Zenyalore Kisses

📺 Episodes: 16
💋 First Kiss: Episode 8
📍 Streaming On: Netflix, TVing

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Read more: 💜 Kiss Build-Up: Romance Recap – King the Land 💜

(aka “Two beautiful dummies and one very patient fangirl”)💋

Immediately, they’re set up for an enemies-to-lovers trope and I’m so here for it. Their first meeting and then second, seven years later gives them plenty to bicker and fuss over. Gu Won gets heart eyes first when he sees Sa Rang all pretty and prepped for their promo video shoot. But she’s not far behind by the end of the same episode, when he’s all dolled up, she returns those heart eyes right back at him. 

The tension builds when they get trapped on a tiny island in Jeju, where our baby boy proves he’s the biggest chicken in the world, literally scared by a chicken. Subsequently passes out from fear too. So. Freaking. Cute. 

A night in a “hotel” (and I use that word lightly) turns into a chaotic drink-off fueled by their competitive natures, just upping the tension even more. By the time they finally make it back to Seoul, our Grumpy Pants Gu Won (Sa Rang got it so right with that name) takes an online quiz to see if he has a crush or not, like a total dork.

Spoiler alert: Yes. Yes he does.

Accepting his fate, he buys her macarons… only to see her hugging her boyfriend. If only Grumpy Gu had hung out two more seconds, he would’ve witnessed the breakup and not gotten pulled over for throwing macarons out his car window like a heartbroken baking maniac. 

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💬 Almost Confessions, Missteps & Grumpy Cat Vibes

Gu Won wants to treat Sa Rang to a meal so he can confess, but ends up with the entire King the Land lounge staff instead. He’s so socially dumb it’s adorable. And of course, by treating her too specially, he accidentally sets her up to be picked on. She tells him straight up, too. Sa Rang is so good at calling him out. 

On her birthday, her ex (a certified moron, we hates him, precious 🐍) shows up like they just had a fight instead of an actual breakup. So she has to re-dump him! YES GIRL. (Should’ve happened way sooner, if you ask me.) Won stops jerk face from chasing after her with a wrist grab twist and warns him never to show his face again. Protective Oppa mode go!

Then comes the rain scene. She’s crying, alone at the overlook, a place both babies visit, not that they know that yet, and she’s sobbing without an umbrella. Awkward rich boy shows up, shields her with his umbrella, and we get the “she trips, he catches her” trope.
Do I love this cliché? YES. Yes I do.

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😴 Fluff, Helicopters, and STILL NO KISS

I totally thought we were getting our kiss! Instead… she falls asleep in his car. 

BUT, he turns on the seat warmer, puts a blanket over her, and even stops to buy her clothes and shoes because she’s wet. Of course, he acts like he picked random stuff, but we know he totally worked his butt off to get the right sizes. Our most adorable Grumpy Cat™ yet. 

He keeps getting cuter every time he impatiently waits for her to reply to his texts. Literal heart melt.

When Sa Rang gets stranded on a mountain (because Won basically sent her there, lol), he takes the company helicopter to rescue her. ZERO chill. Near-confessions fly left and right, plus jealousy moments from both sides. We hit Episode 7 and still… NO. KISS.

Seven episodes?? That’s illegal behavior.
You don’t get to look like that, act like that, smile like that and not smooch before Episode 7.
I’m filing a K-Drama Violation Report™ immediately.

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✨ Banter, Commoner Food & Confession Prep

Enter the visiting Arab Prince, which leads to more jealous-boy energy. Sa Rang teasing Gu Won and it is just so playful and flirty,  their banter is perfection. He’s also so stinking cute every time she introduces him to “commoner” food, always declaring it the best thing he’s ever had.

We get a princess carry AND a scene where he tucks her into bed after working all day. Excuse me?? I need 12 more of these moments. 

Still no kiss (rude), but it is adorable watching him experience real life with her and her duo of friends. You can really see him becoming more human with every interaction.

Finally, the friends sit him down and tell him: “Tell her how you feel.”

And baby boy is like:

“…Okay. Time to panic.” 😳

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🎀 Final Thoughts for Now

We’re on the edge of the kiss cliff, Zen Fangirl Nation. I’m emotionally curled up in my blogging blanket, waiting for these two beautiful disasters to finally figure it out and SMOOCH. I’m loving the slow burn, but I’m also dangerously close to throwing a macaron myself. I’m looking at you Gu Won.

Stay tuned for the upcoming Zen Fangirl Kiss Breakdown™ post because when it finally happens, you know I’ll be screaming into my keyboard and dissecting every lingering eye twitch.

💜 Loved this flail? There’s a whole archive of chaos waiting for you.