Dramabeans marriage not dating

Okay, I dig this.

Episode 10: What You Must Never Let Anyone Find Out

Cold Open: It’s raining outside. Gi Tae, grandma and aunt look around uncomfortably as Jang Mi asks, “Does this really have special meaning to you, mother?” Mom says that it does so Jang Mi needs to treat it preciously. Jang Mi picks up what looks like a rock, to everyone’s utter shock, and slams it down on the table.

So somehow, it turns out that Yeo Reum managed to walk back to their little house on the beach to grab Hoon Dong (and get kissed by him) and then walk all the way back through the forest just in time to witness the kiss. When Gi Tae and Jang Mi hear Hoon Dong’s voice in the distance, they finally pull apart and Yeo Reum pretends that he didn’t see anything. Poor guy, but if it’s any consolation, Jang Mi looks like she’s feeling real guilty.

Hoon Dong finds Hyun Hee at the temple and when he tries to talk to her, she tells him to leave. Before he can even stand up though, she says that for someone, this might be a mistake and something they’d like to hide but for her, it’s a precious gift. She tells Hoon Dong that she won’t cause him any trouble and says that he can go. Well, when you put it like that…They’re both in tears by the end of her little speech so Hoon Dong hugs her, asking why it had to be with a punk like him. He apologizes and she confesses that she really wouldn’t know what to do alone and that she’s scared. Hoon Dong promises that he’ll protect her and they get so immersed in the moment that they’re actually thinking of doing it in the temple. Good thing the monks come to stop them.

At work, Hyun Hee is all smiles, while Jang Mi is sighing from confusion. Jang Mi gets a call from Gi Tae, which she ignores while telling herself to stop thinking about it. Jang Mi asks Hyun Hee about her condition but Hyun Hee hasn’t experienced any morning sickness yet. She also tells Jang Mi that she’ll be quitting soon since it’ll become hectic once she starts preparing for the wedding. Jang Mi is surprised to learn about the fast marriage plans, but Hyun Hee says that they have to do it before her stomach shows. All that’s left is for Hoon Dong to talk with his mom, which Jang Mi knows is going to be a lot harder than it sounds.

Cut to Hoon Dong, kicked out of his house with nothing on but his socks and boxers. He’s chill about it at first, not caring for the strange looks he gets from the passerbys as he practices his “boxing”, but next thing you know, he’s screaming for his mom, yelling that he’s 33 years old. Sure don’t act like one.

Hoon Dong’s mom is at the department store. She finds Hyun Hee and when Jang Mi notices, she tries to diffuse the situation, only to get yelled at. The manager asks mom if her employees made a mistake but mom says, “a wrongdoing done on purpose cannot be called a mistake”. She continues to say that everyone that works there are gold-diggers and says that the reason they’re working there is to mingle with the high class, is it not? Jang Mi tells her straight up that she’s completely wrong so the manager cuts her off and apologizes in their stead. Hyun Hee tears up, apologizes and leaves. Mom also storms off and Jang Mi gets scolded by the manager.

Jang Mi finds Hyun Hee crying in the bathroom and asks why she apologized when it was Hoon Dong’s mom who created a ruckus at the store. Why, because they’re department store employees?

Hyun Hee: “As long as we’re standing here, we’re products and not human beings. Unnie, don’t you ever think this way? If I stand at the department store all day, I feel like I’ve become a handbag. That’s why I want to be promoted (to Madame status) as soon as possible. When I’m at my prettiest and newest as a product, I want to be sold when I’m at my most expensive price. Before I’m out of season and get pushed to the outlet.”

Hmmm, I can’t say I agree with the politics behind this sentiment but I can see where she’s coming from. Kind of.

Hyun Hee tells Jang Mi that she’s all right and that the confrontation was actually blander than she expected. She thought she’d get slapped at least.

Hoon Dong’s mom regrets not slapping Hyun Hee and shares her frustrations with Gi Tae’s mom. Gi Tae’s mom suggests that Hoon Dong’s mom try carrying out the wedding preparations since “the desires the daughters are hiding, are generally plainly revealed by their mothers. Whether the reason for the marriage is pure love, or something else”.

