'Brave New World' Im Ji-yeon delivers again.. Top viewership surpasses 10% "I have feelings for you" [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

Heo Nam-jun acknowledged his feelings for Im Ji-yeon and confessed, "I have feelings for you."

According to Nielsen Korea, a viewership research company, on the 23rd, the fifth episode of the SBS Friday-Saturday drama "Brave New World" (directed by Han Tae-seop, scripted by Kang Hyun-ju, produced by Studio S, Gil Pictures), which aired on the 22nd, recorded a peak viewership of 10.3%, 9.5% nationwide, and 8.8% in the Seoul metropolitan area, breaking its own record for highest viewership. It also ranked first among all Friday-Saturday dramas and all dramas aired during the week, as well as first in its time slot, announcing the "Brave New World" phenomenon. In particular, the viewership for the 2049 demographic reached an average of 2.5%, peaking at 3.26%.

On this day, Cha Se-gye (played by Heo Nam-jun), a villainous chaebol who abandoned his pride and went straight after being rejected by the Joseon villainess Shin Seo-ri (played by Im Ji-yeon), brought laughter with his desperate courtship war.

After confirming his feelings for Seo-ri, Se-gye confessed, "I decided to go to you," and then asked, "How is it? Isn't it an honor?" confidently assuming that Seo-ri would accept him. However, Seo-ri replied, "I didn't feel a thing," leaving Se-gye flustered. She further said, "I felt less than when I hugged a stray dog in the neighborhood," shocking Se-gye.

Seo-ri firmly rejected Se-gye, who was denying the reality of being rejected, saying, "Pathetic, Cha Se-gye. Stop it. I have no interest in feelings or marriage in this life! I never want to get involved with a man again! So stop hanging around in such a pathetic way!" This made Se-gye angry. When Se-gye challenged her, saying, "I will make you regret this moment for the rest of your life," and disappeared, Seo-ri collapsed as if her legs had given way and blurted out her true feelings, which she had kept hidden: "I thought my heart would stop from beating so hard."

Seo-ri, who had rejected Se-gye, mistook his actions as a game of cat and mouse. He sought relationship advice from Son Sil-jang (played by Yoon Byung-hee), asking, "You know, the cat-and-mouse game between men and women. How can one gain the upper hand?" His awkwardness in love brought laughter. Son Sil-jang taught him his theory of love, saying, "In a courtship war, losing is winning. Just surrender. When you throw away your pride, that is when you truly gain the upper hand," leaving Se-gye in awe. However, Se-gye's courtship war, which was a series of defeats, turned into a twist of laughter.

Meanwhile, Seo-ri recalled the chilling proposal made by Moon Do-ga and vowed, "I will never fall for such sweet talk again." She then threw down her challenge as an actress, accepting the role of "Kim Sang-gung" for a drama shoot. At the filming site, Seo-ri pointed out historical research errors and scolded the assistant director. Yoon Ji-hyo (played by Lee Se-hee), who viewed Seo-ri as a thorn in her side, threatened Seo-ri's position by hinting that she was a "parachute hire."

The cold gaze toward Seo-ri was instantly changed by Se-gye's coffee cart tribute. Unaware that it was Se-gye's tribute, Seo-ri took a verification photo in front of the coffee cart and received thanks from people, enjoying the joy of the first tribute. At that moment, Se-gye suddenly appeared beside Seo-ri to take a selfie for the tribute verification and revealed that the gift was his, leaving Seo-ri flustered by asking, "Is the tsunami of emotion starting to wash over you now?"

Se-gye, who put Seo-ri in his car, pointed to her heart and declared, "From today on, I will exclusively mark your heart," and then announced, "I will take your heart!" Although Se-gye defined Seo-ri as a "dangerous woman," he could not hide his attraction. He then gazed steadily at Seo-ri and declared surrender, saying, "It's surrender. They say in the war of love and war, losing is winning," making not only Seo-ri's heart race but also that of the viewers. As soon as Seo-ri asked, "Are you really having feelings for me?" he clearly expressed his feelings with just four words: "I have feelings for you."

However, while thinking to herself, "Why is such a fierce beast so aggressive?" Seo-ri built a wall of defense, saying, "Cha Se-gye, I do not have feelings for you. Never! Ever! Forever!" Se-gye was annoyed that he had been rejected twice but did not give up, presenting Seo-ri with a bouquet of roses.

Seo-ri's heart raced wildly at Se-gye's bold confession of feelings. She tried to calm her racing heart, saying, "What a strange rogue, launching a surprise attack in close combat." Unable to sleep due to her racing heart, Seo-ri firmly decided, "In this life, I will definitely control my heart and enjoy my natural lifespan." Behind Seo-ri's firm resolve were Kang Dan-sim (played by Im Ji-yeon) and Prince Lee Hyun (played by Heo Nam-jun) from her past life. After comforting Dan-sim, who was sad over the death of a dog, Hyun plucked a bunch of wildflowers and offered them to Dan-sim. This scene overlapped with Se-gye presenting a bouquet of roses to Seo-ri, intensifying the excitement.

Meanwhile, Seo-ri offered King three times the salary to Baek Gwang-nam (played by Kim Min-seok) and hired him as a road manager. On the way to Jeju Island for a scheduled commercial shoot, an unexpected accident occurred on the plane. Se-gye, who was on the same flight as Seo-ri, lost consciousness. Seo-ri poured water on his face to wake him up and then slapped him mercilessly. Se-gye, who opened his eyes due to Seo-ri's sharp touch, summoned all his strength to say, "You rat-like woman," before losing consciousness again. Following Seo-ri's desperate cry of "Don't die, Cha Se-gye," both Seo-ri and Se-gye were electrocuted by the defibrillator's current and fainted side by side.

In the epilogue, Dan-sim is shown looking at Hyun giving flowers and recalling Crown Prince Lee Jae's (played by Jang Seung-jo) proposal, "Become my brother's beloved," feeling frightened. Hyun picked up the flower Dan-sim had dropped and placed it on the dog's grave. He then plucked a single red flower and gifted it to Dan-sim, saying, "Kang Dan-sim, this flower suits you. It catches the eye perfectly, just right for you." He then smiled, asking, "Shall I be your jigi?" This scene simultaneously raised the heart rate and hinted at Se-gye and Hyun, who both went straight in both their past and present lives, stimulating curiosity about how their twisted fate would unfold and heightening immersion.

Additionally, in today's broadcast, Choi Moon-do (played by Jang Seung-jo) began his attack on Se-gye, sensing that Cha Dal-soo (played by Yoon Ju-sang) was preparing to inherit the group from Se-gye. Moon-do started moving actively, creating public opinion to tarnish Se-gye's reputation, delivering tension. Also, Se-gye learned that Mo Tae-hee (played by Chae Seo-an), who approached him, was the person his grandfather had selected as a match.

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*This content was translated by AI.