Correction:
[ Actually… Surviving on Your Own ]
Speeding car drives down the highway, with Ki Tae and Jang Mi inside. They are both anxious. She asks if they’re going to confess everything. Ki Tae says that he'll take care of it. She doesn’t want to make things worse. Ki Tae says that he'll take care of it. She wants him to be careful so that no one gets their feelings hurt. He tells her to leave it to him.
Mom is sitting on the couch at Jang Mi’s house while Oma gets them some juice.
[ Two Days Before the Incident ]
Oma brings out the tray with the juice on it and apologizes for not having much. Mom apologizes for barging in out of the blue. Oma says that normally she would be working at the store, but today she was feeling lazy. Her lower stomach was hurting, too, and that was probably because she was meant to meet Mom! Oma laughs heartily. Mom doesn’t. Oma tells Mom that’s she glad that Mom came. Jang Mi kept saying she was going to bring home the guy she was going to marry. Oma was curious because there was no news.
Mom apologizes and Oma misunderstands but Mom makes sure that she’s clear: her son has no intentions of getting married. Oma can’t believe it. Mom nods and says that Jang Mi has expectations… Mom mentions how the couple have been frequenting some undesirable places once in a while. Oma can’t believe that Mom’s implying that Jang Mi is a slut. Mom meekly apologizes, saying it’s all her fault. Mom supposes that all parents feel the same way... She didn’t want Oma’s daughter to waste her time. Mom declares that she had to do something, so she mustered up the courage to come visit Oma. Wow, that’s really sneaky. She’s on the offensive, but makes it seem like she’s on the defensive instead. That is really sneaky.
Oma wants to know if Mom’s expecting her thanks. Oma declares that she’s perplexed. Shouldn’t Mom be making him want to get married? Mom says that she’s tried everything. Mom says that Jang Mi has given up on marriage now, because she just wants to hold onto Ki Tae. Mom says that it’s so sad… Oma’s starting to fume. So it was one-sided? Mom apologizes again. I am really not liking Mom right now.
Mom gets up to leave as Jang Mi and Ki Tae rush in. Ki Tae mutters, “Mom.” Jang Mi immediately bows deeply and greets Mom. Oma calls Ki Tae a punk and asks if he’s the restaurant owner? Mom is surprised. She starts to ask, but Oma interrupts and says that she must talk like that because she’s a mom. Mom interrupts and asks if Oma said “restaurant owner”? Oma snaps at Mom, asking if she’s got a problem. Mom sputters that her son is a plastic surgeon. Jang Mi chuckles nervously.
Before Jang Mi can say anything, Ki Tae says that it was Jang Mi’s idea to lie. Jang Mi protests but Ki Tae says that she’s so stubborn. ‘Her own confirmation comes first.’ And ‘Parents shouldn't interfere.’ He also adds that Jang Mi wanted to keep him a secret. Oma asks what confirmation Jang Mi is needing. Ki Tae ‘protests’ that that’s what he said. What more confirmation does she need?
Ki Tae looks put upon as he quotes himself: “I love you. I need you. I’ll make you happy.” Even when he says all these things, begs and holds onto her, Jang Mi still needed more. He really had a tough time. He hangs his head as he says it. Jang Mi hangs her head, too, going along with his story for the moms. Ki Tae declares that he he’s wanted to show his respect and meet her a while ago. It's an honor to finally meet Oma. Then he calls Oma, “Mother-in-law,” and drops to the floor to do a formal greeting. Jang Mi’s mouth drops. Mom does not look happy. I think it’s over how Jang Mi’s ‘treated’ her son. Jang Mi says Ki Tae’s name in a way that tells him to cut it out. He gets to his face and leans toward her, promising to treat her better. He’ll give her everything.
Mom starts to say something, but Ki Tae cuts her off, telling Oma that Mom must've come because she’s afraid that Jang Mi is wasting her time on him. He asks Oma to please be understanding, even if it was uncomfortable. He says that he’ll take Mom home now and bows respectfully to Oma. Then he scuttles over to Mom and makes her leave. Jang Mi smiles brightly and tells Mom goodbye, calling her Mother. Ki Tae and Mom leave.
Oma just about faint over the news that Ki Tae is a plastic surgeon. She declares that it’s a lie!
In the car, Mom declares that it’s a lie. Ki Tae asks her what she thinks is a lie. She replies that Ki Tae said that Jang Mi wanted to marry him; that’s what he told Aunt. Ki Tae replies that it was a lie. If he said that he was begging and holding on to Jang Mi, he thought it would hurt Mom’s pride and Mom lives for her pride. She replies by asking him if that’s why he made her look bad back at Jang Mi's house? To let her die of embarrassment? Ki Tae responds by asking why Mom went to Jang Mi's house because he told her to wait and see. Mom sighs, annoyed. Neither one of them look happy as they ride in the car.
Jang Mi, on the other hand, is chasing after Oma, who has run over to the Chicken Shack to find Appa. Forgetting herself, Oma calls Appa, ‘Honey.’ Oma realizes and covers her mouth with her hands. Jang Mi protests, asking Oma to listen to her. Oma’s excitement is probably why she hasn’t noticed that Jang Mi is still wearing a man’s black suit jacket, and Ki Tae was wearing a white suit. Oma tells Jang Mi to call Appa. At the same time, Appa writes on his board that they shouldn’t have come. She texts Appa that a visitor came to their house. Jang Mi protests, but Oma texts that it’s Jang Mi’s future mother-in-law. Appa is definitely surprised.
Appa is definitely interested now. Jang Mi waves and says that Oma misunderstood. Oma texts that the guy came too. Appa asks if the restaurant owner finally came to greet them. Oma waves, ‘no,’ and starts to text her reply but she has a hard time spelling surgeon. Jang Mi starts to say that she lied. Oma cuts her off by declaring that the guy is a doctor. She adds that he’s a plastic surgeon at that. Appa wants to know what’s going on. Jang Mi tries to get them to wait. Oma adds that Ki Tae is cute, too. Appa protests that character is most important. Oma responds that he has good manners and the mother-in-law is polite, too!
Jang Mi notices that her parents are talking to each other. Appa frowns and tells Jang Mi to move out of the way (so he can talk more with Oma). He also comments on the weird outfit. Heh. He noticed and Oma didn’t. Heh. He tells Oma to tell him about it all, slowly, in detail. Oma starts to tell him, but it’s a very light whisper in his ear. Where we can’t even hear what she’s saying. I guess they’re not fighting anymore. I almost thought they might even kiss each other.
