. Cha Heon agrees to her suggestion, and she’s super excited. He’s taking him to a Manchester United football match — such a shame that the series decided to pick a disgusting football club. Sol-i asks her mother for tickets at home, but she cannot afford to give her that kind of money — she was probably equally as disgusted that they wanted to see the club too.

At school, Sol-i and friends talk about Sol-i’s birthday, which is on a Friday. Dae-sung is eager to sort the present out as Cha Heon listens in.

The swimming championships

At the national swimming championships, Dae-sung wins first place, and the journalists ask how he overcame a slump in form. He tells the journalists that his success is down to Sol-i. At school, rumors circulate that Dae-sung and Sol-i are dating.

Sol-i asks Dae-sung a question

Sol-i meets Dae-sung at his workplace and talks about how she cannot get a part-time job anywhere. She then asks him what was the secret that he wrote down in the previous episode. Dae-sung makes up a lie and says he put “I love hamburgers”. Episode 8 sees Sol-i desperate to find out who likes her.

Cha Heon’s cruel U-turn

The next day, Sol-i gives Cha Heon a gift before Saturday — it’s a Manchester United shirt with Park Ji-sung’s autograph on it. She admits she couldn’t get a ticket. Cha Heon rejects her gift and asks how much it was and gives her the money. He then tells her to stop following him and that he will not be seeing her Saturday. Sol-i throws the money on the floor and walks away. This was a bit extreme by Cha Heon — we can only assume that he is dismayed that she’s spending so much on him, and he’s a little embarrassed by it. Or that he doesn’t support Manchester United and he’s disgusted.

Ha Young approaches Cha Heon

At school, Ha Young approaches Cha Heon and asks him if he knows why Sol-i is putting in the effort to take him to the Manchester United game. She raises how on the same Saturday, there’s a Dream Concert with all of Sol-i’s favorite singers, but she’s trying to treat him instead. She also tells him that it’s Sol-i’s birthday. This is the turning point of the story — Cha Heon clearly needs to overcome his insecurities.

Come home Dae-sung

Dae-sung’s father finds Dae-sung at his place of work — a burger joint. He orders food, and there’s this awkwardness between them. He asks him to come home once he’s finished eating.

Cha Heon makes the effort

Later in the evening, Cha Heon rings Sol-i and asks her what tomorrow’s lunch menu is. He tells her he’ll see her tomorrow. Sol-i smiles, but she’s trying to remain mad at him. Her father then walks in and gives her two tickets to the Manchester United game.

The next day, Cha Heon continues making an effort with Sol-i. Dae-sung asks Sol-i if she wants to hang out, but Cha Heon interrupts the conversation and asks for measuring tape. Later on, Sol-i goes to the football stadium, and Cha Heon goes to the Dream Concert. They both ring each other, expecting to meet at the same place. Cha Heon meets her at the stadium, but they learn that the tickets are fake. Sol-i’s father was conned. A blessing in disguise, let’s be honest.

The ending

Outside the stadium, Sol-i and Cha Heon hang out. She asks him what his secret was in the game he played. He passes her the note, and it says “I don’t want to play this game”. Flashbacks show that Dae-sung put in his note “I like Sol-i”. In the present, Sol-i is a little stunned and she must know that Dae-sung likes her. Cha Heon turns around and says “happy birthday”.

A Love So Beautiful episode 8 shows the beauty in treating someone with their interests as Sol-i tries to plan an expensive date with Cha Heon.

Netflix, Weekly TV
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