A seriously injured prosecutor returns home to be cared for by his bad mother.
Notable Actors/Actresses
Ra Mi-Ran: Jin Young Soon
Lee Do-Hyun: Choi Kang Ho
Ahn Eun-Jin: Lee Mi Joo
Yoo In-Soo: Bang Sam Sik
Director: Sim Na-Yeon
Screenwriter: Bae Se-Young
Hangul Title
나쁜엄마
[Ep1] Jin Young Soon falls in love and marries Choi Hae Sik, a pig farmer who owns Bongu Farm. She then becomes pregnant and our couple continue planning for this next stage of happiness. However, Song Woo Byeok wants to wipe out their farm for the Olympics torch relay. Hae Sik adamantly refuses and even chides him for talking about patriotism while he smokes these American cigarettes. That evening, while they're sleeping, Song Woo Byeok has his henchmen burn down the farm, and while they’re driving away, he leaves behind a cached cigarette. At the trial, this cigarette is entered in as evidence as this isn’t an imported item, but one that’s hard to obtain. Song Woo Byeok says that he’s given it to various people in town. As the trial moves along, one-by-one each witness turns their back on Hae Sik. They lose at trial.
Years go by and Kang Ho has become a cold-hearted prosecutor, who also works for Chairman Song Woo Byeok. Omo.
[Ep2] Kang Ho is looking at the recent headlines for Chairman Song – sex scandals, bribery, malpractice and embezzlement lawsuits. Chairman Song seems to be only concerned about the unflattering photo that was used of him. Kang Ho says that he’ll look into who is behind these. Chairman Song then asks if Kang Ho would like to become his son – someone reliable that he could have his business over to and then he could retire as his one and only grandson is a little hellion. He then asks how he likes his new house – which was a gift from him. Kang Ho thanks him for his generosity and then he takes his leave. But Chairman Song wants to play catch with him…
[Ep6] Chairman Song’s henchmen sneaked into the house earlier to look for the original DNA test result amidst all of the pig poop. When Kang Ho returns unexpectedly, they quickly hide in the closet. Kang Ho flips out over the poop that’s literally everywhere. He also notices his mother’s belongings on the floor. He starts scolding Lion that if she doesn’t stop pooping they’ll both get kicked out. XD! LDH having a fit is always delightful. She is trying to hide from but Kang Ho finds him and scolds him for being an idiot. The two men in the closet want to leave but they’re worried about Kang Ho’s mother returning so they stay put.
Afterwards as she’s slowly walking out of there, Kang Ho sees her and quickly wheels himself over to her. In his hurry to get to her, he pitches the chair forward and dumps himself to land in a heap onto the floor, right at her feet. She makes the attempt to help him back into the chair, but she struggles and suddenly just stops. He looks up at her, wondering what’s going on, and she icily tells him to get up. He can’t and so she walks away, and goes on right past Mr. Son and Mr. Bang without a single word. Her wall of defense is back…
[Ep7] A man tells Young Soon to pull herself together as she’s a mother. It’s actually the vet talking to the sow as her piglets are all looking for her. She needs to get up, feed them and look after them. This makes Young Soon think about her own health issues.
[Ep8] Kang Ho continues saying no, eomma over and over. Young Soon looks down and sees that he’s standing. She then removes the noose from around her neck. When she points it out to him, he suddenly sits down and drops her in the process. She’s overjoyed that he’s standing and tearfully hugs him. She tells him to try again, and he looks up at the noose above their heads and leaves without a word. He goes out into the rain even though his mother screams after him. He stops outside on the road and when he sees Mi Joo with a yellow umbrella, he suddenly breaks down into heavy sobbing.
Now they’re sitting around with cucumber slices on their face and Kang Ho points to their new photo together and says just like the other photo, they should add his father to the new photo, too, then they will be together. She agrees to do that. And then she recalls a sentence from his letter, “But I still live in the memories I shared with you and Father.” She suddenly sits up, removes the cucumbers from her face and repeats his words and grabs the old picture frame and turns it over. Kang Ho asks her what’s wrong. She then opens the back of the frame and discovers a small memory card!
[Ep9] The villagers are processing this year’s sun-dried chili peppers for kimchi later. To Sung Ae’s surprise, Ms. Jo actually joins them. Nearby Ye Jin notices an image of a woman on her phone. She runs to show her grandmother that the woman who came with Kang Ho before is getting married. Everyone realizes that he would’ve been married as the presidential candidate's son-in-law. Gum Ja calls her a brat, while Ms. Jo says if it were the son of the Dosang Group, she’d get married in an instant, too. Mr. Son tells her to not say something like that in front of her husband. Gum Ja says that Young Soon is already so stressed out so she’ll be really upset if she finds out. Mr. Bang declares that they’re going to hide this from her so she never ever finds out and they’re all to keep it a secret. Of course, Young Soon quietly shows up behind them and says she already knows as everyone has a right to live their lives. She then asks to speak to Mr. Bang in private.
Epilogue: It’s nighttime and someone is walking along the water and sees a head floating in the water. Nearby Hwang Soo Hyun’s yellow-and-white striped bag is wedged in between some rocks. o_O Nooooo.
[Ep10] Two men get out of a car and suddenly start beating on Kang Ho. His mother tries to intervene but a voice stops her – it’s Chairman Song. He says that it’s been a while and her husband was such a courageous man and Kang Ho takes after him. He says that he took care of him like he was his own, what an ungrateful kid. While the henchmen have Kang Ho pinned down on the ground, Chairman Song places his cane on his head, right above his ear and asks him what he was going to do to him. Kang Ho can only cry and scream for his mother. She begs him to not do this as he doesn’t remember anything and can’t harm him. Chairman Song says he could remember everything any day and then stab him in the back. He tells her that he’s heard that he’s gathered tons of evidence against him while working for him all these years and he’s here to find it. She says it’s not here, not anymore. She then points at the drum with its fire. He says he knew it, so there was something. She sobs and says she did it so he wouldn’t go back to his old life. She didn’t want him [Song] to get the wrong idea after finding out who his father was. She didn’t want him in any more danger, it’s the truth, and he doesn’t have any idea what’s going on between them. Chairman Song asks her what exactly was that. Behind them Kang Ho stands up and says clearly, “Let me answer that question.” His mother screams at this, and then she wakes up from the nightmare. She gets out of bed to check on Kang Ho and finds him sleeping. When she leaves, he opens his eyes.
[Ep11] Back at home, Sung Ae beats on a sleeping Sam Sik. Her husband runs in to stop her but she’s busy asking why he did that to the poor kid. Sam Sik asks why she pities him, as he got all the attention for being smart and getting good grades, and now he’s getting the attention for being an idiot. As if his mother’s love isn’t enough, even the lady next door dotes on him [Kang Ho]. She was always too busy at the mill to make him a birthday meal but when Kang Ho got into SNU, she even closed the mill and threw him a feast. He’s her child, not him. She asks if he knows why she did that – she thought he’d benefit a little if he were around a smart kid like him. It was humiliating and frustrating but she put up with everything. She breaks down crying as she says that’s how she held out. His father goes over to hug and asks why she’s crying as it’s breaking his heart. He then calls Sam Sik a punk for making his woman cry. Sam Sik says he needed the money but he couldn’t get a job anywhere with his criminal record. His father demands to know how much he needs and Sam Sik shows him two fingers. His parents are outraged that he needs 2 million won and his mother is no longer crying but resumes beating on him.
In the middle of the night, Young Soon receives a call about there being smoke at the farm. She wakes up her son and they go investigate. When they arrive, his mother is more obsessed with saving the pigs than trying to get away from the fire. Suddenly, they’re trapped inside the burning building with the pigs. Kang Ho finds a way to break open the window and tells his mother to go but she refuses. He insists that she goes first but she really doesn’t want to. He promises that he’ll follow her out. So he helps her up and out of the window first. But then there’s an explosion behind him which throws him and makes him fall onto his back. He seems to pass out and hears his father’s voice calling him Yong Yong asking if he’s asleep as it’s time to wake up. Kang Ho remembers seeing Ha Young walking away from the car before, but he groggily falls back to sleep. In the present, Kang Ho opens his eyes inside the burning building. Is he back?!
[Ep12] Oh Tae Soo meets Chairman Song at the Beasts’ baseball field and asks if he’s seen the news. Chairman Song coyly asks if he’s here to talk about Hwang Soo Hyun but he said before that he no longer wanted to see him anymore. They argue but then Oh Tae Soo says that they’re done for if the police continue investigating. So he suggests making Kang Ho the baby’s father and they’ll need to take care of him before then. Chairman Song says yes, this is how a president needs to handle matters – sometimes, appease the masses and sometimes, have to sacrifice some for the greater good. He says that Hwang Soo Hyun appears out of nowhere and asks if he had that much fun with her.
[Ep13] When Mr. Cho sees him, he runs away from him but he doesn’t make it far. Mr. Cho tells him that Hwang Soo Hyun, in a way, had committed suicide. That evening, while waiting for the other boat to pick her up, they’d been greeted by a boat full of men in black (Oh Tae Soo’s or Chariman Song's henchmen?). Mr. Cho had told her to hide and then tried to restart the motor but the men got onboard and injured Mr. Cho. She had been forced to make the difficult choice of jumping into the water with the baby. Mr. Cho says that he tried to reach him many times and even went to the Prosecutors’ Office and then heard about his accident. Mr. Cho had realized that those same men were responsible for his accident but he didn’t dare report anything to the police. He knew that he was helping her stow away illegally, and if they found out that he was alive, they would’ve tried to kill him again. That’s why he sold off the business and began living in hiding. Mr. Cho apologizes for running away earlier as he’d been startled to see him looking healthy and walking. He couldn’t believe anyone anymore, not even him, someone who was like a son to him.
[Ep14] At campaign headquarters, Oh Tae Soo says that he was surprised when he heard he was in an accident. Kang Ho replies that he was surprised, too, as he had thought it was an accident. But it turns out that it wasn’t – just like how his mistress, Hwang Soo Hyung’s corpse was discovered. Oh Tae Soo asks if he’s here to – Kang Ho says no, as he wouldn’t have bothered to come here if he was coming after him. If this damaging information were to be leaked, the entire country would be bent on taking him down. He says he only has one goal, to catch Song Woo Byeok, the man who murdered his father and also attempted to kill him and his mother. He wants Oh Tae Soo to testify against him regarding all of his crimes and corrupt deeds that he swept under the rug. Then he won’t disclose his crimes. Oh Tae Soo asks what he’s referring to. Kang Oh says Oh Ha Young is with him right now. Oh Tae Soo has already seen the hospital footage (sans Kang Ho, as he was outside). Kang Ho says her resentment and hatred for him seems quite deep. And if he refuses to testify, then Ha Young will testify instead. He’s not asking for a favor, but giving him a chance. So will he take down Song Woo Byeok with him and become president? Or will he side with him and go to hell together?
[Behind the Scenes] View with caution as there are likely [spoilers]. No subs, for now...
Ep1. Past/Flashback scenes. Some day I'll tire of seeing Lee Do Hyun in a school uniform, but not right now. ^_^
나쁜엄마
Network: JTBC
Recapper: FanFanX
Recap Grade: A
First Impression: 4/5
First Impression: 4/5
Romcom / Romance Checklist
How much of the plot is angst/romance?
0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
The ML:
Cold–Lukewarm–Warm / Timid / Falls in Love First / Noble Idiot / CEO / General /The FL:
Bold / Cute / Cool & Independent / Falls in Love First / Better Than ML / Noble Idiot / Describe the Relationship (the tropes):
Bickering Start / Childhood Connection / Cohabitation / Contract Marriage +/- Fake Couple / Enemies to Lovers / Hidden Identity / High School to Adulthood / Love Triangle / Married Couple (Real) / Secretly in Love (ML) /Relationship Progress (officially together; first (official) kiss; breakup*):
Ep 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 # of CPs (including main CP):
0 / 1 / 2 / 3
0 / 1 / 2 / 3
Ending:
Happy / Sad / Open Happy / Open Sad / BadFanFanX: Slow recaps as this is still airing. Lee Do Hyun is having quite a year...
Mini Recaps
Hae Shik wants to move forward with an appeal. He has evidence of Song Woo Byeok paying off/threatening witnesses in this instance, and in previous cases. Hae Shik takes his life savings for the new house he had intended to build for a new home after their son’s birth and will instead pay Prosecutor Oh Tae Soo for taking this job. Oh Tae Soo tries to decline this but ultimately accepts this money. Right after Hae Sik leaves, he makes a call to say that things have become complicated.
Hae Sik drives along the road to his farm and is waylaid by Song Woo Byeok and his men. Hae Sik ends up dead and his death is staged to look like a suicide. For his help and silence, Oh Tae Soo receives a trunk full of cash. At the same time, Young Soon appears and asks him about her husband visiting him. She is also suspicious about thin-looking ligature marks on her husband’s neck, as it was too clean, indicating no struggle with the rope. So Oh Tae Soo returns her husband’s bankbook to her and claims that he had shown up drunk and mentioned wanting to kill himself. And in the event that anything happened to him, he was to give the bankbook to her. She starts sobbing, and then he pretends to be upset about this outcome. Ick.
Young Soon returns home and wonders what went wrong and how her husband could’ve done this. The only thing she can do is to not let their child live like they did. And so she moves all of her belongings and a pregnant pig to an abandoned pig farm in Jou Ri Doldam Village. She cleans up the abandoned farm, sets up everything all on her own before finally renaming the farm, Happy Farm.
The Chief of this village is not happy about pigs returning to his now pristine village. Neither are the other villagers who have been enjoying the last two years of peacefulness. With pitchforks, they go to confront this pig farmer. However, the moment they see a very pregnant woman alone, the men stop with their blustering. The women, Park Sung Ae with a small baby boy strapped to her back and Jung Gum Ja who is also pregnant have no qualms with confronting her. However, everyone becomes disarmed by her smile and charm, and suddenly they’re celebrating with the hopes that Gum Ja is having a son this time. When Young Soon mentions that she’ll butcher a pig for the celebration, they stop to tell her that they’ll be filing civil complaints against her for the pigs as they’re inconvenient and filthy. Young Soon counters that she can file a complaint as well: Their noisy dogs are driving her crazy; they’ve occupied state-owned land without permission as they dry pepper on the road, which is inconvenient to step over; the Chief has had the villagers pressing everyone to vote for him (illegal campaigning), and the plastic greenhouse in the forest should be pulled down as it blocks her view of the mountains; and there’s heavy usage of pesticides. Now Gum Ja starts pulling on Young Soon’s hair and the two women proceed to fight. However, Young Soon’s water breaks and they all band together to help her. XD! The Chief uses a satellite phone to get medical help but the connection is bad so no one is coming...yet? While she’s having contractions, these morons start arguing about tongue twisters. She finally gives birth while the Chief continues struggling to get the medical team there. And so Choi Kang Ho arrives – Kang Ho stands for a competent and strong person, a name which her husband had chosen for their son. Within hours, Gum Ja also gives birth – to a little girl. So now there are three mothers with babies – two boys and a girl. Don’t ask me about the Chief's wife who is always wearing some facial mask and makes psychopath killer commentary. And she’s the Chief’s wife…Oof.
Time passes and seven-year-old Kang Ho is being bullied by Bang Sam Sik for being a fatherless child and living on a filthy pig farm. His only friend is the girl who shares his birthday, the feisty Lee Mi Joo. Kang Ho ends up calling Sam Sik a son of a bitch for talking about his father and the two end up fighting in school.
At home, he gets beaten at home by his mother for using profanity. When he tearfully tells her that he called Sam Shik a son of a bitch because he was called a loser for being fatherless and to get lost for smelling like pig poop. She gets angrier that he used the expletive again. This poor kid. She says that at his doljanchi, he’d chosen a gavel. So let them say what they want now but no one can look down on him when he becomes a prosecutor. Study hard. Afterwards, while he’s completing the form for his absence, in the reason field, he writes “bad mother”.
Seven-year-old Mi Joo returns home and sees her mother cooking pajeon for her grandmother’s memorial service and teases her for the imperfect one as she helps herself to it and just eats it. However, when she finally notices her mother’s bruised eye, she runs into the house yelling for her father. She sees that the place has been torn apart and so she leaves to look for him at a bar. When an adult tries to stop her, she yells that she’ll report them for being open in the daytime. Rawr! She spots her greasy father dancing with some woman. So she pulls him by the ear and sternly and calmly tells him if he doesn’t want to die on the same day as her grandmother, he’d better come out. She leaves and her father doesn’t follow suit as he’s returned to dancing. When she returns home, her sisters are busy having fun, which upsets her as it’s supposed to be a somber day for their grandmother’s death.
Soon enough, they’re all in high school. When Sam Sik sees Kang Ho go into his hiding spot, the gym equipment closet, he decides to lock him inside. What a jerk. Mi Joo has been waiting for him and startles him. It’s their birthday today and she’s stolen some homemade kimbap from home for his birthday. When the two discover they’re actually locked inside, Kang Ho is greatly concerned while Mi Joo seems quite pleased by this. At nighttime, Kang Ho finaly eats the kimbap after picking out the carrots as he doesn’t like them. He only eats a small amount because he gets sleepy when he’s too full. (His mother has told him this over and over.) Kang Ho tells Mi Joo that he wishes to change his forced dream. But when she asks what that would be, he tells her that he's not sure what that would be.
Back at home, Young Soon has been working hard to put together a birthday feast. When it becomes dark out and Kang Ho still hasn't appeared, she goes to see the other parents. Then they all go see the Chief about their missing Kang Ho and Mi Joo. When they ask Sam Sik’s parents about this, Sam Sik is horrified to find out that Mi Joo is also in there, alone with Kang Ho. He now quickly runs back to the school while screaming all the way. This jerk likes her…
While they’re supposed to be studying, Mi Joo is actually busy writing different versions of love on her math homework before finally settling on “10√2♥”. As the school has confiscated their phones during school hours, they’ve been without, and unable to reach out to anyone. She becomes hungry and finds a piece of candy in her pocket. She offers to share half with Kang Ho but he refuses it. So she eats the candy and gets annoyed that he’s too busy studying so hard when he’s locked inside the place with a girl. She stomps over and cups his face between her hands and asks for him to pay attention to her. He says, “Perhaps love is as such. Like a rain shower, it suffocates me…from the head and covers me.” She stares intently at him … and then he says that the rain shower is a simile that might be on the exam tomorrow. She becomes very upset and grabs a hula hoop and starts spinning it around her hips, as she declares that she’s going to lose weight, become pretty and marry into a good family. He secretly smiles at this. She continues griping about him doing nothing but studying and is clearly an F when it comes to social cues. But then her candy gets lodged in her throat and she starts choking. Kang Ho quickly gets up to stand behind her to give her the Heimlich maneuver several times to dislodge the candy and eventually she spits it back out. And just at that moment, the doors swing open – with Sam Sik and all of the adults standing outside. Sam Sik starts calling him a bastard but Young Soon just shoves him out of the way, and then asks her son how long he’s been in there. Then she asks if he missed his supplementary class. He doesn’t say anything.
When she goes to gather his notebook, she notices his detailed sketch of Mi Joo covering his handwritten notes. Oh. Ohhh. Mi Joo’s mother tells her that she’s been worried about her. The Chief’s wife comments that at least they’re both clothed. He pulls his wife aside and shakes his head at this. *facepalm* I can only cringe with her. Both mothers take their kids and leave separately. Sam Sik looks quite upset with how this turned out. The Chief wonders why Young Soon is such a great woman but so harsh on her son. Mr. Bang says that’s why he’s such a good son, who doesn’t cause any trouble and is the top student in the country. Sung Ae asks her son why he did something that would get him expelled. He replies that he doesn’t care about school and asks for her to chop off his hands for doing this. She angrily starts pelting him with the gym equipment.
When they arrive at home, Kang Ho sees the birthday feast that his mother made, and she says that she didn’t make him seaweed soup as he has exams tomorrow. She’ll make it after his exams are over. He replies that he had some kimbap earlier. She says okay and tells him to go study.
The next day at the exams, his mother drops him off with instructions to not eat too much and do well, while the other parents are happily cheering on their kids. As his mother pulls away, Mi Joo finally gets his attention. He looks so happy to see her and asks how she’s here already, and she replies that she’s here to cheer on her boyfriend. She realizes what she said, covers her lips and says that she’s being silly. He smiles at this and she grabs onto his hand. She pulls out a bottle of yellow nail polish and starts painting his left pinky nail. She says she read his horoscope and the lucky color is yellow for the year of the dragon. She then shows him her own yellow painted nails and he grins at this. She then gives him a fork with a blue bow on it - for him to pick the correct answers, and a roll of toilet paper as he’ll be on a roll. She also has a tambourine for him and starts shaking it for him to do well. And most importantly, the kimbap - so after the exam, he can eat as much as he wants. She adds that they’re going to the movies or karaoke later, too as he’s never done that. He nods and starts walking away. She continues chanting and cheering for him but she suddenly stops. He turns back to look and hurries to get to her as someone on a motorcycle has knocked her down onto the ground. Her head is bleeding and she’s not responsive to his yelling. When she wakes up in the hospital bed, she panics at the sight of him being here instead of his exam. She starts crying and he gently and calmly tells her that he can take it next year. He then gently kisses her. She continues sobbing in his arms for ruining his chance.
When he returns home, his mother throws pig urine on him and kicks him out. He turns to leave and she asks why he had to be the one to take her, as if there was no one else there. He says that Mi Joo got hurt. She says so what – why does he need to ruin his life for her?! He replies, “his life?”, and asks if he has a life as this is her life. He then admits that he’s sick and tired of this. He suddenly roars that she’s suffocating him to death. She made a decision over his life and forced it on him. Is it his fault that his father died like that? She slaps him and says yes, exactly, so who’s fault is it? She wants to know whose fault it is that he died like that. She says the only way out is for him to be a prosecutor, to get away from this pig farm and his bad mother.
He replies that she told him to become a powerful man who can help those who are weak and in need. But no, she was just frustrated to live as the weak, and wanted to get that power through him. She wanted to raise him into a selfish snob just like those who killed his father. He says fine, he’ll do that and then leaves. He returns to his room to study and stares at his yellow pinky nail.
Years go by and Kang Ho has become a cold-hearted prosecutor, who also works for Chairman Song Woo Byeok. Omo.
[Ep2] Kang Ho is looking at the recent headlines for Chairman Song – sex scandals, bribery, malpractice and embezzlement lawsuits. Chairman Song seems to be only concerned about the unflattering photo that was used of him. Kang Ho says that he’ll look into who is behind these. Chairman Song then asks if Kang Ho would like to become his son – someone reliable that he could have his business over to and then he could retire as his one and only grandson is a little hellion. He then asks how he likes his new house – which was a gift from him. Kang Ho thanks him for his generosity and then he takes his leave. But Chairman Song wants to play catch with him…
Chairman Song likes playing baseball because if he hits a homerun, he doesn’t need to run, or he can strike out. That’s how he’s lived his life – homerun or strike out. Kang Ho admits that he’s always liked the sport, too, but he could neither play with his friends nor watch them on TV. When asked why, he replies so he could meet him, and how could he have met him if he had not become a prosecutor. He thinks it would be wonderful to have a reliable father like him. Omo. This is making me squeamish. Chairman Song says that he can call him abeoji from now on. Kang Ho smiles and asks if they can go to the sauna together then. Chairman Song is confused. Kang Ho says that it’s been his lifelong dream to scrub his abeoji’s back. I want to hurl at this - giving that monster this esteemed title. Chairman Song seems very happy to be called abeoji. *cringe*
Kang Ho returns to work and continues ignoring calls from “Jou Ri”... Young Soon just thinks he’s too busy with work and returns to her cooking. She ends up hurting her back when she can’t reach a container on the top shelf and ends up falling backwards. After she seeks treatment from the Chief and his creepy wife (who has a bruised ankle and a large tattoo on her right leg) for her back, it’s revealed that Kang Ho has never visited his mother since moving to Seoul.
Kang Ho is busy looking into who is behind Chairman Song’s news articles, and ignores a call from Ha Young… who is getting a pedicure by none other than Mi Joo. When Mi Joo accidentally cuts her toenail too deeply, Ha Young kicks her in the chest. She’s angry because she’s a ballerina with a foot injury now. Couldn’t happen to a better b— if you ask me. Mi Joo’s earnest apology isn’t enough so she ends up having to get on her knees and apologize again. Ha Young gets up and gingerly walks out but Mi Joo stops her as she asks for her apology – for kicking her. Ha Young asks if she’s crazy. Mi Joo says no, but she will be if she doesn’t apologize. Ha Young walks up and stops an inch from her face to say that she refuses to apologize. Mi Joo turns around and mutters that this can’t be helped then. So she spins around and then raises her right leg for a roundhouse kick aimed directly for Ha Young’s head but she doesn’t make contact. However, Ha Young has already flinched and dropped right down to the floor cowering in fear. Nonetheless, Mi Joo gets fired from her job.
Afterwards, Mi Joo tells her friend, Sun Young that she won’t be voting for Ha Young’s father who is running for president. Mi Joo says that she’s planning to open a small nail salon. She had intended to save money for two more years and then open a large one in Seoul. So she’ll look at the areas outside of Seoul. Her friend says that she’ll chip in. While they’re celebrating, Mi Joo receives a call from her mother’s number – and a kid tells her that halmeoni is dead. Mi Joo is shocked by this – until the little girl says that she’s dead in the game of Go-Stop. Mi Joo yells at her which startles her, and her grandmother, Gum Ja asks her who she’s on the phone with. The little girl replies with “eomma”. What??
Gum Ja takes the phone from the little girl, and Mi Joo chides her for playing cards with the kids around. Gum Ja makes it sound like she’s offering to send her money which she politely refuses. Mi Joo says that she won’t be sending any money soon because she’s opening a nail salon. Gum Ja now says, oh, her husband is opening a nail salon for her and congratulates her. She walks outside for privacy and asks her daughter what a “nail salon" is. Mi Joo chides her for letting the children (more than one?!) use the phone. Her mother yells about where the bastard is – the father of her children. She explains that she’s given up on looking for him. Gum Ja says they think she’s living in the U.S. She chides her mother for lying to them, and suggests telling them she got divorced. Her mother replies that she wants her to tell them that she, alongside Jin Joo and Seon Joo are divorced as well? She then asks if their family is cursed. Mi Joo says she started this. Gum Ja says she was never divorced. Mi Joo says he left her for another woman. Gum Ja counters that, at least she was married with kids. In unison, they yell to hang up and then end the call. Young Soon quietly pops up from behind Gum Ja to ask who had kids out of wedlock. Gum Ja says that they were just talking about a TV show.
At the shaman’s, Sam Sik’s parents want to know about their son’s fate, who is supposed to be discharged soon. His mother, Sung Ae asks if there’s any ritual to be carried out when he is. She’s told to just pack up and leave as there’s nothing to be done. A limping Young Soon shows up and Sung Ae sarcastically greets her as “the woman who has been blessed with everything”. Young Soon is only here to drop off some side dishes as she’s leaving for Seoul to see him for Kang Ho’s birthday. Gum Ja then realizes that she’s forgotten her daughter’s birthday was today.
It’s nighttime now, and a weary Young Soon is unable to locate Kang Ho’s apartment in Seoul, nor can she reach him as she creates a traffic jam at the gates. So she ends up waiting in the security office and when the security officer does reach Kang Ho by telephone, he’s instructed to tell her that he’s not at home. She pretends to not have overheard this, and instead leaves the food with the security officer. Before she goes, she asks how her son is, and then gives him a piece of paper with her number to reach out to her. She then returns to her car to eat a snack item before making the drive back to Jou Ri.
Kang Ho is watching the news coverage of Assemblyman Oh Tae Soo (yes, the same Prosecutor Oh) defeating Park Gil Ung, with a 33% approval rating, as the next presidential candidate. Kang Ho recalls listening to Oh Tae Soo’s speech in law school: A true judicial officer must be able to both think and feel. Those with no friends or empathy towards others studied hard to prosecute, defend, and judge others. No wonder the world has turned out this way – only the weak and the innocent are victimized. He then advised them to use their passionate hearts to guide them instead. *puke* What a hypocrite. Afterwards, the professor personally introduced his top student, Choi Kang Ho to Oh Tae Soo. Kang Ho was also a fanboy of his. Oh Tae Soo had turned to leave but then turned back around to ask him if they’ve met before because he looked familiar. Kang Ho had said no, but his father – and then they were interrupted by Oh Ha Young who was looking for her father. Omo. Kang Ho had politely said goodbye but his eyes had followed Ha Young around.
Later, Kang Ho pulled Ha Young from the nightclub and cut up her purse for drugs, which made her angry and she ranted at him. However, they’re interrupted by a man who said that the urinalysis returns negative, so she’s clean. She then slapped Kang Ho across the face and he apologized for the mistake in the report they received. He offered to compensate her for the purse, and she replied that this purse is more expensive than his life. She angrily left but quickly returned to ask if her time here will be recorded. She had suddenly become oh-so-sweet, and even grabbed onto his hand, to say it was her first time clubbing. He looked at her hand and said nothing. She quickly removed her hands from his, and then said maybe it was her second or third time. He continues to stay mum, and so she continued talking about her panic disorder not being that bad but she has had trouble sleeping, so she took it to prevent it from worsening. She then magnanimously said that he doesn’t need to compensate her for the bag either, as she was sick of it and was going to throw it away anyway. With a princess smile and nod, she finally said that she’s sure he understands then and leaves.
Another day, Kang Ho showed up with a shopping bag to one of Oh Tae Soo’s event where Ha Young was in attendance. When she spotted him a distance, she looked rankled and actually dragged him away from prying eyes. He had told that he'd gotten her a new bag, which shocked her as it was a limited edition. When she reached into the bag, she had found a simple canvas tote bag and quickly became annoyed. He had then asked if she knew that her father was well-respected as the people trust and support him due to his humility. So should she be carrying such an expensive bag and go clubbing with her wealthy friends? He then told her to stop tainting his reputation and carry that from now on. Ha, I cannot picture this. She had muttered who was he to tell her what to do, and then he had gestured at the inside of the shopping bag. She reached in and pulled out a plastic bag which she looked at in confusion. She untied the bag and found jujubes inside. He told her that they’re known to be natural tranquilizers. As she said her symptoms weren’t severe, don’t take any medicine but drink some jujube tea instead. He then said that he had gone to the market early this morning to get them, so don’t throw them away. She stared at him in wide-eyed wonder. I’m cackling at this. She scoffed at this but when he walked away, she gave a small smile.
Now it’s Oh Tae Soo’s birthday and Ha Young brought out the cake with Kang Ho not far behind who carried a bouquet of flowers. Oh Tae Soo wasn’t happy to see him as her new boyfriend, as his daughter said this is his birthday present, his future son–in-law. Her father glared at Kang Ho but then he only chided his daughter for waiting so long to introduce him. Once Oh Tae Soo was alone with Kang Ho, he poured him a very full glass of wine and asked what it would be – the reason for their break up. He offered these options: Another woman, being sent abroad for work, or becoming a corrupt prosecutor who is sent to prison. He then tells him that he reeked of something – perhaps dirt as he had come from the bottom up. He then reached across the table to grab Kang Ho by the tie and told him that they will break up within a week as his daughter will marry into Dosang Group as he had planned. He let go of the tie to and instead grabbed him by the back of his neck and told him that someone like him can never call him father. But he must not understand that since he doesn’t have a father. He finally let go of his neck and then made a show of pouring water over the offended hand and then wiped at it vigorously.
In the present, Ha Young goes to see Kang Ho but he is cold to her and won’t let her inside his place. She sees the containers of food outside his place, and asks if it’s another woman. She stays to give him his birthday present but he only tells her to go home. She asks if he’s really ending things with her. He says he’s doing this so he doesn’t have to. But if she keeps doing this, she’ll ruin his plans. She asks what plans…
Alone, Kang Ho looks at the results of a DNA test – probability of paternity: 99.9%. Kang Ho provides this test to Chairman Song who gleefully says this is a walk-off grand slam with two outs – as Hwang Soo Hyun (Chairman Song’s secretary) gave birth to Oh Tae Soo’s baby. Chairman Song is seeking revenge against him for betraying him for Dosang Group. Kang Ho says that he doesn’t know about the child yet as she was afraid that he’d harm her and the child if he had found out. So she had quit and hid away as soon as she found out about her pregnancy. Chairman Song is ecstatic about this very valuable information but he asks why he gave him this. Kang Ho says isn’t that why he took him in, and if he has the future president in his hands, Woobyeok Group will be invincible. Chairman Song says this isn’t the original document (the seal isn’t in color), so he knows he must want a favor from him. Kang Ho asks to become his legal son. O_o So as his son, he can marry Oh Tae Soo’s daughter, thus Chairman Song will have Oh Tae Soo, who will have Kang Ho, and he’ll have a father. None of them can betray each other and they’ll become a true family. Twisted logic.
Chairman Song asks what if he refuses. Kang Ho says what can a son who’s been abandoned by his father do – he’ll have to find a new father. Chairman Song says a father never abandons his child. Chairman Song is now showing the results to Oh Tae Soo as he chides him for knocking up his secretary instead of saving his company. Oh Tae Soo asks where she is, and Chairman Song asks how he will lead the country if he’s this slow. The one he needs to meet isn’t her – it’s Choi Kang Ho. If he takes this information and sides with the Bareun Hanguk Party, then it’s over for both of them. He continues saying that they’ve gotten their hands dirty together for the past 30 years, and Kang Ho must have more cards up his sleeve. And the fact that he opposed this relationship with his daughter must’ve hurt his pride greatly, which is likely when he started digging up dirt on him. He then suggests letting them get back together as he’s going to adopt Choi Kang Ho as his son with the right to inherit his business. Very dirty business.
The three are together in the sauna now, and Oh Tae Soo asks for the original paternity document to be destroyed. Chairman Song says destroying that piece of paper won’t change anything. He then says his son will get rid of them as if they never existed. Kang Oh is now driving the mother and baby somewhere, and he assures her that no one will ever find them. He then hands her a warm drink. She seems reassured and starts sipping. When she’s finally passed out, he parks the car and gets out of the car, to push it, with mother and baby down into the water below!
Mi Joo and Sun Young are celebrating the reveal of the nail salon – and crying happy tears. Mi Joo declares that she’ll make money and get her children back. She’ll buy them whatever food they want and dress them in pretty clothes. Back in Jou Ri, her twins, Lee Ye Jin (daughter) and Lee Seo Jin (son) are eating a simple meal of banchan, and discussing how delicious the kimchi is because of their homemade doenjang. Such cute kids! Meanwhile, the adults are working hard to prepare a feast for Young Soon’s meeting with her son and daughter-in-law-to-be. When she shows up to help, the Chief urges her to get changed and get ready to meet the assemblyman’s daughter. Sung Ae complains that they didn’t benefit from Kang Ho going to law school and becoming a prosecutor. Gum Ja quietly tells Young Soon that she’s bitter because Sam Sik was incarcerated for theft. She had begged Kang Ho to not put her son behind bars but he had refused to listen. Ah. Here’s the rub.
Kang Ho and Ha Young are driving to Jou Ri as he tells her that she shouldn’t have come with him. She replies that she should meet his mother at least once, and then offers to drive if he feels tired. She comments about how she’s only getting a five-carat diamond ring, however smaller ones are more trendy now. She looks at her ring and says that only those wanting to come off as wealthy go for big rings. Back at home, Gum Ja is looking at the jewelry set which includes a 0.5 carat ring Young Soon had bought, which comes with a warranty. Nearby, Young Soon is having her hair done by Sung Ae who tells her to stop moving about. Gum Ja is very fascinated by this ring but then she digresses about how it would have been wonderful had Kang Ho and Mi Joo ended up together. She remembers when the kids were little, that they had promised to be each other’s in-laws some day. Sung Ae chides her for saying this as her daughter is happily married in the U.S. now. Gum Ja says she was just saying this and then asks Young Soon why she got them a ring before they’ve even set the date. She smiles and says she got a ring before she got married, too. She then talks about the pig with the ring tied around its neck for the proposal. Then tears up as she looks up at the framed photo of herself and baby Kang Ho with a pasted on cutout of her husband’s photo and laments that he would’ve been delighted had he been alive.
Young Soon is finally ready with her hair done, makeup on and changed into a very bright yellow two-piece dress suit with a great big white bow at her neck. When she leaves, Sung Ae comments that she looks like a giant radish, and Gum Ja shushes her – and then says she’s worried about her being looked down on. Kang Ho and Ha Young finally arrive but the Chief tries to welcome them, but he’s now drunk as a skunk. Ha Young notices the price tag is still hanging out from the back of Young Soon’s suit and smirks at this. When Young Soon tries to steer them towards the food but Kang Ho tells her that he has something to tell her. She tries to get them to eat first and says they can talk later. But then the Chief starts singing drunkenly which makes Kang Ho yell that he has something to say.
Young Soon finally takes them inside the house. She tells Ha Young that she’s pretty and then asks her age. She says she’s 27, and so Young Soons says that they have the perfect age gap. When Young Soon then brings out the jewelry, Kang Ho asks Ha Young to give them some privacy. She leaves and finds the villagers with their faces pressed up against the window trying to figure out what’s in the various packages in the backseat. When she loudly asks them what they’re doing, they all run away from the car.
Back inside, Young Soon comments that his fiancée is born the year of the pig, which means this is destined as she’s a pig farmer. Kang Ho takes a sip of tea and then hands her a document – the adoption agreement. She asks if he’s planning to adopt a child because she can’t have children. Kang Ho coldly tells her that he will be adopted by Chairman Song who has been raising him all along, so please stamp her seal there. The villagers are right outside eavesdropping. She asks what he’s talking about as she’s the one who gave birth to him. He explains the adoption so that he can inherit Chairman Song’s business and to be married to the Assemblyman’s daughter. She says that she understands that power and money is great but he can’t cut ties with his own mother. He asks if this isn’t what she wanted and just stares at her.
She finally gets up to get her stamper. She still hesitates to place it on the document and hovers for a long moment. She says that she’ll always be his mother, so this piece of paper won’t matter. She’s happy as long as he is, too. She then asks him if he proposed the idea – because it must’ve been Chairman Song, right? He forced him, right? Kang Ho keeps his eyes focused down and remains silent. She finally forces herself to stamp the document and as soon as it’s done, he quickly grabs it and gets up to leave. His mother stops him and says that she can’t let him go like this. She asks him to stay and eat with them. He nearly sneers as he says that she’s inviting him to a meal when he’s never been able to enjoy a meal with her. She offers the jewelry box to him even as she says that knows he’s embarrassed by her as she’s a poor hillbilly but why won’t he take this as they sell them at big department stores in Seoul. She tries to tell him about the warranty but he just turns away and walks out.
He quickly gets to the car and unloads all of the bags in the back seat and leaves them on the road. His mother quickly places a pink parcel into the back seat as she tells him his favorite, mung bean pancakes, and he can have some on his way back. He doesn’t say anything except to wait for her to close the door and then he quickly peels out of there. Behind her, the men are wondering why he left without saying anything while the women are examining the gifts left behind. Young Soon says that she’s hungry and urges everyone to go eat.
On their drive back, Ha Young immediately complains that the smell of the food is making her sick. She then sniffs her clothes and asks if it’s really going back with them and just hopes that her clothes won’t reek of it. Kang Ho finally pulls over, reaches over to grab the food and then runs to the side of the road and angrily flings it down into the water. He’s barely holding back his angry tears. When he returns to the car, Ha Young offers to drive.
As she’s driving, Kang Ho drifts off to sleep. She continues griping about the smell in the car and opens the window and then her scarf flies out the window. So she pulls over to park the car and walks across the empty road to retrieve the scarf. As she picks up the scarf, a huge truck comes out of nowhere and hits the parked car with a still sleeping Kang Ho inside. She watches and screams in horror as the car plummets down the cliff and rolls a couple of times before finally stopping on the rocky terrain below.