Jang Mi is tossing and turning in bed. She can’t sleep. She thinks of Yeo Reum putting on her shoes and laughing at her. She sits up in bed and smiles happily to herself, twisting her hair. There’s a text message. She reads it and drops her phone, like it was on fire. She lies back down again.
[ 1 Day Before the Incident ]
In the dressing room at work, Jang Mi shows Hyun Hee the text she got. It’s from Hoon Dong, asking if she’s sleeping. What is he doing?! I just want to punch him right now, since he’s being all cutesy. Hyun Hee asks if Hoon Dong is starting to have regrets about their break up. She doesn’t look too happy. Jang Mi mutters that there’s no way. Hoon Dong’s just trying just in case. He texts tons of girls; she’s no one special. Jang Mi mentions that he gave pricey gifts to some girl at the party, gifts from their store. Hyun Hee thinks about how she was the one that brought them out to Hoon Dong. She doesn’t Jang Mi that. Jang Mi says that now that she has no feelings for Hoon Dong, she sees him for what he is. She supposes that this is why a person has to be cool about these things.
Ki Tae is still in bed. Wearing a sweater. Maybe he’s taking a nap. The keypad for his door beeps. He’s not expecting anyone. Mom enters. She’s looking for him. He exits his bedroom, asking if she’s there again. She responds by asking if he’s still sleeping. He sighs. She tells him to wash up. She walks over to his refrigerator and sighs. There’s lots of canned food in it – Spam, Baked Beans. Mom starts emptying the stuff out of his refrigerator. Ki Tae starts to protest, saying that Mom told him that the flat would be his, if he took Jang Mi to the house. He took the girl to the house.
Mom asks if keeping the place is his goal. He replies that he wants to keep Jang Mi. She moves on to his instant ramen and other dry goods. She putting all the instant food in a bag so she can pitch it. Mom replies that she can’t believe that words like that are coming out of his mouth. He wants her to believe that? Ki Tae tells her that believe it or not, Jang Mi frequently visits his flat, too. Mom needs to respect his privacy so he can get married. Mom says that she can tell he never has guests by looking at the condition of his kitchen. She’s a smart cookie. Heh.
Ki Tae tells her that he was home relaxing for a change. Mom just got lucky. If she keeps barging in, she might get more than she bargained for. Mom replies that she can't take her son's rebelling anymore. Ki Tae sighs with frustration. She tells him to stop it. Ki Tae replies that she should stop it… the whole thing. Mom sighs and replies that she’ll come at dinner time. She dumps all his instant food in the trash, declaring that there’s no real food in the house. Mom leaves.
Hoon Dong’s at his restaurant. He’s texting Jang Mi, telling her good morning, asking what she’s doing… if she’s busy. She doesn’t answer back. He’s not happy. He sighs, pouting. He looks out at the street and Jang Mi is riding in his direction. It could always be to visit her boyfriend, who works right by the restaurant. He, of course, thinks that she’s there to see him. He primps as he waits for her to arrive. Then he pretends to read a book.
Jang Mi enters the restaurant carrying a bag. She looks around and spots Hoon Dong. She asks him where Yeo Reum is. He wasn’t expecting that one. Yeo Reum’s in the kitchen. Jang Mi replies that she’s going in then. Hoon Dong definitely doesn’t like being ignored.
Yeo Reum intently watches the chef make some food. That pasta looks good. It's making me hungry. Jang Mi greets him, but he’s distracted by the chef’s cooking. She’s brought his jacket. He tells her to put it over there. She asks why he’s eating standing up? Almost irritated, he replies that he always does. Jang Mi asks if he can go out for a while, since he said he’d eat with her. Yeo Reum replies that he’s done eating. She tries to get in his eye line, but he steps to the side so that he can still watch the chef. She tries to keep talking but he tells her later and totally shuts her down. He doesn’t even acknowledge her leaving. But he notices that the chef used grated cheese.
Jang Mi is a little discouraged as she leaves the kitchen. Hoon Dong steps into her path, with a frown on his face. He tells her that she can stop making excuses to come see him. If she misses him, she can just come see him. It’s okay to do it. Jang Mi blinks at him as if she can’t believe he just said that.
Ki Tae is leaving his office and he gets a text from Aunt, saying that Mom is on the move. He needs to give her 50,000 won for the info.
Hoon Dong is chasing after Jang Mi as she leaves the restaurant. He tells her that he’s being sincere this time because he really feels bad for her right now. Ki Tae hears as Jang Mi tells Hoon Dong that she so thankful to him that she’s crying. Love sarcastic Jang Mi! He tells her not to be like that and put on a show. He’ll try to put her in his heart again. She turns around to glare at him as she asks him how he dares to like her! Ki Tae walks up and puts him arm around her, declaring that, yeah, Jang Mi’s his girl. Hoon Dong can’t think of a retort. Ki Tae turns to Jang Mi and says that they planned to head back to his place, so they should go. She doesn’t catch it, but Ki Tae gives her a meaning-filled eyebrow raise and she gets it. She agrees that they should go. Leaving her bike sitting out unlocked on the sidewalk. It takes a minute, but Hoon Dong realizes what they said: Ki Tae’s house! And he doesn’t let anyone go there!
A car chase ensues with Hoon Dong chasing after them. Jang Mi groans about him chasing them. Ki Tae declares her revenge a success. He smiles. She’s annoyed. They reach Ki Tae’s apartment building. Hoon Dong finds them in the parking lot. Ki Tae sighs like he’s annoyed. Hoon Dong jumps out of the car, annoyed. He throws his sunglasses into the backseat and asks if they’re putting on a show, an act to screw him over, right? Ki Tae replies that they came back to his place because they *didn’t* want to show him. They came to be alone. He puts his arm around Jang Mi and they start walking toward the entrance to the building.
Hoon Dong makes a face of extreme frustration. He whips off his neck scarf and declares that there’s no way. Ki Tae never has visitors. Especially girls. Especially Jang Mi! They want him to believe that? They go through the doors and Hoon Dong yells after them that he’s not finished talking! They glance over their shoulders, still walking arm and arm, Ki Tae with a small smile on his face, and keep walking. Hoon Dong just stares at them through the glass door. Hoon Dong laughs and tells himself that Jang Mi is playing hard-to-get.
