Forty One
EAIL leaves the diary. Oma finds the diary. Oma catches a taxi before Mom arrives home. Mom goes looking for the diary and it’s not there. And Mom’s hoping that the maid brought it in. But she hasn’t. In the taxi, Oma opens the diary. Out flops a picture of Director with pregnant Oma and pregnant Mom. Oma can’t understand why Director sent her the diary so she starts to read it. Mom calls EAIL freaking out. EAIL tells her she left it. Oma arrives home and rushes into her room to continue reading.
From Diary: January 5, 1983. Mom and Oma came to visit the orphanage. Both of them are pregnant. Oma is depressed, even as she’s pregnant. And the girl playing her is really two-dimensional. Director tells Oma to stay there after the baby is born, since Oma’s alone. Mom is so happy; she wanted to help Oma, but because of her MIL, she didn’t offer. Oma declares that she can’t handle this! How can she raise a baby when the father is dead! She declares that she has no confidence to raise this child! Mom tells Oma that she’ll figure things out for Oma when the baby comes. Director mentions how Mom hasn’t had her baby yet. Mom declares that she’s 10 days overdue.
And as the picture is getting taken, Oma’s water breaks. And then Mom goes into labor too. Babies are born and Oma is taken to the hospital, so Mom’s tending to both babies. Mom’s baby has the lavender anklet. It’s laying really still on the blanket. Mom’s holding Oma’s baby, who’s wearing the pink anklet. Mom’s baby starts crying. Mom decides he needs to eat. But then the baby dies.
Mom’s sneaking with dead baby into room where Oma’s baby is. Mom can hear her EMIL saying that EMIL can’t stand for this and she’ll have her son have a baby with someone else! And wow, that this would even be acceptable. She starts crying and tells her baby she has no other choice. And then Mom switches the babies.
End of Flashback. Mom’s remembering everything. Maid comes in and tells her that the diary is not there. Mom asks if anyone came by and Maid mentions that Oma came by. Mom knows the jig is up. She slumps into her chair, horrified.
Oma’s reading the diary and ignores Mom’s call. Mom leaves the orphanage with Oma’s baby. Oma arrives with Director. The nun tells Oma that her baby died. Oma mourns her baby but the Director knows it isn’t the truth. Oma is horrified. Her baby is still alive! And switched by her Unni! Se Yoon is her son?!! Oma is in shock. She rushes outside with the diary. The AILs and Chae Won see her and think she looks strange.
Company. Asst Yoon is telling Se Yoon that as Joo Ri was leaving the company, she went into partnership with the company’s researchers. Completely illegal! Now they’re under contract with Keum Young Foods (EMIL’s company). Se Yoon can’t believe it. Plus it’s going to delay the release of their new product, because they were the ones who were getting it ready. Se Yoon forehead vein bulge!
EMIL and Joo Ri is crowing over their victory. Joo Ri’s confident that soon they’re going to gobble up Se Yoon’s entire company. And Se Yoon arrives. EMIL gloats. Se Yoon is there to confirm it. Se Yoon can’t believe that Joo Ri could scheme like that. Se Yoon tells her he feels sorry for her. If she starts her first step like this, for the rest of her life, she’ll never be able to escape the temptation of only walking the comfortable and easy path. EMIL screams at him and tells him to get out.
Se Yoon leaves and runs into Chul Kyu on the way out. Se Yoon tries to politely leave. Chul Kyu stops him and mentions about his divorce. Se Yoon just looks at Chul Kyu and smiles at what a pathetic mess he is. Chul Kyu tells Se Yoon that he’s telling Se Yoon as a warning. Se Yoon replies that Chul Kyu isn’t someone who makes him worry. Bam! Chul Kyu tells him not to be overly confident. Chul Kyu tries to goad Se Yoon, mentioning the poor relationship between Oma and Mom. This is news to Se Yoon.
Psycho scary Joo Ri.