Hoon Dong tells Hyun Hee about setting up a date for a meeting between both of their families since his parents have approved of their marriage. Jang Mi congratulates them but Hyun Hee looks reluctant. Hyun Hee explains that her parents are on a cruise so they won’t be in Korea for the next few months. When Hoon Dong asks about what her parents do, Hyun Hee says that they run a small business in the fashion industry. This is also the first time Jang Mi’s heard about this since Hyun Hee never talks about her parents. Hyun Hee just says that she grew up independently so her parents would want her to take care of her own wedding. Hoon Dong can meet them at the ceremony. Interesting. Very interesting.

When Hoon Dong pushes, she uses her pregnancy as an excuse and says their child, named Luxury (I know), is hungry. Hoon Dong immediately fusses over her as she eats. Jang Mi gets up to leave since she can’t stand watching them anymore.

As she turns around for the door, she sees Gi Tae entering so she runs back to her seat.

As soon as Gi Tae sits down, Jang Mi stands right up and declares that she’s leaving (again).

Yeo Reum tells her to wait a little bit since he’s almost done with his shift but she rushes down the stairs since she wants to wait outside. She cracks me up! Even Gi Tae breaks into a smile at her adorable antics.

Gi Tae goes outside as well and warns her that everyone else will notice if she acts like this. She pretends like she doesn’t know what he’s talking about so he tells her to just write it on her forehead, that they kissed. At the mention of the kiss, Jang Mi places her hand over his mouth to silence him and drags him back to his office.

Even Hyun Hee and Hoon Dong notice that Gi Tae and Jang Mi are acting strangely. Maybe the con created a real attachment. Hoon Dong mentions that Jang Mi and Gi Tae spend a lot of time alone in his apartment, even though Gi Tae isn’t the type to let others into his house easily. Yeo Reum corrects them and says that he has been living with Gi Tae so Hoon Dong thinks the reason Gi Tae doesn’t want to get married is because he’s gay.

Once inside his office, Jang Mi asks why he’s doing this to her. Gi Tae throws the same question back at her, especially since she wouldn’t let him speak with his own mouth. Jang Mi says that his mouth is the problem so he teases her and asks, “Why? Does your heart flutter when you see my lips? Does your heart skip a beat? Is that why you’re avoiding me?” Jang Mi admits that she was avoiding him but she’s not the type to pretend like nothing happened.

Jang Mi closes her eyes and builds the courage to ask if he likes her. He doesn’t answer and smiles so she asks if he’s laughing, “then should I cry?” LOL such great comic timing. Jang Mi laughs off the awkwardness and says, half-heartedly, that it’s a relief since she thought he actually became serious about her. She continues to say that she was kind of confused about their relationship, but since it’s fake and she has Yeo Reum, she thought she needed to draw a line.

Gi Tae takes offense at that and claims that if someone were to draw the line, it would be him, but she just keeps crossing it. Jang Mi agrees that it wouldn’t make sense for him to like her but the look he gives her shows otherwise. She asks what the kiss was about then, so he says that it was to shut her up since she was talking so much. She can’t believe that was the reason and gets angry so he asks if she liked the kiss that much. Jang Mi just throws back the fact that she didn’t enjoy the kiss since he’s a bad kisser. Since the kiss didn’t have a meaning, they should just forget that it ever happened.

When she opens his office door to leave, she jumps back in fear when she sees Yeo Reum who is there to pick her up for their date. She asks how he knew she was there but he says, pointedly, that he knows everything, where she is and everything she does. That’s kind of creepy, even with that adorable smile of yours. He puts his arms around her and leads a not-so-happy-looking Jang Mi out.

Gi Tae’s still stuck on the fact that she called him a bad kisser.

Jang Mi’s mom and Gi Tae’s mom meet up. Jang Mi’s mom agrees to resume the wedding preparations since she thinks Gi Tae will make Jang Mi happy, but this time around, she wants to do the duty of the bride’s side. In return, she wants Gi Tae’s mom to treat Jang Mi properly. Aww. Both agree that they’ll decide on a wedding date, and it’s hilarious how Jang Mi’s mom has this running commentary in her head about her interaction with Gi Tae’s mom. Jang Mi’s mom, “What is this? Why do I feel like I’m being sucked into her plan?” Haha join the club.

Yeo Reum and Jang Mi take a stroll across a bridge and when it looks like a reckless bicyclist is going to hit Jang Mi, Yeo Reum pulls her in realclose. She tries to get out of his embrace but he just pulls her in closer. She asks why he’s doing this but he says because he wants to kiss her. She asks if he really wants to kiss her right then and there, but he just asks, “Can’t I?”

