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Love & Marriage: Episode 15

Love & Marriage reminds me of the exchange in Clueless — Cher: “He said you gave him a toothache.” Tai: “How’d I do that?” Cher: “It’s an expression. It means he thought you were sweet.”

If this drama were a type of candy, all my teeth would have fallen out by now.

SONG OF THE DAY

Love & Marriage OST – “이젠 나를 붙잡아” (Hold onto me now) by Jung Jae-wook [ Download ]

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EPISODE 15 RECAP

With the month-long break over, Kang-hyun and Hyun-soo are back together and loving it. They’ve gotten simple gold couple rings, and the romance isn’t just limited to them: Hyun-soo’s brother is doing so well with the housekeeper Kyung-ae that they’re intending to marry. Hyun-sung says, “Marriage will be hard… but I’m loving it to death.”

Hyun-soo brings up the note Kang-hyun had left on the rooftop the day before. It has numbers scrawled on it — what does it mean?

Kang-hyun explains the first calculation as how much money Hyun-soo makes in a day (30 x 24). The second is how much he makes in a year (365 x 720). And the last (55 x 2.628 billion)…

Kang-hyun says that it’s how much he would make over the remaining 55 years — it’s the monetary value she will have gained through meeting him. But don’t think she’s being a gold-digger, because she tells him, “Help me earn back that amount for the rest of my life!”

Or, in other words, she’s proposing.

Hyun-soo is so touched that he makes out with Kang-hyun right there on the bench they’re painting, giving them matching pink-stained jeans (that look vaguely heart-shaped).

Later that night, Kang-hyun blames her lost alcohol tolerance on Kyung-hwan — to encourage him to study, she would go out with his classmates instead and set them up on dates and ruined her stomach with alcohol. Hyun-soo doesn’t think that makes scientific sense, so he suggests they test her ability to drink, and it turns out she’s fine. The metaphor extends to her love life, because Kang-hyun had thought she had drunk for the last time, and loved for the last time. Both of which are now proven false.

Hyun-soo thanks her for proposing, but wishes he’d thought of it first. He blames his dating inexperience, but Kang-hyun happily says that it’s not a big deal — there’s no reason the man should always propose first.

She may have proposed first, but Hyun-soo feels the liquor first, and passes out. Kang-hyun helps him back to his hotel room, and starts to undress him because he’s sweating. A glimpse of manly chest makes her jump back nervously, but then she decides to take a peek.

But the thing about Love & Marriage is that it promotes equal-opportunity ogling, so in the morning, Hyun-soo awakens to find Kang-hyun sleeping on the ground at the foot of his bed. When transferring her to his bed, he falls on top of her (of course!) and has, shall we say, a libido-driven moment. And then he takes a cold shower.

Kang-hyun wakes up as he’s emerging from his shower. With a smile, she calls his washboard abs “chocolate” (for the grid-like pattern), but he says, “The chocolate has melted. I haven’t been able to exercise lately.”

Back at work, now that the month is over, the offices of Last Love are back in business.

All the couple managers push for a welcome-back company dinner, but in the month break, Sung-ho has become serious, spouting Confucian-esque sayings with the grave air of a poet sage. And then they tell him that Hye-sun called off her wedding and he cheers up instantly. (We don’t see exactly how that occurred, but I think it’s safe to assume that she was having second thoughts and was moved by the way Sung-ho let her go and wrote her his goodbye poem.)

At dinner, the other couple managers complain how they spend all their time setting people up on dates but never find love themselves. Kang-hyun spies how Dong-joon and Sun-hee act around each other (comfortable, though not romantic) and starts seeing a potential match forming in front of her eyes. (She then plants the idea in their heads in the following days by telling Sun-hee that Dong-joon likes her, and vice versa.)

Hwa-young, on the other hand, is still single without a good prospect in sight. She tells Kang-hyun that she had asked for her to be her couple manager because she’d seen how Kang-hyun brought about the change in Hyun-soo, and wanted to get to know her better. The tenor of their acquaintance has taken on a friendly, almost warm tone, and they both declare the desire to become friends.

