Or, alternatively, how I think Hae Soo is writing her own tragedy, and that’s the most tragic thing of all.
“how is it so easy for you
to be kind to people he asked
milk and honey dripped
on my lips as i answeredcause people have not
been kind to me”
– Rupi Kaur, milk and honey
This post is really just me trying to understand Hae Soo. I think the main reason as to why I feel frustrated is the writing. Hae Soo’s trust goes back and forth so much, especially when it comes down to Wang So–and why is that? Really? Why is that? Is it just simply fear? Or is there something else? The answer is much more complicated than we’d like.
I understand that there are many things that are haunting Hae Soo. Her visions are coming true, and she fears that So will turn out to be the ruthless king that she has come to learn about, the one that killed all his brothers and his subjects. Part of it is true. But she’s also seen the kind, warm, and soft side to him. She’s seen the way that he loves her, and what he would do for her. This causes her deep conflict.
I think there’s a self-fulfilling prophecy that’s at play here. Ultimately, Hae Soo has a hand in her own tragedy, no matter how much she tries to fix things. Which brings us back to her conversation with Ji Mong: was it meant to happen, or did it happen because of her? Did she change something? And here’s another haunting question for Hae Soo: Am I Hae Soo or Go Ha Jin? Is this a dream, or was my modern life a dream? #thoughtsthatkeepyouupat4am
WangSo: “Why are you staring at me like that?”
Hae Soo: “I was wondering what it would be like to turn away from the things you love..”
(ha ha ha foreshadowing anyone ha ha ha)
This week confirms the sailing ship (they literally get a boat, for God’s sake) of the SoSoo couple (I find it funny we call it SoSoo couple here, and then Koreans call it the SoHae couple…). But while So has nothing but given his entire heart for Soo, I think we can see that Hae Soo is still holding back. She loves him–and has for a while now; her mind has constantly wavered when it came to him–but she doesn’t quite yearn for him the same way that So does. In interviews, IU describes the love between Hae Soo and Wang So to be “like fire” but like… dude, where’s the passion? Where’s the burning? SO IS JUST THERE, LITERALLY ON FIRE, AND HAE SOO’S STANDING THERE. Are we going to see more of her love show? Is she ever going to give So her all? God, I hope so, before everything goes to shit.
And the reason as to why I’m convinced that Hae Soo will probably stop holding back and give So her all is because of this:
The translation:
“If we had just not met, then I would not be filled with such longing…”
The original Korean encompasses a lot of pain and yearning, I think. This does not sound like a love where Soo was careful and distant and held back the whole time; this is what you say when you love someone to the moon and back, and it doesn’t work out and you’re left nothing but with memories and a broken heart.
Her holding back may also have to do with Wook, seeing the way that it painfully ended with Wook’s betrayal. And to add to that, So already knows that Soo used to love someone else, but she goes to So, anyways. So knows that Soo has accepted his feelings, and feels the same way towards him. Therefore, for me, it doesn’t make sense that this couple would fall apart because So learns that Hae Soo used to love Wook. Like… okay, I feel like that they could talk it out. That whole scene at episode 14 where they healthily communicated? With that kind of communication, what can’t they overcome? LMAO DESTINY But I do wonder if there would be something more grating to So if he learns that Soo loved Wook. But why would Wook be different from any man? Would it bother So more because he and Wook are rivals now?
I would’ve picked a bone with Hae Soo, but… honestly, I wonder if by not telling So that she knew where Eun was, it was something that would have protected him, in the end. I think the reason as to why Hae Soo doesn’t tell him about Eun is because she doesn’t want So to get to the point where he has to kill Eun (like she saw in her visions). And Hae Soo’s been warned time and time again, that she cannot fully trust anyone in the palace, and she’s come to learn to fear what happens within the palace as well.
But Hae Soo repents her actions for not trusting So because of Soon Duk (yes, bless your soul, precious bear child) and she goes to help get Soon Duk to be able to say goodbye to her father. She also remembers Taejo’s parting words: “Don’t be so afraid of the harsh future that you lose everything you have now.”
