by: Raine

—

CUTE! CUTE! CUTE! Chemistry! Chemistry! Chemistry!

We get Ji-na opening up to him and some back story. With this much revealed so soon. I wonder what else this show has in store for us.

“Don’t Go” – Hwan-hee (from the Padam Padam OST)

episode 5 recap

We were left with Kang-chil floating lifelessly in the water with eyes open in shock. Gook-soo pulls on some clothes and runs, in flip-flops, to save his hyung. He catches up to Kang-chil, who is not lifelessly floating in the water, and feels immensely relieved.

At Ji-na’s place, her father sleeps on the bed while Young-cheol painfully pops Ji-na’s ankle back into place.  He’s pouting and jealously asks how she can be so fearless in hanging out with Kang-chil. He’s a criminal.

Ji-na smiles sympathetically at him. She should hate Young-cheol, but she doesn’t – she only hates that he cheated on her. Instead, she sees him as an oppa, the brotherly type. Ouch.

Taking her face in his hands, Young-cheol tries to explain that he doesn’t like marriage the institution, but he believes in taking responsibility. Ji-na understands this, but she needs someone who will always be there. Instead, of replying, he tries to kiss her. Slick, buddy. She avoids him and goes to bed.

On the way home, Gook-soo insists that Kang-chil stay near or he’ll die. This bugs the crap out of Kang-chil who says he’ll die anyway of:

1) Liver cancer.
2) Alone without a soul to witness his death.
3) Yong-hak will find him.

They both pause at the last reason. Yong-hak is bribing Chan-gul who is watching Kang-chil in order to catch Yong-hak. Something must’ve happened so that Yong-hak needs to bring Kang-chil to his side. But Chan-gul can’t kill either of them without the evidence.

As a precaution, Gook-soo makes a necklace of the talisman and hangs it around Kang-chil’s neck. His visions haven’t been wrong before, so stay close and keep this on you.

Several neighborhood ahjummas, including Mi-ja’s neighbor fish-vender (known as “Fish” until I get her name). Everyone but Fish is impressed by the changes in the house. Gook-soo does a bit of advertising with a winning smile.

Mi-ja is making breakfast, trying to chat with a moody, silent Jung to no avail. The family, plus Hyo-sook, gather for breakfast. Father and son are sullen and Kang-chil ends up snapping at Jung for being rude causing Jung to storm out.

“Don’t get mad,” Mi-ja says. Kang-chil wasn’t around for him. How can he expect respect? In return, Kang-chil asks where she was when he needed her and leaves. OUCH. Mi-ja hollers that he better bring Jung back or he might as well not return.

Kang-chil goes after Jung who wants to know why he abandoned them.

Kang-chil: “She abandoned me.”

Jung: “Don’t put this on my mom” He stalks away.

Kang-chil: “Even if you “Even if you don’t like it…I’m your dad!”

ADMITTANCE!

Back at the house, Gook-soo is on the phone with Yong-hak as Kang-chil listens in. “Tell, Kang-chil I have his life and safety in my hands,” he says as he fingers a bloody knife.

Gook-soo gets some pain in his back, but ignores it. As he changes, we see the outlines of wings on his shoulder blades.

(That’s some serious ogling buddy. We know you said you were looking at her ankle to see that it healed, but those eyes are focused on something else…)

At the veterinary hospital, Kang-chil flirts a bit with Ji-na, earning a smile. Gook-soo also finds two people, Jong-min an Naem-bi, to do background checks. Kang-chil is a bit skeptical about their dependability. But they think they have Chan-gul pinned with whatever evidence Yong-hak has.

They speculate how much money to ask Chan-gul for – they need to pay back Hyo-sook and send Jung to study in America.

Wondering how much would be needed to buy a house in Tongyeong, they go outside to ask Ji-na. Young-cheol joins them and asks how long they were in prison. He interrogates them a bit.

Kang-chil angrily blurts out that they were cellmates. Ji-na, feeling awkward, tries to leave but Kang-chil keeps going. He was in jail over ten years for something he didn’t do – Gook-soo says four, and he’s guilty.

