In ‘Motel California’, Lee Se-young shed jealous tears upon hearing the wedding news of Na In-woo and Choi Hee-jin, causing viewers to become deeply immersed with her legendary ‘regretful female lead’ journey.
In the episode aired on the 18th, MBC's Friday-Saturday drama ‘Motel California’ (written by Lee Seo-yoon, directed by Kim Hyung-min and Lee Jae-jin), Kang Hee (played by Lee Se-young) returns to her hometown ‘Hana-eup’ as the site manager for a motel remodeling project, reuniting with her first love, Yeon-su (played by Na In-woo), whom she thought she had completely moved on from.
The broadcast depicted Kang Hee, confused after hearing about Yeon-su's marriage from her best friend Ah-reum (played by Lee So-yi). After dreaming that Yeon-su was cold and transformed into a fox-like bride, Kang Hee decided to go to ‘Hana-eup’ to find out who Yeon-su's fiancé was as soon as she woke up from the nightmare.
Having resolutely rejected the ‘Hana-eup Boomerang Motel Remodeling Project’ until now, Kang Hee decided to take on the role of site manager and visited Hana-eup fully armed with sunglasses and a scarf alongside Seok-gyeong (played by Kim Tae-hyung). However, to her surprise, the client for the project was her father, Chun-pil (played by Choi Min-soo).
Chun-pil, annoyed that his daughter Kang Hee, who had cut off contact, was pretending to be a stranger in front of him, attempted to cancel the project. However, after realizing that the contents of the proposal Kang Hee brought were inspired by the ‘dream motel’ he had shared with young Kang Hee in the past, he decided to join in on Kang Hee's unexplainable act.
After successfully completing the client meeting with Chun-pil, Kang Hee hurriedly tried to leave town without being noticed by the people of Hana-eup, but she almost got into an accident with Yeon-su and Nan-woo (played by Choi Hee-jin), who were driving at that moment. Seeing Yeon-su help the startled Nan-woo out of the car, Kang Hee instinctively realized that Nan-woo was Yeon-su's marriage partner.
When Yeon-su, who saw Kang Hee late, briefly showed her surprise but then approached with joy, Kang Hee drew a line, saying, “I’m just going to work quietly and leave without anyone knowing. So please don’t spread rumors.” Moreover, when Yeon-su asked, “How long are you staying?” Kang Hee replied, “Until Christmas,” and both recalled the last Christmas when they declared “the end of first love,” parting awkwardly on their separate ways.
Seok-gyeong, who had been watching Kang Hee, sensed that the reason Kang Hee had rejected going to ‘Hana-eup’ was because of Yeon-su. Kang Hee revealed, “Yeon-su was not my first love but my savior,” expressing that she wouldn’t have fallen apart if it weren’t for Yeon-su, who had always been by her side since she was nine, stirring the viewers' hearts with her lingering affection for Yeon-su.
Meanwhile, despite Kang Hee's disguise, rumors of her return spread rapidly among the people of Hana-eup. At this time, Ah-reum, a member of the gang (Kang Hee Family), boasted that Kang Hee's lover was Seok-gyeong, the ‘hotel heir,’ out of frustration at the villagers gossiping about Kang Hee. However, the talkative rural folks began to spread unverified stories about Kang Hee and Seok-gyeong, and the tale of Seok-gyeong, portrayed as the ‘man in the shadows,’ eventually reached Yeon-su, causing her distress.
Curious about who Yeon-su's marriage partner was, Kang Hee headed straight to Yeon-su's animal hospital while Yeon-su was away. Kang Hee felt a surge of jealousy upon seeing the beautiful, lovely, and flawless Nan-woo. Above all, Kang Hee struggled to hide her boiling emotions at the sight of Nan-woo, who was dripping with affection for Yeon-su.
Yeon-su was equally curious about Kang Hee's man. While helping Seok-gyeong rescue an injured puppy by chance, Yeon-su realized that the malicious rumors about Seok-gyeong were not true, feeling relieved yet somewhat bitter.
Meanwhile, upon learning that Kang Hee had been at the animal hospital, Yeon-su, overwhelmed with emotions, immediately set out to find Kang Hee. Kang Hee, who was drowning her sorrows in alcohol, was crying uncontrollably, shouting, “You two look great together.”
When Yeon-su came to ‘Motel California’ and laid Kang Hee down, Kang Hee, half-asleep, grabbed Yeon-su and complained, “You bear, you didn’t keep any of the promises we made. Why did you lose weight? Where did you sell your glasses?” Yeon-su replied as she used to, “I’ll gain weight. I’ll wear my glasses again.” To this, Kang Hee said, “Forget it. You’re dating someone else,” and fell back asleep, while Yeon-su revealed her hurt feelings, making her nose tingle.
As Kang Hee's life in Hana-eup continued and she frequently witnessed Yeon-su and Nan-woo together, her distress grew. In the end, Kang Hee's pent-up emotions exploded.
Visiting the ice cream shop filled with memories of Yeon-su alone, Kang Hee hid when she saw Yeon-su and Nan-woo entering the shop. Overwhelmed with resentment and jealousy at the sight of the affectionate Yeon-su and Nan-woo, Kang Hee snuck out of the shop and cried alone at the elementary school where she first met Yeon-su.
At that moment, unexpectedly, Yeon-su appeared in front of Kang Hee. Yeon-su asked why she was crying, and Kang Hee burst into tears of resentment, saying, “You changed, and you have changed.” This encounter in ‘Hana-eup,’ filled with countless memories, raises curiosity about the future of Kang Hee and Yeon-su, who are experiencing a whirlwind of emotions, and how the square romance with Seok-gyeong and Nan-woo will unfold.
Meanwhile, ‘Motel California’ is a first love remodeling romance about a female protagonist who was born and raised in a motel, reuniting with her first love in her hometown, from which she ran away 12 years ago. It airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 PM.
[Lee Da-kyum, Star Today Reporter]