Upstairs, Jang Mi is fuming. Hoon Dong’s the one who ended things. What’s his problem? Ki Tae replies that she wanted to end their deal. What's with her? She asks him to help her until things are cleared with Hoon Dong. As he keys in his code, Ki Tae replies that Hoon Dong said the same thing, to get rid of him. Jang Mi smiles slightly, uncomfortable. She declares that she gets it now. He deserves to get sued as a stalker! Ki Tae opens his door and motions with his head for her to go inside. She says that it’s just until Hoon Dong leaves.
Inside, Jang Mi marvels over his bachelor pad… how clean! Ki Tae declares that he’s an intentional bachelor. It's not like he can't get married. He chooses to stay single. She sits on the back of the sofa (the wrong way). She wonders if anyone really lives there. He yanks her off the couch – while she protests – and tells her not to mess with anything as he fixes the couch cushion she put of place by sitting on it. He’s anal retentive… Imagine that!
Jang Mi spots an old-fashioned coffee grinder. She grabs it and starts cranking on it, asking for some coffee. He rushes over and grabs it out of her hands, telling her that it’s just for display! He puts it back and fixes the other stuff on the shelf so that it’s spaced correctly again. She spots a phonograph, runs over and touches it as she ogles. He runs after her to put it back in its spot. I had no idea he was Sheldon. She picks up one of his records. He rips it out of her hands, telling her just to look with her eyes and not to touch! He reminds me of Kermit the Frog when he does. Heh. He blows on it to get rid of her finger prints. Like that works.
Jang Mi spots Ki Tae’s fish tank. She runs over to it, crying, “It’s Nemo!” She puts her hands and her face up against the glass as she tells Nemo hello. He pries her away from the glass and starts polishing off her finger prints. He tells her that his name is not Nemo and he’s a clown fish. She glares at him and jaws the tank several times in retaliation. She moves on to his massage chair. Happy she jumps into it and turns it on. He runs after her and sinks to floor, moaning that he had it set just right. He smacks the chair as he protests that the strongest setting isn't the best. She ignores him, declaring that she just can't feel it. She strips off her socks.
Ki Tae picks up one of her socks like it’s dirty and declares that he hopes that she doesnn't have athlete's foot. She replies that it’s only natural since she’s standing all day long. He throws sock to the ground, like it’s diseased and glares at her. He commands her to get off! She tells him to stop She worked hard to keep him a bachelor. That gets her focus. She looks at him and asks if he has any idea how much a sacrifice that was? It was finally going somewhere.
Jump back to the night before at the auction. Jang Mi quickly gets off her phone and tells Yeo Reum that she’s sorry. They need to eat another time. Then she’s off and running. She yells at Ki Tae to hurry! He runs past her, even more in a hurry. Which makes me laugh.
Jang Mi declares that Ki Tae ruined everything. It's all his fault! He replies that she means his mom. She stops looking at him again. The keypad beeps. Ki Tae realizes who it is. He mutters that she's here to ruin everything. She realizes who it is – Mom – and starts to freak out. Mad dash, with Ki Tae sliding and flopping across the floor. He grabs her and shoves her into his room. He throws her under his covers. She doesn’t know what he’s thinking. She starts to struggle to get out of the bed. He struggles to keep her there, smacking her several times to stay still. He strips off his shirt and makes sure that her feet are showing.
Mom has seen Jang Mi’s shoes. She’s carrying a lunch pail. She spots Jang Mi’s socks. They’re definitely not Ki Tae’s socks. I can’t see him wearing that green of socks. Mom puts the food on the counter and sides. She turns around as Ki Tae exits his bedroom. He greets her, remarking how she came. He moves so she can see Jang Mi’s feet and then pretends that it was an accident, shutting the door and apologizing. Way to make Jang Mi look like she’s easy. He smiles, acting uncomfortable and said he told her not to come. He’s so sorry. He didn’t want her to see that side of him. Mom replies that she didn't see anything. She quickly leaves.
After Mom leaves, Jang Mi asks what he did. He says that he hid her so that things wouldn't get awkward. She doesn’t by it. She asks why he took his clothes off? He retorts that she did it first. He throws her socks at her. She huffs and says that Ki Tae just brought her there to chase Mom away. She protests, because Mom brought food for him; how could he? He just puts his shirt back on. She grabs her socks and starts to put them back on, declaring that she wants to stop now. He needs to tell Mom the truth.
Jang Mi says that she’ll tell her family too. She hasn’t told her family yet? Ki Tae declares that Oma loves him. She barks at him that she’ll tell them, causing him to step back slightly. She huffs and he snaps his fingers at her.
Chicken Shack. Oma and Appa are telling people about Jang Mi’s upcoming nuptials. They’ll be sending out invitations soon, so the customers will have to come. It looks like it’s Oma’s friends. They tease her about how she’s going to get wrinkles, smiling that big. Jang Mi enters and hears. She sighs. Her parents spot her and make her join them. She can’t tell the truth and make her parents look bad.
After leaving the Chicken Shack, Jang Mi feels like drinking. Not a good idea. She always seems to end up drunk. She calls Hyun Hee. Hyun Hee says she can’t today, she has something going on at home. Jang Mi says she understands. Jang Mi thinks of Yeo Reum and how – when he was basically ignoring her – he said that he would call, since he has her number. She looks at her phone and almost indignantly asks when he’s going to call. She sighs. She heads over to Bon Café. She squats down so she won’t be seen by Hoon Dong.
Jang Mi looks through the window in the door, searching for Yeo Reum. Instead, she spots Hoon Dong with a girl. We only see her back but she suspiciously looks like Hyun Hee. I am really starting to not like this girl. Hoon Dong hands the girl his credit card. Jang Mi can’t believe that he’s giving mystery girl a credit card on top of pricey gifts.
Inside it *is* Hyun Hee with Hoon Dong. She tells him that she’ll refund the cost of the wallets for him. He tells her that he could have gone to the department store. She didn’t need to come all the way there. She replies that Jang Mi would feel uncomfortable if she did that. Hoon Dong takes that as a sign that Jang Mi’s still hung up on him and concludes that her feelings are probably still hurt. Hyun Hee laughs and asks him if Jang Mi ignored his texts. Hoon Dong chokes on his coffee. He burns himself. Hoon Dong says that Jang Mi is playing hard-to-get. She never used to. Hyun Hee just smiles because she knows he’s fill of it. Hyun Hee’s sure good at making plausible reasons to be there, but I definitely think she’s after Hoon Dong. Why would she lie (1) about where she was, and (2) about Jang Mi being hurt seeing him. Jang Mi definitely told her that she has realized that Hoon Dong is a player and doesn’t want him back.
