Recap: She Would Never Know Episode 1
New year, new dramas! Welcome to 2021 folks. The first recap for this year is the JTBC drama She Would Never Know. It’s currently airing under the VIP pass on iQIYI and stars Won Jin Ah and Rowoon. Lets dive in!
She Would Never Know: Episode 1 Recap
The scene opens on our main characters pitching a new lipstick line for their skincare brand, KLAR. We learn that Chae Hyun Seung (Rowoon) is a relative newbie to the company and has been learning the business under the management of older staff member Yoon Song Ah (Won Jin Ah). Hyun Seung is quick to point out that there is only a one-year age gap between them. Song Ah retorts that there is a two-year gap in their work experience though.
Leaving the sales pitch, the two see their bus just pulling away. Hyun Seung and his impossibly long legs manages to catch the bus and wave the driver down. On the bus, the two sit separate from each other. Hyun Seung watches Song Ah from his seat farther back on the bus.
KLAR Brand Offices
Silently, Hyun Seung and Song Ah ride the elevator up to the marketing department where they work. Arriving back at their desks, they learn that one of their colleagues is getting married. She has secretly been dating an employee in another department for 2 years. Song Ah gets called away to discuss something with her boss, Lee Jae Shin.
The scene switches to the office of the company Director, Lee Jae Woon who is dressing down an employee from a different cosmetics brand within the company. Manager Lee Jae Shin arrives in the office and the other employee is sent away. Turns out that Director Lee is the grandson of the company Chairman. He rose to his position mostly due to the help of Manager Lee and he needs more help to keep his job.
Back in the marketing department, The other brand’s manager is annoying the KLAR employees. When Manager Lee returns he chases off the other manager.
Department Store
Song Ah and Hyun Seung work to arrange the new KLAR display in the cosmetics area of a department store. Hyun Seung brings up the earlier conversation about office romances. He wonders if Song Ah thinks that it would really be so difficult.
Song Ah gives a pretty non-committal answer saying that there are more cons than pros but if you like someone you’d put up with it. Later from across the store, Song Ah sees Hyun Seung smelling a competitor’s lipstick. She warns him that he’s being too obvious. When a salesperson asks if they can help, Hyun Seung pretends that Song Ah is his girlfriend and asks the salesperson to help them pick out a lipstick colour.
When they leave the department store, Song Ah tells Hyun Seung that she’ll let him off this time. She reminds him to be careful though because in the past people have shipped the two of them together and she doesn’t want rumours to start up again. Hyun Seung entreats Song Ah to keep the lipstick that he bought for her and to think of it as a thank you gift. The kid is clearly smitten. Hyun Seung suggests they grab dinner together but Song Ah tells him she already has plans with her boyfriend. Hyun Seung pretends to believe her, but when she leaves it’s clear he thinks the boyfriend is fake.
Restaurant
While Hyun Seung heads home alone, Song Ah meets up with her friend, Ga Young, for dinner. Ga Young grills Song Ah about Hyun Seung saying that she thinks he likes Song Ah. Song Ah brushes it off saying that he’s just overly comfortable because he has two sisters. Song Ah’s phone rings. It’s Song Ah’s mother, but she ignores the call. Her mother then calls Ga Young but Song Ah orders her friend not to answer the phone. At home, Song Ah’s mother eats alone.
Flashback
At home, Hyun Seung remembers meeting Song Ah at a job fair when he was still in school.
Song Ah skipped her lunch break to talk to Hyun Seung about job prospects. The growling of her stomach distracted him until he ran off (I’m guessing he comes back with food).
Present day
Hyun Seung’s reminiscing gets interrupted by a call from his older sister. The next scene shows him eating out with his two sisters. The married sister pokes at her siblings mercilessly wondering why they aren’t dating or married. The other two tease back and it is clear that the family is very close. The sisters ask what their brother is planning for his upcoming birthday and he says he has lots of plans.
Photo Studio
A model poses for pictures as the photographer tells him what she needs to see. She poses his head with her hands and seductive music plays in the background. After the shoot, the model waits outside for the photographer. He asks for her phone number but she says she has a husband.
