by: Raine

—

Our main couple grows a little fonder of each other through some bickering, ghostly intervention, and a mango cake. I could do without pretty much all of the manipulative women in the show save the ghost. She’s kinda awesome even if she has murderous intentions. And, there is something so inherently sweet about two people falling in love because they better understand each other.

episode 4 recap

Jae-ran warns Yi-hyung not to trust Yi-hyun too much because he’s not her real brother. (And probably not her son either from her attitude.)

Doo-rim searches for Yi-hyun and finds him sitting on a curb staring at a bouquet of flowers in the middle of the road. On his seventh birthday his mother got him a cake, but forgot candles. His friends where there and he threw a tantrum because he couldn’t blow out the candles. So his mom ran to buy some. When she didn’t return, he went outside to find her and she was lying there with seven candles in her hand.

Ah, he’s not Jae-ran’s son. No wonder. She’s awful.

Doo-rim takes his hand and then helps him stumble home. Outside the house he gives her this creepy look and touches her cheek. A car pulling up stops him and it’s Kang-joo come to celebrate Yi-hyun’s birthday. He notes that they’ve started drinking, which is when Yi-hyun collapses against the wall. The other two haul him inside and then go downstairs.

Dad is listening to partitas and thinking about his first love who he can’t forget. He also can’t make himself rip up her picture. Myung-hee watches him like a creeper instead of bringing him the tea she is holding. Dad takes the needle off the record to answer a phone call. When he answers, the record starts to play again.

In the morning, Yi-hyun reads Doo-rim’s cheery birthday message and smiles. Then he reads the note from Yi-kyung that thanks him for being born and keeping her company. She knows he’s waiting for her, but can’t find the courage to come back yet.

Jae-ran has packed the fridge with food and tells Yi-kyung to sit tight. She receives a kind thank you text from Yi-hyun and informs her mother that he sends her texts every day. Jae-ran warns her not to answer calls on that phone. She has her private line to her mother.

So does she like her brother? Dislike him? Not feel close because they aren’t full siblings?

Yi-hyun goes through Jae-ran’s desk for some business paperwork and sees receipts for groceries. He is almost caught and I’m thinking this woman is an idiot to leave that receipt there. She realizes her mistake after he leaves and we see he kept one of the receipts.

Doo-rim prepares to meet with Yi-kyung’s friends and they are happy to see her because she’s been hard to contact. They notice her face looks different, and she promises to buy them food to compensate for not seeing them. Roo-mi gets bitchy and says her fiance should buy them food since they shouldn’t have to see him for the first time at the wedding. So Doo-rim calls him and is turned down because he’s busy. Roo-mi smirks and I reach through the screen pull out her hair and cat claw her face!!!!!!!!!

No…she just smirks and Roo-mi says he’s not a person to come when he’s called, leaving Doo-rim embarrassed.

At the office, Kang-joo looks pensive and then, as the women are leaving, he shows up much to Roo-mi’s chagrin. When he’s sweet to Doo-rim, Roo-mi has a fit asking what she should do if someone took her Mr. Right. He says waiting for that person is a waste of time, but she says she’ll wait.

I’m having visions of shoving that fork in her eye. Especially when Doo-rim drops her phone and picks it up only to see Roo-mi slinking her foot up Kang-joo’s leg.

Okay, seriously? SLUT BAG! It makes Doo-rim doubt Kang-joo, thinking he’s playing along. She suggests ending dinner and Roo-mi throws a few barbs before they decide to leave. However, Doo-rim gets her revenge by moving Roo-mi’s shoe, leaving her fishing for it with her foot. HAHAHAHAHAHA! She is actually holding it and throws it on the chair: It’s not your shoe you left on the ground, it’s your pride.

OMG I LOVES YOU!

Doo-rim tells Jae-ran and Yi-hyun that Roo-mi is trying to win Kang-joo back and she might succeed. Jae-ran says that’s not an option and takes her hand saying, “We believe in you.” Doo-rim promises to do her best and I’m wondering how far they’re going to ask her to go.

Yi-hyun is troubled by it all and takes a long, hard look at the grocery receipt.

Yi-kyung is out of bottled water and goes out for more wearing a mask, which is when Yi-hyun and Doo-rim go out so he can scope out the mart where the receipt came from. Yi-hyun spots Yi-kyung who bolts out of the store. She leaves a bag and the clerk chases Doo-rim to give it back. Yi-hyun is alarmed to hear that someone who looks like Doo-rim was there.

Didn’t Jae-ran JUST buy Yi-kyung groceries? Did she go through all of them already?

