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Scent of a Woman: Episode 9

With feelings confirmed and out in the open — hence putting to bed the conflict of self-denial — it’s time for the Dreaded Others to step in as antagonist of the day. With the burden of bad guy shifted to meddling others, at least we get some cute, sexy, happy times with our main couple in the brief window of time they get before Yeon-jae’s cancer steps to the fore. And I think that’s gonna happen sooner than later, to my sadness. Why is happiness so fleeting in K-dramaland?

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Scent of a Woman OST – “화답” (Response) [ Download ]

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EPISODE 9 RECAP

Sae-kyung’s family is taken totally by surprise at Ji-wook’s defection, and while Chairman Kang is trying to slap some sense back into them, the parents wonder what’s going on. Hot-tempered Big Brother is particularly insulted and doesn’t hide it when Chairman Kang returns to the party and hangs his head apologetically. But Chairman Im’s decree puts an end to the potentially squabbling: He tells his family to keep today quiet, and tells Chairman Kang to do what he can to bring Ji-wook back around.

Sae-kyung battles her conflicting desires to speak up out of fairness to Ji-wook, and to keep her mouth shut so as not to incur blame. Ultimately she says nothing while Chairman Kang receives her family’s scorn.

And then, on their way out of the restaurant, Dad collapses, clutching his heart. Ah, that old chestnut.

Ji-wook arrives outside his home and crushes Yeon-jae in a hug, not letting her break the embrace and only letting go once she gasps of not being able to breathe. He asks her to come inside, and at her hesitation he laughs, “What are you imagining?” and tells her he has something to say.

He tells her he called it off with Sae-kyung, and she takes this in quietly and asks why. Her response isn’t as dramatic as he may have expected, and he tells her not to think it was because of her: “I did it because of me. I want to live my life, too.”

His tone is uncertain because of her calm response, so he asks why she asked him out — what if he said no? But that’s moot since he admits he isn’t averse to the idea, and the mood lightens.

A phone call delivers news of Sae-kyung’s father’s collapse, however, cutting this short and taking him to the hospital, where the Im family has already arrived.

The mood is fairly hostile as Sae-kyung’s brother tells Ji-wook’s father to leave, since he’s technically the cause. Perhaps feeling guilt for not speaking up earlier, Sae-kyung steps in and speaks to him more kindly.

Ji-wook arrives just as his father is leaving, and Dad faces him with scorn, telling him to fix this or he’s never speaking to him again.

Chairman Im’s condition isn’t life-threatening; his angina has been aggravated by stress-induced shock, but he’ll be fine soon. Sae-kyung’s brother blames her, though, and reminds her that she’d caused Dad grief with man troubles five years ago, too.

When Ji-wook arrives, Sae-kyung asks why he didn’t use her extorting ex as a reason to take the heat off himself. She’s got tears in her eyes, as though she wishes he hadn’t taken the high road because it’s just easier to hate him than to feel like he’s done her a kindness. Ji-wook says he didn’t use that as an excuse because it had nothing to do with the reason he broke it off.

Both Ji-wook and Sae-kyung spend the night in the hospital room, until Chairman Im wakes in the morning. He asks Ji-wook again about the engagement, giving him a chance to take it back, but Ji-wook replies that he’s sorry.

Sae-kyuung’s bitter that he couldn’t even pretend to reconsider, if only out of consideration for her father’s weakened condition. Ji-wook answers that the marriage wouldn’t happen in any case:

Ji-wook: “There are times when I think my father has even picked out the coffin I’ll lie in when I die. I felt suffocated to death, but I always did as he wanted. But I can’t any longer. I’ve begun to want to live a life of my own, rather than my father’s. Live your own life, too.”

Eun-seok spots the two of them talking and puts two and two together, figuring this is Ji-wook’s fiancee. So when Ji-wook runs into him on his way out, Eun-seok tells him pointedly, “You’re busy this morning. This woman, then that woman. Whichever side you choose, shouldn’t you tie up loose ends quickly?”

Ji-wook tells him he has. Eun-seok’s face registers his surprise (and alarm, poor Dr. Poopy!) when Ji-wook adds that he’s called off the engagement.

Chairman Im isn’t ready to take this lying down, and tells his secretary to apply pressure to Line Tour, “just enough to scare them.” The engagement has advanced so far that any step backward would be a public embarrassment for both sides, so this is really more for saving face than anything. And when you’re a huge conglomerate like Seojin Group, there’s a lotta face needing saving.

Ji-wook is adorably nervous as he works up the nerve to call Yeon-jae, tapping his fingers and fidgeting as he asks her out to dinner. She’s nervous as well, but handles it with more composure, whereas he breathes a sigh of relief so big at her acceptance that you’d think he’d just been granted a stay of execution. So cute.

