February 2012 – the talking cupboard

We travel back a little to the time when Dong-Soo and Woo-Young go out of their house. Unknown to them, they are being closely watched by someone. After they go inside the elevator, the culprit shows herself. She’s the ahjumma, creeping silently in front of Dong-Soo’s house to put an envelope (the one that Su-Young took in the last episode) under the door before leaving.

Episode 13 : A Very Close Tag Up

*[tag up: to remain on the base until the flying ball is first touched by a fielder and the advance to the next base. generally means to wait until something is completed before starting something new.]

Su-Young is shocked to find the picture with Jong-Hee’s eyes poked out and rushes out to find who sent the picture. She’s one step behind and decides not to chase the culprit. She locks her door and rips the picture before throwing it away. Su-Young calls Jong-Hee to check on her, but Eun-Jae is the one who answers the phone, telling her that Jong-Hee is still sleeping after spending her whole night painting. She’s relieved to hear that Jong-Hee is unharmed and tells Eun-Jae to take care of her. Su-Young hides the ripped picture beneath other trash inside the bin to prevent anyone from seeing it.

At Jong-Hee’s house, Mu-Yeol is looking at two men setting up CCTV camera in front of the house with Dong-Soo. He chides Eun-Jae when she keeps coming in and out of the house. She asks the camera guy whether they have any small cameras like hidden cameras to trap the culprit. She tries to demonstrate how the bad guy would be caught but knocks herself to the portable stairs. Ouch!

As smitten as he is, Mu-Yeol starts to nag to Eun-Jae while massaging her swollen forehead (so cute!). Dong-Soo senses that he’s behaving quite differently from usual. Eun-Jae feels uncomfortable with his attention and immediately goes into the house. Mu-Yeol smiles at himself and Dong-Soo gives him an analyzing glance.

At Mu-Yeol’s house, Dong-Soo is installing the CCTV software on the computer as the ahjumma approaches him to serve the drinks. He tells her about the CCTV installed in front of Jong-Hee’s house, bringing shock to the stalker. Mu-Yeol takes a look at the installed software and sees Eun-Jae playing in front of the camera. He laughs at her silliness and calls her. He responds to her like a lover should (while being so adorable) and Dong-Soo gives him a puzzled look. Mu-Yeol asks him what’s wrong. He asks Mu-Yeol about his feelings to Eun-Jae and Mu-Yeol immediately ends his call, leaving Eun-Jae frustrated on the other side.

Mu-Yeol at first hesitates, but soon admits it indirectly.

Mu-Yeol: How did you know?

Dong-Soo: It’s written on your face. With big letters.

Mu-Yeol: (while touching his face) Is is that obvious?

Dong-Soo: Very obvious.

He himself doesn’t know when he started to like Eun-Jae and hesitates on how to tell Jong-Hee about it, but Dong-Soo is more concerned about people seeing him as two-timer. He advises him to resolve the matter quickly before Jong-Hee finds out about it herself. They proceed to the dining table and Dong-Soo muses about Mu-Yeol’s transparent self. Unknown to them, the ahjumma looks at them with that creepy stare again.

Reporter Go and Manager Kim meet up at a posh restaurant, where Reporter Go begins to tell about his investigation progress. He concludes that the stalker might contacted Yoon-Yi as his grandmother, who’s always warm to her guests, suddenly changed and rejected his ‘sincere’ bread. Manager Kim thinks the stalker knows about their movement and tries to cut the strings leading to himself. They are interrupted by Dong-Ah’s arrival, invited by Reporter Go. She still maintains her cheerful attitude and reacts indifferently towards Manager Kim.

They resume their discussion, with Manager Kim stealing glances towards the normal-looking Dong-Ah. They conclude that the stalker’s target isn’t Mu-Yeol; it’s his career. Reporter Go asks Dong-Ah her opinion, and the girl lifts her face from the jajangmyun; tears streaming down her cheeks.

