In the premiere of tvN’s highly anticipated new drama Head over Heels, Cho Yi Hyun, who plays the role of a high school shaman, shares the screen with rising actor Choo Young Woo in an engaging and witty guest appearance that’s already captured viewers’ attention.
The show kicks off with Cho Yi Hyun’s character, Park Seong Ah, performing a shamanic ritual. But things quickly take a turn for the hilarious.
In the middle of the ceremony, Park Seong Ah suddenly announces, “I’ve got somewhere to be. If I don’t finish this ritual in ten minutes, I’m out. Let’s hurry this up!” When a frustrated spirit responds with, “You think you can boss around a ghost?” her outfit magically transforms, revealing a school uniform underneath. “I’ve got midterms today!” she exclaims. “Are you going to take the blame if I fail and don’t get into college? You have no idea what it’s like to be a high schooler and tank your grades!” She continues, “So, are we finishing this ritual or not?”
In a rush, Park Seong Ah dashes off to school. As she attempts to scale a wall, Pyo Ji Ho (played by Cha Kang Yoon) is there to catch her, teasing, “I’ve been waiting for you. Without you, I’d be at the bottom of the class. You’re my academic lifeline!”
After the exam, a frustrated Park Seong Ah confides, “I’m not sure I’m cut out for college at this point.” She vows to ditch her spiritual duties and focus on her studies. But when she returns home late, her spiritual mother (played by Kim Mi Kyung) scolds her with a chuckle, “What kind of shaman skips out mid-ritual?” before affectionately calling her “my adorably maddening stepdaughter.” Though Park Seong Ah insists she’s determined to attend a four-year university, her spiritual mother warns, “That’s biting off more than you can chew. You try to chase two rabbits, and you won’t catch either.”
However, Park Seong Ah remains undeterred and shares her dream of experiencing a traditional college festival, explaining, “I just want to be a regular student for once. That’s when I’m happiest.” After some pleading, she wins over her stepmother, who finally agrees, albeit reluctantly.
In a moment of relationship advice, Park Seong Ah tells her stepmother, “This is why you shouldn’t date based on looks alone. If you fall for someone because they’re good-looking, even when your heart changes, their face stays the same. So, what’s there to cry about? Nothing’s changed.”
Later, a curious Pyo Ji Ho seeks out more wisdom from Park Seong Ah. Reflecting on her childhood, she says, “I remember crying alone on the street as a kid. I wish the person I liked had been there to comfort me.” Pyo Ji Ho teasingly asks, “So, all I need to do is look good and comfort crying strangers?” Park Seong Ah quickly shuts him down: “Total fail. You’re out based on looks alone.”
Things take an interesting twist when Bae Gyeon Woo, a new character who happens to be the epitome of Park Seong Ah’s ideal type, enters the picture. While observing him, she comments, “He’s even handsome upside down.” Just then, Bae Gyeon Woo does the unthinkable; he appears, quite literally, upside down. His grandmother asks for a talisman, revealing, “My grandson has been cursed by bad luck and narrowly escaped death.” Park Seong Ah, stunned by his beauty, realizes he only has 21 days left to live.
Park Seong Ah asks Bae Gyeon Woo a poignant question: “What would you do if you saw a stranger crying on the street?” His response is sincere yet straightforward: “I’d just stay by their side until the tears stopped. I can’t pretend to know how to comfort them, but at least I can offer my presence.” Impressed, Park Seong Ah vows, “I’m going to save him. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect him from misfortune.”
But her spiritual mother, ever the pragmatist, warns her, “If he’s willing to stand upside down like that, it’s a life-for-a-life exchange. You save him, you risk your own life.” Despite this, Bae Gyeon Woo eventually transfers to Park Seong Ah’s school, setting the stage for their fateful reunion.
