As “The Midnight Romance in Hagwon” nears its finale, the stakes are high! From Choi Hyung Sun (Seo Jung Yeon) and Woo Seung Hee (Kim Jung Young) becoming the reincarnation of the devil himself to Yoon Ji Suk (Jang In Sub) revealing his true personality, here are three plot twists that happened in episodes 13 and 14 of “The Midnight Romance in Hagwon.”
Warning: spoilers for episodes 13-14 ahead!
The White Witch knowing about Hye Jin and Joon Ho
Episodes 13 and 14 of “The Midnight Romance in Hagwon” prove that there is no end to a person’s greed and that some people will go to any length for success and money. At the end of episode 12, we learned that Daechi Chase’s vice director, Woo Seung Hee, and Choiseon Academy’s director, Choi Hyung Sun, are having a meeting with Hye Jin (Jung Ryeo Won). And they are threatening to ruin her career by spreading her 10 years’ worth of teaching material. The reason is simple: Seung Hee wants to take down Daechi Chase and start her own afterschool academy, but this would not be possible without dethroning Daechi Chase’s star lecturer.
However, their plan fails when Hye Jin tells her to give the teaching material to whoever she wants, as Hye Jin plans to create fresh material anyway. That’s when Hyung Sun reveals her true colors and tells Hye Jin that she will expose her and Joon Ho’s relationship. But the story doesn’t end here.
If Hyung Sun and Seung Hee had only exposed Hye Jin’s romantic relationship with her coworker Joon Ho, no one would have batted an eye. Yes, dating your coworker can bring tension to the workplace; however, it is not illegal to go out with someone you work with.
But they plan to paint the entire situation in a completely different light and make it seem like Hye Jin and Joon Ho got together when he was a minor, which is not only highly inappropriate but also illegal. Plus, since Hye Jin works with kids, one can only imagine how this revelation would change the parents’ opinion of her. In fact, viewers don’t have to wait long to see the impact of this false accusation, as in episode 14, a large number of students get refunds and drop out of her class due to their parents’ advice.
Yoon Ji Suk spreading rumors against Hye Jin
From the premiere week of “The Midnight Romance in Hagwon,” the director has been subtly hinting that Yoon Ji Suk, the English lecturer at Daechi Chase, is romantically interested in Hye Jin. His feelings for Hye Jin are evident from his constant invitations for coffee and dinner, albeit in group settings. Hye Jin’s consistent rejection of these offers shows viewers that she does not share his feelings. Initially, their dynamic seemed like a setup for a stereotypical boring love triangle. However, the way this dynamic unfolds in episodes 13 and 14 ends up making the viewers despise Ji Suk.
As Seung Hee knows about Ji Suk’s interest in Hye Jin, she tells him about Hye Jin and Joon Ho’s relationship to stir the pot and cause problems in the workplace. Hye Jin tries to explain to Ji Suk that her personal relationship with Joon Ho has never led to favoritism. Surprisingly, Ji Suk already believes she wouldn’t do such a thing, but still spreads the news about Hye Jin and Joon Ho’s relationship. He sends a manipulative message claiming Joon Ho has been receiving special treatment because of his relationship with Hye Jin.
If Ji Suk truly liked Hye Jin, he wouldn’t have done something so cheap. His character fits the “nice guy” archetype: a man who claims to be kind, but as soon as the woman he is attracted to rejects him, he makes it his life’s mission to ruin her. This just proves that Hye Jin’s instinct to avoid him was absolutely correct.
Ms. Nam’s final decision
Since the premiere week, Ms. Nam, aka Nam Chung Mi (So Ju Yeon), is portrayed as a highly ambitious person who wants to succeed in life. Although there is nothing wrong with having a drive to surpass your peers, after Chung Mi discovered Hye Jin and Joon Ho’s relationship, she left viewers wondering if she would use this information to dethrone the star of Daechi Chase. However, episodes 13 and 14 reveal that she has higher morals than the rest of her coworkers combined.
Seung Hee, aware of Chung Mi’s ambitions and teaching skills, offers her a position at her new academy if she resigns from Daechi Chase. As she knows Daechi Chase is a sinking ship, this offer leaves Chung Mi questioning her integrity. She even asks her new boyfriend, Choi Seung Kyu (Shin Joo Hyup), Joon Ho’s friend, if he would still view her the same way if she took advantage of the situation and left Hye Jin and Daechi Chase. Seung Kyu tells her that although he wouldn’t be completely okay with it, he wouldn’t think ill of her, as it’s just how the world works.
That’s why it comes as a surprise when, unlike her coworkers, she chooses to support Hye Jin. Maybe in episodes 15 and 16, her coworkers will follow her example and help Hye Jin save her career.
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Javeria is a binge-watching specialist who loves devouring entire K-dramas in one sitting. Good screenwriting, beautiful cinematography, and a lack of cliches are the way to her heart. As a music fanatic, she listens to multiple artists across different genres but believes no one can top the self-producing idol group SEVENTEEN. You can talk to her on Instagram @javeriayousufs.
Currently watching: “The Midnight Romance in Hagwon”
Looking forward to: “Squid Game Season 2”