Both men are surprised to see her suddenly crying. She starts blabbering aimlessly and ignores Manager Kim. She tries to leave but Manager Kim stops her, asking what is disturbing her to make herself so scared like that. Between her sobs, Dong-Ah tells him the truth: she’s scared that Manager Kim is angry at her. Awwww. He hugs her and apologizes while admitting that he’s also afraid if he can’t handle her well. They continue their own drama, and Reporter Go sits there awkwardly before deciding to start eating. Ha. I can’t choose whether to cry or to laugh.

Jong-Hee is still painting her heart out although it’s probably near midnight. Eun-Jae peeks through the narrow opening of the door and tells her she’s going back. She goes inside the elevator and starts fixing her messy hair, right before the elevator stops at another level for Mu-Yeol. Yeay! She keeps fixing her hair but unfortunately, she can’t see the back part and leaves it sticking up. Haha. Mu-Yeol laughs at her and pulls her into a hug to fix her hair. So adorable. She pulls away when he cups her face in his hands. Sensing the awkward air between them, he pushes her out of the elevator. Mu-Yeol reminds himself to tag up first, but later smiles to himself.

Dong-Soo returns home and greets his family cheerfully. While he’s paying attention to his son, Su-Young steals a glance towards the bin where she threw Jong-Hee’s picture earlier. At the same time, Yoon-Yi is also thinking about the stalker and looks at Mu-Yeol’s picture. He starts to recollect what Reporter Go said to him. He also remembered about the ahjumma who came to meet his grandmother before that. He then asks about the ahjumma to his grandma and she confirms that she’s working at an athlete’s house.Looks like someone finally knows a clue about the stalker!

Remember Hyun-Woo, the guy who has a crush towards Eun-Jae? He’s probably missing her a lot as he suddenly asks about Mu-Yeol’s bodyguard change. Mu-Yeol gives him the dissatisfied look (I love this one!) and when Hyun-Woo wants to know about Eun-Jae’s men taste, he directly says that she won’t like him. Instead, he tells him her taste: a tall man with big eyes and fair skin, which are basically description about Mu-Yeol’s self. Haha. Poor Hyun-Woo, he even grows a beard! Maybe to be at par with the gruff Mu-Yeol back then.

On his way home, Mu-Yeol meets Eun-Jae, who’s crossing the road right in front of his car. He decides to give her a ride, much to her surprise. He even chases Kevin to sit at the back (LOL poor boss!) to give the seat beside him to Eun-Jae. He suddenly starts asking about what type of man does she likes (after some beating around the bush about Jong-Hee). Her answer: 1) A man without any baggage (i.e no past relationships or past love) and 2) If he did have those baggage, make sure she won’t find out about it, even if he has to lie. Mu-Yeol is definitely not included in any of them, so he starts demanding why she wants a man like that. He sighs and leaves after making sure she enters her house safely.

Eun-Jae is still in a cold war with her father after the incident and refuses to have a talk with him. Chang-Ho goes into her room and slowly brings up the subject. He freely admits that he doesn’t even their mother’s face; the things he remember from that time were only about her big suitcase and Eun-Jae hitting his back. He doesn’t care for other things, as long as their father is happy, he’ll be happy. Awww. Eun-Jae releases her anger on her pillow before she sleeps.

The next day, a poster about Jong-Hee’s solo exhibition is up over at the school where Su-Young teaches. She stops in front of the notice board and keeps looking at the poster. Eun-Jae is working as usual, being a bodyguard over at Jong-Hee’s place. She’s wondering why Jong-Hee keeps staring outside and she’s actually looking at a kitten. Jong-Hee asks whether it’s cold outside and decides to go on a date with Mu-Yeol. The man is not that happy and holds onto his necklace.

He dresses up a bit and leaves Eun-Jae ogling at him when he enters Jong-Hee’s house. Mu-Yeol tells Eun-Jae not to follow him to their date (probably to prevent her from getting any heartache). They go to the place where they painted together, but the painting is now gone. As they have their meals at a posh restaurant, Eun-Jae is alone, eating some ramyun at Jong-Hee’s house.

