The Interest of Love Episode 9 Recap and Review: Is Su-yeong Really Happy?

The Interest of Love (사랑의 이해) is a Korean romantic-drama series directed by Jo Yeong-min and stars Yoo Yeon-seok, Mun Ka-young, Keum Sae-rok and Jung Ga-ram in lead roles. The series is based on the novel by Sarangui Ihae by Lee Hyuk-jin. The series takes over JTBC’s Wednesday-Thursday 10.30 PM KST timeslot previously occupied by Insider starring Kang Ha-neul.

The Interest of Love episode 9 has a runtime of 78 minutes.

Netflix’s description reads:

FOUR MEN AND WOMEN WORKING AT THE SAME BANK GET ENTANGLED IN A COMPLICATED ROMANCE AS THEY DISCOVER HOW FAR THEY’RE WILLING TO GO FOR LOVE.

– The Interest of Love Episode 9 Recap Contains Spoilers –

The Interest of Love episode 9 starts with Sang-su imagining his life with Mi-gyeong but finds himself distant and unhappy in the relationship, although he cares about her a lot. In reality, he’s at Seok-hyeon’s wedding, and a tensed Su-yeong rushes up to him to inform him that the groom is nowhere to be found!

Sang-su and Su-yeong immediately start to search for him, and after some running around, Sang-su finds him on the rooftop crying for his ex and refusing to get married. He eventually does end up walking down the aisle with his wife, much to Sang-su and Su-yeong’s relief. Afterwards, both couples go out to eat, but there’s clearly some discomfort in the air.

Su-yeong and Jong-hyeon discuss his feelings of guilt while Mi-gyeong changes her mind about ramyeon all of a sudden and goes home. This gives his mother the time to come to visit and tells him everything – that he should be wary of the financial disparity between the two of them, but regardless, she decides to support his relationship.

At Mi-gyeong’s, she grows increasingly insecure after finding Su-yeong’s diary on Sang-su’s desk and starts to add the different small red flags that she had previously chosen to ignore.

The next morning, realising that her life doesn’t have the space for her past, Su-yeong gives away her things to make space for the present. When Jong-hyeon sees it later, he seems unhappy with the changes. He mentions how he feels uncomfortable with the changes she is making for him, and the compromises don’t seem fair.

Su-yeong asks him whether he regrets moving in with her. When he doesn’t reply, she asks him why it’s a bad thing that she is making such small changes; in fact, he would’ve done the same for her. Su-yeong eventually asks him why he is saying these things, and he refuses to tell her. Frustrated, she eventually leaves to meet Mi-gyeong, who previously called her to meet after cancelling her plans with Sang-su.

At the restaurant, Mi-gyeong pointedly asks Su-yeong whether Sang-su liked anyone before her and about his past. Su-yeong refuses to answer and tells her that she doesn’t know anything about it. Mi-gyeong continues to ask but eventually lets it go after saying that it doesn’t matter what he wanted before because he’s with her now.

Back at home, Jong-hyeon apologises for his behaviour and tells Su-yeong that he is living with her in spite of everything because he likes her very much. The two get intimate, but Su-yeong looks deep in thought afterwards.

At work the next day, Sang-su strikes up a conversation with Su-yeong, who accepts his invitation for coffee. Their interaction is rather awkward, but Sang-su helps her with her transfer application, and that’s when Mi-gyeong comes in as well. There is an awkward tension in the air between the two of them now, and Su-yeong feels it as well.

Also Read: The Interest of Love Episode 8 Recap and Review: Longing and Class Divide

Later on, Sang-su meets an old classmate from college and gets to know a shocking truth from him – Gyeong-pil had dated Mi-gyeong in the past; in fact, the former was her first love. But the worst thing is that he slept with all of her friends, which left her heartbroken, quite understandably. The realisation concerns him, and he remembers how she had evaded a question about her first love when they started dating.

Regardless, he agrees to meet Mi-gyeong’s friends that night.

That night, Su-yeong checks into a hotel room to spend a night alone and pamper herself and think things through. Meanwhile, Sang-su meets Mi-gyeong’s friends and is visibly awkward. Moreover, he has difficulty keeping up with her lavish lifestyle; the hotel costs become a three-instalment affair, and when she gifts him a car, he feels extremely annoyed and embarrassed.