[Ep3] Kang Ho is hooked up to various tubes and wires in the hospital. When his mother initially sees him, she tearfully begs for him to wake up. And then she starts screaming hysterically for them to save him – her baby. They tell her that they’ve stopped the hemorrhaging but his brain and body remain swollen. His cervical spine was fractured and he’s suffered an injury to his spinal cord. So even if he regains consciousness, he won’t be able to return to his normal life for some time. His mother looks at him laying helpless in the hospital bed and thinks about his words that he’s never been able to enjoy a meal with her. She recalls waking him up after he’d fallen asleep at his desk during a meal and in the midst of studying. She’d chided him for falling asleep because he was too full and too warm and she’d removed his food and turned up the air. How she’d critiqued his homework while he was eating, which had made him stop eating. How she’d thrown out the TV when she’d seen him watching a baseball game while eating ramyeon. And so many other interrupted meals which resulted in her scolding him for being too full to study. Young Soon goes outside the room and one of the women tells her to eat something. Another woman says how could she eat as her child is dying. Young Soon replies that he’s still breathing, his pulse and blood pressure are stable, his feet and hands are warm. So her son won’t die. No, she won’t let him die. She finally eats.
[Ep4] Some time has passed as Kang Ho is now sitting in a pink wheelchair outside with the twins, Ye Jin and Seo Jin. They decide to push him in a field and he screams for his mother just as he gets unceremoniously dumped out of the chair. Oops. Mr. Sam and the Chief repair the wheelchair while Kang Ho tells his mother that they said she’d be happy if he exercised. She asks who said that.
[Ep5] Mi Joo returns home to be greeted loudly by her children. As they’re hugging, they’re interrupted by a knock on the gate.
Someone in motorcycle gear show up outside the pig farm. Inside, Kang Ho is cleaning up the poop that’s everywhere. Kang Ho hears someone coming and assumes it’s his mother but the helmeted person. Just as he’s about to be attacked with a knife, Chairman Song’s two henchmen jump out of the closet behind him. Omo!
Chairman Song learns of Kang Ho’s accident and goes to see him at the hospital. He later learns that the other driver had a burner vehicle that had been set to fire with no traces of fingerprints. He then asks his henchmen about Oh Tae Soo’s daughter.
When Oh Tae Soo goes to see his daughter, she starts crying. He hugs her and says it’s okay. She then asks what’s happened. He says he probably won’t make it, and then he whispers into her ear, “Well done.” I got chills!
What had actually happened: She had drugged Kang Ho’s water, and then played the doting fiancée offering to drive. While driving, she had thrown her scarf out the window, which was a signal to the truck driver.
She now realizes that Kang Ho is still alive and wonders what that will mean when they’re found out. Her father assures her that he will take care of things and for her to get some rest. He then leaves to answer Chairman Song’s call. After the call, Chairman Song asks his men to find that truck driver and then loses his temper as everything’s been ruined.
Young Soon talks to the Chief about taking care of things at the farm. Everyone back home thinks he only has a leg injury. Sung Ae continues defending her son to the villagers but even her husband, Mr. Bang doesn’t agree with her – as their son has stolen something from everyone here. She becomes livid and starts physically attacking him but it’s broken up by the appearance of the Chief’s wife. She adds insult to injury by saying that they’re eating those awful spicy noodles. And then she says that the Chief had said that Sung Ae couldn’t cook to save her life. A tearful Sung Ae now leaves in a huff with the huge bowl of noodles. Meanwhile, Ye Jin and Seo Jin are calmly watching the adults yell and fight. Ye Jin says that the adults are setting an awful example for them. Her brother says at least they’ll learn to fight. lol!
Young Soon continues staying at her son’s bedside, and eventually Kang Ho is able to breathe on his own. He is being transferred to the general ward for further monitoring, she will now be responsible for his waste. When Young Soon tries to contact Ha Young again, she discovers that her number doesn’t work.
Mi Joo’s nail salon seems to have taken off as there are plenty of clients. After a busy day, her kids call her for a video chat. The kids recite to her the English words they’ve learned, so they can visit her in the U.S. During this call, the kids point out that there’s a guy standing behind her and so she hangs up and runs off. The guy says her name but she’s too scared and starts running away and throws trash at him. Eventually he removes his cap and it’s Sam Sik! She takes him back to her place to fix him up – and dresses him in her clothes – a flowery skirt and sweater combo while his clothes are being washed. XD! (He looks terrible. Ha!) She suddenly realizes that she should’ve given him tofu since he was released. The white color of tofu signifies purity, innocence, ergo a new beginning for criminals not to reoffend and the hope of a life free from crime. He replies that she did give him something – a sound beating. XD! She chuckles at this and then asks how he knew where she lives. He says that it’s been her longtime dream to open up her own nail salon, and how she’d name it “Nail & Nail”. So he looked up the name and happened to find it. She’s surprised that he remembered this. He replies that he remembers watching her being born while he was being carried on his mother’s back. Then he says he’s the first guy who saw her naked, which earns him a hefty smack on the shoulder. He rubs his now injured shoulder and says that she was pretty. She laments that she never visited him when he was incarcerated. He asks why she would have visited him when he had committed a crime. She replies that he didn’t commit a crime – he’d been used by those guys, so he was merely a victim. He tells her that he’s realized that being that way was the worst sin you could commit – letting others use you, and not being able to do anything about it because you have no power, money or connections. Before he leaves, he gives her a present – free toothbrushes and soap bars. She tells him that she’s heard that working on fishing vessels is hard work so take care and don’t get caught stealing things again. He replies if he ever steals anything again, it’ll be her heart. She says bye and he asks if she still likes Kang Ho. She evades the question and tells him to go and pushes him towards the door. He shakes her hand off and asks angrily if she does. She doesn’t answer and tells him to go and shoves him out the door. But he walks back in and says let’s be honest as he’s way more handsome than Kang Ho. She nods and agrees that he’s more handsome, thanks him for today and then shoves him right out and closes the door on him.
Sung Ae is thinking about her son’s release today and what had happened back then. He’d given her a ring with a giant red gemstone, which he had received as payment of wages. Not longer after, he’d then been arrested for stealing this ring. Now his parents are waiting outside the jail with a block of tofu. But he doesn’t appear nor is he on the list. Sung Ae says that can’t be as she had wired a discharge deposit yesterday, to guarantee that he’ll behave when he’s out. Her husband is beside himself because he knows that there’s no such thing. The guards finally tell them that he was discharged a week ago… and he’d stolen the penitentiary's towels, soap and toothpaste. (I knew those presents were suspect! LOL) And she’d wired 5 million won to him. Now both parents are cursing him.
At the hospital, Young Soon is talking to her still unconscious son as she trims his nails. Once she purposely lets it slip that her son is a prosecutor at Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office and that he had earned the top score on the bar exam, all the mothers, nurses and cafeteria workers flock to provide her with their legal and medical questions for Kang Ho. She then shows her son the list and says they’re all waiting for him to wake up. She continues staying by his bedside as weeks and then several months go by. Finally, one sunny day, Kang Ho wakes up. His overjoyed mother screams for the nurse. (~25:30) When she touches him on the face, he starts crying and turns his head away in angst.
The doctor tells her that they’ve given him all the immediate treatments and now the rehabilitation department will take over his care. She asks if he’ll be able to walk again if he continues with the rehabilitation program. The doctor says that she’s seen it happen with patients after rehabilitation. However, she needs to understand that he will be very different from the person he used to be. With head injuries, one sometimes loses most of the memories prior to the accident. He currently only has memories of his childhood, so it’s like he’s become a child once again. He also lacks cognitive ability right now, ergo retrograde amnesia. So he’s like a seven-year-old right now. At night, Young Soon brings him back to the farm. Unknownst to her, there are some men in suits lurking around in the darkness.
While she's been away, the villagers have found a Canadian part-timer, Andrea who is studying Korean at the university, and his father happens to be a pig farmer in Canada. To communicate, Andrea uses Google Translate to get by as he understands the language but has a hard time speaking it. (Google PPL now? Really? Sigh…) The villagers find out that Kang Ho’s been discharged - but not that he’s back on the farm. They think he’s still getting married and urge her as his mother to attend the wedding.
In the greenhouse, Gum Ja and Sung Ae ask each other when their children will be back while they’re harvesting Young Soon’s potatoes which she also uses as pig feed. Young Soon quietly returns and gives them their wages, which they politely refuse but ultimately accept. When they ask about Kang Ho, she says that he’s better and they assume that he’s back home in Seoul.
At the farm, when Kang Ho wakes up, Young Soon goes over the wall of photos – his entire life up on a wall through his law school graduation. When she tries to feed him, he presses his lips shut and turns his head away from her. She asks what’s wrong with him but he doesn’t say anything and she’s left with all of this food. She leaves the room, and suddenly has surprise visitors – Gum Ja and Sung Ae who are bringing her fresh kimchi as hers must’ve gone bad in the months that she’s been gone, along with some hot food. However, both women notice that her tray of food has two sets of utensils. They now wonder if she’s hiding a secret lover and even with her denying this, they barge into her bedroom and find Kang Ho there.
Now she’s telling them that some people would consider this punishment. They would say it would’ve been better if he had died instead of living like this. She had felt this way before this happened to her, but now she knows she was wrong. She tearfully admits that she’s grateful that he’s still alive, her one and only child. She finally starts sobbing as she says she’s grateful for the accident. Later when Sung Ae returns home to share the news with Mr. Bang, she claims that she’s upset for her but she starts drinking makgeolli and shoving her mouth full of food. She then tells him to not run his mouth at the mill. He says he’ll remain tight-lipped. Mr. Bang runs his mouth at the mill. Small towns can’t keep this type of thing a secret for long.
While Gum Ja is on the phone talking to someone about Kang Ho, her grandchildren start singing “Kang Ho is stupid. It’s a secret. So you can’t tell anyone!” So of course, the Chief’s wife overhears this. And so now in matching animal facial masks, Mr. Son also knows. (~38:15) Young Soon promises her husband (his portrait) that their son will live as and she will raise him all over again. So he’ll be eight years old next year, and then nine the year after… and their son will walk out of that room again.
Young Soon returns to running the pig farm at full speed along with providing caregiving services for Kang Ho. She makes various meals for him but he refuses to eat. Why hasn’t she figured it out?! He’s traumatized. She prays and begs at the temples and churches for her son to be saved, to live, and most of all, to eat. He continues to refuse to eat anything she offers. Even when she manages to shove something inside his mouth, he spits it out right away. (I know the reason why is sad but LDH’s expressions are so cute here.) The Chief and Mr. Bang bring her presents: mulberry tea which helps with paralysis, a book on physical therapy and rehabilitation along with DVDs. She tells them to stop doing this as it’ll make her weak, and then she starts sobbing that she needs to stay strong. The Chief says there’s a saying “A mother can replace anything in this world. But nothing can replace a mother.” He tells her that they’re not asking her to rely on them so yes, she should stay strong as she’s a mother. Awww.
Now Young Soon is going through boxes in the attic containing items from Kang Ho’s childhood – his first shoes, toys, artwork, and homework papers. She then cobbles together a mobile of the toys, little gavel and other items, and hangs it above his bed. He seems to look at it but quickly falls asleep. When she tries to wake him up by touching him and calling his name over and over, there isn’t a response as he remains dead asleep. She’s then told by a doctor that this is common for patients who are paralyzed from the neck down, who have suddenly lost their ability to move. They can also lose their will to live as they sense this great loss. He advises her to do her best to take care of him or else he’ll need to be admitted to a care facility. She asks how can a seven-year-old have suicidal thoughts. :(
Young Soon repeatedly tries to get him to eat. She becomes angry and super frustrated now and manages to shove it right inside his mouth, which he immediately spits right back out. He finally says something: “You get sleepy when you’re full. And if you get sleepy, you won’t be able to study.” T__T He continues repeating these words over and over and she starts sobbing at this. She finally asks if that’s why he hasn’t been eating. He just repeats the same words. She tells him no, that he can eat now. She feeds herself to show him that he, too, can eat. With tears running down his cheeks, he just looks at her. With a mouth full of rice and a face full of tears, she offers him a heaping spoonful of rice and begs him to eat. She says that he can eat, and then sleep if he’s sleepy. He doesn’t have to study, so please eat. She heartbreakingly tells him that she loves him so much, and she had done that because she loved him so much. She just wanted him to be happy. She didn’t want him to end up like her and his father. She begs him to forgive her and continues offering the spoonful of rice. He finally eats the rice and she gratefully hugs him as he chews. My heart just breaks for both of them. T___T
A cop and Chairman Song’s henchmen are looking for Yang Gu Man [the truck driver] but when the cop knocks on the door repeatedly, there’s no answer. The cop manages to pry open a window and takes a peek – he sees someone laying on the floor. He now urges the henchmen (even though he’d chided them for attempting this only moments ago) to pick the lock but it’s too late as the man inside is dead. It appears that the man committed suicide. Now Chairman Song wants this dead man’s family to be found.
Elsewhere, Oh Tae Soo is making plans to announce his presidential bid. But before that happens, he tells his assistant that he wants all the people and businesses related to Woobyeok Group to be obliterated. When his assistant tries to tell him about Yang Gu Man, he cuts him off and asks who that is. The assistant quickly apologizes for his error. But then they’re interrupted by the shrill sounds of an angry woman.
Inside the house, Ha Young is throwing a fit over the sight of that scarf in her bedroom. The housekeeper explains that she had found it in the trash and washed it as she’d known it was her favorite scarf. Ha Young starts screaming about how it is her favorite and then grabs the scissors to cut it up and then throws the pieces at this poor housekeeper. Her mother tries to calm her down but she continues raging until they’re interrupted by her father. Her father yells at his wife for not taking care of her traumatized daughter. He then orders for all of her old belongings to be thrown out and to have every single thing be replaced with new ones. His wife and the housekeeper quietly and quickly leave to comply with his orders. He then hugs Ha Young and tells her it’s okay as nothing will happen to her or him.
Young Soon massages her son’s arm as she watches someone exercising on TV. She tells him to look at the man, who was once paralyzed but he went through treatment and rehabilitation and is healthy now. He doesn’t say anything but stares up at the hanging mobile. So she reaches up and pulls down the robot, the toy his father got for him before his birth and sets it down on the tray in front of him. She then leaves him alone as she answers a call from the Hannurai Rehabilitation Center, who says that they’re completely full and asks if she wants to wait. So she asks for them to call her when there’s an opening.
Inside the bedroom, Kang Ho stares at this toy robot and recalls playing with it as a young child. He notices its eyes are glowing with a yellow light, and he thinks hard about making his hand move. Suddenly, he is able to move his fingers! When his mother returns with his dinner tray, she drops it when she sees the toy on the floor. He just smiles at her. Now she’s trying to get him to do it again but he says that he’s unable to. When he repeats that he can’t, she yells that he can. He tries again and is only able to flex his fingers very slightly. He then yells at her to feed him.
Mi Joo is getting ready for work and leaving a message for her friend, Sun Young who isn’t answering. When she sees a bag embroidered with “Bar Exam Meal” on it, she angrily flings it across the room before leaving. When she arrives at the salon, there are several women trying to peek inside into the shop as they gripe about their membership money being gone as the owner has changed. From behind them, she says that that’s her, and then they start yelling for her to have at least paid them back before selling the business. She’s confused as she has no idea what’s going on. Another woman, the new owner, tells her that she was supposed to move everything out yesterday. Mi Joo then recalls her previous interaction with Sun Young about their earnings: 2,370,000 won. She quickly pulls out her phone to call Sun Young and this time, the phone number is no longer in service. Completely defeated, she crouches down on the sidewalk as she realizes it’s all gone. :(
Today, Young Soon gives Kang Ho his food and utensils and leaves it on the bed tray. Then she sits down on the floor, turns her back to him and just starts feeding herself. With confusion, Kang Ho says eomma over and over. (~1:04:15, sad yet adorable?!) She just continues ignoring him. When she’s done eating, she finally gets up and goes to collect his tray. She then comments that it’s still full and asks why he didn’t eat. She then answers her own question: Oh, he must not have been hungry, and then moves to take the tray away. He protests with “eomma, I’m hungry!” over and over even as she just continues walking away. When she finally closes the door, she flops down onto the floor and leans against the door. Inside, he continues screaming for her. She clutches at her heart and quietly says that she’s sorry. He then lets out a huge scream in frustration. She says to let her be the bad mother just once more. Awww. This is tough love. And they repeat this cycle – he can’t move, so she removes the food again and again.
Kang Ho continues with the exercises and body conditioning, while his mother looks into how to best help him. Now it’s April 2022 and Kang Ho is able to pick up a few grains of rice with his fingers. But when he tries to eat it, his mother catches him and quickly removes the food. He screams that she’s so mean. Later she receives a call from the rehabilitation center that a spot has opened up and he can be admitted next week. She ecstatically runs to tell him the good news and finds him feeding himself with the utensils in his hands. She laughs and cries happy tears at the same time.
He gestures with his lips and eyes at the twins, as the three of them have their hands raised above their heads as they sit. She gently scolds the kids that the chair is not a toy but his legs. He chimes in that it’s not his legs but a wheelchair. Heh. This earns him a glare, so he wisely shuts up and looks away. She continues telling the twins to not play around with it again as it’s not for muddy roads, icy roads, bumpy stony paths, waterways, rice paddy ridges, banks, and especially anywhere up high. He quietly chimes in that it’s not for three people to ride, right? Ha! She says, of course not! He then asks what about using the rubber tube for a hula hoop… as the Chief is doing exactly that as he spins it around his neck. XD! And now Gum Ja arrives to scream at her grandkids as she makes a beeline for them. They quickly scoot out of her reach. Young Soon grabs onto her and tells her to stop as she’s already talked to them. Gum Ja continues ranting about them dragging him out and bullying him. Ye Jin yells that they didn’t bully him but helped him exercise. Young Soon demands to know how they helped him do that, and then tells her to look at him, as he’s cowering from the ongoing yelling. She continues saying he’s not their friend. The little girl asks how they are not friends as she thought they were, and her brother screams that he said he was seven. Kang Ho screams back that he is, as the doctor says that he’s seven. He then asks his mother if that isn’t true.
Back at home, Kang Ho picks up one bean at a time with chopsticks, from a bowl onto a plate. When his mother comes in, he shoves all the beans in the bowl into his mouth. And when his mother says that beans will grow from his tummy, he spits them all out, unsuccessfully into the bowl – as not many make it in. LOL (~5:25) She smiles as she gently removes the bowl and chopsticks from his hands. She then writes down something and then shows it to him – the number “35”. She then tells him to repeat what she says. “Thirty-five, Kang Ho, you’re 35 years old but you became a little bit ill. So you became seven for a short while.” He thinks about this and then replies that he knows what that means. She waits and he says that he’s stupid, right? She denies this and asks who said that. He replies that she did, she and the doctor did. He then says “Simply put, he is… stupid?” Oh, he’d heard their conversation at his hospital bedside before! She says no, as she said that before because she didn’t know any better. He just went back to his childhood as everyone wants to be young again. She does, too, and if she could, she’d be able to change so many things. But nobody in this world can change time. But he did, as this is a chance given from above. A chance to start all over again. He repeats the words “A chance given from above.” She says yes, so he should be happy, not sad or devastated. She says his return makes her feel – she claps her hands exuberantly – happy. He claps and says happy, and then they hug.
Mi Joo finds Sun Young’s mother who works at a fish stall, who assumes right off the bat that her daughter has run off with her money. She explains that she’s with some gigolo and has given him every penny she had. She’s taken out a private loan to pay back his gambling debt. She’s even put up her home, salon – and her father’s fishing boat as collateral. Her daughter hasn’t called her even once since then, and only texted to say that she was going to Los Angeles or whatever to make money. Now Mi Joo starts sobbing and Sun Young’s mother says that it’s her fault and asks her to just take her. Mi Joo shakes her head and continues sobbing as she hugs the woman. She tells her that it must’ve been so tough for her and pats her back. The woman says she’s better than her daughter and then asks for her to be her daughter. Aww. T_T
Mi Joo is late with her rent and owes everyone something now. She looks at the bankbook for her kids, with its balance of 13,500,000 won and cries harder when she sees her own note “Ye Jin and Seo Jin give Mom the power to go on.”
She stares at the fish swimming in a fish tank and remembers when she ran into Kang Ho at a restaurant and was surprised to see him working there. She’d teared up and then stood to slap him hard across the face. Her friends, including Sun Young, had been shocked by this sudden outburst. But then she hugged him tearfully as she asked him where he’d been, the jerk. She’d continued sobbing with her arms wrapped around his neck. Afterwards, she’d told him that she couldn’t believe he’s been in Seoul and hadn’t called her. He had asked why she didn’t call him first. She didn’t have his number and his mother wouldn’t tell her either. He replied that she knew which school he was attending. She had wanted to look for him but she couldn’t because she’d ruined his examination before and she couldn’t ruin any more for him. She had then asked if he’d given up the bar exam. He’d laughed lightly and said he took the first test yesterday, isn’t it too early for him to give up? Then she’d asked why he was working here. He’d replied that he needed a part-time job. She’d told him that he needed to study every second though. He’d replied that he was doing this to survive – he needed to make a living, too. She’d asked if his mother wasn’t helping him, and he’d said that he was old enough to look after himself. He’d then said that the fish in the tank were about to die at any time, but no matter how painful or scary it was, they’re unable to cry or scream. And this is how he thought judicial officers must be. Mi Joo then told him that she’d invest in him.
So the two started dating officially, and were totally inseparable. She was his biggest supporter as she’d taken care of everything while he studied for his exam – she’d cooked, cleaned, forced him to focus, etc. – all while she worked at a nail salon. She’d later embroidered the Bar Exam Meal bag for him so he wouldn’t forget his bar exam meal. That day, she’d given him a quick kiss before leaving for work. Later, he had left her a note – a review for the bar exam meal: “4 out of 5 stars. This place is great! One less star for only one kiss.” Every time he had completed a test, he’d swing by the nail salon, and show her the results from outside. The cutest kisses separated by glass. One day, he finally passed the bar exam! She’d been so ecstatic for him that this time, she finally walked outside to hug him.
Later, when they’re hugging in bed, she’d told him that he’d already saved her twice – when she choked on the candy and the motorcycle accident. She’d said if he saved her one more time, then she would let him marry her. He’d given a small smile and then deadpanned that that was weird. She’d been confused. So he had said why was he being punished for doing something nice. She had feistily swatted him for this. He’d then said that he was kidding, and she’d replied that she’d teach him a lesson and continued doing so. Heh. He had then hugged her and gently caressed her head as he said, “You should be grateful to someone who makes you want to live, not someone who saved you. I want to live a very long time with you.” And then he’d kissed her. (~15:00, when the sweet dating sequence starts…)
Back in the present, the villagers help Young Soon get ready for the drive to his rehabilitation appointment. Mr. Sam carries Kang Ho on his back to place him in the car and Gum Ja gives them some food. Suddenly the Chief’s wife appears and hands Kang Ho some cash – for them to pick up some fancy dog treats for her precious dog, Tiger. XD!! Fine, she made me laugh this time. As she continues listing off more items, Mr. Son finally covers her mouth with one hand and waves with the other for them to go.
At the rehabilitation center, Kang Ho is attempting to walk with a walking harness with supervision. While she’s waiting, Young Soon leaves to get some medication for her indigestion. When Kang Ho gets out of his session, he doesn’t see her there and starts yelling for his mother. When he really can’t find her, he starts crying for her. Awww. When she appears and he sees her, he starts sobbing even harder. She runs over to hug him and then tells him to look at her. When he finally does, she asks him what she told him where to look when he can’t see her. He sniffles as he says the pig farm, potato field – and she asks where else. He says the bathroom and kitchen. And if he still can’t find her, then he should call her. She assures him that she will never go anywhere without him – never. She smiles at him and he finally smiles back at her.
Oh Tae Soo is now the leading candidate (42.5%). During his interview, he notices his daughter looks despondent. Chairman Song shows him some surprising footage – his henchman talking to the truck driver’s wife. The man says they’re asking for the return of the money as the driver was supposed to leave the country after the accident, but he’d taken his own life which was a breach of contract. She replies that she’d seen the contract which included the hit-and-run accident and suicide. As soon as she’d received the money, she’d gotten a call about her husband’s death. And the day after that, she’d received his suicide note. When asked where the suicide note was and she replies that if a finger is laid on her or her child, that note will be sent to the police. Chairman Song looks at some documents and says that it took him a long time to get all of this. He then says that Kang Ho was asleep at the time of the accident, which seems peculiar as he’d just cut ties with his mother. Either he’s a bastard or perhaps someone slipped him sleeping pills or something. He then shows him the paperwork and says that the day before the accident, his daughter had gotten a prescription for sleeping pills. Chairman Song then tells him that he saw him on TV and thought it was wonderful. And then repeats his words “I will empty-handed and will leave empty-handed.” So who would believe that he had his future son-in-law murdered.
Oh Tae Soo asks him if he remembers Choi Hae Sik. Chairman Song says he doesn’t, so Oh Tae Soo says that in 1987, during the urban improvement, the man who was running a pig farm in Bongo Dong was that Choi Hae Sik. Chairman Song says he doesn’t remember someone he met yesterday, so a man from 30 years ago… Oh Tae Soo asks if he knows how his daughter came to meet Choi Kang Ho. His daughter had been arrested by him for carrying illegal drugs. It was odd so he’d checked and there hadn’t been any order or report for illegal drugs. So he approached her on purpose, to get to him. Oh Tae Soo thinks that he knew everything already, as to who killed his father thirty years ago. Oh Tae Soo says that Choi Hae Sik’s son is Choi Kang Ho and then asks if he knows who killed him. Chairman Song asks if he did, but he didn’t know because there wasn’t any evidence. He thinks it’s odd that a kid who wanted to take revenge on his father’s killer came to work for him without hiding the fact that he is Choi Hae Sik’s son. Oh Tae Soo asks if he already knew that he was Choi Hae Sik’s son. Chairman Song asks if he really thought he wouldn’t have checked before taking him in to do the dirtiest jobs for him. At the time, Chairman Song’s grandson had killed a woman because she’d lied to him about giving him drugs. Kang Ho had been the prosecutor in that case, and Chairman Song had planned to take him in, exploit him and then abandon him. Omo.
The village chief, Mr. Son is now trying to administer acupuncture to Kang Ho’s legs but it’s been an hour as he’s yet to insert a single needle. They look at his doctor’s license from 2001 and wonder if he’s really a doctor. When Young Soon says he’s making her nervous, Kang Ho takes the needle from Mr. Son, then points it at him, for making his mother nervous. Everyone, including his mother, gasps in shock. Kang Ho asks him if he’s really a doctor and he says he is and asks his wife to back him up. Eventually, Young Soon convinces him to let go of the needle as it’s dangerous, and if he stabs Mr. Son with it, it’ll make him bleed, which will make her sad. He doesn’t want that so he relinquishes his grip on the needle. She removes it from his hand, and then her phone rings. After she returns, she tells them that she needs to go to Seoul tomorrow.
The next day, she’s assured by Gum Ja and Sung Ae that they’ll take care of Kang Ho and the pigs while she’s away. When she goes to leave, Kang Ho grabs onto her jacket and won’t let go. She gently tells him that she’ll be back soon after getting his stuff. He says then he can go with her. She explains that the place is really dusty because people are moving things, and he’ll get sick around it. And if he’s sick then she’ll be sad and he doesn’t want that, right? He says no, he doesn’t, so he lets go of her jacket. He asks how soon she’ll be back, and she says around 5 o’clock and for him to study and exercise. It’s just five minutes past 1 o’clock and Kang Ho is starting to fall asleep as he watches the hands on the clock. He slaps himself awake. The twins arrive and Seo Jin says that he knew he’d be doing something stupid. Kang Ho asks why they’re here. Ye Jin says that she heard his mother wouldn’t be back until 5 o’clock, and Kang Ho says yes. She then whispers to ask her brother what time is 5 o’clock. He tells her that they’re 7 years old so they can’t read the clock. But he does know that they have time to play with him. Kang Ho says he can’t play today as he needs to exercise and study. The two then quickly shove him out of the house… XD!
Young Soon arrives at Kang Ho’s apartment and thinks about how she’d always wanted to visit him here. On her way to his work, she sees an older woman wearing a sandwich board that reads “I denounce Prosecutor Choi Kang Ho!” At his office, she picks up his belongings, including a plant that looks more dead than alive. A woman comes in to scream about where Choi Kang Ho is and then accuses him of being bought off by Woobyeok Group, which is why the case was acquitted and her daughter is the evidence. She leaves and asks the woman with the sign what her son did that she’s here. She then angrily destroys the woman’s sign. The woman says that her son has a disability and wouldn’t even hurt a fly. Even though Kang Ho knew that, he took a bribe from a rich man and turned her son into a murderer. And when her husband went to tell him that, he said such harsh things to him, causing him to collapse. The woman asks why she gave birth to such scum. Oof. Young Soon continues defending her son once again before leaving.
While the kids are playing a trivia game with Kang Ho, he suddenly starts spouting off about larceny when Ye Jin poses a math question about stolen apples. Seo Jin asks what simple larceny is, and Kang Ho asks him the same thing.
The kids are now playing with a red ball but Kang Ho almost loses it. Ye Jin gets angry and says that their mother sent it to them and it even says it on the ball – and she points at the sticker that plaintively says in English “Made in China” LMAO, too relatable. Ahem. Ye Jin throws the ball at her brother who is at bat but she strikes him out. Kang Ho says that she’s very good at this and asks if her father taught her. She exchanges a look with her brother and then they both gasp. She then shushes Kang Ho as they’re not supposed to mention their father, especially not in front of their grandmother as – she whispers something into Kang Ho’s ear. Kang Ho says he’s a horrifying bastard?! Both kids nod at this and they’re sure because she’s said it numerous times. They’re so cute! Kang Ho then asks what a horrifying bastard is. The twins giggle and Ye Jin tells Seo Jin to tell him what horrifying means – really scary. So their father is someone really scary. Ye Jin says that her grandmother shudders at the mention of him, and Seo Jin says that he’s even seen the whites of her eyes.
Kang Ho is now at bat and knocks the ball off of the cliff where they’re playing. He tries to go after it but ends up falling out of his chair. Ye Jin says that her father will come and teach him a lesson for losing her ball. Now the twins are angry and leave upset. Poor Kang Ho just lays there in a heap covered in dirt and leaves.
Young Soon talks to Kang Ho’s colleague who tells her that things like this happen from time to time when a trial doesn’t go well. On her drive home, Young Soon stops abruptly and gets rear-ended by this dramatic man, who is wearing a maroon suit with very white boots. He claims to have damage on his foreign car from her old truck as he clutches his neck and demands for a settlement of 50 million won. She replies that she should be the one saying that, and says that she will call the police. When she pulls out her phone, he asks if she really wants to go to prison. She tells him that she’s not going and he should keep a safe distance from the car in front of him. He tells her that if she can’t drive, then she should cook at home for her kids and just shop online with her husband’s money. Ick. Gross. (I’ve gotta mute him.) He continues making sexist remarks and he’s behaving this way because he sees the luxury shopping bags Kang Ho’s belongings) in her trunk.
Right now Sung Ae and Gum Ja need to bathe Kang Ho, but neither one of them wants to do it. So Mr. Son’s wife, Ms. Jo, arrives and offers to do it as she does it for her husband who will whine if she doesn’t. (She tends to overshare… a lot.) Young Soon arrives and Kang Ho quickly rolls himself over to her. But she’s seething. He finally drops his gaze as he realizes he’s in even deeper trouble.
Inside their home, he asks his mother if he can go outside as he lost Ye Jin’s ball when they were playing – he changes it to exercising. She doesn’t say anything except to start putting clean clothes on him. He continues asking if they can go together and she finally snaps. She shoves him and asks how he could live like that. She points at his stuff and asks if he took money, bribes and did bad things. She’s asking the wrong person right now. He can only cower in his chair. She then starts screaming at him to say he didn’t and then starts hitting him. She rants that he’s brought tears and pain into other people’s lives. She eventually ends up sobbing and says it’s all her fault as she had wanted him to help people in need, save those who had been wronged. And she had locked him in a pigsty and forced him to do nothing but study. She sobs as she says that she wanted to make him rich and powerful but instead she made him into a cold-hearted monster. She starts hitting herself and sobbing. Kang Ho then throws himself out of the chair and sobs next to her as he tells her that he won’t do it again. He says that he really doesn’t remember. He asks her if he’s really a bad person and then apologizes. He then sobs as he says eomma over and over. She hugs him and consoles him that he isn’t. T__T What a painful scene.
Later, after replanting his office plant, she takes him to the pig facility. She explains that there are two animals useful from head to toe – humans and pigs. Everyone thinks pigs are dirty and smell but they only defecate in one place and sleep where it’s clean. They like to bathe in mud to cool off and get rid of bugs. But humans started to lock them in tiny pigsties, so the pigs were unable to bathe in mud anymore and began to rub their bodies on their own excrement. That’s how they grew dirtier and more aggressive. She then says what’s sad is that pigs are unable to lift their heads so they live their entire life staring at the ground. There is only one way for a pig to look up at the sky – by falling down. Falling down is a way for one to see another world, a world one has never seen before, both for pigs and people. She tells him that they have fallen over right now, him and her, and that’s how they’re able to see a world they’ve never seen before and couldn’t see before. A precious world they were meant to see. He repeats the words, “a precious world” and smiles.
Mi Joo is at work and interrupted by angry women who want their money back. She finally stops hiding and says that she needs time and she’ll pay them back. She gets fired and calls Sam Sik who is (and looks to be too well-dressed to be working) on a fishing vessel. She asks if she should return to her kids and start farming. He asks her if she thinks farming is a joke and if she knows how hard it is. Does she know when to spray fertilizers and pesticides, when to give nutrients, etc. He suggests that she come to the U.S. and join him, and they can look for Sun Young and that asshole who abandoned her and left for the U.S. When she asks where he is, we see that he’s sitting on the end of a boat – and he says he’s somewhere in the Pacific and there are dolphins. He makes dolphin sounds. She says it’s good that he’s cleaned up his act. He asks if she knows why he’s done this – so he’ll earn a lot of money and pay off her debt. So please remain the Mi Joo he’s always known – who refuses to lose to anyone – whether it’s a boy, her father or her sisters. Sam Sik is actually working as a waiter/go-fer at an illegal gambling den inside this Fishing Union Communal Workshop. He’s so full of lies!
Young Soon washes Kang Ho’s face and helps him get dressed for the day. (~1:03:00) Once she leaves to feed the pigs, he decides to leave the house as she didn’t tell him he couldn’t go out.
That annoying guy who rear-ended Young Son is trying to make it as a composer. But he’s being accused of plagiarism. Color me surprised. /s He then notices someone out in his yard – it’s Kang Ho looking for the bouncy ball. The composer screeches at him to leave as this is intrusion upon habitation, which makes Kang Ho cite the law for that crime. When he’s done, Kang Ho doesn’t know what intrusion upon habitation means. The guy screeches that he must be the village idiot and orders him to leave.
Kang Ho searches everywhere for the missing ball. His mother discovers that he’s missing from home and wonders where he went. She calls his phone but it appears that he dropped it from hanging around his neck. And so she’s looking for him as he’s looking for the ball.
It’s nighttime now, and Kang Ho trips over something and falls out of his chair and lands on his back. He then spots the ball, which is stuck up in a tree. He forces himself to sit up and picks up sticks to throw up at the tree to knock down the ball. Eventually the ball falls down and it lights up once it lands in his hand.
Then he goes looking for the twins at their home, calling their names and banging on the gate. The gate is finally opened by Mi Joo, who can only wordlessly stare at him with the bouncy ball and its flashing lights in his left hand.
Back then, Mi Joo and Kang Ho had celebrated their 28th birthday together. She’d made a wish for him to complete his training at the top of class, and for them to live happily for a long time. When she’d asked what he’d wished, he said for him to not be nervous. She asked what he meant by that and he’d urged her to blow the candles. Her present to him: A tie she’d embroidered with “10√2♥” She had said it was a limited edition, one-of-a-kind, for his appointment ceremony. He had asked what the ten square root of two is. She’d pointed out each part to him 1 is L, 0 is O, √ is V and 2 is E, as in love.
Then it was Mi Joo’s turn to receive a present – he serenades her as he’d taught himself to play the guitar. Kang Ho would visit her at the nail salon, fog up the glass window and then write “10√2” in it and then the two exchanged finger and arm hearts. The two were inseparable when he wasn’t away for school/work. Kan Ho even paints her nails yellow. Eventually, their relationship had become him visiting on the weekends only.
One day, he’d returned and she’d welcomed him with a cake for his appointment. But he had packed up all of his belongings and had a suitcase next to him. He’d wished to not be nervous again. He had then said that there was something he needed to do and she’d known he’d meant to do it on his own. He gave her a savings bankbook but she’d scoffed and said that she’d expected more given all the support she’d given for him to become a prosecutor. She had then asked to be set up with someone richer and better at giving love. Kang Ho had finally left.
In the present, Mi Joo closes the gate on him and when her kids ask who it was, she said it was no one. Ye Jin insists on reopening the gate and when she does, Kang Ho is already gone.
Young Soon is now pushing him home and gently chiding him for leaving to look for the ball without her. He suddenly realizes that his phone is missing from around his neck. Back at home, Young Soon takes some medicine before patching up her son from his adventures. He asks if she’s unwell and she says. Then she asks if he feels sad when she’s ill. When he says yes, she tells him to not let this happen again as she feels sad when she knows he’s hurt. He then asks why he’s in pain. She explains because he bruised and scraped himself. He says no, and then touches his heart – “right here”. She’s concerned and asks since when. He replies since seeing that pretty lady. When she asks who that is, he says it’s someone he doesn’t know. He continues rubbing his chest and says it still hurts as he gives a tiny smile.
Mi Joo finds out about Kang Ho’s current condition from her mother. The twins ask their mother if Bar Exam is a bad guy as Ye Jin holds out the bar exam meal bag, and if that’s why he is behind bars. She takes the bag from her as their Gum Ja asks why they went through her things. Ye Jin explains that they wanted to see if she brought them anything from America. Then she says Kang Ho lost that bouncy ball she got for them. Gum Ja yells at them for referring to him like that, as he’s actually their mother’s friend. The kids are confused and argue that he’s their friend. Gum Ja wants to continue scolding them but then she stops and tells her daughter that they do this, as she feels bad whenever she sees his mother.
Mi Joo tells the twins that they can’t do it anymore. They ask what they should call him then – Kang Ho oppa or Kang Ho samchon? She walks over and hunches down to their level, and tells them to not call him, don’t ever meet him or play with him again. She gets them to reluctantly agree to this. Her mother tells her to stop this as they’re excited to see her so quit scolding them. Her mother asks why she suddenly came home and if something’s wrong. Her mother looks at her bags and Mi Joo quickly starts looking for her kids’ presents.
Later when the kids are sleeping, Mi Joo gives her mother a manicure. She apologizes for not bringing her anything and her mother says this is plenty. Gum Ja admires her nails and says her hands have never looked this fancy in her 60 years of living. She knows without her saying a word, just by seeing her face, that she’s here to stay. She then hugs the quietly sobbing Mi Joo. She says that she knows it wasn’t easy for her to come, so they should live together. Aww.
Young Soon wonders who Kang Ho was referring to as the “pretty lady”. As there’s an 80% chance of rain today, she calls him to tell him to stay home as they have a hospital visit later. He says yes, just as he’s about to knock on the twins’ gate. He hangs up the call and calls the twins’ names but there’s no answer so he throws the ball over the gate. He leaves and happens to see Mi Joo and the twins with Ms. Jo and her dog. Kang Ho keeps his distance but the most adorable smile appears. Ms. Jo doesn’t know who she is though. Mi Joo tells her who she is. Ms. Jo rudely tells her that she’s really grown up and gotten old so she didn’t recognize her. Mi Joo notices Kang Ho nearby, and he quickly retreats and then says her name with a teeny smile.