The dessert is served and Jong-Hee enjoys the ice cream very much while Mu-Yeol is bracing himself to drop the bomb. He looks at her intently and calls her name with a shaky voice.

Mu-Yeol: If I had to choose whether I liked you or not, I’d say that I still liked you. From now on, I don’t know if I’ll meet another woman that I’ll like more, but…But for me to like you as much as I did back then…that will be a little difficult.

Mu-Yeol: Even if the world changes, I thought that my feelings for you wouldn’t change. Even if we both meet another person and got married to them, if the feelings and the world change, it’d be sad. What I’m trying to say is… that might have been why I was so obsessed with you; so that I won’t forget you. I don’t like that my feelings are changing. I don’t want to accept that it’s changing. For a long time, I missed you. But for us, I think that was all.

He apologizes for not being able to accept her proposal. Silence dawns between them before she decides to leave in a huff. Mu-Yeol wants to take her home, but she refuses to be near him. She tells him to call Eun-Jae over. Eun-Jae arrives there and Jong-Hee leaves with her. Jong-Hee doesn’t say a word about what happened and completely ignores Eun-Jae. She goes straight into her room as soon as they reach her home.

Mu-Yeol calls Eun-Jae to ask about Jong-Hee. He doesn’t tell her anything and asks for her help to stay back at the house for the day. He promises to tell her next time. Alone in his room, he keeps pondering about it and finally takes off the necklace bearing the ring. Mu-Yeol puts it inside the drawer for good, and the scene changes to show the painting on the removed wall. His engraved words to Jong-Hee on it is now ruined and the wall is put in an abandoned place.

Eun-Jae wakes up from her sleep on the couch and she panics when she can’t find Jong-Hee in her room. She is beyond relieved to find her painting inside the other room. Mu-Yeol is working out at the gym, but more into chasing his own insecurities about the break up. Dong-Soo comes over to ask about his progress and mu-Yeol decides it’s too early for him to pursue Eun-Jae. Reporter Go is also there and he wonders why Dong-Soo didn’t become a teacher because he has the qualities of being one. Dong-Soo asks him the reason he started playing baseball, in which he replies it’s all because of the cool-looking outfits. So childish.Dong-Soo opens up about his father, who’s the person responsible in making him a baseball player. I love the little guys chats they always have.

Later, Su-Young drops by to visit Jong-Hee as she didn’t answer her and her mother’s call. She tries to persuade her into checking her paintings and take a look at the gallery for her exhibition. Jong-Hee takes out the exhibition booklet and hands it to Su-Young, telling her to check them for her. She gets angry when Su-Young tries to persuade her more and complains that everyone’s changed, including Su-Young herself. After Jong-Hee leaves the room, Su-Young picks up the booklet and looks at it, her eyes piercing through the pages.

On her way out of the apartment building, Su-Young runs into the housekeeper ahjumma, but she doesn’t notice the ahjumma. She goes to her mother’s gallery, where Jong-Hee’s exhibition is going to be held. Her mother is surprised (or is that disgusted/disapproving/dissatisfied look on her face?) to see her coming in Jong-Hee’s place to check the paintings that have just arrived. Su-Young checks them one by one and despite her condition, she still acts like she’s all healthy.

As Jong-Hee is getting her nap (or pretty excessive sleep), Su-Young looks sick and feverish. The gallery assistant sees blood trickling down her legs and reluctantly informs her about that. Poor Su-Young…

The next thing we know, Dong-Soo is at the hospital to check on Su-Young’s condition. She’s lying unconsciously with her mother looking pitifully at her. She immediately lets go of her daughter’s hand when Dong-Soo enters the room. Her mother gives him the bad news: Su-Young miscarried the baby. Dong-Soo can’t believe it as she’s perfectly fine before this, but her mother knows that she’s keeping everything to herself until she’s stressed out while admitting that it’s probably because of her upbringing. She demands to know why he can’t make her happy although she’s left home just to be with him before leaving. In the taxi, she cries alone thinking about her daughter.

