In Episode 16, we return to the director’s safe house where he is busy packing up his valuable items while his mem secure Hong-do once again. While she shrieks in fear, Yoon-bok is already outside, knocking down more men dressed in black.
The director justifies his actions towards Hong-do by giving outlandish excuses as he instructs the men to pour a flammable liquid around the house and set it on fire. Yoon-bok races into the house, pushing the last man out of the way. As the fire grows, he releases Hong-do and they quickly pick up a bag of valuable items while escaping.
Upon the police’s arrival, the director flees on foot into the nearby woods. Yoon-bok sees him and starts running after him, leaving Hong-do with the emergency services. He confronts him, engaging in a verbal argument with the director who unintentionally confesses to being involved in Yoon-bok’s father’s death.
In the past, his father had desired to make the village treasures accessible to the public by showcasing them. That’s when he had shown the jade box. The director ignited the fire that caused the death of his father and also burned his own arm in the process. He didn’t retrieve the box at that time, he only managed to get away with the key.
Right as Yoon-bok is on the verge of avenging himself, Hong-do strikes the director with a weighty object, causing him to lose consciousness. She argues that she is not dignified enough to be considered a scholar, so she doesn’t see a problem with attacking someone of low social status like him. As the police remove him from the scene, the two individuals clumsily express regret to each other.
Jun-ho observes from his hospital bed as the news reports on the director’s unexpected arrest. Leader Shin is shocked to learn that he has inadvertently caused the death of his son, whom he had collaborated with for many years. Leader Shin expresses his regret and issues an apology to Yoon-bok’s mother. Yi-bok encounters him at the urn and he apologizes to her as well, asking her to return to the village.
Hong-hak is surprised to see Chil-bok sneaking onto the roof while talking to Yoon-ah on the phone. Hong-do captures them and informs her father that he must never come back, to which he agrees. However, she soon reverses her opinion and now wants him to remain with them. They cry and embrace, at long last coming back together.
Before leaving, Camille encounters Leader Shin and hands him a stack of vitamins. He proudly displays the pencil box from the past. He also commits to traveling to France to see her.
Hong-do and Hong-hak enjoy a vibrant dinner with their father in their apartment. Later on, he sees her passport and inquires about Yoon-bok, but she remains silent. Yoon-bok thinks of Hong-do while they are in the village.
As the team packs up their office, they are filled with excitement for their trip to Paris, but Hong-do is feeling a mix of emotions. That night, Yoon-bok plans to meet with her. He expresses to Hong-do his gratitude for all that he has learned from her and his desire to remain in the village in order to safeguard it. He wishes for her to also fulfill her dream. Yoon-bok cannot bring himself to express his love for her as they say goodbye.
Hong-do tearfully parts ways with her family at the airport while Yoon-bok gazes at planes taking off from the village. Afterwards, he conducts a meeting to discuss his goals for the village. Leader Lee requests to participate in the meeting, and Yoon-bok accommodates by including him back into the group.
Yi-bok submits her resignation letter at the police station before visiting Jun-ho in prison. She tells him she quit the police, thereby surprising him. She acknowledges further that she failed to notice his suffering and promises to go back to the village and wait for him. In the evening, Yoon-bok meets with his grandfather to talk about what happened that day. Yi-bok is welcomed with open arms as he joins them. Yoon-bok later stares at the moon, reminiscing about Hong-do.
In Paris the following year, Hong-do comes across a man wearing the suit she created and briefly mistakes him for Yoon-bok. It’s somebody else. He requests to present her new spin-off brand at the Cannes event as Hong-do prepares to launch it. In her office, Hong-do thinks about contacting Yoon-bok but decides against it, opting to look up the latest news from the village online. While in the village, Yoon-bok often thinks of her, particularly when he comes across a pair of shoes similar to hers.
However, it is an official who has come to meet them. They are discussing the possibility of making the village treasures accessible to the public for viewing. According to the official, the village has recently been featured in French news because Camille’s Korean designer is getting ready to launch her own brand. Yoon-bok is unable to stop looking at the story with Hong-do’s photograph. Alone in a restaurant, Hong-hak proudly shows off his Webtoon of the Year award by taking a photo to commemorate the moment. After that, Yoon-ah arrives to join him and he proposes a job as a writer now that he is able to compensate her. She promptly agrees, impressed by his strong handshake.
Yeojudaek and Chil-bok pay a visit to Jun-ho in jail and inform him about everything that has been happening in the village. Later on, they both go out for lunch using the money he made from fixing items. He suggests having a lasting relationship, but she becomes confused and nervous.
During an auction, individuals are placing bids on vases when the lights unexpectedly turn off. Yoon-bok is responsible for looking into fake antiques, but he decides to release them this time. The following day, Grandfather discusses handing over the responsibility of the village to his grandchildren. They both answered that the most important treasure is people when asked for their opinion on the matter. Later that night, he finds himself thinking about Hong-do once more.
While in Paris, she is working on a design project and takes breaks to read about the news of a newly appointed village leader. However, upon further investigation, she discovers that it is actually Yi-bok. How about Yoon-bok? Yoon-bok emerges in traditional attire, holding a flower, as petals gently fall around her.
In Dare to Love Me, the romantic story concludes neatly by allowing the main characters to pursue their dreams and eventually come back together after some time. Indeed, the majority of the romances have united in some manner, offering potential for future development and ongoing connections. Yi-bok and Jun-ho find it particularly gratifying, as they eagerly await his release from prison. Yi-bok has made a firm commitment to waiting for him.
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Now that the mysteries have been unraveled, the stolen goods have been recovered, and the village is progressing towards providing more benefits to its residents and the country, Yoon-bok can entrust his sister to continue working towards fulfilling their father’s dream. Head Shin? His grandchildren have rejuvenated him enough for him to feel confident in retiring, knowing that the village is in good hands. Is he going to meet Camille like he had mentioned? That information has not been disclosed, but there is no reason why it shouldn’t be.
Thank you very much for reading.
My ratings: 8/10