The annoying composer is writing a song about intrusion upon habitation. When he checks on his drying clothes in the now pouring rain, he sniffs it and decides to confront Young Soon. He yells that his clothes smell like poop and how it all smells like poop. He’s the biggest piece of poop. She replies that they’re doing the best they can as they have a smell reduction system in place and also spray ozonated water. She says they’re still livestock, so it's impossible to get rid of the smell completely. He angrily tells her that if she can’t get rid of the smell, she should get rid of the pig farm. Then he launches into how she’s ruining careers just to make a living for herself. She asks how she’s doing that and he says he’s a composer – an artist – but he’s unable to do anything because of the poop smell. He continues raging but she warns him to stop being disrespectful. He asks what she is going to do. She says she’ll stop being polite and tells him that he can’t write songs because he’s an awful person – not because of the smell. She continues saying that he has no manners for anyone and with zero authenticity. He shrieks in response. She says her business is legally registered, and operating her farm without any legal problems. So if he has any complaints about her, go file a complaint or go sue her. Rawr!
The odious man leaves and goes to file a complaint and screams for the livestock division. This handsome man [cameo by Shin Seung Ho] in a suit asks how they can help him. The jerk is confused that this is the livestock division.
Mi Joo takes the twins out for pizza, and they don’t like the greasiness of the food. They ask if they will have to eat this every day in America. Ye Jin asks if their father can just come live in Korea, and then she asks when he will be coming. Mi Joo says that things are busy at the beauty salon, so he can’t come for a while. The kids are relieved that their scary father isn’t coming anytime soon. When they’re out shopping, Mi Joo notices the closed storefront of a nail salon.
Together the villagers are making everything they can with their pumpkins – cutting them up, drying them, saving the pumpkin seeds, and all to be used for porridge, pancakes and rice cake for the winter. Sung Ae complains that she never shows up. Mr. Son says that she’s busy with her pig farm. Sung Ae yells that she’s not talking about her – but his wife. She then asks how he met someone like her and everyone else wants to know, too. He says that he hasn’t been to tell them for the sake of their village’s safety. She’s actually the daughter of a newly rising yakuza boss in Japan. He goes on that her family had to disperse to avoid their enemies’ attacks, which is how she ended up in Korea. And if her true identity is leaked, there will be bloodshed in this village as he removes the knife from the pumpkin and brandishes it at them. And then he says the porridge ready – the pumpkin porridge – and then he cackles at their faces. He’s totally messing with them. Suddenly, the door opens from behind him and his wife is standing there carrying a large hand saw and everyone, including him, is really freaked out. LOL Ms. Jo grabs onto Gum Ja’s hands as she notices her nails and says Mi Joo did them, right?
The handsome livestock department employee is on the phone with Young Soon, and she apologizes for the trouble. He says that he can’t do farm visits right now because it’s the foot-and-mouth disease control period. She says she’ll take care of it so don’t worry about it. As she’s driving along, Kang Ho is doing his hand exercises next to her. When she hangs up the call, he grabs a hand grip strengthener and shows his mother that he can fully squeeze it now. She says he’s the best, and if he continues his exercises then he can walk soon. He then says he wants something. She tells him to tell her and she’ll get it. He asks for a dog. She says there’s a dog already, Yellow. He says no, not like Yellow. He wants a lapdog like Ms. Jo’s, and it can stay in his room. She says he can’t as there’ll be fur and it’ll need to be fed and washed. He loudly proclaims that he’ll do all of this. She laughs and asks him who made breakfast, bathed him and helped him get dressed today. He says she did, and then he pouts. She says he also has rhinitis. He whines, please, just this once. She continues saying no, he can’t have a dog. (~30:00, just look at his pouting face…XD)
When they arrive at the rehabilitation center, he’s still moping. At his session, Kang Ho seems down as he still can’t move his legs. The therapist tells him that he’s a miracle at their hospital and to not be discouraged as not everyone can recover so quickly. Kang Ho says no, this is about a dog. He wants a dog, and points at the photo on the therapist’s phone. The therapist says but that’s his dog, Happy.
Young Soon is waiting to get an endoscopy and sees the presidential candidate on TV, Oh Tae Soo, and seems happy about it as she remembers him as the prosecutor.
Elsewhere, Ha Young is at a club and she pulls out a bottle of pills. A drunk Ha Young recalls that Oh Tae Soo had shown her footage of Kang Ho carrying a baby with a woman (the secretary) and says that he was with another woman and even had a child with her. Her father says he killed her and her child. She gasps when she sees the footage of Kang Ho pushing the car off the side of the road. She’s in shock but she doesn’t believe it. She asks him what’s wrong with him. She then asks if it’s true why this wasn't reported to the police then. He tells her about working on his father’s case thirty years ago. And if he reports him, then everything from the past will be exposed to the world and it’ll be the end of him. So he tells her to end this before it’s the end of them. I knew it. She’s totally a pawn, a stepping stone for her father.
At home, Oh Tae Soo has company and Ha Young returns home in this state. When her mother comments about her hand, she says “I gave him the pills to kill him.” He nods at his wife to get her out of here and she and his henchman quickly start shuffling her up the stairs towards her room. She starts muttering to her mother that she did it. She also tells her father the same thing and he looks very displeased.
Chairman Song tells his henchmen that Kang Ho is like a dog off its leash, and he needs to be squeezed tight to realize who’s holding his leash. And they need to secure a hidden ace up their sleeves to be prepared for Oh Tae Soo who was once a prosecutor.
At home, Kang Ho suddenly compliments his mother for being pretty, prettier than the people on TV as she’s doing the dishes. She says no, as in no dog. He asks why not and then says that Mi Joo likes dogs. Young Soon is surprised to hear him say her name and then asks if he remembers her. He replies that he keeps thinking of her. He then says, “Please, eomma, buy me a dog so that I can show her.” She says but Mi Joo is married and lives in America now. So even if he had one, he couldn’t show her. He says no, Mi Joo lives at Ye Jin’s house. His mother says she’s going to visit their neighbor so he can’t go outside. He smiles and takes Yellow off his leash, and of course Yellow takes off. Andrea, with a piglet in his arms, sees this and sounds concerned about the dog running away. He puts the piglet into Kang Ho’s arms and then takes off. Kang Ho is surprised by this but when he sees the adorable cute piglet in his lap, he smiles. OMG. I have zero defense against LDH + a piglet. Z-e-r-o! (~39:15)
Young Soon goes to visit her neighbor, the annoying composer. However there’s no answer, so she leaves the food with a note – “From the pig farm, please enjoy.” On her way out, she is startled by Ms. Jo and her dog. She finds out that her dog is a bichon. The composer is talking to the same handsome livestock division employee, who tells him the pig farm was there first and he moved here later, so there’s nothing to be done about it. He then says that he provided guidance to the pig farm. And now the composer sputters that even a street dog could give them this much guidance. He then screeches that his rights to the pursuit of happiness are being violated. OMG, his voice is so grating. Violated? You are an overdramatic snowflake. The poor guy at this office bites his tongue – until the composer whines about who’s providing his paycheck – he’s paid by their tax money. He shrieks that he’s the reason why he’s making a living. I wish zombies would take out this waste of life. He’s told that he’s crossing the line. The farm owner is a citizen, too and she pays taxes, too. He asks if she’s done anything illegal at the farm and why is he giving her such a hard time. The composer now demands to know his name, and wants to see his name tag. He then shrieks why he is yelling at him. He isn’t yelling at him. He’s actually calmly and sternly speaking to him. The composer yells now that he’ll call the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and makes sure he gets the biggest lesson of his lifetime. The man manages to stay calm and lets him rant. The composer says he’ll end his life. The man tells him to go ahead as the old villagers don’t say anything but he rolls in and does this? The composer loses it and says he’ll show him how he rolls it. He rolls down onto the floor and starts writhing around like a toddler throwing a tantrum. And he screeches out that he’ll defend his right to pursue happiness. (Tell me that there really are zombies coming for him. Please.) Everyone else in the office looks appalled by this display. The man doesn’t give any reaction except to stand there and just looks at him. The moron finally realizes where he is right now and stops, stands up and quietly walks away.
Mr. Yang (brewery owner/shaman), Sung Ae and Ms. Jo are getting their nails done by Mi Joo outside in her yard. On the other side of the gate, Ye Jin is playing with the bouncy ball and wonders when Kang Ho came by and left it here. Seo Jin doesn’t think he came by, but that it was in the drain the whole time. She asks sadly if that means they can see Kang Ho anymore. Her brother says no way, they live in the same village, so they’ll run into each other sometimes. She asks if they should treat him like a stranger. He says he’s sure a little nod will be okay. She says, poor Kang Ho must be bored without them. Her brother replies that why do they seem more bored than he might be? (~43:00, Seo Jin’s mini adult expressions are adorable. The little lip curl. ^_^)
Kang Ho makes his way towards the gate and pretends to not notice the twins. Ye Jin calls out to him: “Kang Ho. No, Kang Ho oppa. I mean, Kang Ho samchon. With a bright smile, he asks what brings them here. Seo Jin says this is their home, so they’re usually here. Ha! He says right, and then the kids notice the squirming pig in his arm. They ask what that is, and he says it’s his pet pig, Lion. Seo Jin says there’s a dog named Tiger and a pig named Lion - what an odd village. (~43:49, I can’t handle all of the combined cuteness here!) Ye Jin asks if she can hold the piglet. So Kang Ho gives her the piglet and then asks if there are other people at the house. Ye Jin says there are a lot of people. But then the piglet escapes from Ye Jin’s arms and off it goes. The kids run after the piglet. Kang Ho isn’t too far behind them as he’s rolling and yelling oh no, Lion, as he needs to give it to Mi Joo.
Young Soon finds out from Andre that Kang Ho left with a piglet. Kang Ho is yelling “Lion” over and over as the three are trying to catch the escaped piglet. The composer is talking on the phone about the minister as he’s driving around in his convertible. He gets into an accident when the pig, kids and Kang Ho come running by in the opposite direction and he swerves to miss them. Kang Ho apologizes as he rolls by. The composer gets out of the car to tell him to stop and he quickly slips on some mud and flops down onto his butt. Hahaha.
The kids suddenly stop and drop to the ground. Kang Ho encourages them to keep going but they say they can’t run anymore. So he opens his arms and tells them to ride with him. Ye Jin says if his mother catches them on that, they’re dead meat. He says they’re already dead because of Lion, so hurry up. The kids run towards him and he puts Seo Jin on his lap first and then Ye Jin and off they go… The three yell charge and then head towards the pig. (~46:26, so cute!)
Back at home, the neighbors are thrilled with their manicures as Mi Joo and Gum Ja says goodbye to them. Mi Joo asks her mother if she should open a nail salon here, as even the women here just want to be pretty. Her mother asks her if she has the money to do this before going inside the house. Mi Joo looks frustrated by this and then she hears her kids and Kang Ho yelling about catching her, the piglet.
 |
| Charge! |
She sees Kang Ho coming towards her with the twins on his lap. They’re urging her to catch the piglet which is running towards her. She’s distracted as she’s staring at Kang Ho together with the twins before she snaps out of it and reaches down to grab the piglet. The kids and Kang Ho are relieved. She quickly hands him the pig but she has a hard time looking at him. He wants to say more but then his angry mother finds them. She yells his name, and Ye Jin tells him to hurry up and go. So the three run away from her wrath. XD!! There are three kids here… Young Soon tries to give chase but is interrupted by a call to give her information about the dog she had inquired about. She tells him that she’ll call him right back and then she tries to run after Kang Ho. She then realizes that she just ran past Mi Joo.
Young Soon is now inside their home and says that Kang Ho was talking about showing her a dog, and realizes that she really is here. Young Soon then asks her about her husband and Gum Ja says that he’s busy with the beauty salon in America, so she’s here for the kids. Young Soon then receives a call that Kang Ho has returned home and so she leaves.
The annoying composer is griping about how he’ll kill them when he catches them. But then he drives through the open gates and gets sprayed with something. He starts screaming as he’s getting wet. Bwahaha. He’s wondering if it’s water - but then he sniffs it and realizes it’s disinfectant. Nothing will clean this moron. lol There’s a sign on the gate in bold red print “All incoming cars must be disinfected.” This moron continues standing up in his car and shrieking about it. lol
Back at the farm, Young Soon is cleaning the piglet as she asks Kang Ho if he knows how sensitive pigs are. When one of them is infected, all of them get sick. She is worried about what it caught while running around the entire village. She asks what they’re going to do with it. Kang Ho apologizes. His mother says it lost its mother and is the runt of the litter. She had to feed the poor thing through a surrogate mother. Kang Ho asks if he can keep this one. He says he’ll feed it, wash it, and put it to sleep. He then says that he has her as his mother, but this piglet doesn’t have a mom so he’ll be its mother. She says nonsense, how will he raise a dirty and smelly pig at home. He repeats her words about the particular habits of pigs and what the humans did.
They’re interrupted by loud banging - it’s the angry compose who throws her food on the ground. She goes to pick up the food. He yells how she’s worried about the food as his car was almost totaled because of the pig. She says she doesn’t know what happened but she’ll compensate him if he were harmed in any way because of them. This jerk says, good, then give him 1 billion won a year. He says he’s a composer as he writes at least 60 songs a year for 10 million each, so that’s 600 million won, plus the royalties and album sales. Hahaha, I bet most of his songs are on pieces of toilet paper. She tells him that he hasn’t even released ten songs altogether… and they’re off the market because of plagiarism. He was sued for the newest song because it was the same as Na Hoon A’s “Ripe Persimmon”. It’s a song about a mother. He gets upset and starts poking at her and asks what her problem is. He then starts grabbing onto her and she starts yelling him to let go. Kang Ho overhears the commotion and comes over to see what’s going on. When he sees the composer attacking his mother, he quickly wheels himself over to them and physically hurtles himself into the man to defend his mother.
Now they’re at the police station, and the police officer asks the jerk composer if he’s claiming that Choi Kang Ho – over there – pointing at Kang Ho in the wheelchair – attacked him first. Kang Ho immediately starts rubbing his hands together and says that he’s sorry and he won’t do it again. His mother stops him and says that he didn’t do anything wrong, so stop apologizing. She tells the officers that there’s no son who would hold back when he sees his mother being grabbed and hurled on the ground. The jerk says he grabbed her but then he suddenly rushed at him, then pushed him and so he let go of her. Now he says he won’t settle so please arrest him. The cop tells him to not be like this as Young Soon is a woman of great character and she has a great relationship with everyone here. The cop says as they’re neighbors – and the annoying man flips out at this. He says he’s a civil man and he can sue them for a lot of things. Kang Ho intruded on his home and then he brought the pig on the road. So this is why he’s in this mess. Kang Ho says it’s Lion. The man yells “It was a pig, you idiot.” Young Soon yells at him for calling her son an idiot. She says her son is much smarter and has much better judgment than he does.
The composer then asks if he saw him get into an accident or not. Kang Ho yells that he did. Then he says that when he saw Lion, he tried to dodge it, and then the car swerved and crashed. And then Kang Ho repeats what he said this into his phone, “I just had an accident” with the same tone and inflection. Then he says, “Yes, I was driving!” Then he got out of the car and fell down. The cops say hold on, so that means he used his phone while driving, and asks if he was even wearing his seatbelt. The composer says well – and Kang Ho mulls over this before wheeling himself over to him. He then says that “Phone use is a violation of Article 40, Paragraph 1, Item 10 of the Road Traffic Act.” Then he raises his arm and points at him – “Neglect of a seatbelt is a violation of Article 50, Paragraph 1 of the Road Traffic Act.” Young Soon looks concerned about this.
Sam Sik is at work but loses it when he spots the guy who sent him to prison over the stolen ring. The guy says that his friend was a prosecutor, so he thought he’d get him out. Sam Sik says that he was never his friend, and then he punches the man over and over. Sung Ae is trying to get Mr. Bang to notice her pretty painted nails. The nails are way too colorful for these older women. lol Eventually he notices when he finds a piece of the nail deco in the food. And when he finally notices her nails, he says that this is the first time she’s been sexy in 40 years and he proceeds to make out with her. LMAO *covers eyes*
Oh Tae Soo has now banned Ha Young from going out except for official occasions, such as this volunteer activity with the family. He warns her if she ever gets in his way, he will not condone it, even if it’s her. She tells him to not worry as nothing in Korea can threaten him, unless he regains his memories. She then smiles at him. Later he calls to order someone to get rid of Kang Ho.
On their drive home, Young Soon asks Kang Ho how he remembers the Traffic Road Act, and he seems to not know what it is. When they get home, she tells him that she needs to go to Mr. Son’s place so go in first. He says he’ll go, too but she says she’ll be quick. She reminds him that Lion must be hungry and so he goes inside to take care of the pig.
She then goes to Mr. Son's and fills him in on what happened. He asks what kind of jerk would make her suffer like this. She then takes some medication and claims it’s just a stomach issue. When Ms. Jo in her infrared mask, interrupts to say that she’s going to clear out their medicine cabinet, Young Soon offers to get it all replenished and pay for it tomorrow. Mr. Son says it’s okay and then says if she’s that sick, shouldn’t she get a check up. She says she got a gastroscopy yesterday and will get the result next week. He says she’s got too much on her plate, and he’ll meet with that composer or whatever so don’t worry about him. Young Soon thanks him for his help.
Someone in motorcycle gear show up outside the pig farm. Inside, Kang Ho is cleaning up the poop that’s everywhere. Kang Ho hears someone coming and assumes it’s his mother but the helmeted person. Just as he’s about to be attacked with a knife, Chairman Song’s two henchmen jump out of the closet behind him. Omo!
[Ep6] Chairman Song’s henchmen sneaked into the house earlier to look for the original DNA test result amidst all of the pig poop. When Kang Ho returns unexpectedly, they quickly hide in the closet. Kang Ho flips out over the poop that’s literally everywhere. He also notices his mother’s belongings on the floor. He starts scolding Lion that if she doesn’t stop pooping they’ll both get kicked out. XD! LDH having a fit is always delightful. She is trying to hide from but Kang Ho finds him and scolds him for being an idiot. The two men in the closet want to leave but they’re worried about Kang Ho’s mother returning so they stay put.
Kang Ho goes about putting stuff away but realizes that the items were up in the closet and starts pounding on the closet doors. The two men try to shrink into the wall, but then Kang Ho is resigned to thinking it’s just Lion. He then sets about cleaning up all of this poop.
The helmeted-person arrives and tries to attack Kang Ho with a knife. At this point, the two henchmen jump out of the closet to protect Kang Ho, and then three interlopers start brawling inside. Poor Kang Ho just ducks down and watches in disbelief. The helmeted-person leaves and the two men try to give chase but they’re on a motorcycle. They finally get into their car to follow them. The helmeted-person calls someone and says that there was someone hiding inside, and then he’s sent flying off the motorcycle as he’s startled by the car in his way. He’s sprawled out on the ground and there’s a black star tattooed on his wrist. On the other end, Oh Tae Soo hangs up and then throws an angry tantrum.
Young Soon arrives home and poor Kang Ho tells her that some scary men suddenly barged in and made a mess. She asks from where at this hour. He says he has no idea but two men were in the closet and then another man came in through that door. She doesn’t believe him. He says that the third guy had a knife and was going to stab him but the two guys lunged at him. And then they crashed and fought here. She tells him to clean it up or else he and Lion will be kicked out. XD! This poor guy…
Chairman Song asks for an update from his men and is told that he disappeared at the hospital. He doesn’t care as he only wants to know if it’s been found. The older henchman, So Ji Seok tells him it’s a small village and it’s hard to avoid the neighbors. Chairman Song gets up and quietly dumps his hot soup on his head. Then he violently slams So Ji Seok’s head on the table and grabs the chopsticks to point them right at his eye. So Ji Seok quickly says that he’ll find it at all costs. His partner, Cha Seung Eon can only look on in fear. Chairman Song says that he told them that Oh Tae Soo would betray him and he’d only get more desperate as the election gets closer. He’ll get rid of everyone who gets in his way – so who do they think is next after Kang Ho? So make sure to keep Kang Ho safe until they find the document. The two men quickly and fearfully agree to accomplish this.
Sam Sik now owes 100 million won to the owner of the illegal gambling den for the destruction of property, compensation to the customers and loss of income as they had to close the business last evening. Since he can’t pay it, they proceed to beat him on the boat. He decides the best course of action is to jump into cold water and swim away.
In bed, Kang Ho is relieving the moments of the three men fighting inside the house. His mother, who is laying on the floor next to his bed, thinks about his ability to cite law. When she moves to get up, he closes his eyes and she tucks him in. She tells him to take his time but she still wants him to come back.
The composer is making the rounds in the neighborhood and uses his business card to introduce himself as Baek Hoon Ah, composer. Mr. Son knows him as the nightingale of Jou Ri - and they went to the same elementary school. When he says it’s no wonder he’s a composer as he was always a good singer, Ms. Jo says, well, wouldn’t he be a singer then? There’s a slight pause and then she says perhaps his good looks got in the way. *puke* Jealous Mr. Son now tells his wife to go rest if she’s done paring the fruit. She says she isn’t and he takes the apple core from her hand and says he can peel fruit as he shoves an apple wedge into his mouth. She smiles and leaves to retire to the bedroom. After she leaves, Mr. Son says if he’s going to live in this village, it’s best to ignore what she says. Mr. Baek says he lived in Seoul for a long time and he’s been downright ignoring her and laughs at this. Mr. Son asks if he’s here for good. Mr. Baek removes his glasses and then puts his head on Mr. Son’s lap as he calls him by his first name. I hate Mr. Baek but this actor is so good at this… *cringe*
At home, Young Soon and Kang Ho are listening to the news report of the foot-and-mouth disease spreading throughout North and South Jeolla Province as well as South Chungcheong Province. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has decided to cull 3,000 pigs at a farm where the disease was detected and take preventative measures at eight farms within a 3km radius. She finally turns off the TV and he asks her why they’re tormenting the pigs. She says they’re not - it’s because they’re sick. One sick pig could transmit disease to the entire farm and it could spread to other nearby farms, so they must kill them. Kang Ho asks if their pigs will be killed, too. She says no, as their pigs are vaccinated and there are no farms nearby. But she tells him that he needs to keep Lion on the farm from now on, as it can’t catch a disease. She tells him that the market is opening today so she’ll be going into town. He tells her that he’ll see her later then. She asks what’s gotten into him as he usually begs to go with her. He says that it’ll be crowded there so it won’t be easy to get around in his chair and he’ll stay at home. He says he’ll eat and exercise. She replies that she knows he just wants to play with Ye Jin and Seo Jin, and tells him to promise her to not get into trouble like last time. He gives her a pinky promise that he won’t.
Gum Ja sends Mi Joo to pick up an herbicide for her garlic field, and then hands her some money to start her shop. Mi Joo is very surprised by this. Gum Ja says she’s been saving this for her wedding so make sure to look for a good place. Mi Joo softly says eomma, and Gum Ja says this is the last time she’ll be helping her out. Aww, all bark, but no bite. Mi Joo hugs her and thanks her profusely. She promises to work really hard and pay her back handsomely. She continues hugging her tightly and her mother tells her to keep it together and go. She leaves and asks her phone, Ju Ni (virtual assistant) to get her the bus schedule from here to Uri Myeon, and is told that bus is arriving soon. Kang Ho is thinking about seeing the twins but gets distracted when he sees Mi Joo running after and notices when she drops the wallet (the one her mother just gave her). *facepalm* And so he shouts her name but it’s too late as the bus pulls away. And so he flags down a taxi…
Young Soon is in line at the post office and on call while she waits. She’s asking someone about the old lady who protested outside of Kang Ho’s work. She’s interrupted by the postal woman who asks what’s inside the box – she says red chili powder, sesame seeds, a few potatoes, sesame oil and perilla oil. Who is this for?
Mi Joo arrives at the Bando Real Estate office. She tells the real estate agent that the rent seems pretty high despite it being in a rural area. He explains that this is the only town around here and the land value has soared because a semiconductor company will be moving here. She thanks him and then says that she’ll call him later as she leaves.
Now Young Soon is at the market and spots a pair of white sneakers for Kang Ho but she wants to wait and return for them when she can. Her next stop is the pharmacist (which is next door to the real estate office) where she buys some vitamins. She then asks for medication for indigestion as she’s had stomach cramps. The pharmacist asks if she’d like three days’ worth and she replies she needs three months. Kang Ho wheels by the pharmacy and then the real estate office to look for Mi Joo.
Back in Jou Ri, Mr. Son is now at Gum Ja’s who also happens to know Mr. Baek. When she asks if he’s here for good, he “breaks down” and starts hugging her. Gum Ja silently signals for Mr. Son to leave them alone.
Mi Joo is now talking to the shop owner next door to the closed nail salon. She looks around and stops at the flower shop to look at the fish tank and thinks about Kang Ho’s words about how he liked to look at them as “the fish in the tank were about to die at any time, but no matter how painful or scary it was, they’re unable to cry or scream. And this is how he thought judicial officers must be.” Kang Ho spots her outside the shop and calls her name but then an egg truck drives by announcing the sale of their fresh eggs. Kang Ho follows behind the truck and yells after her but of course she can’t hear him. He then wheels by the plant store and sees the fish tank that she was looking at but doesn’t think anything of it.
Mi Joo is at the agricultural chemical store and has finally discovered that her wallet is missing, so she’s on the phone with her mother. How is she this calm?! She then hands the phone over to the owner and once he realizes it’s Gum Ja, he goes to grab the herbicide she wanted. While waiting, she helps a halmeoni who is complaining of finger pain. It turns out to be the beginning stages of an ingrown nail, which she quickly trims, which gives the woman some instant relief. The two women ask why she doesn't open a nail salon here. She says that the rent is too high, and looking into a shop-in-shop situation but… The halmeonis excitedly tells her to utilize the empty corner inside this shop for her nail salon. She asks how much the rent is, and she’s told there wouldn’t be any rent as it’s an underutilized area anyway. The women persuade the owner by saying they’ll convince everyone to buy seeds, fertilizer, and everything else while they’re inside. Mi Joo then says she has her truck driver’s license and can grab products from storage when he’s busy, and deliver, too. The owner and Mi Joo shake hands to seal the deal.
Kang Ho is still looking for her around town but he gets distracted by a tote bag. When he puts the tote bag on, a thief runs up and takes Mi Joo’s wallet from him. The thief runs away but crashes into a bicyclist. When the man tries to get up and run away, this time, Kang Ho finds an apple and hits him with it. The man finally abandons the wallet and runs away as Kang Ho yells “homerun or strikeout”. He has a faint memory of talking about baseball before, but then the shop owner runs after him for stealing the tote bag. Kang Ho tries to explain that he was trying it on, and then the man starts berating him. Mi Joo intervenes and says that he’s unwell. The shop owners say that he stole their apple, too. Kang Ho reveals the wallet in his hand and says that someone stole this so… Mi Joo is shocked to see this, and asks how he has this. He repeats her query to Ju Ni, and explains that when she went to catch the bus, she dropped it. Mi Joo offers to compensate the shop owners for the damage, and at this point Young Soon finds them. When she yells his name, his immediate reaction is to duck and hide his head behind Mi Joo. LOL! (~30:00)
Now the three are in the Happy Farm truck and Young Soon asks how he got there. He says “You can’t buy anything if you don’t have your wallet.’ Young Soon says that it’s dangerous as there are too many cars so if he finds anything else from now on, he needs to give it to her or Mr. Son. He says okay. His mother then says no matter what, he shouldn’t touch someone else’s stuff. She asks why he took the bag and he says “Bar Exam Meals.” His mother thinks he said “to put him behind bars”, while Mi Joo sits in shock. His mother swats at him for saying this about elders and says he needs to be scolded. He tries to get away from her hands and leans back to beg Mi Joo for help. lol! His face and voice. When they drop off Mi Joo at home, Young Soon gets out and hands her a bag of supplements and tells her to tell her mother that she’s sorry that Kang Ho ruined her field. Mi Joo says she should be the one who is sorry as her daughter lost her grip on the pig. Young Soon says that she must’ve been surprised. Mi Joo says yes, as they could’ve lost the pig. Young Soon says no, she meant Kang Ho. She explains that she couldn’t talk to her about him in the truck. She had also noticed that she looked upset. Mi Joo denies this. Young Soo grabs onto her hand and says that she treated her harshly back then, blaming her for Kang Ho not taking his CSAT as she even refused to give her his contact information. She apologizes and says she’s being punished now for what she did back then. She asks for her to forgive her. Mi Joo tells her to not be like this, and she’s happy that she got to see him again. She also tells her that she knows how strong Kang Ho is and to not give up on him, as he’ll walk again soon. Inside the truck, Kang Ho turns around and looks out the back window to wave happily at Mi Joo.
Mr. Bang is crying happy tears at the reunion with Mr. Baek, and asks for him to see him a song… a bedwetting song, as Mr. Bang was the bedwetter. Why would you ask for this?! When he suggests to the villagers the idea of getting rid of the pig farm, everyone protests as it’s absurd. He then makes the promise to replace the pig farm with a trot concert hall. (I keep hoping for 🧟♀️🧟.) He goes on about having a concert every week here. They’re not happy as it’ll make people swarm to the village, and then it’ll be noisy and chaotic. He says that they’ll have security for the biggest trot concert hall here, and suggests Sam Sik for the lead position. He also suggests having hair and makeup done by Mi Joo. He goes on about having restaurants, a cafe, a parking lot, and cleaning and running a bed-and-breakfast. The shaman says that he has the biggest house here and nearly each room has its own bathroom. There will be more residents soon enough and then the village will become a town in no time, and instead of Chief being just a village head, he may be a governor.
Young Soon and Kang Ho are making their deliveries to the residents and Mr. Son is the first stop. She calls his name but there’s no answer. So she leaves the bags on his doorstep. She wonders where everyone is. She receives a call from Andrea that a pig is about to give birth. So she tells Kang Ho to give a bag to Mr. Kim from the goat farm, a bag for the persimmon treehouse, a bag for Ms. Choi and the remaining two are for Ms. Park. He nods in understanding. She then tells him that she won’t return home until tomorrow morning as she has to be there for the birth. She reminds him to feed Lion, and there’s already food in the fridge for him, and to exercise for an hour before bedtime. She asks if he can do this. He says yes, but to hurry home because the scary men might come again. She tells him to not call the scary men every again and then takes off. Kang Ho asks Ju Ni to find nearby goat farms – there are 70 of them. O_o
Young Soon finds out where everyone is and stays out of sight as she overhears them working together to get rid of her and her pig farm. Later, Kang Ho finishes his deliveries and when he sees the running water at night, he’s reminded of Mi Joo. So he goes fishing by the water’s edge and is spotted by Sam Sik.
Back then, Kang Ho was at a fellow prosecutor’s promotion party and Sam Sik had gone over to say hi. He hugged him and said that they were childhood friends. But then he brought up the fact that he used to reek like a pig farm. Kang Ho had taken him outside without saying a word to him, and then handed him some cash. Sam Sik wondered what this was about. Kang Ho had replied that isn't that why he had approached him. Sam Sik had said thank you, chingu, and then gripped the 300,000 won tightly behind his back as he knew that he’d been snubbed. Later, Sam Sik had gone to see Kang Ho and explained receiving the ring, which he hadn’t known was a stolen item from an assemblyman’s house and had been told to sell it off and collect the funds as payment for his work. He had asked him to talk to the prosecutor in charge but Kang Ho had just ignored him. Sam Sik had then said that they’re chingu, which had finally prompted Kang Ho to look at him and told him that they’re no longer chingus. Sam Sik had gotten down on his knees and apologized for all the things he did and said to him back then. He had begged for him to help him out just this once, and if he did, he promised to start anew. He’d said it was over for him if he went to jail again, and to help him for his poor mother’s sake. He had continued begging for his help but Kang Ho had finally told him that he couldn't help him. When Kang Ho had gotten up to leave, Sam Sik had continued to tearfully beg him. Kang Ho had opened his office door, and then coldly asked him to be quiet and leave.
In the present, Sam Sik stands right next to Kang Ho by the water and urinates next to him. Kang Ho is grossed out by this. So Sam Sik says if isn’t Prosecutor Choi Kang Ho, and then says oh, he must’ve hurt his legs. With such innocence, Kang Ho asks who he is and then turns back to his fishing pole. Sam Sik says he knows that he doesn’t want to associate with him but it’s been hard for him to forget him. He asks how it feels to have kept him behind bars for months, chingu? Kang Ho picks up on that word and asks if they are chingu. Sam Sik scoffs and says oh, how dare a petty thief try to befriend a great prosecutor. He then starts laughing quite loudly which makes Kang Ho tap him on the arm and tells him to be quiet as he’s disturbing the fish. Sam Sik angrily grabs him by the shirt and tells him to “shut up, you jerk.” Then he repeats his words from before about not knowing about the stolen goods, and begging for his help. And then to be told they’re not friends and to be quiet and leave. He then asks how he has the audacity to face him, “you son of a bitch.” Kang Ho is taken back by his use of the expletive as he repeats the phrase and then pushes Sam Sik’s arms away from his body. He then points a finger at him and says that he just cursed and he’s going to tell his mother. But then he remembers that his mother is tending to the pigs. So he yells that he’s going to tell Ye Jin’s father as he has no idea how scary he is – a horrifying bastard! XD! (~45:00)
Kang Ho is now banging on the twins’ gate and shouting for Ye Jin and Seo Jin. The twins open the gate and Kang Ho says that he needs their father’s help. Seo Jin says he doesn’t need him as much as they do, but what for? Awww. Kang Ho says a stranger called him a son of a bitch. Ye Jin asks how dare someone say that about their chingu. Mi Joo comes out and asks the twins what’s going on but when she sees Kang Ho, she becomes quiet. Ye Jin explains that someone cursed at Kang Ho and she won’t let this slide. Then she says, let’s go and the twins try to run off but their mother grabs onto them and tells him they’re not going anywhere. Mi Joo tells Kang Ho that it’s almost dinnertime, so go home as his mother will be worried. Kang Ho says she’s not at home as one of the pigs is giving birth so she won’t be returning tonight. Ye Jin asks then what about dinner. He says that he can have rice with the banchan in the fridge. Ye Jin sweetly says then why doesn’t he just eat with them as the table has already been set and then walks around to push his chair. Mi Joo protests at this but she is literally pushed out of the way by her son, who says no, eomma, as he clears the path for their friend. XD!!! (~46:55, the show-stealing twins! My heart is full with them.) Kang Ho quietly rolls his way towards the house.
Sam Sik’s parents are arguing about doing this to Young Soon as they pick up the supplements that Kang Ho left for them outside their shop. Mr. Bang doesn’t want to do this as they’re fellow parents, while Sung Ae wants to do this for their son. She’s happy that he’ll be the head of security at the biggest concert hall in Korea. He agrees that their son is struggling to land a job as an ex-convict and he should be their top priority. And how will it appear to the public that an ex-convict is in charge of security?! When they get to their home, they notice that their gate has been left open and wonder why. They go to investigate and hear someone making noises inside their unlit home. Mr. Bang wonders if a thief is robbing a fellow thief’s house and goes inside armed with an empty bottle while Ms. Park grabs a shovel. Mr. Bang hits the thief on the head with the bottle and then Ms. Park beats them with the shovel. Sam Sik clutches at his head and finally screams, “Mother, it’s me, Sam Sik!” The parents finally turn on the lights and see their son laying on the floor who is bleeding from a head wound.
Sam Sik is filled in on what’s happened to Kang Ho. He says that he had no idea as he gave him an earful earlier. Sam Sik says he feels sorry for Ms. Jin as he’s her one and only son and she’s dedicated her life to supporting him by running that pig farm. His mother curls up her lips at this and then smacks him for saying that after getting out of prison. She asks if he thinks she didn’t work hard to support him, and continues to beat on him as she demands for her discharge deposit. He asks his father for help, and he says he’s getting ready to help – and then he searches his body for the money. They then discover that Sam Sik has other injuries.
At the Lee home, Ye Jin says that rice is a staple for Koreans yet they’re eating bread for dinner. She says that the color reminds her of diarrhea. Her brother who is equally disgusted, quietly tells her that their mother learned to cook this tomato stew for them, so just eat it. She looks at her mother and asks where she learned this ridiculous recipe as she continues stirring around her stew. When their mother hisses at them, they (and Kang Ho) quickly take a bite. Seo Jin asks his mother if doesn’t feel like they’re a family since they’re eating together, and then gestures at Kang Ho and says appa. Then he gestures at her and says eomma. She tells him to stop that nonsense and eat. Ye Jin says that she’s done and her mother says that she didn’t eat her carrots. Ye Jin says she doesn’t like them. Her mother tells her to eat them if she wants to be healthy. Seo Jin sweetly says that he wants Kang Ho to be healthy, and then scoops a carrot out of his bowl and places it in Kang Ho’s bowl. Both Kang Ho and Mi Joo look unhappy about this, and Mi Joo yells at her kids if they want her to scold them. The two quickly yell and flee the table.
ow Mi Joo gets up and removes the carrots from Kang Ho’s bowl. He asks why she’s doing that and she replies that he doesn’t eat carrots. He asks how she knows that but she doesn’t say anything. Then he asks if they’re also friends and she stares at him for a second before saying that they went to school together. He smiles and says out loud so that’s why he kept thinking of her. She says he’s done eating, then he should go. He says no, he isn’t and proceeds to dig into his bowl. She sighs and sips her water. He then says that he’s sorry. She asks for what. He says that he couldn’t catch any fish. She’s confused. He replies that she likes fish so he wanted to catch one for her. But then someone cursed at him. He then asks where Ye Jin and Seo Jin’s father is as he wants to meet him and hears that he’s a horrifying bastard. She gives a light laugh before sighing and then tells him that she doesn’t like fish, so he doesn’t need to catch any for her. He also doesn’t need to come back here again, don’t meet with her kids again and she doesn’t want to see him anymore. She then asks if he’s done eating and walks over to collect his bowl. He asks her if he was a bad person to her, too? She can only look at him. He says he hopes that he wasn’t but he guesses that he was. Gum Ja returns and the kids happily greet their grandmother. She notices Kang Ho is here and asks what he’s doing here. Ye Jin says that his mother is away with a pig that’s about to give birth so he ate with them. Then she asks Kang Ho who is feeding Lion. Kang Ho realizes that he needs to go feed Lion and so he leaves.
Mr. Son and his wife are looking at the stuff from Young Soon, and his wife mentions the tragedy with her husband, then her son, and now she’ll be betrayed by the villagers she trusted. Her husband says to not say it like that and that they want her to have a comfortable life. She asks if they all gathered together and made this plan to close down her farm, so she could live a comfortable life? She says she’s disgusted with them and leaves the room with her dog. Ah, she does have a heart underneath all those masks.
So Ji Seok and Cha Seung Eon have returned to the pig farm to look for this document. So Ji Seok searches the office while Cha Seung Eon is on lookout duty. Young Soon and Andrea are happy that the pig has given birth to 13 piglets. She tells him to go home as she’ll wrap up here. He says it’s not right but she insists that she needs to write the daily report and sends him home. When Andrea leaves, So Ji Seok receives a call that someone’s coming. He hides under the desk when Andrea comes in to grab his stuff. After Andrea turns off the lights and leaves, he waits until Cha Seung Eon tells him it’s safe to come out. Cha Seung Eon says the worker left, and that Kang Ho’s mother probably went home, so it’s probably empty. Young Soon is alone with the pigs and thinking about Mr. Bang’s chant about fighting for a fresh Jou Ri. She wishes she hit him.