YUnc is walking, slowly. He wasn’t able to find Auntie. But here she arrives with Opera Man, dressed in wedding garb. They’re there to meet with Oehalmeoni and Oeharabeoji. YSibs try to stop them from going in. Opera Man calls YUnc hyungnim. Which is crazy because Opera Man is way older than YUnc. YAIL yells for ESibs. EUnc starts screaming at Auntie. And it’s scary how his eyes are bulging out of his head as he screams. Opera Man calls EUnc hyungnim. Again, crazy! Sibs split the couple apart and AILs drag Auntie into the house. Uncs are going to do something to Opera Man when Oehalmeoni arrives. Oehalmeoni is happy to see Opera Man and he tries to greet her by calling her Mother, but the Uncs stop him by covering his mouth.
Oehalmeoni enters with the men and sees Auntie in a hanbok. She puts two and two together, especially after they bow down on the floor in front of Oehalmeoni. It takes her a minute though and only after Auntie tells her that they got married. Oehalmeoni faints, as predicted.
Oehalmeoni is now lying in bed just moaning ‘Aigoo!’ Then she starts hitting Opera Man and yelling at him again. She yells at Auntie. Oeharabeoji isn’t saying anything. Oehalmeoni having histrionics. Very dramatic. Finally Oehalmeoni asks Oeharabeoji why he’s just sitting there. Oeharabeoji tells Auntie to leave the house immediately.
Mom’s leaving a message on Oma’s phone. Would Oma have taken it?!
Oma’s sitting by the Han River thinking, remembering all the times fate brought her and Se Yoon together and what a great son he is. She can’t believe she didn’t even recognize her own son! She’s weeping and beating her chest. Phone rings. Mom calling. Oma is not polite when she answers. Mom wants to meet. Oma declares that she’s going to meet with Se Yoon and tell him the truth! Mom begs to meet but Oma hangs up on her. As she should. If you hadn’t been so obnoxious, she might not be so mad. And it’s a rush to find Se Yoon first.
Oma is now in Se Yoon’s office, waiting for him. Oma’s emotional, especially when she sees the family portrait on his desk. She starts crying, wondering how she can handle this fury and resentment. Mom rushes to work, where she runs into Se Yoon. He mentions that Oma is in his office. Asst Yoon arrives with a contract for Se Yoon to sign. Mom tells him that she’ll go up first.
Showdown! Mom begs Oma to go outside and talk. Oma slowly walks over to Mom and slaps her, not once but twice. Oma declares that Mom didn’t just steal Se Yoon, but Mom stole her life! Mom looks shocked that Oma slapped her. I don’t know why though. She totally had it coming. Mom tries to claim that Director had dementia and the stuff in the diary is crazy ramblings. Oma can’t believe that Mom’s denying it to the end! Oma says they can do a DNA test to see who’s crazy.
Mom wants Oma to go someplace besides here and talk. Oma yells that she’s not here to see Mom but her son! Mom begs her to calm down and listen to what she has to say first. And Oma goes. Mom says that for the past 30 years, she’s been burdened because of what she’s done. Oma can’t believe the words coming out of Mom’s mouth. How could Mom act human? Mom says that she wasn’t even supposed to be able to get pregnant and she carried her baby with great difficulty. MIL was pressuring Dad to have a son outside of their marriage. That’s why she did it. Oma still can’t believe how cold Mom was: after Oma lost her husband and son, she wandered around like a crazy woman without her mind and Mom did nothing to ease Oma’s suffering. How could Mom did that to her? That’s why Mom sent Oma to America! To separate her from her son! Oma can’t believe that she lived all this time thing Mom was her benefactor.
Mom protests that Oma wasn’t in her right mind and couldn’t have taken care of a child, with how depressed she was. Mom brings up how she stopped Oma from having an abortion. And Oma was planning on giving up Se Yoon for adoption! Oma declares that she’s going to her son! Mom gets down on her knees and begs. Oma’s not swayed. Mom weeps that Se Yoon has lost his sense of taste! Because of the trauma of losing Eun Seol and it probably wouldn’t have been so traumatic if you had accepted her, Mom. Mom’s worried how Se Yoon might react to finding out what Mom’s done. Oma’s not swayed and tells Mom not to call her name with Mom’s dirty mouth! Oma calls Mom a thief and leaves Mom there weeping pathetically.