Dong-Soo stays with his wife and when Su-Young wakes up, she sees him crying silently. He quickly hides his tears when he realizes she’s regaining her consciousness. The first word she says: sorry. He says it’s alright for him. He tells her not to keep things to herself and he’ll let her to do what she wants to do. She admits that she herself doesn’t know what exactly she wants to do.

Mu-Yeol also drops by to visit her. He doesn’t tell Jong-Hee yet about it, but Su-Young doesn’t want her to worry about her. He then returns home and the ahjumma wants to know about Su-Young’s current condition. He feels that Dong-Soo is much more stressed than Su-Young, but the ahjumma says it’s normal when someone you love is hurt. And she starts telling him about the sweet feeling of watching your loved ones get hurt: if the person gets hurt bad enough, then you’ll be able to show how much you love him. Ewwww..that’s not a bit healthy. She decides to leave when Mu-Yeol starts asking her about who she loved so much like that. He’s so going to be surprised after knowing that the person is he himself. Ha..

Dong-Soo takes good care of his wife and stays beside her all night long. The next day, the neighbors are flocking in front of Jong-Hee’s house, complaining about the loud classical music coming from inside. Eun-Jae is surprised to see them and apologizes for her before going in. She finds Jong-Hee crying alone and accuses her to be the cause of her break up with Mu-Yeol. Eun-Jae, still thinking the couple only fought, is not satisfied to be dragged into the matter.

She meets Mu-Yeol on her way out to the convenience store. Eun-Jae directly asks whether the two of them fought, because he didn’t call Jong-Hee even once. She starts nagging at them (like a love counselor LOL) but Mu-Yeol doesn’t say anything as Jong-Hee haven’t told her about their break up. He tells her to buy Jong-Hee some ice cream,but she pleads him to make up with his lover. The most adorable part is when Mu-Yeol wants to know what Eun-Jae would like to eat if her boyfriend wants to coax her.

Mu-Yeol: Korean Beef?

Eun-Jae: I like things like cake and ice cream too! I like flowers too! What do you…

Mu-Yeol: Beef over a cake, and pork over flowers, right?

Eun-Jae: That…yeah..(Laugh) What can you do with flowers?

Mu-Yeol: (Laugh) Food is better, right?

She realizes that they are being too comfortable and covers her eyes while asking him for the ice cream money. Although Mu-Yeol warns her not to tell Jong-Hee about him buying the ice cream, Eun-Jae tells her. Jong-Hee knows it’s Eun-Jae who picked the ice cream as Mu-Yeol won’t choose strawberry, the flavor that she hates. Eun-Jae wants to take it back, but Jong-Hee doesn’t mind at all and invites her to eat the ice cream together. She complains about the ‘invitation’ but still sits with her. They have a girls talk over the ice cream, in which Jong-Hee admits about the break up. She thinks if she hadn’t came back, Mu-Yeol might not be able to get over her.

Su-Young is getting discharged and Dong-Soo fetches her. The banners promoting Jong-Hee’s exhibition are lining up the road on the lamp posts and her expression changes upon seeing them. As they arrives home, Woo-Young is happy to have his mum back in the house and she can’t help but agree to her son’s wish to be with her.

As Eun-Jae leaves Jong-Hee’s house for the day, Mu-Yeol looks through the CCTV to watch over her as she walks out of the house. She decides to go to Dong-Ah’s room and finds her friend working on something. She throws a question at her: does a person becomes lovely because she’s loved, or she’s loved because she’s lovely? She’s referring to Jong-Hee, who’s a lovely woman that she can never beat. Eun-Jae admits that she’d fall in love with her too if she’s a man.