He leans down but Jang Mi’s phone rings and she jumps back a few feet away from him, brings her purse to her head, and excitedly says that there’s a call. She feigns indignation that someone would call at such a time but when she sees that it’s Gi Tae calling, she becomes much more mellow. Yeo Reum answers the call and won’t give it to Jang Mi to talk. When he asks Gi Tae what’s so urgent, he finds out that they’re picking the date for the wedding.

Gi Tae sits in front of a fortuneteller trying his best to put on a happy face. Looking Gi Tae up-and-down, the fortuneteller asks Jang Mi’s mom why she had to bring him along. Mom asks if Gi Tae’s fortune looks bad.

Fortuneteller: “After reading his fortune, his zodiac ain’t so great, neither is he a very luck-filled person. A person like this, his relationship with others isn’t easy going. Forget people around him, there won’t even be an ant. It’d be a relief if only he were lonely but he has a foul fate to make even those next to him lonely.”

LOL This guy knows what he’s talking about.

Jang Mi’s mom asks about her daughter, just as Jang Mi runs in.

Fortuneteller: “She has the fortune to earn lots of money. It’s written on her face. And she has a rare, lucky fortune.”

Mom’s excited to hear such a great fortune so she pulls Jang Mi down to sit next to Gi Tae. The fortune teller looks at Gi Tae and says,

“This man here will not only regret losing this woman, but he’ll also hear that he’s stupid. Their compatibility is such that the woman saves the man from quagmires. She probably already did save him from death before.”

Both of them think about when Jang Mi saved Gi Tae from his bathroom confinement incident.

Mom asks if Jang Mi will be at a loss if she marries Gi Tae but the fortuneteller tells her not to worry since sexual affinity is the most important things when it comes to a match and for Gi Tae and Jang Mi, it’s amazing. LOL All of their reactions are priceless. Gi Tae adds fuel to the fire and tells the fortuneteller that it’s true; their sexual affinity is fantastic and when he puts his arm around Jang Mi, she elbows him in the stomach. The fortuneteller is good enough to see that they’re not really going through with the marriage and says that if they are going to get married, then they need to do it properly but if not then end it quickly. All three are uncomfortable at his perception but Gi Tae continues to tease Jang Mi about their great sexual affinity. Ha!

Jang Mi tries to persuade mom to push back the wedding date but Gi Tae just cozies up to mom. Gi Tae asks mom what she would like to eat but mom leaves first and teases them about their sexual affinity. Jang Mi’s embarrassed about it but Gi Tae thanks mom and even says that he loves her.

As she leaves, Gi Tae continues to blow sweet kisses at her. They’re cute.

It’s nighttime and Jang Mi walks across a bridge, with Gi Tae right behind her. Jang Mi turns around and tells Gi Tae that she wants their ploy to end since, “I am the type of person who hates lying, hiding and making secrets”. However, because of him, lately she hasn’t been able to say what she wants to and she doesn’t like keeping secrets from the person she likes. It makes her feel like she can’t be confident and it makes her uncomfortable.

Jang Mi reminds him about the fortuneteller’s word to end it cleanly but Gi Tae says that he was a con since when has Jang Mi ever saved him from trouble, unless she’s the trouble. As soon as those words leave his lips, Jang Mi has to pull Gi Tae towards her to prevent another reckless bicyclist from running into him. They embrace in the most epic of spins and just stare at each other for a suspended moment. When they break apart and Jang Mi tells Gi Tae, “See, when I’m near you, these kinds of ambiguous things happen”. Gi Tae asks her for some time to think about a solution.

The mothers meet up again for another wedding planning session. Jang Mi’s mom is shocked at the cost of the food for the wedding menu but that’s nothing compared to her shock when Gi Tae’s mom suggests that they not accept any monetary gifts. The day just gets worse when Jang Mi’s mom has to re-buy all of the mud beds that Jang Mi returned. Since Jang Mi’s mom wants to prepare for the wedding properly, she’s also ready to pay a big dowry.

So Jang Mi’s mom goes ahead and mortgages the house while also putting the chicken restaurant up for sell since the wedding will cost at least $100,000. Say what?!?! Jang Mi goes home to find her mom drinking soju alone. She doesn’t understand how mom can sell both the restaurant and their house for this wedding but mom says, “even if I have to sell my soul I will make it so you don’t feel small in front of that woman”. Awwwwww. She wants Jang Mi to be able to experience everything that she couldn’t.