Hye-won pops out of work to drop by Yeon-jae’s house, bearing health foods for her cancer. She’s happy to hear about the broken engagement, although Yeon-jae feels much more conflicted about it — she’s happy, of course, but uneasy and a little afraid as well.

I can see why Yeon-jae wanted to keep her cancer to herself, given that now Hye-won is overwhelmed with her own feelings of sadness and grief, while Yeon-jae wants to savor her remaining time without the label of Cancer Patient. But it’s not all badness, because at least now she has somebody to cry with her and miss her and understand how precious her time is.

When Hye-won returns to work, Manager Noh makes a sarcastic comment about her extended break, but that doesn’t have its intended effect (of cowing her into submission). Instead, Hye-won bursts out, feeling frustrated at the unfairness of Yeon-jae’s cancer, “This is all your fault! It’s because of the stress you cause!” He’s left scratching his head over why women in that desk always blow up at him, ha.

Suddenly, all the office phones start to ring, with clients canceling plans left and right. Clearly Seojin has swung into action, and Line Tour is forced to jump into emergency meetings to try to make sense of all the chaos.

These aren’t just individual travel packages, but huge deals like partnerships with airlines and hotels. The execs quickly make the connection to Seojin, and guess that there’s trouble in the air with the would-be in-law family.

Sae-kyung remains unaware of her father’s doings as she meets with the Line Tours team for an MOU-related meeting. It’s only when Ji-wook takes her aside to apprise her of the developments that she realizes what Dad has done, with some surprise at the swiftness and magnitude of his actions.

Eun-seok’s boss assigns him to handle Chairman Im, which means there’s a complication that the tests uncovered. A small growth was detected in the chairman’s throat, and while it appears benign at the moment, it must be examined further.

The Line Tour office is swamped with calls, keeping them busy well past closing time. With the employees frantically fielding calls, Ji-wook volunteers to meet one client in person, which means he has to cancel dinner plans with Yeon-jae. To take the sting out of the last-minute cancellation, he jokes that he’s playing hard to get intentionally, to make her miss him.

He takes care of the matter, then comes home late to find his father waiting for him. Chairman Kang tells him to beg forgiveness of Chairman Im immediately and continue with the engagement.

Ji-wook stands up his father, saying that he can’t live by his father’s dictate anymore. Dad blows his lid, yelling that he worked his ass off to build this company, which Ji-wook would ruin in one blow. Ji-wook replies, tears pooling in his eyes, “Do you think I don’t know that? In doing that, you abandoned Mother and me. You were so crazed with work that you didn’t even know she died!” Ji-wook recalls attending her funeral alone, at the tender age of 12, scared to death.

Ji-wook asks his father why he’s changed — he was fine without Seojin Group, building his company from a tiny office with one employee. After such an accomplishment, why is he so dependent on Chairman Im’s strength now? Ji-wook insists that Dad will be fine without Chairman Im’s support — and Ji-wook won’t let the company fall to ruin. “So please, Father, just leave me be.”

Mention of Mom’s death is a sore point, and Dad sits down heavily and says with a sigh, “What could you do? What do you think you can do?”

Yeon-jae goes through the morbid process of guessing how many days she has left to live — 127 or so, she figures — and flips through her bucket list. At the wish about wearing a wedding dress, she imagines marrying Ji-wook in a chapel like the one she saw in Okinawa. Then she shakes her head ruefully and flips ahead to another one: To ride a bicycle along the coast.

Ji-wook texts her from outside her house, continuing the joke about playing hard to get and saying that he’s showing his face to her now so she won’t miss him all night. With that, they send each other cute little goodnight waves as Yeon-jae makes her way (very, very slowly) back inside the house, pausing to look back and wave some more.

With the upcoming travel season fast approaching and all their overseas tours virtually frozen because of Seojin’s power play, Ji-wook decides to turn their attention to domestic travel packages in the pipeline, like Yeon-jae’s Wando tour idea. With other employees too busy to take on the necessary work needed to launch a new campaign, he again volunteers himself and prepares to make the trip.

Chairman Kang hears about Ji-wook’s intention to go to Wando directly and grumbles about the futile endeavor, but it’s worth noting that his dismissal isn’t quite as sneering as before. I suspect we’re going to continue to see Dad express his skepticism, but with his cynicism diminishing as Ji-wook proves him wrong with each mini-victory.

Yeon-jae calls Hye-won out with a birthday cake, her good cheer contrasting with her friend’s heavy mood. In addition to worrying about Yeon-jae’s health, she’s weighed down by the work mess and tells Yeon-jae about the Seojin crisis. Hye-won expresses sympathy for Ji-wook’s burden as he runs around in damage control, heading to Wando alone.

Chairman Im’s endoscopy goes smoothly, and Eun-seok tells the worried family that the growth was removed successfully. He adds that if it had grown, Dad could have been in greater dancer — a fact that big bro ungraciously twists around on Sae-kyung, saying bitterly that it’s great that the problem she caused actually saved him from greater harm. And Daddy loves you too. God, why are you such an ass, spoiled little manboy?