Noodle Factory. Busy with sales. A customer arrives wanting 10 packages. And it becomes obvious that she’s been sent to buy them. She says by the bachelor out front. For a moment I thought it was Se Yoon, but it’s Chul Kyu, who’s out front with a mask and sunglasses on to disguise his face. He is ridiculous. There’s a long line of women waiting to go and buy noodles. And there’s Chae Won. He tries to pretend it’s not him.
They go elsewhere so Chae Won can yell at Chul Kyu. Chul Kyu declares that he’s trying to be her Daddy-Long-Legs. Again Chae Won tells him to get lost or else she’ll sic her Uncles on him. Chul Kyu protests that she’s being too cold. She repeats that she loves Se Yoon. Chul Kyu protests that he’s completely changed and isn’t the mama’s boy he used to be! Chae Won tells him she doesn’t want to listen to any more and starts to walk away. He tells after her that she *will* come back to him! He’s going to make her!
Bringing home the noodles, Chul Kyu discovers what EMIL and Joo Ri are up to: Joo Ri brought all the researchers and subcontractors from Se Yoon’s company to theirs. Chul Kyu calls it corporate espionage. Chul Kyu wonders that launching this new product will strain the company. EMIL’s sure it’s going to succeed. And I have a vision of the future. EMIL’s company is going to fail at this new venture and go bankrupt and EMIL will be poor and destitute.
Se Yoon’s now looking for Oma, since she wasn’t in his office when he got there. She’s not answering her phone. Se Yoon wonders if Oma left with Mom. Asst Yoon arrives and announces that they need to give up the new noodles they were about to launch and come up with a new product.
Oma gets back home and even though she says she’s fine, it’s obvious she’s not. Appa goes into the bedroom and lets Oma know about Auntie and Opera Man coming home. Oma doesn’t tell Appa about her discovery. Chae Won brings her some milk. Oma looks at her and wonders what’s going to happen if the news comes out that Se Yoon is Oma’s son.
Oehalmeoni moaning over Auntie. She decides to go and break one of Opera Man’s legs. Oeharabeoji wants her to leave it alone. After she leaves, Oeharabeoji has intense pain and takes some money. Oehalmeoni and the AILs go to the club that Opera Man’s performing at. Oehalmeoni bursts in on Opera Man while he’s performing and creates a scene. The agent who’s scouting Opera Man is YAIL’s Oppa. They end up talking after Oehalmeoni gets kicked out of the club.
Mom is folding laundry and thinking about that conversation with Oma. Se Yoon comes in to find her upset. He asks about where Mom and Oma went earlier. Mom says they went for a cup of tea because Se Yoon was busy. Se Yoon remembers what Chul Kyu said and almost asks Mom about it, but doesn’t. Mom asks to hug him, which is just strange.
Middle of the night and Oma silently weeping, feeling bad for not recognizing her own son.
Chae Won is meeting Mom at THE café. Everyone seems to go to the exact same place. Exact same. Chae Won ran right over. There’s a pause as Chae Won waits for her to say what she wants. Mom starts by apologizing, and tells Chae Won that she needs to break up with Se Yoon. Poor Chae Won.
Forty Two
Mom starts by saying sorry and then tells Chae Won that she needs to break up with Se Yoon. Mom declares that she was willing to accept Chae Won as her DIL, but she just doesn’t think it will work. Chae Won naturally asks if she did something wrong. Mom’s surprised Oma didn’t say anything and then tells Chae Won she didn’t do anything wrong. In fact, since Mom stopped rejecting her, Chae Won’s pure and pretty ways became more and more evident to Mom. But they just needs to break up. When Chae Won tearfully asks why Mom’s saying this, Mom says that Chae Won will understand later.
Mom leaves the café and Chae Won rushes after her, saying that she can’t break up with Se Yoon. She begs Mom to reconsider. Mom just declares that it’s out of her hands now and there’s nothing more that Mom can do. Really? You must break up because I arbitrarily say so, but I have no control over the demand at all… Mom just leaves Chae Won crying at the curb while she drives away.