Outside, So Ji Seok and Cha Seung Eon are at the wrong place – the manure facility. When they turn around, they’re so startled by Young Soon that they end up falling into the pile of manure. They quickly stand up and she asks what they’re doing here, the Cha Seung Eon says they’re trying to start a farm and has heard that pig manure is better than fertilizers. Young Soon says that one can’t just cover the field in manure, as sawdust and probiotics needs to be added, to turn it into an organic fertilizer. She says that she’s used up what she has and will give them some when she makes more. The two then try to scurry out of there but then she says that it’s nice to see young men who want to farm as it’s mostly older people here. She asks where their field is and he points out somewhere and she says that’s hers. And so he claims that he bought one behind the field that is two fields down from that one. She seems to know which one he’s referring to, and is happy that it’s been sold. She says she’ll let them know when she gets more manure, and then asks where they live. So Ji Seok tries to answer but Cha Seung Eon says they’re about to build one. She then tells them that this is a restricted area and with the disease going around – So Ji Seok apologizes and drags Cha Seung Eon away. He asks if he’s gone crazy - as they now might have to buy a field, farm and build a house. Hahaha. Cha Seung Eon says he got flustered with her questions. (Just like she flustered the villagers before…)
Behind them, Young Soon suddenly grunts in agony and collapses to the ground. At home, Kang Ho suddenly wakes up and calls for his mother. He doesn’t find her, only Lion in his fenced area. Mi Joo is unable to sleep and thinks about Kang Ho mentioning if he had been a bad person to her.
Nearby, Gum Ja is unable to sleep either. She recalls when she and Young Soon were laying next to each other with their newborns in between them. She had told Young Soon to not worry about raising the baby on her own as she’d done this before, so she knew a thing or two. Later when Gum Ja’s husband passed away, Young Soon had comforted her at his funeral by repeating these same words. Not far away, a sobbing little Mi Joo was comforted by little Kang Ho.
In the hospital, Young Soon dreams of her parents and brother who are leaving for her father’s first company picnic. She runs out to give them the gimbap she’s made for the occasion. Her parents smile at this and her brother whines that he wishes she could go. She says if it weren’t for her practical test next week, she would. Her mother tells her to not worry as she’ll pass no matter what. Her father plays some music and drives off, she waves at them and turns to go back inside. But then she hears the sound of a truck hitting their car, and then she wakes up. She asks why she’s here and the nurse tells her that she fainted at her farm and two men brought her here. She can see the doctor now, if she can walk. She says yes, but her head hurts.
Back at home, Kang Ho is wondering where his mother is. She’s not in the kitchen, not in the bathroom, and he can’t go to the farm, so he’ll call her. When he calls her, the phone is answered by a nurse.
Mr. Baek is all set up outside the farm, to protest and drive her out but he’s waiting on the villagers. So he calls Mr. Bang to ask where he is, who says that as a fellow parent, he doesn’t think this is right. Behind him, his wife is cleaning their son’s wound, and he’s flinching like a big baby. XD Yoo In Soo, I love you, even/especially when you’re a nincompoop. lol Mr. Bang explains that their hearts break even when their son gets injured in the tiniest bit, so imagine how Young Soon must feel. So they won’t be a part of it. Gum Ja’s excuse is that she needs to spray herbicide on her garlic field, and thin out the cabbages. She just has so much to do and no time to protest. Mr. Son says he knows that he’s here after ending up dirt poor due to gambling debt and plagiarizing, so how is he going to build the biggest concert hall in the country? Then an upset Kang Ho shows up outside Mr. Son’s house as he’s banging on his gate and yelling his name.
According to the doctor, Young Soon’s biopsy results show that she has stage IV stomach cancer. In interpreting the scan, it’s metastasized to her peritoneum (serous membrane lining the cavity of the abdomen and covering the abdominal organs). She’s shocked as she only came here for her indigestion. The doctor says the pain should be pretty unbearable at this point and Young Soon says she just has indigestion every now and then and she feels fine every time she takes the medication. She denies having cancer and asks the doctor if the chart is for her, Jin Young Soon. She says her son is quite unwell right now so she… she can’t. Then she gets on her knees and begs the doctor to save her. She asks if surgery will help or the new drugs for late stage cancer. She starts sobbing as she thinks of Kang Ho.
Afterwards as she’s slowly walking out of there, Kang Ho sees her and quickly wheels himself over to her. In his hurry to get to her, he pitches the chair forward and dumps himself to land in a heap onto the floor, right at her feet. She makes the attempt to help him back into the chair, but she struggles and suddenly just stops. He looks up at her, wondering what’s going on, and she icily tells him to get up. He can’t and so she walks away, and goes on right past Mr. Son and Mr. Bang without a single word. Her wall of defense is back…
[Ep7] A man tells Young Soon to pull herself together as she’s a mother. It’s actually the vet talking to the sow as her piglets are all looking for her. She needs to get up, feed them and look after them. This makes Young Soon think about her own health issues.
Back at Son house, Mr. Son and Mr. Bang are saying that it’s a good thing that Young Soon had help the other night at the pig farm. When Mr. Bang asks what the men were doing there, Mr. Son said they were there to buy their field - their cornfield. Back at the Bang family mill, So Ji Seok gives a briefcase full of cash to Sung Ae, which she is happy about until she hears her son stirring around. So she quickly hides it by sitting on it. Sam Sik walks in and is startled by these strange men and asks his mother who they are. She says they’re planning to move to their village soon and want to order rice cakes for gifts. She then asks how many mals they’d like and So Ji Seok says he’s not sure. Cha Seung Eon says three mal, and then changes it to thirty maris because there are so many people in this village. (Mal = 4 gallons of rice. Mari = head, which is used as a counter for animals, so he’s saying 30 animals. These lies are adding up. lol) This is way too much rice cakes, and Sam Sik notices that there’s an ink pad and his mother’s seal is on the table. He wonders what’s going on and then notices that his mother is seated taller than normal. Suddenly, his father runs in to yell that he’s heard that they’ve sold their cornfield… Busted. Sam Sik goes outside to vent his anger, but then the gangsters spot him and haul him away.
At their home, a sad Young Soon watches Kang Ho play with Lion, and thinks about what the doctor told her: She needs the surgery, however it may not be effective with her aggressive metastases, and to get her affairs in order. She’s so distracted that she ends up burning herself and then drops the plate when she pulls out some noodles. When Kang Ho checks on her, she says she’s okay. Then she looks at the rice cooker and realizes that it hadn’t been turned on to cook. Kang Ho quietly pulls out some towels from the mini fridge while she’s sweeping up the broken plate. Later, Young Soon is looking at various documents and writing notes for Kang Ho on what needs to be taken care of. But she frustratedly throws down her pen and tearfully looks up at her husband’s photo and says she can’t die.
Later she tells the vet that she’d like to leave the farm to her son as she wants to make sure he can make a living if anything happens to her. The vet says she doesn’t need to worry about that yet. She says that one never knows what will happen in life. She says he knows that her son is unwell. So he advises her to get a good farm manager, and he’ll help him with the medicine and vaccinations. She’s very thankful that he’s agreed to help with this.
Elsewhere, from a distance, with his back turned to them, Kang Ho tells the twins that his mother is being weird. Ye Jin says that all moms are weird, as they’re always getting angry. Seo Jin says that’s because she bought 200,000 won worth of items for a game on her phone. Oops. XD! Ye Jin clicks her tongue and says kids can sometimes make mistakes. Are we sure she’s a kid? She’s more like a mini ajumma. Hahaha. Seo Jin sighs and shakes his head before asking Kang Ho about his mother. Kang Ho doesn’t say anything as he seems lost in thought. When the twins can’t get his attention, they finally run over to him to confront him. He says they can’t do this as their mother doesn’t like them hanging out. Ye Jin says how is this hanging out as they just met by chance. Seo Jin agrees with her as this happens pretty often in a tiny village like this one. Kang Ho doesn’t look reassured by this so Seo Jin tells him to not worry as their mother went into town. He asks if she remembered to bring her wallet. Ye Jin say that’s not what’s important – so how is Ms. Jin weird? He whispers that she doesn’t say much. The twins say isn’t that a good thing as she can’t nag him then. XD! These kids were given the best lines. He replies that she’s low on energy and doesn’t smile anymore. (~7:30, I want to adopt these kids! Where can I apply?) Suddenly, Young Soon runs up to them, calling his name and she’s all smiles. She greets the twins, looks at their books, returns them and tells them to their grandmother that she said hi. Then she cheerfully says that Kang Ho has an appointment and pushes him away with a loud cheer. Ye Jin asks her brother if he didn’t say that she wasn’t talking much…
Young Soon takes Kang Ho to the market and they’re at the shoe vendor for tall boots. While she goes inside to look at the boots, Kang Ho notices a fluffy white dog that looks like Tiger walking around without his human and without a leash. So he follows it around, and it’s actually another woman’s dog named Uri. Three schoolboys notice Kang Ho in the wheelchair and become excited to see him. So, they give him money for him to buy them cigarettes, and he tricks them into thinking he did it. But he only lectures them for being too young to smoke and returns the cash to them. When he turns to leave, they claim that they gave him 50,000 won. He says that he didn’t and they call him an idiot. He then pulls out his phone and says he’s calling his mother. They try to take the phone from him but they’re interrupted by a boot landing on one of the boys’ back. It’s a very angry Young Soon who calls them damned bastards and grabs a large yellow shovel to beat them with. They wisely flee from her.
Back at home, Young Soon is yelling the phrase “son of a bitch” over and over at Kang Ho who looks scared by this. She tells him to repeat this. He repeats it very quietly and she tells him to say it louder and he finally yells it. She tells him if anyone calls him an idiot or cripple, he’s to use this. He tells her that he can’t use this – and she yells loudly that he can. She leaves and gives him a padded portfolio with a zipper around it, and then opens it. It’s full of her notes and important documents. She tells him to keep it safe and he can’t show it to anyone. She then says: “Kang Ho, let’s exchange this for that. Kang Ho, stamp your seal here. Kang Ho, can you stand surety for me?” She asks him what he should say to these things and he sits there quietly thinking about it. She then yells to ask him what he should say. He yells loudly, “You son of a bitch!” She nods and says good, very good. She then shows him the bank account that his father set up for him, and she’s been saving up to give to him when he gets married. This is very important so she’s tucking it away to hide a secret pocket. She stresses to him to not tell or show it to anyone. He says that she hid it in his bag. She isn’t sure what he’s referring to. Kang Ho remembers when she had told him: “Don’t lose your lunch money.” She’d then tucked away the envelope of cash into the very bottom of his backpack for safekeeping until he got it to the teacher. Currently, she is relieved to know that he’s slowly regaining his memories.
Then she shows him how to raise pigs. She says that twice a day, morning and night, when he’s hungry, he needs to come to the farm before he eats and to make sure the pigs are eating well. If the feed gets wet or freezes in cold weather, it clumps and clogs the feed tube. So he needs to use this rubber mallet hammer and tap it on the feed bin a few times to loosen it up. He must always keep it neat and disinfected so the pigs don’t get sick and make sure the pigs are happy at their farm. He says yes, Happy Farm.
Then she shows him the massive piles of pig manure which is used as fertilizer for the potato field. Kang Ho pinches his nose at the smell, says okay, and then tries to wheel as far away as possible from it. I would assume one would wear a mask during this type of work, no? First, the manure is spread over the field, then the weed barrier is placed on top. Then, make holes in the plastic for the potatoes, which she demonstrates with the trowel. When Kang Ho sees the potatoes on the ground, he picks up a pole and hits it like one would a golf ball, and makes it into an empty hole next to his mother. She orders him to focus.
Now they’re back inside and she’s showing him where to keep the humidity at (less than 60 is optimal) controlled by a phone app. And if the pigs cough, have diarrhea or collapse for no reason, he needs to call the vet. She has read the script that she’s written for him. And if the vet can’t come because of an outbreak of infectious disease, she then shows him the large needle, which makes him squeamish. She explains that they need to buy the medicine and inject the pigs themselves. He just continues looking horrified by this. She says if he doesn’t, then the contagion will spread. He shakes his head and says he doesn’t want to and shots are scary. He then says he can’t do this and tries to leave but his mother says no, it’s easy. She demonstrates how to just stab the pig with the needle - with her eyes tightly shut just as his are. Heh. Brave words from eomma… (~16:30, I want a GIF of Kang Ho’s 7 y.o. expressions here. XD!) Kang Ho is actually proud of his mother and says she’s the best.
Finally, Young Soon shows him the piglets with their mother and tells him that mother pigs will feed them and clean them. The mother pig will teach them everything from where to eat, where to poop, how to scratch an itch and how to grunt when they’re angry. Then after 25 nights, they are weaned. (~17:08, his face is so cute as he’s watching the piglets…)
Mi Joo gets off the bus while she’s on the phone placing an order for newly released gel polishes, pearls, nail tinctures and bottles of moisturizing hand cream for tomorrow’s grand opening. When she hangs up, she’s startled by Ms. Jo who is wearing a duck facial mask and has her manicured fingers raised. She whines that the charms fell off. So Mi Joo fixes her nails and tells her about her new shop opening tomorrow. Gum Ja tells her and the other women that the free services will end and they need to go see her at her new nail salon after tonight. Sung Ae isn’t around as she’s at the bank, and Gum Ja wonders if she’s borrowing money again for her troublesome son.
A very beaten up Sam Shik is dropped off on the side of the road, and then his phone rings. It’s Mi Joo wondering where he is. He says that he’s out in the Pacific and working hard to catch fish. He then yells as if he’s talking to someone, and then he asks where she is. She says she’s opening her new nail salon soon, and he’s happy for her. He tells her that he’s glad that she didn’t go back to the countryside as she’s too talented… and then he sees her sitting by the window in town. He says he’ll call her back and hangs up. She looks out the window and sees him… and then he tries to hide his beaten up face from her. Now the two are commiserating over the mess of their lives. Sam Sik says they’re better off than Kang Ho, who used to be so haughty like he owned the world. Now he’s become an idiot. She takes offense at that and asks how he can say such a thing about someone who is unwell. He teases that her anger is bringing out her dialect and calls her cute as always. She calls him an idiot and walks away from him. Sam Sik goes after her and says that she doesn’t have to get so worked up. Then he asks if she still likes Kang Ho. She says he’s insane and tries to walk away but he wants a response as she’s still dodging his question. She tells him that people avoid poop not because it’s dirty but because it’s scary. He’s confused about why poop would be scary.
Mi Joo returns home to a sobbing Seo Jin and she asks Ye Jin if she hit him again. Ye Jin denies this and says he’s crying because he doesn’t want to go to the public bath. He tearfully asks his mother if he has to go to the public bath as he hates going to the women’s bath with his grandma and sister. Ye Jin says that last week he ran into two boys from kindergarten. She then yells at him to stop crying as it’s not his fault. Seo Jin tells his mother that he wants to go to the men’s bath with his father like other boys. Aww. :( He sniffles as he asks if he can, and then he starts sobbing again. She hugs him and pats him on the back as his tears won’t stop. Aww, my poor little boy.
Another day, Young Soon tries to take some medicine but she ends up coughing blood into the sink. When she hears Kang Ho calling for her, she quickly rinses away the blood in the sink and then washes her mouth. Kang Ho shows up excitedly behind her and says let’s go as he’s hungry. And since he’s hungry, then he should feed the pigs before he eats. She nods and he says he’ll wait outside for her.
Outside, So Ji Seok and Cha Seung Eon (once again wearing black suits) are waiting for them to leave so they can search the place. Cha Seung Eon is distracted as he’s concerned about getting a house, which earns him several kicks to the shin. So Ji Seok says if they don’t find anything before the election, they’re both doomed. When they try to go to the house to search, Sam Sik shows up and says “A couple of guys who don’t even know the measurement unit for rice suddenly turn up at a country village and pay twice the price for land, in cash, to start farming. There are only two reasons for that. One, because you’re severely ill. Two, because you’re mentally ill. Or you could be running away from trouble, or planning to cause trouble.” Cha Seung Eon says that he said there are only two reasons but he listed four which makes So Ji Seok hit him on the arm. So Ji Seok says there’s been a misunderstanding as they just want to farm and that’s it. Sam Sik accepts this and says he’ll help them find a house and provide consulting services from choosing crops to learning farming techniques. So Ji Seok tries to say no but Sam Sik suggests they discuss this over some makgeolli as there’s a brewery nearby that’s been around for 35 years. Cha Seung Eon gets excited and so Sam Sik puts his arm around his shoulders and off they go. So Ji Seok can only run after them, even though he sees Young Soon leaving the house. I ship Sam Sik with Cha Seung Eon, the two dimwits. XD!
On their drive to the pig farm, Young Soon gives Kang Ho a scenario: If a mother pig costs 300,000 won. A buyer says that only summer pigs cost that much. There’s an increase in supply right now so the price has dropped a lot. He offers 250,000 won. Kang Ho scoffs at this and his mother asks him what he should do. Kang Ho’s passionate response: “Hey, you thief! I’m not selling it to you!” Then she asks him about the sawdust distributor: He wants 220 won per kilogram, when it used to be 190 won per kilogram. He claims this is made with red pine tree from Russia, so it’s much better quality. If one makes compost out of this and uses it to grow potatoes, they’ll grow as big as watermelons. She then asks him what he should do. Kang Ho thinks about this for a moment before saying, “A shameless beast like you must leave!” She laughs and asks where he learned such words. Kang Ho then points out the signs and banners on the side of the road: they’re about Happy Farm needing to be demolished, can’t stand the smell, pig feces in their clean Jou Ri, etc. She gets out of the car and takes down the signs. When they arrive at the farm, she tells Andrea to take Kang Ho and change him into work clothes. After they leave, Yellow starts barking like crazy, and she wonders why. Mr. Baek suddenly shows up and she asks why he’s showing up like a rat. He angrily tells her that the people in this village won’t believe a word he says, so he took a video of wastewater leaking out from the back. She explains it’s not wastewater, as it’s just water dripping from the water tank. He doesn’t believe her and so she asks if he did this, too, as she’s holding onto one of the banners. He says so what, he presented this to the villagers and they agreed with him but no one showed up. She angrily hits him with the banner and he asks if she wants to die. She walks over and grabs him by his jacket and screams that no one wants to die in this world, you bastard. She asks why she should die over and over. Andrea and Kang Ho return and Andrea grabs her to tell her that this is inappropriate. She tells Mr. Baek to stay away, and that her husband died for his farm. So no matter how much he tries to shut it down, she’ll never give it up. And if she dies, her son will run it! Then his son and grandson! And if he does something like this again, she’ll kill him no matter the consequences. Mr. Baek just shrieks in response. They’re interrupted by the vet who screams that this is very bad as they’re in big trouble.
The authorities have arrived and are setting up an emergency quarantine of the farm. They’re tearing up the farm, for the preventive culling of potential livestock with foot-and-mouth disease. The villagers are concerned. Mr. Yang mentions that he heard the goat farm had an outbreak. Sung Ae wonders why the authorities are at the pig farm then. Mr. Son says that if foot-and-mouth disease breaks out, cows and pigs within a 3km radius must be culled by law. Gum Ja says so Young Soon’s pigs will be culled even though they’re not sick. Mr. Son says it’s the law and his wife says luckily Tiger isn’t affected. Sung Ae angrily asks her who cares about that damn dog. The farm is going to need to be shut down. Sung Ae complains about the goats going all around town doing whatever goats do and now they’ve caused all this trouble. Gum Ja looks heartbroken for Young Soon.
Inside, Kang Ho begs them to not kill their pigs and he covers his ears when he hears the squeals of anguish. Eventually, they’re forced to stand outside and watch and listen to the destruction and deaths. Young Soon thinks about her parents, brother and husband on the cold slab. She asks why over and over in anguish as she sits on the ground. She becomes hysterical and says no, as they don’t deserve to die like this. Andrea and Kang Ho try to hold onto her as she continues breaking down. Now both Kang Ho and Young Soon are sobbing inconsolably over this massive loss. The anguished villagers are also watching all of the dead pigs being buried. Gum Ja can’t stand to watch this and walks away, and encounters Mr. Baek who has the gall to pretend to receive a phone call when he sees her.
At the brewery, Sam Sik calls the gangsters to say that he needs just one month to pay back the 200 million won including interest. Mr. Yang returns wielding a scythe, and yells to ask who drank all of his alcohol. Sam Sik quickly says that he can never steal from his place. He then says that he took a few bottles to drink with his friends, so he can put it under his father’s tab. Mr. Yang tells him to tell his father to pay his tab. lol And that he set those bottles to use for his ritual tomorrow. While Sam Sik gives nonsense advice to them about farming, Mr. Yang interrupts to tell him that Kang Ho’s family is in trouble - and it’s worse than big trouble. Sam Sik says that Kang Ho became an idiot overnight. Mr. Yang says he’s not talking about him but the farm. The pigs were culled due to foot-and-mouth disease.
Back at home, Gum Ja tells Mi Joo about what’s happened to the farm and the pigs. Ye Jin asks about Lion, and her grandmother tells her that Kang Ho’s house is over 3 kilometers from the goat farm, so Lion is still alive. The twins both say “What a relief.” Gum Ja says what’s a relief, as this is absurd. Some had to die while others lived, by a matter of a few meters.
So Ji Seok and the dunderhead known as Cha Seung Eon are back at Kang Ho’s house. Cha Seung Eon glumly says what’s the point of this pig living as all the others are gone. Behind him, So Ji Seok is searching through everything with a flashlight, and tells him to start searching, too. Cha Seung Eon manages to find a wig and a bright yellow flash drive.
It’s an official family meeting between the Oh family and Chairman Dosang and his family for the marriage of Ha Young and the Chairman’s son. [Cameo by Kim Ji Woong.] The Chairman has a rags to riches story as he grew up on a poor farm. Oh Tae Soo says that’s why he wants to become president. A world where one can rise from the bottom up. Flowery words that hold no meaning from him. Ha Young quietly snickers at this. He says that he will make Korea a place where one can rise. And the future of his politics is him, the Chairman.
Kang Ho and his mother are sitting inside the now empty pigs’ living quarters. He tells her it’s time to go and she dejectedly agrees. At the shop-in-shop (Mi Joo’s nail salon), the patrons of both businesses are talking about what happened on the pig farm – the goats were buried in the farm’s yard and the pigs were buried in the potato field. The owner comments that she can’t grow potatoes either. But he wonders why she just dropped by to pick up some herbicide. Mi Joo asks when she bought it and he says this morning. She quickly runs out of there.
Kang Ho and Young Soon are his father’s gravesite with the herbicide. She tearfully tells her husband that she brought Kang Ho but she had wanted to bring him when he was walking again. Afterwards, he asks if they’ve picnicked here in the past. Then he says, no, they would need kimbap for a proper picnic. She says, this bad mother of his would never let him go on a picnic like everyone else. Long ago, his grandparents and uncle went on a picnic with kimbap that she had made for them but they had passed away. And his father had also gone out with the kimbap she made and never came back. She was scared of that, and that’s why she never let him go. :(:( She then says that she was scared by the thought of becoming alone again. She pulls out a bottle but struggles to open it. He takes it from her and says he’ll open it for her. Then he says he’s hungry, and they need to feed the pigs before they eat… So they need to feed Lion who will grow up and have piglets and more piglets and be able to run their farm again. He says he’ll help her a lot.
Mi Joo runs to the Choi home looking desperately for Young Soon and Kang Ho. Sam Shik appears and asks if she’s here because of what happened to the farm. When mother and son appear, she snatches the bag from Young Soon’s hand and quickly says she’ll take this for her mother’s garlic field. Young Soon just looks at her and quietly nods yes. Before she goes, she asks Kang Ho if he’ll go with Seo Jin to the public bath tomorrow. Then she adds that Sam Sik will be going, too. Kang Ho smiles at this while Sam Sik asks why he would – but then thinks better of it and says he’ll go. Kang Ho says it sounds great and he’d love to. She says goodbye to them and then leaves. Sam Sik goes after her and asks why he’d bathe with Seo Jin. He then notices that she’s crying and realizes something serious is going on. She yells nothing is going on, as everyone needs to bathe. She leaves and he realizes that Seo Jin must’ve asked to bathe with his father and it must’ve broken her heart. He thinks she was too shy to ask him directly and dragged that idiot to go with them. Who’s really the idiot here?
While Kang Ho is asleep for the night, Sung Ae and Gum Ja come by for a visit with Young Soon. She gives them each a bag from Kang Ho’s engagement visit. Neither woman wants to accept this especially as it’s from his ex-fiancée… So she says she’ll throw them out if they don’t want it. They both quickly accept as it would be a complete waste.
The next day, Mi Joo brings by the twins with Sam Sik trailing behind to go to the bathhouse. The twins are unimpressed with Sam Sik. And when Ye Jin realizes that he’s the famous thief, her mother covers her mouth with her hand. XD! These kids are all ears and mouths.
Young Soon sees an attorney for the continuing care of Kang Ho, and has the payments lined up to do so. If he ever gets better, she wants the funds given to him. And if that never happens, just handle everything according to her will.
So Ji Seok and Cha Seung Eon present what they’d found to Chairman Song – women’s clothing and a long haired wig along with surveillance footage of Kang Ho wearing the outfit, as he’s been the one exposing Woobyeok Group. So Ji Seok suggests that they get rid of him, especially as he’ll become a threat when he returns to normal. Chairman Song laughs boisterously at this as he only sees him as a desperate nothing who wanted to make ties. He then orders them to bring him something on Oh Tae Soo, and not on him.
At the bathhouse, Kang Ho uses the blow dryer for Seo Jin’s hair but then Sam Sik insists on taking over. When Kang Ho sees Oh Tae Soo on TV, he suddenly says “You reek of something. Is it the smell of dirt since you came from the bottom up?” Sam Sik is perplexed by this. When they exit the bathhouse, they’re greeted by Mi Joo, Ye Jin and Young Soon. Both boys happily greet their mothers. The twins are just so adorable. Young Soon says it must've been tough to help both Kang Ho and Seo Jin bathe, and Sam Sik just quietly nods. But Mi Joo says no, it’s no trouble at all. Sam Sik looks at her and asks how she would know as he’s the one who helped them. Young Soon thanks him and then says they need to leave for an appointment. Kang Ho says goodbye and Seo Jin says they’ll come together next week. Kang Ho gets into the car and the twins cheerfully wave goodbye at them.
Kang Ho is taken to the rehabilitation care center where his mother takes care of the paperwork as he stares at the fish in the tank. Then his mother tells him that he will live here and receive treatment from now on. She speaks highly of the doctors and equipment, and he’ll walk again soon. He asks if he’ll live here with her. She says she can’t live with him.
CKH: Why not?
JYS: Because… She holds onto his hands and holds back her tears before kneeling down in front of him. Then she takes a deep breath. You know what? If you listen to the doctors and become healthy enough to walk again, I’ll come back for – She looks away and holds back her tears. I’ll come back…
CKH: Eomma?
JYS: Yes?
CKH: Are you going somewhere nice?
JYS: What? She looks him directly in the eyes.
CKH: Are you? His eyes are filled with tears. Are you going somewhere nice by yourself? She breaks eye contact with him and drops her gaze. Eomma. Eomma. His voice starts trembling as tears slide down his cheeks. Eomma, I’m sorry. I’ll never do anything bad again. Eomma. I’ll listen to everything you say and – he sniffles – I’ll stay put, I’ll exercise a lot, and I won’t ask for a dog again. He cries harder. Eomma, please don’t go. She continues holding on to his hands but refuses to look at him. Take me with you. Eomma, take me with you. Take me with you. He starts sobbing. Eomma! She finally gets up without a word and leaves him. Eomma. He sobs harder. (~54:00 This heartbreak. T__T)
She gets into the truck and starts sobbing. When she returns home, she’s getting ready to hang herself. Omo. Back at the rehabilitation center, they’re unable to find Kang Ho. Kang Ho is rolling himself towards home but he doesn’t know where Jou Ri, and so he uses his phone navigation for guidance. Young Soon leaves two envelopes on a dresser: “To My Dear Kang Ho” and “To Everyone in Jou Ri Village.” She looks at the framed photo from Kang Ho’s doljanchi and then puts it back on the wall. Kang Ho stops to look at his bleeding finger, as he’s ripped off part of his nail from spinning the wheels of his chair. He then looks at his phone and realizes he’s still 186km from home. Young Soon continues tidying up the place, and sobs when she looks at her husband’s shoes.
Back at Lee home, Gum Ja says that it must’ve been hard for Sam Sik to bathe a kid. Seo Jin who is recording his sister playing with some putty, says that Kang Ho was the one who bathed him. Gum Ja and Mi Joo are both surprised by this. He says that he scrubbed him and washed his hair. He’s really good, and he was like appa. This makes Ye Jin angry as she runs over to pull on her brother’s hair and screams at him to take that back. She asks how could that idiot be their father. Seo Jin starts shrieking in pain. Mi Joo separates them and scolds her for doing that to her brother. Ye Jin tearfully says, “Our father is really cool, really rich and really smart. He has to be! You don’t know anything. I hate you, eomma!” And then she runs off. Mi Joo goes outside for a breather and it starts raining. Kang Ho rides by without a look or word in her direction.
Trigger warning. Back at home, Young Soon has put her head through the noose, and Kang Ho finds her hanging. He starts screaming eomma over and over but there’s no response. He then wheels himself over to her and grabs onto her legs. He gets up from the chair and stands up and lifts her – and Young Soon suddenly gasps! Kang Ho continues crying as he holds onto his mother’s legs.
[Ep8] Kang Ho continues saying no, eomma over and over. Young Soon looks down and sees that he’s standing. She then removes the noose from around her neck. When she points it out to him, he suddenly sits down and drops her in the process. She’s overjoyed that he’s standing and tearfully hugs him. She tells him to try again, and he looks up at the noose above their heads and leaves without a word. He goes out into the rain even though his mother screams after him. He stops outside on the road and when he sees Mi Joo with a yellow umbrella, he suddenly breaks down into heavy sobbing.
Now, under shelter by the pond, Mi Joo tends to his wounded finger. She then marks it with a yellow polish, so he’ll be more careful with it. He finally says his mother abandoned him. She took him to an unfamiliar place and left without him to go somewhere nice. She tells him that his mother would never abandon him. And if she really did such a thing, she’s sure she had a reason. One that she can’t tell him, but someday he’ll understand everything. He asks how she knows this, and she admits that she was abandoned, too. He asks why and she says she’s not sure. She also really wants to know why she was abandoned as she looks at him with teary eyes, and says that she’ll never know. Young Soon finally finds them and yells his name.
Back at home, he’s changed into dry clothes and she’s drying his hair. He looks at his yellow fingernail and asks why, why she abandoned him. She replies that she never abandoned him. But then she sighs and asks him to look at her. But he won’t look at her. She says that she’ll be honest as she’s actually a bit unwell. This makes him finally look at her. She says her stomach hurts a bit, so she needs to take medicine and go to the hospital. Someone needs to cook, do laundry and look after her but… she didn’t want to burden him. That’s why. He softly asks if he was a burden to her because he’s unwell. She looks shocked by this question. He says that she fed him medicine and took him to the hospital. She cooked and did the laundry and to him, she’s just his eomma. But he must’ve been a burden to her. She looks shocked and says that she’s sorry as she was wrong. She’s his mother and he’s her son, so she was stupid to think that way. Onions, so many onions. She then says he’s no longer unwell, as he definitely stood up earlier and soon enough, he’ll be able to walk and run. And then he’ll be able to take care of her. With tears streaming down her face, she says she has a guardian, as he’s her guardian now. The two smile but then she tells him to stand up like he did earlier. He looks down at his legs and when he tries to lift himself off his chair, he struggles. She continues encouraging him to try but he’s unable to do it. She’s insistent that he stand but he can’t and when she glares at him, he sadly says “Don’t leave me, eomma”. Young Soon pushes him outside in the rain and dumps him into the water. He begs for her to save him as he flails in the water. She tells him to stand up like before and if he only tries to stand up, the water is only knee deep. When he reaches for the chair, she removes it from him and screams at him to get up and walk. He sobs that he can’t. She says it’s not that he can’t but he won’t. He cries that he can’t so she throws him back into the water and he screams for her.
So Young Joon starts watching videos of water rehabilitation, and continues throwing him into the water and with rehabilitation treatment at the the center. Eventually, he’s able to move his legs in the water. And one day, he’s able to stand and take a few steps with the help of handrails.
The villagers are worried about Young Soon and the state of her farm. They regret even having those thoughts and they’ve been too ashamed to visit her. They’re trying to figure out how to help her now. Giving her money wouldn’t work as she would never accept it. Giving her clothes and bags wouldn’t work as what’s most precious to her is Kang Ho. Mr. Bang says that he saw her throwing out his wheelchair recently, so they get the idea to buy Kang Ho a mobility chair.
So Ji Seok and Cha Seung Eon are still looking for the evidence but they’ve managed to grow a head of lettuce from seed. Cha Seung Eon is very excited but So Ji Seok is irate that he’s elated about this of all things. lol! Sam Sik is trying to get a loan for a farm, and finds out that the two men work for a large conglomerate and don’t qualify. He begs for it to go through for him then as those men will tear into him, limb-by-limb and one organ at a time. He starts saying that he should just die and looking for something to use. When his mother comes in and asks what he’s looking for, he says pesticides to kill himself with. She just tells him it’s on the bottom shelf and leaves him to it. xD!
Mi Joo is at work when she receives a call from Ye Jin that her father is here as he showed up in a white Benz. And also because her grandma is beating him up. Mi Joo runs out of there to see what’s going on. The guy is annoyed and Gum Ja shows him the photo of him with her daughter that she has saved on her phone as she wanted to beat him whenever she met him. The guy says that he only took that photo she asked him to, and it’s not even in the U.S., as it was in Seoul. She quickly covers his mouth and says to be quiet as the kids will hear. Mi Joo walks into the yard with the twins who greet him as appa.
In private, she tells him that he can’t just show up as the kids think he’s their father. He tells her to pay him back, and she says that Sun Young borrowed that money. He doesn’t care, and tells her she has until the end of the month to pay him back or else he’ll spill her location to all these women who are looking for her. He takes off and the kids are disappointed when she returns without him. When asked where he went, she says he went back to the U.S. as something came up. Ye Jin says she hates them both and won’t go to kindergarten anymore before walking away. Seo Jin tells her that this boy in school always teases her for not having a dad so they always get into fights. They had planned to take him to the school and show him off to the boy. He then leaves to go find his sister. Gum Ja is also disappointed and Mi Joo tells her that the kids wanted to see their father so she asked her friend’s boyfriend to video-call them a few times. *facepalm* Why didn’t she just say he was dead or missing? She apologizes to her mother who tells her that it’s her own fault that she started this. She says that the twins will start school soon, and they’ll be heartbroken to find out that they won’t have a father listed. She had contemplated telling them that they got divorced or that he died of an illness but she just couldn’t do it. She didn’t want to make them cry. Gum Ja starts crying at the thought of their heartbroken faces. Suddenly, they hear the kids sounding very excited outside.
The kids are checking out the new mobility chair, and Mr. Son makes them promise to not ride it with Kang Ho. When they see Mi Joo, they comment on how she’s always cared for Kang Ho. And Ms. Jo chimes in that Sam Sik always bullied Kang Ho, which Sung Ae vehemently denies. (A mother’s love can be so polarizing…lol) Mr. Bang quietly says he did, and then tells them to be quiet. They then head to Choi home, and Mi Joo tries to leave but her mother makes her stay. The idiotic henchmen are trying to get into the home and search the place but they’re interrupted by the appearance of Sam Sik who is dressed well in head-to-toe black. The two men hide and are discovered by Sam Sik, who also hides for some reason. The villagers call for Young Soon to open the gate and when she appears, Mr. Son says that the saying goes, “Neighbors are worth a thousand homes. But none of us are well-off enough to help you out. We also thought you’d need some time to cope with your loss. It may sound like an excuse but we’ve finally mustered up the courage to see you. We’re truly sorry.” She tells them to not say that as she’s the one who should be sorry for inconveniencing the village. Now that the apologies have been said and accepted, they ask where Kang Ho is. She calls for Kang Ho, and the twins try to go get him but their mother stops them. Kang Ho steps out of the house and walks toward them. Everyone including Mi Joo are shocked at this great news. Mr. Bang takes this as his cue to show up in the mobility chair but he’s gawking so hard that he nearly rolls himself off the cliff. He ends up getting dumped out of the chair and is injured from this.
Now they’re all hanging out together with Mr. Bang using the mobility chair himself. Sam Sik asks the two men about working for a conglomerate, and the younger man asks how he knows they worked at Woobyeok Group. Meanwhile, Kang Ho seems to notice the two guys but can’t figure out why they seem familiar to him. So Ji Seok can only sigh at this. XD Sam Sik asks why they want to farm and So Ji Seok makes sure to be the one to answer him – they’ve retired.
Mi Joo is very bothered by a now standing and walking Kang Ho. She can’t wait to get away from him but he stops her to tell her that his mother said she did not abandon him. So he’s sure that the person didn’t abandon her either. Oof. He then walks away to play with the twins as he throws Ye Jin up in that air and then Yeo Jin. She seems very affected by this. Sam Sik notices her behavior.
Mr. Baek isn’t at the gathering and so Young Soon goes to see him. She tells him that she has terminal cancer so she won’t be running the farm for long. She’s told her lawyer to hand it over to him, and her son walks again. This farm is all she can give her son, so she asks him to not take it away from them. She’s brought him some beef. Before leaving, she then asks him to keep it a secret from the villagers. Keep your enemies closer?
Later when Cha Seung Eon needs to use the restroom, he looks around back for one and instead discovers a locked shed with Kang Ho’s belongings including documents. He quickly returns to tell So Ji Seok, just as Kang Ho suddenly yells that he remembers who they are. They’re the guys who were hiding in his closet before, and came out with a knife to fight the other guy. Sam Sik says that they’re his business partners. Mr. Bang says that they’re here to farm as they’re growing lettuce with Sam Sik. When Mr. Son invites them to drink, So Ji Seok says they need to go and water the lettuce.
Now Kang Ho and the twins are inside playing with Lion. Ye Jin seems to have a crush on Kang Ho oppa as she sees him as an adult now. XD! So she smacks her brother for using banmal and insists on using honorifics with him. When Seo Jin tries to question this, she gives him some heavy side eye and her brother knows to shut up and just go along with what she wants. Back in the kitchen, Mi Joo asks Young Soon in private about what happened before. Young Soon grabs her hands and assures her that she’ll never do it again ever.
When Mi Joo walks home with the twins, Ye Jin apologizes for getting angry earlier today, and then says her father looked kind of shabby for some American. (LMAO! So much shade.) Seo Jin says he agrees and Kang Ho looked great today. He was tall and strong. He then asks if they can pretend that Kang Ho is their father. Both Mi Joo and Ye Jin yell no. Poor Seo Jin says all right, they don’t have to get all worked up. XD Ye Jin then chases him around to scold him for treating Kang Ho oppa like a friend as he’s to treat him as an adult. They’re interrupted by a singing Sam Sik, who they run to greet as Mr. Sam Sik, and he asks how is it Kang Ho oppa and he’s Sam Sik ajussi? He then picks up Ye Jin to spin her around and she yells at him to not do that as she’s kicking her legs. She says that she’s afraid of heights and doesn’t like that. He says all of a sudden, as she liked it when Kang Ho oppa lifted her up. He then says he has something to ask her and she tells him he reeks of alcohol. LMAO Who’s the adult here?! It’s her! Heh. Mi Joo tells her kids to go inside and wash up. When the kids run inside, he calls after the kids, but Mi Joo tells him to go home and sleep if he’s drunk. He then says he wants to be straightforward with her. He asks if she likes Kang Ho, and if seeing him walk stirs up emotions. She tells him to go home. He asks why she can't say she doesn’t. So she says that she doesn’t like him. She asks if he’s happy. He says they should get married, live a happy life and raise the kids together. They need a father and he promises to make them happy.
To his surprise, she says they should. She then continues saying that he should know she doesn’t have money, has a ton of debt, and a creditor came by today as well. They can struggle together every day to pay off their debts. They’ll get chased around and somehow will live happily. She works like a dog every day to pay off her debt bit by bit. It’s tough to make ends meet while taking care of her family. She can’t afford to have her head in the clouds like him. She then says bye and leaves to go inside. He wonders if debt is the only issue… he tells her loudly that he’ll be back.
Back at home, Young Soon tells Kang Ho that this was his room and he’ll be sleeping here now. He says that he doesn’t want to sleep alone. She says he needs to be independent and this is how he’ll become an adult. She’ll teach him one step at a time. She then receives a call…
The next day she’s back in Seoul and the security officer tells her that the day she came by with the side dishes, Prosecutor Choi came by late at night.
