The family struggles to cope with a potentially life-altering injury that forces everyone together whether they like it or not. Add in the sisters’ recent reconciliation and everyone’s personal and relationship issues, and the family is on shaky ground. If they can figure out how to communicate with and support each other, they might come out of it all stronger. But they’ve got a ways to go.
EPISODE 2
Eun-hee tells Chan-hyuk she “caused an accident” (the phrase typically implies sleeping with someone) but is indignant when Chan-hyuk thinks she and Jong-min had a one-night stand. He listens incredulously as she goes on about her tumultuous feelings and thoughts on coincidences, begging her to speed this up.
We flash back to when Geon-joo had interrupted her conversation with Jong-min. She explains that meeting with Jong-min had her emotions all over the place, so she drank. A lot. And “caused an accident” with the new VP.
At the police station, Sang-shik’s hiking buddy Man-ho comes by with the flirty woman from their group. Over coffee, she explains that Sang-shik gave her a ride, and they parted ways at the rest stop. Ji-woo’s face every time she calls Sang-shik “oppa” is priceless.
Flirty lady ramps up the awkwardness by whining about how difficult things were for Sang-shik due to the “marriage graduation.” Man-ho’s attempts to smooth it over go awry as he claims that Sang-shik told their whole group, not just her.
Now flirty lady plays coy. Eun-joo rolls her eyes when she says, “I don’t know if I should say this …” and asks to talk with Jin-sook privately. There are things his kids shouldn’t hear.
Chan-hyuk, meanwhile, sums up Eun-hee’s situation; she was emotionally vulnerable, got drunk and slept with her boss. He agrees to be her “trashcan” – someone she can dump her worries into – so Eun-hee launches into the detailed version.
She and Geon-joo caught each other’s eye a lot during the welcome party. Chan-hyuk is aghast that she was taken in merely because Geon-joo smiled at her a few times. From the flashback, it was more like he never stopped staring and smiling.
Chan-hyuk notes that she’s changed. Eun-hee agrees that, in the past, she would’ve found his interest too obvious and avoided him. But the her last night found it enjoyable and comforting. She even got kind of jealous when Kyung-ok starting hogging his attention.
The three of them relocated to another bar, but she and Geon-joo stayed later. After mentioning her father a couple of times, Geon-joo assumed they’re close. On the contrary, Eun-hee claimed he only adores Eun-joo.
“How can he not adore such a cute daughter like you?” Geon-joo asked with a smile. She joked that cringey comments like that make her sober up. Their hands touched, and then they started kissing.
Chan-hyuk sympathetically remarks that it could happen to anyone. But how will she go to work on Monday? He suggests she resign during the weekend. Or just ignore him like it’s not a big deal. Then there’s the problem of rumors …
Eun-hee warns him to stop having fun with this. He seriously advises her not to worry about it and go about her life. So what if there are rumors or she feels embarrassed? It’ll blow over.
Looking at her face, Chan-hyuk realizes it wasn’t an accident she plans to forget. We see her waking up on Geon-joo’s couch and seeing the bookshelves lining his walls, calling it her dream library (mine too, Eun-hee) filled with many of the same books she has.
Their conversation flowed naturally. Eun-hee reveals she hasn’t even flirted in five years, which Chan-hyuk finds saddening. But she enjoyed her time solo. Now, she wonders how that self-confidence collapsed after a single night. Chan-hyuk congratulates her on finding someone she connects with.
At the café, flirty lady stage whispers to Jin-sook that she saw a medicine bottle in Sang-shik’s truck. She gets in a dig about how Jin-sook doesn’t know anything about him before divulging they were sedatives. He frequently said that he’d one day go into the mountains and commit suicide by swallowing a bunch of pills. Whoa.
Man-ho never took him seriously, although all their club members had heard him say it at some point. Uh, that’s not something you ignore, people! A driver friend calls Man-ho – they found Sang-shik’s truck unlocked with his keys and wallet still inside, although the medicine bottle is missing.
At Chan-hyuk’s, Eun-hee worries that Geon-joo could be a player. She calls on fellow player Chan-hyuk to impart his wisdom. Ha. He takes issue with the label, but she insists everyone has called him that since college.
They’re interrupted by a call from Ji-woo who’s been trying to reach Eun-hee. She’s so flustered upon hearing her dad is missing that she searches everywhere for the car key that’s in her hand.
