What ‘Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha’ taught us about love and relationships
Falling in love may be a piece of cake. Getting into a relationship is no biggie. But though staying in one could be a challenge— Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha showed that you can make it work with the right person.
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is mainly a portrayal of what healthy relationships should look like. The series centers around beautiful dentist Yoon Hyejin (Shin Minah) and all-around handyman Hong Dusik (Kim Seonho). Hyejin moves to Gongjin Village to open her dental clinic, while Dusik offers her a helping hand.
Perhaps, one of the moments that struck a chord among fans is Hyejin and Dusik’s wholesome relationship. Even if they’ve been through tough times, they chose to compromise and stay together. It’s refreshing—and weirdly surprising—since many series paint couples’ problems as one step closer to a breakup.
As we collect our feels from Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha’s finale, PhilSTAR L!fe lists down the love lessons we all deserve to learn from the series. (Warning: spoilers ahead.)
Love triangles don’t have to be toxic.
Dusik has always admired Hyejin from afar, but it wasn’t until Ji Sunghyun’s (Lee Sangyi) first appearance that the village handyman was spurred to confess his feelings. Despite their friendship, things became complicated when both men became in love with Hyejin.
In true K-drama fashion, love triangles are always a recipe for disaster. It’s common to see two men beating each other up for a girl and vice versa. However, Dusik and Sunghyun decided to talk about their feelings for Hyejin instead.
No matter how seemingly uncomfortable, it’s better and more peaceful to talk things through. After all, a person’s romantic decisions should be based on their own feelings and experiences. Not forced upon them.
Communication—and understanding—are key in making a relationship work.
After Hyejin and Dusik’s kilig proposals (yes, they proposed to each other), they immediately talked about how they’ll split their day-to-day activities. Hyejin doesn’t know how to cook, so Dusik will handle the kitchen duties. She then promised that she’ll take care of the laundry, which made him smile.
Even Hyejin and Dusik’s proposals showed how much they understand each other. She might have asked for his hand in marriage first, but she let him take the lead after. Dusik then reminded Hyejin that he worked hard to get her a proposal gift, to which she assured him that she “won’t sell it, ever.”
Communicating with your partner is easier said than done. You’re different people, with your strengths and flaws, but it doesn’t hurt to be open about it. Once you get into a relationship, there’s no “me” or “I” anymore. It’s about “we” and “us.”
Couples fight. But, you don’t have to stay angry for so long.
Fights happen. Especially, if you’re still in the process of getting to know your partner. Hyejin and Dusik had their share of quarrels and hardships as well.
From the surface, Dusik is cheerful and always ready to help others. However, he struggles in handling pain. He tends to bottle up his feelings until he explodes. This upsets Hyejin at first, but she took the step to mend their relationship.
Hyejin admitted to Dusik that she hates it “when things are vague,” but it doesn’t mean that she will let him go. She assured him that she’ll wait for him until he can be “100% honest” with her. If Dusik can love Hyejin amid his emotional baggage, she can love him while waiting for him to open up.
In many K-dramas, couples immediately break up when things get complicated. Not SikHye, though.
In times of sorrow, be each other’s source of hope.
For years, Dusik struggled with survivor’s guilt when his father died from a car accident. He continued to blame himself for his dad’s death, which almost led him to commit suicide by the bridge in Seoul.
Seeing Dusik in pain hurts Hyejin, but it didn’t stop her from helping him cope with his pain. She eases him into accepting and embracing pain, which helped him eventually handle his sorrow more healthily after his grandma’s death.
Needless to say, Dusik and Hyejin’s relationship is a lesson for K-drama couples—and our present and future love lives. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is not scared to show that we all deserve a healthy relationship. And it’s worth congratulating.
At the end of the day, we want to end up with someone that feels like home. And Hyejin and Dusik portrayed what it feels like perfectly.