What had happened that evening: Kang Ho had told the security officer if his mother comes by to pick up his belongings when he’s not here, to give her this letter. When asked if he’s moving, Kang Ho had said no, but he might have to. Kang Ho had then explicitly told him to give this letter to her and nobody else.
The day she came by, the security officer had been off duty so he didn’t even know that he had moved. Fortunately, she had given him her number last night so now he’s finally giving it to her. And now she reads his letter.
To my eomeoni, whom I miss dearly. Are you healthy and well? I got the side dishes that you left at the security office. I had always missed your home-cooked meals. I had a lovely dinner for the first time in a long time. I’m sorry that my work keeps me from calling or visiting you often.
But eomeoni, I want you to know this. We may be apart, but I still live in the memories I shared with you and abeoji. I’ll see you next week on your birthday.
September 7
From your beloved son, Kang Ho
She is touched by this letter but left confused. So she shows it to Kang Ho, and asks if he wrote this. She says it’s odd as he’s never spoken to her in this formal manner before. She asks him why he gave the letter to the security guard, and how did he know she’d be packing his stuff without him. She tells him to tell her how he’d know he’d end up this way. Was he trying to tell her something with this letter? She says he must have, right. He can only apologize as he doesn’t remember.
While they’re in line at the bank, she receives a call from the Investigation Officer. She places the call on hold and then tells Kang Ho to fill out the slip, and when they call number 25, he’s to give them the bank book and the seal. She then asks what the password is and he says loudly it’s – she gets him to speak quietly. And he says it’s 0907, his birthday. She gives him the thumbs up and then leaves to continue the call. She finds out that Kang Ho was engaged to Assemblyman Oh Tae Soo’s daughter, as in the current presidential candidate and former prosecutor. She’s shocked but says that she’s acquainted with him and asks for his number. She then says his daughter’s number would be even better. The man is confused. She says she has a few things to check on about her son and she would know best since they were engaged. The man says that he has no way to provide their numbers, and she’s getting married soon. He then says it’d be best if she didn’t contact them.
Ha Young is trying on a black and white wedding dress but her groom is outside taking a call. She recalls going through this with Kang Ho before, who had been answering a call in the room next door. While wearing a light-colored regal-looking sparkling dress, she had then opened the door, she’d overheard him telling someone to make sure that the baby was dressed warmly as it’s pretty windy near the sea. He’d then said he’d pick them up at 8 p.m. When he hung up the call, Ha Young had asked from behind him, what baby. He had said it was nothing and asked if she was done and left the room to join her. She had told him that she’d wanted to surprise him with a grand entrance. She asked if the other one was better or perhaps something fancier. He had told her she looked pretty enough. She had told him whatever. He had told her she does and then said let’s go. She had then said they’re visiting his mother tomorrow, so did he really have to go out tonight. He had replied it was work-related and he wouldn’t be gone for long. She had called him a workaholic. He had said they were stopping by the department store, so let’s go. She now also recalls her father’s words that they needed to make the first move.
Chairman Song calls Oh Tae Soo about his daughter’s wedding. Oh Tae Soo says what can he do as the kids are in love. Chairman Song says, “Parents are always bound to give in to their children. Though there are parents who kill them.” Oh Tae Soo yells his name loudly and Chairman Song says he startled him. Oh Tae Soo says it’s about time he dropped it as it’s all in the past. Chairman Song says he believes that his men found something at Kang Ho’s home. Oh Tae Soo laughs and asks if it’s about the original copy of the DNA results. He says that he did say it’s just a piece of paper. He asks what if he claims that he colluded with the Bareun Hanguk Party and fabricated it to take him down. So how will he prove its authenticity? So why did he have to take it so far as to kill the poor woman and her child. Chairman Song asks what he is saying. Oh Tae Soo replies that he hopes they never have to see each other again. He then says bye and then hangs up on him.
So Ji Seok and Cha Seung Eon enter Chairman Song’s office to report that they have finally found the file. Chairman Song gets up from his chair and limps over, and says that it’s two days until Oh Tae Soo will become in-laws with Dosang Group, and they’ve only now found the file. When he threatens to beat them with a baseball bat, So Ji Seok yells that Choi Kang Ho is walking again. And then he shows him the photos. Chairman Song laughs maniacally at this.
Back at home, Young Soon is testing Kang Ho’s knowledge on running the pig farm. When he asks what he’s learning tomorrow, they go to the shed and Kang Ho finds a baseball glove and a ball. He wants to show this to the twins tomorrow. Young Soon finally finds what she’s looking for – a nice scarf.
The next morning, in matching yellow outfits the twins (their outfits usually complement each other) drops by to see Kang Ho, as Ye Jin who is wearing a jaunty red bow in her hair wanted to congratulate Kang Ho on walking again. Her brother urges her to hurry up, and she shyly says that they said yellow as his lucky color. She then shows him a yellow flower and he kneels down to her height to receive it. He then says it’s so pretty, but of course she’s prettier. He then gives her a little kiss on her right hand, which makes her beam at him. (~56:30, Gaaaaaah, so sweet). When Kang Ho and his mother leave, Ye Jin says she’s going to beat up anyone who tells her to wash her hands as she looks at the hand he kissed. She then tells her brother if he saw that they are wearing matching colors (Kang Ho’s yellow shirt and painted nail) and he nods at this . She says it must be fate and she’s going to marry him. Oh. Okay……
Kang Ho and Young Soon, both sporting yellow outfits, are having their photos taken together. Once when they’re done, she asks to have her photo taken on her own. She wants a portrait for those coming to give their condolences. Now this portrait is up on the wall at home and she’s making Kang Ho practice how to pay his respect to her. He asks if he really needs to do this. She encourages him to do it again. He reluctantly does it – He slowly and somberly says “Aigo” over and over. She tells him to continue and he says doesn’t want to as he’s scared and he looks visibly very uncomfortable. She says there’s nothing to be scared of. She says she’s just teaching him things that he doesn’t know. Just like teaching him how to cook and what to do at the bank. She’s teaching him things that he’ll need to know in life. He asks when he will need to know how to do this. She says later, much much later and tells him to go on. So he repeats saying “aigo” and then she gives deep bows in front of the portrait. He just watches her and she asks him what she told him to do. And so he copies her deep bow. She gets up and he stays down, so she tells him that he can get up now. He stands up and she tells him that he must be heartbroken. He protests at this. She repeats the same words and nods at him. He then politely says thank you for coming here and offering your condolences. She then asks if she had an illness. He stays silent, so she tells him “She had cancer.” He repeats her words. She smiles at him and then hugs him. She pats him on the back and says he did well and then gives a sad smile that he can’t see. (~58:46.) :(
Now they’re sitting around with cucumber slices on their face and Kang Ho points to their new photo together and says just like the other photo, they should add his father to the new photo, too, then they will be together. She agrees to do that. And then she recalls a sentence from his letter, “But I still live in the memories I shared with you and Father.” She suddenly sits up, removes the cucumbers from her face and repeats his words and grabs the old picture frame and turns it over. Kang Ho asks her what’s wrong. She then opens the back of the frame and discovers a small memory card!
[Ep9] The villagers are processing this year’s sun-dried chili peppers for kimchi later. To Sung Ae’s surprise, Ms. Jo actually joins them. Nearby Ye Jin notices an image of a woman on her phone. She runs to show her grandmother that the woman who came with Kang Ho before is getting married. Everyone realizes that he would’ve been married as the presidential candidate's son-in-law. Gum Ja calls her a brat, while Ms. Jo says if it were the son of the Dosang Group, she’d get married in an instant, too. Mr. Son tells her to not say something like that in front of her husband. Gum Ja says that Young Soon is already so stressed out so she’ll be really upset if she finds out. Mr. Bang declares that they’re going to hide this from her so she never ever finds out and they’re all to keep it a secret. Of course, Young Soon quietly shows up behind them and says she already knows as everyone has a right to live their lives. She then asks to speak to Mr. Bang in private.
Mr. Bang shows Young Soon and Kang Ho how to load the memory card into the laptop for viewing. After he leaves, Young Soon tries to open the file but it requires a password. Kang Ho says it’s his birthday and when she tries it doesn’t work. She knew it wouldn’t be that easy and asks if there are any numbers that he remembers. He looks at his letter and then asks if her birthday is March 12 and she’s surprised that he remembers it. He points out that the date on the letter is September 7 but it says “I’ll see you next week on your birthday.” And so she tries that and it works.
On the drive, there are three folders: A, B and C, and several text files labeled by date. She says that it appears to be his journal, and so she opens the first text file, 2008-03-03.
3/3/2009: I finally got into SNU School of Law.
When the professor asks why he chose law school, he answers that “Korea is a constitutional state that protects liberal democracy. Law is meant to provide public welfare for the happiness and benefit of the majority, as well as justice for all…” But when he remembers his mother screaming at him to ask for what reason did his father die as she needs to know that. He then changed his answer to he needed to find it out for himself. The professor is confused. Kang Ho says he wants to find out the reason why he had to attend law school.
A few months later, Young Soon goes to the police station as Kang Ho had gotten into an argument over grades at school. Kang Ho was the one who instigated this, so he’ll be booked on charges unless they can reach a settlement. Kang Ho says that he doesn’t want to settle – he points at the guy sitting next to him - as this guy didn’t attend class, take tests, complete homework, yet he’s at the top of the class. He asks how they could fabricate his grades and award him a scholarship just because his mother is a judge, and at a law school. The guy scoffs at this and says he’d like to add defamation and dissemination of false information to the charges. Young Soon quickly reaches over to grab the guy’s hand and apologizes on her son’s behalf, and explains that he’s always earned scholarships to help out his mother who is a pig farmer, and was probably disappointed to not come out at the top of his class. The guy flings her away and then sniffs his own hand and says he was wondering what that smell was. He then asks Kang Ho if it seemed so unfair, why didn’t he major in livestock production and then his farmer mother could have helped him. Kang Ho glares at him and calls him a bastard but his mother slaps him and then she gets on her knees in front of the jerk. She begs for him to forgive him just this once. She pulls on Kang Ho to get down on his knees and beg him or else he’ll go to jail.
He says eomma softly and she continues beating on him, until he finally snaps at yells eomma. He says, “So you’re saying that I have to beg this jerk.” His voice breaks as he continues, “You’re telling me to kneel before this son of a bitch because I can’t take the bar exam if I go to jail.” He then sighs, “Right. That’s what you want. You want me to become a cowardly snob who’d do anything to get my way.” She just stares at him wordlessly. He finally gets down onto his knees and gives a deep bow. He then rubs his hands together in a pleading manner and says, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know my place and got cheeky.” He continues rubbing his hands together and looks at the guy imploringly, “I’m so sorry. Please forgive me just this once. Please let me take the bar exam.” The guy won’t even look at him, yet he continues fervently rubbing his hands together and says, “Please forgive me. No, please forgive me, sir.” He gives a deep bow and says “Just this one.”
6/18/2009: On this day, I realized why, for what reason I had to attend law school, and what I must do from now on.
Kang Ho goes to the prosecutors’ office, hands them the paperwork and asks to see his father’s trial record and its ruling. He’s told that he can only view the ruling. He says that he followed the procedure to get his trial and witness examination records. So why can’t he see it? He’s told that the trial and witness examination records include sensitive contents, so they can’t release them. Kang Ho says that his father has already passed. He’s told that the disclosure of trial records falls within the jurisdiction of the prosecutor the case was transferred to, so they cannot give it to them if they decline. Kang Ho finds a way to access the records and takes photos of the arson case and learns that the defendant was Song Woo Byeok and the prosecutor was Oh Tae Soo.
He then approaches a detective and says that according to the Official Information Disclosure Act, the bereaved family is entitled to the investigation report. He then says this is a dereliction of duty. The detective scoffs at this and asks who he thinks this is. He’s then told to leave, take the bar exam, become a prosecutor, and then come arrest him for his dereliction of duty. Then he’ll give him every investigation report from 22 years ago, no, even from 100 years ago. Kang Ho tries to ask him again but the guy yells at him to just leave already. Kang Ho looks dejected but then recalls his mother’s words. “Become a prosecutor so no one will be able to look down on you or bully you. That’s true power.”
And so Kang Ho starts studying up on Oh Tae Soo and graduates as the top student of Class of 2013. His proud mother gives him a bankbook which she’ll add money to and tells him to find a bigger place. He puts the bankbook away and starts his part-time job, and then he runs into Mi Joo… The one who shed a ray of warm light into his dark, cold, and rough life.
Kang Ho makes plans to go to the ballet so that he can run into Chief Prosecutor Oh Tae Soo as he always attends his daughter’s ballet galas. And then it turns out that Oh Tae Soo is going to be their guest speaker for their special lecture. Kang Ho also overhears the jerk give the gossip from his mother – Oh Tae Soo will resign next year and run for office - as president.
Prosecutor Oh Tae Soo, who was in charge of my father’s trial 28 years ago, became the chief prosecutor of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office.
And then the two meet after this lecture, and this is Kang Ho’s first glimpse of Ha Young. He then starts his work at the prosecutors’ office and learns about where the archives are.
I finally got my father’s trial record that I always longed to see. I’m sure the beginning of my mother and my twisted fate can be found in this record.
Later he waits outside the nail salon for Mi Joo, and Sun Young teases her about him being so devoted and that they should get married as they’re so in love. Mi Joo tells her that he hasn’t even been appointed yet so it’s too soon to think about marriage. Sun Young says at the appointment ceremony, his mother will be attending so he’ll officially introduce her then and propose. When she leaves, he gives her a bag of food from the Prosecutors’ Office – cut apple and yogurt drinks, because she’d been so curious. She asks if he wouldn’t get in trouble for stealing from the office.
He then asks if she can tell him what she can make of this situation: A prosecutor requested a witness for his case, and then the witness made a statement against the victim in court. Why did he do that? She says the prosecutor must’ve asked for the witness to help the victim so if they testified against the victim, then that means the witness changed their mind. The witness could’ve held a grudge against the victim, or purposely decided to screw them over. Or something must’ve changed their mind before the trial – such as being threatened or bribed.
Kang Ho looks for Kwak San Cheol, a firefighter who was close to his father and often came to inspect his farm for fire protection. But during the trial, he gave questionable testimony that there were many problems with the electrical facility at his father’s farm. Mr. Kwak tells him that should’ve never done that Hae Sik. He apologizes and says that they’d all be in danger if he continued to resist. Kang Ho asks what kind of danger.
Back then, Song Woo Byeong told Mr. Kwak, that as a civil servant, if he hindered a state project, it made him a communist. Mr. Kwak had told him that he understood that it’s for their country but how could he have set his farm on fire. Song Woo Byeong had said that he shouldn’t have burned his farm down. And if he’d only set his house on fire, they wouldn’t be in so much trouble. O_o And then he had looked at Mr. Kwak’s house and tapped him with his lighter and then had said “A fire begins without warning. It can start at your house or even at your mother’s hospital. Right? Always beware of fire. Let’s not let down our guard!” Then he’d laughed and said that he had a great place here as he looked at his house, before limping away.
Mr. Kwak says that he thought something was off when he heard that Hae Sik had passed away. He had a feeling that those men were behind it. But there was absolutely no evidence after the investigation, and he had to keep his mouth shut, in fear of Director Song’s retaliation. The same Director Song Woo Byeok of Yongra Construction, who is now the Chairman of Woobyeok Group.
Kang Ho continues his research on his father’s case but keeps it from Mi Joo. When she asks about his mother coming to his appointment ceremony tomorrow, he says no. With surprise, she asks why she’s not coming. He doesn’t answer and when she presses him, he just says her name. So she drops it and asks when and where she should be then. He tells her that he should go alone tomorrow. He also has somewhere to be right after, and it’s important. She wants to ask more but she just accepts it as it would be weird for her to go as his mother won’t be there either.
Back to Mr. Kwak, when he finds out that Kang Ho is a prosecutor, he says that his mother must be very disappointed. During her pregnancy, she had told Mr. Kwak that she didn't care if they were having a boy or a girl, so long as it was healthy who she’d raise to be a painter. Young Soon had always wanted to be a painter but her parents had passed away while she was preparing for art school, so she had to give up. She has a feeling that the baby will take after her and be good at drawing. During his middle school days, when Young Soon had caught Kang Ho sketching these intricate trees and rocks, she had immediately torn up the artwork. Later when he’d received an award at a national youth art contest, she’d destroyed his art supplies and award certificate. And during high school, when he’d been locked inside that storage closet with Mi Joo, instead of studying while she’d been going on and on about in there with him, he’d actually been sketching her.
Kang Ho is sworn in as a prosecutor and then goes to see that detective with his newly minted badge. He requests for the investigative record for Choi Hae Sik’s death in 1988.
That's how I finally met my father.
As Kang Ho reviews the file, the detective tells that there was no evidence of murder as it was suffocation due to airway blockage and ruled as a suicide. He looks at the autopsy report and photos with the notation of a 4-centimetre ligature mark under the chin and 12 nail mark abrasions. He asks if these photos were from the scene and if the others were from the autopsy. When he’s told yes, he then asks who the detective in charge was.
Kang Ho then shows this detective the photos of his father’s neck with the ligature mark. He says this mark only shows pressure from the rope, meaning that there was no struggle until the moment he suffocated to death although his hands were free. The detective said it’s possible. There are cases where a suicide victim dies from a broken neck depending on the weight of the victim and the height of the noose. He then shows him the photos from the autopsy report – the nail marks that were absent at the scene suddenly appear clearly during the autopsy. The detective says he’s not sure and looks at the documents. Kang Ho says someone must’ve questioned whether it was truly a suicide. Back then, Young Soon had taken these photos to Oh Tae Soo and pointed out this fine detail. Kang Ho says the same thing his mother did then: his neck was too clean for someone who suffocated slowly to his death. One could argue that he died from a broken neck but at the scene, he wasn’t hanging high enough to have died instantly. So there was a high possibility that the victim’s suicide was staged after he was murdered or made unconscious. The detective avoids looking at him in the eyes now and just shifts around in his chair. Kang Ho says someone was afraid the truth might leak, so they created such false resistance marks before the autopsy. When he asks who it was, the detective says he has no idea what he’s talking about. Kang Ho says he saw that he’d been promoted right after this case was closed. And he also bought a house and some land. The detective repeats that he has no idea what he’s talking about and shifts around in his chair. Kang Ho says he’ll be retiring in a month, so he’ll see if he’ll be retiring or be dismissed and then goes to leave. The detective yells after him, what’s wrong with him as it’s been over 30 years. Kang Ho yells back yes, it has. It’s been over 30 years but he still has to bring justice to the wronged. It may have been over 30 years ago but he’s still his father.
Kang Ho’s intended target is Oh Tae Soo. So he makes the decision to break up with Mi Joo. During their break, with his back turned to her, he asks if she wants to know what it is that he wants to do. When she replies, if it would make a difference, he’d actually had tears streaming down his face but he’d calmly said no. And so she’d calmly then said no, which prompted him to go already. On his way out, he looks longingly at the nail salon and thinks, “Never let her find out how much I loved her. Don’t ever let her find out how I love her. And please, don’t let her ever let her find out why our love must end so painfully like this. Let her loathe me and resent me as she forgets me and erases me from her memories. Let her forget that she must forget me, and let her be happy.” He sobs painfully as he thinks about their time together and how much he loves her. Noble idiocy is here. I’m also not sure how she’s supposed to erase and forget someone she’s known all of her life.
And so Kang Ho watches Ha Young from a distance, and then follows her inside to the club and creates an opportunity to run into her. He makes a call about a drug tip-off and so their twisted fate begins. One day, he’s on the phone with an upset Ha Young who is complaining about her injured knee, but he hangs up on her as he’s investigating a case of a woman, Woo Mi Jeong, who was murdered in an alley. But he’s found CCTV footage with a car and wants to get the information from the plate and find its dashcam footage. His boss tells him to let this one slide. When Kang Ho asks if it’s because of Yoon Jae Min, his boss nods. Kang Ho asks if he might dispose of Jung Jong Gu. His boss says that he’ll stage Jung Jong Gu’s suicide as if he did it out of guilt, to tie up loose ends. Kang Ho asks if he’ll go as far as to kill an innocent man. His boss asks if he doesn’t know the kind of man Chairman Song is, as he’d do much worse things. Kang Ho then asks to take on this case, and tells him that he is about to become the deputy chief prosecutor so he shouldn’t get tangled up in a messy case like this one. He suggests that he should give his junior prosecutor the opportunity to run with this case.
Kang Ho visits Jung Jong Gu (the witness/suspect) in jail, and tells him that he’ll find the evidence proving that he didn’t kill her. He tells him to stay alive in here and do as he says. During the trial, Kang Ho throws him under the bus, with So Ji Seok and Jung Jong Gu’s parents in attendance. [The parents who loudly protested against him.] Jung Jong Gu refuses to admit to committing the crime and tells his parents that he wants to just go home. Afterwards, Kang Ho is personally introduced to Song Woo Byeok. His boss assures the Chairman that his grandson’s name will not be mentioned during the course of this trial. Alone, Chairman Song asks Kang Ho if he’s after power or money. Kang Ho says if he wants it, can he give it to him. The Chairman says that he just saved his grandson, so why not. Kang Ho says in that case, then both and then the Chairman shows him a suitcase full of cash. Chairman Song then tells him that from now on, he’ll be part of his family. Outwardly, Kang Ho gratefully thanks him but inside he’s pained by this. After he leaves Chairman Song’s place, he calls someone to find out the license plate of the car and recover the dashcam footage no matter what.
Kang Ho is getting dressed by Ha Young and when she pulls out the embroidered 10√2♥ tie from Mi Joo, he calmly tells her that he’ll wear the one she gave him for their first anniversary. But she insists as this one isn’t as flashy. And so he wears this tie to officially meet Oh Tae Soo as Ha Young’s boyfriend at his birthday dinner. Kang Ho goes over Oh Tae Soo’s harsh words and then he calls someone.
Kang Ho joins his boss at a bar and says that Oh Tae Soo used to cover things up for Woobyeok Group, so why is he now siding with Dosang Group? His boss tells him that Chairman Song used to be a thug, so think about all of the dirty things they have committed in their 30 years together. There are rumors that those two are behind the death of the chairman of Yongra Construction, which is now Woobyeok Group. It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not. He’s cleaning up after himself before it becomes a problem. Kang Ho says but if Oh Tae Soo runs for president, Chairman Song won’t just sit by and watch. His boss asks if he thinks that Oh Tae Soo didn’t make plans – if things go sour, only Woobyeok will get destroyed. That’s why Chairman Song is dying to take down Oh Tae Soo. Also, Chairman Song is a tactless brute to the bone. All he did was bribe and seduce him with women. A sly man like Oh Tae Soo would never fall for such tricks.
Kang Ho speaks to Hwang Soo Hyun, the woman Chairman Song sent to work for Oh Tae Soo as he was worried about him betraying him. She plans to go abroad and work there but asks him to tell him that they’re both already dead. Kang Ho notices her use of the word “both”. When he’s told about the baby, he agrees to keep both her and the baby safe. In order to do that, he needs to get Oh Tae Soo under his thumb, and he can only do that through Chairman Song. He asks for her to share confidential files she has on Woobyeok Group. So she gives him the yellow flash drive with information on Woobyeok Group. Kang Ho gets the DNA testing done and makes plans to show the result to Chairman Song. On a call with Hwang Soo Hyun, she warns him that once he does this, he’ll likely put himself, his mother and those around him in danger. Right after this call, he receives a message that his mother is in the security office, and so he coldly says he’s not at home. But from upstairs, he’s watching her as she drives away.
Kang Ho then asks to be Chairman Song’s legal son. Afterwards, he goes to see Hwang Soo Hyun and tells her to pack up. On their drive, Kang Ho drives her and her baby to the water and then helps them get onto a boat. It’s the owner of the restaurant he used to work at, and he’ll take her to a stowaway ship destined for the Philippines. Kang Ho then gives her some documents – an address to her house in the Philippines, passports and money for living expenses, which he tucks into her purse. He tells her that Oh Tae Soo will likely look for her so they need to stay out of sight. The woman tearfully thanks him. He tells her if his plans go well, then she can return and live happily with her baby. He then leaves them in the care of his former boss. After they leave, Kang Ho makes sure to shove the empty car off into the water and sends the footage as proof to Chairman Song.
Now it’s the day of Kang Ho and Ha Young’s drive to Jou Ri. Oh Tae Soo tells his daughter to be polite to his mother, and to remember what he had told her earlier. He then tells Kang Ho that he must be feeling uneasy to share difficult news with his mother. Kang Ho says that the moment Chairman Song accepted him as his son, she became a stranger to him. He’s only going there to seal the legal procedure and then he’ll feel more at ease.
In Jou Ri, when Young Soon leaves the room to grab tea, Kang Ho takes down the picture frame from the wall and places the memory card inside.
10/3/2021: I cannot fight against them with Father’s case, as the statute of limitations had already expired. No, perhaps Father’s case probably didn’t mean much to me from the beginning. What I really wanted to avenge was your life they utterly destroyed, and the pain you felt living as a bad mother to your most beloved son.
In flashbacks, we see Young Soon tearfully putting ointment on young Kang Ho’s wounds on his legs; Young Soon eating the leftover food her son had left on his tray; and finally Young Soon secretly taping the torn up drawing back together in the attic. One day, middle-school-aged Kang Ho had found this drawing sitting on top of a box of his childhood drawings.
I will now become Song Woo Byeok’s son and Oh Tae Soo’s son-in-law to destroy everything they have ever built. Since I know how difficult and dangerous this journey will be, I have to sever my ties with you. Please forgive this awful son.
During that drive out of Jou Ri, when Kang Ho threw the bag of mung bean pancakes down into the water, he looks to be very pained by this. He covers his eyes as tears fall, and then he takes some very deep breaths before returning back to the car and Ha Young.
One day, when everything ends and I can return to your side, I wish to lie in your arms and eat mung bean pancakes as I did when I was a little boy. T__T
Present timeline. Young Soon tearfully finishes reading and then looks up at the photo on the wall. Kang Ho follows her gaze and innocently looks back at her with such innocence. She grabs onto him and says “Don’t do it. Don’t do anything now.” Kang Ho isn’t sure what’s going on and says eomma. She then runs outside to grab his belongings. But then she breaks down into tears, and Kang Ho asks if she’s okay. She tearfully says that’s why he was so cold to her, to pursue revenge by himself, to take all the risks by himself. She hugs Kang Ho and says “My poor boy. It must’ve been so tough. It must’ve been so scary and lonely.” She continues sobbing into his shoulder but then she snaps out of it and says he needs to stop everything. She returns to grabbing his stuff and they head out in the truck.
Back at home, Sam Sik upends a bottle of prostate medicine as he says that he might end up getting a sibling. He crawls on the floor to pick up the pills and discovers a box under the cabinet. He opens it and finds a very expensive purse which he lines up a buyer for.
In the middle of a field, Kang Ho is fighting with his mother over the gas tank as he says that she said this was his stuff. She tells him that these are bad things, and it’ll put him in danger if he keeps it. He might end up like his father. He then asks her what happened to his father. She says they have to get rid of them and goes to get the matches. Kang Ho sees his prosecutor badge and quickly tucks it into his pocket before his mother returns. She lights a match and sets fire to everything. She tells him if he destroys himself in revenge that isn’t revenge. True revenge is forgetting everything completely, even the reason you wanted for revenge, and living a good life. Let’s forget, let’s forget it all now. She then throws in the memory card. Omo. Kang Ho can only look on.
Epilogue: It’s nighttime and someone is walking along the water and sees a head floating in the water. Nearby Hwang Soo Hyun’s yellow-and-white striped bag is wedged in between some rocks. o_O Nooooo.
[Ep10] Two men get out of a car and suddenly start beating on Kang Ho. His mother tries to intervene but a voice stops her – it’s Chairman Song. He says that it’s been a while and her husband was such a courageous man and Kang Ho takes after him. He says that he took care of him like he was his own, what an ungrateful kid. While the henchmen have Kang Ho pinned down on the ground, Chairman Song places his cane on his head, right above his ear and asks him what he was going to do to him. Kang Ho can only cry and scream for his mother. She begs him to not do this as he doesn’t remember anything and can’t harm him. Chairman Song says he could remember everything any day and then stab him in the back. He tells her that he’s heard that he’s gathered tons of evidence against him while working for him all these years and he’s here to find it. She says it’s not here, not anymore. She then points at the drum with its fire. He says he knew it, so there was something. She sobs and says she did it so he wouldn’t go back to his old life. She didn’t want him [Song] to get the wrong idea after finding out who his father was. She didn’t want him in any more danger, it’s the truth, and he doesn’t have any idea what’s going on between them. Chairman Song asks her what exactly was that. Behind them Kang Ho stands up and says clearly, “Let me answer that question.” His mother screams at this, and then she wakes up from the nightmare. She gets out of bed to check on Kang Ho and finds him sleeping. When she leaves, he opens his eyes.
While waiting for her appointment at the hospital, Young Soon goes over her to-do list for reopening the pig farm. She overhears two women talking about their sons, and one woman says that her son completely changed after getting married. He has a loving wife and children to look after, so he had to mature. So she adds "marry him off" to her list. She’s then told by her doctor that her symptoms will get much worse and just taking the medicine won’t suffice. When asked why she doesn’t get hospitalized and receive treatment, she says later, as there are some things she needs to do right now.
Back at home, Kang Ho is showing Lion his work badge. (~5:50, kyeopta!) As he looks at the badge, he tries to comb his hair like the way it is in the photo. But when he hears his mother approaching, he quickly hides the badge and then tries to brush the pig. When his mother opens the door, the pig quickly bolts out of there. He says she’s getting pretty strong and his mother replies that they should build a separate house for her. She suggests building a small house so she can get used to the enclosure until she’s ready to give birth to piglets. Then in the future, she won’t have any problems living with other pigs. Kang Ho asks about other pigs and his mother says they’re going to have new pigs next week. He gets very excited and asks if she’s going to run the farm again. She says no, but he will. From now on, he’s the owner of Happy Farm. He then asks what about his job as a prosecutor. She looks surprised and asks where he heard this. He says that the ladies in the village told him to get better and be a prosecutor again. She doesn’t look happy and tells him that he’s no longer a prosecutor. And no matter what anyone says, he’s to deny it. From now on, he’ll live a happy life running a pig farm. She then begs him to not remember anything and to just live like this. He says that he knows he can be a good farmer from everything she’s taught him. He then leaves to look for Lion and tells her that he’s the new owner and will build her a house. He then says that it feels weird that everyone tells him to get better and return to being a prosecutor, except for his mother. He’s interrupted from his thoughts as the twins are here to see him.
Sam Sik is with the purse buyer who asks for a 50,000 won discount. He says she’s like the Yeouido interchange at 6 p.m. on a weekday – hard to get through. He then says he bought this for his girlfriend to celebrate their 1,000th day together but she cheated on him. He then starts crying. And just as suddenly he sings about Mi Joo… To get him to shut up, she quickly tells him that she’ll transfer the funds now. Afterwards, he gets a call from that gangster who says that he just received something in his bank account but instead of 200 million won, it’s missing two zeros. Just like how he’ll be missing both of his kidneys soon. Sam Sik says he wired him the interest first. He’s then asked when he will receive the principal then. He then says his house is worth 180 million won and the mill is worth 250 million won. And his parents also set up life insurance for him. When the call ends, he grabs onto the streetlamp pole next to him and yells at it. From behind him, his father asks what did it ever do to him for him to beat it up, and he’s flanked by two men. His father then introduces him to the two men who are from the Rural Development Administration, and one of them is carrying a tray of lettuce. They were visiting nearby farms and were impressed with these plants. They tell him that he did a great job growing them. Mr. Bang says he doubts this lousy kid grew them and then asks his son where the two men are.
Back at the house, Kang Ho and the twins follow around Lion who has dug a hole by the shed. So Ji Seok and Cha Seung Eon are stuck inside the tool shed, as Cha Seung Eon had previously taken So Ji Seok to the shed to show him the boxes of documents he’d seen. However they had arrived just as Young Soon had finished removing the boxes, and then Kang Ho had locked the door behind them. So the dunderheads have been trying to dig a hole to get out of there. Now, Kang Ho has the twins watch Lion while he tries to patch in the hole as his mother will flip out. Kang Ho grabs a heavy rock to cover the hole. Yeo Jin is impressed at how strong he is, and Se Jin asks if she’s told him that she’s going to marry him. Kang Ho smiles at this but then they’re distracted by Lion running off. (~13:00)
Inside the shed, So Ji Seok grimaces at this latest obstacle. Haha. Cha Seung Eon answers a call and then says that they need to get out of there now. So Ji Seok asks him if it’s who he thinks it is. Cha Seung Eon says yes … it’s Mr. Bang and they need to go for their interview on their lettuce, so they must hurry! Cha Seung Eon quickly manages to break down the door and out he goes. So Ji Seok is shell shocked that they’ve been in there this whole time… XD!!! His face.
Everyone is hanging out at Mr. Son’s place and eating Sung Ae’s cooking. Ms. Jo, tactless as ever, complains about how bitter it is. Mr. Bang arrives and chides his wife for derailing from her diet already. Young Soon joins them and is fed a bite by Gum Ja. She says it’s good and Sung Ae asks if she’s saying it’s tasty. Young Soon says yes… if she had made it less bitter which makes Sung Ae lose her smile and makes everyone else burst out laughing. XD! Sung Ae continues eating her food and says it tastes fine. Young Soon then asks why they’ve always left her out. Mr. Bang says to not take this the wrong way but she’s always been busy taking care of the pigs and Kang Ho. She says she knows how considerate they’ve been and she’s grateful for it. But from now on, they should invite her and Kang Ho as it hurts her feelings to be excluded. Mr. Son says then they are both invited to join them. And they better make it every time until Kang Ho gets better and becomes a prosecutor again. Young Soon tells him that Kang Ho won’t return to being a prosecutor and he never will. She then asks for him to set Kang Ho up with the daughter of the orchard farm, as she wants to marry him off. They’re surprised by this. She says once he’s met a nice woman and starts a family, he’ll be more stable and happier than he is now. Everyone isn’t sure how to take this but Mr. Son boisterously agrees to be the matchmaker.
Later at Lee home, Seo Jin is eating while Ye Jin isn’t as she says that she needs to be slim if she wants to wear a pretty wedding dress. Oh, my sweet baby girl, who taught you this?! Mi Joo just laughs and asks what she’s doing. She’s drawn a bride and a groom, and the groom is holding a big rock over his head. Mi Joo tries to feed her but Ye Jin says she’s going to have an outdoor wedding. Mi Joo says the groom is handsome with a small face and long legs. She then asks what he’s holding, and her daughter says a rock. So she says that he must be strong. Her daughter says a man must be strong, and then looks over at her brother who is struggling to open a bottle of soda. LOL My poor baby boy didn’t do anything wrong either. And so he lifts it like a dumbbell. Ye Jin writes on the drawing and then shows it to her family: Owner of Happy Farm. Her mother reads it and Ye Jin happily tells her that Kang Ho oppa is now the owner of Happy Farm. Her mother looks taken back by this. She continues saying that the new pigs will arrive next week, and then she’ll be the wife of the owner of Happy Farm. Gum Ja tells her to dream on as tomorrow he’ll have a match… Both Mi Joo and Ye Jin look at her, and Gum Ja finishes saying - to set fire to. (~19:00. The phrase is something else in Korean but something is lost in translation/transliteration for this word play.) Mi Joo is confused but her mother makes the excuse that she needs some kimchi and gets up from the table. Ye Jin asks what’s going on and why would he do that. Gum Ja is walking away scolding herself for saying that in front of her unmarried daughter.
Mr. Baek is in trouble as all of the investment money for his new album has disappeared along with the fake company. When these angry investors arrive, they shake him and even rip off his wig.
Young Soon gets Kang Ho ready for his date, and she hands him the jewelry box and says this is for his fiancée, who she says is a friend who’ll live here and run the farm with him. They’ll care for and love each other. She’ll be by his side forever. He says a friend and with a smile, he asks like Mi Joo? She says no, Mi Joo has people she loves, so she can’t be by his side. He gives a sad little pout and asks who those people are. She says there’s Ye Jin, Seo Jin, and their father who is in the U.S. He says oh, that horrifying bastard? lol! She hisses at this, and says he’s never even met him so he can’t call him like that. She tells him to not worry as she’ll find him someone better than Mi Joo. She leaves the room with the jewelry and looks down at the one fingernail where there’s still a bit of yellow nail polish left. His mother returns and continues trying to style his hair. They’re interrupted by Sung Ae and Gum Ja who take over his hair, while Ms. Jo does his make-up. (~22:30, LDH is the cutest here.) When Gum Ja and Sung Ae go to pick out his outfit, Gum Ja happens to choose his black 10√2♥ tie. (At this rate, I’m going to need this embroidered on everything.) When the women go looking for cologne, they happen to see the jewelry.
Once they’re done with him, he comes out in a black suit with a white dress shirt, and a pair of black and silver glasses. When he gives a little smile, all of the women cheer at his handsomeness. His mother then helps him into his dress shoes. (~24:30) Outside Mr. Son and Mr. Bang are dressed up and waiting with the mill van.
At the cafe in town, Kang Ho and his mother are at one table with Mr. Son, the blind date and her mother. A few tables over are Mr. Bang, Gum Ja, and Sung Ae, and they’re touting Kang Ho as the most eligible bachelor, in the loudest and least subtle way possible – by shouting it loudly across the room. *facepalm* Young Soon signals for them to stop already. Mr. Son hands the mother and her daughter a book with all of Kang Ho’s achievements but they notice that he’s too busy blowing bubbles with his drink. His mother tries to get him to stop but he insists on having the bubbles appear. And so these blind dates continue for days, as does the poorly acted skit of our trio… And Kang Ho continues playing with his drinks each time, and even manages to have a foam milk moustache when he answers how old he is – 7. He quickly changes it to 35. (~27:00, my favorite, haha. At least they’re disclosing his current mental state.) An angry mother and her daughter leave after saying it’s wrong to set them up with an idiot. Kang Ho, still sporting a milk moustache, asks if he can just live with her. She goes to wipe at his lip but he licks most of it off before she can touch him.
Afterwards, her friends give her encouragement before they leave. Young Soon tells Kang Ho that they’ll buy some paint while they’re in town. Kang Ho asks why she doesn’t buy any pesticides. She asks what the pesticides are for and then realizes that he wants to show off how well-dressed he is to Mi Joo. She agrees and says she’ll get the paint and he can go there first but he runs off before she’s even finished talking. (~29:25, how fast he disappeared around that corner! lol)
At the nail salon, Mi Joo is dealing with this old man client who claims to need to get his nails done to relieve stress. But he’s really there to ogle her. He then starts sniffing at her, and when the owner of the agricultural chemical store goes back into the storage area, the client asks what she does after work. She asks why he’s asking. He suggests that they go somewhere nice and have a cup of coffee as he has questions. She asks like what and he replies, like how she gives hand massages, and there are various massages. *puke* She maintains a poker face as this lecherous old man continues talking about different types of massages. He takes it one step further by lacing his fingers with hers and starts rubbing the top of her hand. *more puke* She smiles and then twists his wrist until he screams in pain. She then flings his hand away and says if he does something like this again, she’ll snap his neck right off. He starts cursing at her and she says no, not by her, but – points at the camera recording above them – by his wife. He gets up and asks what he did. She says that he kept glancing at her breasts and groping her hand. And this garbage about massages. He yells if she knows who he is.
