Rules for Dating Trash is an emotional romantic drama dipped in tense relationships, complex emotions, and complicated relationships. It follows the story of Ihyeon, a shy college student who gets herself into a fake dating contract with Chanu, a handsome, emotionally complicated senior with a reputation for being a flirt. With their false love arousing jealousy, rumors, and repressed truths, both Ihyeon and Chanu have to face their past hurts and mixed desires. Let’s see how Ihyeon will deal with the sudden arrival of Chanu’s so-called ‘girlfriend’ in Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 17-25.
Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 17: Third Wheels and Mixed Signals
Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 17 begins with Chanu stuck at a party he clearly has zero interest in. He wants to get out of there, but Yura is not getting the hint, even after seeing him text Ihyeon. Her side-eye game? “Olympic level!” With the drama over, Chanu declares that he is not bringing Yura home and leaves her with the face of “I have a plan” as she continues to text someone.
In the meantime, at the apartment, Ihyeon has been sitting quietly, waiting for Chanu. When he finally does come back home, she denies him the pleasure of a warm reception after seeing his phone. She walks off to bed without saying a word, and he is left to simmer in that silence.
The next day, Ihyeon gets caught by the king of mixed signals, Taehyeok, once again. He insists on taking her to the bus stop, and then he starts prying into her life, asking her what it’s like living with Chanu. She retorts, “None of your business”, but he continues by saying that she is the quiet type. He finally slips a small piece of information about girls asking Chanu out to drink. Jealous much?
Old Flames, New Games
Ihyeon thinks about how Taehyeok would always twist things, where he would play the sensitive card and gaslight her. She leaves the car at last and refers to him as being very sensitive. Then suddenly a thought occurs to her–did Yura ask Chanu out to drink as well?
However, as soon as her overthinking action machine is getting into full swing, she receives a message saying that Chanu wants to know where she is… and ends up looking up to see that he is outside her building. She is blushing, flustered, thinking–did he? Did he wait there for her? Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 17 ends with unresolved tension, sneaky side-eyes, and one flustered girl questioning everything.
Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 18: Smoke, Signals, and Realizations
Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 18 starts with Chanu throwing a cigarette carelessly away when Ihyeon walks up to him. He meets her with his easy familiarity, and she–blushing and discomposed–accompanies him. Chanu jokes a bit about her taking so long, but Ihyeon is already on another track. She sees him texting, and her mind goes to Yura. The emotion is tough on her. She shrugs his hand off her shoulder without much of a word and walks on, sharply telling him not to smoke anywhere near the house.
Chanu hesitates. Why is she acting cold again? Is it concerning their contract, their fake dating rules? Her coldness brings him back to the old days when they were not very close.
In the meantime, Ihyeon has a mess in his head. She questions herself why her eyes keep looking for Chanu. Why does she always listen to the sound of his voice wherever she is? She confesses to herself: She is jealous of the presence of Yura, and she hates it. However, could all these emotions be normal when all their relationships are based on lies?
Ihyeon is later watching Chanu as he enters the room to fetch water. It is during that silence that there is an epiphany. The discomfort she experiences– this is not simply an objection to love or embarrassment over the relationship that they have. It is even more. Something unexpected to her.
And then the truth comes crashing down on her like a tidal wave that she did not expect. She thinks, “I am so screwed.” Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 18 ends with a realization that is heavy on her heart.
Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 19: Scented Confusion and Unspoken Longing
Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 19 begins with Chanu stepping out to drink water, only to find Ihyeon standing frozen. He is interested in knowing whether she took a shower since she smells nice, and before she can think of what this means, he comes closer and embraces her. Ihyeon is flustered to the point of being unable to wriggle out of it, and he continues to sniff her as though it is the most natural thing in the world. Ihyeon is burning up when he asks her casually what body wash she is using.
Finally, mortified, Ihyeon asks him why he is behaving like this. Chanu flippantly says, “It’s not like you dislike it,” and she trips on his words. She reminds him that they are just to be a couple when they are in the presence of others and not when they are alone. However, Ihyeon, too, cannot help but be aware of the fact that skinship apparently comes so easily to him. To her, however, each touch makes a difference.
Not to be taken further, Ihyeon rebels and questions whether he is even acting like a good boyfriend. She mentions the rumors, him always surrounded by girls, pretending like he has always been on top of the world. She even blames him for appearing as one who has a lot of experience playing around with women.