Mom also shows Jang Mi a magazine in which the Gong family had an article written about them. The pictures show that Gi Tae’s dad gave mom a pink diamond ring in a romantic gesture, saying that even if she is to be reborn to please marry him again. Gi Tae’s mom was so “happy” and said that she’ll pass the ring down to her daughter-in-law. It’s the picture perfect family. Jang Mi’s mom now wants Jang Mi to receive that ring.

Jang Mi goes to Gi Tae’s office and shows him the article, saying that her mom wants her to receive that diamond ring. As soon as Gi Tae see’s it, he looks stunned. Jang Mi tells him everything her mom’s done and it’s all because of this ring. What should she do? Gi Tae listens to all this quietly while staring at the pictures and then he solemnly stands up and finally tells Jang Mi to ask for the ring. Jang Mi doesn’t really want the ring though, but Gi Tae says that if his mom refuses to give the ring to her, then that means she doesn’t approve of their marriage. Jang Mi wonders what if she really gives her the ring but Gi Tae is 100% sure that mom won’t give it to her.

Jang Mi immediately calls Gi Tae’s mom and asks for the ring as a wedding gift. Mom freezes when she hears Jang Mi mention the pink diamond ring and even burns the shirt she is ironing. Mom tells Jang Mi that they should have this conversation in person and asks that Jang Mi stop by their house this weekend.

At a bar, a tipsy and sad looking Jang Mi asks what’s so good about a diamond ring. It’s not like she’s really getting married, but why then, does she feel this way. Hyun Hee says that it’s because she started liking Gi Tae for realz now. Jang Mi tells her not to go around saying such things so Hyun Hee says that maybe Jang Mi really wants to get married. Of course she does, but with someone she really loves. Hyun Hee thinks Jang Mi has been swayed by Gi Tae’s outstanding qualifications.

Jang Mi doesn’t think that’s why she feels this way. Her heart feels like the wind is blowing and it feels strangely ambiguous. Hyun Hee is confident that Jang Mi has fallen for Gi Tae but Jang Mi weakly protests. She says that now is the end for her and Gi Tae if their last plan works but Hyun Hee, insightfully says, “Aren’t you like this because it’s the last time? Because you might never see Gi Tae again”. That seems to sink in for Jang Mi but she still tries to deny it and says that she has Yeo Reum but then accidentally lets it slip that her and Gi Tae have kissed.

Hoon Dong is also meeting up with Gi Tae and tells him that he knows everything so Gi Tae can tell him. Remember, he still thinks Gi Tae’s gay. Gi Tae doesn’t understand what Hoon Dong is talking about but Hoon Dong says that he knows Gi Tae fell for someone he shouldn’t have. He asks how he can help but Gi Tae says, “Pretending not to know anything is helping us…I don’t want it exposed”. OOOOooooooh. It must be a one-side love so Hoon Dong sympathetically says that Gi Tae must have been so sad and lonely but when Gi Tae tries to touch him, Hoon Dong freaks out.

Gi Tae comes home to find Jang Mi sleeping on his couch. He bends down next to her and brushes her hair. He pulls away when she slowly opens her eyes. Jang Mi dazedly asks, “why?”.

Gi Tae: (softly) “What?”

Jang Mi: “Why can’t it be me?”

Gi Tae: “What are you talking about?”

Jang Mi: (sits up) “The ring. Why can’t I receive it? My mom says she’ll spend everything she has and give it all, but I can’t even receive a small ring from you?

Gi Tae: “Joo Jang Mi. You’re drunk.”

Jang Mi: “Answer me. Why can’t the amazing ring suit my shabby finger? It is something that only a person like Kang Se Ah can pull it off?”

Gi Tae: “ It’s isn’t like that. There was a reason.”

Jang Mi: “What reason?”

Gi Tae isn’t quite ready to tell her the reason so he gets up and goes to the kitchen to grab some water. Jang Mi follows him and continues to asks him why.

Jang Mi: “I know how strange I am now. Regardless of how strange I am, I must hear that answer from you. I though that perhaps…(tearfully) regardless of how bad I want to get married, I may discover that there was a key reason why we can’t get married. I’m wondering if that’s it. Didn’t you choose me because you could never get married to me? So you know, right? Why can’t it be me? Because I don’t have money? Is it because my family is so-so? If not just because I’m…me?”