She says yes, he’s Lee Bong Su, the business alliance rep, who’s been going around pestering young ladies at hair salons and coffee shops like a horny dog. She then orders him to leave and get out. She opens the door and he just stares at her with his jaw hanging open. She yells loudly if he wants to be humiliated in front of everyone, Representative Lee Bong Su. He heads towards and moves to slap her, but then he clips his hand on the cuticle scissors that she’s holding when she’s trying to block his attack. He becomes more enraged and calls her a crazy bitch as he grabs her by the collar and pulls her out into the street. The owner comes out to separate them even as this lecherous old man spews that he’ll get her put behind bars for attempted murder. And then Kang Ho shows up to completely remove the old man from her. She’s shocked to see him, and then she notices his 10√2♥ tie. When the old man grabs onto Kang Ho, he seems to remember some defensive moves from before and quickly places the man in a chokehold. Just as suddenly, Kang Ho lets go and is confused as to what’s going on. The man demands to know who he is and Kang Ho hesitates but Mi Joo quickly says that he’s Prosecutor Choi Kang Ho from Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office. Kang Ho looks at her in shock, and she continues telling the old man that he’s in trouble now. She then grabs onto Kang Ho’s arm and says “Jagiya, put him behind bars this instant. He groped her, cursed at her and sexually harassed her.” She quietly tells him to “Come on, be a prosecutor, babe.” But Kang Ho can only cluelessly look at her.
The grotesque man laughs and asks why would a prosecutor from Seoul date someone like her. She wants to go after the man but Kang Ho pulls her back and then tells him that he’s not, but then he sees and hears the sounds of a man on a motorcycle coming from behind her. This triggers his memories of Mi Joo painting his nail yellow and telling him that the lucky color is yellow for the Year of the Dragon, that she was wearing a yellow outfit, carrying a yellow sign, and how he’d carried her to the hospital after the motorcycle driver had knocked her down. He recalls begging them to not let Mi Joo die. In the present, he lifts her up out of the driver’s way and together they fall down onto the ground with his arms around her, which sends his badge flying out onto the street. The owner of the shop picks up this badge and shows the lecherous old man that he really is a prosecutor, and he better leave before he’s in real trouble.
Mi Joo wakes up first and tries to get him to wake up. He opens his eyes and she starts crying when she sees that there's a bleeding cut on his forehead. As she’s fussing over him, Kang Ho remembers when she fussed over him at the hospital from her accident in the past. He then wipes away her tears with his thumb and says it’s okay, Mi Joo. He can take the exam next year. And then he kisses her on the lips just like he did back then. She tearfully hugs him and when she pulls back, he’s back to his 7-year-old-self. Mi Joo returns the kiss, and at this point, his mother walks by. When she sees them, she does an about-face and quickly walks away. (~34:00)
Back at home, they’re painting the outside of Happy Farm and Young Soon is trying to talk to Kang Ho. But Kang Ho is in his own little world with this great big smile on his face. She finally
has to yell his name to get his attention, and then asks what he’s painting as he’s painted hearts all over a pig. His mother suddenly notices the cut on his forehead. When she hears about the motorcycle incident, she checks to see if he’s injured anywhere else even though he insists that he’s fine. She finds out that he’s got a bad gash on his arm. She asks him what he was thinking of running towards the motorcycle. He says that Mi Joo almost got hurt. Suddenly, he yells loudly, “So what? Did she die?” She asks why he would say that and he shakes his head and says he doesn’t know as it suddenly popped into his head. She looks concerned.
Young Soon checks on Lion who lives outside in her own little area now. She recalls her words from the day of the past motorcycle incident. She knows she must’ve hurt him so deeply and that’s why he still remembers these words. But he can’t regain his memories as he needs to get married and start a family. That way, he won’t act recklessly to avenge his father, even if all of his memories return.
Mi Joo is sitting outside drinking beers as she thinks back to their kiss. She wonders out loud if she’s lost it. When she sees Kang Ho running by, she quickly dumps the contents of the bag next to her and places it over her head. Of course he sees her, and he walks up to ask her why she has a plastic bag over her head. She removes the bag from her face and leaves it over her hair as she says that she was a bit cold. LMAO! (~38:15) He accepts this and says she looks like a hermit crab or a greenhouse. She says yes and then says he should go. So he waves and takes off. But then he stops, turns back and says that he can’t hold back anymore. He walks over and gets really close to her and then picks off the seaweed from around her lips. lol! He asks if she had seaweed again and she asks again? He says that he smelled seaweed when they kissed back in town and she has some on her lips right now as he reaches over to remove it. She’s flustered and turns her head away from his hand and says that’s because she had kimbap for lunch. He says ah, then she should brush her teeth to stay clean. Teehee. She asks why he’s speaking so casually to her. He says she spoke casually to him since they first met. She says yes, she did, but he didn’t until yesterday. So why did he suddenly change? She asks if he sees her as a pushover now. He says no, he likes her. She just stares at him. So he finally turns to leave. She stops to ask him if he wants to drink a beer. He says no, he can’t drink and walks away.
After he’s left, she says that he loves beer. Then she mutters about what seaweed, and then pulls out a mirror to take a look and sees it at the corner of her lips. She licks at it and when she smiles, it’s now on her front teeth. My shero. XD!
While going over administrative duties with Kang Ho, Young Soon notices how his nails have grown but he doesn’t want her touching that one nail. So she insists on trimming them right now, and he makes the excuse that he saw the feed tube was clogged. He grabs the mallet and leaves to deal with that and runs into Andrea. Young Soon then tells Andrea that the new owner of Happy Farm is no longer her but Kang Ho. After Kang Ho leaves, Andrea asks how Kang Ho’s dating is going, as he has a female classmate who might be interested. Young Soon happily agrees to this. And so she and the villagers go to meet her first.
Kang Ho looks at his badge and thinks about what happened recently with Mi Joo. He’s interrupted from his thoughts by a singing Sam Sik who is carrying bags of alcohol. When offered a drink, Kang Ho says that he can’t drink. Sam Sik says a man should drink and black out every now and then. He then says maybe his memories will come back. He has a spinal and brain injury…don’t think alcohol helps! Sam Sik insists and so the two they drink with Sam Sik being the drunker of the two. Kang Ho tells him that he wants to become a prosecutor again, and Sam Sik says that as his friend he’ll help him. 1) A prosecutor should be a jerk. He tells him to not worry as he was born as one. 2) He should have a pair of handcuffs for catching criminals, which Sam Sik will provide. In exchange, he wants a ring. When he shows him a photo, Kang Ho says he has one. Sam Sik tries to get him to give it to him but Kang Ho says it’s for his fiancée. Sam Sik asks if he even knows what one is, and Kang Ho says a friend. Sam Sik says yes, just like they’re friends… which makes him his fiancée. (~46:00, drunk idiots. lol!) Kang Ho is now convinced to get the ring for him. *facepalm*
Two detectives are discussing the dead body that they found in the water. Hwang Soo Hyun’s body has been identified and they’ve noticed her fake passport. One detective says it doesn’t seem to be murder according to her body and the autopsy report. The other detective says they found 30 million won in her bag and in a zippered bag. He asks if he thinks she committed suicide while carrying a fake passport and cash. They’re going to contact her family and look into stowaway ships.
Chairman Song is looking at recent photos of Kang Ho and wonders why there’s no word from So Ji Seok. He says he’s going to go see for himself. Omo.
At the meeting with the potential candidate, she asks to see a video of Kang Ho, who she knows is unwell. Young Soon doesn’t have a video but Gum Ja has one from Ye Jin. In the video, Kang Ho is sketching and when Ye Jin asks who he’s drawing, he says it’s his mother. He then shows the drawing of a young woman, and Gum Ja quickly says she looks very young in this drawing. Sung Ae insists on looking and says that he’s in love with his mother. Young Soon looks concerned. But then the candidate says that she likes Kang Ho as he seems like a nice person. She asks if she can meet him. Everyone cheers in celebration but then Sung Ae receives a call from the police station.
Sam Sik is at the police station and his parents barge in to beat on him. The police chief bemoans the fact that their village has been crime-free for the past 20 years so Mr. Son was going to be awarded by the prime minister at the end of this month. They had just 20 days to go… Kang Ho arrives as the police shows Young Soon the jewelry box. Mr. Son recognizes it and bemoans that it’s all gone down the drain and starts ripping down the banner boasting their crime-free record. But then Kang Ho says that he gave it to Sam Sik as a gift. Everyone is surprised and Mr. Son starts shoving the sign back up. Young Soon asks why he gave it to him and Kang Ho says because he’s his fiancée. Sam Sik suddenly starts sobbing and Kang Ho finally notices the handcuffs on his wrists. He hugs Sam Sik, as he says “Thank you, my fiancée.”
Back at home, Kang Ho apologizes to his angry mother. She screams at him for not knowing what’s his and what’s important. She’s told him to not give away what’s his to others. He tells her that he wants to be a prosecutor. She tells him no, as he promised her that he’d run Happy Farm with his fiancée. He says no, he doesn’t want to do that as he wants to be a prosecutor again. She says no, he’s not one. He says he is as Mi Jo says that he works at Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office. She asks if she’s the reason why he wants to be a prosecutor. Kang Ho says yes, that’s why. His mother starts hitting him and asks why he’s giving her such a hard time. She tells him to never say anything like that again and continues hitting him. He finally flings her off of him. She looks at him in shock.
CKH tearfully: I did everything you told me to. I ate well. I exercised diligently and I even moved my arms and legs. I took medicine and received acupuncture. It was really painful and exhausting. When you tossed me into the water, I was really terrified. But I still endured it all because it made you happy. I wanted to make you happy. So why won’t you let me do what I want to do? Why do you always decide for me? Is it because you also see me as an idiot?
Young Soon goes to see Mi Joo, to tell her that Kang Ho is getting married soon. He had a blind date today and the woman really likes him. But she’s a foreigner and majored in nursing in Vietnam. She also worked at a hospital and a school for the disabled. So she thinks she’ll understand him and take good care of him. Mi Joo can only nod. Young Soon then asks for her to help him, as he seems to like her a lot. She’s told him numerous times that she’s married to someone else but he doesn’t seem to understand that. So she asks for her to talk some sense into him. Mi Joo doesn’t say anything so Young Soon begs her as the woman is coming to visit tomorrow. Mi Joo asks her if something is going on. Young Soon denies this. Mi Joo says she bought herbicide last time and Kang Ho told her that she abandoned him. And now she’s rushing his marriage, so something is going on. She asks her to tell her as that’s the only way she can help. Young Soon tells her that she’s quite unwell and dying soon.
Mi Joo returns home and thinks about their breakup, and how heartbroken she’d been. She had had a positive pregnancy test in her pocket. Aww. Back then, Mi Joo had gone on a double date with Sun Young and afterwards, she had had to tell her that she was pregnant. When asked if she had told him, Mi Joo had said no, as he had said that there was something he wanted to do. And that he could only do it without her. She had known it was important enough for him to break up with someone he loved. If she had told him that she was pregnant with his babies, then he would have given up. She didn’t want to ruin his life anymore. Sun Young had then asked, “babies”? Mi Joo had been excited about having twins. Her friend had asked her if she was having these babies then, and she had said yes. She had then said that she and the twins would wait for him. He would return once he was done. T___T Mi Joo had struggled to provide for her babies. One day, she’d seen Kang Ho but he’d gotten into a fancy car and left with a female. Some colleagues had commented that it made no sense why some rich girl would be into him, who has neither money nor connections. They’d also said that he’d been stalking her for some time before they started dating. Mi Joo was devastated by this.
One dawn morning, she had then dropped off the twins at her mother’s and left only a note for her to take care of her babies. Gum Ja had screamed for her but then the babies had started crying. Mi Joo had been hiding nearby and silently sobbing.
She now tells her mother the truth about Kang Ho being the twins’ father, as she should have told everyone the truth, especially to Kang Ho’s mother. Her mother asks her who knows about this. Mi Joo says that she hasn’t told anyone else, and her mother says that she’s relieved. She tells her that she can’t be with him as it’s exhausting to care for someone who’s unwell. She’d have to sacrifice her entire life, and what will she tell the twins. Mi Joo doesn’t say anything but her tears fall. Her mother is in disbelief and bemoans how unlucky she is with her daughter and her husband… She then says that she pities her babies. Mi Joo gets up and asks why she is pitying them as she doesn’t have to.
The next day, Mi Joo has the twins dressed up. At Happy Farm, Kang Ho is refusing to wake up and get ready for the meeting with his future fiancée-to-be. Mi Joo arrives with the twins and bangs on their gate.
Afterwards, Sam Sik sees the sharply dressed Mi Joo and the twins walking by. He greets her but she just forges on ahead without acknowledging him and tightly grips the twins’ hands. He wonders where she’s going this early in the morning, and then he answers a phone call.
At home, Kang Ho is refusing to wake up or get out of bed. Outside their gate, Mi Joo fixes the twins’ outfits and then takes a deep breath. Inside, Young Soon suddenly collapses, and Kang Ho finally gets out of bed when he sees her on the floor. Just after Mi Joo bangs on their gate, Kang Ho’s potential fiancée shows up and asks her if this is Choi Kang Ho’s place. Seo Jin answers yes, which makes Ye Jin beat on his back and then scream at him to stop giving out his personal information to a stranger. XD! She glares at the woman, and then crosses her arm and asks who she is and why she wants to know. Mini adult mode on. The potential fiancée says her name is Hoang and she’s supposed to meet him but can’t reach him. Suddenly, Kang Ho runs to the gate and tells Mi Joo that his mother… and the two quickly run inside. Hoang slowly follows behind them.
Kang Ho and Mi Joo shake Young Soon in an effort to wake her up. Haong quietly tells them to not shake her like that and then checks her vitals. Mi Joo calls for an ambulance as Hoang tells Kang Ho to grab a thick blanket and pillows. When Kang Ho returns with everything, she tells him to elevate her legs so blood can get to her heart. Mi Jo hangs up her call and assures her kids that she’s okay and sends them home. Mi Joo then asks Hoang if she can stay with her for 20 minutes and then she asks Kang Ho for the car keys.
Now Mi Joo is speeding down the road in the truck with Kang Ho and Hoang in the backseat with Young Soon across their laps. The police notice the speeding truck and try to pull her over but then Kang Ho rolls down his window and yells, with help from Hoang, that his mother collapsed with hypovolemic shock. [Severe blood or other fluid loss makes the heart unable to pump enough blood to the body.] Now the police quickly turn on their lights and sirens to escort them to the hospital.
At the hospital, Kang Ho wants to stay right by his mother’s side but Mi Joo calmly tells him to let them do their work. In the waiting area, Mi Joo thanks Hoang for her first aid. Hoang says she should be thanking her as she drove here without waiting for the ambulance, so her mother-in-law could get treated quickly. Both women then open their canned beverages and offer it to Kang Ho but Hoang gets there first. So Mi Joo just awkwardly drinks hers. Ha! Hoang tells him that he must be in shock but they’re in the hospital now so he can relax. He thanks her and then asks who she is. She tells him her name and that they were supposed to meet today.
Gum Ja is on the phone talking to one of Mi Joo’s older sisters about helping them open a clothing store. But she needs to reserve a small space in a corner for a nail salon. But when they say something that she doesn’t like, she yells that it’s not for them, but for Mi Joo. She’ll sell her garlic field and whatever else to fund it, so take Mi Joo and the twins and look after them. She then says Mi Joo will be ruined if she stays here. She suddenly hears a loud clang and goes to check it out. She’s at Mr. Baek’s place and finds him surrounded by a bunch of empty alcohol bottles. When she finds out what happened to him, she says he’s being punished. Mr. Baek asks how that pig lady is doing. She says that it’s taken a toll on the farm but she’s doing better now. He says, no, not that but that lady… She doesn’t know what he’s getting at. So he says he guesses that she still hasn’t told anyone and kept it a secret. Gum Ja asks what the secret is…
At the hospital, Kang Ho finds out from the doctor that his mother is critically ill with stage IV stomach cancer and it’s metastasized to her peritoneum and lungs – and Mi Joo suddenly joins them. She tells the doctor to tell her what’s going on as it’s hard for him to understand what she’s saying right now. She explains that she’s his friend and – but he puts his arm up and stops her. He insists that the doctor speak to him, as he’s his mother’s guardian. Afterwards, Kang Ho looks so pained and quickly runs to his mother’s room. He goes to his mother’s bedside, holds onto her hand and tells her to wake up, let’s go but she doesn’t. Mi Joo has followed in behind him. Mi Joo tells him to not do this. He starts crying, and then sits down and grabs onto her hand. He says that he’s sorry as he’ll do as she says, and won’t be a prosecutor anymore. He then begs for her to wake up. Mi Joo puts her hand on his arm and tells him to stop this but he shoves her away. He tells his mother that he won’t Mi Joo anymore just as she wanted. He tearfully begs for her to wake up. From right outside the room, Hoang has overheard everything and so she calls Andrea to tell him that he’s set her up with the wrong guy.
Gum Ja is now outside and asking the skies, if anyone is up there. She asks if this isn’t too cruel – to take away her husband, and what happened to her son, and now this. She starts sobbing as she asks how they’ll take her life away, too. The twins find her in this state, and inform her that they’ve been looking everywhere for her as Young Soon had collapsed this morning. She pulls out her phone and calls her daughter.
Mi Joo gives Kang Ho some kimbap sans carrots and tells him to eat. Kang Ho looks at it and then says that everyone that his mother made kimbap for, never returned home. His grandparents and his father, so that’s why she never let him go on a school picnic. She was afraid he’d never return. He then says that his mother isn’t a bad person. She agrees with him and he asks tearfully why she is ill. He answers that he’s getting punished because he’s a bad person but why is his mother being punished. Mi Joo says that neither one of them is being punished. This is something that no one wants but this is something that can happen to anyone. She says just as his mother was there for him when he was unwell, it’s his turn to stay strong by her side. This makes him break down again, and so she hugs him and says that she’ll be fine. An angry Gum Ja suddenly shows up and yells to ask what the two of them are doing in broad daylight. Gum Ja asks where his mother is and he looks in the direction of the room. She then tells Mi Joo that she’ll stay here and she should go home and look after her kids. Mi Joo tries to say something but then her mother punches her on the back and then quietly calls her a brat, a crazy bitch and that she ought to… Gum Ja then looks at Kang Ho and tells him to lead the way. He slowly walks towards his mother’s room and then he hears a woman’s voice saying “Ma’am, what are you doing? You can’t do this.”
Young Soon is fighting against the nurse. She demands to know from the doctor if she will live if she gets this IV shot, if she will live if she stays in bed. If not, then let her go. Help her make the best use of the time she has left. She tearfully says she has no time to be here as she was supposed to meet her son’s bride today. She frets over what time it is and then notices that Kang Ho, Gum Ja and Mi Joo are all in the room. Gum Ja starts sobbing and then goes to hug her.
The angry buyer tells Sam Sik that there’s a tear in the purse. Instead of reporting him, she just wants her money back. He tries to make excuses but she won’t listen to it. Then he shows her his balance as he says that he doesn’t have the cash. She says that he has exactly 2 million won. He looks at his phone in shock and notices the recent deposit. Now on the bus and with the purse, he calls his mother to ask why she deposited the money without his permission. She tells him to pay it back. He then asks if she could give him a bit more. She promptly hangs up on him. Ungrateful brat. He then looks at the bag and pulls on the bottom of it and finds a DNA test result and an envelope with a memory card!
Kang Ho and Young Soon are back home looking for her cellphone. When she finds it, she calls Hoang and apologizes about this morning. Hoang tells her about what she overheard and she says that it’s a misunderstanding as Mi Joo is just a childhood friend. Hoang hangs up on her. Young Soon goes to leave and Kang Ho says no, as she’s very ill. She uses that knowledge against him and tells him to stay put then, and then leaves. Sam Sik suddenly pops from the side of the truck. LMAO (~19:50)
Mi Joo and Gum Ja are back at home and Gum Ja asks if she’s told him. Mi Joo says what. Gum Ja asks if she didn’t go there to tell him that he’s Ye Jin and Seo Jin’s father. She says that she did, and at the very least, she thought that Young Soon should know. But she couldn’t because she collapsed. Her mother is relieved and tells her to take the kids and live with her eldest sister as she’s already made the arrangements. Mi Joo rolls her eyes at this. Her mother continues that it’s not just Kang Ho anymore as his mother is also unwell. She then asks if she wants to waste her life looking after people. She protests with a loud eomma. Gum Ja says yes, she’s her mother, and her daughter is about to ruin her life, so what wouldn’t she say to stop her.
Mi Joo tells her that she must be mistaken and to listen carefully. She’s never getting back with him. What she’s imagining right now will never happen. Yes, she plans to live happily with her kids but she won’t run away. Why would her kids have to do this? From outside, Young Soon asks for Mi Joo and so she leaves to talk to her.
Young Soon explains that the woman from earlier is marrying Kang Ho, which Mi Joo says she knows. She then angrily asks what she did to make her say that she won’t marry him because of her. She also wonders why she ruined this, and then screams why she’s always ruining Kang Ho’s future. Omo. Gum Ja comes out and asks her who’s ruining who’s future. She asks how she could torment her child for the sake of her own? Gum Ja brings up the motorcycle accident and how she blamed her for not taking the exam back then. She wants to know why she’s blaming her child for everything. And even so, she put up with it because she knew what she went through raising him. She angrily screams at Young Soon if she knows who has ruined whose future here – and then Mi Joo takes her inside to leave Young Soon alone outside.
Elsewhere, Sam Sik is pressing Kang Ho about the purse, but Kang Ho doesn’t remember anything. Sam Sik says this is the purse he gave to his mother on the day he brought his fiancée, Oh Tae Soo’s daughter, to meet his mother. Kang Ho asks why he has the bag that he bought for mother and if he stole it. Sam Sik says of course not, as Young Soon gave it to his mother. Then Sam Sik shows him the DNA test result and asks if he knows whose it is. He doesn’t. He shows him the memory card next, and they’re going to look at it together. Kang Ho asks why they’d do that. Sam Sik says he wants to be a prosecutor, so this DNA test result will show if he has the DNA to be a prosecutor. Kang Ho despondently says he’s not going to be one anymore and his mother doesn’t approve. Sam Sik says then they’ll see if he has the DNA to not be one and then shoves the card into the laptop. Then he says that he needs the password which Kang Ho gives him, 0907 but it doesn’t work. Kang Ho then says 0312 which doesn’t work either. Sam Sik tells him to hurry up. He’s interrupted by a call and when Kang Ho sees the hourglass image on the laptop, he remembers something. He types in DKQJWL for the password and the files open up. But he’s surprised. When Sam Sik returns, he’s ecstatic and wants to know what’s inside. It’s a recording of when Oh Tae Soo, Chairman Song and himself were at the sauna talking about getting rid of that piece of paper… Sam Sik recognizes Kang Ho’s voice.
At the sauna that day, Kang Ho had placed a recording device inside an hourglass and left it on when he left the two men alone to talk. The two men are talking about getting rid of Hwang Soo Hyun and the baby. Oh Tae Soo asks if that wouldn’t be any trouble. Chairman Song assures him that even if there is trouble later, Kang Ho will take the fall. That’s why he keeps him around. Oh Tae Soo says then he’ll be counting on him. (~27:00, a shirtless LDH!)
Sam Sik looks at the DNA test result and realizes it’s about Oh Tae Soo. When Sam Sik screams in joy, it snaps Kang Ho back to the present as he asks who they are and why is he talking about this stuff with them. Sam Sik says that he was going to marry Oh Tae Soo’s daughter. Kang Ho then asks who Hwang Soo Hyun is, and if she did something to her. Sam Sik says that he said he’d take care of her, so what did he do to her? Sam Sik says he didn’t kill her or something, right? Kang Ho suddenly takes the paper and card, and Sam Sik asks what he’s doing. Kang Ho says they belong to him and he doesn’t know. But he feels like he needs to find out what this is. He then says his mother might now. Sam Sik says no, and if she knew, would she have given the bag to his mother? Sam Sik then offers to find out for him as he’ll go meet them and ask them himself. o_O He then says that maybe he did do something bad and if his mother finds out, she’ll be greatly shocked. Kang Ho grabs him by the collar and says that he needs to find out what this is, so if he deceives him and does something weird again, he won’t let it slide. Sam Sik says okay, and then entrusts the paper and card to him. And then he tells him the password, DKQJWL, which Sam Sik says is abeoji (아버지).1
Afterwards, Kang Ho goes to his father’s gravesite and wonders why he was reminded of him when he heard those scary words. He’s never even met him. So why does he miss him? Why does his heart ache so much, as he tears up and rubs at his chest. He then touches the mound and asks who his father is, and who he is. He wonders what he needs to do. Young Soon finds him sitting by the mound and says so this is where he is. She then talks to her husband, and asks how he is and if he’s happy.
She tells Kang Ho that his father was really in love with her, as he’d follow her around, asking to hug and kiss her. He never spent a second away from her. She then sits down and says just like him, and come to think of it, he takes after his father a lot. His stubbornness and strong determination all come from him. She then says that his father wasn’t always that strong. He cried very easily. He’d always rub her big belly when she was pregnant with him and cry saying that he missed him and loved him and that he was sorry. Then from inside the womb, he’d begin to kick as if to say “I’m here, and I can see everything!” She then says she wanted to grow old together with him but their time together was very short.
She tells him that later on, to please bury her next to him. She wants to be with him for a long time. She asks if he will visit them when he gets married and has kids. She says that she’s sure that they’ll be adorable. Then they’ll grow up, go to school and get married. He’ll grow older, become a father and then a grandfather. She says his parents will watch over him from this mound, and they’ll protect him. She then says not to feel lonely even when she’s gone, as he’s not alone. He tears up and then asks why she’s so mean. He says that he knows, as he knows everything, so why did she have to say that. He asks why she always says things that hurt him right here - as he rubs his chest with tears streaming down his cheeks. Why does she always make him do tough things? Why does she always do everything her way? Cooking, doing laundry, farming, and banking. After she teaches him everything like a mother pig, she’ll go somewhere nice with him. She smiles tearfully at this. He says he doesn’t want that, no - as tears continue to fall - then he won’t do anything. No, he’d rather not know how to do anything. He’s just going to live his life like an idiot so she can’t leave him. He starts sobbing and shaking his head at her, to not leave him, eomma. Her tears finally fall as he begs for her to stay a bit longer. She hugs him and tells him that she’ll take her time. She will leave very, very slowly. So let’s not be sad and let’s not cry. She wants to spend every minute and second being happy with him.
It’s nighttime now, and there’s a light knock on Gum Ja’s gate. She goes to see who it is and it’s Young Soon. She kneels down in front of Gum Ja, and then says that she’s sorry. She felt sorry for Kang Ho for growing up without a father. She didn’t want him to feel his father’s absence, so she’s been selfish. After he became the way he is, she’s finally realized that her love for him is misguided. But she really hasn’t changed. She was right. Her child is as precious as hers is to her. She’s hurt Mi Joo very deeply. Even after everything she’s done for her, she’s sorry for hurting her. She asks for her to forgive her. Gum Ja tears up at this and tells her there’s no need to kneel and to stand up. Gum Ja goes to pull her up, but Young Soon can’t get up as she’s sobbing so hard. She hugs Gum Ja and tearfully asks eonni, if she’s really going to die. Then she admits that she’s scared and wonders what she should do. She cries to please let her live, to please help her live. And then the two women sob uncontrollably together in a heap on the ground. Inside, Mi Joo silently cries with them as she's heard every word and sound. T_T
So Ji Seok quietly threatens Cha Seung Eon that one day, he’s going to die by his hands. Cha Seung Eon says that he’ll probably die of anxiety before then, and then we see that they’re going to be filmed for TV about their lettuce. xD! I almost feel bad for So Ji Seok, until I remember he’s a henchman. The villagers are rejoicing, especially Mr. Son, who is happy that their little village will be on TV. So Ji Seok stands up and apologizes as he doesn’t think they can be seen on TV. Ms. Jo says that she was right to be suspicious of them, as they’re here to hide because they did something bad. Her husband chides her for saying such a thing about them, these nice men. Afterwards, So Ji Seok tells Cha Seung Eon to hurry up and pack and go beg Chairman Song for forgiveness before this airs on TV. Otherwise, they’ll become manure for the lettuce.
As they’re driving out of Jou Ri, they see Sam Sik, and Cha Seung Eon wants to at least say goodbye to him. So Ji Seok screams at him for stopping. Cha Seung Eon says it would be suspicious if they don’t say goodbye and then sticks his head out the window at Sam Sik. When asked where they’re going, he says they’re going to Seoul for business. Sam Sik is now in the back seat and mentions that he’s planning to see Oh Tae Soo which makes Cha Seung Eon slam on the brakes and ask why he’s going there. Sam Sik says that he’s a fan and big supporter.
Sam Sik somehow manages to arrive outside Oh Tae Soo’s house on a bright yellow-green scooter with a bright green helmet. LMAO! He then pulls out his phone and calls his fiancée [Kang Ho] to say that he’s arrived and will let him know how it goes. Kang Ho tells him to not screw this up. Sam Sik hangs up the call and follows Ha Young who drives away in her car. After she’s picked up her item, she pulls out of her parking spot and Sam Sik gets “hit” by her car. He lays down on the ground and yells in pain. She then gets out to offer to call for an ambulance.
Inside a cafe, she’s looking at the DNA test result and asks Sam Sik what this is. He then plays the recording for her. Since she’s using earphones, the spy outside can’t hear what she’s listening to. Sam Sik says that he couldn’t decide between giving this to her father, or handing it over to the Bareun Hanguk Party who’s dying to take him down. She quietly removes the earphones but she looks quite upset as she’s barely holding back angry tears. Oblivious as ever, Sam Sik says that he decided to hand it over to her as she has a chance to be a good daughter right before her wedding. She becomes icy and asks what he’s doing and then starts tearing up the DNA test result into small pieces. Sam Sik freaks out and asks what she’s doing as that was his. She tells him that he said it was her father’s and then throws the pieces at him. She leaves and he says that Choi Kang Ho had this, and a prosecutor like him wouldn’t keep a fake, would he? She stops in her tracks and grabs him to ask what he wants. He then says he needs 200 million won – and then remembers he needs to repay his mother – so he adds on 2 million more to his demand. *facepalm* Such a dummy. Sigh. He says he wants 202 million in cash. She asks him if he knows what will happen if there’s another copy, and he says he’ll probably be dead in the mountains. She tells him that she’ll see him in an hour and then coolly leaves the place. But when she gets outside, she seems to be quite scared but she continues walking to her car.
Sam Sik then calls his fiancée and tells him that he talked to her and she seems taken aback at the mention of his name. He can barely hang up the call before an unmarked black van stops in front of him and two men kidnap him. Kang Ho says hello but then he’s distracted as he sees his mother doing work, and he insists on trying to do everything for her. Andrea runs up with a bag for Young Soon, as the vet says that the sows have MMA [mastitis, metritis and agalactia] and these anti-inflammatory shots will help them get well in a couple of days. Kang Ho then offers to administer the shots, even though his mother says that he’s afraid of needles. He says he’ll grit his teeth and do it just once.
Ha Young returns to the cafe and asks the employee if she’s seen the young man who was sitting in the corner. No one’s seen him there. Meanwhile, Sam Sik’s phone has been smashed and Oh Tae Soo’s assistant and henchmen have the laptop. The orders are given to get rid of him, and just as he’s about to be stabbed with someone with star tattoos (like Ms. Jo’s?) – a car comes flying in and when it stops, So Ji Seok and Cha Seung Eon get out of the car. They’re armed with a shovel, a garden sprayer and an assortment of garden tools. LMAO! The two guys fight off a dozen men and the assassin keeps a knife at Sam Sik’s neck. During all of this, the assistant manages to run out with the laptop. The assassin wounds Cha Seung Eon with the knife before hopping onto his motorcycle and drives away with the assistant and the laptop.
Oh Tae Soo listens to the recording and then throws the laptop, and now they think this is all Chairman Song’s doing. He then asks where his daughter is. He finds her at the cafe with an unmarked bag next to her. He tells her that it was a mistake. She asks if killing an innocent woman and her baby is a mistake. He says that Choi Kang Ho did that. She says that he put him up to it. She says he’s a terrifying person as he kills and gets rid of everyone who gets in his way. And Kang Ho ended up like that after being used by him. He says she must be scared as she slipped him sleeping pills and tried to kill him. She looks at him in horror and he asks if she’s going to say that he put her up to that, too. He says no, as she took revenge on him because she felt betrayed when she found out that he was using her to take him down. It was her decision to do it. Tears fall from her eyes and he tells her it’s all in the past. Besides, the evidence that could be used against him is now in his hands. With Kang Ho in that state, no one can prove it as long as she keeps her mouth shut. (Girl, take down Daddy Dearest!!)
It’s her wedding day and Chairman Song shows up uninvited and asks the bride’s parents if they like their future son-in-law this time. Oh Tae Soo’s wife nods and says yes. Chairman Song says they should, that way they can live happily without getting into an unexpected accident, right? Then he says he’ll head inside as the steak here is amazing. And then Ha Young goes missing as she’s received a photo of a standing Kang Ho.
Today, Young Soon tells Kang Ho to get ready for a date. Ha Young in her wedding dress arrives in Jou Ri. From a distance, she then sees Kang Ho in his finest clothing and on the phone. She walks on the road until an unmarked black car stops and her father’s henchmen get out. Kang Ho is calling Sam Sik’s phone and leaves a message asking why he hasn’t picked up and if there’s something going on. He asks him to call him. He hangs up the call and then reaches into his pocket and finds an unfamiliar phone. His secret phone? But he quickly tucks it away when he sees his mother who is also dressed up.
They’re having a meal at a restaurant for their mother-and-son date. He asks why she wanted to go on a date with him, and she says that she’s never had a chance to eat out with him, go to the movies, go to karaoke nor go on a trip. So they’re going to do everything now. She then shows him a list of everything she wants to do with him. He looks at it and when she asks if he’ll do it with her, he says yes. When she orders two more servings of ribeye, he adds on a bottle of makgeolli. She’s surprised and he tells her that he’s an adult and her guardian but she can’t drink ever. So she agrees with him and then orders a large bottle of makgeolli. He tacks on one glass with the large bottle. His mother whines that she wants some, but he says no and they return to cooking the meat on their table.
Oh Tae Soo returns home to physically beat his daughter for running out on her wedding. She ends up on the floor and his wife runs over to protect her. She asks if he’s lost it. He says that she’s the crazy bitch and then he says how dare she tarnish his reputation. He then tells his assistant to lock her up in a hospital until the election is over. In private, his assistant then tells him that the body is indeed Hwang Soo Hyun’s and the police have started their investigation into her murder. Oh Tae Soo is so frustrated by all of this that he starts destroying stuff inside his home.
Kang Ho continues trying to reach Sam Sik but there’s no answer. He then goes to sleep with his mother tonight. She’s very happy to do this. When they’re laying side-by-side, she thanks him for their date today. He says that her wish is his command. He’ll do everything for her. She then says that he should sing for her. He says that he can’t sing. She looks at him, and he says that he can’t. She whines that he said he’d do anything for her. So she cutely whines for him to sing. He sings her a song about a wounded heart and then she starts drifting off to sleep.
At Lee home, Mi Joo is singing the same song to her sick daughter, who asks why she’s singing such a heartbreaking song. Mi Joo is surprised that she’s not asleep and checks her temperature as she’s relieved that it’s come down a bit. Ye Jin says that she knows about her father, so she can be honest with her. She thinks her father had an affair. She says this is why married people shouldn’t live apart like this. Mi Joo tells her that she shouldn’t think like this. Ye Jin counters that he hasn’t made a call since that brief visit. She asks if he doesn’t miss them at all. Well, she doesn’t miss him much either. Maybe it’s because they’ve been apart for so long. He feels like a stranger and she doesn’t feel attached to him. She wants her mother to know that so she doesn’t have to put up with him because of them. She then tells her mother to just get a divorce as it’s not a big deal these days. So stop worrying about them and start living her own life. If there’s one thing she’s learned in all her years, it’s that there isn’t much to life. "You just have to live happily with the people you love, right?" Mi Joo just looks at her with eyes full of tears. My sweet baby girl. T_T She knows her mother loves them and they love her, too.
So please, let’s just live happily together by themselves. And she’ll marry Kang Ho oppa in the future and take good care of her mother. Gum Ja smiles at her granddaughter’s words. Mi Joo finally pulls her in for a hug. They’re both crying as Mi Joo apologizes for making her worry as she’s a bad mother. Awww. Ye Jin, with tears all over her face, tells her that she’s crying as she hasn’t smiled a single time since she’s been back. She wants to see her smile. Because she’s not a bad mom but a pretty mom and then she pulls up the corners of her mother’s mouth. My baby.
In the middle of the night, Young Soon receives a call about there being smoke at the farm. She wakes up her son and they go investigate. When they arrive, his mother is more obsessed with saving the pigs than trying to get away from the fire. Suddenly, they’re trapped inside the burning building with the pigs. Kang Ho finds a way to break open the window and tells his mother to go but she refuses. He insists that she goes first but she really doesn’t want to. He promises that he’ll follow her out. So he helps her up and out of the window first. But then there’s an explosion behind him which throws him and makes him fall onto his back. He seems to pass out and hears his father’s voice calling him Yong Yong asking if he’s asleep as it’s time to wake up. Kang Ho remembers seeing Ha Young walking away from the car before, but he groggily falls back to sleep. In the present, Kang Ho opens his eyes inside the burning building. Is he back?!
[Ep12] Oh Tae Soo meets Chairman Song at the Beasts’ baseball field and asks if he’s seen the news. Chairman Song coyly asks if he’s here to talk about Hwang Soo Hyun but he said before that he no longer wanted to see him anymore. They argue but then Oh Tae Soo says that they’re done for if the police continue investigating. So he suggests making Kang Ho the baby’s father and they’ll need to take care of him before then. Chairman Song says yes, this is how a president needs to handle matters – sometimes, appease the masses and sometimes, have to sacrifice some for the greater good. He says that Hwang Soo Hyun appears out of nowhere and asks if he had that much fun with her.
Oh Tae Soo angrily kicks him to the ground and then screams if he looks like a pushover because he worked with him. He screams if he has proof because he has proof that he killed Choi Hae Sik. He has proof of all the dirty deeds he committed to turn Yongra Construction into Woobyeok Group. He says he also has proof that he ordered Choi Kang Ho to get rid of her to hold it over him. Is this being recorded? Chairman Song continues laying on the ground before Oh Tae Soo eventually helps him up and says that as of today, he’ll cut ties with Dosang Group. And this country will protect Woobyeok Group from now. Then two then shake their hands on this. Ick.
On their mom-and-son date, Kang Ho and Young Soon go for a walk alongside the water, but he looks at his phone. She teases him for looking at his phone all day long. So he puts it away and then removes his scarf to place it around her neck. She then notices the name of a boat behind him – it’s his name. And then they have photos taken next to it, and when he goes to take her photo, he suddenly has a memory of the boat with Hwang Soo Hyun on it and he quietly says her name. His mother asks what’s going on which makes him snap out of it and he resumes taking pictures of her.
Back to that phone call that Young Soon had received about a fire on the pig farm. When they leave to check on the farm, an injured Sam Sik is hiding outside and waiting for Kang Ho. But then he realizes that they were checking on a fire and he starts running after their truck. At Bang home, Sung Ae wakes up screaming her son’s name. Her husband asks what’s wrong, and she asks if their son is at home. He says he doesn’t think so which makes her get up to check. But then she overhears two men talking quietly right outside the mill shop: It’s So Ji Seok and Cha Seung Eon discussing if he had reported it. So Ji Seok doesn’t think he would’ve as he lost the evidence. If anything, he’d be accused of threatening Oh Ha Young. Cha Seung Eon asks if he’s onto them. So Ji Seok says that’s why he ran away and they need to get him before things get out of hand. They were out of hand several lettuces ago. XD And just as they’re about to go into the shop, they see and hear Sam Sik running by and yelling Kang Ho’s name. Lots of running for him. The men follow him, with his parents not far behind them.
Sam Sik arrives at the farm and flips out over the ongoing fire. But then he encounters two men who attack him and he falls to the ground. So Ji Seok and Cha Seung Eon arrive in time to chase after the two men. And then his parents arrive and notice the fire and then their son on the ground.