Jang Mi pokes her head in the door and then sneaks in the restaurant. Crouched over, she starts to walk across the café, hiding her face with her hands. Back at the table, Hoon Dong says that Jang Mi was a girl who was always by his side. He looks over and spots Jang Mi creeping across the floor. It’s not like she’s not visible at all. She isn’t even hiding behind the counter that’s there. Smiling, he says her name. She stops. Hyun Hee looks and then turns her face the opposite direction to hide it. Because she knows she’s being a lousy friend.
Hoon Dong declares that Jang Mi came back! Jang Mi cringes but then stands up, facing him. She points at him and declares that she’s not there to see him, so he shouldn’t misunderstand! Hoon Dong has a big smile on his face. Hyun Hee stands up and looks sheepish as she says ‘Unni.’ Jang Mi starts to ask when the pair… but her voice trails off. Betrayal sucks. I bet she’s imagining that Hyun Hee’s been going behind her back even before Hoon Dong broke up with her, or maybe that’s *why* Hoon Dong broke up with her. Jang Mi quickly leaves the restaurant.
Hoon Dong’s face falls and he calls after her to wait. He starts to run after her, but Hyun Hee grabs his arm and tells him to leave it. Jang Mi’s the one that started it all. An eye for an eye and two can play hard to get. Hoon Dong tells Hyun Hee that he hopes Jang Mi doesn't hate her because of him. Hyun Hee smiles and says that it’s okay if those people she cares about end up happy. Wow. Did I call a spade a spade. Another little hint that she likes Hoon Dong. And nice that she cares more about him than Jang Mi. Hyun Hee sweetly says that misunderstandings can be resolved. She smiles at Hoon Dong.
Jang Mi’s leaving the restaurant. Yeo Reum is getting out of a car. It’s the woman who bought him at the auction. He leans into the window. Woman says that she laughed so much today. Yeo Reum says that it’s just a complimentary service, since she spent so much on him. Woman notices Jang Mi staring at them, which gets Yeo Reum’s attention. He turns around to look at her. He looks awkward. They awkwardly look at each other. Yeo Reum doesn’t say anything. Jang Mi feels dumped. She leaves. He sighs, disappointed.
Swimming pool. Ki Tae and Se Ah are swimming. She beats him. He tells her she’s become faster. She asks him if he thought she’d go easy on his since he’s a man. She slides out of the pool. So does Ki Tae. He looks at what he’s set up and declares that it's a $10,000 date, so he tried. She replies that he’s the one who doesn't like accepting love. She goes to grab a robe. Both of them wear one to eat. She remarks that it’s nice and quiet there. She says that she thought his taste had changed to rowdy and loud. Now there’s a dig. He asks if she means Jang Mi. She tells him that if he’s bored, he should hang out and play with her. She shouldn’t fool his mom.
Ki Tae puts down his silverware loudly and asks who said that he’s fooling her? Se Ah says that they agreed with each other three years ago, when they canceled their wedding, that they’re bad at building deep relationships. Not just ex-girlfriend. Ex-fiancée. Oi. And I bet that she went along with it, giving up on marriage, so that she could still have a relationship with him. So that’s where Mom gets it… That whole idea. She’s seen it before. They agreed that they should stay single instead of ruining others' lives. Ki Tae actually looks a little uncomfortable with that. This whole thing with Hoon Dong treating Jang Mi that way… that’s what Hoon Dong would say and I don’t think that Ki Tae wants anyone to think of him like Hoon Dong. He tells her they should go. She replies, asking if it’s time for Cinderella to go home. So precise with his time.
Ki Tae abruptly stands up, pushing his chair back noisily. She hit a nerve and she knows it. She asks if she can go to his house? He doesn’t answer and he doesn’t want to meet her eyes. That’s interesting. He’s uncomfortable with her coming into his sanctum, but not Jang Mi. Very interesting. She smiles and tells him not to worry. She won’t. He loves being home alone. She’s totally settling so she can hold onto him. Wow. She walks off and he watches her go.
Jang Mi is drinking a juice drink while walking. She enters the house and it’s dark. No one is there. Her smile fades and she says that she doesn’t want to be home alone. Flashback to Jang Mi as a child, about 5, home alone, weeping and holding her stuffed bunny, calling for Oma.
Ki Tae lays in his bed, thinking. Se Ah’s voice asks him why he likes his apartment so much? Is he hiding something there? Ki Tae switches to his young self, lying in the bed with his toy car. He rolls over, a smile on his face and his eyes closed. Adult Ki Tae also has his eyes closed. The doorbell rings. Several times. Urgently. He mutters Mom’s name and gets up to answer the door. He doesn’t even look at the camera feed, just opens the door and demands to know what the person wants.
Jang Mi stumbles into the apartment, slurring that she brought ramen. Drinking again? He has no food. Ki Tae hurries after her and grabs her arm. He tells her that she acted like she was never coming again. What's this? She laughs and says that everyone has those days where they don't want to be alone. Ki Tae replies that he doesn’t have that type of day. She smiles glumly and says, “Of course.” She leans in to talk into his face, saying that he doesn’t even let mom come there... so rude! She stresses the rude part and he cringes from the smell of alcohol on her breathe. She wanders off to find the kitchen while he tries to block the smell from his nose.
She finds the kitchen but can’t find a pot. As she finds on in a lower cabinet, he squats next to her and says that he’s sorry but could she please leave. She grabs the pot and says that she’s the sorry one, since she’s sooo drunk. She starts to fill it with water. Ki Tae yanks it out of her hands, dumping out the water and then turning off the faucet. He tells her that he’ll call her a taxi. And just happens to have his phone in his pyjama bottom pocket.