Young-cheol doesn’t believe him because most people claim innocence. This pisses Kang-chil off who hates to be judged. Young-cheol leaves and they grumble about being looked down upon. How much money makes up for being looked down upon by others?

In the house, Ji-na scolds Young-cheol who wonders why she isn’t curious. Most people would be. Just as most men are attracted to her beauty. She’s leading him on and she needs to set her actions straight. Young-cheol storms out and apologizes to Kang-chil and Gook-soo before walking away in a huff.

Over breakfast, Ji-na and her father, Detective Jung Min-shik, discuss using his gun. He defends himself by saying there’s a clear delineation between good and evil and he has to get rid of the evil. She shocks him by asking, “What if you get hurt?” In return, he tells her that the soggy rice is delicious. Oh, backwards love.

When dad leaves, he asks after the workers, but neither he nor Kang-chil see the others’ face. Ji-na tries to talk to Kang-chil who ignores her. Gook-soo explains that he’s acting as elitist as her, making her feel badly.

At the station, Min-shik and his young partner discuss the fact that every drug dealer that DA Park Chan-gul gets his hands on, no matter how deep into the drug trade he may be, always ends up only being a “minor accomplice.” This is true for the drug dealer he shot in the leg.

Park Joo-suk, DA Park’s father, is appointed chief judge, which thrills Chan-gul. He gets a call from Yong-hak and meets him. They pass threats. I’ll give you a chance, Chan-gul says with a smirk. Bring the evidence and find me. But, Yong-hak has recorded the entire conversation.

At the the drug store, Min-shik tries DA Park, who ignores him. He checking out the pharmacist who gets a visit from a man. Min-shik is dejected and leaves. She watches him go. (Wait, she’s interested? GROSS.)

Ji-na buys Kang-chil food from a street vender to apologize but he’s already left and she eats alone.

The next day, she brings the boys juice as they work and apologizes. Kang-chil relents, asking if she and Young-cheol are close. Young-cheol appears and says they are. He apologizes again for being low and crude. He brought makgulli, fermented wine, to share.

Gook-soo waits for permission from Kang-chil to eat and the vets are incredulous – also, by the fact that Gook-soo says he’s an angel so he can’t drink. He also explains that waiting for Kang-chil to eat first is the least he can do. Kang-chil fought seven men once to save him. Impressed, Young-cheol says he didn’t expect much from them as carpenters, but finds them to be very skilled.

When asked about their relationships, Young-cheol replies that she dumped him. Kang-chil looks awkwardly pleased. Then, Young-cheol asks their age and gloats when he discovers that he is older.

Then Jung arrives and starts speaking smugly. Oh, I can’t call you “dad”? Will that ruin your chances at marriage? I guess you can’t come help me transfer since you’re busy.

He leaves and Ji-na stares in shock. She remembers Kang-chil’s words about never being close to a woman. (Seriously? You’re going to go there? You can’t see that he meant emotional closeness?)

Anyway, she reminds him that he said he’d never really been near a woman. She guesses it’s just something men say. He forces her to listen to his explanation: He chased a girl in high school who then slept with him once and dumped him the next day. She did it because she was angry with her sunbae. The girl died and the kid came to him, just over a month ago.

Kang-chil and Gook-soo leave and she looks guilty as sin. Good!

Inside the house, Young-cheol calls her on her jealousy, which pisses her off. She pities him but doesn’t like that he lied to her. (RAWR! You self-righteous…*breathes*)

Young-cheol takes a few pointed jabs at Kang-chil in the guise of caring. (Or maybe he really cares…a little, little, little bit.) He supposes Kang-chil will live now that he has someone to give him part of his liver. Maybe that’s why he accepted the kid. She should apologize to him for being rude and interrogating him like a criminal. She looks up the success rate of father/son transplants.

Mi-ja, Kang-chil and Gook-soo are going to Jung’s new school to greet the teacher. Kang-chil is extremely uncomfortable and doesn’t want to go, but Mi-ja tells him to bow low and ask the teacher to take care of Jung. Even if he has nothing, he can give the teacher respect and his humility.