Gi Tae sighs and finally tells Jang Mi the reason; that ring isn’t his mother’s. We flashback to when Gi Tae and Se Ah went to a jewelry story to look at rings and they ran into dad, just as he was picking up a ring. Se Ah asks if that ring is for mom since it looks like a wedding ring and dad says that it’s like a second proposal of sorts. Se Ah gushed over his romantic gesture but as he was leaving, he accidentally dropped a card. Gi Tae picked it up and saw that the card was for a “J”.

The day happened to be the same day in which that magazine article was being written and Se Ah accidentally let it out that dad was planning to propose to mom a second time. Gi Tae asked to speak to dad privately and returned the card back to him. Gi Tae fearfully says that he doesn’t think “J” is mom. How could dad do such a thing? Before dad could answer, mom showed up and told Gi Tae to be quiet since they will hear him outside. Gi Tae was shocked to realize that mom knew about dad’s affair all along. Mom just tells Gi Tae to change his facial expression and to hide is feelings. Tearing up, Gi Tae is dumbfounded that mom’s only worried about being found out.

Mom asked dad where the ring is and she tells him to wear it for her. Gi Tae could only watch on the sidelines.

Back in the present, both Jang Mi and Gi Tae are tearing up. Jang Mi can’t believe mom was willing to wear another woman’s ring in a magazine that everyone would see. Gi Tae says that it was because everyone was watching; they couldn’t let it be found out so things like emotions and the truth must be buried.

Jang Mi walks towards Gi Tae and holds his hand. She tells him, “It’s okay if you’re found out by me, because I’m not real”. They both just look at each other.

Turns out, Se Ah and Yeo Reum has heard and witnessed this whole exchange. Se Ah realizes that that was what happened back then and Yeo Reum just tells Jang Mi that she shouldn’t have let him find out. He’s been putting an effort in to be oblivious so she shouldn’t have let him find out.

The next day, Jang Mi and Gi Tae sit in the car. It’s raining outside and both are somber. Jang Mi thinks about their handhold from the night before and what Yeo Reum told her. She looks at him and thinks, “It is dangerous to keep on going. Let’s end it. But why am I feeling so unsettled?” Hyun Hee’s words echo in her mind.

They reach the house and Gi Tae opens the car door for her, so that she can stand under his umbrella. ella, ella. Jang Mi says that this will be the last time that she’ll be coming to his house and he tells her that since it’s the last time, she needs to make a huge scene. She will, for her sake, his sake and for Yeo Reum’s sake.

Inside, mom busies herself by wiping down some rocks and Jang Mi just makes it clear again that she wants the pink diamond ring, since that’ll prove that mom has accepted her as their future daughter-in-law. Mom asks why Jang Mi needs the ring to prove that so Gi Tae says because it’s a ring with a special meaning to mom. If she doesn’t give it to Jang Mi, she’ll assume that mom’s objecting to her.

We see dad’s actually meeting with his mistress at the moment and she’s wearing the pink diamond ring.

Jang Mi tells mom that it’s expected that mom hasn’t accepted her sincerely but she gets cut off when mom slides over a jewelry box. Jang Mi opens the box, and inside is a ring; exactly like the one that dad “gave” her. Jang Mi asks mom if the ring really has a special meaning to her and mom says that of course it does, so Jang Mi needs to treat it preciously as well. Jang Mi takes the ring out of the box, places it on the table and then takes one of mom’s rocks to smash it. The ring is a fake and the “diamond” gets crushed into a million pieces. Jang Mi says that since mom objects to her this much, she’ll step aside but instead,

“Please let go of Gi Tae. The marriage that looks good to other people, please don’t force him anymore”

Mom asks if Gi Tae told Jang Mi but Gi Tae asks, “Which one? About the ring being someone else’s? Or how you’ve been fooling other people all this time?” Mom wonders, if they knew, why then did they ask for the ring, to humiliate her, to see her defeated?

Jang Mi: “We wanted to hear your true, innermost feelings.”

Mom: “What did you just say?”

Jang Mi: (tears falling) “That your marriage is quite different from pictures in magazines.”

Mom: “Shut up. What do you know?”

Jang Mi: “That the truth is that you hurt so much and it was difficult. That you don’t ever want to pass down to Gi Tae the same kind of marriage as yours. And that’s why you’re obsessing over a perfect marriage for Gi Tae. How much you wish for Gi Tae’s happiness I know, but if you really want Gi Tae to be happy, you need to be happy first. Not trying to trick people’s eyes with fake happiness but real happiness!…But the person who made Gi Tae be alone is you, mother.”

