Episode 3 of Boyfriend on Demand begins with Mi-rae meeting Eun-ho in this new date-spot, which is designed as a school campus. Everything is bathed in a pastel-pink hue, complete with pink jumpers, and we're very much taking a trip down memory lane here!
Mi-rae is not alone here though, and she's quickly joined by her old classmate, Su-ji. They explore the campus and end up attending a fencing match with a new star player for Hansae University. This player is called Eun-ho, the same guy Mi-rae bumped into at the end of episode 2.
To get closer to him, Mi-rae joins the fencing club and she winds up sparring with him in front of the whole group. The pair have a proper match and trade blows, with Mi-rae even getting the best of Eun-ho!
Funnily enough, Mr. Ko is also here too as a fellow fencer, but he's actually best known as Jung-pil in this reality, a Kumbo Club senior.
Unlike Si-woo, Eun-ho is not particularly quick to jump into the idea of dating Mi-rae. This gets her frustrated, which her dating manager explains is all part of the process. Some candidates, out of the chosen 900 in this dating experience, just aren't ready to fall head over heels for Mi-rae. Some require her to put in some effort and work to reap the benefits.
Mi-rae though, is so caught up in her new virtual gig that she ends up dozing off at work, neglecting her duties too. However, one bonus is that Song has decided to go on hiatus for the time being, freeing Mi-rae up for a bit more time.
Naturally, Mi-rae and Ji-yeon hang out and discuss their old flames, but it only drives Mi-rae on to try and win over Eun-ho in this virtual dating game. This scenario is very different to that of Si-woo, and Mi-rae also manages to best Eun-ho constantly while fencing too.
Spicing things up is Mi-rae's rival in this reality, Ye-rin. She's also trying to date Eun-ho and it starts a little rivalry between the two girls. However, given Mi-rae doesn't really know anything about Eun-ho, it also gives them an opportunity to hang out and try to slowly learn more about one another.
The perfect opportunity arises after a dinner, where the pair wind up walking back to the dorms together. On the way it begins raining and they end up in the laundry room together to dry up.
However, this whole scenario is inching dangerously close to her own experiences with Se-june. She finds herself thinking back over her experiences with him but Eun-ho snaps her out of it while they sit together. He brings up how she has a mean hair toss (something she tried to hilariously seduce him with earlier in the episode while sitting in class together) and reassures her that she doesn't need to worry about Ye-rin.
In the real world, Mi-rae finds herself replaying moments from her and Se-june's life together. They used to fall out over social media posts, which is a contrast to how he's posting more now with his current flame, You-mi.
To try and keep her mind off things, Mi-rae doubles-down on getting hooked on Boyfriend on Demand. She naps at work in the comfy breakroom chairs and starts spending lots of time with Eun-ho.
In the real world, Kyeong-nam and Mi-rae talk outside the restaurant after a team dinner. She mentions how she has a "date thing" going on, hence why she's not sticking around for longer. Kyeong-nam gets his umbrella out… and rushes off, leaving Mi-rae alone.
Alone is the keyword here because that night, Mi-rae checks online and sees that Se-june and You-mi are getting married. She's invited to the wedding and Se-june actually rings to apologize to her for seeing that.
Of course, all of this leads Mi-rae to double-down on the final 4 hours she has left of her Boyfriend on Demand subscription. Her mood is sour though and she struggles to enjoy the experience. It brings back memories of her break-up with Se-june, and Eun-ho soon heads over on the bus ride to help.
However, given how closely aligned Eun-ho and Se-june are with the beginning of her dating life, Mi-rae allows herself to remember the good times she had with her ex, intermingled around the bad. It's a nice way of helping her reminisce and move on from her lingering feelings.
The Episode Review
Out of all the episodes this season, this is the one that works the best at using this virtual reality world, not just as a cutesy gimmick, but also as a way of helping Mi-rae's character evolve. We can see that Mi-rae is growing ever-more disillusioned with her real life persona, which is ironic because Kyeong-nam, in his own way, does care about Mi-rae. Even little touches like turning off the lights while she's sleeping and checking up on her, help reinforce this. But of course Mi-rae doesn't see that!
The situation involving Eun-ho is an interesting segue from the traditional chaebol backdrop of the first date, and it works pretty well to fill in more of the past with Mi-rae and Se-june. The show has naturally shown a lot of the past drama between them in a way that feels organically included in the story.
It's interesting that Mi-rae is essentially using Eun-ho toward the end as a way of trying to get over Se-june, or at least see the positive aspects of that relationship, while also allowing herself to move on in a healthy way.
The premise has been good so far, although it is far from perfect.
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