Oma’s pacing in her room. She sighs resolutely and makes a call. Se Yoon answers, calling her Mother. Oma asks for them to have a meal together, just the two of them. Se Yoon agrees. Then he calls Mom to tell her that he won’t be home for dinner because of it. He hangs up before she can say anything. Mom immediately calls Oma and begs her not to do it. To protect Se Yoon, of course. After all, who knows what sense he might lose with this trauma! Oma hangs up on Mom.
EAIL’s arrived at Mom’s and hears the tail end of Mom’s conversation. EAIL says she’s there because of the lost package, but when Mom says she’s feeling ill, EAIL knows there's something fishy going on.
Chul Kyu’s in the factory, cleaning the noodle machine. With his head wrapped in a towel with Princess Leia buns. Chae Won arrives and tells him to leave. He’s being a stalker. Chul Kyu just says that he’s going to persevere until her heart changes. He’s brought her some herbal medicine and when he tries to make him drink it, she shoves it back in his face, making it spill down his shirt. She tells him to leave for the umpteenth time. Uncs arrive and YUnc is quick to grab Chul Kyu by the lapel. EUnc is more reasonable but he still tells Chul Kyu to get out. Chul Kyu leaves.
Chul Kyu goes back to work. Yelling and scolding from EMIL. Joo Ri arrives with factory samples. And a huge marketing budget – 4 million won for marketing.
Auntie and Opera Man go to the house to visit. Oehalmeoni and Oeharabeoji act like Auntie isn’t their daughter, with Oeharabeoji acting like they don’t exist. Oehalmeoni goes as far as dumping a bowl of salt on Opera Man.
Opera Man’s holding the pin Se Yoon bought her, thinking about her son. Appa comes in and completely startles her. He asks her what’s wrong. She almost tells him but instead says that she has a dinner appointment.
Mom and Dad are eating dinner. He wants her to reschedule the face-to-face meeting of the families so that they can set the date for the wedding. Mom thinks he’s rushing things and he replies that *she’s* the one who wanted to rush things. Dad’s really amazed at what a small world this all is.
Flashback. Director is confronting Mom about what she did. Se Yoon is a toddler. Director tells her that she can fool everyone in the world but she can’t fool God. It was that anklet that gave Mom away. When Mom denies it, Director wants them to get a blood test. Then Mom gives all her excuses and the Director calls her on it. Mom’s already sent Oma to America, so the Director’s not going to be able to find her and Mom begs the Director to save her.
Se Yoon and Oma are out at dinner. Se Yoon confesses that her request made him a little nervous; he’s worried she’s going to scold him without Chae Won knowing. She assures him she just wanted to eat with him. Towards the end, Se Yoon asks to have some of the sushi wrapped up and taken home for Mom. Oma asks about them being close and as Se Yoon speaks, it’s obvious that they are. He asks her if she’s going to take points off for him being a mama’s boy – even though you aren’t, dude – and Oma says she won’t. Se Yoon promises that once he and Chae Won are married, he’ll be a devoted son to her. She doesn’t tell him that she’s his mom.
Chae Won gets a video message from Chul Kyu. This man just needs to stop! Plus, he’s wearing a headband with a BOW on it. He tells her that he’s planning on sending her a video message *every night* and this first one will be a love serenade. It’s almost sweet, it he wasn’t such a butthead all the rest of the time. Chul Kyu is using a hair brush for a microphone and has a tambourine. Okay, if you’re just reading this recap, you *have* to go watch this performance. I give props to Choi Won Young for going for it, because it is ridiculous. Tambourine shaking and butt smacking. And he’s not terribly coordinated. Because of the ruckus, EMIL bursts in, in the middle of his performance to cluck at him about the noise. And Chae Won’s watching the whole thing. Chul Kyu stupidly tells EMIL that he’s recording a video message for Chae Won and tries to get her to leave a message. EMIL puts on that fake sweet face of hers and says that Chul Kyu wants her back. Chae Won can’t believe either of them, especially Chul Kyu.
YAIL is thinking about her Oppa. YUNc’s trimming his toe nails and one of them hits her, interrupting her thoughts. She tells at him. And I love that it’s something this *normal.* Then YUnc farts, loudly. She yells at him and he replies that it’s not like they’re dating or something. YUnc’s confident that they’re going to get their marriage registered again soon, but YAIL tells him not to hold his breath.
