The ninth episode was easily one of the saddest to date as we saw the pressure pile up on Seokjin, who appeared exhausted because of his efforts to save the boys.

“What can I even do for them?” he murmured as he sat down on a stairway in a hospital, reminiscing about the rescues of Yoongi, Jungkook and Namjoon.

Seokjin was visibly upset, and understandably so, as he questioned what he could do for the boys.

But then his parental side kicked in and he told himself, “I can’t let anything happen to them.”

This episode shows Seokjin isn’t the oldest for nothing. You would have thought he would give up by now, especially after saving Yoongi and being blamed for doing so.

It was emotional to see Seokjin struggle with his role as the “responsible” older brother but stand his ground.

In the second half, we saw five of the boys hanging out together in the hospital, on a rare occasion without Seokjin or Jimin.

Just when we thought we might get a happy ending for a change, things took a sad turn when Hoseok slipped and fell down a flight of stairs.

Memorable moments

This episode was packed with drama and suspense as usual, but perhaps what stood out the most was the way Hoseok’s fall was portrayed.

Shattering glass added to the sadness of the accident as Seokjin reached out his hand to no avail, finishing the episode with a dramatic ending.

Fan reaction

Fans are beginning to understand how difficult it must be to be Seokjin with the way things are going.

“Oh my god ... it’s killing him. Saving the rest is literally eating away at Jin. I recently watched the ‘Blood Sweat & Tears’ music video. Doesn’t it remind you of that? I wonder how many references to ‘Save Me’ do BTS have in their music videos?” read one top comment on Line Webtoon.

What to expect next week

Sadly, this time, it’s Hoseok who was left in dire need of Seokijn’s help. But perhaps we can find comfort in Seojin’s determination to help the boys for the time being.

By Yim Hyun-su (hyunsu@heraldcorp.com)