6 Heartbreaking Moments From The Finale Of “Encounter”

Me watching the latest episodes of “Encounter.”

We saw the preview to episode 15, and if that wasn’t enough to break you, then I don’t know what is. Watching Park Bo Gum being sad is like watching a puppy suffer.

I don’t know if it was because I was watching “Encounter” late at night, but I’ve never felt so emotionally connected and broken for the characters as I did while watching the latest episodes – especially in episode 15. It was to the point where every new scene would just top the previous one in terms of heartbreak. Just in case you need a recap of just how monumentally sad episodes 15 and 16 were, here’s a look at six moments.

Warning: Spoilers for episodes 15 and 16 ahead.

1. Woo Seok not being able to let go of Soo Hyun

To start off, we can’t leave Woo Seok in the dark, because this man was so desperate to bring Soo Hyun back into his life. Although he’s not second-lead syndrome worthy, it was definitely sad to see how much he loves Soo Hyun but can’t be with her. It was especially sad that he felt like he had to push her away in order for her to have a life.

He just looked so woeful being all alone in his big, cold house at the end of episode 16.

2. The breakup

We all saw this coming from last week’s episodes. After Jin Hyuk’s mother asks Soo Hyun to break up with her son, she makes up her mind.

But when the moment happened, as predictable as it was, it didn’t prepare us for Park Bo Gum’s reaction and just how broken he was.

Park Bo Gum broken = us broken. 

Especially when he said these words:

3. When Jin Hyuk finds out his mom had asked Soo Hyun to break up with him

Jin Hyuk overhears his mom talking to his dad about meeting Soo Hyun. The dad thinks Jin Hyuk’s mom made a big mistake, but she doesn’t regret it because she doesn’t want Jin Hyuk to get hurt. The part that made this situation really heartbreaking was the fact that Jin Hyuk didn’t even get the tiniest bit upset at his mom. This shows Jin Hyuk’s maturity, understanding, and how he’s pretty much perfect.

4. When Jin Hyuk goes and sees Soo Hyun

After Jin Hyuk learns about his mom meeting Soo Hyun, he takes the initiative to go and see her again. It’s his desperate attempt at trying to get her back, but she doesn’t change her mind.

This leads to the part that really shattered our hearts:

Despite Jin Hyuk’s efforts, Soo Hyun can’t imagine living in Jin Hyuk’s world and doesn’t want her public lifestyle to have any sort of negative effect on him or his family. This particular part was sad because we could totally feel Jin Hyuk’s anguish and heartache. The writing in this scene was also perfect as Soo Hyun’s reasoning was so realistic and made complete sense. It almost convinced me that he was better off without her.

Still can’t get over seeing Jin Hyuk so alone, crying on his hands and knees after she leaves the room.

5. Jin Hyuk’s mom meeting Soo Hyun again

After having a talk with Jin Hyuk, his mom starts to regret having told Soo Hyun to break up with her son. She understands Jin Hyuk’s sincere feelings for Soo Hyun and decides to meet with her to apologize and take back what she had said.

This part was mainly sad because not even Jin Hyuk’s mom could convince Soo Hyun. I was hoping that it would give some sort of incentive for Soo Hyun to get back together with Jin Hyuk, but it seemed like she had firmly made up her mind.

6. The reconciliation

When Soo Hyun finally realizes that she wants to be with Jin Hyuk, she goes to find him. The entire scene is pretty perfect with the lightly falling snow, the background music, and their facial expressions.

Although this part wasn’t heartbreaking in the sense that it was sad, it did break our hearts because we could see just how much Jin Hyuk loves Soo Hyun. He was so persistent and determined on never giving up on his love for her. It’s unconditional and so touching.

Bonus: This OST

As if the episodes weren’t mournful enough, we had this OST playing in the background, making everything monumentally sadder.

Side note: One of the best parts about this series was the OST. Every song was perfection.