Hyun-soo is visited (again) by his celebrity client from episode 1, Lee Bi-yin. Her short-lived second marriage is failing, and she calls her husband a wife-beater and a liar (he’s accused her of cheating). Although Hyun-soo is uncomfortable around her because she’s always throwing herself at him, the case seems pretty clear, so he proceeds.

When Hyun-soo consults with an older colleague, he spies the wedding ring on his hand and decides to ask for some advice on how he proposed. The guy says he did it in the “usual way” — the big gesture in a fancy restaurant with a fancy ring — and then teases Hyun-soo about taking the plunge. (A bit abashed, Hyun-soo says he’s just curious, but the guy knows better.)

Not being familiar with the “usual way” for proposals, Hyun-soo consults that Source of All Omniscience: the internet. It’s cute how Kang-hyun reads over his shoulder (startling him), and tells him, “The reason women put so much importance on big gestures is because their reality isn’t romantic… I don’t need a proposal. Things are plenty romantic just as they are.”

Soon-young and the cute receptionist get a good couple forecast, and while they all agree that those forecasts don’t mean anything, it’s still satisfying to get a positive one. (Like horoscopes, or drama ratings.)

That reminds Kang-hyun of the negative forecast she got with Hyun-soo, so she goes back to her co-worker, Min-jung, to ask if there’s a way to overcome a negative reading. Min-jung takes a look at their prediction again and says that while it signals difficulty, it’s actually not a dire reading — if they work through their difficulties, her married life is perfectly capable of being successful.

This conversation leads Min-jung into musing that she’d like to be dating, too, but everyone assumes that in her occupation she doesn’t need any help. So Kang-hyun asks what type she likes, and starts forming a plan. Hearing that Min-jung likes wild, manly men, Kang-hyun takes particular note of the other cute receptionist dude at Hyun-soo’s law firm when he leaves work wearing leather. When she comments, he says that he dresses down for the office, but he’s actually a biker. Bingo!

Two birds, meet one stone. Kang-hyun calls her three co-workers out for drinks, but then calls Min-jung out for a blind date with Cute Biker. Seeing him decked out in his non-office attire and on his motorcycle, Min-jung sees the guy in an entirely new (and appreciative) light.

This also leaves Dong-joon and Sun-hee alone together, who start out uncomfortable and awkward, but manage to kick-start their romance all the same.

Now for Kyung-hwan. His relationship is going well, but he must inform Hye-sun of his decision to take a hiatus from school. Hye-sun doesn’t think his decision is necessary, and believes it’s all in his head — she saw for herself that he was competent. She doesn’t like that he’s giving up on the exam at the last moment, but her job offer still stands.

Kyung-hwan wants to be cheered up by Kang-hyun, but she’s busy with work, so he wanders up to the rooftop. This is his first time seeing this unexpected scenery, and Kyung-hwan relaxes in the chair for a nap.

(Following this is the part that was so funny in a cringeworthy Office-like way that I actually had to pause and walk away for a few minutes. You see it coming in advance, but it’s still totally awkward and uncomfortable. LOL.) Hyun-soo ends up on the rooftop and sees someone bundled up in the blanket, napping. Naturally he assumes this is Kang-hyun, and “surprises” “her” with a hug.

After the initial unease, the two men sit down and chat. Hyun-soo commiserates with Kyung-hwan about the competitiveness in law school, and recalls how he’d been an outsider by turning down invites to go out. Actually, Hyun-soo admits that he’d been curious about going out with his classmates to hostess bars (which sometimes serve more than just liquor, if you know what I mean), but couldn’t afford it. He asks Kyung-hwan to keep that tidbit from Kang-hyun, and Kyung-hwan agrees that this falls under the category of manly loyalty.

They bond, and Kyung-hwan surprises Kang-hyun when he sends her a text out of the blue that reads, “Park Hyun-soo is a good guy. You got lucky.” Manly loyalty has Hyun-soo merely smiling, declining to explain exactly what brought about this change.

