Last Summer Episode 1 Recap: A Complicated Reunion

In Last Summer Episode 1, the KBS2 weekend drama Last Summer began on November 1 with a quiet yet heavy reunion. Lee Jae-wook and Choi Sung-eun returned as Baek Do-ha and Song Ha-kyung, two people who share a long and painful history. Their meeting was awkward, emotional, and full of old scars.

Baek Do-ha greeted her with a simple smile. “You’re still the same, Song Ha-kyung. It’s been two years.” His voice sounded calm, but the silence between them carried weight. Song Ha-kyung, still cold, told him to stop talking.

She wanted to finish business quickly. She asked him for his seal and consent form to sell the house. But Do-ha refused, smiling like he didn’t care. He told her nothing had changed — not the house, not the neighborhood, and not her.

That small line summed up their relationship. They were stuck in the same place, pretending to move on. The episode quietly showed that their story is not about big events but about unresolved feelings.

Old Love, Broken Ties

Ha-kyung wanted to sell her childhood home. She hoped it would end the past. But she found out the house title had been changed to Baek Do-ha’s name. That made her furious. The man who once meant something to her had now become her biggest problem.

Do-ha was not an ordinary man. He was a skilled architect who once dreamed of major awards. Yet, despite his success, he carried something broken inside.

Ha-kyung, who had not spoken to him in years, tried to contact him but got no response. When she heard he was back in Korea, she couldn’t sleep.

Later, she received an email from him asking to meet at a café. But instead of Do-ha, his lawyer showed up. Their meeting was tense. Ha-kyung explained that she acted legally when she tried to sell the house.

She claimed Do-ha had used tricks to block the deal. Her anger came through every word.

She joked bitterly, saying she sold her gym equipment and wanted more “child support” for their dog, Subak. Do-ha only laughed when he heard that later. He said she hadn’t changed at all. Beneath that smile, though, it felt like something deeper — regret, maybe even guilt.

Long Summers and Short Tempers

That night, Ha-kyung went out to look for Subak. She found Do-ha again. He spoke kindly, but every word carried tension. She didn’t want to listen. She just wanted him gone.

Yet, he stayed. He said he couldn’t sell the house because it was part of him. She threatened to sue him, and he said calmly, “Then do it.”

Their conversation was painful but real. Neither wanted to back down. The house wasn’t just property; it was a symbol of everything that went wrong between them.

Ha-kyung later tried to continue her wall demolition project in the neighborhood. But the villagers refused to cooperate. They were scared because Do-ha warned them about possible flood damage. Ha-kyung got angry again and said she would prove him wrong.

She tore down the outer wall of her own house to make a point. But when the inner wall collapsed too, she froze. Everything she built started to fall apart, both literally and emotionally.

Do-ha came to repair the damage, saying, “I’m fixing my house that you ruined.” Ha-kyung snapped at him, but he didn’t stop. He just said he couldn’t sell the house anymore.

Familiar Pain, New Distance

Ha-kyung was tired of fighting, but she couldn’t let go. She kept calling that summer “unlucky.” She blamed Do-ha for showing up every time her life started to feel stable. When he asked if she still hated him, she didn’t answer. Her silence said everything.

Through their constant arguments, the show painted a picture of love mixed with anger, nostalgia, and sadness. It didn’t try to make their relationship sweet. It showed it as it was — broken and complicated.

Ha-kyung, known as a skilled civil servant, tried to prove herself at work too. She faced criticism from coworkers who mocked her ambitious project. But she stood her ground, saying she could handle it. That confidence was what made her both strong and lonely.

Do-ha, on the other hand, returned not just to reclaim a house but to face the past he left behind. His charm felt natural, but his motives were still unclear. Every smile hinted at secrets.

The Real Start of “Last Summer”

By the end of episode 1, it was clear that Last Summer isn’t a typical romance. It’s about two people trapped by time and memory. The show uses simple scenes — a wall, a dog, a house — to explore how resentment lingers.

When Ha-kyung said, “Every summer gets worse because Baek Do-ha comes back,” it sounded less like anger and more like pain. She didn’t hate him completely. She hated how much he still affected her life.

Lee Jae-wook and Choi Sung-eun carried this tension beautifully. Their chemistry didn’t come from sweetness. It came from frustration and quiet care. Their lines felt like conversations that had been waiting years to happen.

The first episode ended with questions, not answers. Will they ever forgive each other? Can they move forward when the past still lives in every corner of that house?

“Last Summer” starts slow but strong. It doesn’t use dramatic twists or fancy setups. Instead, it focuses on the small, human details — the kind of pain that builds up quietly over the years.

For now, it seems like the house itself holds its story together. And maybe that’s what this drama wants to show — that some places never let go of their memories, no matter how hard people try to leave.

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