Jang Mi sees the fish tank and gets an idea. She bounces over to the tank and smooshes her face into the glass, asking Ki Tae to make her seafood stew with spicy peppers. She reaches in and starts trying to catch a Nemo. Ki Tae sees her and tries to get her to stop. It’s quite a fight since she grabs a hold of the tank like her life depended on it. She was able to catch Nemo. Ki Tae pulls her hand out of the tank and Nemo flops to the floor. Ki Tae freaks out, calling Nemo’s name. Even though he protested that his name is not Nemo. He picks Nemo up and puts him in the tank. Then he screams at Jang Mi to leave with such intensity that she falls backward onto the floor.
Jang Mi sits there, looking pathetic, as she looks at Ki Tae’s glaring face. She sounds like she’s going to cry as she tells Ki Tae that he’s so mean. She didn’t even get to eat and she had soju on an empty stomach. Ki Tae rubs his head with frustration. Jang Mi begins to bawl. He mutters that he didn't ask for this. Jang Mi gasps that she’s so sad! Ki Tae sighs again with frustration.
Switch to the kitchen where Ki Tae is measuring out water for the ramen. Jang Mi opens up the container with the kimchi in it. Ki Tae methodically sets his timer for the cooking ramen. Jang Mi is sitting at the table, stewing on Yeo Reum’s behavior. Why'd he bring her her shoe? Why'd he ask to eat together? Ki Tae looks over at her, annoyed. Why'd he say he'd call? Dang! Ki Tae asks if she really wants to know. Should he enlighten her? He grabs the Korean translation of ‘He’s Just Not That into You.’ Jang Mi looks at it and smiles with annoyance.
Jang Mi stands up and goes over to look at the ramen Ki Tae is cooking. She turns off the power to the burner and goes to get the ramen. Ki Tae protests that it’s not ready; it needs 2 more minutes. She ignores him, grabbing the pot and putting down on top of the book. She tells him that life doesn't have a manual. Ki Tae sighs, annoyed. He snaps that she should not be so rash and at least try to understand where Yeo Reum is coming from. Jang Mi responds that theory and practice are different. If you learn love through a manual, terrible things happen. He answers, saying, “Look who's talking.” Heh.
He sits opposite her at the table. She asks him why he hates marriage so much. He immediately says that he doesn't want to ruin his life with a girl like her. She asks about Se Ah, that Se Ah isn't just a friend. Jang Mi asks what happened between them. Coolly, he says that they know each other very well and care about each other. Jang Mi declares that kind of relationship is perfect. Ki Tae responds that they don't want to waste it on marriage. She’s amazed. Smart people just complicate things. She grabs some ramen out of the pot and stuffs it in her mouth. He clucks at her about how dirty she is. Get a bowl! Jang Mi stuff in some of Mom’s kimchi. She mumbles, mouth full, that Mom’s kimchi is awesome. He tells her to take it. He'll throw it out anyway.
Jang Mi goes to take another bite from the pot. Ki Tae pushes her forehead backward with his index and middle fingers. Then he shakes his finger at her and tells her not to cross the line. That’s her problem. He puts a bowl in front of her and says that her emotions are hers and his are his. She shouldn’t get worked up because they're different. She should just take care of her own emotions. She should keep it clean.
Jang Mi replies that she just trusts people. He replies that it wasn’t that. She just believed what she wanted to. Ki Tae says that Jang Mi should have seen it. Yeo Reum's SNS pics are all food. He couldn't have eaten them alone. He looks at her phone and groans. She should buy a smart phone for her love life at least. Jang Mi protests that smart phones make people lonely. It's… modern man's solitude. Ki Tae points his chopsticks at her and tells her she needs some solitude. She just got dumped and she’s… He starts to put some ramen in his mouth but stops to protest that she shouldn’t be using a man as a way of forgetting her ex. He puts down his chopsticks for emphasis. She should try to enjoy some time alone!
Jang Mi replies that Ki Tae loves it so much, yet he could die of loneliness. He tells her that she’s a burden to others. She replies that a human is human because it communicates. Communication is key for humans. Ki Tae asks what communication she’s talking about, calling her a stubborn dumb phone user. Jang Mi’s phone buzzes. She laughs and declares that her phone works just fine! She answers it.
It’s Yeo Reum. He asks to get together. Ki Tae tells her to spend some time alone. Yeo Reum hears through the phone and asks if she’s with someone. It sounds like a guy. She says that it’s the TV, motioning for him to be quiet. Ki Tae protests, saying that she’s treating him like an electronic product! She gets up from the table, though, says that she’s alone. Ki Tae sighs, angry. He thinks, raises an eyebrow and declares that the ramen's getting cold! Jang Mi goes into Ki Tae’s huge bathroom and shuts the door.
Yeo Reum asks Jang Mi if she’s curious about who he was with. Date's rich and kind. Date gave him $5,000 to use for charity. Jang Mi realizes that he was with the charity auction date. It sets her mind at ease. She tells him that she’ll be right there. She hangs up and goes to leave the bathroom, except the door won’t open. She calls for Ki Tae, saying that the door won't open. He's standing right outside the door, holding it closed. He tells her to spend some time alone. She realizes he’s locked her in. They fight over the door as he tells her that you can only be happy as a couple if you can be happy alone. It's on or off for guys. A guy either likes Jang Mi or doesn’t. If he seems ambiguous, it's just off.
Jang Mi yells at Ki Tae that he doesn’t know that for sure. Ki Tae tells her that if she runs out right away when Yeo Reum calls, Yeo Reum will never like her! He yells at her to listen to him! Her yanking on the door handle makes the screws come loose and the door knob falls off. He looks back and forth between her and the door, not believing that she just broke his door handle. She jumps up, still holding onto the handle and using to accentuate what she’s saying. He watches the door handle warily. She asks him about 'on.' Can he find someone to be 'on' with when he’s home alone 24/7? He starts to answer but she cuts him off, telling him to be alone if he wants. She never wants to be alone!
Jang Mi throws down the handle as she stomps past Ki Tae. She grabs her purse and the kimchi and goes. He sighs and looks at the broken pieces of his door handle.
Jang Mi meets Yeo Reum. He’s brought some food. He made it himself. She realizes that Yeo Reum’s SNS is full of pictures is because he likes cooking. The thought that this is the reason, rather than him being a player, makes Jang Mi happy. Ki Tae is at home, eating the ramen. He slaps down his chopsticks, muttering to himself that Jang Mi comes and leaves anytime she wants. Always making him waste his time. He thinks a moment and then goes back to his ramen.