Also, Kang-hyun’s parents agree among themselves that they no longer oppose her relationship, but Mom cautions Dad not to tell them right away. It’ll only get them excited and possibly cause an “accident” (i.e., pregnancy).

After a date, Kang-hyun and Hyun-soo are back in his hotel room when they are interrupted by the arrival of a drunk, depressed Bi-yin. Hyun-soo had found out that Bi-yin had lied about not having cheated on her husband, and withdraws himself from the case — if he can’t trust his client to be honest, he can’t represent her.

She bristles to see Kang-hyun with him, and when Hyun-soo identifies her as his girlfriend, Bi-yin takes a swing and they engage in a (too-short!) catfight. Bi-yin then drops to the bed, mumbling drunkenly that she’s lonely.

Hyun-soo calls someone — her friend? manager? — to come retrieve Bi-yin, hoping this is the last he sees of her.

Things start wrapping up for the others as well: Hwa-young decides to head to Morocco, citing its rich food culture as a great job opportunity. She assures Sung-ho and Hye-sun, who are back together now, that she’ll stick around long enough to attend their wedding.

The Bi-yin incident doesn’t die a quiet death, however, and gets blown out of proportion when reporters catch wind of Hyun-soo’s involvement. They ambush him at work, and publish unfounded gossip citing Hyun-soo as the reason for Bi-yin’s divorce. (The heightened media glare catches Hyun-soo and Kang-hyun off-guard, but it’s understandable since Bi-yin and her husband are celebrities.)

Hyun-soo is maligned as a homewrecker, and the reporters hound him so much he changes hotels. Metizens gleefully rip him to shreds online, and we have a bit of meta dialogue as Soon-young delivers a tirade against internet slander (in the wake of recent tragedies such as Choi Jin-shil‘s and Ahn Jae-hwan‘s suicides). Soon-young argues for the need to regulate, while Hee-soong takes the argument against legal action.

As a result of the media frenzy, clients turn from Hyun-soo, deciding that they cannot trust a cheating lawyer to handle their divorces.

I think we can safely rule out the asshole prosecutor as a possible match for Hwa-young, because he’s still a major douchebag (as well as engaged). He goads Hyun-soo about the rumors, and Hyun-soo loses his temper and punches the guy.

Kang-hyun comforts Hyun-soo, but he thinks he’ll need to make a change in order to get over the recent chaos. Hyun-soo submits his resignation, feeling sorry for causing trouble for the firm, and declares his intention to take a break. He’s worn down and fatigued, and needs time to get away. Hye-sun tears up the resignation letter but tells Hyun-soo to take a break anyway.

Therefore, this time it’s Hyun-soo’s turn to request a vacation. He only needs a week to recharge, and Kang-hyun supports his decision.

In the meantime, our new couples all proceed swimmingly:

Kang-hyun hangs in there pretty well for a week even though she’s worried about Hyun-soo’s welfare. He hasn’t called her all week, and she tries to convince herself that everything’s okay. Her composure slips at work, though, under the watchful eyes of Hwa-young (they’re gathered to congratulate Sung-ho on publishing a collection of poems).

Just then, Kang-hyun receives a video message from Hyun-soo, and slips away to watch it. Hwa-young joins her in the stairwell to sympathize with her difficulties — Kang-hyun’s just worried that the week will stretch into an indefinite time period.

Seeing the video clip, though, Hwa-young recognizes the scenery.

Now that she knows where Hyun-soo is, Kang-hyun goes to see him. Her first impulse upon seeing him at a nearby dock is to rush over immediately, but then she reminds herself that she’d promised not to interfere with his alone time.

Instead, Kang-hyun decides to return home since she’s confirmed that he’s okay. As she’s leaving, an empy soju bottle on the ground gives her an idea. A few minutes later, Kang-hyun has scrawled a note and put it in the bottle, and sets it in the water.

Just as she’s sending it off toward the opposite dock, Hyun-soo appears on the dock behind her and calls out her name.

