Motel California episode 7 recap: Kang-hee and Yeon-soo decide to stay friends

The MBC drama Motel California, directed by Kim Hyung-min and written by Lee Seo-yoon, premiered on January 10, 2025. The 12-episode series airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 pm KST. The story follows Ji Kang-hee (Lee Se-yeong), who returns to her hometown after 12 years and reunites with her first love, Cheon Yeon-soo (Na In-woo), now a veterinarian in the village.

Growing up at Motel California, Kang-hee endured constant ridicule due to her mixed-race background and difficult family circumstances. She left at the age of 20 to pursue a successful career as an interior designer in Seoul, but her homecoming has stirred up unresolved emotions and unforeseen challenges.

In episode 7 of Motel California, Yeon-soo decides that he can manage to stay friends with Kang-hee after trying to push her away. However, the friendship is short-lived.

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Motel California episode 7 recap: How does Yeon-soo wake up beside Seok-kyung?

In episode 7 of Motel California, while Kang-hee and Yeon-soo are kissing in the room, they are interrupted by Chun-pil and Seok-kyung. They meet later on the terrace. After a discussion about whether to stay friends or not, they decide to stop going over the same thing repeatedly since it was in the past.

The next day, Yeon-soo ignores Kang-hee. Even when Kang-hee visits him at his hospital, he leaves under the pretense of a veterinary visit. He also returns a scarf that she had gifted him. The next day, Nan-woo comes to Seok-kyung and Kang-hee for help. They needed to build a shed for a donkey, which was being brought to the hospital.

Kang-hee tries to speak with him like he is a friend, but Yeon-soo keeps his distance. She tells him that she wants to build her own house and will even have a guest room for him. She asks him to get his wife and kids there someday. When Yeon-soo asks them to join for dinner, she locks her arms with Seok-kyung and tells him she already has plans.

In a flashback, a young Kang-hee drew lines in the snow and, upon Yeon-soo's insistence, decided to get him a room, too.

While having a drink at a tent bar, Yeon-soo sees Seok-kyung speaking to Esther. Mistaking Seok-kyung to be having an affair, he sits with them to inquire. As Esther tells him that she is married and pregnant as well, Yeon-soo finds out that she and Seok-kyung are close friends.

After Esther leaves, Yeon-soo and Seok-kyung go for another drinking round and start arguing about who likes Kang-hee better. They wake up beside each other the next day. Yeon-soo comes along with Seok-kyung to the construction site to talk to Kang-hee. He tells Kang-hee that he is ready to stay friends after seeing Esther and Seok-kyung together.

Nan-woo receives flowers and concert tickets from Yeon-soo. It turns out they were from Yeon-soo's mother since she wanted them to get married. After hearing about this, Seong-eon gets flowers for Ah-reum but is unable to give it to her. As Nan-woo is carrying the flowers home, she meets Kang-hee and tells her that the flowers are from Yeon-soo.

Having to go to Seoul for work, she finds that the only empty seat on the bus is beside Yeon-soo. As the two talk, Yeon-soo asks her to give him a tour of Seoul. Yeon-soo tells her that he wants to see where she works. After sharing a meal and feeding each other, Kang-hee asks him if he wants to see her home.

Yeon-soo comforts Kang-hee while she tells him how hard it is to reach where she is. She asks him if it is okay for friends to kiss and leans in.

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The next episode of Motel California is scheduled to be released on February 1, 2025.