🌧️💔 Rom-Com Betrayal Files: Journey to Goodbye IV – Love Next Door 💔🌧️

Not a full recap. Just the kisses, chaos, and emotional crimes. 💘✨

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

“I’m about ready to call up the Zenyalore Crime Division for all these sins.” – Zen-ah, deeply betrayed by a slow-burn with no burn and a stubborn ghost of a kiss.

🤦‍♀️ Mom, WHAT Are You Doing?

Let’s break this down real quick:

Mom literally beats the ex with a purse the night before.
Seok Ryu tells her mom point blank she’s done with the ex.
She tells the ex herself that it’s totally over.

And then the MOM RUSHES TO MEET HIM when he texts her???

A cartoon-style illustration of a woman with long dark hair, wearing a purple sweater and earrings, standing with crossed arms and giving a dramatic side-eye to a computer screen. Above her head, bold purple text reads “PREPARING THE SIDE-EYE.” The background is a dark, moody purple with sparkles scattered around, adding a humorous and sassy vibe.

HELLO?? What timeline are we in? Do we need to send her a flashback of her own actions??

Dad, thankfully, is not having it. When Mom gets home, he confronts her for trying to force Seok Ryu to live a life she clearly doesn’t want. And guess what? Mom admits it. She says she’s scared her daughter will live a poor and miserable life too. 💔

Which… okay, but lady, your husband is standing right there. Working his butt off. Supporting the family. And you don’t work at all. That comment? Absolutely crushed him. UGH.

🥃 Drunk Dads, Suspicion, and Sad Birthdays

In a sideplot both dads go out for drinks. Seong Hyo’s dad thinks his wife is cheating (she’s not, she just thinks he forgot her birthday).

They bond, drink too much, and admit they’re envious of each other. It’s bittersweet. Honest. A little sad. And honestly one of the few emotionally mature conversations in this entire show. (Except neither of them go and talk to their wives to get the truth of what’s happening, but whatever)

😤 The Return of the Persistent Pest (a.k.a. Ex-boy)

A cartoon-style woman with dark purple hair yells at a TV screen while holding a black-and-white tuxedo cat. She wears a lavender sweater and has one arm extended toward the TV in frustration. The cat looks distressed, with its eyes closed and ears pinned back, clearly not enjoying the tight squeeze. On the screen, a silhouetted couple faces each other, suggesting a romantic moment. The illustration uses soft purple and peach tones with clean, bold outlines and a humorous, dramatic vibe.

Ex-boy refuses to go away. I swear this man has more scenes than the romantic lead sometimes.

At least Ex-girly finally backs off after learning Seong Hyo confessed. But Ex-boy? He’s got no shame.

Exhibit A: He shows up AGAIN to stalk Seok Ryu after cooking class.
Exhibit B: He hires Seong Hyo’s architecture firm to build a vacation home for his parents.
Exhibit C: He lurks in the office kitchen while Seok Ryu is practicing her cooking.

Ex-boy, take a hint and a hike. Preferably at the same time. 🫠

😱 Collapse in the Kitchen… and the Wrong Arms

Just when I think I might finally get my kiss – BOOM. Seok Ryu collapses in pain.

A playful pastel graphic titled "K-Drama Violation Report™" features a purple clipboard with stylized lines and a bold red prohibition symbol over it. The background is a dreamy gradient of purples and pinks with sparkles and star shapes, giving it a dramatic, fangirly vibe. Designed to humorously "report" common K-drama offenses like missed kisses or emotional miscommunication.

And instead of reaching for our precious softboy hero, she reaches for… the ex.

Excuse me while I go scream into a side dish.

Then the kicker, she lets the ex take her to the hospital?? Show, you’re playing a dangerous game here.

I had my violation paperwork out and ready to file.

But then.

🩺 The Big Reveal: Cancer, Secrets, and So Much Pain

WAIT. WHAT??
The reason she reached for Ex-boy is because he’s the only one who knows what she went through in the U.S.

She had Stage 2 stomach cancer. They removed 70% of her stomach.

WHAT??? 😭💔

A cartoon-style illustration of a wide-eyed woman in a purple sweater nervously clutching a pillow to her face. Her cheeks are flushed with panic and her expression screams “I did NOT see that twist coming!” Above her, bold purple text says “PLOT TWIST PANIC!” against a dark, moody background, evoking high-drama suspense and unexpected K-drama chaos.

No one knows. Not even Mo Eum. Not even Seong Hyo. The only one who does is that persistence parasite ex-boy.

I’m floored. And I finally understand. The show hit me with a gut punch, literally and emotionally.

🥄 Why Food Means Everything (And Why It Hit Me Too)

After that reveal, suddenly everything makes sense.

Her passion for food. Her emotional connection to cooking. Her joy when people eat what she makes. Her dream.

Why it hit me so painfully hard:

“I have a chronic digestive disease and it makes eating painful and sometimes I can’t eat at all. So food is a really big deal to me. Eating delicious things, experiencing them, and making them, aren’t always something I can do because of my body.”

Suddenly, this drama isn’t just about miscommunication and withheld kisses. It’s about surviving something traumatic and trying to reclaim joy. This is really hitting almost way too close to home.

A cartoon-style woman with dark purple hair is sobbing dramatically, with large blue tears streaming down her face. She’s wearing a lavender sweater, clutching crumpled tissues in both hands, and surrounded by more flying tissues. A broken heart icon floats beside her, and above her head, the bold lavender text reads “JUST UGLY CRYING.” The illustration has a soft, glowing purple and peach-toned background, adding to the emotional intensity.

💭 Final Thoughts – Maybe I Won’t File That Violation After All (But I’m Watching You, Drama)

This episode wrecked me. Just when I was about to throw the whole drama into the melodrama pit, it gave me something real. Something deeply human. And something that reminded me why I care so much about stories like this.

Do I still want a kiss?

Yes.

Do I still want the ex-boy to walk directly into the ocean?

Yes.

But… I might hold off on that violation report for now. We’re starting episode 9. Let’s see if the emotional rollercoaster gives us a swoon loop next.

Charming cartoon-style fangirl with purple hair and heart eyes, clutching a remote in one hand and her chest with the other in dramatic swoon mode. Surrounded by pink hearts and sparkles, she looks lovestruck and thrilled. Above her, bold pastel text reads “LET’S KISS AND TELL,” setting the tone for a drama breakdown full of romantic chaos and fangirl joy.

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

Zenyalore Kisses