Jang Mi take a bite of Yeo Reum’s food. It's amazing! He smiles like he’s glad that she likes it. She pulls out the kimchi. He says he doesn’t like kimchi. Which is rare: a Korean who doesn’t like kimchi. She tries to get him to eat it, since it’s homemade. She mixes the kimchi with his food and says it’s a great combination. Yeo Reum is horrified. She makes him try the wonderful combination. He eventually does, even though he protests. He discovers that he likes it. She proposes they be food friends. They can eat together when he doesn't want to stand in the corner and eat alone. He agrees and they smile at each other. She thinks to herself that she’ll take her time. She doesn't need to hurry.
[ Day of the Incident ]
Aunt is showing Mom and Halmeoni pictures of Jang Mi at work. She's a department store sales associate. Mom asks what he’s thinking. Halmeoni supposes that Ki Tae could be attracted to someone not like his mom. Halmeoni totally understands that. Nice little dig at Mom. She doesn’t miss it. Halmeoni wonders what kind of family they are since they blackmail and stalk each other. She says that she stayed silent for the for the sake of family peace but Ki Tae can't take it anymore. She can’t look at it anymore. This is why Ki Tae wants to live alone.
Aunt tries to get Halmeoni to stop, but Mom pipes up that it’s all her fault. Mom asks Halmeoni for her help, since he'll open up to her. Halmeoni immediately likes that idea, since Mom is right about Ki Tae talking to Halmeoni. Nice little pride stroke there.
Halmeoni gets out of the taxi out in front of Bon Café and looks upward at where Ki Tae’s office is. She calls Ki Tae. She asks if they can meet. He tells her he can’t. She replies that she’s on his side. He just needs to listen. Instead, he hangs up on her. It starts to downpour. Halmeoni runs for cover.
We find out why he could meet Halmeoni just then. Oma has stopped by his office for a visit. He hangs up and turns around to face Oma, plastering a huge smile on his face. Oma apologizes for bothering. He’s gracious and asks why she came by. She was curious how things were going for Ki Tae. She asks him about his business; is it doing well? He smiles and nods. Oma tells him that his skin looks dry and his eyes are puffy. Heh. Ki Tae puts his hand to his cheek as he says that he had ramen last night. Oma asks if it’s not really because Jang Mi is making him suffer. It takes Ki Tae a second but he plays it up, saying that it’s all because of Jang Mi. Which it is, in one sense, she did burst into his apartment uninvited late at night and demand the ramen.
Oma declares that she’ll make Jang Mi change her mind, so Ki Tae shouldn’t worry. Oma reaches up and strokes Ki Tae’s face, making him a little uncomfortable as Oma says that a plastic surgeon's skin should be better. Then she reaches down and puts her hand on his. Even more uncomfortable for Ki Tae. Which I can totally understand, although Oma’s trying to be motherly right now. Oma tells him not to eat ramen if at all possible. He agrees that he’ll try.
Ki Tae steps out of his office to call Jang Mi. She didn't tell her mom? Jang Mi says that she had something going on. He wants to know what the situation was what made her tell Oma where his office was. He grabs the cheek Oma stroked as he says that Oma came to visit. Heh. Jang Mi whispers into the phone that she’ll tell him everything later. Right now she has a visitor, too. A shot of Halmeoni’s wet feet. Jang Mi hangs up the phone.
Jang Mi goes over and fusses over Halmeoni. Hyun Hee helps dry, too. Halmeoni asks if Jang Mi can make some time for her. Since Jang Mi’s at work, she hesitates. Halmeoni declares that Jang Mi promised to make some pancakes for her. Jang Mi should keep her promise. Awkward smile from Jang Mi.
Jang Mi and Halmeoni are now at Ki Tae’s apartment. Jang Mi worries if it’s okay, since Ki Tae isn’t there. Halmeoni thinks it is; besides she knows that Jang Mi visits him there often. Jang Mi admits that she doesn’t know the passcode. Halmeoni takes that as a sign the pair aren’t that close yet. Halmeoni declares that Ki Tae used to stick to me like gum, so the passcode should be her birthday. Nope. Halmeoni tries the last 4 digits of his cell. Nope. Wow, Halmeoni has a high opinion of herself in Ki Tae’s eyes. Jang Mi says that Ki Tae loves himself so Halmeoni should try his birthday. That’s the one.
Jang Mi is cooking her pancakes. She shakes out her limbs and dramatically flips the pancake. Halmeoni loves it. I’m really surprised it didn’t get stuck on the ceiling. Ki Tae would have flipped at that. Heh.
Aunt calls Ki Tae at work and asks him if he met Halmeoni. She left in a taxi to see him. Aunt says that she hasn’t heard from Halmeoni since and Halmeoni’s not picking up her cell phone. Ki Tae looks a little worried. Or frustrated.
Back at Ki Tae’s apartment, Halmeoni and Jang Mi are drunkenly singing and drumming with chopsticks. They chug another drink. Halmeoni asks Jang Mi what she thinks of Ki Tae. Jang Mi thinks and declares that he’s a rude bastard who doesn't know anything but himself! She laughs. Halmeoni doesn’t. Jang Mi immediately regrets it and apologizes. Halmeoni tells her that Ki Tae seems sold, but he's really affectionate and loving. Jang Mi isn’t buying it. Halmeoni tells her that Ki Tae needs an honest girl like her. Halmeoni tells Jang Mi to take good care of Ki Tae. Jang Mi replies that Ki Tae prefers to be alone. If I was Halmeoni, I would think that she’s in a relationship with Ki Tae. Halmeoni says that she knows. Ki Tae’s not low-maintenance and neither is their family. Halmeoni declares that it’s all her fault, why Ki Tae left.
Ki Tae leaves his office. He has an umbrella to protect from the rain. He looks for where Halmeoni could possibly have gone.
Halmeoni says that the reason why Ki Tae left, why he wants to live alone, it’s all her fault. She says that she feels so guilty she can't sleep well. And if she falls asleep, she has nightmares. Drunk Jang Mi begs Halmeoni not to say that. Halmeoni takes another chug of drink. She declares that she should die! Then she passes out, her face falling into her food.
Jang Mi freaks out. Halmeoni won’t wake up. She anxiously calls Ki Tae, who is driving in his car, looking for Halmeoni. He answers and tells her they should talk later. She tells him to come to the house, now! He tells her to stop ordering him around. Why should he go to her house? She protests that she means his house. He wants to know what she’s doing there. Jang Mi whimpers that Halmeoni collapsed. He immediately races home.