Chan-hyuk grabs her arm and stares at her tenderly, which is the scene Seo-young walks in on. To Seo-young’s annoyance, Chan-hyuk practically ignores her and runs after Eun-hee.
Ji-woo contacts the local police department near the rest stop, and they’re able to look at CCTV footage of Sang-shik. He got out of his truck, stared at a wildflower for an hour and then ventured into the mountains. The family prepares for the worst when the police receive an identification request for Kim Sang-shik.
They rush to the hospital where Sang-shik is alive and conscious. But Jin-sook is startled when he speaks to her politely and keeps asking if she’s Miss Jin-sook. Ji-woo and Eun-joo run up, calling him father, and he nervously hides behind Jin-sook.
In the car, Chan-hyuk gets a text from Jin-woo with an update and the address for the hospital. Before he can change the address for the GPS, Eun-hee startles Chan-hyuk by shouting at her phone, “Na-ri, go to Suwon Mountain Hospital!” It often takes her to random places if she doesn’t yell the address. Ha.
Eun-hee thought he’d finally gotten his license when he suavely took her key earlier, but he reveals he’s still staunchly against driving. Chan-hyuk smiles to see Eun-hee more relaxed now and tells her to drop him off at a subway station.
Eun-hee worries that Seo-young misunderstood the situation earlier. She even bought lunch boxes to work, which is a clear couple thing. Chan-hyuk sighs at her nosiness as he gets out of the car, but he grins once she pulls away.
At the hospital, Sang-shik lies confused while the doctor meets with the family. Sang-shik remembered his name but gave his age as 22. He thinks it’s October 13, 1982 and Jin-sook is pregnant with their first child.
The doctor says his memory will come back in time. Sang-shik walks over to Jin-sook, but she’s unsure how to face him. Eun-hee runs in yelling, “Dad!” Sang-shik steps back, and she realizes something’s wrong.
During his MRI, Jin-sook flashes back to October 13, 1982. In a restaurant, Jin-sook had nervously told him she was pregnant. When she had asked what she should do, Sang-shik pulled out a ring and proposed. Although she had accepted, Sang-shik looked decidedly happier than she did about it.
In the present, he asks for a word alone with Jin-sook, so the kids have their own meeting. Eun-hee is amazed Sang-shik can’t even remember his favorite daughter Eun-joo. The sisters bicker naturally back and forth, making Ji-woo question if they truly didn’t talk for years.
Ji-woo asks where Chan-hyuk is, making Eun-joo eye her sister suspiciously. She heard that Eun-hee called Ji-woo for Chan-hyuk’s address. Is she still causing trouble when she gets drunk? Ha. Eun-joo warns her that Chan-hyuk is Ji-woo’s boss now.
Eun-hee vows that she won’t ever “cause an accident” with Chan-hyuk, so don’t worry. (Famous last words.) When Ji-woo returns to the table, Eun-hee complains about Eun-joo’s propensity for pointing out people’s faults while Eun-joo claims she said it out of worry.
At the hospital, Jin-sook sighs as she thinks of flirty lady’s assertion that Sang-shik talked of suicide. Sang-shik peppers her with questions about why he was in the mountains, but Jin-sook discourages him from getting agitated and asking questions. He guesses that, even after all these years, they’re still a little awkward with each other.
Sang-shik wants to “meet” the kids, so they stand in front of him awkwardly. He’s not sure who is who, so Eun-hee introduces everyone. Smiling sweetly, he addresses Eun-joo, and Eun-hee mutters in amazement that, even now, she’s his favorite.
Eun-hee offers to play his favorite the 1983 Campus Song Festival (an annual music competition for students) to cheer him up after Sang-shik grabs his head in pain. He perks up at the mention of College Song Festival but is confused when Eun-hee pulls out her cell phone. Jin-sook sends the kids home so as not to overwhelm him.
Outside, Ji-woo wonders what happens to the “marriage graduation” thing now. Eun-hee assumes it’s on pause until their dad’s memories return, but Ji-woo thinks it’s their chance to oppose. Eun-joo complains about the “graduation” aspect, saying they should just divorce if they can’t live together.
Eun-hee wonders if Eun-joo and Tae-hyung are having problems, but Ji-woo doesn’t think so. When Ji-woo gets in the car to drive Eun-joo home, she asks if Eun-hee is dating. Ji-woo vehemently denies it. The boy does not have his sisters’ intuition.
