'Love on the Menu' Ahn Hee-yeon + Bae Yun-gyu, Tearful Embrace - Ha Seok-jin's Straightforward Pursuit

'Love on the Menu' moved the living room screen by simultaneously unraveling the wounds of a fractured family, poignant sibling love, and an unwavering love toward one person. In particular, the ending where Ahn Hee-yeon and Bae Yun-gyu embraced each other amidst tears left a deep lingering impression by exploding the accumulated emotions of the siblings. Added to this, Ha Seok-jin's relentless, straightforward confession added new tension to the relationships of the three people.

In the 19th episode of the KBS 2TV weekend drama 'Love on the Menu' broadcast on the 4th, Kim Mu-jin (Ha Seok-jin) was depicted continuing to approach Han Gyu-rim (Ahn Hee-yeon) without giving up his feelings for her. Han Gyu-rim was alone in dealing with the wounds of being abandoned by her family and her anger toward her mother, but Kim Mu-jin reached out to her with a consistent attitude. This episode recorded 15.5% based on Nielsen Korea national households, rising 1.0% point from the previous 18th episode, and ranked first in the same time slot across all channels including terrestrial, general programming, and cable.

Kim Mu-jin handed Han Gyu-o (Bae Yun-gyu) the fraudulent written statement from Son Ji-yeol (Joo Woo-geon)'s group, revealing the reality of the incident that had continued for 8 years. Upon learning the truth, Han Gyu-o was swept away by anger and self-reproach, and Kim Mu-jin took him to his house to stay by his side. In particular, he comforted Han Gyu-o by revealing his own wounds, saying, "Self-harm is so bad for your body, I know because I've done it for 8 years." It was a moment where their relationship deepened beyond mere supporters to individuals who understand each other's pain.

Han Gyu-rim also could not escape the whirlwind of emotions surrounding her family. Looking at the empty room left by her younger sister Han Gyu-yeong (Park Yoo-na) and swallowing her loneliness, she tried to act as if nothing were wrong in front of her father Han Seok-jung (Ryu Seung-soo), but when she faced Han Gyu-yeong's image in the family photo, she ultimately could not control her emotions. Combined with the appearance of Go Yoon-hee (Yoon Yoo-sun), who appeared after 17 years but did not even reveal that she is the mother, the wounds Han Gyu-rim had long suppressed burst forth.

Go Yoon-hee was also not at ease. Suffering from the guilt of not being able to be a proper mother to either her biological daughter Han Gyu-rim or her stepdaughter Jang Seo-hyeon (Lee Joo-yeon), she confessed to her husband Jang Hun-tae (Kwon Hae-hyo) that she had delivered the lunch box she prepared for Jang Seo-hyeon to Han Gyu-rim. As her regret grew over the choice to turn away without even revealing her identity to her biological daughter, her guilt deepened. For Han Gyu-rim, the memory of being abandoned remains, and for Go Yoon-hee, the regret over the years she turned away remains.

Even in such a situation, Kim Mu-jin's love was consistent. Encountering Han Gyu-rim on his way to work, he showed a smile again, but Han Gyu-rim drew a line, saying, "I'm not going to you, Mu-jin." However, Kim Mu-jin did not back down. His confession, "Even if I get rejected every day, I will confess every day. I will never lose you again," showed a stance opposite to Han Gyu-rim, who tries to push away love because of her wounds. It was enough to draw interest in what kind of choices the diverging emotions of the two would lead to in the future.

In the latter half of the broadcast, family conflict exploded once again. Han Gyu-yeong went to the side dish shop after learning that Go Yoon-hee had visited Han Gyu-rim, and Han Gyu-rim firmly cut her off, saying, "There is no such thing as a mother." However, after being left alone, she ultimately could not endure the sorrow accumulated over 17 years and burst into tears. It was a scene that revealed that inside Han Gyu-rim, who seemed stronger than anyone on the outside, longing and resentment for the abandoned family were actually intertwined.

On the other hand, the relationship between Hong Ok-seon (Jin Kyung) and Han Seok-jung provided unexpected laughter. To Hong Ok-seon, who felt a sense of betrayal from her family and friends, Han Seok-jung comforted her by picking a doll from a claw machine and acted boldly by introducing himself as 'Santa Claus.' Eventually, a new relationship began as Hong Ok-seon first reached out, saying, "Let's be friends." Since the two became close without knowing that their children are intricately intertwined, this is expected to act as another variable in future developments.

Above all, the highlight of the day was the reunion of Han Gyu-o and Han Gyu-rim. Han Gyu-o read the sincere message sent by his sister and poured out his suppressed emotions in tears, and after promising Kim Mu-jin, "I won't die," he returned home. And as soon as he faced Han Gyu-rim, he silently hugged his sister tightly. Han Gyu-rim also looked at her brother's face, which was covered in wounds, and ultimately embraced him. It was a moment when the family history, stained with fatigue, anger, and guilt, briefly returned to the most primal relationship of 'siblings.'

Here, the 19th episode closed with Kim Mu-jin's smile as he watched the two. Amidst the complex entanglement of love and family, betrayal and forgiveness, the emotional lines of the characters surrounding Han Gyu-rim are also gradually entering a new phase. In particular, as the wounded siblings have become able to lean on each other again, viewers' curiosity is growing as to how far Han Gyu-rim will accept the truth of her family, and whether Kim Mu-jin's straightforward love can move her firmly closed heart.