Recap Korean Drama "Sh**ting Stars" Episode 9

Episode 9 of Shooting Stars starts with Gong Tae-sung waiting for Oh Han-byeol after he has confessed his feelings to her. Han-byeol finally arrives at the same spot Tae-sung was waiting in but is confused when she does not find him there. The scene changes to Actor Kang Yu-sung and his manager Park Ho-young waiting to see actor Yu-sung’s new underwear billboard commercial.

Actor Yu-sung silently watches her as he feels his heart pounding and suddenly realizes he is falling in love with his manager. Back in his dorm room, Yu-sung asks Jae-hyun what a pounding heart means but the latter recalls filming a kissing scene with his co-star, Yu-na, and states that it does not mean anything but an irregular heartbeat leaving Yu-sung confused.

The next morning, at the Starforce Entertainment headquarters, Management Team 1 analyses the photos Tae-sung took with his fans the night before. Han-byeol enters and informs them that Tae-sung was met with a bus of international fans and had an unscheduled fan meet-and-greet on the street. Han-byeol asks the PR team to send a report about the photos calling it fan service.

Meanwhile, Tae-sung is in his green room as Manager Byeon Jung-yeol as they discuss the last night while Jung-yeol expresses his concern about Tae-sung risking his safety to meet Han-byeol. Tae-sung clarifies that Han-byeol never actually showed up. Tae-sung recalls being mobbed by fans only for Manager Kang Yu-sung to rush to save him after receiving a heads up from a fan via Instagram.

Han-byeol is seen driving home for the night as she spots a new advertisement on a billboard featuring Gong Tae-sung while Jung-yeol is driving Tae-sung on the same street. Tae-sung recalls filming the commercial when the director asked him to gaze into the camera as if it was his lover.

Seeing Han-byeol standing behind the camera, Tae-sung’s acting appears natural. Han-byeol on the other hand gazes at Tae-sung’s fans who are taking photos of the commercial. She recalls the night when Tae-sung was mobbed by fans revealing that it was Han-byeol that called Manager Yu-sung to help the actor.

The next day, on the set of a noodle commercial, actors Jae-hyun and Yu-na are having a hard time shooting as they start feeling infatuated with one another. Both Jae-hyun and Yu-na are not able to deliver the scene so the director gives the set a short break. Jae-hyun rushes to his green room and Yu-na follows as she confesses her feelings for him and the two start making out.

Manager Yu-sung wonders why Jae-hyun was late and calls to check on him. The managers rush to check on them and Dae-soo calls out Yu-na’s name shocking the couple out of their make-out session. Yu-na grabs Jae-hyun’s hair trying to imply that they were fighting and Jae-hyun follows suit.

The day comes to an end with the girlfriend gang, Han-byeol, Ho-young, and Reporter Ki-ppeum getting together for a drink. They discuss Ho-young’s one-sided love for Manager Yu-sung as they find out how she fell for him when he offered her a band-aid.

The three then talk about lawyer Soo-hyuk proposing to Han-byeol and they some advice for her upcoming date. Lawyer Do Soo-hyuk and Han-byeol are now on their date as he tries to woo her but Han-byeol is just about to give him an answer. Soo-hyuk digresses by asking her to think over the proposal some more. Lawyer Do says he is not a star in the sky but a person on the ground that sticks with Han-byeol on her way back home.

Reporter Ki-ppeum shows up in the play park after Han-byeol shrugs her off during their call. After a lot of prying, Han-byeol states that she is thinking about her first love, someone that she has never told anyone about. Ki-ppeum shocks Han-byeol by mentioning Gong Tae-sung and Han-byeol tells her that she was heartbroken when Tae-sung was dating his co-star years ago.

Han-byeol tells Ki-ppeum that Tae-sung had confessed his feelings for her but Ki-ppeum asks why Han-byeol was sad. Han-byeol states that Tae-sung is like a star in the sky and that she hates the idea of being rejected another time. Ki-ppeum tells Han-byeol that a person’s profession does not matter and that people are bound to hurt one another.

At the movie theatre, Tae-sung is still waiting for Han-byeol to show up but eventually goes home after a no-show.

Back at home, Tae-sung receives a message from Han-byeol who asks him to stop sending her the movie tickets. A second text from Han-byeol states that she is outside his apartment as Tae-sung rushes to get the door for her. Han-byeol invites herself into his apartment and scolds Tae-sung for spending so much money as they argue.

Tae-sung blurts out that he wanted to watch a movie with her shocking Han-byeol as he confesses his feelings for her again. Overwhelmed by his confession, Han-byeol suddenly kisses Tae-sung but tries to get away from him immediately after. He pulls her back, stopping her from running away from him again and kisses her.

They are interrupted when Manager Jung-yeol rings the bell and Tae-sung finally remembers that he would be on an overseas shoot for a week. After sending his manager away, Tae-sung rushes back to Han-byeol asking her to wait for him for a week as he leaves for work.