Yeon-jae heads in for her next chemo session, preoccupied with the Seojin crisis and how Ji-wook is running himself ragged trying to fix things. By the time she sits with Eun-seok for their appointment, she has decided she can’t sit by without doing something about it, and asks to push her treatment back two days.

Eun-seok can’t approve the move, telling her that she’s not in a position to delay her sessions. But her mind’s made up, and Yeon-jae rushes out with an apology.

Despite her worries, Ji-wook is actually managing on his own quite well. He charms the Wando contacts, who are thrilled to receive him personally and pleased with the way the travel package showcases their highlights.

Yeon-jae pulls up while he’s out seeing the sights in person, and Ji-wook reacts to her arrival with pleasant surprise. She tells him teasingly that she came because she was afraid he’d give this his usual half-assed — daechoong — attention, and had to make sure her project was carried out properly.

They continue the tour together, from harvesting abalone to scoping out camping sites.

Sae-kyung hears about the chaos at Line Tour and how Ji-ook is trying to salvage the situation. She calls him to say that she’s sorry for the trouble and offers to tell her father the truth once his condition has improved. Ji-wook tells her that he anticipated fallout when he broke the engagement, letting her off the hook, but she says that she wants to repay the debt since he didn’t use her ex as an excuse to cry off.

Just then, Yeon-jae (who’s pitching their tent) cries out in pain after accidentally hitting herself with the hammer, and Sae-kyung narrows her eyes suspiciously. Is he there with Yeon-jae? All of a sudden her calm understanding dissipates and her jealousy rears its head, and she exclaims angrily about being passed over for a woman like that. Ji-wook tells her that it’s none of her concern, and ends the call.

That just makes Sae-kyung fume even more, and she remembers her last meeting with Yeon-jae, when the latter warned her of revenge. Uh-oh. This isn’t going to turn into some big misunderstanding, is it?

Ji-wook and Yeon-jae set up camp and sit together, enjoying the night air. Now that she knows that his actions brought the wrath of Seojin on his company, she hesitantly asks if he regrets breaking the engagement. Ji-wook says merely that if he hadn’t, he’d have even bigger regrets.

In a sharing mood, he tells her that after his mother died, he stopped caring about things: “I didn’t want anything, and nothing was interesting.” But since Dad provided everything, he figured that it made sense that he follow Dad’s orders, including marriage. “But I started thinking that I couldn’t live that way anymore. And the reason for that seems to be you.”

She doesn’t know how to take that — it’s touching, but also a lot to take on — so she nervously babbles that it’s time for her to leave. Hurrying through a muddled goodbye, she stands up to go. Ji-wook grabs her wrist and asks her to stay.

She stays, and they settle down to sleep, albeit separately: Ji-wook sits in his car and Yeon-jae takes the tent. But he’s bored, and keeps calling out to her using the littlest excuses to continue talking.

For instance, he tells her to zip up the tent tightly so bugs won’t get in, just in time for her to spot a beetle crawling across the floor. She shrieks and jumps, so Ji-wook races to the rescue and barges into the tent. Wrapping the teeny widdle bug in his jacket, he tosses the whole thing outside and hurriedly re-zips up the tent, both of them waiting for their racing hearts to calm down from the fright.

Ha. I suppose he couldn’t have asked for a better excuse to end up on the same side of that zipper. Especially since she’s more freaked than he is and tells him not to open the tent again, lest it come back. And you two city slickers are the ones planning a camping project? Isn’t that like a deaf man planning a concert?

With the danger (snerk) passed, Ji-wook’s attention takes a turn and he registers their closeness. He moves in close for a kiss that goes from vertical to horizontal…but hilariously, that sideways move collapses the tent and they roll around clumsily until they break free of the vinyl prison and start bickering about who built what badly and who didn’t help.

In the morning, Yeon-jae emerges from the tent wondering where Ji-wook went, then sees him appear at a distance with two bicycles. He comments about having seen her notes about the bike ride (which just happens to be in her bucket list – another item to check off).

He invites her to join him, although his face falls hilariously when she admits she doesn’t know how to ride.

I’m pretty sure their compromise makes up for that:

Then, it’s time to head home. On their drive back, Ji-wook pulls over at the side of the ride to take a quick look at the bluff, explaining that he’s looking for a particular hill. Most likely it’s the vision he had of the tree where he buried his time capsule with Mom, based on his earlier memory of it.

This isn’t the right spot, though, so he turns to head back. Yeon-jae follows behind him, so he misses seeing the flash of pain when she doubles over and clutches her stomach. He looks back and asks if she’s in pain, but she lies and tells him no.

