The Midnight Romance In Hagwon Episode 1 Recap

Seo hye ji is a beautiful dedicated Korean language teacher working at Daechi Chase academy. Her skills as an educator puts her in high demand with both students and teachers. But she’s firm in her resolve and refuses to give extra lessons to a group of students after their parents secretly talk to her. She believes she has done everything she can to enable them pass their exams and doesn’t entertain favouritism.

The academy is recruiting new teachers offering a 50,000 dollars reward. The owner of the academy is not only in search for a brilliant teacher but he is also looking for a charismatic person. While in a meeting, Hye Ji is informed that a female student Ha yul is crying. On meeting her, she discovers she’s in tears due to choosing the wrong answer out of two possible answers to the her Korean language exam question.

Hye Ji encourages her to politely inform her teacher that the answer she chose could also be right but Ha yul is afraid of being targeted by the teacher. When Ha yul’s mother learns of this, she and two other mothers complain to Hye Ji, worried about what might happen if Ha yul goes against her school teacher but Hye Ji tries to calm them. Unfortunately, Ha yul texts her mother to let her know things didn’t go well as the teacher stubbornly refused to reconsider the question. 

Hye Ji offers to speak with the teacher Mr Pyo herself despite protests from the other tutors pleading with her not to get involved but she ignores them and meets with Mr Pyo at the school. Mr Pyo who at first thinks she’s a parent soon realisese she’s a tutor after noticing how good she is with the subject. Their conversation doesn’t go well as Hye Ji points out the teacher purposely set up the questions knowing they were old and the students wouldn’t know them since they weren’t in the Ksat curriculum. He is doing this due to his dislike of students going to Private academies. The teacher is so annoyed that he presses Hye Jin’s arms painfully and calls all private tutors like her parasites. 

They are separated by other teachers. Hye Jin is hurt but she pretends to be fine. That night, while still at the academy alone, she looks at the hall of fame board spotting the name of one of her former students Lee Jun ho.

Meanwhile, Lee Jun ho has just finished having drinks with his friends and stops by Hye Jin’s academy to see her. This leaves her in shock as she hasn’t seen him in so long. She says she was just thinking about him. Jun ho is flustered but Hye Jin explains it’s because she was looking at the Hall of fame. She is so excited to see him that Lee Jun ho points out that she seems even happier than when he got into college. However, Hye Jin corrects him saying that was the happiest time in her life.

That night, Lee Jun ho escorts her to take a cab, staring longingly at the direction she goes. The next morning, Jun ho is having breakfast with his parents and his father tells him he wants him to broaden his career choices.

Mr Pyo calls Hye Jin to have lunch with her. When she arrives, he apologises for his behavior towards her. She had gotten what she wanted. His students would retake the test. However, he declares that he would now go to war against her and the private academies. He had always wanted to be a teacher since he was eighteen but now, the schools are being looked down upon by the students. Hye Jin gets uncomfortable with the discussion and excuses herself.

Ms Kim, Hye Jin’s colleague pleads with her to teach more students despite her already hectic schedule. Hye Jin agrees.

Soon enough, the hiring of the new teachers have begun. The job seekers all take the tests but Hye Jin is surprised to see Lee Jun ho taking the test. Turns out he is among the participants. After the test, she meets him outside the exam room and he is amused by the shock on her face.

Later that night, Hye Jin’s colleague Mr Yoon asks her to join the staff for dinner but she refuses mostly because she has a dinner appointment with Jun ho. It’s raining when they meet at a cozy restaurant and Hye Jin relays her shock at his decision. He already had a successful corporate job and comes from a wealthy family. She has no idea why he would choose to be a tutor. Jun ho at first tells her it’s because of money since his parents have no inheritance to leave their three children but then he adds she’s a big reason for this career change. Hye ji tries to dissuade him, citing that he would have no time for himself, not even to have a love life but Jun ho assures her that he would handle the consequences by himself.

After dinner, they both leave sharing Hye Ji’s umbrella. She asks if he has spoken to his parents about this decision but he responds he would when the time comes. Then with a cheeky smile, asks her to call him an instructor as it would feel good to hear her say it.

Mmmh…an old student in love with his former teacher. Interesting. We’ll see how things progress.


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