At work, Seo-young encourages Chan-hyuk to eat the lunch box she brought, but he feels burdened accepting it. She observes that he’s having money problems and even had to put his housing deposit into the company. Thinking she bought him a meal out of pity, Chan-hyuk accepts it.
Wondering why Eun-hee was there earlier, Seo-young directly asks if they slept together. Chan-hyuk scolds her for going too far. She tells him not to do anything useless since Eun-hee isn’t interested in him. She can tell he liked Eun-hee from the photos he took of her.
Chan-hyuk pulls out the photos in question and flips through them, praising his photography skills. Seo-young cautions him not to let Eun-hee see them – she’d think he’s been harboring unrequited love for years. Seo-young’s advice defiantly makes him want to show the pictures to Eun-hee.
Meanwhile, Geon-joo is home tidying when a picture on a bookshelf catches his eye. He grabs the photo and, rather dramatically, slams it face down into a drawer.
On the drive home, Eun-hee answers a call from Kyung-ok after some deliberation. Kyung-ok humble brags about how Geon-joo was all over her and even tried to get in her taxi, but she stopped him. It just wouldn’t be right. Eun-hee rushes her off the phone and thinks of her one-night stand.
In the hospital, Sang-shik is fascinated by his cell phone, finding it bizarre that he knows how to use it. Jin-sook sees him as his younger self as he recites her old phone number and talks about how he used to call at 9 P.M. She curtly tells him she doesn’t remember and looks pained when he says just hearing her voice was enough to make his heart flutter.
He brings up how they used to play Chinese Checkers and playfully reminds her that the winner was supposed to kiss the loser. How did it turn out? Jin-sook covers his mouth in embarrassment while he laughs.
Eun-joo goes to Hyo-seok’s café where Tae-hyung and his employees are meeting. She orders a strong coffee, which Hyo-seok knows signals she’s having a bad day. Eun-joo reluctantly goes to Tae-hyung’s table when a clinic employee insists on bringing Eun-joo’s coffee over. The girl ogles the hot barista who’s disappointed she’s not Eun-joo.
At home, Ji-woo reports that he took Eun-joo home (and got “taxi fare,” ha), but she asked him to drop her off at the café near her place. Eun-hee finds it odd that she uses casual language with the barista.
Ji-woo chimes in that the barista is really hot, although Eun-joo never used to like long hair or makeup on guys. And what about her sudden love for coffee? Eun-hee smacks him, threatening to tattle on him to Eun-joo.
They stare at the photo of their parents from that day in 1982, only now realizing how young they were. Ji-woo observes that they don’t know anything about their parents’ early years. “Do you know anything about mom and dad now?” Eun-hee asks. Simultaneously, Jin-sook calls Ji-woo, and Chan-hyuk calls Eun-hee.
At the café, Eun-joo and Tae-hyung discuss her father’s condition. She asks if it could be dementia, but he assures her it’s not; Sang-shik won’t have any issues with daily functioning. Eun-joo notices Hyo-seok carrying a full tray with an injured wrist and jumps up to see if he needs help.
Tae-hyung clocks her reaction and gets testy, scoffing about how close the two of them act. Ji-woo calls, worrying that their dad has dementia or something since he suddenly asked to play Chinese Checkers. Already irritated, Eun-joo vents her anger on him and hangs up.
At home, Eun-hee immediately wonders if their dad has dementia when Ji-woo fetches the game for Sang-shik. Ha. Ji-woo asks what Chan-hyuk wanted, and Eun-hee somewhat cagily says he was asking about their dad.
Eun-joo shares her dad’s final words about living happily with Tae-hyung, speculating that he seemed to know that something would happen. Only her dad never questions why she doesn’t have children or if she’s being a good wife – he just told her to live happily.
Tae-hyung blinks back tears as she continues that her dad knows how hard she’s tried to get pregnant but also seemed to know she’s given up. “Will the two of us be able to live warmly and happily without kids?”
Meanwhile, Sang-shik pesters Jin-sook about playing Chinese Checkers like a kid. She snaps at him to stop calling her “Miss Sook,” so he asks what he usually calls her. We cut to his grunting and shouts of “hey!” to get her attention while she did her best to avoid having to address him at all. The contrast is jarring, and Jin-sook can’t get used to this new adoring Sang-shik who stares at her lovingly and claims she hasn’t changed.
Chan-hyuk calls Eun-hee back to his place because she forgot something … which turns out to be her half-drunk bottle of water. Pfft. Inside the convenience store, he asks if Geon-joo called and advises her not to call first. They don’t even know anything about each other. What if he has a wife or girlfriend?