But the whole situation with Hae Soo and Eun and Soon Deok makes us wonder again what Hae Soo’s role is here…
Ji Mong says he didn’t know that Wang Yo would become the king (yeah, but Ji Mong could be LYING!!!!!! In the words of our wolf prince, Wang So, HOW MUCH SHOULD WE TRUST THIS MAN????). He says that there must have been another variable. And who else would that be… but Hae Soo. I think she in herself is a trigger.
I was reading through some Korean blogs, and one argued that the variable was the fact that Hae Soo told Wang Wook to be careful of Wang So. This is also something I agree with. And that being said, Hae Soo writes this whole tragedy by herself. She thinks she’s helping… but is she? Again, like Ji Mong, she’s going to watch everything unfold. She and Ji Mong must not interfere. But that’s where the lines also get blurred… is Hae Soo helping to cause these things to happen, or were they always going to happen anyways, regardless of what she does? I don’t know how time travel works god help me
But enough about Hae Soo and trust. I want to talk about two important scenes!
Wang Jung and Hae Soo
Jung: “We’ve changed. There will come a time where you have to choose.”
Soo: “Even if it comes down to that, I don’t think I’ll be able to choose. I just wish nobody gets hurt.”
Ah, Hae Soo, bless your kind heart. But could you like pick Wang So’s side please
These interactions set up the plotline where Hae Soo and Jung end up together. Which is fine, as long as they do it well. But I’m also against it because Jung’s character is quite… immature, for lack of better words. I’ve talked about it him before. Jung has grown up a lot, but at the same time, he lacks understanding for others–especially when it comes to Wang So. There are reasons as to why Jung may not like So; because of So, his mother and Yo have changed to the point where Jung cannot stand to be with them, and because So also hurt Yo. The kid just needs to grow up a bit more.
But he says something important. Something that haunts Hae Soo, more or less. Will she choose a side? Can she choose a side? For those who want to help everyone, it is difficult to choose one person to be loyal to. But she cannot remain neutral. Nobody can, especially when it comes to survival.
“it takes grace
to remain kind
in cruel situations”
–Rumi Kaur, milk and honey
Aaaand I’ve been dying to discuss this scene.
This is an interesting scene in itself because Hae Soo and Yo have never really had interaction before. He was never interested in this strange girl, until she became someone he could use to control his brothers. Because that’s what Yo excels at. He’s good at finding others’ weaknesses and using them against them so that he can gain the upper hand.
A part of their conversation snagged my interest. Hae Soo doesn’t back down in front of his man–the king who became a king through killing his brother. And Yo realizes that this girl isn’t to be taken lightly.
Yo: “You’re quite daring, aren’t you? Then again, even from when you were young, you weren’t a pushover. It’s entertaining.”
The fact that Yo says “even from when you were young” made me think a lot about Hae Soo. The way he phrases it in Korean, the way I interpret it, it feels like he’s talking about her childhood, and not about a couple of years ago when she was younger (and Go Ha Jin fell into her body). I may be overthinking it. Yo could be simple talking about Hae Soo a few years ago–he saw her fight with Eun, he saw her stand up to Yeonhwa and take Chaeryung’s punishment.
But who actually was the real Hae Soo? If you look back at episode 1, Chaeryung doubts Hae Soo forgetting her memories and asks her what she’s really trying to hide. Hae Soo (Go Ha Jin) is surprised to learn that Soo was actually some sort of rebellious child… the girl who pretended to be good and sweet on the outside, but was actually a bad girl in reality.
I guess all that really matters, though, is that Hae Soo is not to be taken lightly, and she will fight for those she loves. She’s not scared to bear her teeth at those who try to hurt her.
But we circle back to these questions: How much can Hae Soo do? Why is she here? What will happen now?
#TRAGEDY #GETREKT
“the world
gives you
so much pain
and here you are
making gold out of it”
- there is nothing purer than that”
–Rupi Kaur, milk and honey