Episode 10 opens on a surprisingly soft note. Ye-jin admits she can’t sleep, and Matthew immediately comes over to keep her company. Instead of making the moment overly dramatic, he quietly plays music for her using a small wooden instrument before kissing her goodnight. I honestly liked how restrained this scene felt. Even when he stays over, he chooses the sofa instead of sleeping beside her.
The next morning starts awkwardly fast. Ye-jin heads out for a run and runs into Eric by chance, while Matthew wakes up and raids her fridge. Unfortunately for him, he finds Seok-gyeong’s side dishes way too salty. That little comment comes back to haunt him almost immediately.
While shopping for groceries, Matthew unexpectedly meets Seok-gyeong. The two help each other out without realizing who the other person is at first, only to end up face-to-face again outside Ye-jin’s house. Seok-gyeong is clearly offended after hearing Matthew criticized his cooking, and things only get more uncomfortable when Ye-jin and Eric arrive together after jogging.
Breakfast quickly turns into another unofficial competition between Eric and Matthew. At this point, these two are basically trying to outdo each other every time they breathe. Both of them try hard to impress Seok-gyeong during the meal, though honestly, the rivalry still feels strange and forced to me.
After everyone leaves, Matthew gently tells Ye-jin she should appreciate the side dishes her father makes for her. It’s one of those quieter moments that says a lot about how he views family connections.
Elsewhere at HIT, Myung-hwa questions Director Dong about whether Ye-jin truly knew nothing about the Good Morning cream situation. Director Dong explains that Ye-jin was brought into the project at the last minute and insists she had no idea what was going on. She also reveals that she already knew Ye-jin was Myung-hwa’s daughter and understood that Ye-jin simply wanted the chance to work on a broadcast with her mother.
Back at home, Ye-jin shows Matthew old photos of herself with Myung-hwa along with the paper slip containing her mother’s phone number. Matthew points out that Ye-jin clearly misses her mother, but she immediately denies it. That denial honestly made the scene even sadder.
Meanwhile, Matthew and Mu-won officially sign a contract with Chang-ho. They celebrate afterward, and Chang-ho starts reminiscing about Woo-su’s excitement when Matthew first joined the company as a so-called genius.
The flashback takes viewers back to a job fair where Matthew first encountered Woo-su at The USU booth. Woo-su demonstrates the safety of their food-grade cosmetics by eating the product himself, which convinces Matthew to apply there. It’s actually one of the more interesting flashbacks in the episode because it shows how hopeful everything once felt.
Later that night, Matthew comes home slightly drunk, and Ye-jin asks why he chose the name “Matthew.” The answer leads into another emotional flashback involving Som-yi.
After the incident in Deokpung, Matthew sat alone outside, completely withdrawn. Som-yi approached him with water and a book, talking to him even though he barely reacted. The only visible response came when he noticed the scars on her face and started tearing up. She eventually gave him the name “Matthew,” inspired by the book she handed him. I think this was probably the strongest emotional sequence in the episode.
On another front, Eric secretly meets with Joong-hoon and learns that Gojeuneok Bio signed with H.O. Cosmetics instead of L’Etoile. Joong-hoon suspects Michelle is already preparing some kind of retaliation.
Not long after that, Matthew surprises Ye-jin by suggesting a hotel getaway. She happily agrees and even buys a necklace for the occasion. Naturally, the drama refuses to let them enjoy a normal romantic trip.
When they arrive at the hotel, Ye-jin discovers that Matthew used the hotel packages she sold on her broadcast not for the two of them, but for the entire group from Deokpung. The villagers are thrilled to see her and immediately ask for a tour of HIT.
Even though there isn’t supposed to be a broadcast scheduled, Ye-jin manages to get everyone onto a filler show so they can experience the studio firsthand. Then another unexpected moment happens when one of the models cancels and Kwang-mo volunteers to step in. Sung-mi later tells him they should use one of the vacation packages too, which was honestly kind of cute.
Back in Deokpung, Mu-won continues growing closer to Ae-ra. He helps her deliver coffee to an elderly couple and even assists the old man after an accident leaves his clothes ruined. He also proudly shows Ae-ra that he got rid of the watch she disliked.
Despite the fun group outing, Ye-jin becomes frustrated because she still hasn’t gotten any real alone time with Matthew. Thankfully, he reveals the actual date is only beginning. The two go out for dinner and later spend time together quietly reading at the library. I weirdly loved this date. It felt simple and intimate without trying too hard.
During their time together, Ye-jin asks whether Matthew would ever consider making cosmetics again. She mentions that the happiest version of him seemed to be the one in the old USU photograph she found.
At L’Etoile, Joong-hoon creates a distraction so Eric can secretly search Michelle’s office. That investigation eventually reveals Michelle’s plans to expand into the Asian market.
Once the villagers safely return to Deokpung, Som-yi refuses to go home with Jin-yi and insists on staying with Matthew instead. She complains that Jin-yi wouldn’t let her eat any food in Seoul, which adds a little humor before things turn emotional again.
After Som-yi falls asleep, Matthew carries her home. Jin-yi then reveals she’s planning to move to Seoul because Som-yi’s doctor recommended treatment at a larger hospital. Matthew nearly confesses that he created the cream responsible for everything and even offers to leave town so they won’t have to relocate. But Jin-yi stops him, saying she’s better off not knowing the truth.
Then comes the biggest emotional hit of the episode.
Som-yi suddenly disappears that evening. Her phone is turned off, and the entire town starts searching for her. Matthew eventually finds her near his house, crying. She admits she already knows the truth about everything, but what matters most to her is that Matthew doesn’t leave. She makes him promise to stay, and he agrees.
This scene completely broke me. The performances carried so much raw emotion without overplaying it.
By the end of the episode, Eric’s investigation finally pays off as he confirms Michelle’s expansion plans. At the same time, Matthew decides to return to cosmetic development because of the promise he made to Som-yi about creating the perfect cream.
But the episode saves one last twist for the final moments. A meeting between Chang-ho and L’Etoile reveals that Chang-ho intends to betray Gojeuneok Bio and hand them over to L’Etoile instead.
Review
Episode 10 felt torn between emotional sincerity and exaggerated melodrama. When the show focuses on Matthew, Ye-jin, and Som-yi, it genuinely works. The quieter scenes hit hardest, especially the library date, Som-yi giving Matthew his name, and the promise near the end.
Ahn Hyo-seop and Chae Won-bin continue carrying the romantic side of the drama really well. Their scenes together feel comfortable and believable even when the story itself gets messy.
That said, the comedy and rivalry elements still don’t land consistently. The ongoing competition between Eric and Matthew feels repetitive at this point, and sometimes it almost belongs in a completely different drama.
The biggest issue is still the show’s handling of Matthew’s guilt. The series spends a lot of time focusing on healing, forgiveness, and emotional support, but not much on accountability. Yes, Matthew clearly cares deeply for Som-yi, and those scenes are some of the strongest in the entire drama. But the story keeps circling around redemption without fully addressing the larger consequences of what happened.
Even so, Episode 10 remains emotionally engaging because the cast sells every heartbreaking moment. The drama just works better when you stop questioning the logic behind everything and let the emotional scenes carry you through.