รุ่นพี่ Secret Love | Bake Me Love: episode 1

Around this time last year, I was absolutely obsessed with the GMMTV  series Ugly Duckling. Unfortunately, it turned out only the first part of the series appealed to me but it made me keep an eye on what the channel was working on and releasing next. So it was delighted to see this summer they have also released a few series’ that come across cute and fun and most importantly much lighter fair than your typical lakorn. My favorite so far is the three part, six episodes youthful series #รุ่นพี่ Secret Love (or Senior Secret Series). The first outing wasn’t my taste but the second was all kites, rainbows and puppies (literally!), while the recently ended third installment is my personal favorite.

I’ve decided that all cute dramas deserve a recap, just because they are adorable. And check out a quick synopsis of the series, after the jump.

My Lil Boy

Brief Synopsis:  Belle has a crush on her younger classmate, S, and tries everything within her power to get him to notice her. But when S tells Belle  isn’t interested in a romantic relationship, she vows to make him love her.

Cast: Songmauang Kanyaawee, Kirdpan Korapat, Rojjindangam Paveena, Phumphothingam Nawat

Puppy Honey

Brief Synopsis: When Porshe’s campus Must Love Dogs rescue club is threatened to get shutdown, he seeks out the Dean’s niece, believing her membership could save the day, little does he know, she just so happens to be deathly afraid of dogs.

Cast: Kang Vorakorn, Chereen Nachjaree, Atthaphan Poonsawas, Jumpol Aulkittiporn

Bake Me Love

Brief Synopsis: It’s love at first sight for hotel patisserier Mielle  when she encounters a handsome man the way to work, until jer dream man insults her baking skills.

Cast: Four Sakolrat Wornurai, Toni Rakkaen, Leo Saussay

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Bake Me Love: episode one

Hotel pastry chef Mielle (Sakolrat Wornurai), prepares some pastries for the day and blushes as she daydreams about the cute guy she saw earlier. She best friend Rose (Leo Saussay), had also seen him walking through the hotel lobby and now can’t help gushing, as she prepares to introduce her new mandarin orange cake creation to social media and place it on purchase display. But just as she slides the cake in, she locks eyes him (Toni Rakkaen) through the glass. After he orders her cake and sits down, Mielle confesses to Rose that she’s in love, but when he wonders what sets this one apart from the myriad of options her mother has thrown her way, Mielle can’t come up with anything. So Rose concludes she must like older men.

As they come into work the next day, Mielle and Rose spy Dream Guy walking upstairs in their building and assume he must work there, sending Meille hoping he’ll make more frequent stops into the café.  She gets lost in thought again as she bakes and makes a few minor mistakes but when she takes the cake out again, she notices Dream Guy. Rose finds it suspicious that he’s there again, unconvinced he loves cake that much and hints perhaps he likes something or someone else. For Mielle is a basically a baking star on social media; everyone loves her but she shuts this down, positive he’s not interested in her. However, she does admit if she ever had the opportunity to be his girlfriend, she’d bake him something new everyday.

Dream Guy orders her new cake and Meille follows him to his table, discreetly sitting near him, so she can sneak in a few photos. Rose drops off his cake and tea, then nudges Mielle to do her daily post, so he’ll overhear. After she’s finished Dream Guy compliments her selling skills but adds that while the cake looks good, it actually tastes awful. When Mielle seems confused at his assessment, he assumes she’s just a waitress promoting the shop and not a blogger. And advises her to stop reviewing cakes being she knows nothing about them.

Back in the kitchen, Mielle remembers her baking mishap and curses Dream Guy, unwilling to admit he was right. Just then, her mother calls and Mielle fields it to Rose who’s been pretending to be her boyfriend. But Mom bursts their bubble, knowing it was a sham along. She’s trying to set Mielle up with another friend’s son again but when Mielle reminds her that she has a boyfriend, Mom reveals she chooses not to believe her, then tells her to check her LINE messages for his picture. Rose sees it first and salivates over how attractive he is but when a disinterested Mielle calls him a slut, he begs to have him instead.

Later, they see Dream Guy again and while Rose swoons at his hotness, Mielle is immediately annoyed, wishing he was just a short-lived guest; here today, gone tomorrow. But Rose snickers that she will certainly be seeing him for a long, long time. Mielle’s regular suitor Khun San stops in, reporting his day is free and offers his waiter services. But after Mielle accepts, Rose pulls her aside and mentions her sudden attitude change. She confirms that though she wasn’t interested at first, after meeting Dream Guy, she’s decided not to make assumptions and get to know San better. This spurs Rose to confide he believes San is gay, but Mielle doesn’t bite, recounting he thinks every guy she likes is gay and is always proven wrong.

Mielle takes San up on his dinner offer but when he steps away to take a call, Dream Guy appears from behind, greeting her all smiles. Mielle isn’t as happy (or polite) though, which he notes and digs she made a wise choice in restaurants, being the desserts are actually good. He drops that he hopes she writes a proper blog review and leaves her steaming. Inside, she sees him with another woman (Oranicha Krinchai), and pretends to be his girlfriend. Other Girl initially has questions, then decides to leave, telling Dream Guy, whom she refers to as Khun Kim, to clear up his mess, then contact her. When she walks away, he demands an explanation but Mielle shrugs and says “Payback.”

