And the twisty twists just keep on twisting. There's so much to our ill-fated couple's story — their dark pasts, their lingering ghosts — and the rate at which it's unraveling is exhilarating. At the same time, the more we learn, the more I fear for the characters and their well-being.
EPISODE 6: "Bluebeard's secret"
Kang-tae enters the cursed castle, finding Sang-tae passed out drunk on a couch. He covers Sang-tae with his jacket and then heads upstairs, towards the bedroom balcony where Moon-young is waiting. He joins her out there, and the first thing she says is, "How long have you known who I am?"
He thinks of all the moments she hinted at it, like when she mentioned that he grew up well. But ultimately, he says, he thinks he's known since the first time he looked in her eyes. The fact that he's been hiding this upsets her, and he reminds her of what he said before, about wanting to forget her because he ran away.
He's only opening up now to get proper closure. So he turns to her and, though she doesn't want to hear it, gives her a sincere thanks for saving him and an apology for running away. He never got to tell her, which is probably why he never got over her. So what, she asks, he doesn't have feelings for her anymore?
For Kang-tae, his feelings don't matter; he already has his hands full with his brother. Moon-young asks why he can't just care for her too, and he answers, "I don't want to be someone who is needed by others anymore." He stalks off, back down the stairs, and she chases after him, threatening to kill him if he leaves.
Moon-young slips on a step, but Kang-tae manages to catch her, even yelling at her for nearly hurting herself. It's a charged moment that is soon interrupted when an excited Sang-tae appears by the foyer. Sang-tae tells Kang-tae that he's a live-in illustrator now, showing him the contract Moon-young gave him.
Moon-young gives Kang-tae a look that says I've got you now. Sang-tae starts rambling that he's going to live here, and, growing frustrated, Kang-tae yells that this isn't their home and tears the contract in two. Sang-tae is horrified Kang-tae ruined what's his, and he explodes, shoving Kang-tae out the door, to the ground.
Sang-tae beats Kang-tae with his fists, screaming, "I'm not yours! I belong to myself!" and Kang-tae can only lie there shielding his face. Moon-young steps in, placing a hand on Sang-tae and urging him to go inside, and he simmers down.
Sang-tae goes back inside, leaving Kang-tae on the ground looking scared and heartbroken at the same time. Crossing her arms, Moon-young tells Kang-tae, "Your brother abandoned you. Now, it's your turn to choose. Will you also abandon him, or will you let him lock you down your entire life?"
Emotionally drained, Kang-tae trudges off the castle grounds alone. He falls into a memory, of being excited to show off his new taekwondo belt. His mom was furious, however, because while Kang-tae was at taekwondo, Sang-tae got beaten up on his way home. Kang-tae took a few hits from mom, until he just lost it.
"My job isn't to take care of Sang-tae," Kang-tae exclaimed, surprising Mom. "I don't belong to Sang-tae! I belong to myself!" Mom weakly shoved him back, daring him to say that again. And Kang-tae cried that he wished his brother would just die, dropping his belt and running away.
Mom fell to her knees, while Sang-tae grabbed the belt and went after Kang-tae. It wasn't until Kang-tae reached a snowy field (and a very familiar frozen lake) that he stopped to acknowledge Sang-tae. Having cooled off, he smiled at his brother and then threw his toy dinosaur, initiating a game of catch.
They tumbled through the snow, laughing freely, unaware that they had an audience watching from afar — Moon-young. And Moon-young smirked as one long toss sent the dinosaur and Sang-tae over to a thin layer of ice. Sang-tae fell through, into the icy water, and screamed for Kang-tae to save him.
