Lost In The Mountains
If you’ve made it this far into When The Weather Is Fine then you know what to expect. The series itself has settled into a comfortably slow rhythm and as a relaxing Korean drama to kick back and chill to, this one is certainly up there. Having said that, the lack of action, tension or large amounts of drama may put some people off, especially given the teasing glimpses of this being injected into the series before things dissipate out and return to the slow pace we’ve come to expect. The beautiful imagery and soothing soundtrack should be enough to keep you sticking around though when the story mellows out during these moments. Episode 4 of When The Weather Is Fine begins with a frightened Hye-Won throwing her arms around Eun-Seob. After their hug, she tells him how scared she was and how she thought she was lost up in the mountains. He tells her they should head back and as they arrive at Good Night Bookstore, they drink green tea together. He tells her not to go up to the mountains at night by herself as the night draws in, the duo head to bed. We then cut to the 2020 New Student Inauguration as Im-Whi finds herself continuing to watch her crush from afar. They’re all heading up the mountain together, with Jang-Woo among those leading the group. Meanwhile, Hye-Won and Eun-Seob head off to town to do their laundry. On the way, Hye-Won questions him again over who Irene is, suspecting it’s not Hwi as she first thought. For now, this remains a secret from her and as they reach the town, Hye-Won sits and has coffee with Bo-Young. We then cut back to the past where we see what really happened that fateful day at the school. Bo Young told one of the students called Joo-Hee what Hye-Won’s secret was, who subsequently circulated that around the other students. Back in the present Bo-Young pleads with Hye-Won to understand her, telling her she only told Joo-Hee in confidence but Hye-Won, rightly so, mentions about her broken promise and how she betrayed her trust. After their meeting, Hye-Won heads off with Eun-Seob to get some headache pills. However, everyone is interrupted by news that Min-Jeong has gone missing up in the mountains. As day turns to night, the search party continues to look for her while a concerned Hye-Won and her Aunt watch on from afar. Eun-Seob however, finds her up in the woods and brings her back to safety. With Min-Jeong safe and sound, Eun-Seob heads home and reassures his parents that he’s feeling okay and isn’t hurt. It’s here he tells his Mum that he likes going off on his own but she tells him not to deviate again, forbidding him from heading up to the mountains alone. That evening the Book Club reconvenes again as Jang-Woo’s nephew reads a story called “Owl At Home”. This relates to Hodu House, especially the words surrounding the frozen house, before the spotlight turns to Jang-Woo for his story. As the Book Club ends, Eun-Seob buys Hye-Won some shoes to wear while she’s out in the countryside. Later that night, after the drama of the evening, Hye-Won comforts Eun-Seob while he sleeps. In the morning, Jang-Woo awkwardly talks his way through a meeting with Min-Jeong while Myeong-Joo bumps into a strange old man on a bike she seems to recognize from her past. As she keeps walking, she comes face to face with Hye-Won and they stare one another down, where the episode ends. Who is this man on the bike? Are we preparing for more flashbacks for Hye-Won’s Aunt? Are we gearing up for a love triangle with Min-Jeong, Hye Won and Eun-Seob? Plenty of questions circle this one but there’s plenty of scope here for this series to grow and evolve over the weeks. For now the show seems content to take its sweet time with its story. As mentioned before, for saome this may be a little too slow and people will inevitably grow impatient with this. At the same time, the relaxing atmosphere and light, breezy story makes for a surprisingly refreshing watch that’s easy to get lost in for an hour or so. We’ll wait and see what happens in the coming weks but if you’re not sold on this one by now, this is unlikely to be a Korean drama you’ll stick with for the long-haul. For everyone else, this slow-paced deviation from the hustle and bustle of everyday life may just be the hot cup of coffee you’re after!