Anyway, Yi-kyung hurries away and Yi-hyun searches the streets for her. It is Doo-rim, however, who sees Yi-kyung. They meet eyes and Doo-rim is almost hit by a car in her hurry to catch Yi-kyung. Yi-hyun saves her with a dramatic declaration, “It’s important to find Yi-kyung, but you’re also important to me!”

*wince* I just got hit by some really strong cheese.

Yi-kyung reports to Jae-ran who warns her not to go to that mart anymore or call her first. When Yi-hyun and Doo-rim come home Jae-ran sits in her chair all creepily and has mundane conversation all creepily and Yi-hyun looks suspicious of her.

Didn’t I tell you this woman was CREEPY? ACK!

Jin-joo very conspicuously flags down Doo-rim’s car to report that Kang-joo and Roo-mi are together a lot preparing for the opening ceremony. After work they rested at a hotel, which Jin-joo surmises is fishy.

How much you wanna bet they were in different rooms or that Roo-mi TRIED something and failed?

Anyway, Jin-joo called because they were suspicious. The two walk out together and drive separate cars on their way out. Doo-rim freaks out thinking they’re going to another hotel and follows them.  Roo-mi U-turns away and Doo-rim follows Kang-joo who totally notices that she’s there. She follows him and stalks him on foot when he gets out of the car.

Inside he starts a fire in the furnace and turns on some music. She watches him and imagines a scenario where Roo-mi seduces him and it’s RIDICULOUS.

She watches him pour himself a drink and sit in front of the fire while she stands outside shivering and waiting for him. She wonders why Roo-mi isn’t coming. Did she catch on? The lights go on outside and she turns only to find herself looking down the barrel of a rifle. EEEEK! He thought there was an animal lurking, but it was just her.

He demands to know why she was there and she stammers that he knows why. Assuming that he was doing what she was thinking, he replies, would he be clumsy enough to be caught by her? HA, jerk.

Kang-joo spells out what her suspicions mean: he has a mistress who is his colleague who continued their affair at his mansion. Why didn’t she leak it and ask for emotional compensation? That makes her nervous and she rises to leave. Only he throws her on the bed. Isn’t this what she wanted? He asked. He prevents her from headbutting him so she bites him instead. She tells him to treat people with respect. She didn’t do anything to deserve this treatment. This isn’t what she wanted.

Then he speaks up and it’s surprising: She’s the same as everyone else. She doesn’t want to be his wife, but the daughter-in-law of Taeyang group. He sends her off and sighs when she leaves.

It’s foggy on her way out and as she creeps along, she spots a figure in the road…that jerks forward! THE GHOST! She slams on the brakes and takes a moment to catch her breath before following the sign to Seoul…only it isn’t the sign to Seoul. It’s a trick played by the ghost to send her right back to the house.

Inside he glances at his bite mark and she walks back in asking if he’s hungry and looking mighty guilty. She puts on a front: I forgot we didn’t eat. Let me get things out of the fridge and cook for you!

He commends her courage for returning when she doesn’t know what he’ll do to her. She tosses him an onion and he’s surprised when she expects him to help her prepare the meal. Hehe, dirty your hands young prince. You can do it!

Doo-rim lets Yi-hyun know where she’s staying and he promises to tell his mom. However, she’s not in her room, but her phone is lying pretty conspicuously on a book and he scrolls through it. He calls the unknown number, which dials YI-kyung’s phone, but an ahjumma picks up.

When Jae-ran comes in, Yi-hyun informs her that Doo-rim is at the mansion with Kang-joo. He tries to tell her something else, but chickens out and says they’ll find Yi-kyung soon. She checks her phone and smiles evilly. Yi-kyung thanks the ahjumma for answering – it was under Jae-ran’s orders. She knows Yi-hyun is suspicious.

Doo-rim presents dinner and he snarks that it’s ONLY fried rice. Hey now, fried rice is tasty! He tries it an, as expected, says it would be torture to eat this after they marry. She takes his plate and he takes it back: he’ll eat it not because it’s good, but because she put effort into it. Yeah. RIGHT.

Then he asks her what her favorite food is and she starts listing foods that she, Doo-rim likes, and suddenly remembers Yi-kyung hates those things. So she lists the things Yi-kyung likes.

He asks about her  bracelet and she says someone gave it to her and she feels lucky when she wears it. Then he complains the shrimp wasn’t cooked well so she makes him clean dishes for not doing more than peeling the onion. Hehehe. He tries to explain who he is and she says everyone in the country knows that. Now make sure those dishes are clean!

I love that he protested and then he listened to her. Seconds later he spills sauce on her dress and smirks about it when she leaves to clean up. Haha. That was cute, if evil.