Jang Mi storms out, Gi Tae follows after her and mom goes to her room to let it out. We hear Gi Tae saying in voiceover, “Of all people, I didn’t want you to find out”.

Jang Mi cries some more outside but once Gi Tae arrives, she wipes her tears away and puts on a smile. She asks what he thought about her last bit of acting and tells him to say he’s grateful if he’s grateful instead of just staring at her.

Gi Tae (thinking): “If I say I am grateful, I am worried that that phrase will be the last.”

Jang Mi says that this is really the last time and extends her hand out for a handshake.

Gi Tae grips her hand tight and they both look like they’re going to cry.

Gi Tae pulls Jang Mi in for a hug and Jang Mi just lightly pats his back.

Jang Mi: “You too should start letting what’s in your heart out as you live. Although I won’t be able to be beside you.”

Gi Tae (thinking): “Even if like this, I wanted to stay by her side.”

Jang Mi: “Finally, our roller coaster wedding scam is coming to an end.”

At those words, Gi Tae just hugs her even more tightly with both arms. They are both in the moment of this tight embrace when they suddenly hear grandma’s voice.

They break apart and grandma asks about what they were just talking about. What fake marriage? Dun dun dun.

Thoughts:

Brava! Go, go, go Jang Mi! Finally, our outspoken, sassy, honest, lovable and alcoholic heroine is back! I’m so glad that Jang Mi decided to confront the question of the kiss head on instead of trying to avoid it. She asked Gi Tae to explain what the kiss meant but sadly, Gi Tae was too much of a wimp to tell her that he likes her but at least this episode gives us A LOT of movement in the desired direction.

When Jang Mi asked why it couldn’t be her it should have been all the confession that Gi Tae needed to confirm that his feelings aren’t one-sided. It was so sad to see that Jang Mi, our usual confident girl, thought that she wasn’t good enough. At least her tearful inquiry led to something pretty amazing. The moment Gi Tae poured his heart out to Jang Mi was precious. Although it wasn’t of a romantic nature, per se, it speaks volumes that he trusted her with the truth. He allowed himself to be vulnerable in her presence. He put  down his defenses and shared with her a secret that his family has been hiding from outsiders and one that has been eating away at him. He’s been bottling up his real emotions for so long but now he has finally found someone to lean on and let it all out with. And then what was even more amazing about that scene was when Jang Mi went up to him and just quietly held his hand. I was legit swooning! It’s such a sweet yet simple moment between them since she’s just showing him that she is there for him, to support him and prove that he can trust her. There’s just something so romantic and sweet about the gesture.

Just as the fortuneteller said, Jang Mi is basically heaven sent. Any guy worthy enough to win her heart should think himself lucky. Even Gi Tae has changed the way he interacts with Jang Mi in this episode. He has become a lot softer and teasing towards Jang Mi. It’s adorable to watch.

I knew it would take Jang Mi’s outspokenness to shed light onto this lie that is the supposedly “happy” Gong family. It’s so great that Jang Mi’s calling it as she sees it. She knows that mom’s unhappy but she’s just not showing it, as if a cold exterior means strength. Jang Mi’s definitely what this messed up family needs. They’ve been living without honest-to-goodness emotions and they’ve all been living a lie for so long now that they find this false sense of happiness to be “normal”. This family seriously needs someone as authentic and human as Jang Mi.

Above all, the reason I enjoyed Jang Mi’s final outburst was that she continues to put Gi Tae first. Her motives and actions are always to look out for his best interests and to protect him. She’s selfless and this action powered by love is what draws so many people towards Jang Mi. When she loves, she loves with her entire heart, and it’s honorable.

Gi Tae knows that he can’t lose someone as amazing as Jang Mi and the moment between them in the final few minutes was heartbreaking to watch. I don’t understand why neither of them built up the courage to say what they were thinking since neither of them wanted to really part from each other. Gi Tae’s tight hand grip and then hug was beautiful. I love the juxtaposition between the kiss they had in episode 6 and the hug from this episode. Although a kiss usually signifies a more intense display of emotion, this hug definitely felt more personal. This time around, Gi Tae gave into his feelings and pulled her in tight with BOTH arms, with no intent of letting her go. Jang Mi didn’t resist but instead gave him some warm, consoling pats on the back. Something someone would to soothe their loved ones. There was just something so much more moving about this hug than the other kisses that they’ve previously shared since both were succumbing to their true desires and it was reciprocal.