When the teacher and principal arrive, Kang-chil awkwardly bows and offers his hand, saying nothing. Gook-soo does all the talking while his hyung looks like he wants to melt into the floor.

They leave and Jung watches them go from a window, looking thoughtful. A girl, Kim Min, comes over to flirt via asking him to help her with some math. A jealous big-boy-in-class comes over with his panties in a twist and picks on Jung who leaves, not having any of it.

Enter Tenggie, pooch of destiny. We immediately know something big is going to happen. It’s the pooch of destiny – he foreshadows all.

Anywho, he’s got a note strapped to his collar inviting Kang-chil for a train ride to Seoul. Kang-chil gets giddily excited (CUTE!) and quickly outwits Gook-soo and escapes, not wanting a guardian angel on his date with his destined woman.

Kang-chil makes a pit stop at Hyo-sook’s shop, jacks some money from her register and runs all the way to the train station to buy their tickets. (Have I mentioned that this guy is ADORABLE?)

Before our blossoming lovebirds can meet, Fish shows up and drags Ji-na onto the train with her for company. Kang-chil sits a few rows down and watches poor Ji-na listen to Fish yak and brag about her kids. When Fish spots Kang-chil, she starts bad mouthing him. Ji-na tries to defend him, but Fish leaves, unwilling to be near him. (You are seriously about to get punched in the face for being mean to my Kang-chil!!!)

Ji-na sits beside him and he tells her it’s okay if she sits somewhere else so that she can avoid Fish’s nasty gossip. She will say they spoke about the remodeling, asks perfunctorily about the windows and then tells him he’s going to do a lot of things he’s never done before today. Pleased, Kang-chil straightens his collar to show off that he’s wearing the shirt she got him. (AW!!!)

She takes him to the zoo and fulfills some of the wishes he’d mentioned previously. He gets to feed a grown lion and giraffes. He learns to make an elephant say “choa.” (“Like” in Korean.) Ji-na very conspicuously takes photos of him as he smiles in pure, unabashed excitement.

Gook-soo is working but starts feeling ill. His back is bugging him and he has another vision of Kang-chil getting killed.

Kang-chil is giving a bottle to a baby lion and gets pensive. His life is unfair. Only now, at thirty-five, does he get to do all these things for the first time. If he could get repaid for his life, how much should he receive? How much is the compensation for being looked down upon and for his mother feeling small because her son is an ex-con? How much should he get for not being able to ask her out because of who he am?

Ji-na says that cannot be calculated with money. Kang-chil then asks her why she isn’t afraid of big animals. What is she afraid of then? We see that she fears her father via flashback, but she tells him she’s not really afraid of anything.

Kang-chil differentiates being scared and being afraid.

He is scared of people. He remembers the  night when he fought with Min-ho who stabbed him. Then Chan-gul stabbed Min-ho and placed the knife in Kang-chil’s hand.

He is also afraid of people. He remembers Detective Jung beating him up.

She asks what happened to the person who framed him. “He’s probably waiting for my revenge.” She thinks that forgetting is revenge.

(I went picture happy. So sue me…)

Gook-soo’s back is bothering him so he strips (yay!) and checks his back in the mirror. An outline of wings appear that awe and terrify him.

At a clothing store, Ji-na is choosing underwear. Kang-chil wonders who they’re for. They are to help her forget her late mother. He picks up a pair of red boxers with a bow and says they’re nice although she thinks they’re not very manly. She decides to buy them and mails them off, labeling the sender as “Yoon Mi-hye.” Why is she sending something under her late mother’s name?

They are on a packed train going home and are standing quite close (like their first encounter). Kang-chil persists in asking about her relationship with Young-cheol and she deftly evades all of his questions. The train jerks, forcing them together and Kang-chil loosens his tie. It’s getting hot in here…

Ji-na turns to look out the window to avoid some of the sexual tension. But she turns to look up at him and finds him inches away. Her eyes roam, anywhere but his face, and she spies his necklace. He pulls it out and shows her the talisman Gook-soo gave him. She likes it and he offers to make her one. She requests two and then puts it back in his shirt and fixes his collar. Hot damn, that is some WICKED chemistry.