Mi-gyeong pleads with him to take the gifts, that the money isn’t anything but luck to her and shows how much he means to her. However, Sang-su asks her to take the car home and opts to get his own car. On his way back, he comes across Su-yeong.

The interaction is awkward, with some lies peppered in, but there’s a clear attraction there.

Also Read: Trolley Episode 10 Recap and Review: More Confusing Moments?

As the seasons pass, things start to move forward as well – Jong-hyeon’s test comes near, Su-yeong and Sang-su apply for a different position at the bank, and Mi-gyeong grows more anxious about her relationship and what the future holds.

And one day, just like that, Jong-hyeon leaves without notice. When he comes back suddenly after days, he is cold and distant. She finds the internet cafe bills in his bag and thus catches him in a lie. Meanwhile, Mi-gyeong keeps waiting for Sang-su to make the next move, but he keeps fleeting around the topic.

Su-yeong eventually talks to Jong-hyeon about the lies, and he tells her that he doesn’t want to come home because he failed the test once again. Su-yeong assures him that things will get better, but he doesn’t want to hear it – his male ego is hurt that his girlfriend is taking care of him, and he eventually throws a tantrum, saying that he shouldn’t have come back.

And as if things couldn’t get any worse, she also doesn’t get the job, nor does Sang-su.

Also Read: Crash Course in Romance Episode 2 Recap and Review: Love Finds a Way

News about Sang-su helping Su-yeong back during her revolt spreads in the office, and Mi-gyeong and Jong-hyeon aren’t happy about it, especially since this is the first they are learning about it. Later on, Sang-su and Su-yeong are given the task of attending a VIP client’s funeral.

The thought makes Mi-gyeong anxious, who asks Gyeong-pil whether he knows about Sang-su’s heroism. When she mentions how her boyfriend is kinder than him, Gyeong-pil tells her that everyone is the same and the most dangerous thing between a man and a woman is pity and sympathy. He adds that if she thinks that her boyfriend is so great, she wouldn’t be feeling so anxious about it all.

At the funeral, Sang-su shares his feelings surrounding death and his father’s passing with Su-yeong, who also shares her heartbreak over her brother’s death. It brings them closer in a way, as well as discussing the fact that they didn’t get the roles that they had applied for.

The Interest of Love Episode 9 Ending

As they near Jeongdongjin, Sang-su proposes to get down at the station, which she agrees to do. They spend a wonderful afternoon at the beach, where he eventually tells her that he should’ve been clearer about his intent. She, unfortunately, tells him that it’s too late now.

At the train station, Su-yeong thanks him for the day, and he asks her whether she is happy. Su-yeong isn’t able to answer, but eventually, she asks him whether she should break up. The question leaves Sang-su speechless.

The Interest of Love Episode 9 Review

Ah, these two people will make everyone lose their minds with their indecisiveness. My philosophy is if you’re confused about your feelings for people, you don’t move in with one of them. It just turns into heartbreak for everyone involved, and no one comes out unscathed.

What Sang-su and Su-yeong should do is take some time alone and understand whom they really like and what they want. But then again, that’s too easy, isn’t it? I think their past traumas and what life is throwing at them in the present all contribute to them making these bad decisions and complicating their lives even more.

Regardless, I really enjoyed this episode, if only to understand how people struggle to find balance in their lives and how their economic conditions pave the way for more and more misfortune. The sweet Jong-hyeon continues to meet with one bad thing after another, and the more misfortunes come his way, the worse his mental state becomes.

Meanwhile, Su-yeong’s struggles with her relationship, Jong-hyeon’s misfortunes and her personal problems continually make her fight harder, but it clearly is taking a toll on her. Sang-su and Mi-gyeong’s relationship is proving to be quite complicated, with Mi-gyeong desperately trying to land Sang-su and realising that whatever she does, he doesn’t reciprocate her feelings.

The money clearly isn’t helping, and it’s interesting how her answer to things like these is buying expensive gifts for him. Sang-su, meanwhile, even though trying very hard to be in this relationship with Mi-gyeong, isn’t fitting into her lifestyle. However, much as he tries, he’s not someone whose financial background comes remotely close to that of Mi-gyeong.

These relationships are complicated and messy and take a lot of time to come to fruition. But, to be honest, I am waiting for them to make the right decision and follow their hearts.

The Interest of Love is streaming on Netflix.

Also Read: All of Our The Interest of Love Reviews