I actually want the fake marriage to be revealed now since I don’t want Gi Tae and Jang Mi to start their real relationship based on a lie. I want them to have a fresh start and not just slide into a relationship. They need to consciously make the decision to become a real couple now.

I also have to say that I didn’t know mom was that tough. We all knew she was a manipulative witch but she seriously has a ridiculously high tolerance for shit that her so-called husband pulls. How can she wear a ring that was intended for another woman? And not any ring, a ring that was meant to be for a marriage proposal. She says and probably actually thinks that what she’s doing is all in the best interest of the family but it looks like she’s just kidding herself. Who is happy with this arrangement? No one. She’s not and her so-called husband’s definitely not happy about it either. If he actually thought about marrying his mistress then he obviously doesn’t care about how the destruction of his marriage would look to others or his future career prospects. Mom is so worried about protecting these material aspects that she has forgotten one of the most important things that make up a family: love. She believes, like the department store manager, that the individual doesn’t matter, they are the face of the brand so they aren’t allowed to show any emotions. She constantly neglects her son’s feelings and actually wanted him to bury them deep down inside even though he was hurting. Gi Tae just wanted to protect her but she just wanted to maintain the image of a perfect family. My heart hurts for poor Gi Tae who witnessed the façade that was his parent’s marriage crumble right before his eyes. This is why he has difficulty trusting and loving another person. To love requires the ability to showcase emotions. This totally explains why Gi Tae is so prickly to mom, he wasn’t just always like this. At least I’m glad that we also got to see mom’s cold exterior slowly melting and seeing her cry in this episode did pull at my heartstrings. How sad was it that even in the privacy of her own room, she tries to muffle her cries?

Even though Jang Mi tried to sugar coat mom’s intentions, that she just wanted Gi Tae to have a perfect marriage so as to not experience an unhappy marriage like hers, I don’t buy it. Mom was selfish and even wanted to push Se Ah on Gi Tae for her connections. Mom only thinks about how her future daughter-in-law can benefit the family. If she really cared for Gi Tae’s well being, she would let him do want makes him happy (heehee) or let him marry the person that he truly loves. She should know how unhappy a person becomes when they are stuck in a loveless marriage.

I’m also happy that Jang Mi’s mom is kicking it up a notch in terms of her interactions with Gi Tae’s mom but I don’t see how using her family’s entire fortune for a wedding is a smart idea. I know she just wants to prepare for the wedding properly so that Jang Mi won’t be looked down upon by Gi Tae’s family but I don’t know how her and dad living on the streets would help that cause.

I actually do feel bad for Yeo Reum in this episode. Although I didn’t like that he became a bit possessive towards Jang Mi in the earlier parts of the episode, it’s understandable. When you know that something is slowly leaving you, you try to hold on tighter. His current situation definitely makes me think of the quote, “Time is like a handful of sand-the tighter you grasp it, the faster it runs through your fingers”. Jang Mi’s sure lucky though that he’s so generous and has been able to overlook Jang Mi’s indiscretions. Hopefully, she’ll let him go by next episode since it’s now clear that she doesn’t love him.

Also, I just wanted to say how lucky Hyun Hee is to have met a decent guy. Hoon Dong might be a man-child but at least he’s willing to take responsibility and do the right thing especially, when you think about the circumstances under which this child was conceived. It’s nice to see that he’s actually rather doting on Hyun Hee and his unborn child but Hyun Hee is rather calculating and manipulative so who knows if this pregnancy is real. Hyun Hee actually seems happy about this unplanned pregnancy, since it’s what she needs in order to accomplish her goal of becoming the wife of a rich man. Unlike Jang Mi, she wants to quit working as soon as she finds herself a good catch. She’s a total gold-digger. However, I am now very interested to find out what her family situation is. Is she an orphan and that’s why she’s so ambitious?

At least the one good thing that came out of Hyun Hee and Hoon Dong’s relationship is that now they can gossip about Jang Mi and Gi Tae together. It’s great that they can see clearly that Jang Mi and Gi Tae are no longer faking and have actually developed feelings for each other. I’m glad Hyun Hee clarified for Jang Mi just why she was feeling the way she did and how she doesn’t really want to end it with Gi Tae. As for Hoon Dong, he’s less helpful, but it’s nice to see him be supportive of his friend regardless of his sexual orientation.

Sooooo excited for next week’s episodes!!! 😀 Hopefully we’ll get a real courtship.