Aahana Swrup
‘Destined With You,’ Netflix’s fantasy–romance South Korean show about a civil servant and a hotshot lawyer, charts an entertaining love story between an off-beat couple. After Jang Shin-yu, plagued by a generational curse, finds a wooden box of spellbooks, he seeks out the box’s true owner in search of a cure for his ailment. However, his life takes an unforeseen turn when the owner, Lee Hong-jo, uses a love potion spell to earn her office crush, Kwon Jae-kyung’s affections. After the spell accidentally backfires on Shin-yu, the duo has to work together to reverse its effects.
In episodes 7 and 8, Hong-jo and Shin-yu figure out a new detail about the wooden box and its spellbook that makes them re-evaluate their entire situation. If you’re curious to see how things turn out for this pair and where it leads to their relationship, here is everything you need to know about the ending of episode 8. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Destined With You Episodes 7 and 8 Recap
After Shin-yu’s bold love confession of his feelings for Hong-jo, Jae-kyung, offended by Shin-yu’s actions due to his relationship status, demands the lawyer end his behavior. As a result, an argument breaks out between the two, which prompts Hong-jo to reveal the truth between her and Shin-yu’s situation. Upon learning about Hong-jo and Shin-yu’s misadventures following the wooden box’s discovery, Jae-kyung remains reluctant to believe Shin-yu is a victim of a magical love potion.
Therefore, Jae-kyung proposes that Hong-jo perform a spell to provide proof of the spellbook’s legitimacy. Nevertheless, when Hong-jo tries out the Fair Skin Spell, the trio concludes that the spellbook doesn’t work. Since it proves that Shin-yu’s infatuation cannot be a side-effect of some uncontrollable magic, Jae-kyung insists that Shin-yu stop leading Hong-jo on.
With the love potion disproven, Shin-yu ends up without any explanation for his growing feelings for Hong-jo and seeks advice from his doctor. Consequently, Shin-yu learns about Neural Coupling, which may have led Shin-yu to believe the love potion worked on him due to the rich story behind it about the ancient Shaman. Meanwhile, the truth behind Shin-yu and Na-yeon’s relationship breaks out in the city hall, resulting in Hong-jo’s co-workers pitying her since they believe she tried to ask out Shin-yu and failed.
Although Hong-jo insists she never liked Shin-yu, her thoughts constantly divert to him. As such, regardless of her growing closeness to Jae-kyung, Hong-jo remains hung up on Shin-yu’s abandonment. Eventually, an unknown number sends Na-yeon pictures of Hong-jo and Shin-yu’s countless meetings, including their near kiss. After confronting Shin-yu about the photos and asking him to end his fixation with Hong-jo, Na-yeon arrives outside the latter’s house, where she insults and slaps her.
Humiliated and angered, Hong-jo meets with Shin-yu to return the wooden box and ritual dress he had given her. However, the meeting ends with Shin-yu confessing his real feelings for Hong-jo and kissing her. Still, she storms off after learning he hasn’t broken up with his fiance.
Simultaneously, the audience learns that Na-yeon has been cheating on Shin-yu with his workplace opponent, Lee, for a long time and likely has a menacing plan behind her engagement with Shin-yu. The following day, Hong-jo and Shin-yu feign nonchalance about their kiss, and Hong-jo grows closer to Jae-kyung.
Nonetheless, the pair’s paths cross again after Eun-wol tells Shin-yu that if he wants to return the wooden box without inviting misfortune, Hong-jo must bury the box in the same place where it was unearthed. As a result, Shin-yu and Hong-jo return to the forest, where they first met at the shrine. Although the shrine no longer exists, Shin-yu leads them to the exact whereabouts. Yet, at the spot, the duo uncovers a sinister sight.
Destined With You Episode 8 Ending: Is Hong-jo Being Stalked?
After Na-yeon shares the photographs with Shin-yu, he immediately expresses concern about the photographer’s identity. Given the consistent and covert record of the pair’s interactions, Shin-yu realizes the pictures aren’t accidental and instead the work of someone who followed them around intentionally. As such, Shin-yu contacts one of his prosecutor friends and inquires about legal actions against stalking.
Yet, the already concerning situation worsens when Hong-jo and Shin-yu embark on a trek through the woods to re-bury the Shaman’s wooden box. During their hike through the forests, Hong-jo accidentally trips and drops the box, revealing a second Shamn book in a hidden compartment. The book contains multiple curses, presenting a reversal of the spellbook.
The implication of the spellbook is exacerbated shortly afterward when the couple finds a cursed straw doll hanging in the forest. However, the doll is dressed as Hong-jo in her favorite pajamas, which went missing from her balcony in Episode 6. Worse yet, the doll has a stake run through its heart, pinning a piece of paper with Shin-yu’s name.
The doll obviously targets Hong-jo and Shin-yu. The insinuation of it paired with Hong-jo’s recent stalker presents a threatening picture. Although the duo file a report against the offender with the authorities, the cops barely have much to go off on and can do little to help. Therefore, Shin-yu insists on Hong-jo looking after her safety. Furthermore, he creates a suspect list and takes Hong-jo out on a day-long fake date to try and draw out the stalker.
Since Jae-kyung has easy access to Hong-jo’s house, and Shin-yu harbors unfriendly feelings toward the man, he’s an obvious suspect to Shin-yu. Nevertheless, Shin-yu soon drops the idea and even informs Jae-kyung about Hong-jo’s stalker to ensure her safety. Shin-yu’s suspicion of Joong-Beom, on the other hand, persists. The garden owner has been harassing Hong-jo with his unwanted attention for some time now. Initially, Shin-yu and Hong-jo had chalked his behavior up to the love potion, but now they start taking him seriously as his advances cause increasing discomfort.
In the end, Shin-yu decides to pay Joong-Beom’s store a visit and notices a stack of hay he had previously seen yesterday missing from the front door. Consequently, Shin-yu’s suspicions grow, but before he can do something about it, Joong-Beom shows up behind him with a pair of hedge clippers that can be deadly in the wrong hands.
The next day, Shin-yu fails to show up at work. However, since Hong-jo is unaware of his late-night visit to Joong-Beom, she thinks nothing of his absence. Yet, the same night, after going out on a booth checkup for an upcoming park festival, Hong-jo finds herself alone on a bridge during a blackout. Stuck in a vulnerable position, a terrifying figure chases Hong-jo from the shadows. As the episode concludes, the shadowy figure in a hood closes up on Hong-jo with no outside help in sight.
Read More: Destined with You Episode 6 Recap and Ending, Explained
