Lessons on lost chances through the lens of Jung Hwan in “Reply 1988”

Written by: Helga Mari

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers. Read at your own risk.

“In the end, fate and timing do not just happen out of coincidence. They are products of ardent desire and earnest, simple choices that make up miraculous moments. Being resolute, making decisions without hesitation — that is what makes timing. He was more ardent, and I should’ve had more courage. It wasn’t the red lights, nor the timing that was bad… but the countless times I hesitated” – Kim Jung Hwan

The lines evoke a mixture of emotions that still haunt me to this day. The words cut so deep which gave out a bittersweet aftertaste, I feel like something inside me is being pierced.

And so when the scenes from Reply 1988 showed our Jung Hwan finally coming to his senses when he drove as fast as he could to be with Duk Seon in the concert, adrenaline rush took its toll on me with the idea that what he had been keeping in his heart for the longest time will, at last, find its way to Duk Seon through words. True enough, time was of the essence here. But too finite was time that introspections came out at the very sight of Taek courageously going for Duk Seon without hesitations.

A painful wake up call indeed. But his heartbreak won’t be left in vain as he shared with us some things to ponder from this whole experience.

1. Courage

It is always the starting point of everything. Victories, whether significant or trivial, are products of brave determination to pursue something that one’s heart so desires.

2. Value Of Time

Time, as a universally accepted principle, is a finite resource. Everything that exists in this world is time-bound. And it does lay down two important things for us — chances and choices. And yet in life, not everyone is given the equal opportunities to take countless chances and make great choices. How we make the most out of it really depends on us.

3. Speaking Up

There is nothing sadder than living the story of an untold love. How lonely could it possibly be to be burdened day by day by the emotions you’ve been bottling up for the longest time only to find yourself mourning for it alone. Love should always be greater than the fear of rejection, loss of pride or whatever it is that hinders one to speak about what one feels.

4. Fate Lies In Our Hands

I, for one, do not believe in coincidences. A thing exists not because it is bound to exist by itself, but because something caused it to exist. Such that you cannot pin your hopes to fate, destiny, or whatnot. If you want something to happen, you should, at least, make an effort for it to happen. Whether or not you get the end that you hoped for, the best part was that you gave it a shot so as regret won’t come running after you years down the road. At the end of the day, life is what you make it.

5. Letting Go Graciously

In the end, no matter how long it has been overdue, you still have to make your choice. Whether to go in pursuit of what you love regardless of the outcome or to step back and give way for something or someone for a selfless reason, you are transforming yourself into a man of substance. There’s nothing bigger than a person who can sacrifice his/her own happiness for someone dear to him/her.

I have a strong bias for Jung Hwan through and through and regardless of how many times I re-watch Reply 1988, that would never change. But I sometimes find myself in reverie, putting myself in Duk Seon’s place while pondering about what could have happened in an alternate reality had Jung Hwan bravely confessed his feelings for her.

I wanted him to give Duk Seon some sort of a closure — that all the while, she wasn’t giving herself an assumption; to finally shed light on the vague signals she was getting from him; that at some point in their not-so-distant past, they fell mutually in love and had brought out the best in each other. I wish Duk Seon knew how she was deeply loved in silence. And while it may no longer be relevant for her, she can at least put the assumptions to rest and move on happily with her blossoming relationship with Taeki.

In the end, though, I was still amazed by the person Jung Hwan has become. He may have lacked the courage to acknowledge his feelings for her, but he certainly had the courage to graciously let go of something that was meant for another without holding a grudge or feeling remorseful about it. And he did it quite well.

The only consolation he got out of the whole time he endured his silence was that he made two persons genuinely happy with their shared love for each other. And they happened to be the ones he values so much.