Episode 8 of Boyfriend on Demand begins outside with Kyeong-nam wanting to show Mi-rae how he feels. They're called back inside though, where Hwany reveals that Kyeong-nam used to do art in college.
If you'll remember, Mi-rae actually wanted her dream guy to be into art, right? Anyway, the night draws on and Mi-rae winds up next to Kyeong-nam when she needs to charge her phone. When he reaches out to touch her head, her heart starts fluttering.
Mi-rae realizes she's seeing more of Kyeong-nam everywhere, and he's also softening too, taking the elevator with her at work and being really kind, giving her compliments and even buying her favourite coffee too.
Kyeong-nam's changed attitude actually works wonders with Mi-rae, even sending her a good night message and handing back her Secret Santa present too.
At work, Mi-rae is completely distracted, especially as she keeps spacing out with Song. She can't get a grip of her work, while Kyeong-nam is on top of his game. Not only is he continuing to work wonders with Hwany, they're also in talks for a possible video game adaptation for Plan C.
Meanwhile, Ji-yeon gets a Boyfriend on Demand headset for herself and starts to enjoy a proper date with a guy who's into her. He even sings to her too!
On Christmas Eve, Kyeong-nam stays behind for Mi-rae, given she needs to wait for Song to upload her episode. They get into the Christmas spirit together, and outside they talk plainly about how they feel. Whilst there, Kyeong-nam admits it's just a façade for gliding through work, when in reality he does have his struggles.
Given Mi-rae's feelings toward art, she notices an upcoming festival and Kyeong-nam decides they should go together. He tells Mi-rae to wait before answering though, and is respectful of her decision either way. Before they part ways, he gives her a Christmas card and tells her to read it later on.
When Mi-rae gets home, our protagonist reads the card and Kyeong-nam asks her to have dinner together, just them. It gets her thinking about the future and she contemplates whether being with Yeong-il is actually what she wants.
After Christmas, there's a work-end presentation for the whole department. As they discuss the rookie competition, there's a double entendre as they speak, with Mi-rae essentially telling Kyeong-nam that her feelings aren't going to change for him.
However, Mi-rae has come to the realization that it was always Kyeong-nam that made her heart flutter. She's been lying to herself for a while now and she's scared that his feelings might change and she might be subjected to another awful heartbreak again.
As a result of her worries, Mi-rae decides to give up without even trying, believing it'll just end badly anyway.
As time passes, the Director makes a big announcement. The company has decided to make the jump into the American webtoon area that means Korea's best will be sent over there… the Director himself!
After the meeting, the team head home and as fate would have it, Mi-rae and Kyeong-nam wind up in a taxi together. When she rejects taking his umbrella, Kyeong-nam actually confronts her about it, challenging her feelings and why it's such a big deal for her to just accept something so frivolous.
As they talk, Mi-rae admits it's hard for her. She wavers every time he draws her in and she doesn't have anything figured out right now. She admits she might be tempted and scoffs at the notion of dating together.
Mi-rae believes that where there's a beginning, there's a definitive end and that everyone changes. Kyeong-nam bites back and admits that change can be a good thing. For him, he changed when he fell for her. Eventually he takes a chance and leans forward to kiss her.
The Episode Review
Mi-rae's attitude toward love is one of defeatism and it's easy to see why. After a horrid break up like that it's so easy to pessimistically look at love as a one way street to misery. But it doesn't always have to be that way.
Mi-rae is willing to give up everything and not even try, which ironically means she's failed before she even begins. However, Kyeong-nam's kiss changes everything and for the next two episodes, it seems like these two will likely be growing closer together after all.
The BOD game is just sort of here now rather than a contributing factor in the drama, and you can see that from the way the show has instead focused on other characters like Song or Ji-yeon using the tech.
It remains to be seen exactly what will happen next though, but it seems like Boyfriend on Demand is leaning heavily into its romance influences for the rest of the series.
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