The Sunshine is a melodrama set during the late Joseon Dynasty.
As with other melodramas, the central story of The Sunshine revolves around the entangled fates of its male and female protagonists.
The core plotline follows Park Joo-ho and Kim Jung-hyun as they gradually come to terms with their feelings for each other.
However, by the end of Episode 5, which aired yesterday, there wasnât even a hint of romance between them.
âDirector Kwon, itâs starting now.â
Many eyes were glued to the screen as Episode 6 began.
This included the production team of The Sunshine.
It wouldnât be an exaggeration to say that the future of the drama hinged on this episode.
After all, this was the episode where the relationship between Park Joo-ho and Kim Jung-hyun would take a significant turn.
A pivotal episode meticulously crafted to establish their emotional connection.
It marked the beginning of Park Joo-hoâs gradual change in attitude toward Kim Jung-hyun, whom he had previously treated coldly.
âThis episode must hint at their future.â
Director Kwon Jae-hyeop, now seated with familiar faces, wore a serious expression.
The other staff members also appeared tense, watching the on-screen interaction between the two protagonists.
This episode needed to show viewers that The Sunshine was a melodrama.
It had to subtly foreshadow the changing dynamics between the leads, building anticipation for the future.
Online Comments as Episode 6 Began:
"Episode 6 is on!"
"Wow, starting off with a gunshot, huh? LOL."
"Falling from that height must hurt like hell."
"So⦠does Kim Jung-hyun die?"
Thankfully, the reactions on community forums and social media were positive so far.
The recap of the climactic scene from Episode 5, added to the beginning of Episode 6, made it easier for viewers to understand the current situation between Park Joo-ho and Kim Jung-hyun.
Click.
ââ¦What courage made you do this? A woman who used to tremble at the slightest scratchâ¦â
Park Joo-ho pointed his gun at Kim Jung-hyun.
âShoot if youâre going to, or let me go if youâre not. I have places to be.â
To Park Joo-ho, Kim Jung-hyun was the daughter of the man who had killed his parentsâa bitter enemy.
Kim Jung-hyun was well aware of this.
Her bitter smile reflected that understanding.
At least Park Joo-ho had a valid reason to want her dead.
Thus, she didnât run.
Even as blood from her gunshot wound caused her vision to blur, she stood her ground.
Disheveled hair.
A suit ruined by dirt and dust.
A shoulder soaked in crimson blood.
This was far from the beloved young lady of Hanseong that Park Joo-ho remembered.
Anyone who saw the current state of Kim Jung-hyun would be utterly shocked.
âDo you even know what path youâre walking?â
Park Joo-ho scolded her, his face twisted in frustration.
The Kim Jung-hyun before him was no longer someone he could simply hate.
âI donât know much. But I know this is my path.â
âKilling a traitor changes nothing! Why put yourself in danger?â
ââ¦If only Iâd known earlier that you were this kindâ¦â
Kim Jung-hyun swayed precariously, her weakened figure barely holding up.
Park Joo-ho instinctively reached out to steady her.
The gun he had been holding was now lowered, no longer aimed at her.
Kim Jung-hyunâs gaze, faint and unfocused, slowly drifted upward to meet Park Joo-hoâs.
The sharp clarity that usually defined her eyes was completely gone.
Park Joo-hoâs gaze, too, had softened, no longer cold and detached.
Perhaps thatâs whyâ¦
âMay I entrust my fleeting life to you⦠just for a moment?â
Her frail voice, barely audible, reached Park Joo-hoâs ears.
The atmosphere between them shifted drastically, starkly different from anything before.
Online Reactions:
"Their acting is phenomenal."
"That fainting scene is so realistic."
"What are they waiting for? They should kiss already!"
"If thereâs a betrayal here, this could be a masterpiece."
"The tension is unreal. ððð"
The audienceâs reactions were favorable.
The emotional connection between the characters, as intended by Director Kwon, had been effectively conveyed.
Within seconds, Kim Jung-hyun lost consciousness completely, collapsing against Park Joo-hoâs chest.
ââ¦Does he believe sheâs his, or does he think she will be?â
Rather than killing her, Park Joo-ho ultimately chose to protect her.
With their long-stagnant relationship taking a new direction, the showâs ratings began to reflect the change.@@novelbin@@
âWow, itâs over 15%!â
For a cable drama like The Sunshine, this was an impressive achievementâfar from a failure.
However, Episode 6 wasnât over yet.
Director Kwon Jae-hyeop calmly awaited the true climax of the episode.
The Following Scene:
Step.
Step.
Park Joo-ho carried the unconscious Kim Jung-hyun in a bridal carry as he exited the alley.
