Because what we do if we didn’t know?

Takes on one another. The first time Alex had ever seen Shin Ae was in a commercial she had done back circa 2001-2002. He was completely awestruck by her beauty, and although he had opportunities to meet her before the show he never seized them. Upon their debut, Alex was first amazed with Shin Ae’s insecurities concerning intimacy with other people, but he also commented on how she’ll still smile to save any feelings from potential harm. Apart from that, in one black room interview, he said that she was an interesting girl in that she jokes once in a while and can give her own witty comebacks. He concluded his thoughts with how he would like to marry a girl like that. Later on, after an exercise together, Alex made another observation about Shin Ae; to him, she comes off as very strong on the outside but weak on the inside—her heart being fragile. He said that with most girls it’s actually the opposite, so it was interesting to see that about her. From a viewer’s perspective, it looks as if Alex is willing to protect her weak heart, so he carries much caution in his words and gestures toward her.

Shin Ae thought Alex to be very kind but wondered if that kindness had ever led girls on before. Shin Ae was afraid of appearing stupid next to Alex on the show since she, as she said, “he’s so perfect.” When asked by one of the MCs if it was as if she’d fallen into him, Shin Ae supposed that was so. To her, someone who is caring enough to cook her meals and set aside time for the both of them to exercise, someone who can lead her, is the type of person she might consider being with. Although she stated this opinion early on in the show, her behavior was still very formal around Alex. He allowed her to drop honorifics whenever she felt comfortable, but this took some time. Eventually, she gave him a nickname—Al-soon! She doesn’t express how she feels about Alex often, but she smiles a lot during the black room interviews when she talks about his presence, actions, and gifts. Actions speak louder than words, yes? After the break-up and the reunion, Shin Ae looked very distant from Alex. This led people to believe that she had been burned by the situation and didn’t want to allow herself to grow close to him again. She did confirm her reluctance in the 20th episode, but she let her thoughts go in the spur of the moment at the beach where she felt as if the separation never happened.

Though the two do enjoy each other’s company, it seems that Shin Ae finds the best qualities about Alex to be somewhat his worst. Because he is so willing to help her and make her happy, she feels that her efforts are weak in comparison to his. She wants to try her best as well to return the favors, but she ends up feeling guilty. A double-edged sword, it seems.