Dong-Ah shows her a daring stunt, i.e. showing Eun-Jae her shoulder to see whether her taste has changed (you know what I mean?) and Eun-Jae’s reply is just hilarious:

“I want to put you down on the floor….and then strangle you.”

Haha! Dong-Ah’s reaction is priceless! Eun-Jae sighs over her suspicions and wonders whether Manager Kim knows her true colors. She has her own view: identity is more important than one’s true self in love. For instance, she’ll remember Manager Kim each time she takes a look at stainless steel because his identity is cold like those steel to her.

Dong-Ah calls Manager kim, who’s reading a book about relationship. Heee~ She wants to know what reminds him of her. He doesn’t have any, but he suddenly remembers his trip to a video rental shop where the porn videos reminded him of her. Hahaha! She’s ecstatic to find out that he’s also a fan of porn videos and he stammers, saying that he just looked at the title. She starts to list her favorite (porn) movies while Manager Kim is sweating bullets. LOL at Robot! They talk with each other for quite a long time.

While Dong-Soo is bathing Woo-Young, Su-Young sees Woo-Young’s discarded drawing about his now-gone younger sibling. Her face falls at the sight of it and decides to go out to throw away the rubbish. She nearly breaks down upon looking at the drawing and throws it along with the others. She picks the ripped picture of Jong-Hee and reads again the sentence written behind: Who’s the bad one now????

She’s truly shaken when she return home, and Dong-Soo feels that something is wrong with her. She tries to control herself from crying but Dong-Soo is fast enough to see that she’s shaking. She’s crying badly and keeps uttering about being so scared. He hugs her and tries to make her calm, saying that everything is going to be okay.

And looks like Jong-Hee’s life isn’t going to get any better, as her paintings are all wrecked and damaged, with her portrait is ruined with a big “YOU” in red written on it.

[END of Episode 13]

First of all, deepest apology goes to anyone who is looking forward to this recap. Real life isn’t getting any better and I couldn’t find that much time to write this as soon as possible. Again, i apologize for the extremely late recap.

Back to the afterthoughts.

No matter what people say, I still think Su-Young is the most pitiful character in this drama. True, Jong-Hee might feel unhappy after being dumped by Mu-Yeol, but I think she’s a little bit rude to treat Su-Young like that. Su-Young isn’t that pleased to do all the things in Jong-Hee’s place and though Jong-Hee doesn’t mean it, it looks like she’s mocking Su-Young. Yeah, I’m a little emotional here and a bit biased, but imagine yourself being in her shoes. Even her mother isn’t that pleased to see her without a talent that can be compared to Jong-Hee. That isn’t the most pleasant thing to be heard, especially from her own mother. And the fact that she lost her child because of her excessive stress is just sad. No wonder she resents Jong-Hee a bit, even if she’s her best friend. I really don’t want to see her family being torn apart, so I hope she’s going to be all fine in the end. I love her family!

Who else cried a river during this scene? Me did! Hehehe..It’s really heartbreaking and sweet at the same time. Mr Robot is a hot stainless steel that can melt people’s heart! He’s finally opening up about his feelings, and so are Dong-Ah..I love this couple so much and I’m so glad to see them reconcile. And the phone call! Robot will be so in trouble to control the ‘wild’ Battery..Imagine them fighting over which porn movies to be watched! That would be hilarious. But I’m sure he’ll give in to her 😉

More cuteness of them~ so adorable!

[credit]

Our main couple is not to be left behind!

As now Mu-Yeol has done his tag up, it’s time for them to put their feelings in the right track. Awww! They are so obvious of each other’s feelings, but trying their best to be oblivious. And the fact that both of them are crackheads and silly makes me all giddy, anticipating what will happen if they finally become lovers. That would surely be crazy! Both of you, please get together as soon as possible! I want to see Mu-Yeol trying to win Eun-Jae’s family recognition! So much anticipation from me ^^;

Oh yeah, this one needs to get off first: stalker ahjumma! Creepy~