 
COMMENTS

Hm, no man for Hwa-young just yet. Like some of you, I’d also considered the Cash King as a prospect, but while he remains one untied loose end, I don’t know if he’d be the best match for her. I feel like Hwa-young would be dating him out of pity more than them being a good match.

Then again, I may be okay with her being single (although I don’t think that’ll happen), because what occurred to me this episode is that while it’s cute and fun to bring lots of couples together, I don’t want the message to be that everyone needs to be paired up for us to have a cutesy-fun ending. Nothing wrong with romantic couplings, but also nothing wrong with leaving some of our characters un-matched.

 
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Thanks for the quick recap!!! I can't wait till the last episode. I have enjoyed this drama so much because it is so light hearted and just fun.
I have to say the funniest photo above was the two airheads in matching aprons. LOLing at that...

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So many cute pairings in the last two episodes!

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Man this woman is a miracle worker! Hook me up too Kang-hyun! ;)

Oh and I am also toothless.

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Mmmm....chocolate... :D

Thanks, Sarah! Gonna miss this sweet series when it ends. :(

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this is just too cute ..
I'm keep smiling during all my reading lool
thanks !

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it's really a feel-good show:)

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Love the chocolate comparison. Yummy. So Kang-hyun was the one who actually proposed. Haha, that's so her. But I'm still hoping for a little proposal from Hyun-soo even though it's no longer a surprise. Ahhh...can't wait for episode 15. Thanks for the quick recap! :)

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You are fast! Appreciate the recap as usual. This is really a feel-good drama all the way.... I like! Although we consensusly agree what a hunk Kim Ji Hoon is, I must say this is one time I really like the female lead very much too! Kim Min Hee is so infectious and endearing!! It's nice to see the world through her eyes. Scriptwriter did well here. Looking forward to the next episode but kinda sad it's ending too.

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candy sweetness this episode is :) I squealed at the screencaps of the rest of the couples. too adorable

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thank you for the recap! and MORE couples! omg, i love stories where so many couples get formed at the same time! And the whole Hyun-soo gets attacked by the media and netizens and called a homewrecker- totally did not see that coming! Though Hwa-young doesn't need to be paired with another- I feel like she really deserves to find love and I want to see that happen on screen! This series is the sweetest series I've ever seen- and it's great how the two female leads end up being friends and the two male leads too- got me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. And Kim Ji Hoon in nothing but a towel?! HOTNESS! And I love it when dramas show characters searching the internet for information-especially relationship information cuz people do that in real life too!

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awww.. that was so sweet. gosh.. im kinda sad its gonna be ending though. i wish for an episode more but i know this one doesnt kinda need it. i just love the way the story went and the characters grew on me so much. ill be missing them, they bring a smile to a sometimes not so good week.

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i like how episode 15 didnt include some ridiculous omg type of twist to spice things up for the end... what a refreshing change :)

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thank you sarah.. love this eppie.. i suddenly want some chocolate now.. hahaha

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Thanks Sarah. You are a very witty, exceptionally smart writer. If you'd do this for a living, it would be easy for you to become a gazillionaire. Hehehehe. We are nearing the last lap of Love & Marriage. I am wondering what will be your next project. Big thanks also for recapping this episode sooner than expected. may you be blessed!

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Thanks for this sweet romantic recap. She did a good job in pairing everyone around her except for HwaYoung. Hopefully there is someone for her. Looking forward to the marriage part.

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Hah! the scene where hyun soo just came out from his ''cold shower" - and we saw him just in towels.....hmmmm.....i was thinking then at you JBeans....LOL! because this sure makes you feel like envie de toucher hyun soo's naked chest...as most of us girls would like it too! But i am impressed in all the korean dramas because all the intimate scenes are done avec prudence; cautiously and sensible. Thanks JBeans!!!

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Cuuuuute :)

But I kinda wished some of the couples could have gotten together a little earlier. Would've loved to see their development...