Mr. Son and Ms. Jo are at the Lee house as they’re unable to sleep. Gum Ja is busy peeling black garlic and when Mr. Son asks if someone has indigestion issues, she goes to tell him who it’s for. But Mi Joo interrupts to say that it’s for her own health, and then she lightly shakes her head at her mother. They’re interrupted by the sounds of Mr. Yang screaming about a fire as he’d seen the pig farm on fire. The villagers all descend upon the pig farm, and wonder where Kang Ho and Young Soon are. Mi Joo then sees Young Soon struggling around outside. The villagers all gather around her, and then she screams about Kang Ho still being inside. Mi Joo makes the decision to go inside but Sam Sik stops her. He tells Mr. Yang to turn on the water and he douses himself with the water from the hose. And then he breaks the lock and walks inside for Kang Ho. And just as the firefighters arrive, Kang Ho comes out with Sam Sik on his back. LMAO, of course it would be! The parents are overjoyed to see their sons, who both collapse onto the ground. Then the building explodes behind the group.
At the hospital, Young Soon stays at Kang Ho’s bedside and Mi Joo arrives to tell her to lay down as she’s unwell. Mi Joo says that his oxygen therapy went well, and he’ll wake up soon. Nearby, Sam Sik wakes up and his parents scold him for jumping into the fire. Both his parents are worried about losing their precious only son. His father says he got mad at him first so others wouldn’t. Then he says that his mother beats him first because she couldn’t stand the thought of him getting beaten up by others. While his mother sobs, his father asks if he knows how hard it is to be so harsh to one’s own child. It’s okay to cause trouble but try to stay alive, okay? His father starts crying and now his mother stands up and calls him a son of a gun for making her man cry. XD! Young Soon and Mi Joo soon arrive to check on him, and he asks how Kang Ho is. Young Soon says that they need to run a few more tests so he’s being transferred to the general ward. When the police arrive to investigate the cause of the fire, Sam Sik tries to hide under the covers.
Now Young Soon and Sam Sik are talking to the police, and he says that when he came to the farm, there was some suspicious-looking guy coming out of the farm. Young Soon interrupts and says that she did it, as it was her mistake for placing the gasoline where the fire started. Mi Joo is eavesdropping nearby. Sam Sik asks what she is talking about, and he suddenly remembers that there was another man, and then shows the bruising on the back of his neck. The police point out that he’s a mess as he even has a split lip. Young Soon says there’s no need to investigate this, as she’s the victim so why would she lie.
Afterwards, Mi Joo confronts Sam Sik in the stairwell, to ask him about the suspicious guy he saw. He says he was really tall and burly. She asks why Young Soon lied then. He says he’s baffled by this, too. He mutters maybe she caught onto it. Mi Joo asks caught onto what? He says that came out wrong. She insists that he must know something. He replies that he’s never known anything. She asks then why was he there so late? He says it’s because he went to see Kang Ho. She grabs his face and takes a closer look at his lips and asks if he got beaten up. He denies this and says he fell down some stairs earlier.
She quickly drags him over to the stairs and dangles him with his IV bag and stand, and then she asks if he really wants to fall down the stairs now. She ain’t messing around when it comes to Kang Ho. She wants the truth or else she’ll really think he set the fire. He says that that doesn’t make any sense. She replies how doesn’t it as he’s always been jealous of Kang Ho because she likes him. Sam Sik repeats that she likes him? She quickly denies this part but she wants to know why he set the fire. He screams out that it wasn't him but Oh Tae Soo’s men. She finally pulls him away from the stairs and back onto the landing, and asks if it’s the Oh Tae Soo they all know. He glumly replies that Kang Ho is in danger.
Mi Joo barges into Kang Ho’s room and tells his mother to report them to the police. She asks what she’s talking about. Mi Joo says those people who want Kang Ho dead. Young Soon gets up and looks around before pulling her aside to ask what she’s heard. Mi Joo says Sam Sik told her everything - that Kang Ho knew about Oh Tae Soo’s secret. Young Soon isn’t sure what that is. Mi Joo says his illegitimate son. Apparently, Kang Ho had the original copy of the DNA test. And they’ve gone after Sam Sik for the same reason as the test was inside the bag she’d given to Sam Sik’s mother. She asks where it is now, and Mi Joo says that Sam Sik had it but Oh Tae Soo’s men took it from him. Young Soon says then it’s over now as they have the evidence. So why are they doing this?
Mi Joo says he must feel uneasy about Kang Ho knowing the truth. Young Soon asks why, as Kang Ho has lost his memories. Mi Joo says because if he regains them, he’d find the evidence again. Mi Joo pulls out her phone to report this but Young Soon stops her as there’s no evidence and provoking them could put Kang Ho in further danger. Mi Joo asks if she doesn’t get – he’s already in danger. Young Soon says she knows that’s why they’re going to leave. She doesn’t have much time anyway, but once he wakes up, they’re going to move and go into hiding. So she doesn’t need to worry about him anymore. Mi Joo says this is ridiculous, as why would they need to run away when Oh Tae Soo is the guilty one. She tries to persuade her to report it as the police will reveal the truth and protect him. Young Soon says that’s how his father died. She tells her about the fire on their farm, and how he died while trying to expose the truth. No one protected him – neither the court nor their neighbors. And even she, his wife, was powerless. So that’s why she was so strict with Kang Ho as she wanted him to become a powerful person. And he must’ve resented her so much throughout those lonely and painful years. She’s going to protect him from now on as he can’t have the same fate as his father. Mi Joo tells her that he was only able to endure those lonely and painful years because of her, his mother. During those long years, he was preparing for the bar exam, he always sang her favorite song, “I am Happy”. He’d craved mung bean pancakes but he wasn’t happy with any of them. They’d even tried to make them but they didn’t turn out well. And in looking back, she realized he’d been looking for the taste of his mother’s mung bean pancakes. Young Soon’s tears fall freely from her red eyes as she listens to this. Mi Joo says that Kang Ho didn’t resent her but he was worried about her and missed her a lot.
Young Soon then asks if it was her. Mi Joo isn’t sure what she’s referring to. Young Soon asks if she’s the girl that he wrote about in his journal. She was the girl he loved to death. She knows it was her. That’s why despite losing his memories, he still searched for her and had those feelings. Now it’s Mi Joo’s turn to tear up. Young Soon hugs her and says that it must've been so hard and painful for her. She then says she’s sorry, even though it’s quite late, she wants to apologize on his behalf. Mi Joo says that she’s sorry, too, as she should've told her sooner. Mi Hoo then says that she’s not married, and Ye Jin and Seo Jin are Kang Ho’s children. But they’re her kids now. She only found out about the pregnancy after they broke up, and she had decided to have them without him. She had never planned to use them as an excuse to hold onto him, and she doesn’t intend to get back with him by using them either. He may not remember right now but he abandoned her in the past. Young Soon tells her that he didn’t abandon her, as he wanted to avenge his father. So he was going to become the son of his father’s murderer and marry the accomplice’s daughter. Young Soon says he never abandoned them, as he knew that if things went haywire they’d be in more danger. So he left his loved ones and he actually abandoned himself. Kang Ho has been awake this whole time listening from his bed and his face is wet with tears. (~21:00)
When Kang Ho sits up in bed both women are relieved. But then the two detectives arrive to speak to them. Young Soon says that she’s already explained everything to the other officers. The detective asks what she’s referring to. She asks if they aren’t here because of the fire. They’re actually here to arrest Kang Ho under the suspicion of murdering Hwang Soo Hyun.
Now at the police station, the detective shows them photos from an anonymous source. It’s photos of Kang Ho by the car with Hwang Soo Hyun, and then four hours later he is alone on the coast of Taebu Island. Hwang Soo Hyun’s body was found near Jemyeon Island, which is 5km from Taebu Island. She was wearing the same clothes and bag from that day. The detective then shows him a photo of Hwang Soo Hyun and asks if he knows who she is. He says now. And then he’s shown a photo of the baby, as he often visited them at the postpartum care center, and everyone thinks he’s the father. Young Soon asks what they’re saying as he had a fiancée back then. The detective says they suspect that’s the reason why he committed this crime. Kang Ho isn’t saying anything but he seems to be processing this.
The detective says he must’ve had to get rid of Hwang Soo Hyun and the baby to become the son-in-law of such a powerful family. When Young Soon tries to tell the detectives the truth about the woman and the baby, Kang Ho stands up and yells that he’s hungry and he wants to eat. Ding! He then walks over to a man who’s eating a bowl of noodles and takes it from him and starts eating with his bare hands! Young Soon tries to take it from him and it ends up spilling on him. She grabs something to wipe at his shirt and he says with a whine that he’s hungry and he wants to go home. She tells him that she’ll bring him some food. He starts yelling no and that he wants to go home. Then he says that those men keep yelling at him, and he’s scared and wants to go home. Kang Ho then runs around the police station and starts pulling things left and right with the men following him around. Eventually, they pin Kang Ho down on a desk with his arms behind his back. He starts screaming about it hurting, so his mother beats on them to get them off of him. Then she hugs him to get him to calm down. She asks if being in the same car makes him a murderer, and if they have proof that he killed her. Kang Ho hugs her but seems to understand exactly what’s going on. Ding! She screams how they can use force on her son who isn’t mentally stable. She now demands to see their chief and she’s going to sue them for violating the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. She tells her son that it’s okay, and he returns to hugging her.
When detectives drops them off at home, and Young Soon thanks them for loaning him the tracksuit. She asks about returning it, and he says that he’s going to gather evidence and come back, so keep it until then. He warns her to not even think about running away as that will only aggravate his penalty.
Inside the house, Kang Ho is looking at the old photo of himself with his parents. When he hears his mother’s voice, he tries to put it back on the wall but manages to drop it instead as falls down with a clatter. He crouches down to pick up the pieces and she notices his hand movements. Ding, ding! When he’s finished, he says that he stinks and is going to take a shower and turns to leave. She stops him and says that she’s been waiting for a very long time. She asks if he’s going to greet her. He turns back to look at her and she says that he’s back. She says it’s been a while. She admits that she was worried that she’d never see him again and ask for his forgiveness for everything she’d done. She tears up and then so does he as he hugs her. He finally says, he’s back, eomoni. She starts sobbing as she hugs him back. (~32:28)
Now Kang Ho tells her that she should stay in the hospital. She says that she’s okay. He then asks how she knew. She says of course she did as she’s his mother. She then says he could be an actor. The slight nuance in his movements were so subtle. He gives a light laugh and says that he had to get out of there at all costs to do what he needed to do. She asks what he needs to do – Before he can answer, she tells him no, as it’s dangerous and she won’t allow it. He says his father, Hwang Soo Hyun and the fire at their farm – does she still not get it? They’ll keep coming after them. She then says that the evidence is gone, and then she apologizes as she didn’t know things would pan out this way. She then suggests that they just leave. Kang Ho says that’s what Hwang Soo Hyun tried to do and see what happened to her. They’ll find them one way or another. So they must find evidence on them before they do anything to them. She asks how he can possibly do that. Kang Ho then tells her: “You need seven different lies to conceal one. It’s the same with crimes. To conceal one, you need to commit multiple crimes. And there’s always evidence left behind. I’ll find it at all costs. However, no one can find out that I’ve regained my memories until everything is over. And you should never be alone.”
It’s a brand new day as he’s wearing a head-to-toe black outfit and walking outside. But he stops when he sees Ye Jin and Seo Jin playing on their scooters and his eyes start filling up with tears. He thinks back to when he was drinking alone and coping with the loss of Mi Joo. One day he had stopped by outside her place and seen her and a man pushing a double stroller. He’d moved to continue staring at her but when she’d turned around, he’d turned his back to her and walked away from her. The couple continued walking along to meet Sun Young at the nail shop, and the man was actually Sun Young’s boyfriend who had happened to run into Mi Joo on his way there. Kang Ho had continued walking in the rain and then sobbed at her with her family. (~36:50)
Back in the present, he follows the twins and then hugs both of them tightly. He says that he’s sorry that he didn’t recognize them. Yeo Jin pulls back and says to be honest, he didn’t recognize him either. He then asks if he got a new hat. Ye Jin feistily raises a fist and says he’s wrong as he’s worn this hat more than ten times! XD! She cheerfully then says it’s okay if he doesn’t recognize her as she’d know him from a mile away. He smiles at them and then gives them another big squeeze. (~38:00) T_T His face. Now he’s standing outside the agricultural chemical store and watches Mi Joo as he emotionally recalls her words to his mother that the twins are his. She eventually looks out the window and seems startled to see him standing there. Just like their dating days…
So he tells her “Petit Nail. Bar Exam Meal. Fried tofu rice balls. Ten square root of two. I remember everything now.” Her eyes tear up and she asks if that means he’s all better now. He nods yes and she says that she’s relieved. But then she gets angry and says that she needs to give him a beating as she starts hitting him over and over. She yells why he didn’t tell her as she wanted to die multiple times a day. She continues saying that she cried, cursed and resented him every single day. She then asks how he could put a pregnant woman through such a difficult time. She asks if he knows why Ye Jin and Seo Jin are bad-tempered? It’s all because of him, the asshole. She takes a deep breath and says she’d thought if she ever saw him again that she was going to kill him. But then he was unwell, so she just waited until he got better. Then she found out that he was in more pain than she was. She lets out a painful sigh and says that she was the one who abandoned and hurt so why can’t she resent him for what he did. Why did he have to suffer more than her? She starts sobbing and he finally hugs her and apologizes to her. He then pulls back and tells her to not forgive him just yet, and she looks at him in surprise. He says the thing he has to do without her hasn’t ended yet. So don’t forgive him just yet. Keep cursing and resenting him for now. Once he comes back safe and sound, he’ll beg and ask for her forgiveness. And he’ll be the one waiting for her forgiveness. This just makes her sob even harder, so he returns to hugging her.
Young Soon is making mung bean pancakes as she calls Sung Ae and tells her to come by the village hall with Mr. Bang by 6 p.m. and not to eat beforehand. She’s interrupted by a knock on the door – it’s Mr. Baek who says that he heard about the fire at her farm. He asks if it’s cursed as it’s one misfortune after another. She says, tell her about it and then laments that she should’ve sold it to a certain despicable man back then. He laughs at being called “despicable man” and then says that despicable man is leaving as he’s moving out. He then says he has something for her before he leaves. She says no, she doesn’t have a need for parting gifts but appreciates the thought. He says no, as he’s here to return her container and pulls out the small pink bundle from behind his back. She laughs which makes him laugh, and then he says that he feels bad for a lot of things that he did to her. He tells her to take care of herself and then hands her the container. He tells her that she needs to survive before turning to walk away. She stops him.
He ends up staying for her little party, and she’s made a feast for everyone. Mr. Baek is leaving for Seoul tomorrow, so it’s now become a goodbye party for him. When Gum Ja arrives late with the twins, Young Soon is extra affectionate with them as she hugs them and tells them that she’s brought their favorites, too. Gum Ja asks where Kang Ho is, and she says that the doctors needed to run a few more tests on him, so he’s still at the hospital. She assures them that he’s much better now so don’t worry. She then says she’s grateful for all they’ve done to save the farm. She apologizes for failing to appreciate them all because she was too focused on working. Mr. Baek and Gum Ja know why she’s doing this. Everyone else tells her to stop this, and asks what’s gotten into her. She says from this moment on, she’s going to set aside her worries and live happily with them all. She then says there’s even a song about it and starts singing, “Let’s put aside our worries…” Mr. Baek can’t contain himself and asks if that’s why she brought him. He then starts singing… They all sing and laugh together as they drink makgeolli. She is also seen joyfully hugging the twins.
Elsewhere, So Ji Seok and Cha Seung Eon have brought two of Oh Tae Soo’s men to Chairman Song. Chairman Song grabs a bat and says imagine the expectations he had when he assigned such an important task to them. And that Woobyeok and all of their lives are at stake here. So Ji Seok apologizes for how long this has dragged on but thankfully they’ve caught – and then Chairman Song snaps and starts beating the tar out of the already beaten-up men as he screams what’s so damn hard about killing that idiot. So Ji Seok asks if he’s the one who sent these – Chairman Song then yells for someone else and asks what’s going on with Kang Ho. He’s told that he was questioned this morning about Hwang Soo Hyun and then released a while ago. A vehicle was recovered at the scene of the accident at Taebu Island and the doors and windows were locked from the inside. Chairman Song realizes that she was never in the car to begin with, which means Kang Ho duped him. So he asks who killed her then? He realizes that Oh Tae Soo must’ve had him tailed that night.
Kang Ho returns to the prosecutors’ office at night, and finds his car in the lot. He pulls out the key that’s hidden under the wheel well and drives off into the night.
Meanwhile Gum Ja brings home the twins and a very drunk Young Soon who insists that she only had one drink. She insists on sleeping alongside Ye Jin and Seo Jin. Gum Ja gets her settled in for the night. In another room, Ye Jin complains that the videos she took tonight are not saving her grandmother’s phone. Mi Joo tells her that the memory is full so she needs to delete unnecessary ones. Ye Jin says that all of them are her work. Her mother clicks on a video and asks what this is. Ye Jin says she filmed Kang Ho’s ex-fiancée. Then she says delete it as it’s the most useless video ever. She goes on that she hates it and reaches over to grab the phone from her mother. Her mother doesn’t let go and tells her to hold on and then plays the video.
In the video, the twins are standing by the white Benz and then Ye Jin pans the camera to Ha Young, who is seated in the passenger seat and pouring something into a water bottle. Mi Joo replays this over and over. Later, she shows this video to Sam Sik, who says they both could’ve died so why would she have done that. Mi Joo says that she heard that the driver that day was a woman. Sam Sik asks why would she spike her own drink then. She says what’s important is that Kang Ho drove when they departed so that means they switched places midway. Sam Sik says they could’ve done that if he was tired. She says but the reason is just strange. Apparently he fell asleep, and she was outside the car when the accident happened. He says that's why she was unscathed and met with him. Mi Joo asks if that isn’t weird so she’s going to have to go meet her. Sam Sik says no, absolutely not – and then we see that he’s sitting inside his closet. He says he even eats in here as he’s afraid of those men coming back for him. He protests that it’s too dangerous for her to go by herself. She tells him to not worry as she won’t be going alone.
Now we see that Mi Joo and Sam Sik are outside the Oh residence. However, he’s quite afraid and can’t move towards the front door and stays behind and tries to make her stay with him. He tells her that he’s honored that she chose him for this but it’s too dangerous. She slaps him and then asks him if he will live in a closet forever. He replies that a closet is better than a coffin. He says she’s never met those guys, and if he gets caught again, he really might end up dead. So on her own, she makes a run for the Oh house front door, and says that she’s a very close friend of Ha Young’s but she couldn’t reach her. She asks if she’s home right now and she’s told that she isn’t and then they hang up on her.
Kang Ho is at the seafood restaurant where he used to work at and finds out that the owner sold the place about a year ago. And no one knows where he went and he hasn’t made contact with anyone in a while. Kang Ho then receives a call from his friend, the Investigation Officer. When his car disappeared, he had called Kang Ho’s mother to check as only he and Kang Ho knew where the key was. He’s glad as he knew he’d come back. Kang Ho tells him that he still has some work to do so keep it a secret until then. The man says of course as he is forever indebted to him.
Back then, Kang Ho had given him the money he needed for his mother’s surgery as he’d been making calls until the day before to get more funds. He’d also told him to take the time off to deal with his personal affairs. He says his mother would have died back then if she hadn’t received her surgery. So perhaps that’s why he couldn’t say no to anything Kang Ho’s mother had asked of him. Then he says that he’ll help him no matter what.
Today, Young Soon is hungover from the one glass of makgeolli as she’s been vomiting all day at Lee home. Gum Ja stays by her side.
While still waiting outside, Mi Joo tells Sam Sik that she’s met Ha Young before… the roundhouse kick that didn’t make contact but still resulted in her getting fired. When the housekeeper comes outside to drop off some trash, Mi Joo makes a beeline for her. The woman is surprised that she’s still waiting for her. Mi Joo says her phone is still off. When the woman says nothing, Mii Joo grabs onto her arm and with a quivering voice says that she really needs to speak to her. She’s been studying abroad for five years, and flew in temporarily. Once she goes back, then she starts crying and says that she doesn’t know when she’ll be back. The woman finally gives in and says that she’s a bit ill so she’s in a hospital right now. Mi Joo asks which hospital so she can visit her and the woman yells no quite loudly. The woman then looks around a few times before saying in a more normal voice that it’ll be difficult to see her for the time being so meet her next time. Mi Joo cries when is the next time and the woman says after the presidential election. The woman leaves the trash on the curb before running back inside. Mi Joo continues crying after her but she doesn’t return.
Sam Sik finally walks by behind her, but from across the street. He says that the lady looks very anxious, and the election is four months away. Mi Joo wonders how ill she could possibly be to be hospitalized for that long. Sam Sik says it’s not the duration that matters but the election part that’s important. He then pulls out his phone to show her something he’d seen earlier and says it has something to do with this. It’s a headline about Ha young disappearing at her wedding. Mi Joo can’t believe that’s it. Sam Sik says the election is right around the corner, and this is what his daughter did. Plus she’s aware of her father’s illegitimate child. If he were him, he would’ve broken her legs and locked her up somewhere. He then asks if she thinks she’s even in a hospital. Would he really risk the doctors and nurses spreading rumors about her? And is there even a hospital that admits someone for four months. Mi Joo walks away and then suddenly says she knows where it is. She says it must be Woosung Medical Center.
Back then, while Mi Joo was cleaning the floors at a nail salon, Ha Young had returned and had her look at a piece of paper. Mi Joo read it aloud, “Fourteen weeks of recovery.” Ha Young had asked if she didn’t expect something like this when she kicked her. Ha Young then told her she had messed with the wrong people. She had then asked if she didn’t know who her father was and fabricating a medical certificate was a cakewalk for him. She had then said he could turn someone like her into a lunatic and have her locked up in a hospital forever. The certificate was from Woosung Medical Center! Mi Joo had told her she’d make sure to remember someone who fabricated medical certificates and threatened innocent people during the election.
Now Mi Joo and Sam Sik, who is wearing a bob cut wig, are standing outside this medical center. He asks if she really thinks she’s in here. She replies that she has to be for Kang Ho’s sake. He gripes about her mentioning her dear Kang Ho. She replies it’s also for his sake though. She heads on in and so he runs in after her.
Kang Ho is now by the docks and showing around a picture of the seafood restaurant owner to ask if anyone has seen him. Per the Investigator Officer: Cho Yeong Jae, age 55. After he sold his restaurant in Sillim-dong, he changed his address to his hometown. But no one is living there. And Kang Ho’s friend has looked into a boat named Gwangmyeongho as he asked. He’d found out that there are boats by that name in Dangjin, Pohang and Haenam.
Kang Ho now waves at Mr. Cho on a boat with that name.
[Ep13] When Mr. Cho sees him, he runs away from him but he doesn’t make it far. Mr. Cho tells him that Hwang Soo Hyun, in a way, had committed suicide. That evening, while waiting for the other boat to pick her up, they’d been greeted by a boat full of men in black (Oh Tae Soo’s or Chariman Song's henchmen?). Mr. Cho had told her to hide and then tried to restart the motor but the men got onboard and injured Mr. Cho. She had been forced to make the difficult choice of jumping into the water with the baby. Mr. Cho says that he tried to reach him many times and even went to the Prosecutors’ Office and then heard about his accident. Mr. Cho had realized that those same men were responsible for his accident but he didn’t dare report anything to the police. He knew that he was helping her stow away illegally, and if they found out that he was alive, they would’ve tried to kill him again. That’s why he sold off the business and began living in hiding. Mr. Cho apologizes for running away earlier as he’d been startled to see him looking healthy and walking. He couldn’t believe anyone anymore, not even him, someone who was like a son to him.
Sam Sik and Mi Joo are at the hospital looking for Ha Young but of course no one will admit that she’s here. Sam Sik tries to be inconspicuous and manages to do anything but. The two get on an elevator and a man wearing a dark cap joins them. When the man reaches over to push a button, the star tattoo on his wrist is revealed, and Sam Sik remembers seeing from the assassin before. So Sam Sik makes a show of Mi Joo being pregnant as he loudly fusses over her belly and hides his face from the man. They finally get off of the elevators and follow this man from a distance, to a room guarded by men in suits. Sam Sik says where that man with the cap (and tattoo) is is where she is, as he’s the one who tried to kill him. Sam Sik then picks the lock for the laundry room to find them something to wear.
Back at home, the detectives show up for Kang Ho. Young Soon tries to stop them but when they get inside, someone is sitting up under a blanket. When the detectives try to remove the blanket, presumably Kang Ho, starts screaming hysterically. Young Soon asks them if they even have a warrant. They don’t say anything so she tells them it’s intrusion upon habitation. They leave and she throws the tracksuit after them. She tells them to not come back without a warrant, and she’s not going to stand down, detectives or not. Young Soon returns inside and tells the quivering blanket that they can come out now. It’s Andrea, who is returning home to Canada. Young Soon gives him his severance pay to use for his flight home. He thanks her for teaching him about farming, and an addiction to makgeolli.
Mr. Baek is watching a video with his agent – it’s his song, “Intrusion into My Heart” and there are clips of people dancing to it, including the twins. It’s become a huge hit. When asked how he came up with the lyrics, Mr. Baek cries hysterically that it’s Kang Ho. He continues screaming his thanks to Kang Ho for this. (~13:00) XD! Fine, the zombies can stay at bay.
Mr. Son is getting measured for a suit at the tailor’s as he’s receiving a crime-free commendation for Jou Ri. The tailor [cameo by Ryu Seung Ryong] is congratulating him on this achievement and Mr. Son starts talking about all of the stress involved. The tailor continues talking to him and simultaneously jabbing in the various pins. Mr. Son asks for his wife to see him in his new suit, and Ms. Jo says that she wants a suit for her baby, Tiger. lol The tailor says that he can make a suit for the dog, too. Mr. Son receives a call but he's tied up so the tailor answers the call. It’s the detectives calling about a murder.
The detectives meet with Mr. Son and his wife to talk about Kang Ho. Mr. Son says he’s like a son to him. The detectives show them footage of Kang Ho flipping out at the police station, followed by Kang Ho calmly turning in the forms at the hospital for his mother. When asked if the personalities are too different for it to be the same person and which one he thinks is the true Kang Ho, Mr. Son doesn’t say anything. The detective frustratedly yells, wouldn’t he know if he’s like a son to him. Mr. Son denies saying that and says he’s like a sun… as he’s always around his mother and refusing to leave her side. So they’ve all said “He’s like the sun that’s always there.” Ms. Jo nods in agreement.
Mr. Bang finds his wife at Young Soon’s home, and asks his wife where the van is. His wife asks where Sam Sik is and he says he hasn’t seen him. The twins are eating while the women are playing a game of Go-Stop. Mr. Bang notices all of the food on the table, and is impressed by all of the dishes. He asks if it’s a special occasion today and she says that she just made it for the kids to enjoy. Sung Ae loses this round and Young Soon says they can play all night so she can win it all back from her. Sung Ae teases her for dancing, singing and even having a drink last evening. She then says when someone acts out of the ordinary, it means that they’ll die soon. Gum Ja loudly yells her name and then scolds her for blurting out words without thinking. Young Soon puts a hand on Gum Ja’s knee and softly tells her to stop being like this. Sung Ae wonders why she’s acting like this as she was just joking around. Gum Ja asks her if one can joke about life and death. She says that there are things one should and shouldn’t say. She then says how dare she. Sung Ae takes this to mean how dare she, the mother of a thief, say such a thing to the mother of a prosecutor. Sung Ae starts screaming about Kang Ho receiving all of the attention as he was smart and getting good grades, and now he’s getting all the attention because he’s become an idiot. She then asks if they know how much she’s suffered from having her own son compared to hers. Mr. Bang yells at his wife if she’s lost her mind. He then grabs her out of the house but she’s fighting him. Gum Ja yells and then follows them out. The twins start crying so Young Soon consoles them. Gum Ja screams for Sung Ae and Mr. Bang to hear her out but Sung Ae tells her that she’s out of her life for good, so have fun humoring Young Soon all the time, and then resumes walking away. Gum Ja yells that Young Soon is dying with stage IV cancer, and no surgery or medicine can make her better. This makes the couple turn back and walk towards her. Sung Ae says she must have lost it. Gum Ja starts crying and says she honestly wishes that she was just crazy as she wants this to be nonsense.
Mr. Bang and Sung Ae both return to the house, and Sung Ae yells at Young Soon to come outside. She quietly comes out and Sung Ae asks how she can do this to the very end. She’s turned her into a crazy woman. Gum Ja and Mr. Son quietly join them. She then tearfully says she can’t go anywhere, and she can’t leave her. She denies there being any terminal illness in this day and age. Sung Ae says she needs to get treated now, and stay by her side and fight with her for the rest of her life. She starts grabbing onto her, hugging her as she sobs that she hates her. She says that she needs her to live to see Sam Sik succeed, and be mean to her out of jealousy. She must live to throw a fit. T____T Young Soon tearfully says that she’s always envied her as she has a wonderful husband by her side that loves her and a son who’s healthy and amiable. She says that she was always jealous. The two women are in tears and hugging. There’s no dry eye in sight. T____T (~18:00, 7 minutes)
Kang Ho brings fresh abalone to his friend, the Investigator Officer and says he should have it with his mother. His friend thanks him and says it’s his mother’s favorite. Kang Ho goes to leave but then he turns back and hands him a phone, which belonged to Park Cheol Su, the defendant in the Woobyeok construction site case two years ago. He asks him to run a digital forensic on it. His friend says that he’s abandoned the appeal and the case has been closed. Kang Ho says he knows but there’s new evidence so they need to uncover the truth, even now. Anything that would help take down Woobyeok Group would do, so please take a look. His friend asks if he’s really going to take down Woobyeok Group. Kang Ho says that the higher-ups have colluded to destroy all the evidence, so it won’t be easy.
His friend says that’s not it – he’s not sure if he’s Woobyeok’s enemy or ally. Park Cheol Su’s wife had visited him and told him about this phone, and she made a scene about him destroying the only evidence and then the case got dragged out. The same with Yoon Jae Min’s case, and his mother got into a fight with Jung Jong Gu’s mother who was protesting. That day was the first time he felt like quitting his job. Then he says that Kang Ho’s mother had yelled at Jung Jong Gu’s mother saying that her son wouldn’t have done something so terrible, but even he couldn’t side with her. He’s stood by his side and assisted him for the longest time but to be honest, he’s not sure what he’s really like. Kang Ho bows and thanks him for not quitting his job. He finally has a chance to show him what he’s really like. He can’t guarantee that he’ll succeed. Kang Ho acknowledges that for the longest time he’s worked tirelessly to support him, so he’ll make sure that he won’t regret his efforts. Kang Ho gives one last bow before leaving. From behind him, his friend asks if he can really keep that promise. Kang Ho looks at him, and his friend says that he’ll do that.
So Ji Seok asks Chairman Song if they have to do that to Choi Kang Ho. Chairman Song says he’s always wondered why Oh Tae Soo was so desperate to kill him, as it turns out it wasn’t Kang Ho who killed Hwang Soo Hyun. Oh Tae Soo must’ve known the type of person Kang Ho was and acted first by killing mother and son and then framed Kang Ho as the prime suspect. So now it’s either the baby’s body will be found or Kang Ho’s memories will return. So they need to get rid of Kang Ho now.
Mi Joo and Sam Sik are now presenting as a doctor and patient, respectively and waiting for the assassin to leave his post. Mi Joo is super anxious but Sam Sik asks what she thinks will happen when Ha Young sees him. He then pops out the lenses from his sunglasses and puts the frames on her face and puts her face mask into place. (Hey, it’s Dr. Chu! lol) He shoves her out into the hallway and so she says she’s here to give the patient some needed counseling.
Inside the room, she asks to have a word with her. Ha Young tells her to get out and Mi Joo says exactly, as they can get out together. Ha Young turns to look at her and when she goes to scream, Mi Joo covers her mouth with her hand and says if she screams, then she’ll never leave. Ha Young fights her tooth and nail…literally.
Back then, Kang Ho had told Jung Jong Gu that he would find the evidence so stay alive in prison. Now, the Investigator Officer has recovered the dashcam footage from that night two years ago, which shows Jung Jong Gu discovering the woman’s dead body.
Ha Young looks at the footage of herself pouring something into the water bottle in the car, while nearby Mi Joo blows on her wounded hand. Mi Joo says she should cut her nails when she’s out. Ha Young flings her phone onto the floor. Mi Joo gets up to grab the phone and says she only got this phone a month ago. Ha Young asks who she is and why she is doing this. Mi Joo responds with her own question, why did she do that to Kang Ho? Ha Young asks what she did. Mi Joo asks if she isn’t the least bit sorry, as he was once someone she loved. Ha Young says that he betrayed her first. Mi Joo says that he betrayed her first, before betraying her, but she didn’t try to kill him. Mi Joo tells her that they should leave and grabs at her to go with her. Ha Young jerks away from her and says no. Mi Joo asks if it’s because of her father. Ha Young says he’s capable of killing his own child. Mi Joo says he already did as he killed her sibling, a newborn baby. And look at what he's done to her. She asks if this is living. He put her up to killing a man and then locked her up in here as a mental patient. Even beasts wouldn’t do that to their own. And now he wants to be the president of an entire country? Mi Joo says she can’t condone it, and if she doesn’t do it, she’ll stop him herself. Ha Young replies that he’ll kill her too. Mi Joo says she’s sure of that as he’s a man who would destroy anything that gets in his way. She then says just recently, he tried to kill Kang Ho again. Ha Young now looks concerned. Mi Joo says as if killing Kang Ho’s father wasn’t enough, this time he locked him up on the farm with his mother and set it on fire. Mi Joo walks to her and then stops very close to her face and tells her that this is her last chance at redemption. At this rate, Kang Ho may really die, and if she ignores it, she’ll become an accomplice again. But of course she won’t go to jail – because the minute something happens to Kang Ho, she’ll die by her hands. O_o
The two women stare at each other for a moment before Ha Young breaks eye contact and softly says, say she gets out of here, then what? Report her father to the police? His influence runs deep, which includes the police and prosecution. Mi Joo says everywhere, but one – Choi Kang Ho. Ha Young understands what this means. Outside, Oh Tae Soo’s henchmen are getting restless as this doctor has been in there for over an hour. When the assassin opens the door, Mi Joo pushes the bed out with Ha Young laying on it. She yells that she’s gone into hypovolemic shock and starts rolling her down the hallway. Sam Sik runs to help carry Ha Young out of the bed and sets her down to run away. While he’s trying to block the men from going after the women, he comes face to face with the assassin, who recognizes him. Sam Sik takes off after the women in the elevator and screams for them to wait for him. They run outside the hospital and Kang Ho runs up yelling Mi Joo’s name. Sam Sik quickly throws the keys to Kang Ho which he catches before grabbing onto Mi Joo’s hand and the foursome run towards the van. They get into the van and Kang Ho drives away. The henchmen are unable to catch up. (~36:00)
Inside the van, Kang Ho asks if they’re all crazy, and then scolds Mi Joo for doing something so dangerous. Sam Sik says they were perfect as everyone was great. Mi Joo finally says they may not have seen their faces but they probably got the plate number. Sam Sik says who does she think he is as he disguised it beforehand. It’s poorly disguised with black marker: 86 1332 → 96 7882. *facepalm* And the back of the van clearly has Sam Sik’s Mill decals all over it.
When they stop somewhere, Mi Joo is beating up Sam Sik for his poor handiwork. They can’t return to the village now as it’s too dangerous so they need to find somewhere else to go to. Sam Sik asks why can’t they report it to the police. Everyone vehemently tells him no. Mi Joo says they’ve abducted her, so who are they going to report to? Sam Sik replies that they rescued her. Mi Joo asks who would believe that. Sam Sik says he’s a thief, a blackmailer and now an abductor. Then he asks what he got himself into for helping out a chingu. He then looks over at Kang Ho and says chingu, and why in the world is he helping him, Kang Ho? Mi Joo laughs at this. Sam Sik says he begged him to help him but he didn’t flinch and locked him up in prison. Mi Joo asks if he’s nitpicking over that now. Kang Ho replies that Ha Young participated in the escape, so it isn’t an abduction. The security cameras would’ve caught it, so they can’t report them. But they can’t report them either. Kang Ho says they can’t let anybody find out until they’re thoroughly prepared. Sam Sik comes up with a place where nobody can find them.
They’re outside Hotel Captain, the illegal gambling den owner’s latest venue. Kang Ho shows the owner his prosecutor’s badge and the owner is suddenly very friendly and even encourages them to sit down. Kang Ho and the women sit down, while Sam Sik remains attached to Kang Ho. Sam Sik squats down next to him and clings to Kang Ho’s knee. Kang Ho brings up the man’s wrongdoings: illegally purchased, renovated and sailed a ship, and operated a gambling den. Plus he failed to pay his employees, blackmailed, confined, resorted to violence, and made an illegal organ trading contract. It seems that his business should be discussed with him, a prosecutor. Kang Ho then puts his arm around Sam Sik and says but apparently he has business with his dear chingu, Sam Sik. Bwahaha, Sam Sik’s face/demeanor. (~40:00) The scared-looking man denies this as he has no idea what he’s saying. He then asks Sam Sik if he has any business with him. Sam Sik cuts his eyes at him and says that he wanted 100 million won from him. The man tries to laugh it off (creeeeeeepy) and says there’s a misunderstanding, as they’ve been close since their school days. LMAO! Whose school days? As this man is at least 15 years his senior! Sam Sik looks up at Kang Ho and shakes his head vehemently as he denies this. I’m dying here. Kang Ho laughs and says that he and Sam Sik attended the same school. The man laughs and says not that school as he, Prosecutor Choi knows what school he’s referring to. He then says that he closed the gambling house ages ago. He says to look at his staff as he gestures over at the men in the room, as they don’t look like they would blackmail, confine or hurt anyone… Wrong. lol He then denies that anything like that has ever happened around here. Kang Ho pats Sam Sik on the back and tells the man that he’s heard that this hotel was a private gambling den open for members only. The man claims this is absurd as this is his home. Kang Ho nods and then stands up. He says then let his officers stay and investigate for a few days. The man looks surprised by this but he quickly agrees, and even says they can live here. Kang Ho says if anything happens to these officers and his dear chingu Sam Sik - and puts his arm around Sam Sik… The man readily says it’ll be his fault, obviously. He’ll make sure they don’t get hurt.
Now these men are burning papers outside while Mi Joo and Sam Sik look on from the rooftop. Sam Sik says once they burn all of their shady ledgers, they’ll be wetting their beds tonight. Suddenly fireworks go off and the two enjoy the spectacle. Sam Sik asks if she isn’t cold. She admits she is a bit cold as they’re by the sea. Sam Sik asks why she didn’t stay inside as he suggested. She replies that she figured the two of them needed some time alone. She returns to smiling at the fireworks show and says it’s pretty.
Inside, Kang Ho thanks Ha Young for making this hard decision. She replies that she’s not doing this for him but for herself. Her life will be a living hell if she doesn’t do this. Kang Ho says he’s the cause of that hell. He says she was innocent but he dragged her into this and hurt her deeply. He says he’s sorry. She asks if he ever loved her. He admits that he was in love with someone else. She says that she thought so as he always seemed to yearn for someone. She hated that and it made her jealous. That must be why she fell for her father’s lie when he said Hwang Soo Hyun was his woman. Mi Joo quietly opens the door as Ha Young asks him if the person he loves is Lee Mi Joo. He nods and says yes, it’s Lee Mi Joo. Sam Sik asks loudly from behind Mi Joo what’s taking her so long to grab her coat. Kang Ho and Ha Young look over, and Kang Ho sees Mi Joo with her tear-filled eyes. (~43:30)
Now, Kang Ho tells them that they’re after them now so don’t leave this hotel. Mi Joo asks where he’s going. He replies that thanks to them, Ha Young was found. He needs to find evidence on Song Woo Byeok. She asks how he’s going to do that as she thought all the evidence he had were all destroyed. With a sigh, he says there’s one last piece of evidence left. He then pats her on the shoulder and tells her to not worry as he’ll be back soon. She immediately asks if it’s dangerous and he replies that he’s going to make sure that there's no further danger. He then looks over at Sam Sik, and says, his dear chingu, Sam Sik, please keep them safe. He tells her that he’ll be back and then closes the door after he leaves. Mi Joo stays for a moment before she goes after him. Sam Sik goes to follow her and calls after her, but Ha Young grabs onto his arm and just silently shakes her head at him.