KLAR Office
Hyun Seung watches Song Ah. He sees that the lipstick he bought her is in a basket with other competitor’s products. He looks on like a kicked puppy as Song Ah puts on a different lipstick. Hyun Seung goes to a coffee shop where he gets accosted by two co-workers who get him to treat them to coffee. The co-workers needed to escape the office for a bit and get away from an annoying boss. They bring up Hyun Seung’s birthday on Thursday and suggest getting together but he refuses. Later he asks Song Ah what her plans are for Thursday.
Birthday Dinner
The KLAR co-workers sing “Happy Birthday” to Hyun Seung over beers and food in a restaurant. He tells them that it is his treat since it’s his birthday. His teammates joke that he must have no friends if he wants to spend his birthday with people from work. One of them offers to set Hyun Seung up on a blind date but is told he’s fine without it.
Song Ah tells him that she’ll treat as her birthday gift to him but Hyun Seung refuses. He tells her dinner won’t be expensive enough to count. He’s about to tell her what he wants as a gift, but Song Ah’s phone rings. She leaves to answer it. While she’s gone off smiling at her phone, another co-worker gets a message that Director Lee is finished at work and will join them for a drink. Some of the team decide to go out to a noraebang afterwards. Hyun Seung sees Song Ah walking away and excuses himself from the table.
Hyun Seung follows Song Ah as she walks several blocks away from the restaurant. He’s confused and worried for her walking alone at night. Suddenly Song Ah gets grabbed from behind. When she sees who it is, happiness spreads across her face. Shock spreads across Hyun Seung’s face when he sees their manager smiling lovingly at Song Ah. The two leave without seeing Hyun Seung.
Next Morning
Hyun Seung is tossing and turning in his bed. Later at work, he and Song Ah chat while waiting for the elevator. It seems that Hyun Seung never went back to the restaurant after seeing Song Ah with their boss. She guesses correctly that he was up all night but figures it’s because he went out with friends. The elevator doors open and Hyun Seung suddenly decides to take the stairs.
Alone with her boss boyfriend on the elevator, Song Ah wonders aloud why Hyun Seung is acting so weird. Manager Lee suggests that Song Ah is paying too much attention to her younger trainee. She teasingly asks if he’s jealous and he smiles and says maybe. The elevator doors open to their floor and its back to business for them.
Later in the day Manager Lee says that he is going upstairs for a meeting. Hyun Seung notices that Song Ah starts fixing her hair and make-up and then follows in the same direction the Manager left in. Hyun Seung remembers back to previous times that Song Ah left the room after the Manager said he was going upstairs for a meeting.
Sister’s House
Hyun Seung is hanging out with his oldest sister. He tells her that the girl he likes is already with someone else. His sister didn’t even know that he liked someone. She asks Hyun Seung how much he likes the girl and if he has told her yet. It’s awkward but supportive and sweet.
Song Ah’s Apartment
We are treated to an overly long workout sequence as Song Ah and her roommate follow along to a couple of girls on the TV. When they finish their workout, the girls muse about how beautiful the weather is and what a shame it is that neither of them have dates.
We get a quick scene of Director Lee getting beat at tennis by Manager Lee. Back in the apartment, Song Ah explains that the two of them have been friends since high school. They even studied overseas together. The rumour at the company is that they are cousins but Song Ah discounts that rumour. Talk turns to marriage and whether or not Song Ah will introduce her manager boyfriend to her mother. Apparently Song Ah has always been against marriage, but now she’s reconsidering.
Tennis Courts
There’s a weird exchange here where Director Lee drinks from a water bottle and then offers it to Manager Lee who refuses it. His friend then sort of sighs and says “you always draw a hard line” which is the weird part. He asks Manager Lee to stay for another game but is refused. When he asks why, Manager Lee just looks at Director Lee who says “oh” and then pats him on the back consolingly.
Back in the apartment, conversation about marriage and telling mom goes on. Song Ah tells her friend not to get ahead of herself. They don’t even know if Manager Lee is thinking about marriage yet.
Sister’s Shop
We return to Hyun Seung hanging out with his sister. She goes to grab his birthday present. He stops her by bringing up his one-sided love again. He tells his sister that he’s going to stop since Song Ah seems to be happy in her relationship. Hyun Seung’s sister walks him out of the shop and he sees Manager Lee get out of a car. He watches as Manager Lee holds the door for a woman who gets out with a smile and grabs onto his arm. It’s the photographer from earlier.