Ki Tae runs into the apartment, calling Halmeoni’s name. The EMTs are there and they’ve loaded Halmeoni on a stretcher. Jang Mi mutters ‘eotteokay!’ The EMTs take Halmeoni out to the ambulance. Jang Mi grabs Ki Tae’s hand and tells him she’s sorry. It’s all her fault. He sees the food and booze on the living room coffee table. Ki Tae starts to yell at her, but she interrupts saying that Halmeoni came to the department store dripping wet. She couldn't send her away. She’d promised to cook for Halmeoni. He tells her that it’s okay and says she should go. Then he runs to hurry to the hospital.
As Halmeoni is being unloaded from the ambulance, Aunt and Mom arrive at the hospital. Aunt starts to freak out. Mom is less frantic, but she’s concerned. She asks Ki Tae what happened. Ki Tae says that Halmeoni drank too much. Mom wants to know who with. He tells her it was with him. That’s interesting. Covering for Jang Mi. I thought you wanted Mom to hate her… Interesting. He hurries inside. Jang Mi arrives shortly after, by taxi.
Doctor examines Halmeoni. He tells them (Aunt, Mom and Ki Tae) not to worry. Halmeoni’s respiration, blood pressure and temperature are fine. Aunt worries that Halmeoni is in a coma and begs Halmeoni to open her eyes. Halmeoni lets out a big snore. Heh. She starts snoring some more. Doctor asks if she’s been sleeping well lately. Mom says that Halmeoni has insomnia. Doctor tells them to let Halmeoni sleep and leaves.
Aunt moans that she almost had a heart attack! Halmeoni’s still snoring. Mom asks to talk to Ki Tae. The three leave the hospital to encounter a pacing Jang Mi. She immediately asks Ki Tae how Halmeoni is. Did she wake up? Aunt sniffs and says that Jang Mi reeks of alcohol. Aunt can’t believe that Jang Mi drank with Halmeoni. Mom looks down because Ki Tae lied to cover it up and she knows it. Jang Mi meekly apologizes. Aunt is not appeased. She calls Jang Mi an alcoholic.
Mom asks for an explanation. Aunt demands Jang Mi tell them what she was thinking. Ki Tae grabs Jang Mi by the wrist and walks off with her, leaving Mom sitting there with her mouth open in shock. Once they’re out of Mom’s earshot, Ki Tae asks Jang Mi what she was thinking. He told her to go, but she followed instead. She replies that she was worried. He yells at her that he told her she should know her boundaries. Crossing the boundary is cute once or twice. It gets ugly after that. He tells her that she became a stalker with Hoon Dong. She hasn’t changed. Ouch! That was harsh.
His words hurt her. She gasps that they were too harsh. He sighs and asks why she thinks he worked with her to begin with. He wants to live quietly alone! How is it that it gets more and more complicated and louder every time he sees her? She protests that that wasn't her intention. He snaps back, asking what her intention is. Does she want to marry him now? Is that why she broke into his place and made Halmeoni drink like a fish? And force Mom to come to the hospital?
Jang Mi apologizes for not being able to tell Oma the truth. Ki Tae coldly tells Jang Mi to wake up. He has no intentions of getting married and he hates girls like her. Jang Mi blinks, hurt. She tells him she’s got it. She apologizes for the ugliness and for annoying him. She’ll get lost. She leaves. He lets out a big sigh, because he knows that’s not what he wanted to happen. Jang Mi walks away, trying not to cry.
Ki Tae returns to his apartment and surveys the mess. He cleans it up, making sure that everything is immaculate. Then he goes to relax in his tub with a glass of wine. He sighs and declares that now, he’s finally alone. He tells himself that it’s nice. He gets out of the tub, puts on his aftershave, and goes to leave his steamy bathroom. Which has no windows that can open. The door handle doesn’t work.
[ Gong Ki Tae's Bathroom Lock-in Incident ]
Jang Mi flops facedown on her bed. She sits up and mutters that she hopes he lives happily ever after, being alone.
Ki Tae’s frantically trying to get out of the bathroom. He pounds on the door and yells for help. No one hears him, of course. He kicks the door and hurts his foot. He begs for anyone to just come. He laughs because they won’t.
Jang Mi is at work, declaring that she’ll never go there again. She’s pacing, annoyed. She taps her foot. She really wants to know how Halmeoni is doing. She’s really worried. She texts Ki Tae, asking. His phone is sitting on his coffee table.
[ 15 Hours After the Incident ]
Jang Mi checks her phone, riding on the bus after work. She makes a face when there isn’t a reply from Ki Tae. She flips it shut. She thinks of how he told her to go, Aunt yelling at her and Ki Tae pulling her away. She wonders if he was trying to protect her. I think so. Even if it is subconsciously. She tries to call him, with no answer.
[ 24 Hours After the Incident ]
Ki Tae is still stuck in the bathroom. He’s pacing. Exercising. Reading his book. Messing with his face. Doing pushups.
Jang Mi stops by Ki Tae’s office. One of the nurses is telling a patient that their surgery will have to be cancelled today. Something came up with the doctor. She gets the nurse’s attention and asks if Ki Tae didn’t come into work. Nurse says that they haven’t been able to reach him since yesterday. This makes Ki Tae wonder what’s going on. Later at work, she tries calling him again, only to get voicemail. She of course doesn’t leave a message, because people in k-dramas never leave a message. She tries calling again. Like he was just ignoring her call, rather than he couldn’t’ come to the phone.
Se Ah enters the store. Jang Mi sees her and bows deeply, greeting her. Se Ah asks if Jang Mi works there. I can’t decide if she already knew that before she came into the store, based on her seeing Jang Mi’s face. I suspect she already knew… Jang Mi asks if Se Ah has been able to reach Ki Tae. She says that she’s worried; his cell is off and he's not at work. She worries that something happened. Se Ah tells Jang Mi that she went through this once with Hoon Dong. Doesn’t she get it, why men disappear. That was harsh. Throwing Hoon Dong in her face.
Se Ah declares that Ki Tae drops out of sight that when he wants to be alone. But to blow off his patients? I don’t think so. He's too professional for that. Se Ah says that it’s better to leave him alone during times like this. Jang Mi, embarrassed, says she understands.
