Love Next Door Episode 6 Review: Love, Secrets, and Tension in the Air

In Love Next Door Episode 5, the story delves into Seung-hyo’s long-held feelings for Seok-ryu, beginning with a flashback to their days as struggling students in the U.S. Seung-hyo’s heart sinks when he accidentally discovers that Seok-ryu is dating someone else. Fast forward to the present, Seok-ryu and Seung-hyo return home with groceries to celebrate a successful business deal, but tensions rise as Seung-hyo overhears Seok-ryu confessing lingering feelings for her ex-fiancé.

Amidst these emotional undercurrents, the episode follows Seung-hyo’s reluctant encounters with his ex-girlfriend, Tae-hue, and a series of mishaps that leave him injured and emotionally torn. As Seok-ryu begins to realize her passion for cooking, Seung-hyo grapples with his unresolved love for her, setting the stage for further complexities in their relationship.

Starring Jung Hae-in and Jung So-min, the series is helmed by director Yoo Je-won and penned by Shin Ha-eun.

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Love Next Door Episode 6 Recap

The 6th episode opens with Seung-hyo recalling how he has been there for all of Seok-ryu’s significant moments. He vividly remembers every one of her “firsts”—from losing her first tooth and mastering the bicycle to her rebellious phase, first love confession, and engagement. In the present day, Seok-ryu drops by Seung-hyo’s home, bringing some side dishes for his parents. While Seung-hyo is in the shower, she stumbles upon a letter he wrote during high school. Seung-hyo catches her reading it, quickly grabs the letter, crumples it up, and throws it away, passing it off as a childish joke.

Feeling the tension, Seok-ryu brushes off the incident and heads to her father’s restaurant, where she reminisces about her childhood joy of visiting the place. However, her father’s demeanor suggests he is hiding something troubling. Following the incident with the letter, Seung-hyo starts to distance himself from Seok-ryu. When Seok-ryu later bumps into Tae-hue, Seung-hyo pointedly emphasizes that he and Tae-hue have work to do, causing Seok-ryu to leave. Seeking solace, Seok-ryu meets up with Mo-eun, who shares her aspirations of being dispatched to the South Pole and the steps she’s taking to increase her chances, such as learning to drive a boat.

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Encouraging Seok-ryu to pursue her passion for cooking, Mo-eun is thrilled when Seok-ryu decides to join a cooking class. They invite Seung-hyo to celebrate, but he declines. Later, Seung-hyo runs into Dan-ho and invites him over for a drink, though they end up hanging out at Dan-ho’s house instead. There, Seung-hyo meets Dan-ho’s daughter and introduces himself as her father’s “neighbourhood friend.” Sensing Seung-hyo’s inner turmoil, Dan-ho gently probes him about it. Seung-hyo indirectly opens up about his complicated feelings for Seok-ryu, expressing his fear of ruining their long-standing friendship by confessing his love.

Dan-ho advises him to be brave, drawing a parallel to Seung-hyo’s courage during his swimming competitions. Unbeknownst to them, Mo-eun has been eavesdropping and already knows about Seung-hyo’s feelings, having dug up their time capsule and read the letters inside. Meanwhile, Seok-ryu attends her first cooking class, while Seung-hyo has a run-in with Seok-ryu’s father later that night. Seung-hyo sees him assisting a drunken woman and learns that Seok-ryu’s father has been keeping this secret from his wife. The next day, Seok-ryu’s mother confides in her friends about her husband’s late-night returns, sparking suspicions of an affair.

Concerned, she searches through his belongings and discovers he’s taken a loan and withdrawn money from their account without telling her. Simultaneously, Mo-eun and Dan-ho cross paths at a convenience store. Mo-eun cautions Dan-ho against sacrificing everything for his daughter, sharing her own experience of resenting her mother’s sacrifices. She also asks him to help her win back Yeon-du’s favor, but Dan-ho gets too drunk to continue the conversation. Mo-eun ends up dumping him outside his house, which is conveniently right next to hers.

Back at the restaurant, Seok-ryu’s father faces a crisis when guests claim there was hair in their food and demand compensation for a ruined watch. These guests threaten to make a video exposing the incident go viral, and Seok-ryu’s father has been working as a night driver to pay them back, feeling ashamed and inadequate. Seok-ryu tries to cheer him up, but she also starts investigating the incident. However, Seung-hyo is already a step ahead.

He confronts the men and exposes their scam—they planted the hair, the watch was a cheap fake, and they lied about their YouTube channel. With Seok-ryu, Dan-ho, and her brother’s help, they catch the fraudsters. Later, Seok-ryu thanks Seung-hyo, but he tells her to stop chasing him, insisting they’re not kids anymore. That night, Seok-ryu reflects on how she, too, remembers Seung-hyo’s “firsts”—his first time eating Korean food, his first swim, and his first crush, though she doesn’t know it was her.

After her cooking class the next day, she waits for Seung-hyo to give him his favorite dish, the first Korean food he ever tried. However, Seung-hyo angrily tells her to stop interfering in his life, leaving Seok-ryu hurt and confused. She demands to know why he said something that night, and the episode ends with Seung-hyo dreading that his secret feelings for her might be exposed.

Love Next Door Episode 6 Review

Episode 6 of Love Next Door dives deeper into the complex emotional landscape between Seung-hyo and Seok-ryu, as Seung-hyo grapples with his long-standing, unspoken love for his childhood friend. The episode skillfully intertwines past memories with present tensions, highlighting how Seung-hyo’s protective nature and deep affection for Seok-ryu have been constants throughout their lives. His turmoil is palpable as he tries to maintain their friendship while suppressing his true feelings, fearing that a confession could jeopardize the bond they’ve shared for so long. The flashbacks and subtle character interactions add layers of emotional depth, making the audience empathize with Seung-hyo’s internal struggle.

Meanwhile, Seok-ryu’s journey of self-discovery and her growing interest in cooking introduce a new dimension to her character, showing her determination to carve out her own path. The episode also brings in new challenges, such as the tension in Seok-ryu’s family and the scam her father faces, adding drama and complexity to the storyline. Seung-hyo’s efforts to protect Seok-ryu’s father from fraudsters underscore his deep care for her and her family, even as he distances himself emotionally. The episode closes on a tense note, with Seok-ryu confronting Seung-hyo, setting the stage for potential revelations and emotional confrontations in the episodes to come.

Love Next Door is streaming on Netflix.

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