Hyun Seung’s sister tells him that the two are engaged and her shop is working with them for the wedding. As he watches his cheating boss walk arm in arm with another woman, Hyun Seung recants his earlier declaration. He tells his sister that he won’t be giving up on his crush after all.
Monday Morning
The scene shifts back to Song Ah and her friend who is sizing her up for a wedding dress and starting to make plans in her head. Song Ah stops her again as she leaves for work.
Once again at the office it is Song Ah and Hyun Seung waiting for the elevator together. Once again the elevator doors open to reveal Manager Lee. But this time, Hyun Seung does not walk away. Instead he enters the elevator and stands a little too close to his boss. Shouldering Manager Lee slightly off to one side of the elevator, Hyun Seung opens up a space on the opposite side for Song Ah.
In the elevator, Hyun Seung asks Manager Lee about his weekend. When his boss reciprocates, Hyun Seung responds honestly.
Hyun Seung and his boss have a bit of a stare down when Hyun Seung implies some things about the Manager’s weekend. Song Ah looks on perplexed when the elevator doors open and neither man moves to exit. She breaks up their stare down and tries to ask Hyun Seung what’s going on after Manager Lee leaves. Hyun Seung cuts her off by exiting the elevator himself.
Throughout the rest of the day, Song Ah notices Hyun Seung staring at their boss for no apparent reason. When she confronts him later he remembers that she told him to pretend he didn’t see it if he saw an office romance. He tells her that he’ll ignore it for now but that he’s protective and will put his foot down if it goes too far. This cryptic conversation does not clear things up at all for Song Ah.
Song Ah’s Apartment
Song Ah’s roommate comes home from work to find her drinking beer in front of the TV. Song Ah says that she’s worried that Hyun Seung is thinking about quitting his job with KLAR. She knows its his own life but she hopes that he will make good choices.
One Month Later
Hyun Seung reflects on the fact that there are only two more months until the date of his boss’s wedding. He returns to the office to find his teammates discussing wedding dresses and teasing Song Ah that she should start dating if she wants to get married. Her giggly reactions make it clear that she still has no idea that her boss is cheating on her (or with her I guess).
Manager Lee stands and issues his “going up for a meeting” code. Hyun Seung watches angrily as Song Ah freshens up her make-up and heads out to follow her secret boyfriend.
In the empty stairwell, Manager Lee breaks a date he had that night with Song Ah. He uses his boss, the future brother-in-law, as his excuse. She, as usual, understands because it’s for work. She mentions that their two year anniversary is coming up and he suggests they go on a trip together. When watching Manager Lee leave, Song Ah hears a voice call out behind her. When she sees Hyun Seung, Song Ah knows that she’s been found out. He asks her out that night, telling her that there is something he has to show her.
Flashback
Hyun Seung runs up the stairs at school. He returns to the interview room that he had left earlier. Depositing a bag of food on Song Ah’s desk, Hyun Seung asks if he can call her Sunbae. Before leaving, Hyun Seung compliments Song Ah’s lipstick, telling her that it suits her well. He sits outside of the room, guarding the door to allow Song Ah to finish her lunch in peace.
Final Thoughts:
I really like the characters in this and I love Won Jin Ah and Rowoon as actors. I even like the cheating boyfriend. I have a feeling that there is more to that story. I still don’t excuse cheating, but he clearly isn’t as into his fiance as he is his girlfriend. I’m a sucker for healthy adult siblings in a drama and Hyun Seung’s relationship with his sisters seems fun so far.
I am curious where the drama is going to go. How long will they drag out the cheating plotline? Will there be more time skips? It’s always hard for me to get into the idea of someone jumping directly into a new relationship after a bad break-up, but I’m willing to try. So far my only complaint is that they changed the English title to be different from the Korean one. “Sunbae, Don’t Put On That Lipstick” makes more sense and stands out from all the other generic romance titles. I wish they’d just stuck with that.
This drama is under the VIP section in iQIYI so I need to decide just how badly I want to keep up with this drama. The iQIYI app is not very user friendly and I don’t watch dramas from my computer very often. On the other hand, I do watch a lot of Chinese dramas and there are a lot of those on the iQIYI platform so maybe it will be worth it to me. On the other hand, I’ve got a lot going on drama-wise right now, so maybe I can just wait and watch this later as the episodes unlock? Either way it is definitely not a drop for me. I look forward to seeing Hyun Seung kiss that bad lipstick right off Song Ah’s lips.