She turns away again and puts her hand on the window. He slides a small charm into her hand, one he received for participating in a demonstration with a hawk earlier that day.  They leave their hands beside each other on the glass. (I know we love kisses and backhugs, but this really makes my inner fangirl squee. It is just too sweet.)

They run (he taking three steps at a time, she seriously out of breath) and barely make their connection to the next train. Laughing, they catch their breaths, enjoying the adrenaline and the moment.

His laugh fades as he watches her, entranced.

Then, he kisses her.

 Comments:

SQUEEEEEEEEEEE! Kiss! Sexual tension! Happy Raine!

Alright, first kiss and it’s only episode five! Looks like he surprised her. How much money do you want to bet that she clams up and decides not to talk? But I don’t care. He’s so damn cute and sweet and adorable.

Kang-chil: This character gives me pleasure to no end. Jung Woo-sung is not only pretty to look at as an extremely masculine man, but his ability to portray Kang-chil’s live-in-the-moment emotions is astonishing. For me, I really love watching a character who is this open with his emotions. Especially since it’s something I love in a man. It’s a childlike quality. A child’s ability to be completely frank about everything he feels is a huge part of why they charm adults. Kang-chil hasn’t lost that.

I’m always saying that he needs to look to the future and I think he’s starting to let himself imagine it. He accepts Jung as his son, which is a huge step AND commitment. He also wants to prove his innocence. What could that mean other than he wants to clear his name and get on with his life?

Ji-na: She was absolutely charming in this episode. Her petulance annoyed me, but at the same time, it was really adorable. She has a cruuuuush. We’re finally starting to see her round out as a character rather than just getting back story. I love how she delighted in his joy and allows herself to get swept up by it. Her personality seems the type to prevent her from being able to do that, but who can resist Jung Woo-sung yelling “Choa!” to an elephant?

She also mentioned that she thinks forgetting is revenge. How can he forget when this is haunting every aspect of his life? I don’t think she really understands the impact of being framed and jailed on his life. Probably because he lives in the moment so much that it distracts from his issues.

Gook-soo: I love that this angel thing is as much a mystery to him as it is to us. Well, maybe he knows a little more. But he’s getting awed by his transformation. It’s cute how his clumsy intelligence makes him unable to carry out his “missions” well. He’ll probably get a hold of it once he understands it better. And have I mentioned that Kim Bum is too cute?

Back to Raine the detective!

Secrets of Min-ho’s murder: Here’s what we know so far:

• There were four people there that night: Kang-chil, Min-ho, Chan-gul and Yong-hak.
• Min-ho stabbed Kang-chil several times in the stomach. Then Chan-gul stabbed Min-ho.
• Yong-hak was on the ground as Chan-gul put the knife in Kang-chil’s hand and then implicated him in the murder at the trial.
• Yong-hak currently has the murder weapon and wants to get Kang-chil on his side for some reason.
• Chan-gul knows he has evidence and threatens him to bring it to him. He’s been bribing Yong-hak for silence.
• Chan-gul framed Kang-chil by somehow getting Yong-hak to implicate him and getting him false assault charges in jail to lengthen his jail time.
• Chan-gul can’t harm either Yong-hak or Kang-chil until he gets the evidence.

Also, I can’t stand Fish (whose gossiping will cause problems for SURE) and I can’t say I like Ji-na’s pops too much either. He’s judgmental and violent. His love for his daughter hasn’t gotten me past that.

Now to see Ji-na’s reaction to the kiss…

Episodes 1 (MadDino Asylum), 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Character introductions.

Padam Padam Episode 5 Screencaps by MadDino.

—
Aminals…aminals…cute aminals…I can’t help myself. I want to go to the zoo now. Doesn’t the Fennec fox look so cuddly?