Ki Tae slumps onto the steps by his tub. He looks terrible. His lips are all chapped and there are circles under his eyes. He tries to think of someone that might rescue him:
Mom? He shakes his head. She won't come.He scratches his head, despondent. He thinks of Jang Mi. He starts to get hopeful. But then he remembers how she said that she was sorry for the ugliness and would get lost. He dejectedly sighs that she won't come after all that. He lies down on the tile and loses unconsciousness. The arm drops dramatically.
Se Ah? Hoon Dong? They won't come.
[ 36 Hours After the Incident ]
Jang Mi is at home, alone, turning on the lights. She accidentally knocks a glass to the floor. Shocked, she remembers being that little girl, with bleeding feet and a bloody hand from a shattered glass, crying for Oma. Jang Mi picks up the pieces of the glass and gets a bad feeling. She leaves it behind.
Se Ah is driving and she thinks of what Jang Mi said. She decides to check on Ki Tae.
Jang Mi is at Ki Tae’s door, ringing the bell. She pounds on the door, calling his name. She uses the passcode and enters Ki Tae’s apartment. She cautiously enters and remembers him yelling at her about knowing her boundaries. She yells for him again. Ki Tae is unconscious.
[ 48 Hours After the Incident ]
She apologizes for bothering him but she’s so worried! She says that she nearly died home alone when she was 5. Which would explain her fear of being alone. She says that why she can't be alone and gets worried about people who are.
Ki Tae starts to wake up. She says out loud that her folks have become closer at the thought of her marrying a plastic surgeon. She’s never seen them like that so she couldn’t tell them. Anyway, she’s sorry about everything! She gets a little annoyed and tells him that he should talk to her by now! Is he sleeping? He needs to answer her. She’ll leave him alone after hearing that he’s okay. There’s a very weak “Here…” from the bathroom.
Se Ah arrives at Ki Tae’s building.
Jang Mi fights with the door handle. She rushes into the kitchen and grabs a knife to jimmy the door open. Finally she gets it and sees him lying weakly on the bathtub tiles. She drops the knife and rushes to him, accidentally flopping him onto the floor. She tries to help him sit up and he grabs her and holds onto for dear life. Because she came. Even after he was so mean, she came. She tries to push free, but he won’t let go.
Thoughts
Mom really is an enigma. I have this feeling that she's not really so manipulative and shrewish as she's coming across right now, she's just trying to deal with her life and make things go well. Even if she's doing it in a really controlling way. I also think that deep down, she blames herself for Ki Tae not staying home, even if she would protest that it wasn't her. It's interesting that Halmeoni said that it was her fault. I really wonder what it was. It was bad enough that he hadn't gone home three years, and that's really a big deal for such a familial society. It's bad in the US and the family unit isn't nearly as revered as it is in Korea. It's also bad enough that he's really mean to his mother and doesn't feel bad about it.
I find amusement in how Oma is acting, because Ki Tae doesn't know how to react to it. Oma's trying to be motherly, but it really could be interpreted as her hitting on him. It's interesting that although Jang Mi could care less about Ki Tae's job/position, everyone else takes notice because of it. Which is one of the reasons that she is perfect for him: because she's not after his money. She could care less.
She's actually after Yeo Reum, who is so laid back, it's hard to read what he's thinking. He constantly hides behind that smile of his. I think that he genuinely likes Jang Mi, even though he's keeping his cards close to his chest. From the beginning, when he asked if she was there to see him, it's as though he was looking for some interest out of her, because he was already interested. Not 'He's Just Not That Into You' interested, because he would be chasing her if that was the case. But I definitely think he's interested.
Se Ah's another interesting one. She's also keeping her cards close to the chest. (For those who aren't familiar with that phrase, it comes from poker. You hold your cards close to you so that the other players don't see what's in your hand and so you won't give away what you have. It extrapolates out to interpersonal relationships, where you don't reveal your true thoughts or feelings.) I really think that she's still interested in Ki Tae, even though she totally is living in the friend zone. Ki Tae broke up with her three years ago and she acted like she was okay with it because she didn't want to lose him entirely. And she's continued to act like she okay with things, but I really think that if tomorrow Ki Tae asked her to marry him, she'd say an exuberant yes! It's also why she isn't going to end up with him, because she's not the right one for him. She accepted his terms even though they aren't what she wants and gives him his space. Although, I wonder if there isn't maybe more to the end of their engagement. It does coincide with Ki Tae's withdrawl from the family, so they might be connected...
I actually think that the things that she's doing and will do are going to push him toward Jang Mi. Her comment about how he told her to find a better man than him when they broke up. He didn't like that, the idea that he could be so cold toward someone he's dating. Her comparison of him to how Hoon Dong lives his life, that's only going to reinforce how he doesn't want to be like that, even though she's trying to get a different result. She's going to show him that he isn't going to find it with her, but he will find it with Jang Mi.
Reflecting on their fight outside the hospital, it really makes it obvious why Jang Mi is the perfect girl for Ki Tae. He is mean and nasty to her, but she doesn't think about that later when he's in trouble. All she cares about is helping him. Just like Hoon Dong, she doesn't take the obvious signal and run with it, but thinks the best. (Already she cares about him, even though they aren't even really friends yet.) That's the only type of girl that could marry him, someone who wasn't going to take his tirades and use them as unforgivable ammunition. She's also not going to fold when he blusters and will fight for the relationship, rather than just let him run away.
I do have to say that I really love how Han Groo and Yun Woo Jin are throwing themselves into the roles. Even when it calls for scuffling and falling all over the floor or wrestling over a fish tank. I think that even at this early juncture, they have great chemistry with each other and when I see them together, in the pauses between the action where nothing is being said, they feel very natural and comfortable with each other. With each episode, I am liking their characters more and more and it's directly because of how they're playing them.
Another thing that I like is that even the antagonists like Hoon Dong, they're written so that there's enough there that they're not two-dimensional. Mom is more than just a disapproving Korean Mom. Se Ah is a woman who there's more to than what we're seeing, although she comes across as glamorous and all together. It is a little strange, though, that the person I dislike the most is Hyun Hee. I think it's because she's being a gold digger and going after the rich guy who totally wronged her friend. I mean, the guy falsely accused her of being a stalker and now you want to date him? I really don't like that betrayal of trust.
Also, the relationships in this are complicated, which I like, too, because that's more like real life.
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