In the second episode of Absolute Value of Romance, Woo-su steps into his role as a class teacher by taking attendance. He quickly pulls Ha-su aside to talk about her gold medal, which makes the other students feel tense without meaning to. The mood changes even more when Choi Ji-a shows up late to morning assembly, which makes Woo-su even more angry.
Classroom Tension and Harsh Discipline Methods
Woo-su gives a speech about how important math is for understanding the universe as the lesson goes on. But his way of teaching quickly becomes harsh when he calls attention to Eui-ju’s low test score in front of the whole class. Later, he calls her into his office, and she doesn’t seem very interested in the topic. In response, Woo-su punishes her by giving her a 15-page essay to write about Euclid. Dong-ju tries to comfort her on her way out and even defends Woo-su’s strict way of doing things.
Ji-a’s Background Revealed
Eui-ju tells Ji-a to meet Woo-su in the staff room when they get back to class. Woo-su scolds Ji-a for being late all the time, but then another teacher tells him that she is an orphan, which helps him understand why she acts the way she does.
Student Dynamics and Growing Relationships
The students get used to their four teachers over time. Woo-su still punishes Eui-ju, and at one point, he tells her to clean the classroom. As she takes out the trash, she sees Gi-jeon giving Dong-ju a back massage after he hurts himself. Eui-ju’s imagination is sparked by what she hears them say to each other, and she decides to write a BL story about the two boys. She sees them as childhood friends who become lovers in high school, but at first she isn’t sure if she wants to go through with the idea.
Eui-ju’s Creative Journey Begins
The next day, she goes back to her idea and starts to sketch out the characters. Go-ya, who has a crush on Dong-ju, tries to impress him with a thoughtful gift at the same time. Eui-ju has trouble staying motivated in PE class, but Gi-jeon’s support helps her win a race. He is impressed and suggests she think about track, which makes Eui-ju feel unexpectedly moved by his attention. Even so, she tries to keep any feelings that are growing from coming out.
Story Development and Love Triangle Setup
That night, Eui-ju writes more and more, adding a new character based on Woo-su and making him Dong-ju’s rival love interest. As her story goes on, she is surprised by how well everything fits together. At the end of the episode, she makes a central conflict between Woo-su and Gi-jeon over Dong-ju.
Episode Review: Strengths and Weaknesses
There are clear problems with how Woo-su acts in this episode. It seems like he is trying to punish Eui-ju for her math score in a way that is too harsh and unprofessional, which makes it seem like he has a personal bias instead of trying to help her. This dynamic may be meant to make the characters more tense, but it does so at the cost of showing bad teaching methods.
Entertainment Value and Character Chemistry
On the lighter side, Eui-ju’s many meetings with Gi-jeon and Dong-ju are some of the funniest parts of the episode. Her imagination and the way she uses things she sees in real life to write add a creative element to the story. Even though the use of BL elements can seem forced at times, the chemistry between the characters makes those scenes interesting enough to keep your attention.