Scent of Trouble
Later on into the night, we find Chanu by herself in bed, obviously disturbed. The remark of Ihyeon rings in his ears. And what does he remember the most? Her casual question leaves him thinking, “I have never had a relationship?” The next day, fate stirs the pot once more, as Chanu turns up at the very same cafe where Ihyeon works part-time, greeting customers with his usual confident elegance. Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 19 ends with hidden feelings, doubts planted, and two people confused by what’s real and what’s pretend.
Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 20: Latte Bit of Trouble
Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 20 begins with a flashback to a few days earlier when Chanu’s elder sister calls him about his skyrocketing credit card bill. She stands her ground by saying she is taking him off her financial support and berates him that he is living irresponsibly at 27 years of age. She also says that he is like their father, hiding his emotional problems and denying the real issues in life. Chanu dismisses it, but her words are painful. He has no other option but to go job-hunting, and he applies at the same cafe where Ihyeon works.
In the present, Ihyeon goes to her shift only to be shocked by Chanu wearing an apron and taking orders. She is supposed to train him, which makes her nervous. Their interaction is full of charged looks and teasing, particularly when Chanu mocks her for staring at him, asking to take a photo instead. (Ihyeon flustered, turns red obviously!)
However, this lightness is also changed by the entrance of a notorious couple, the same who come to the cafe four times a week and enjoy complaining. Ihyeon tenses. Chanu is silent when they nitpick her first order because it did not include whipped cream (which she swears they did not order). She brings out the order that has been rectified, but the couple still complains. With a grim thought of “It has started”, Ihyeon feels frustrated, but not surprised. Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 20 ends with Ihyeon bracing herself for a difficult shift as Chanu witnesses a side of her work life she never wanted him to see.
Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 21: A Side of Sincerity
Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 21 begins with Chanu snapping at the rude couple, bluntly calling out their needless complaints and behavior. The two are shocked by his boldness. Ihyeon intervenes by saying that the cafe is indeed concerned with customer preferences, but that it is only effective when the customer preferences carry with them some common sense. The girlfriend gets embarrassed and drags the boyfriend away, thus releasing the tension. Ihyeon is relieved, surprisingly, due to the intervention of Chanu.
Later that night, outside, the two walk home together, and Chanu says she is nothing like her brother, who can say anything that comes to his mind. Ihyeon agrees and smiles. She reveals that when she has money, she gives pocket money to her younger siblings. In his turn, Chanu tells him that he has two older sisters. He would borrow money from his eldest sister until recently, when she dropped him because of his irresponsible nature. He confesses that the other members of his family do not keep in touch with him, except his elder sister.
That feeling of mutual weakness amazes Ihyeon. Later in bed, she thinks about how Chanu was really honest, and how they have become a bit closer because of this conversation.
The following morning, something new happens to her again, as she goes out to see a relaxed Chanu making breakfast. Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 21 ends with Ihyeon silently taking in this unexpected domestic moment with a flutter of something more.
Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 22: Warm Meals and Unspoken Wounds
Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 22 begins with Chanu lying in bed, questioning whether he had overshared about his personal life. He begins to reflect on the case of Ihyeon: how she works, and whether she even eats right. He decides to take care of it the following morning. Ihyeon feels moved and pleased by the act, and she compliments his cooking abilities and feels well taken care of.
Afterwards, the two sit down and study. Ihyeon says that Chanu is a fast learner and has an unexpectedly good memory. In order to relieve the tension, they go on a break and watch a movie. A slightly intoxicated Ihyeon becomes bold after the movie, and she wonders why Chanu can so easily speak to girls. Surprised, he queries whether she believes that he is trash. She insists that she is only curious, and he has to explain.
Chanu says that he can frequently give half-hearted answers to girls who come to him due to his experiences in the past women manipulated him, and that is why he does not take the first step very often. Ihyeon intelligently explains to him that he is also a human being and must get tired when people do not understand his true emotions. Then he says something he has never told anyone, that he has been cheated on.
The following morning, Ihyeon is groggy and attempts to recollect last night. As she is about to join the dots, a person enters the room, which makes her pale immediately. Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 22 ends with Ihyeon bracing herself for what’s about to unfold.
Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 23: Yura’s Games And A Brewing Storm
Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 23 begins with Yura arriving at the cafe and confronting Ihyeon with sharp, passive-aggressive remarks. She claims she is going with Chanu today, and she even makes fun of Ihyeon by referring to her as fake because she is resentful that people used to think Ihyeon was the girlfriend of Chanu. Yura leaves to wait, and Ihyeon is left flabbergasted at how long she will wait in the cafe. Later, Ihyeon asks Chanu whether he is meeting someone, and he says no. She tells him that Yura is waiting. She wonders why he can not simply break up with Yura when they are not really dating.
When Chanu is ready to go with Yura, Taehyeok arrives and proposes to take Ihyeon home, saying that buses are unpleasant. Sharply responding, Chanu says, “Is it more awkward than her ex, though?”. It nearly makes Ihyeon laugh. She turns down the offer from Taehyeok, who is awkward. Yura insists on her accepting, and they all go out for dinner. Chanu refuses and offers to Taehyeok that he drive Yura in his car, and he will ride the bus with Ihyeon. When they are in the bus, Chanu admits that he does not feel comfortable when Taehyeok constantly stays around Ihyeon. She says that her ex does not still believe in their fake relationship at all.
Brewing Storm
During the following days, Ihyeon sees Yura following Chanu everywhere, at school and in the cafe, flirting with him constantly. This is finally prompted by her roommate, who tells her to cease remaining quiet- either confront Yura or confront Chanu and seek to know the truth. At the same time, their membership training trip by their department is coming soon. Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 23 ends with rising tensions and unresolved emotions on the verge of boiling over.
Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 24: A Cup of Tea and a Sinister Turn
Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 24 begins with the much-awaited membership training finally kicking off. When they all get to the place, Ihyeon is clueless about why Chanu is acting distant. Later, in the hallway, she helps a worker who was visibly struggling to pick up some bottles because of his back pain. Showing his gratitude, he offers her one of the bottles.
Ihyeon and Si-eun decide to go out a little that night. Si-eun sees the Yongdam tea and wonders how Ihyeon got it. Ihyeon nonchalantly talks about the hallway incident. But when all the girls are having a group dinner, Ihyeon starts experiencing dizziness even though she has not taken any alcohol. She excuses herself and resolves to lie down in her room.
Chanu sees her in an unwell condition and immediately offers to fetch her medicine and asks her to rest inside the room. But Ihyeon is hardly able to walk and falls down a bit before somehow dragging herself inside.
The situation is heating up, and we see a weird scene, somebody is on the phone, and he chills us with the following phrase: “I definitely put the drug in. I can simply just take her like this, right?” It is the same person who decides to come to the door of Ihyeon and knock. Confused and disoriented, Ihyeon thinks that it is Chanu. She opens the door shakily, muttering a feeble, “Huh?” Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 24 ends with a foreboding cliffhanger. It hints that something sinister is about to unfold in this training.
Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 25: Lines Blur and Questions Surface
Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 25 begins with Chanu returning with the medicine, only to spot a mysterious man in a mask walking away from the hallway near Ihyeon’s room. He goes in suspiciously and asks whether her door was open. Ihyeon is half-asleep and tells him that she may not have locked it. Chanu gives her the medicine, and as she was about to drink it with the tea, he inquires about it. Chanu tells her to stick to water instead. He remains by her side when she lies down and realizes that she has a bruise on her foot. Worried, he asks whether she has always been so delicate.
Ihyeon later wakes up and to her surprise, Chanu is still keeping watch over her. She appreciates him, but he raises something more profound, the fact that she always evades him when it gets too awkward. Chanu leans in and asks her softly, “Do you like me or hate me?” She fumbles trying to deny it. The question makes her blush madly. Upon asking if he can kiss her, Ihyeon gets a little fazed about Chanu Nam asking for permission. Making her feel more flustered, he mentions that he is aware of her aversion towards physical intimacy. Alas! Si-eun barges in just when the tension is at its climax.
Yura Can Be Dangerous
Later, Ihyeon takes a walk in need of space. She is trying to soothe her heart in the fresh air when she feels someone is looking at her. A brief look around has her wondering – was Yura just looking at her, or is it her imagination, ending Rules for Dating Trash Chapter 25.
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