She thinks he’s having fun at her expense, but he reminds her that she always gave him dating advice back in the day. Chan-hyuk doesn’t want her to be overly accommodating like she was with Jong-min, never voicing her own desires.
While Ji-woo plays checkers with his dad (cringing when Sang-shik calls Jin-sook “Miss Sook”), Chan-hyuk sits grinning at the old photos of Eun-hee. But he stashes the photos when Eun-hee walks over talking about Geon-joo.
Eun-hee notes that her interest started when Geon-joo praised her work, saying she was the best in the office. She supposes she was lonely. Chan-hyuk calls acknowledgement “poison.” He still frequents some dingy restaurant because the ajumma there gave him extra kimchi after noting he liked it. Eun-hee stares at him sympathetically. “Are you lonely too?” Heh.
At home, Tae-hyung messages back and forth with a woman with the username “Tinkerbell.” When she asks if he likes her better than Eun-joo, he steers the conversation to talking about her day. Eun-joo secretly looks through pregnancy-related stuff in her room.
It’s a contemplative night for everyone. Sang-shik fights back tears as he examines his aged face in the mirror. Eun-hee watches the footage of her dad going into the woods. Chan-hyuk goes through college photos of Eun-hee and pulls a picture – we don’t see of whom – out of an old wallet.
When Eun-hee arrives at work on Monday, Geon-joo is waiting for her in the parking lot. She panics and sends an emergency text to Chan-hyuk, asking what to do. But she can’t stall anymore and gets out of her car.
She ends up doing everything Chan-hyuk cautions her against, acting all anxious and awkward. Geon-joo invites her to dinner, but Kyung-ok walks up before she can respond. Geon-joo goes ahead, and Kyung-ok perkily shares upsetting news: Geon-joo is supposedly engaged.
Sang-shik is discharged, but he’s nervous to go to a home he can’t remember. He’s scared his memories won’t return. He tentatively asks, “Does our eldest daughter know … that I’m not her biological father?” Oooh, we’ve got a birth secret, people.
COMMENTS
This drama has the definite feel of a weekender that’s been formatted as a 16-episode series, especially with a birth secret in the works. My main issue with weekenders is the repetition due to the high episode count, so I’m liking that we get the weekender feel in a cleaned up, more concise form. And I don’t mind a dash of makjang so long as the drama retains a sense of realism, which I don’t think will be an issue here. Back to the birth secret, knowing that Eun-joo isn’t biologically his must’ve made Sang-shik work harder to make her feel loved, hence his favoritism. From the open way he talked about it, he’s always known. This certainly adds another layer to his and Jin-sook’s marriage.
In the flashback, Jin-sook looked resigned about marrying Sang-shik whereas he looked ecstatic. If their relationship has always been that unbalanced, no wonder she felt suffocated, and Sang-shik turned cold. He’s so different after losing his memories. His adoration of her is both sweet and sad, seeing how things turned out between them. There’s a lot of hurt on both ends now, and I’m not sure if that can be overcome. Just like their kids, we don’t know their full story. I liked that moment with Eun-hee and Ji-woo looking at their parents’ old photo. It’s true we rarely consider our parents’ lives before we existed and often know less than we think.
Eun-joo’s marriage isn’t looking so great at this point. The signs point to Tae-hyung already having an affair with that “Tinkerbell” woman, and Eun-joo’s interest in Hyo-seok is clear, although they haven’t crossed any lines yet. There’s a lot of tension in Eun-joo’s marriage, but they’re almost cordial to each other. I’m curious to know if they’ve always been distant or if they grew apart. As it stands, it’s hard to say if there’s anything left worth salvaging or if they’d be better off going their separate ways.
I love Eun-hee and Chan-hyuk’s friendship. They have such a comfortable rapport even after not seeing each other for years. It’s telling that she went straight to him when she needed someone to talk to and spilled her guts without hesitation. Even after everything, she implicitly trusts him. No wonder she was so hurt by his betrayal. I’m a little confused as to why he never apologized for that, unless there’s more to the story than we know. It’s looking like he liked her back then, so maybe that factored in somehow. And now, he might have to watch her get involved with another problematic guy. The engagement rumor regarding Geon-joo could be just that, but I did feel like he was too good to be true. At least now Eun-hee has Chan-hyuk back in her life to support her and knock some sense in her when necessary.