Mi Joo catches up to him in the stairwell. She tells him “I told you, didn’t I? That if you saved my life once again, I’d let you marry me. You saved me from choking on candy and from the motorcycle accident. Do you know the last thing you did to save me? Our children. You weren’t by our side, but I was always with you.” He breaks eye contact with her. She walks up to him and tells him, “Make sure to come back. Come back and live with us for the rest of your life, okay?” He smiles and then hugs her. He says, “Thanks, Mi Joo. I’ll make sure that I do.” She tears up at this and then he gives her a quick kiss on the forehead and says he’ll be back. He then continues walking down the stairs. She calls after him and he turns to look back. She points at her forehead, and says “A little lower and my lips are right here” as she drops her finger to her lips. She yells if it was too far, too far for him to reach down. He cracks a smile at this. She continues asking if it was as she points at her lips again. He runs back up to her, cradles her face and backs her up into the corner and kisses her deeply. This kiss goes on and on… And this is how they already have twins. Heh. (~46:50)
Mr. Son is sitting in the shed with Young Soon, as he says that she always came over with a stomach ache. He says woefully that it never dawned on him that she should see a doctor, and he shouldn’t be the village head. She asks how it is his fault, as he did tell her to see the doctor over and over but she didn’t go. Mr. Son tearfully says that she had to suffer all alone. He then says they’ve spent all this time in the village like a family so why didn’t she tell him. He asks how she could let him hear this from a detective who’s a complete stranger. She becomes concerned at the word detective. He says some detectives came in the afternoon to ask him about Kang Ho regarding a murder case. She quickly says it isn’t him. He says of course not, and he knows it’s hard for her but she needs to tell him everything so he can help her. He asks what’s going on with Kang Ho.
Inside the house, Mr. Bang tells his wife to stop crying. Then he asks Ms. Jo why she has spoons over her eyes, and she says she can’t open her eyes from crying so much. All the adults crying makes the twins sob, and Ye Jin asks why everyone is crying as it’s making her cry, too. Awww, my poor lovely babies. Gum Ja finally crawls over to hug her grandchildren and says that they need to call their mother. She calls Mi Joo and says that needs to pick up the kids from Kang Ho’s place. Mi Joo tells her that she was going to call her to say that she won’t be home tonight. In fact, she won’t be home for a few days. Gum Ja asks what she means, and where she is. Mi Joo says a friend’s father passed, so she’s at the wake. But then Sam Sik says her name and says the food is ready. Gum Ja recognizes his voice and asks if they’re together, and she says yes as she’s a mutual acquaintance. Sam Sik continues saying that her jjajangmyeon is getting soggy so come on. She waves for him to go and Gum Ja asks her about eating jjajangmyeon at a wake. Her mother asks her where she is, and what is she doing with Sam Sik that she can’t come home. Her mother asks if she’s moved on from Kang Ho to Sam Sik of all people. XD!
Mi Joo says it’s nothing like that but she can’t tell her anything right now. Her mother wants answers but then she remembers that Sam Sik took his parents’ van and then asks if she’s in trouble right now. And if she is in trouble, she’ll call the police right now. Mi Joo says no, don’t, not the police. Gum Ja flips out as she knows there is something going on now and continues saying that she needs to call the police. Mi Joo tells her not to and this isn’t about her. It’s about Kang Ho and she has to help him for a few days. Gum Ja says but he’s in the hospital, so she’s staying out to look after him. Mi Joo says that she’ll explain everything later, and her mother calls her a brat. Gum Ja says that she knows that she tried to run into the farm to save Kang Ho when it was on fire. She gave everything she had to support him through everything, yet he abandoned her. Gum Ja asks why she’s still hung up on him and looking after him. Mi Joo says because she takes after her. Gum Ja is startled by this. Mi Joo says she lived like this as her father always put her through so much. But she only loved him and waited for him. She knows better than anyone how painful that is. She asks if that’s why she’s angry at her. So she can understand her better than anyone else right now. She knows that she’ll get over Kang Ho, that she’ll never leave him, and that in the end, she’ll go back to him. So she must know this, and then Mi Joo thanks her. She’s always wanted to tell her that. She never abandoned her father, even though she went through so much to let her have a father. With tears on her face, she continues saying that she wants to be a mother like her to Ye Jin and Seo Jin, so help her do that. Gum Ja sighs and quietly calls her an awful brat. She asks why the hell she would want to live her life like her. She says fine, it’s her life, so do whatever the hell she wants. But don’t she dare come back to her crying with regret. Gum Ja finally hangs up on her. She then asks how she could use that against her. She then looks at the sky and talks to her dead husband and says if Mi Joo is unhappy, she’ll seriously kill him. Then she remembers he’s already dead, and then she hears a sound outside. She yells asking who it is but there’s no response and so she heads back inside, saying her poor Young Soon.
Outside, So Ji Seok and Cha Seung Eon have been eavesdropping on her call and realize that Kang Ho is with Mi Joo and Sam Sik. So Ji Seok tells Cha Seung Eon to make note of the license plate on the car parked across the street. It’s 3835, and So Ji Seok says that it followed them here from Seoul. Cha Seung Eon wonders why they would’ve followed them, and So Ji Seok says they should find out. So they lead this mysterious car to the brewery. And then another car full of guys follows them. It’s Chairman Song’s men who are there to get rid of them, after they get rid of Kang Ho. A fight breaks out and then the cops show up, as the two men had purposely driven there knowing about Mr. Yang’s security system.
The next morning, Young Soon wakes up to her ringing phone, and finds herself surrounded by all of the villagers who are sleeping next to her and nearby. She answers the call and Kang Ho asks if everything is okay. She looks around their home and says she has too many bodyguards for anything to happen. She asks if everything is going well and he says this is only the beginning.
Oh Tae Soo is at an aquarium to commemorate the second Marine Life Month today and begin his campaign for the welfare of the people. He smiles at the crowd and waves cheerfully before reading a children’s book about happy fish to the kids. Afterwards, there’s a signing and everyone is in support of him. Kang Ho shows up and shakes hands with him. Oh Tae Soo shakes his hand and says it’s nice to meet him, but he stops when he sees his face.
Sam Sik starts crying when he is shown the footage of Mi Joo and Kang Ho kissing passionately in the stairwell. In their room, Mi Joo asks Ha Young what she and her father talked about on the day of the accident. Ha Young quietly says that she’s not sure about this. Even if she claims that he made her do it, she had no evidence. Then she’ll take all of the blame. She knows that she should pay for what she’s done. But she’s afraid that she may not be of any help to Kang Ho. Mi Joo tells her that she’s already helping him greatly by doing this. He said he needs to find evidence, so they should trust him and wait.
Kang Ho arrives outside Woobyeok Group as Oh Tae Soo had told him that he has ties with the prosecution and the court. So it won’t be easy to get a warrant. He’d warned him if he attacked without being fully prepared, Song Woo Byeok would catch onto his plans and it'd put everyone in danger. On the rooftop, So Ji Seok meets with Chairman Song, and is asked why he’s alone. So Ji Seo asks if he really had to try to kill him, as he’s devoted his entire life to serve him. When Chairman Song waves his cane at him, So Ji Seok falls down to his knees in fear and starts crying. He tells him that a grown man crying is embarrassing. So Ji Seok continues sobbing pitifully and then Chairman Song’s new assistant tells him that they need to go. Chairman Song tells So Ji Seok that since he made it out, he should’ve fled to another country to survive, so why would he come back here to drive a nail into his own coffin. Chairman Song says he can leave for his trip at ease now and then limps away. So Ji Seok says he asked why he had come alone, and then pulls his phone and says that Cha Seung Eon will hear everything that he just said. He then says that one of them must stay alive to expose him. Chairman Song loses it and turns back to start beating on him with his cane. He also stomps on his phone before dangling So Ji Seok from the roof’s edge and demands to know what he wants from him. So Ji Seok says he had the opportunity to farm thanks to him. He then says interestingly enough, he reaped everything he sowed. So he’ll also reap what he’s sown. Chairman Song continues cursing at him and trying to shove him off the rooftop but then a voice says “Chairman Song”.
Chairman Song then sees Kang Ho walking up the stairs and quickly lets go of So Ji Seok. He runs over to hug Kang Ho and says that he doesn't care about anything else. He laughs and says that he’s okay as he has him. Kang Ho removes his arms from his body and says that he’s sorry and he’s only just begun. Kang Ho pulls out a pair of handcuffs and tells him that he’s under arrest for special assault and attempted murder. Several men arrive to take him away.
Previously, So Ji Seok had called Sam Sik and then asked to speak to Kang Ho. So Ji Seok had told him to run away. Kang Ho had told him that it would be difficult to obtain an arrest warrant for Chairman Song’s past crimes, so that left them with one option. They needed to catch him red-handed now. So Ji Seok tells him that he’s heard he’ll be going on a business trip to the U.S. Then Kang Ho had set the plan into place at work – once he’d gotten to the rooftop, he wanted everyone to accompany him and carry out a search and seizure of Woobyeok Group. In the present, he hands the phone that Chairman Song had stomped on to his friend.
Kang Ho tells the press that a victim received death threats from Chairman Song and so they started an investigation. He’s been arrested after he once again assaulted and attempted to murder the victim. Since he tried to destroy the victim’s phone and was due to fly out on a trip, they’ve deemed it likely that he might try to destroy evidence and flee.
Back at home, Young Soon is violently vomiting into the toilet. Eventually, she joins everyone else hanging out in front of the TV. They’re all there to watch the video for Mr. Baek’s song, “Intrusion into My Heart”. And then they notice the news headlines scrolling across – Chairman Song’s arrest. Young Soon quickly changes the channel over to it and she sees Chairman Song being taken in handcuffs. Then they all see Kang Ho speaking to the press. Young Soon cries happy tears while everyone isn’t sure what they’re seeing on the screen. Mr. Son yells that their son is back. Awww. Gum Ja asks Young Soon why she didn’t say anything as they’re in-laws. Everyone else in the room is even more shocked now… Ms. Jo and Sung Ae ask who she is in-laws with and Ye Jin stands up, raises her hand and says it’s with her. And then she snuggles with Young Soon and says “Right, Mother?” xD! Everyone laughs at this and then Young Soon suggests that they all go to Seoul together for the trial.
Mr. Son is now driving his wife, Mr. Bang, Sung Ae and Gum Ja to Seoul, while Young Soon is riding with the detectives. An annoyed Mi Joo with Sam Sik practically sitting on her lap, and Ha Young are being driven by the gambling den owner, who insists on driving because he is concerned about Kang Ho blaming him if anything happened to them. Young Soon is so proud, and hopes and prays that Kang Ho succeeds where his father couldn’t.
At the trial, So Ji Seok is on the stand and speaks about what happened that day. Defense counsel claims that the fight was about pecking order. Kang Oh plays the recording from So Ji Seok’s phone where Chairman Song is clearly threatening him and he can be heard beating on him, and this is entered as evidence. Kang Oh then asks So Ji Seok who is the victim and a witness, as to why he would want him dead. So Ji Seok replies that as his trust secretary, he had a great deal of information on his actions. Kang Ho says that the defendant has spent 30 years as CEO of Yongra Construction and Woobyeok Group, so he must’ve worked closely with many employees, who must’ve known a lot of private information as well. He then asks if they’re all dead as well. So Ji Seok nods and then says yes, which makes the villagers gasp. Defense counsel objects that this claim isn’t verified and Kang Ho says he’s already verified the claim. In the past 30 years, the defendant had four other secretaries who worked closely with him. Two committed suicide and one died in a car crash. And the last secretary’s body was recently found near Jemyeon Island – Hwang Soo Hyun. Defense counsel objects as this is irrelevant and Kang Ho says he’s verifying the witness’ statement, so how is it irrelevant. The judge tells Kang Ho to continue.
Kang Ho then shows a familiar yellow flash drive, which he says was found in the defendant's office during a search and seizure. He asks So Ji Seok if he knows what it contains and he replies that it’s confidential documents related to his corrupt deeds – double bookkeeping, breach of trust and embezzlement. Then he says that this drive belonged to Hwang Soo Hyun. Chairman Song blusters at this. Kang Ho then plays the video of the wife of the hit-and-run driver talking about the accident and suicide in the contract. So Ji Seok says that a year ago, Chairman Song ordered him to visit Yang Gu Man’s wife and retrieve his money.
Kang Ho as a question for him. He says that Hwang Soo Hyun was last seen before her death on October 3, 2021, which is the same day as the last video was saved on this drive, so why was this found in his desk. Chairman Song answers him directly – that So Ji Seok schemed everything. Kang Ho asks if he’s saying that the victim schemed everything, and he, himself, has never murdered or abetted murder. Chairman Song says that's correct, which makes So Ji Seok yell that’s a lie as he’s ordered him to kill people. Kang Ho asks who were those people? So Ji Seok says Jung Jong Gu, the defendant in the murder case that Chairman Song’s grandson was involved in and Park Cheol Su, the defendant in the Wookbyeok construction site case. He then asks if he carried out his orders. So Ji Seok says they were both incarcerated so he couldn’t.
Kang Ho then says that he found a few odd things during the investigation. It is a fact that not only the defendant’s secretaries but also many of those who raised suspicions about the defendant or his company or were involved in the trials suddenly passed away or disappeared. Defense counsel objects that he’s distorting the truth solely based on the victim’s claims. Kang Ho replies let him summon another witness who can verify this. He provides a document to the judge who looks at him in surprise. She approves it and then calls Oh Tae Soo the stand. Chairman Song starts becoming agitated with his counsel when he sees Oh Tae Soo enter the courtroom.
Kang Ho had told Oh Tae Soo if Song Woo Byeok gets arrested, Bareun Hanguk Party, the political and business worlds, and even the media will find fault with him. Because everyone knows his secret ties with him and how far they go back. He had then said if he testified against him, it would be the perfect chance to dispel all the suspicions regarding the relationship between them.
Kang Ho states that he has indicted Chairman Song many times for 30 years since 1987. However, most of these indictments were dismissed. The majority of these cases, 13 in total, were dismissed due to the victims’ deaths. Oh Tae Soo confirms all of this as true. Then Kang Ho asks if he didn’t find the deaths of the plaintiffs or victims rather odd. Oh Tae Soo looks over at Chairman Song and then says there was no issue in the investigation of their deaths, and the bereaved families didn’t raise any suspicion, so he didn’t find them particularly odd. Young Soon grimaces at his answer. He says that he found something odd in this trial – the death of his secretary, Hwang Soo Hyun. She had worked as Oh Tae Soo’s secretary from 2018 to 2020, and the one day in 2020, she had told him that she wanted to quit as being pregnant had put her life in danger. Kang Ho smirks at this and repeats his words about her pregnancy putting her in danger. Oh Tae Soo says yes as she had said that Chairman Song was the father. Chairman Song just laughs at this absurdity. He then stands up and says that all the disgusting work he’s forced himself to put with will go to waste. He continues that he was even willing to serve time in jail to make him president. When he moves to walk towards the witness stand, several personnel stop him, and the judge orders him to sit back down. He continues asking how is that baby his and throwing a fit. Ha Young enters the courtroom and Chairman Song screams that as if killing that poor baby wasn’t enough, he even plotted to kill Choi Kang Ho with his daughter. Young Soon starts coughing and her vision blurs. She begs her husband to not let her waver right now, as it’ll make their son waver as well. She begs to stay just a little bit longer. Kang Ho notices his mother's distressed state, and then Ha Young stands up and says it’s true.
Her father loses his smug smile and turns to look at her. Ha Young says that she slipped Prosecutor Choi Kang Ho sleeping pills, which makes everyone gasp. Zero decorum in this courtroom. lol! Oh Tae Soo turns back to look at Kang Ho, who cracks a tiny smile at him. Now father and daughter are seated next to each other in the witness stand. The judge accepts the prosecutor's request to cross-examine the two witnesses.
On the stand, Ha Young says that she was deceived into believing that Prosecutor Choi, her then fiancé had another woman and a baby and that he even killed them so he could marry her. What do you mean there’s a conflict of interest here? XD It’s so ripe… Kang Ho asks her who told her that. She replies that it was her father. Oh Tae Soo presses his lips together before saying that it was his fault as he’s been threatened by Chairman Song ever since he decided to run for president. He wanted him to protect his corrupt company and himself. When he refused, Chairman Song attempted to use his daughter to get rid of Prosecutor Choi. Chairman Song scoffs at this. Kang Ho asks why Chairman Song wants him dead. Oh Tae Soo says that 35 years ago, Chairman Song murdered Prosecutor Choi’s father. Kang Ho looks over at Mi Joo and his mother who appears to be suppressing a cough. Oh Tae Soo continues saying that there were two people Chairman Song needed to get rid of – his mistress, Hwang Soo Hyun and Choi Kang Ho, Choi Hae Sik’s son. Kang Ho looks like he’s struggling to hold back his emotions.
Oh Tae Soo continues saying that’s why he killed Hwang Soo Hyun and framed Kang Ho for it, and after that, he ordered his daughter to kill him. Ha Young tells him to stop lying. She says that it was him who wanted him dead. She continues that it was also him who killed Hwang Soo Hyun and her baby as she was his mistress and son. Ha Young says that she saw the DNA test result with her own eyes. Oh Tae Soo sighs and pulls out a piece of paper and says this is his daughter’s medical record from a mental hospital. She looks on in shock as he says that his daughter isn’t sane. His voice breaks as he says that he’s been hiding in fear that his dear daughter would get caught in political mudslinging, and then he pretends to cry. Ha Young loses it as she screams “Appa”. She puts her hand on his arm to shake him and asks him what happened to him. She asks who made him like this. She tells him that she’s Oh Ha Young, his beloved daughter. She tearfully says that she’s so scared right now and then she starts sobbing. She says that she’s in so much pain. She begs her father to stop here, and to come back. She begs him but he only says that she qualifies as an individual with a mental disorder as per Article 10, Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Act. Ha Young stands up and says there’s another reason why she helped her father. It was because her father schemed with Chairman Song and murdered Choi Hae Sik 35 years ago. She says at that time, he bribed the detective in charge and fabricated the marks on the victim’s body. Kang Ho looks over at his mother who is crying but she gives him a brief smile and nods her head in encouragement. Oh Tae Soo says that he believes that his daughter is very unstable right now and asks to have the trial adjourned.
The judge tells Ha Young to sit down and they will decide whether they’re adjourning. Kang Ho addresses the court: Taking their testimonies into consideration, he believes the answer to this case lies in the death of Hwang Soo Hyun, Chairman Song’s former secretary. Oh Tae Soo claims the defendant murdered Hwang Soo Hyun. But both the Chairman and Ha Young claim that Oh Tae Soo killed her. In addition, the police consider him, Kang Ho, as a key suspect. And it is most likely that the baby’s father killed her. So there’s only one solution, to see if the baby’s DNA matches any of theirs. The judge tells him that he’s not allowed to call any more witnesses. And in comes a toddler boy who is walking hand-in-hand with Mr. Cho!
Before Hwang Soo Hyun had jumped into the water that night, she’d hidden her baby on the boat. And she’d ended up holding a fire extinguisher as she went under. Mr. Cho had previously told Kang Ho that the baby was alive.
Now Mr. Cho carries the boy into his arms and then sits down. Oh Tae Soo is angry and looks at Kang Ho, who tells him that he’d rather Taesocrates dissatisfied rather than a pig satisfied, but he was wrong. No matter how hungry a mother pig is, she wouldn’t move recklessly so as not to harm her piglets. Someone like him who used his child as a murder weapon and heartlessly attempted to murder them, could never fathom such parental love. Oh Tae Soo stands up and declares that Kang Oh is trying to taint his reputation before the election. He continues that this is a political maneuver and slander. He will find out who’s behind this and hold them responsible. Kang Ho tells him to sit down and Oh Tae Soo says he refuses to testify anymore and then grabs his daughter to go with him. Kang Ho tells him to stop or he will consider it an attempt at destroying evidence and fleeing. Kang Ho gets in between them and removes his hand from Ha Young’s arm and keeps a steady grip on his arm. He says that he and his accomplice, Chairman Song are under arrest for abetting the murders of Hwan Soo Hyun and her son, himself and his mother, and Cho Hae Sik who died in the 1988 arson case in Bongu-dong. Young Soon suddenly stands up, raises both arms and screams “HURRAY! Hurray for Choi Kang Ho! Hurray for her son!” And soon, Gum Ja joins her as do the rest of the villagers. The judge orders for everyone to quiet down but they continue celebrating.
New reports: Oh Tae Soo has been arrested and they’re looking into Chairman’s slush funds. Chairman Song’s grandson has been found guilty of using drugs and rape. A retrial was filed after digital forensics results revealed the fall of Jung Min Ho at the construction site was in fact the fault of Woobyeok Construction. The public are very keenly interested about the fire in Bongu-dong.
Back in Jou Ri, everyone is setting up for a birthday party. Gum Ja chides her daughter for not telling her sooner that he had recovered. Mi Joo teases that she would’ve made them get married sooner if she’d known. Ha. Her mother asks what that means, and Mi Joo says she didn’t want to make her look bad. In the kitchen, Sung Ae asks Sam Sik if he’s heard that Kang Ho and Mi Joo are – and he cuts her off with a finger on her lips and shushes her. Then he says heard, oh, he’s watched it. His father asks “watched”? Sam Sik says the JBC drama [meta] before groaning and walking away to serve the tray of food. When Kang Ho sees him, he offers to help. Ye Jin grabs his arm and says that he must be tired from the trial and should rest. Then she says, since Sam Sik never works, he can serve the food today. LMAO (~37:20) Seo Jin nods and crosses his arms (as an ahjussi would, haha) and says in other words, he’s jobless. The twins then laugh at this. Sam Sik gives a mocking laugh and then bends down to Ye Jin’s eye level and says, laugh while she can, as once she finds out who Kang Ho really is, she won’t be laughing anymore. Petty boy. XD Kang Ho pulls him away and tells him to watch what he says to a kid.
They all gather around the table and Mr. Son gives a speech about being so happy and proud of Kang Ho. Then he introduces Young Soon as the amazing person who raised him. So she stands up and says that it’s been 35 years since she moved here with a single pig on her truck. She had no money or knowledge as she was just an unwelcome pregnant woman who suddenly barged in here. But they all welcomed her with open arms. Ms. Jo says no, they didn’t as they didn’t like the stinky pig smell and came to protest. Young Soon laughs and agrees that they came wielding farm tools and then she suddenly went into labor and they helped her deliver Kang Ho. Mi Joo raises her arm and says her, too, which makes everyone laugh. Young Soon says yes, just like how one can’t predict when they’ll be born, they can’t predict when they die, too. She thanks them for everything while she still has a healthy mind. People might say that she’s the most unfortunate woman as she’s lost her parents and her husband, and then her son was seriously injured, and now she has a terminal disease. She doubts there’s anyone more unlucky than her but life is so fascinating and makes one grateful. It’ll take one thing away and always replace it with something else. Losing her parents taught her to value her husband. Losing her husband taught her to value her son. When her son became unwell, it taught her to value herself so she could take care of him. And because her life is being cut short, she’s learned to value everyone here, who will be in his life in her stead. Not many people are lucky enough to encounter all these blessings in their lifetime. She’s truly blessed for being able to live this precious life. There are no dry eyes here.
She then tearfully thanks Mr. Son, Mr. Bang, Sung Ae and Gum Ja for never letting her feel lonely and she’s lived such a chaotic, happy life. Kang Ho gets up to go inside the house. She then says later, much later, when they move into the neighborhood up there as she points at the sky, that she’ll be the one hurrying out and welcoming them with open arms. Until then, she prays they’ll be healthy for a very long time. Kang Ho returns with a cake and starts the countdown to sing Happy Birthday to her. When she tries to blows out the candle, he tells her to make a wish first. When she finishes, he then tells her to hop onto his back and he carries around for a bit but then he drops her. She laughs it off and so they try again and he successfully carries her around the table a few times.
Later, the mothers are inside with Mi Joo and Kang Ho. Young Soon places one ring on Mi Joo’s finger as she says this is the very first ring that her father-in-law had gotten her. Then she places a ring on Kang Ho’s finger as this was the very first ring she had gotten his father.
JYS: People say to love as if it’s your first time. But I’d like you to love as if it’s your last time. ‘These are the last words that they’re going to hear from me. This is the last image they’ll remember of me.’ That mindset will make you think twice about how you speak and act towards each other. Both Kang Ho and Mi Joo nod. I still remember your dad’s last words to this day.
CKH: What were his last words?
JYS: ‘See you later.’ He hated saying bye because it implied an end. Kang Ho smiles at this. That’s why he always said, ‘See you later,” instead. ‘See you later.’ ‘See you later.’ Saying it over and over gave me butterflies because it really felt like we were going to meet again. She reaches over to put their hands together. Think of each other as gems and treat one another preciously. Take good care and love each other. And live a happy life. Okay?
CKH and LMJ: Okay.
JGJ: Come to think of it, both of you were born in that room on the same day and time. Mi Joo, your grandma once said this. ‘We say it’s meant to be to someone whom we meet for the first time. But fate is what we say to someone who stays with us until the end.’ [Flashback of the two newborns laying side by side.] She turns to Young Soon. Don’t you think our kids were fated to end up with each other? The two mothers share a laugh over this.
It's bedtime as Young Soon looks at the family photo in her hands. But then Kang Ho suddenly opens the door and he's holding a pillow. She asks if he’s going to sleep here. He replies that he is going to sleep next to her until he gets married. She scoffs and says that she better look for a venue tomorrow. He asks if she hates it that much. She says it’s gross as he’s a grown man. It’s not like he’s Seo Jin or Ye Jin. Then with a smile she says that Seo Jin’s eyes and lips remind her of him when he was his age. And Ye Jin is excellent at drawing, so they’re definitely his kids. He then says whatever and then tries to make her lie down so they can sleep side by side. She agrees and lays down as he tucks her in. She gives a light yawn and says yes, as it’s been a long journey. He then offers to massage her legs and she says no, and tells him to lay down and sing her a lullaby. She wants to hear the song he sang for her after their first date, as she wants to fall asleep to that. So he lays down next to her and sings the song. She closes her eyes and says that she’s so happy and so he continues singing. Moments later, her head swings towards him on the pillowand Kang Ho starts crying quietly and continues singing heartbrokenly. He finally stops to stroke her face and cries “eomma” over and over. He finally says “See you later.” T__T
At Young Soon’s funeral, Kang Ho thinks about when she had instructed him on what to do in this situation. And so he gets up and then says “aigo” over and over in front of her portrait. Eventually, Mr. Son and Mr. Bang join him. Then they’re interrupted by her phone with its cheerful ringtone ringing throughout the room – “I am happy…I am very very happy.” He looks at the phone and then smiles through his tears. He then starts singing her favorite song, this ringtone, which makes everyone tearfully laugh. Soon they join him, singing and dancing amidst the tears. Awwww.
Time passes.
Gum Ja quietly answers a call, “I told you to stop calling me. What if the kids catch on to us?” Then she says, “You released another new song?” Omo. XD! She then laughs as it’s “The Lovely Gum Ja Tower” and tells him to get out. She says she told him not to name their songs so obviously. She then asks when he will be visiting again. With a big smile, she then says to visit at dawn, when everyone is still fast asleep. She continues her call and we see that little Ye Jin is recording the entire thing on her phone. Ye Jin then leaves and records herself saying that Grandma Jung is crazy in love. She then asks her brother what he’s doing and he says he’s searching for stroke symptoms as her pronunciation is all off. LMAO! (~56:30) My sweet clever babies.
Mr. Bang is happily singing at home but his wife interrupts him to ask where Sam Sik is. He asks what’s missing now. She says he stole her brand new cashmere long johns, socks and underwear. Mr. Bang wonders what he could possibly use them for. Pan to Sam Sik earnestly telling Ha Young, who is in prison, that goods from outside are much better and he would know. He presents the long johns to her and says they’re cashmere so they’re extremely light and warm. And then he shows her the pair of socks as it's famous brand, and she’ll look quite fashionable with these under her cobalt uniform. Then he grabs the underwear and wonders if they’ll fit her as his mother does have a big bottom. xD! She chuckles and then thanks him. He says there’s no need, and then assures her that two years will fly by. What’s truly important is that he and she are meant to be. She can only laugh awkwardly at this. He presses on to ask if she needs anything else – sesame oil or gochugaru? She shakes her head. He then excitedly goes on about their tasty cabbage and asks if she’d like any. The two grin at each other.
So Ji Seok and Cha Seung Eon are driving the Happy Farm truck and cheerfully singing “I am happy...” How are these two not serving time for their crimes?! They stop when they see a couple of unknown cars with men in black suits outside of Mr. Son’s place. Mr. Son is running after Ms. Jo, who isn’t wearing a mask (!!), and begs to know why she’s leaving all of a sudden. She thanks him for everything and then says that her father has re-established a newly rising yakuza. Omo, he didn’t make up that story before! (Ep5.) So she needs to return. He says that she irritated everyone with her perfect Korean before and now she’s speaking with an accent. He whines that this isn’t fair and asks what about the years they’ve spent together and what was he to her? He asks if he was just an enjoyment for her. She says that she couldn’t even enjoy him. A man interrupts to say that it’s time to leave so she needs to get into the car. She gives Mr. Son a final bow before walking to the car. But when she leans down to get into the car, she starts gagging and realizes that she could possibly be pregnant. And so she closes the door and tells the man in Japanese, to tell her father that she’s carrying someone’s child. Mr. Son understands and seems shocked by this. Ms. Jo now kisses her husband. So Ji Seok and Cha Seung Eon are quietly happy for them.
Kang Ho is outside the prison waiting for Jung Jong Gu’s release, whose parents are tearfully happy to see their son. Kang Ho tells him that he’s sorry that it took so long and then gives a deep bow. Jung Jong Gu tells him not to as he knew that he’d come back for him and gives him an even deeper bow. Jung Jong Gu’s mother tells Kang Ho that his mother has been sending them kimchi, banchan and gochugaru. They wanted to refuse but it was so delicious. So they’ve been accepting them all this time. She then says to tell her that she doesn’t have to anymore and they’re grateful. Kang Ho tears up at this and only says he will before taking the bags from her. (Ep6.) Awww.
Kang Ho returns home to Mi Joo who comes running over to hug him. He hugs her back and spins her around and around. Seo Jin yells “Appa” to greet his father… and Ye Jin scoffs that this is her father and she will never accept that. She asks yells at her brother as to how she could steal her own daughter’s man. xD!! The absurdity… (~1:01:48) She angrily walks off as her brother runs after her and suggests that they play together. Ye Jin ignores him but then she suddenly stops as she sees a darling boy in front of her and gawks at him. The boy’s mother tells them that they just moved here today and asks where the village head lives. Ye Jin is suddenly sweet and polite as she tells them that the trip will be quite rough and offers to escort them personally herself, and calls the woman “eomoni.” LMAO! Seo Jin just bows and then they all follow Ye Jin’s lead.
Kang Ho is checking out the the pig farm office which has been redecorated by Mi Joo, and teasingly asks where she got the money for this. She shows him the bankbook he’d given her when he broke up with her. She moves as if she was going to throw it at him and huffily says that she had wanted to throw this at his face the next time she’d seen him so she didn’t spend a single penny. She then lovingly fixes his hair and cradles his face and gently says that his mother told her to think of him as a gem and treat him preciously. He cradles her face and then the two beam at each other. She suddenly remembers something and pulls him inside the office to show him the display of photos: his parents, the twins, their early dating days, and a more recent photo of herself and him commemorating their donation under Happy Farm, after receiving a prize for their pig farm business. (~1:03:30, his quick nose crinkle right here is adorable!) She points out his parents’ wedding photo on the wall and says she’s thought long and hard about what to put in the empty spot next to it. She thinks it would be nice to hang something similar to this one. He just smiles, hugs her and then tells her to get changed. She quickly runs off to do that. Kang Ho stays to look at the photo of them and removes the back of it and finds a blue envelope.
After changing his clothes, Kang Ho sits outside on the bench and reads his mother’s letter.
To my beloved son, Kang Ho –
Do you remember the very first letter you had written to me? “We may be apart, but I still live in the memories I shared with you and father.” By the time you read this letter, I’ll be feeling the same.
Kang Ho, the Chinese character for the word “connection” contains the characters for “thread” and “pig head.” The connections we build with others are just as difficult as leading a pig with a thread.
Kang Ho tears up as he’s reading her letter.
You and I were connected as mother and son. It’s such a precious bond so I wanted to become the best mom for you. But you only get one life and it was my first time being a mom, so I’m sorry that I wasn’t good enough.
I made a wish before blowing out my birthday candles. I prayed that I’d become your mom once again. If that ever happens, I promise to be a better mom.
Kang Ho gives a little smile at this. He then takes a deep breath and imagines his mother sitting right next to him on the bench. She just smiles at him.
I won’t tell you not to be sad about not having a dad. I won’t say that your grades are all that matters in life. I won’t ignore your talent for drawing.
The two look at each other and she reaches over to hold onto his hand. He beams at her.
I won’t turn away when I know that you want to eat more. I won’t hold back my tears when I see you in pain. I’ll help you get up when you fall.
She smiles benevolently and his tears continue run down his cheeks.
I’ll embrace you when you’re afraid. I’ll say, “Good job,” “thank you,” and “I love you” every single day.
She then wipes at his tears with her hand.
And I won’t leave you so soon. I love you, my son.
He smiles at her through his tears.
I hope you live a long, happy life with Mi Joo, Seo Jin, and Ye Jin.
He nods at her.
And we’ll meet again on the day my prayer is answered.
She gives him a great big grin and he finally gives a small smile back.
From your bad mother.
And then she disappears. Kang Ho is alone on the bench and folds up the letter and places it back into the envelope before wiping off the tears from his face. T_T
CKH: Today is the day I propose to Mi Joo to ask her to live a long and happy life with me. He gives a wry smile. But you ruined everything. He laughs and puts his hands over his eyes. He gives a deep sigh. Please watch over me so I’m not too nervous. No. Protect us.
Mi Joo shows up in a white dress carrying a bouquet of yellow and white flowers. Kang Ho yells her name, and says that she’s under arrest for becoming his wife. He then pulls out an imaginary badge and then points at her to say that doesn’t have the right to remain silent as he walks closer and closer to her. He’s making me cringe so hard. XD (~1:08:30) She chuckles at this. He continues saying that she cannot ask her mother for help when they argue. She says “How childish. This isn’t a proposal.” He asks why not. She says that this may be used against him later in life as she lightly grabs him by the lapel. She then glares at him and tells him to watch out and she gets right in his face. He grins back adoringly at her and finally says this won’t do. She’s confused.
He says that he needs her help and then he walks off to open a kennel and pulls out a tiny piglet with a red ribbon and diamond ring tired around its neck. He walks over to her with the piglet. Once again, I’m a puddle over this vignette.
CKH: I’ve saved your life three times. So even if I get so annoying, even if we argue, and even if I get downright childish, promise to live with me happily for the rest of our lives. Mi Joo nods with a smile on her face. The pig starts squealing and so Kang Ho sets it down and tries to usher it towards her. The pig runs past her and so our newly affianced couple run after it. (Just like his father’s proposal to his mother in Ep1…)
And our couple remain happily hugging each other.
The End.
The mini montage and BTS clip fills my heart with love and my eyes with tears.
Remarks
by FanFanX
[First Impression (Ep1-)] This isn't what I thought it would be, and I like it. Family, corruption and revenge with a touch of romance. The first trailer was enough to hook me, but when I saw the trailer after Ep2 dropped, I knew that I was all in.
[Actors/Actresses] Lee Do Hyun is giving us another dose of his ability to be whatever age - and in this case, the mind of a child in a grown man's body. So it's a variation on his 18 Again role, without the time travel. For me, 2023 is the Year of Lee Do Hyun as this is my third drama with him. He's great at stealing all of my tears. All of them.
I expect nothing but the best from Ra Mi Ran as his mother, who I enjoyed in Reply 1988. And another 1988 alum is Choi Moo Sung as Song Woo Byeok – with Insider , Joseon Attorney, and this series – my fond memories of him from that older series have been obliterated. I can only see him as a gangster now, a wolf-in-teddy-bear-padding now. Ha.
[Behind the Scenes] View with caution as there are likely [spoilers]. No subs, for now...
Ep1. Past/Flashback scenes. Some day I'll tire of seeing Lee Do Hyun in a school uniform, but not right now. ^_^
Young Soon, Kang Ho and Mi Joo at the exam drop-off. (Their first on-screen kiss - it's a peck is here.)
Ep2. The village visit. Group photos and a bit of silliness to lighten the mood.
Ep3. The emotional scenes with Young Soon and Kang Ho, and later Young Soon and Mssrs. Son and Bang. I like how Kim Won Hae bows down to her after that heavy scene. And he’s the one who says one of the more memorable lines here. “A mother can replace anything in this world. But nothing can replace a mother.”
Ep4. The twins are just as adorable offscreen! Kim Won Hae is hilarious as an idiot. And that scene at the rehabilitation center - mother and son break my heart.
Ep5. How to say 10√2♥ you.
More of the twins!
Ep6. Kang Ho and Sam Sik, and the twins...
Ep8. Mother and son scenes and the rain scene that shattered hearts.
The mobility chair, and it was snowing there! Kim Won Hae’s [intentional] overacting here…lol
Ep10. Mi Joo's plastic bag, the guys' drunk conversation, and the police station visit. I love the camaraderie between the actresses.
Ep11. The fire scene. It is actually cold outside, and poor Yoo In Soo has to spray himself with cold water!
Ep12. Hospital scene. Finally found one with Mr. Baek - the actor, Baek Hyun Jin is too good at playing these annoying jerks. Ha. And wow, his real voice versus his Mr. Baek voice.
Ep13. Hospital escape + that kiss. I love seeing the friendliness between our FLs and MLs. Ahn Eun Jin gets Lee Do Hyun to crack during rehearsal of their lines. (He usually is the one who makes others break with his silliness, or so many tears.) lol, She bidongs him. (~6:20) Ahn Eun Jin and Yoo In Soo being silly.
Ep14. The final scenes.
- This court scene is probably one of the few times the entire cast is together!
- I love seeing Jung Woong In (Oh Tae Soo) fix Lee Do Hyun's hair.
- There's this very emotionally charged scene between Ra Mi Ran and Lee Do Hyun...and he throws her a finger heart. Just look at Kang Mal Geum (Jung Gum Ja) laughing.
- The twins, especially Park Da On (Lee Seo Jin) have such charisma. Who wouldn't get along with these two?! Gi So Yoo (Lee Ye Jin) has the best expressions.
- The candle that keeps going out... Relighting it again and again.
- Lee Do Hyun carrying Ra Mi Ran on his back and walking around on the cables and rocks is pretty scary to watch.
The last scenes with Young Soon and the proposal. The cast + crew shot. T_T
Our cast saying goodbye to us. ~ 10:30, Yoo In Soo, don’t even tease us about there being a S2!
Choi/Lee Family: It's hard to let go of this family.
Not a BTS but 7 minutes of Lee Do Hyun as 7-year-old Kang Ho.
[OST]
사랑을 말해요 Tell Me About Love | 이문세 Lee Moon Sae ← The song we waited for... Kang Ho and Mi Joo's scenes are set to this one
Ripe Persimmon | Na Hoon A The song about mothers referenced in the series.
[Ending] Happy family.
[Pick a Highlight, Any Highlight] For whatever reason my memorable scene is.....
[Footnotes]
Ep11. DKQJWL represents the six keystrokes used for the word 아버지 [abeoji] on the Hangul Keyboard.
[Review & Rating]
No comments:
Post a Comment