His destination: Kim Jung-hyunâs home.
He walked toward the house of the very family responsible for his parentsâ deaths.
Viewers who had seen Park Joo-hoâs past in Episode 1 immediately grasped the significance of this act.
Upon arriving at the traditional tile-roofed house, Park Joo-ho stood momentarily in front of its large gate, overwhelmed by mixed emotions.
Then, with a resounding bang, he kicked the massive gate open and stepped inside.
All eyes turned to him and the unconscious Kim Jung-hyun in his arms.
âM-my lady!!â
âW-what on earth is going on here?!â
Kim Jung-hyunâs nanny and the servants of the Kim household were understandably shocked.
It wasnât just the sight of their lady in a strangerâs armsâit was her disheveled, injured state that made it all the more shocking.
They rushed to tend to her first, regardless of who Park Joo-ho was.
Time passed after the shocking incident.
Thanks to the devoted care of those around her, Kim Jung-hyunâs condition gradually improved.
One day, a restless Park Joo-ho decided to visit her.
He needed to confront his own thoughts about why he had spared her life.
Finally, the two met again.
Park Joo-ho approached Kim Jung-hyun as she wandered alone in the wide backyard of her home.
"â¦Youâre alive."
"Thanks to you."
Kim Jung-hyun expressed her gratitude to Park Joo-ho for saving her life.
Not long after, snow began to fall for the first time that season.
Park Joo-hoâs gaze was slowly drawn to her delicate face as she paused to look up at the sky.
The climax of Episode 6 had begun.
The near-death experience, the thoughts sheâd wrestled with while bedriddenâthey all began to take form as spoken words.
"Iâve thought about it endlessly, alone."
Her neatly tied hair.
The elegant hanbok.
The dainty floral shoes.
She was exactly as Park Joo-ho remembered herâgraceful and poised.
But if she intended to continue walking the path of a freedom fighterâ¦
If she chose to tread such a perilous and unpredictable roadâ¦
"If I were to give you another chance to live, another opportunity to surviveâ¦"
She would inevitably fade away like the snow falling now, leaving only a cold emptiness behind.
She was someone who might one day vanish completely, destroyed by the relentless bullets of the Japanese military, leaving Park Joo-ho behind.
A dull ache tightened in his chest.
He wished she would no longer descend into his life like this, bringing pain with her.
He wished he could rid himself of the faint remnants of attachment he still clung to.
"Like a butterfly newly awakened, shed everything and fly lightly. Embrace this vast world with your heart."
And yet, his head wouldnât turn away.
His eyes wouldnât close.
"Live as freely as anyone could."
That quiet utterance, neither fully to herself nor entirely to him, caused Park Joo-ho to press his lips tightly together.
Her face was as composed as ever.
"Even if I canât see what lies ahead, even if arrows come flying from all directionsâ¦"
Like the wind, she would carry on.
Kim Jung-hyun smiled softly as she watched the snowflakes gently scatter around her.
The scene was like a painting.
Through Park Joo-hoâs eyes, the young lady before him was breathtakingly serene.
"The chance you gave me⦠I wonât waste it."
Her appearance, her voice, her thoughtsâeverything about her was so pure.
She was someone he didnât want to see scarred by the struggles of the resistance, someone he wished wouldnât be stained by hardship.
"â¦Sheâs beautifulâ¦."
Not just Park Joo-hoâviewers like Nael couldnât take their eyes off the screen either.
Kim Jung-hyun, standing alone amid the delicate snowflakes, was a sight straight out of a masterpiece.
The scene of her locking eyes with Park Joo-ho spread like wildfire across online communities and social media.
That single shot, of the two staring at each other in silence, was deemed an "iconic moment," one worthy of being called a âlifeâs best still.â
The climax of Episode 6 left a deep impression, concluding with grace.
The Sunshine also broke its own viewership record with this episode.
A New Chapter: March
Whether it was inevitable or destined all along, time moved on.
By the time March arrived and the new semester began at Narae Arts High School, the long corridor buzzed with murmurs as Ha-eun walked in.
The gazes were different this time.
Not the usual stares sheâd received simply for being a celebrity, but something more.
"Isnât this the third-year floor? Why are there so many first-years hereâ¦?"
"Donât play dumb. Theyâre all here to see you, Lee Ha-eun."
"â¦I should be studying."
Ha-eun couldnât help but smile awkwardly as studentsâboth peers and juniorsâgathered to catch a glimpse of the remarkable friend or senior who had been the talk of the internet all weekend.
This kind of attention was unfamiliar to her, and it was clear from her slightly bashful expression.