And I also would be OK if Hwa-young was single. It seems like she's so weak and "needs a man" to complete her. It would be good to see her realize that she has to find happiness in herself first.

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This eps have sweet and sad moments. Uww i can`t believe it almost end. But there`s something that i don`t get, why KH suddenly able to drink alcohol and HS is the one who drunk. I know you said it`s a metaphor,but i still don`t get it. I mean she`s not faking drunk the last time. Did people can really be drunk because of her set of mind telling her that she`s not able to drink alcohol? I`m confused???

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Thanks for the recap...

It's so funny to see that those new couples mimic Hyun Soo and Kang Hyun's lovey dovey scenes..those the girl sit on the guy's lap scene, the holding hands outside toilet scene, the guy gave the girl massage and the cooking together scene, were all Hyun Soo and Kang Hyun's scenes from previous and this episode.. LOL...

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I love this drama! Almost as much as Coffee Prince...sometimes I find that Kdramas' storylines get repetitive so I am always trying to look for something different. In this case the leads are refreshing. Not only eye candy but I love a Korean actress who is more natural in looks and mannerism (like Kim Min Hee) instead of one that is too made up (like Chae Rim?) I also like Kim Ji-Hoon's role. Some may call his acting stiff but I chanced upon another drama he acted in (Why Did You Come to My House?) and he was so different in it...Anyway, as always, thankful to Dramabeans' recaps. I am a such a sucker for romantic kdramas...sigh....

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i want eat that chocolate :-P

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Yum, Moroccan food is amaaaazing. And, SO amazingly cheap IN Morocco.

And the mint tea!

More nostalgia! And, I'm really loving this series. I'm just sorry that I can't watch it myself!

Thanks for the recaps!

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hey the chocolate abbs are really cute!!! it's too cheesy at times but still my addiction this whole month. thanks for the recap!

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The asshole prosecutor should match Lee Bi-yin.... they are of the same kind.

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thanks for the recaps. kbs isn't airing this drama with subs. they usually do, i'm not sure why this one isn't. maybe due to low ratings.

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Love & Marriage is so incredibly cute and squee worthy!
(secretly I like Kyung Hwan better than Hyun Soo though)

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Hwa-young, for some reason (the obvious romantic ideas for Hyun-soo aside) has lately just got me thinking, "She'll get together with a lovely woman." It kept repeating in my head while reading this cap "She's gunna get together with a woman." Haha, not really sure why, but at the same time I think I'd be tickled if that's why there's been no luck on finding someone so far.

:D

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So sad this drama is going to end soon... only 1 more episode to go...

Anyway... it has been sweet and romantic and funny so far. Thoroughly enjoyed this drama.

Thanks Dramabeans as always for the wonderful recap.

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love it and yeah i agree. it is not necessary for everyone to end up being with someone but then it wont be a feel good show without it. unless the writers can really make it sweet that she ain't with anyone.

one more episode...and its done! sob sob sob!!

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maybe hwayoung find someone in morocco? possibly another food person?

the chocolate thing was so cute/funny.
ahhhh I love this drama. so sad it's ending in one more epi! =(

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Thank you so much for all the recaps, I really appreciate your great efforts for all these recaps. I am just loving the show which indeed is one of my of best romantic comedy after MY Lovely Sam Soon and Which Star r u from.

Its sad that the show is ending. I am gonna miss that roof top, Kang-hyun and Hyun so lovely kisses and romantic moments, Kyung-hwan cuteness, being anxious to look forward for every other Mon and Tues and many more things. Wish the show cld have been bit longer.

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I LOVE THIS DRAMA!!! I've been watching it in mysoju.com and it only goes as far as episode 12 (with eng sub) and I went on watching it without the sub at viikii.net. That's the first time I've done that (since I dont speak or read Korean) and decided to come here so I can understand what went on with those episodes without subs - thank you for the recaps and I'll be waiting for episode 16. Thanks again.

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I secretly like Kyung Hwan better as well. He's really cute! ^_^ I can't wait for the next episode. I'm sad that it will end soon though. ='(

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