The next day, Other girl, Lita shows up at Kim’s apartment but is timid about walking in, inquiring after his girlfriend. But it turns out he hasn’t dated anyone since their breakup and admits he was just as surprised as she, when Mielle walked up. Lita tells him if and when he wants to date someone, just let her know and she will disappear but Kim confesses he won’t date anyone— “I’m still too afraid to be in a relationship.” Unfortunately Lita doesn’t believe him, thinking a random girl wouldn’t make such a declaration but Kim sticks to his story, adding it’s her choice whether to believe him or not.

Outside the hotel, Wira and her Dad clock the amount of business the café is getting and credit it to Mielle’s popularity. Which sends her into a tailspin. She pouts but Dad reminds that Mielle is just an employee, not the owner. However, Wira doesn’t care. The fact Mielle is getting this much business is what vexes her.

Wira fusses to her Dad over having an empty café, while tries to encourage her by offering to eat what doesn’t get sold. But instead, she orders him make good on his promise to squash Mielle and send some patrons their way. Dad cajoles by asking her to be patient and trust him, while Wira huffs she’s tired of losing to Mielle and vows that she must win this time. When she stomps away, Dad makes a call to check in on “the plan.”

San approaches Ake, Mielle’s café cashier, who’s waiting for a ride and offers to take him himself but Ake declines. But when San says he was on his way to lunch as well, suggesting they eat together, Ake gives in. San takes him to a place out of his price range and he immediately feels awkward, however San wanted their lunch to be his treat and orders for them. Ake tries to address him properly as P’San when he claims to be able to make it back home alone but San puts a hand on his shoulder asking him to speak comfortably with him— “Just San and Ake is fine.”

Mielle and Rose are moving boxes in to her apartment,  when she loses her grip and a few begin to topple but Kim swoops in to help, until they both register one another. He scoffs that she must have fallen for him while living next door and she balks that she’d never fall for someone like him. Kim looks to Rose and asks him to get ahold of his friend, explaining what happened over dinner. Mielle blatantly lies but Kim stays focused on Rose for help then walks away.

At that, Rose has to know  why she’s never mentioned this incident squawking that she needs to tells him everything— “If you don’t, how am I supposed to defend you?”

After dinner, Rose wonders if Mielle really plans to live alone, to which Mielle answers by kicking him out. Rose teases that she must have a man coming over and gets his things, warning her not to call her neighbor once he’s gone. Mielle denies any interest in “Mr. Arrogant” but Rose doesn’t buy her amnesia trick, knowing if he’d never bad-mouthed her cakes, she’d be salivating at the thought of him living so close.

Later, Mielle sneaks out of her apartment to paste something on Kim’s door but he walks out and catches her. She tries to deny any wrongdoing but he’s already seen the evidence. She tells him he’s mistaken and makes an excuse that she was just confused and tries to creep back to her place but he slides passed and blocks her entrance, asking to see what’s in her hands. They play the “you can’t have this” game until Kim pulls her arms toward him and their faces slam  together in a kiss.

Reactions, Ramblings and Remarks

Like I said this is my favorite from the Secret Love Series and this first episode definitely gives you an idea of what to look forward to from both of our leads. Mielle is impressionable and a romantic but has enough pride and gumption to rustle up some spunk whenever her crush bursts her bubble. Now who knows if her cakes are really bad or not, because well, we haven’t tasted them but  it is possible that they aren’t as great as she’d like to believe from her online buzz. Kim comes on the scene and isn’t dazzled by her IG posts or how pretty they look, he’s certainly more concerned about what is in the batter and well, I’m glad.

For this lets me know that he isn’t easily swayed by popular opinion and he cares more about substance. Which I’m sure might have a little something to do with why he and Other Girl Lita are no longer together. I suppose what is annoying however, is that he stills socializes with her, eventhough it’s pretty clear he’s lukewarm toward her. I guess now all I want to know is why he doesn’t feel confident to be in another relationship, because I feel it is fairly obvious Mielle intrigues him. I don’t know many people who would recognize a stranger, let alone approach and speak to them, especially given their previous encounter.

Already, there’s an ex-girlfriend that is unlikable basically from the start and a suspicious lurker named San. For some reason, I don’t like how he looks at Ake nor how uncomfortably elated his attention seems to make the latter. I don’t trust him but to be honest, I don’t know why. Also we have a father-daughter duo lurking about and of course we need to know not only why she’s so terribly jealous but what daddy’s planning. And, at first I thought Rose was just inserted for comical purposes until he tells Mielle that he can’t defend her if he’s left in the dark. And I absolutely loved that line. That is a true friend, no matter how often his faulty gay-dar trips you up.

Getting back to Mielle, I will admit that I find her petty and immature but in a comical sort of way. She’s comes across a little flighty and lives in her emotions. She’s definitely the kind of girl that lets her feelings guide her; whether angry, hurt, happy or sad. I could see that getting irritating and grating over time, if it’s not balanced out and hopefully it will be. For she doesn’t seem completely silly or irrational. Right now, she’s embarrassed and miffed that her crush isn’t as dreamy as she’d hoped. Or at the very least she’s been slammed with the fact reality trumps fantasy, whether you like it or not. Real dream guys have personalities and sometimes they don’t mesh well with your own. I personally chalk all her bravado gruff to being upset he doesn’t like her cake. [And yes, I meant that every way you can PG imagine.] Because her desserts are a distinct extension of herself. I don’t blame her for being hurt but playing pranks like she did is taking things too far for me. However, given he was still willing to playing around and tease her later, says to me, it wasn’t too far for Khun Kim.

And of course, dramas must have the “not quite a kiss” lip press moment and honestly, in most cases, it just doesn’t work. But in this series, I’ve found that they’ve created plausible incidents that make you want to accept their possibility.