Doo-rim washes the dress and then slips on soap. She’s lying on the bathroom floor in pain when Kang-joo comes to check on her. She’s shy, but he’s worried about her and barges in. He’s worried she hurt her spine and calls for help. He’s kind of adorable rushing around to help her. He brings in a coat to cover her and prevent anymore press snaffus, but she is all shy and makes him turn the light off before putting it on.

Uh…that can’t be good.

There is a lot of shrieking and “don’t touch there” and craziness as he dresses her. They get to a hospital where they find nothing wrong with her, but a few bruises. She just needs rest. The doctor leaves and she tries to get up to go to the bathroom, but is in too much pain. He brings over a wheelchair, carries her bridal style to it and wheels her off to the bathroom.

Bathroom adventures = romance? WIN!

He says she makes him do weird things: shoveling, peeling potatoes, and washing dishes. Sounds like…normal to me! Afterwards, he sleeps on the bed beside her and she takes the time to study his “glowing” face (thanks horrible camera filters) and smiles. Then he wakes up and she pretends she was sleeping. He moves to sit beside her and feels her forehead, which makes her “wake up.” He complains about the uncomfortable bed, hehe, and they check out.

Kang-in is at the mall again and asks Roo-mi for a meal. She doesn’t have time for him. Then he shows her something on his anti-fan cafe that he finds amusing because of its accuracy.. Someone claims he’s two timing and gave the older woman a hair pin. Well, now we know what Jin-joo wrote last episode. This pisses Roo-mi off because Yi-kyung is the only one who saw it. She’ll never forgive her if it was her. She’s going to get to the bottom of it and calls to find the IP address.

Kang-joo walks Doo-rim home and Yi-hyun is really worried about her injury. Doo-rim is conscious of holding onto Kang-joo’s jacket and quickly jumps over to Yi-hyun. Kang-joo asks Yi-hyun to take care of her and watches her go. She does look back, which is the k-drama indicator of interest. Kang-joo wonders at their “half-sibling” status.

Doo-rim explains why she followed him, but it turned out to be nothing. Yi-hyun stares at her and she protests that nothing happened and aggravates her neck. He promises to help her if she needs anything.

When he leaves her alone she thinks about the kiss and him lifting her into the wheelchair with a smile. She stops herself when she realizes that she’s becoming a fool for Kang-joo. Heh.

Mrs. Jang tries to gives Butler Jang some medicine. It’s Kang-joo’s male-enhancing medicine so when Kang-joo enters, Butler Jang bolts up nervously. HA! He notes how happy Kang-joo is lately and Mrs. Jang says its about his new beautiful bride and that he can’t hide his love. Kang-joo turns awkward at the mention of love and quickly leaves. Mrs. Jang worries about Kang-joo if something should happen to Yi-kyung who is perfect for him. Dad overhears them talking.

Dad finds Kang-joo standing outside and smiling. D’aw so cute Lee Hong-ki, I mean Choi Kang-joo. He mentions that Yi-kyung hasn’t been around lately and Kang-joo asks if Dad wants to play board games. That gets Dad laughing, which is just about the cutest thing ever. Kang-joo agrees she can be pretty funny. Dad is about to tell him something, but changes his mind.

Was it about the curse? SAY SOMETHING!

Dad has a dream where he sees his first love looking beautiful in her wedding dress, and then she starts to bleed from her head and he wakes up screaming. Myung-hee brings him water and asks him if this a way to remember her for thirty years, through nightmares? How much longer will it take  to erase her? He admits he once thought she had done it. She says its a possible scenario because her position is because he lost his first love. Dad admits he thinks it’s an accident and she says that’s just what he wants to believe. He says firmly that it was an accident, and then he decides to push up Kang-joo’s wedding. Myung-hee agrees with a creepy look on her face.

EEEEEE!

Yi-hyun comes home and Doo-rim greets him and offers to make him dinner. Then Kang-joo calls because President Kaneko wants to dine together. Doo-rim can’t speak Japanese so she says her neck still hurts and sends her best regards to President Kaneko. Moments after they hang up, Jin-joo calls and the girls drink together on a rooftop.

Doo-rim missed soju after drinking all that wine. Jin-joo is envious. She went into an expensive restaurant and had to leave because of the price, but the women there were saying that the price wasn’t bad – but it was as much as Jin-joo’s monthly rent. Doo-rim says there ain’t’ much to life and they’ll enjoy their cheap food while “they,” the rich, enjoy their rich stuff.

Then Doo-rim asks if men like sexy women. Jin-joo guesses this is about Kang-joo. It is and Doo-rim mentions that he called her body a schoolgirl’s body. Jin-joo says she’s not sexy at all and should invest in a pushup bra and get some education from her.

