Summary
A fast-paced episode that strongly begins to wrap up proceedings.
This recap of the Netflix K-Drama series Once Upon a Small Town season 1, episode 10 contains spoilers.
Recap for Once Upon a Small Town season 1, episode 9.
With just a couple of episodes to go after today, Once Upon a Small Town has begun wrapping up all its loose ends. Putting an end to the love triangles in this instalment was a smart idea, and allows for the show to briskly move towards a more uncluttered climax. With the stakes now clear going into the final two chapters, there’s an agreeable comfort to proceedings.
Once Upon a Small Town season 1, episode 10 recap
Once Ji-yul (played by Choo Young-woo) helps Ja-young (played by Park Soo-young) tidy up the corn, the police officer nervously heads off, wanting the snack to be shared without her. However, she isn’t left alone, as the vet chases after her to return her bike, as well as attempt to clarify what she saw, though this is a fruitless endeavour. Solemn, Ja-young still decides to walk home, deflated by what has transpired. Meanwhile, Yun-hyeong gets Ji-yul to better understand his affection towards the police officer, giving his friend some advice to just confess his feelings, then go from there.
At her house, Ja-young aims to clear the air with Min regarding the corn incident, but ends up facing a question on if Ji-yul is really only a friend to her. The response is a stuttered one, but the police officer claims that there is nothing going on between her and her former secret friend. “I was just happy to see him again after so long,” Ja-young adds, admitting that she does care about Ji-yul, just not in a way that could cause Min to worry. Plus, the popular resident is certain that this sentiment is shared with the vet. Nevertheless, Min isn’t exactly pleased with what she has heard, so still asks if Ja-young can ensure that these platonic feelings are made clear to Ji-yul.
After Yun-hyeong heads back to Seoul, we cut to night time. Here, Ji-yul bottles the chance to talk to Ja-young thanks to a text from Min informing him that they will continue their talk tomorrow at the hospital. Elsewhere, Sang-hyeon is greeted by the police officer at the cafe, where he is told that his confession is one not reciprocated by his long-time friend. This conversation upsets Ja-young considerably, as she discloses her fear that she would hurt the peach farmer with the rejection given all he does for her, though a mature reply shows that the two will continue their bond, just in a different way. With that in mind, Sang-hyeon tells the police officer to let him deal with this current hurt himself, and jokes that the knock-back might be regretted when he begins to like someone else.
The next day, Ji-yul is frank with Min. He tells his ex that what she feels towards him isn’t love, just regret for “what was and for what could have been.” Additionally, the vet states that he doesn’t hate Min, or want to deny their history, he just has someone he wishes to be with. Min hastily rushes to exclaim that Ja-young doesn’t share this affection, before accepting that she is being “irrationally stubborn,” and apologising for her behaviour, both in Huidong, and over the course of their relationship. Asking for time to process the fact that her ex loves someone else, Min says that she will try to move on.
When Ja-young doesn’t turn up at the hospital, Ji-yul looks for her at the police station, then at Sang-hyeon’s farm. Content, the vet deduces that the peach farmer faced a rejection from the police officer, taking note of his big brother-like demeanour. What follows is a rather humorous scene between the pairing, one based around Ji-yul’s lack of skills in helping out with some of the required manual labour involving Sang-hyeon’s fruit.
In time, Ja-young arrives, yet she is incredibly tense with Ji-yul, asserting that she has nothing to say to him. When confronted over her avoidance the vet, though, the police officer begins to stumble, failing to convince him that she isn’t mad, all while attempting to stop any misunderstandings. Then, the confession abruptly comes. Ja-young is slow to accept this but, once aware of its genuineness, rebuffs it harshly. “To me, Han Ji-yul is just a little boy,” she says, prior to adding that she won’t fall for his act a second time.
While reflecting, Ja-young bumps into Yeong-suk, who tells her that Ji-yul may be heading back to Seoul sooner now that his grandparents are planning a return to Huidong. Hearing that a suitcase was delivered to the hospital, which could imply an imminent departure, the police officer appears upset, perhaps knowing her rejection was out of character.
Fortunately, Sang-hyeon is swiftly on hand to lend an ear. Surprised that his friend isn’t more at ease now that she has sorted her love life out, the peach farmer wants to know why Ja-young looks nervous, in the way a person would be after a lie. The police officer denies that this is the case, saying she is sick of people who leave when they please, knowing she shouldn’t have gotten attached to Ji-yul anyway. However, Sang-hyeon points out that Ja-young’s fear of the vet departing means that she doesn’t want him to, helping his friend realise that she could well have made a mistake.
The ending
Admitting to being overconfident that she could fix things with Ji-yul, and apologising to Ja-young for her behaviour, a waiting Min looks set to end her stay in Huidong. Yet the police officer uses this moment of candidness to open up herself first, revealing that she does indeed have feelings for the vet, a statement that doesn’t come necessarily come as a shock. Then, Min says the two should never meet again, smiling with the belief that she will move on from her ex.
Determined, Ja-young decides to rush over to Ji-yul at the hospital, ready to right her wrongs. Unphased when told that the vet will be leaving for Seoul in 15 days, the police officer goes straight in for a kiss, bringing an end to the episode.
What did you think of Once Upon a Small Town season 1, episode 10? Comment below.
Additional Reading
Recap for Once Upon a Small Town season 1, episode 11.
