Summary
Episode 6 delves into life lessons as a young teenager and what it takes to be a good coach. However, the chapter is a little lulling, and hopefully, the series will inject a little excitement next week.
This recap of Netflix k-drama series Racket Boys season 1, episode 6 contains spoilers.
Read the recap of the previous episode.
In a nutshell, nothing much happens in episode 6; some stories are halting a little, but luckily the cast continues to endear the audience. I feel the plot needs a little injection to get the audience thrilled about something.
The badminton team is nervous about an intense training day, so they decide to skip it and jump on a bus. Yoon-dam decides not to join them. When Coach Hyeon-jong gets to training, he’s curious about where the other boys are. Meanwhile, the kids are in another town, and they are hungry but have no money as Yong-tae lost it all at the coach terminal. They find a job post for day laborers near a market, and their interest piques — they need the money.
After leaving town, the boys decide to do labor work
The kids are given new instructions on a construction site — they are tasked to carry bags, and another worker shows how to load them on their shoulders. They also take their helmets off, but they are berated for healthy and safety reasons by the boss. In-sol gets to work, taking it seriously, which irks Hae-kang. Eventually, they get to eat, and their new friend, who has advised them all day, is surprised they lost their money.
Later on in the day, Hae-kang nearly seriously hurts himself, which causes damaged goods, and the chief is not pleased. When the day is finished, the chief thanks them for their work, and it feels like the kids have learned a lot by working on a site.
Hyeon-jong meets an old friend, and they discuss what it used to be like playing for a team
Episode 6 sees Hyeon-jong enjoy a blast from the past; it involves reminiscing and wondering what it takes to be a good coach.
Coach Hyeon-jong meets an old friend (Lee Kae-jun) he used to train with — his friend is a coach as well. They relive times when they used to train and how they feared skipping training and even did errands for their peers — flashbacks show it looked more like bullying. Hyeon-jong wonders if he should scold his players for missing training, and they remember the punishments they went through when they did something wrong in the team — team players used to give beatings. In the present, Hyeon-jong’s friend seems traumatized — flashbacks show he gave the beatings, and on one occasion, Hyeon-jong stopped him.
Lee Kae-jun knew it was wrong and admits that he will not make the same mistakes with his kids now that he’s a coach. He claims he wants to be more like Hyeon-jong. The pair then gives each other advice on the kids in terms of slang and their music.
The boys are nearly scammed, but In-sol has a hunch
Having someone smart on the team is clearly useful, as the young boys nearly lose their money again.
Tired from a day’s work, the boys try and figure out what to do next; there’s a little regret that they didn’t do training instead. Their friend from the site tells the boys they are have being scammed by the chief. He claims the chief wants money for some damage and the lunch they had, but In-sol stops the conversation and asks if what he’s saying is true; he trusts the chief and offers to ring him to prove that he didn’t ask for money. The friend from the site gets agitated as In-sol proceeds with the call, and he walks off. While on the site, In-sol saw a sign that said, “lunch is covered, and the company covers damaged goods.”
Coach Hyeon-jong does not punish the kids for skipping intense training
As the kids make their way home, Yong-tae states he found the lost money in his inner pocket, and Hae-kang is furious. They meet Coach Hyeon-jong at the gymnasium. When he gets there, they are on all fours awaiting punishment, but the coach tells them to get up. Hyeon-jong tries to use slang with the players and says from now, he’ll respect their preferences. The players are scared by the coach trying to act cool, and they ask him to beat them.
More unspoken words between Se-yoon and Hae-kang
Episode 6 is frustrating in terms of romance; when will these two characters break and let their feelings be known?
Late in the night, Hae-Kang hits some shuttlecocks over the net and practices against the wall intensely. Se-yoon arrives with her friend Han-sol; Hae-kang and Se-yoon walk home together — he was scared of walking back in the dark. As he’s about to tell Se-yoon something, they are interrupted by their friend, who rejoins them.
The buffet and cinema for Hae-in
Hae-in wanted a buffet, so Hae-kang and his friends set up a small party for her. They also set up a small cinema for Hae-in, with the help of her mother. They all tell her that they are grateful for her, and they are her friends. Ranos picks her up and says, “I love you”. However, in a comedic moment, she tells them they are not her friends because they are older than her, and Ranos is her mother. The group is shocked by her bluntness. However, Hae-in does make a friend with a young boy, and Hyeon-jong gets drunk and worries that she will marry him — Ranos tells him to stop being dramatic.
The ending of Racket Boys episode 6
The next day, the kids discuss the next tournament; they are deflated because Seong-heon is playing for one of the teams — his father is the association director and does not play fair. They look at likely opponents, and Hae-kang may have to go against the ranked number one. However, Hae-kang is confident about the tournament.
Racket Boys episode 6 delves into life lessons as a young teenager and what it takes to be a good coach. However, the chapter is a little lulling, and hopefully, the series will inject a little excitement next week.
Additional points
- There’s a romance brewing between Yoon-dam and Han-sol.
- As the episode ends, Hae-kang is scared of the dark and the storm outside; he’s also scared of the small doll his sister gave him.
