Check in Hanyang- Episodes 11-12
Secrets, Betrayals, and One Heart-Stopping Kiss! 💋
We are NOT OKAY after this week’s Check in Hanyang! 😭 With hidden identities, emotional confrontations, and a stolen kiss that nearly set our screens on fire, we were fed in every way possible. But while some hearts drew closer, others fractured apart, and let’s just say… we’re very worried about our second lead. 👀
Mourning the gut-wrenching loss of her mother, Deok-soo spirals into grief, clutching onto her mother’s old clothes like a lifeline. And just when we thought Eun-ho was the soft and sensitive type, he shocks us all by ripping the clothes from her hands and throwing them into the fire! 😱
🔥 "Stop wallowing in despair. You’re alive, and they’re all waiting for you." 🔥
HELLO?! INTENSE MUCH?! But it works—Deok-soo finally snaps out of it and reaffirms her mission for revenge. With Lady Seol revealing the full truth behind the elusive safe and the brass keys, Deok-soo learns that inside are not just Lord Cheon’s dirty ledgers, but also documents exposing the late king’s poisoning.
That’s right, folks. We’re dealing with REGICIDE now. 😨💀
And guess who pretends to be Deok-soo’s biggest ally in taking down Lady Seol? Lord Cheon, the literal snake who KILLED HER FATHER. 🤡 (This man deserves an award for Best Villain Gaslighter, seriously.)
Meanwhile, Eun-ho is deep in royal politics, juggling double identities like a pro. Now that the king has confirmed Lord Cheon’s hand in regicide, Eun-ho makes his next move—proceeding with the royal engagement at Yongcheonru.
Cue hilarious shenanigans as our squad complains about the prince’s ridiculously extravagant requests, while Eun-ho awkwardly tries to cover for himself. ("The prince must have his reasons!"—SIR, YOU ARE THE PRINCE. 😭😂)
Finally, FINALLY, Jun-hwa decides to confess his feelings. (Took you long enough!) With a sweet taffy treat and a lovers’ bracelet, he tells Deok-soo that he knows she’s a woman and apologizes for keeping it from her. Then he hits her with the BIG ONE:
👉 "I don’t want to just be your friend. I want to be your man."
SWOON. 😍 But alas, bad timing is this man’s curse, because Deok-soo’s too caught up in revenge to think about love right now. She tells him she needs time, and we can physically feel Jun-hwa’s heartbreak. 🥺
While emotions are running high, the engagement ceremony turns into a full-on heist mission. Deok-soo and Eun-ho both sneak into Lord Cheon’s quarters, intent on stealing his half of the key. But surprise, surprise—they end up fighting over it, masks slipping, eyes locking, tension THICK ENOUGH TO CUT WITH A KNIFE. 😳
Before they can process what just happened, pursuers come running, forcing them into a drastic escape plan:
💋 A FAKE KISS. 💋
EXCEPT—Eun-ho immediately recognizes her real gender the moment she lets her hair down! It’s the mane of glory effect, people! 😂 But this isn’t just any reveal—he calls her by her real name, Hong Jae-on!
😱 "HOW do you know my name?!"
🔥 "That doesn’t matter. What matters is—Lord Cheon has my family in his grip, and I need that key as much as you do."
And just like that, we have a reluctant but powerful alliance. The Prince of Joseon and the Daughter of the Betrayed General, working together against their common enemy. ICONIC.
With the engagement no longer necessary, Eun-ho cancels it. And Do-kyung? Oh, she’s TOTALLY fine with it (girl just wanted to annoy her family and cause chaos—respect). 😆
But someone isn’t fine—Jun-hwa.
In a WHOPPER of a reveal, he drops the bomb:
👉 "I am Lord Cheon’s son." 😨
OH. OH. So this man has been hiding a WHOLE FAMILY SECRET while calling Eun-ho out for his?!
And then he goes for the throat:
👉 "Did you break off your engagement because of Hong Deok-soo?"
👉 "Now that you know she’s a woman, is that the only reason you started falling for her?"
JUN-HWA, BABE, LET’S NOT DO THIS. 😭💔
AND THEN HE URGES EUN-HO TO LET HER GO?! NOOOOO.
The final scene of this week’s episodes TOOK US OUT.
Deok-soo and Eun-ho arrange to meet at her old home, hoping to decode the five characters engraved on the key. But when Eun-ho arrives and sees fresh blood on the ground, he goes full panic mode, convinced something terrible has happened.
Deok-soo waltzes in, totally fine (minus a tiny cut on her finger) and tries to joke it off. But Eun-ho can’t shake his worry and finally SNAPS:
👉 "Do you really think I’m acting like this because of the key?"
👉 "It’s because of YOU, Hong Deok-soo."
And then—💥💋💥
HE. KISSES. HER.
AND SHE KISSES HIM BACK.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
AHHHHHHHH.
BUT WAIT.
JUN-HWA SEES EVERYTHING. 👀💔
DramaZen's Opinion
“WE ARE NOT OKAY.” 😭
🥹 Most Heartbreaking Moment: Jun-hwa realizing he’s fighting a losing battle. Watching him grapple with his feelings while knowing he might lose her to Eun-ho? Pain. Pure pain.
😂 Funniest Moment: Eun-ho covering up for himself as his own royal identity. This man really said, "The prince must have his reasons," while being THE PRINCE. 😂💀
💖 Best OTP Moment: That KISS. PERIOD. END OF DISCUSSION.
🚨 BIGGEST CONCERN: JUN-HWA, DON’T SPIRAL. DON’T LET YOUR DAD MANIPULATE YOU. 😭💔 And Soo-ra—is he about to betray Jun-hwa?! This squad needs COMMUNICATION ASAP.
With Lord Cheon stirring the pot and our leads falling deeper into danger (and love 😏), next week is going to be explosive. Drop your theories in the comments! ⬇️💬