Next thing we know, she’s dressed like a hooker getting lessons in making coy noises at men. They goof off and then loan sharks come a-knocking for Jin-joo. I think I just fell asleep. Lame.

Also, her outfit makes her look like a hooker. Or like she’s gonna work at a hostess bar. What was Jin-joo thinking?

Soooo….when the loan sharks start dragging Jin-joo inside, Doo-rim goes all martial arts on their asses. While she does that, Roo-mi is looking for the source of the anti-fan post. She walks in at the end of the fight while Doo-rim is turned around. Doo-rim quickly books it out of there and stops from some sweet potatoes. She’s almost run over by Kang-joo who has arrived to check on her with a cake. He doesn’t recognize her with the wig and makeup on.

When he phones her she doesn’t pick up so he calls the house and is told she is out. She tries to get into the house by climbing the vines while Kang-joo flashes back to the woman’s face and realizes that it’s “Yi-kyung.” He goes looking for her and catches her near the top of the wall. He orders her down and she slips and falls on him. He complains about being hurt while she worried about the sweet potatoes that fell onto the ground. Hehe.

He scolds her for dressing as she’s dressed and then asks what she was doing dressed like that after declining his dinner invitation. She defends that she was cosplaying with her friends. She strikes a pose: Aren’t I sexy? He looks away awkwardly and mutters that she’ll give him nightmares…

…not quite the dreams you’ll be having pervy boy.

She takes off her wig and complains that he’s the one who said he likes sexy women, y’know, when he said she had a school girl’s body. He says that outfit doesn’t suit everyone. She gets defensive. A moment later she notices the cake, which he picked out according to her tastes. D’AW!!!! She’s delighted by it and he blubbers that he wasn’t TRYING to remember what she liked. He just remembers everything he hears.

Po-TAE-to. Po-TAH-to.

She dives into the cake with the cake knife. A girl after my own heart. She offers him some, but he doesn’t like cake. She offers him a sweet potato instead, which he refuses because it was on the ground. Well, “refuses.” The second she peels it and feeds it to him, he takes a bite like a good lovesick puppy. Doo-rim mentions eating them with her grandmother and remembers at the last minute that Yi-kyung’s granny passed. She goes back to eating the cake and she intends to eat the whole thing! He says most women try not to eat a lot in front of their men. She replies that she doesn’t see him as a man.

LIAR!

Kang-joo doesn’t like that answer and pouts over it. She finally notices that he cut himself (even though he pointed it out to her before) and she fusses over it, which secretly pleases him. But he’s still pouty and pulls away, telling her to wipe the cake from her mouth.

She does and he watches her, focused on her lips. Finally, he puts his arm around her and pulls her in for a kiss.

 Comments:

Is it just me, or was how that kiss filmed really unromantic? I like the full contact, and although it was sweet, the filming of it was really jarring. The filming of this show has been consistently sketch.

Speaking of sketch, Yi-hyun needs to back off Doo-rim. That’s just gross and creepy. Liking a girl who looks like your half-sibling when there is every indication that you liked your half-sibling. Don’t go there, show.

I do like how Yi-hyun really just wants a mommy and the only one he’s got left is a manipulative bitch who abuses his need for her. Now if only she was better written and not so much of a bonehead. She hides Yi-kyung across the street then concocts a “brilliant” plan to fool him into thinking she’s not there after he finds receipts she left in her business office?

Bonehead.

Then we have the other mom, Myung-hee, who is very obviously planning murder, or at least accessory to murder. Wait, are you an accessory when you help a ghost murder? Then are both moms in this show ghostly accessories? I totally understand her beef with her husband as he spent their past thirty years of marriage pining after another woman. But, had she been less of an evil, scheming wench, perhaps they could’ve been happier. He certainly has a nice enough disposition.

And what of his dreams? Are they caused by ghostly intervention? Is he just dreaming? Does this ghost haunt Dad still? Legend says she kills for beauty, but is it for something else?

I’m loving how Doo-rim is learning to negotiate her role as Yi-kyung and taking care of Roo-mi more efficiently. However, some of the choices she makes baffle me. Seriously. Sometimes she’s so intelligent and sometimes she’s not. That’s not flakiness of character – that’s bad writing. What does come across effectively is that she’s resourceful, kind-hearted, and has the ability to see past Kang-joo’s prickly exterior. She likes him without condition, unlike Roo-mi. She likes him because of the small things he’s done for her and for the fact that she can see kindly motivations behind his actions despite the fact that he says really, really douche-y things.

Roo-mi. She needs to die.

PS Frozenbeetle pointed out that the Jumper from the first episode kinda looks like our ghost. I agree. What do you think?

Recaps 1, 2, 3

Character Introductions