Summary
A surprising ending adds an element of deeper intrigue to an otherwise breezy chapter.
Ahead of the final four episodes of Crash Course in Romance, things have taken a rather dramatic turn in Season 1 Episode 12. For one, Dong-hui could be the overarching villain of the entire show, presumably taking destructive action on the adversaries of Chi-yeol (Jung Kyung-ho) due to his strange infatuation with the star tutor.
But also because history seems to be repeating itself with leaked exam papers, this time with Hae-e involved. Now that things are reaching a fever pitch, we will hopefully be in for an enjoyable last couple of weeks.
Crash Course in Romance Season 1 Episode 12 Recap
Hui-jae is arrested
As Hui-jae is arrested, Su-hui instantly begins to fan the flames, allowing the All Care mothers to realize Seo-jin was lying about her Ivy League son. Following this, the shut-in is spared an immediate interrogation thanks to his mother’s intervention, as she points out the “illegality” of the police’s actions. As an aside, Seo-jin remains stone-faced at the revelation Hui-jae has been brought in on murder charges.
After looking upset at Chi-yeol’s brittle response to her attempts to discuss Dong-hui again, Haeng-seon returns home. Now, Hae-e is brought up to speed, so the student tries to get in touch with Sun-jae, worried about how he’s doing.
Then, we return to Haeng-seon’s struggles and watch as she and Chi-yeol talk themselves out of texting the other about their earlier difference of opinion.
Dong-hui starts acting up, while Seo-jin gets increasingly desperate
The next day, Dong-hui seems concerned that Chi-yeol is distracting himself from his photoshoot with thoughts of apologizing to Haeng-seon. Though he soon has bigger things to worry about, a worker recognizes him as Jeong Seong-hyeon from their middle school days.
Still, Dong-hui does a good enough job of wriggling out of the situation, claiming his “common face” caused a misunderstanding. Concurrently, Hae-e continues to worry about Sun-jae’s absence from school.
Despite presenting evidence of Hui-jae’s bipolar disorder and anxiety, Seo-jin cannot get her son released from questioning. Thus, the lawyer is forced to suggest a temporary pin is stuck in investigative proceedings, knowing she needs to address Sun-jae’s school non-attendance before continuing to defend the shut-in. “You’re claiming insanity and refusing to talk right now. I’ll take care of the rest,” Seo-jin tells Hui-jae on her way out.
When talking to the All Care mothers, Su-hui drops a nugget of information that further fuels speculation about Hui-jae’s condition and his “misdemeanor.”
However, the clique ringleader soon begins to understand her influence is diminishing due to her belatedly discovering The Pride Academy has rehired Chi-yeol, and Hae-e is to be re-admitted into the All Care Programme. Elsewhere, Sun-jae is imperatively instructed to study by Seo-jin, who is desperate for him to prioritize his midterms over worrying about Hui-jae.
Once he’s encouraged Hae-e to give Sun-jae some space, Geon-hu takes his crush ice skating, both to take her mind off things and in a bid to impress her. Meanwhile, Dong-hui sinisterly deletes Haeng-seon’s text to Chi-yeol before the star tutor can look at it.
As Sun-jae weeps into Hae-e’s shoulder, releasing all of his emotions, Seo-jin prepares to pull in a favor from the education director she had previously helped out. Concurrently, a tetchy Haeng-seon assures herself she can “just end it” with Chi-yeol, who is busy noticing the “mysterious” side of Dong-hui, the assistant he doesn’t know the address of despite their tight-knit bond.
Soon, things become eery. When Chi-yeol brings up that Dong-hui should “smile more” so as not to appear cold in front of Haeng-seon, he replies by discussing how much the star tutor must like his partner, in addition to how he hasn’t been dreaming of the late student he once tutored recently.
Fortunately, though, the academy instructor doesn’t appear to pick up on any of the conversation’s nuances so that he can enjoy a trip to the market alongside his partner the following day without stress. Because of this, the couple can make up, too, with the pair apologizing to each other, then agreeing to go on a drive near Incheon’s sea.
Interestingly, both parties seem to skim over the mysterious missing text message when it’s brought up.
Dong-hui slaps on a fake smile when driving Haeng-seon and Chi-yeol, attempting to assure the two he is unbothered by the former tagging along. Elsewhere, Su-a crumbles during her midterm and becomes overwhelmingly panicked when realizing Hae-e has likely performed skilfully.
Additionally, Hui-jae is ready to answer questions regarding I-sang, only for Seo-jin to interrupt at a crucial time, forcing her son back into silence. “If she thought her son was innocent, she would’ve gotten to the bottom of this to clear his name,” Detective Song later says about the lawyer, curious as to why her attitude is the way it is.
Haeng-seon’s fall
At home, Sun-jae is again told to focus on exams and becomes aware of the material left for him ahead of the following day’s reading test. Putting two and two together, it appears these may be leaked questions from the education director to return the favor to her lawyer acquaintance.
Meanwhile, Dong-hui continues his kind act when driving Haeng-seon and Chi-yeol around on the latter’s yacht. Or at least he does for a short time until he reaches his limits and ensures the side dish shop owner doesn’t depart without a hospital visit when purposefully veering the vehicle off course, causing her to fall.
After apologizing for his actions, stressing his regret for injuring a cook’s hand, Dong-hui is asked to leave, with the couple believing he must be shocked too. Concurrently, Hae-e shares notes with Sun-jae, triggering the student into passing along the material his mother had previously gotten exclusively for him.
Additionally, Jae-woo rebuffs Yeong-ju’s attempt at a confession, labeling it “gross.”
In the car, Haeng-seon reflects, firmly believing Dong-hui “turned the handle abruptly on purpose.” Her absorption in the matter is so severe that the side dish shop owner can’t even hear Chi-yeol ask her to disinfect the wound and cannot bring herself to open up. Instead, Haeng-seon labels herself as “overly sensitive.”
As Chi-yeol takes care of Haeng-seon at his house – the two even share a night together – their relationship seems to level up. So much so the star tutor giddily drops his partner off so she can return before anyone wakes up, though that doesn’t quite work when Hae-e bumps into her aunt. Concurrently, Seo-jin pleads with Sun-jae to listen to her, stating she’s at a “dead end.”
How does Crash Course in Romance Season 1 Episode 12 end?
During their reading exam, Sun-jae and Hae-e seem to realize they’ve already studied the test questions, causing them to panic. At the same time, Hui-jae makes an appearance in court, breaking his silence to claim he’s a witness to I-sang’s death, not a suspect.
Following this, we see metal balls delivered at an apartment filled with material on Chi-yeol, including a strangely intricate wall of his achievements, press coverage, and everything else you could think of.
Then, moving forward, a car slowly drives past Nation’s Best Banchan, ending the episode with a shot of a man who appears to be Dong-hui holding a metal ball slingshot toward Haeng-seon. This, it seems, points to him being the murderer currently being looked for.
What did you think of Crash Course in Romance Season 1 Episode 12? Comment below.
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