Opera Man and Auntie are meeting with Manager. He’s very complimentary and wants to sign Opera Man. And apparently, Manager has a Midas touch in Korean music. In fact, Manager says that he wants to make Opera Man the Psy of Korean Folk Music. For those of you not familiar with Psy, he’s the guy that did ‘Gangnam Style,’ the k-pop hit that exploded world-wide including here in the States. HEEEEYYYY sexy lady! Oop, oop, oop, opp, oppa gangam style. It strikes me as kind of ironic that of all the artists that Manager could have chosen, like JY Park for instance, he chose Psy. He has a contract all ready. Opera Man doesn’t even read it. He just signs.
Manager says he’ll transfer the signing bonus to Opera Man’s account in the morning and then just casually asks Auntie about YAIL. He wants Auntie to make sure that YAIL has his number.
Se Yoon and Oma are driving back to Noodle House. Oma starts to tell him. She says that she and Mom grew up in the same orphanage. Se Yoon replies that Mom told him. Oma asks if Mom mentioned about them giving birth on the same day. This is the first that Se Yoon’s heard of this. Because he heard that Oma had no family, he asks where Oma’s son is. Perfect opportunity… but Oma lets it go. Oma’s phone starts ringing and it’s Appa, wanting to know when to meet her at the bus stop. Oma looks longingly at Se Yoon but doesn’t say anything.
Oma and Se Yoon arrive at home, meeting Chae Won and Appa. Se Yoon is as charming as ever but Chae Won notices that something’s wrong with Oma. Oma and Appa go inside, but not before Oma gives Se Yoon another sad, longing look. Once they’re alone, Chae Won asks what Se Yoon and he talked about. He teases her that it’s a secret. As he’s telling her about the ‘date,’ he asks Chae Won about Oma’s son. This is the first that Chae Won heard about Oma’s son, too. Se Yoon thinks that it sounds like she has one, but Chae Won says that she was completely alone when she met Appa. Se Yoon thinks that a little strange. Eye squint of thinking.
Chae Won asks Se Yoon if Mom said anything to him. She doesn’t share what Mom *might* have talked about. Mom’s at home worried sick. Will Se Yoon still think of her as his Mom or as the world’s worse thief? Se Yoon arrives with the sushi. Mom tries to feel out how the meeting was and Se Yoon opens up the sushi. He gives it to her and smiles as he watches her eat it. She starts crying, which she says are happy tears. Back at Noodle House, Oma’s crying as she thinks about Se Yoon. Appa finally wakes up to find her crying. He doesn’t say anything since she’s trying hard not to be heard.
Noodle Factory ships out. Everyone compliments each other on their hard work. Oeharabeoji compliments them on their hard work and says that he can die now with no regrets. So when is he going to tell them he’s dying? They’ve totally repented and love the noodle business as much as he does. When, Oeharabeoji, when? YUnc tells Oeharabeoji to live a long time! Chae Won gets a phone call. It’s Se Yoon, wearing a white apron with little pink flowers on it. He says that Mom isn’t feeling well, so he wants to make Mom some porridge but he doesn’t know how so he needs Chae Won’s help.
Mom’s in bed and Chae Won enters, bringing her the porridge. Mom’s surprised. Chae Won says she came after she talked to Se Yoon. Mom’s talking like she’s reconsidered her ‘break up with Se Yoon’ talk. Chae Won asks Mom what she would do if she was in Chae Won’s place. Particularly since it’s for no reason. Mom asks what Chae Won would do if there *was* a reason. Although her logic doesn’t ring true for me. Chae Won and Se Yoon are not physically related. Yes, Oma is now her step-mother and treats her like a biological child, and Se Yoon *is* Oma’s biological child, but that still doesn’t make things wrong. They didn’t grow up together and Se Yoon only *just* got revealed as being related to Oma in any way. And besides, part of what makes the Uhm family the Uhm family is how they adopt people as ‘blood’ who aren’t, so Se Yoon actually being blood wouldn’t change how the family saw him, because it’s adopted blood to begin with. I just don’t see the problem here. Se Yoon arrives before Mom can say the reason that there might be for the couple to break up. She clucks at Se Yoon for calling Chae Won.
