Over the course of Love and Leashes, Jung Ji-woo and Jung Ji-hoo grow closer together in spite of their arguably restrictive contract, which implies that the two won’t date. The former realizes she is intrigued by the BDSM lifestyle she has been experimenting with and at the same time, comes to terms with the fact that she doesn’t like the temporary arrangement she’s forced to have.
The latter holds feelings for his dominant partner, too, but remains hesitant due to the lingering lack of closure and harsh feelings of judgment from his previous relationship.
At first, it appears like Jung Ji-woo and Jung Ji-hoo will remain apart. Their final “play” of the arrangement they forged together is awkward, marred by the apparent lack of romantic reciprocation. Ji-woo ultimately rejects the kiss she’s sharing with her submissive partner because the feeling isn’t right. An air of tension is present after this; one emphasized by the distance the two keep in the immediate aftermath.
However, things do soon change thanks to the accidental sharing of their kinky office romp via a company email. Forced to contend with gossip and rumor, the pseudo-couple is invited to a disciplinary hearing to decide their fate inside the company.
It’s there that Jung Ji-hoo finally has his moment of confidence, boldly confessing his feelings for the colleague he has been fooling around with in front of onlooking corporate types. It’s a touching gesture, both in how it feels like Ji-hoo has finally outgrown his pensive childishness and in the fact that he is no longer hiding his feelings, a sign that he has moved on from his unpleasant last relationship.
Fortunately, this act of unwavering love leads to a cozy resolution for the two protagonists. They decide on a compromise that they will try both their dom-sub partnership and date as two adults would at the same time. It does lead to a funny scene of the two going on a romantic walk before Ji-woo takes the “first step” into the raunchier side by biting on his neck, but it’s mostly nice to see that they have set aside their inhibitions and embrace each other’s lifestyles wholeheartedly.
As for their status in the company they were set to be disciplined in, that works out too, with a suspension for one and a pay cut for the other thanks to a smart leaking of some of the other office inhabitant’s dirty deeds. So, really, it all works out just fine in the end.