Both Han-byeol and Tae-sung appear way happier than usual on their way to work while Managers Yu-sung and Dae-soo are out having a meal. The two discuss how it is better for Jae-hyun and Yu-na to fight because if the two got along and ended up dating each other, it would be a hassle for them when they eventually break up.

Back at the Starforce Headquarters, Han-byeol gets a message from Tae-sung which causes her to fluster and she rushes to the break room. She is caught off-guard seeing Lawyer Do. Han-byeol politely rejects Do Soo-hyuk’s proposal but he asks her to keep things normal between them.

Later that night, Han-byeol contemplates calling Tae-sung but he calls her instead. The two share awkward silences because it is their first time talking on the phone after becoming a couple. Tae-sung asks Han-byeol about her date with Lawyer Do and Han-byeol states that she turned him down.

Han-byeol on the other hand confronts Tae-sung for dating his co-star and breaking her heart, but Tae-sung clarifies that Han-byeol is the only one he likes. For the next few days, Tae-sung and Han-byeol are texting back and forth between his breaks – and in the middle of her work as a PR manager.

At the office, Ho-young is greeted by Manager Yu-sung as they discuss Actor Yu-sung. Ho-young gets a paper cut and Manager Yu-sung gives her a band-aid and pats her on the head. Actor Yu-sung looks at her from a distance and realizes that his manager is in love with someone else.

On the last night of his overseas schedule, Tae-sung misses Han-byeol and shares a photo of himself with Han-byeol asking for her selfie in exchange. Han-byeol jokes that Tae-sung does not know how to take selfies snapping multiple photos of herself and accidentally sending them all to him leaving him flustered.

Tae-sung does not immediately respond to Han-byeol but eventually calls her hours later asking her to open the door for him. Tae-sung states that he drove all the way to see Han-byeol because he missed her a lot and the couple hug each other. Tae-sung gives her a necklace as a present but just as the two were about to kiss, Jung-yeol calls Tae-sung to check on his whereabouts. Tae-sung has to leave but not without giving Han-byeol a peck leaving her flustered.

The next morning, at work, the managers are in a meeting. Han-byeol gets a message about a dating rumor claiming that Tae-sung is dating Lawyer Do. Manager Choi Ji-hoon asks if the rumor is true and lawyer Do vehemently denies it.

Han-byeol texts Reporter Ki-ppeum informing her that a press release will be out soon but Ki-ppeum’s boss asks her to interview Lawyer Do. Reporter Ki-ppeum and Lawyer Do meet up for an interview and immediately hit it off.

Manager Ji-hoon is seen looking at photos of veteran actress Eun Si-woo, mother of Tae-sung as he recalls a younger Tae-sung asking Ji-hoon to help make him a bigger star than his mother.

Ji-hoon asks Manager Yu-sung if he knew that Si-woo was back in town but Yu-sung excuses himself and rushes to Tae-sung’s house to stop Si-woo who was about to startle Tae-sung. Si-woo forces her way into his house as she talks to Tae-sung.

Just as Si-woo was about to say something important, Tae-sung’s house help, Kwon Myung-hee arrives. Si-woo remembers who she is and grabs the maid by her hair. Tae-sung intervenes and rescues Myung-hee his mother while Yu-sung arrives just as the maid takes an exit.

In the elevator, Myung-hee laughs all by herself and fixes her hair stating she got caught. The episode ends with a person posting a photo of Tae-sung hugging a woman, anonymously spreading a dating rumor about the actor online.

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The Episode Review

After waiting for eight long episodes, Tae-sung and Han-byeol are finally dating. Knowing that the two have actually been in love with one another since their college days, fans of the show are excited to see how they navigate through their dating journey and what the future has in store for the two.

A lot of mushy moments from the episode showed how the two were really in love and were taking it slow as they managed work and their private lives without revealing their relationship to the public, especially Tae-sung’s fans.

On the other hand, Ho-young and both her Yu-sungs are going to cause fans a lot of heartache in the episodes to come as Yu-sung manifests his one-sided love for his manager, who is in love with her colleague, Manager Yu-sung.

Meanwhile, Reporter Ki-ppeum and Lawyer Do seem to be a match made in heaven and it would be amazing to see the two most practical people eventually date one another.

Newbies Yuna and Jae-hyun dating one another is a recipe for disaster and their new romance seems like the couple will turn out to be one of those toxic couples that keep breaking up and getting back with one-another causing chaos for their managers.

With Tae-sung’s mother making a comeback into his life, it seems like the actor will be having a hard time dealing with his past trauma and will have to heal from the issues he had with his mother.

The maid, Myung-hee, did seem like a sinister character. While her actions – like purposefully adding more salt to Tae-sung’s food and posing to be poor – are still a mystery, it seems like she is connected to his past and wants to ruin Tae-sung’s life.