Migratory Anticyclone
Episode 14 of Forecasting Love and Weather starts with autumn fast approaching. The typhoons are long gone, and the temperature is pleasant enough for families and couples alike to be out and about. However, the weather is a big juxtaposition to Ha-Kyung, who is still heartbroken over her breakup with Si-Woo. We finally catch up to the moments at the end of episode 13, where Um acts out of character and loudly reveals that Si-Woo and Ha-Kyung are dating. Despite telling her mum they’ve broken up, Ha-Kyung’s mother doesn’t listen and believes Ha-Kyung is trying to throw her off the scent. She doesn’t listen to her daughter and while this is played off for laughs, one can’t help but feel the tragic element of Ha-Kyung’s meddling mum who continues to ignore her daughter’s wishes. Si-Woo’s father rings his son while he’s in hospital. He’s been in a car accident and tries to phone his son. However, Si-Woo is too busy dealing with everyone whispering about his relationship with Ha-Kyung, which is obviously awkward and bizarrely placed in the drama given they’re not actually dating. Ki-Jun does his best to try and appease Yu-Jin, cooking her food and trying to do right by her. Eventually he suggests they postpone registering the marriage, realizing that she’s not 100% invested and they’re both going through issues. He promises to put in more effort, holding her hand. Ha-Kyung urges Si-Woo to ignore all the rumours and continue on with work like normal. Si-Woo though is struggling. With the weather pleasant and calm for now, it gives a lot of the people at the KMA an opportunity to take a break. Or, so they think anyway. Ha-Kyung decides to work everyone and keep them busy, keeping an eye out for cyclones or other weather anomalies. Ki-Jun catches wind of the rumours thanks to some of his colleagues gossiping on their instant messages. In doing so, he heads down to see Ha-Kyung, eventually heading off for a drink with Si-Woo. There, Ki-Jun admits that Si-Woo has done more damage than he has (of course he has) and admits that at work, women suffer more than men when rumours like this spread. Ki-Jun knows that his ex deserves better and tells him that if they are to break up that he does so courteously, otherwise he believes Si-Woo should think twice before ending things. In the office, Si-Woo takes Ha-Kyung aside and decides they should keep their break-up a secret for now as it’ll be too much hassle for the office to handle. Si-Woo doesn’t want to hear other people gossiping, caring about what people will think of them. Ha-Kyung is more mature though and doesn’t care, telling him it’s her choice that she wanted love and suffers the consequences of their break-up. Si-Woo eventually admits that this break-up is way too painful for him. Meanwhile, a couple of floors down, Yu-Jin takes Ki-Jun aside and breaks the news that she’s 12 weeks pregnant. That’s obviously a massive deal and he’s shocked. Yu-Jin isn’t happy that he’s dumbfounded and scared, not giving the happy reaction she expected. She’s out with Si-Woo eating while Ki-Jun is with Ha-Kyung again at the bar, lamenting the same woes. Ki-Jn is worried about being a good husband and a good father, but Ha-Kyung reassures him, claiming that he’ll do great and that she was a lousy perfectionist when they were together. As they praise one another, Ha-Kyung brushes aside his cheating as water under the bridge as the pair are all chummy together. “You’re a good person Ha-Kyung,” Ki-Jun eventually tells her. While they wrestle with this, the best subplot in the whole show – Tae-Kyung and Seok-Ho – continues to develop. The pair are sleeping together now and after racing to see her that afternoon, the pair end up making love but as they’re undressing and kissing around the house, there are little moments of awkwardness that make this feel very realistic. Anyway, back with the main couples, Yu-Jin decides they should go to the clinic and have an abortion, pointing out they’re not ready to have a child and this is probably best for them. At the same time, Si-Woo bumps into Ha-Kyung’s mother again, who encourages him to head in so they can talk. As they sit together, Ha-Kyung happens to be at the hospital where Si-Woo’s father is just snoring away.
The Episode Review
With the weather calming down and the typhoons a distant memory, Forecasting Love and Weather casts away from its romcom roots into another episode that doesn’t really go anywhere. Somehow Ha-Kyung and Ki-Jun are best buddies – or at least talking enough to lavish praise on one another – while both lead couples are muddled and confused over what they really want. The hot/cold behaviour of Si-Woo and Ha-Kyung leaves this reviewer wondering whether we should really care if they end up together in the end. The pair don’t want to be together and the ludicrous reasons this episode for not breaking up (“it pains me too much”; “people will gossip” etc.) doesn’t once address the real crux of the issue – are these two people compatible and do they want the same things in life? And the resounding answer to both those questions seems to be no. At least from what we’ve seen anyway. Either way though, this k-drama is edging toward its final episodes now, and with next week looking to close things out, who knows whether this one will end on a positive or negative note. We’ll have to wait an see!