EMIL yelling at Chul Kyu for last night’s video. Joo Ri declares that he’s lame. EMIL points out that Chae Won *didn’t* message him back.
Manager, aka Bong Joo, calls YAIL. She sneaks out to talk to him. EAIL hears her call him Oppa. Manager asks YAIL out to lunch. YAIL goes to borrow some of Oma’s clothes and EAIL catches her. While YAIL is raiding her closet, EAIL sees the package and decides to go and look at it. And the secret’s going to get out. EAIL sees the picture as she starts to read the diary.
Oma and Appa are out walking together, holding hands. Appa asks her if they’re a married couple, right? She wants to know why he’s asking. He brings up how she’s keeping something from him, including crying in the middle of the night. She says that before she told him the quick version of her past. Now she mentions that she had a baby. She didn’t hide it on purpose but it was such a painful memory that she didn’t say anything. After she gave birth, she wouldn’t’ stop hemorrhaging, so they had to rush her to a hospital and while she was gone, her baby died of oxygen deprivation. Oma says that while she was pregnant, she did many crazy things, so the thought that she killed her baby as a result drove her insane. Oma starts to cry as she says that her dead son has actually been alive all along.
And at that moment, EAIL has reached that spot in the diary. Se Yoon is Oma’s son! She starts to wig out and quickly returns the diary. Oma catches EAIL in her bedroom and when EAIL is shifty, she confronts her on reading the diary. Oma calls EAIL a spy, because the parcel ended up at Mom’s house. EAIL denies that, spinning Mom’s story. Oma wants to know who EAIL told. Oma tells her that she cannot tell anyone! So is Oma not going to tell Se Yoon.
Chae Won is cutting up lemons. She hands one to Se Yoon and tells him that the sense of smell is the closest to the sense of smell. Therefore, using the sense of smell alone could make his salivary glands react. Such great science. He smells the lemon and says that he’s salivating. Mom overhears the conversation and wonders what she can do about this, since the couple is so in love.
Opera Man and Auntie are at Noodle House, telling Oehalmeoni about his new contract. Uncles are there, glaring. And blah, blah, blah in Korea is labu, labu, labu, labu! Opera Man begins to sing his song for Oehalmeoni and she tells him to shut it! Bo Reum comes downstairs with some yogurt. YUnc opens it for him and wonders where YAIL went, since she turned off her phone.
YAIL is out at a really nice restaurant with Manager. He says he doesn’t spend money on just anyone. As he's talking, YAIL is grumbling about how she ended up with YUnc. Manager says that he cried for 2 days and 3 nights when he heard she married. The food comes and he makes the waiter get his special wine glass. He tells her that because she dumped him, he worked hard and built his business. YAIL thinks to herself that he must have really been pining for her all these years.
Chul Kyu is waiting outside Noodle House and EAIL runs into him because she wasn’t watching where she was going. She tells him that Chae Won’s gone over to Se Yoon’s to nurse Mom. He punches the wall in frustration. Chul Kyu’s about to give up but EAIL encourages him to persevere. His stomach growls and so EAIL takes him out to eat. AND she tells him about Se Yoon being Oma’s son. Which will make Chae Won and Se Yoon siblings. But not really. So they won’t be able to get married. But they will, really. Chul Kyu’s overjoyed at this news!
Oma’s sitting with the diary, sadly thinking. She looks at the picture. She wonders why she found out this information *now.* She would rather have not known.
Se Yoon drops Chae Won off but doesn’t have time to come in and greet the elders. He thanks her for helping Mom. Chae Won asks him if anything happened that she doesn’t know about. He doesn’t know of anything. Chae Won mentions about how Mom looked and Se Yoon says that Mom told him it’s because of menopause. Okay.
Chul Kyu arrives just as Se Yoon is leaving, crowing loudly. Literally. Chae Won encourages Se Yoon to go, but he has her go in first. To beat Chul Kyu up? Since the guy won’t leave Chae Won alone? Please? Chul Kyu tells them that they look good together, like brother and sister. They look at him like it’s a weird thing to say. Because it *is* a weird thing to say.
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