‘Love Tech’: A Love Time-Bound

GL Recaps Korea

2023-07-11
12:01

Imagine a mobile dating app that finds compatible partners for you, arranges dates for you, and even gives you tips on how to treat your partner depending on their personality? Sounds like the perfect dating app to forever! However, there’s a catch: the app also determines when you will break up! (Sounds like an episode of Black Mirror, huh?)

“Love Tech”, a 2021 Korean sapphic short film, introduces us to “Destiny”, a mobile dating app that finds you a match and also gives you an expiration date. It stars Youtube artist Kang Yu-ra as Kim Soo Hyun and Choi Li Ra as Han Jae Young, both in their first significant acting roles. Read more to know what happens!

Warning: This recap contains spoilers of the film!

Frequent Destiny app user Han Jae Young and first-time user Kim Soo Hyun meet at Destiny Lounge (a meet-up place for app users!) for the first time. Like love at first sight, the two immediately feel attraction toward each other.

Over the course of the evening, as they get along, Destiny alerts them both that expiration has been set, which they have a choice to check. Soo Hyun decides not to since she wants to see Jae Young as much as she wants to and is worried that they might be set for a breakup immediately. Jae Young, who shares the same feelings, agrees.

On one of their dates, the couple is hanging out in Soo Hyun’s apartment when Jae Young spots a piano. She asks Soo Hyun if she can play it, and the latter responds positively. Jae Young beautifully plays a piano piece as Soo Hyun watches with a bewildered and then fond look on her face. Soo Hyun compliments Jae Young and asks how she knows about the piano piece, which surprises her as it is not well-known and is even unfinished. Soo Hyun sits beside Jae Young and starts to play the piano, finishing the composition. Soo Hyun turns out to be the artist behind it and many of the songs that Jae Young listens to. Stunned, Jae Young wonders how such a coincidence happened, Soo Hyun says it must be their fate. Jae Young declares she is in love with the piece, and Soo Hyun says that she is too, all the while staring at Jae Young. When Jae Young notices this, there is a little awkward moment between them, and she tries to cover it up by complaining about the heat when Soo Hyun unexpectedly kisses her. Surprised at first, but understanding Soo Hyun’s feelings, Jae Young kisses back.

Fast forward to three years later, the couple is still together and sharing the same home. The relationship, however, does not feel quite right because Jae Young is too preoccupied at work to accept Soo Hyun’s invitations to go out, citing Destiny’s date suggestion as a justification and even staying up later than the former to do her work. Despite feeling neglected, Soo Hyun chooses to let the issues go. Meanwhile, Destiny continuously notifies the pair to check their relationship’s expiration date.

The couple makes arrangements for their upcoming third anniversary with the help of Destiny while out on a date (the irony?) but are interrupted by Jae Young’s work again. Frustrated, Soo Hyun asks if Jae Young even has time to go on a vacation with her since she is always busy, which offends the latter. Soo Hyun walks out of the cafe; Jae Young runs after her and says sorry. Soo Hyuns asks Jae Young what is with her lately and complains that she feels like Jae Young does not care about her. Jae Young insists she cares about Soo Hyun and is trying; that’s why she’s checking Destiny on how to care for her, making the two argue about the mobile app’s role in their relationship, with Soo Hyun exclaiming that she is Jae Young’s girlfriend and not Destiny. Walking away, Soo Hyun asks Jae Young bitterly if she is really trying.

The two try again to reconcile and go on another date that Soo Hyun is excited about; however, as expected, Jae Young could not come due to a sudden engagement. Mad at the situation, Soo Hyun hangs out with a friend instead to vent, who asks her how much time she has with Jae Young left and why they have not checked the expiration date of their relationship yet. Unable to answer, Soo Hyun sighs as her friends insist that she check. On the other hand, Jae Young, who is also talking to a friend, is also advised to check the expiration date to be prepared since breakups are unavoidable and that’s what Destiny is for. Jae Young decides to go home.

When Jae Young gets home, she notices that Soo Hyun appears to be inside the house as well. A notification from Soo Hyun’s phone, which is resting on the table, draws her attention. She picks it up and is shocked to see a timer ticking away. It’s Destiny, and her relationship is about to end in less than two hours.

When Soo Hyun enters, Jae Young asks her why she checked their expiration date; Soo Hyun simply replies that she has packed everything and is prepared to leave. Still unable to believe it, Jae Young asks why it’s happening all of a sudden; Soo Hyun says it’s not and that it’s better to end it now than hurt each other more in the long run. The couple continues to throw hurtful words at each other. Jae Young expresses that she is sorry about breaking her words, but she’s just too tired from work, and Soo Hyun is aware of that. Soo Hyun answers that she is too, but she still tries to give time to their relationship while feeling lonely and miserable for trying too much with Jae Young consistently choosing work over her. Perplexed, Jae Young asserts that Soo Hyun does not understand how her being whiney and selfish can make someone go crazy and that she cannot just do whatever she pleases. Realizing that her words cut deep, Jae Young tries to reach out to Soo Hyun and insists that they cannot end their three-year relationship just like that. Jae Young suggests deleting Destiny so they can see each other as much as they like, but Soo Hyun claims that she’ll still break up with her with or without the app and leaves her behind. Soo Hyun sobs outside their home but does not go back.

Back in the Destiny Lounge, Jae Young is meeting up with a new match. A beautiful piano piece, now well-known and completed, plays in the background. Jae Young’s match asks her if she likes it, to which she replies, “I love it.” with a small smile on her face.

As the movie comes to an end, Destiny notifies Jae Young once more of what she has avoided for the longest time.