But it’s not so easily dismissible, especially since she white-knuckles it the entire trip back. Ji-wook asks again about the pain, but she waves it off again, saying that it’s probably just a stomachache and that she’ll be fine soon.

Arriving at her house, she sends him off quickly, not wanting him to see her dealing with the pain that’s becoming harder to hide. They don’t see that Sae-kyung is parked in front, eyeing them with a death glare.

She waits until Ji-wook is gone before approaching Yeon-jae, who is leaning against the gate heavily, doubled over.

Sae-kyung practically breathes hatred as she asks Yeon-jae if this is the revenge she spoke of — stealing her man and wrecking her engagement.

 
COMMENTS

I can’t say I love this Seojin Juggernaut storyline any more than I liked the Wilson one, because it feels like a retread of the big guys bulldozing over our heroes out of snideness. I think there’s plenty of emotion and story to be mined out of the relationships and the resolution of how Yeon-jae lives out her remaining days that I’d rather see that be the focus of the drama, rather than more corporate assholery. Like Eun-seok’s conflict as he watches the woman he loves both finding another man AND dying. Ugh, just punch me in the stomach while you’re at it, will you?

Yeon-jae’s starting to feel pain, which means that the giddy, free-spirited days of Living (capital L) are winding to a close. Well, come to think of it, so are her days of living (lower-case L). With the drama halfway over, it’s probably about time this development showed itself, and it’s true that I wouldn’t want the drama to skimp too much on showing the cancer part, because as painful as that would be to watch, it gives her conflict stakes and heft. But now the ticking clock is really making itself heard, and it makes me nervous and sad.

On the upside, the onset of her symptoms makes it harder for Yeon-jae to keep her condition a secret. And while I do understand her reasons for wanting to keep it to herself — she doesn’t want to be treated like a Cancer Patient, and she wants to enjoy what remains of her life without being defined by illness — I do think it’s frustrating that she withholds it using the argument that they wouldn’t be able to handle the truth. It’s one of those staples of self-sacrificing, silently suffering K-drama heroines that drives me up a wall, because even if you’re right, you’ve stripped people of the ability to react, to prepare themselves, to say the things they want/need/hope to say before the ultimate goodbye. Yes, it’s your right to the kind of death you want, just as it’s your right to live the kind of life you want, and it’s your right to be selfish. And it’s my right to hate to the fiery death the kinds of heroines who use that line of thinking.

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YAY!

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The kiss! Beyond obsessed with this drama. :)

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I can't agree more! I am totally obsessed with this drama, and I actually stayed up to wait to watch the subbed ep!

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Hi, I've been searching for the subs the entire day now and I can't find them, can you please tell me where you watched the sub? Thanks!

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Mee toooooooooo!!!! Insatiable with Li Dong Wook!!! Tossing my BF aside and watching the Drama LOL

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Absolutely loving it! Kudos

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One of a kind bike ride...

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agreed never seen two people ride a bicycle like that before...
now everyone in korea is gonna try that bicycle kiss xD

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yes, and many will tumble. I was so nervous watching that bike ride cos it's SO DANGEROUS! Hahahaha.

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I was thinking the same thing! It was different from the back-hugging kind of bike ride...we get more face-to-face time and lip-locking but, gosh... I was scared they were gonna hit something or veer off-course! Good thing Ji-wook was keeping his eyes open!
The actors are so good at expressing themselves. I think this is what makes the drama really work for me. The feelings seem so real. And the relationship between Ji-wook and Yeon-jae is just so cute... like a young dating couple. It's so sad the drama is halfway over and we're now witnessing the growing battle of the cancer. ugh... I know it's the driving force for Yeon-jae's transformation, but why???
I hope we get to see more of Eun-seok. Is he and Se-kyung going to end up together? I actually don't mind that bc they've been a couple before lol... but also bc Eun-seok's attitude will tame down Se-kyung's witchiness. Seriously... I feel like chopping off that wavy part of her hair. And please lighten up on the eyeliner!
Can't wait for today's episode!!!

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LOL i've always been thinking of chopping that irritating hair, too! haha

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yupe... wanna try it too lol...

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OH!!!!! actually there's should be warning at the bottom saying "don't try this at home" or " do by a professional" while the bike kiss scene. because I believe the will be so many people want to try this. but once again this is very dangerous so don't try this at home. more over if you do it while riding on motorcycle.

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Yay, totally love this drama (:

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I didn't know where to find this info then kboaom it was here.

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YEAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Finally. Am i first? I love you jb for this very fast recap.

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I knew it!!!! there was NO WAY you could sleep w/o recapping this tonight!!!!! I looked forward to this as much as the episode (:

Why'd that stupid tent have to collapse!!!!!

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Yea! Definitely! I laughed at his "So you want to do it again?" after the tent broke and they came out. At first I thought he was talking about the kiss and then he says the tent and I started laughing again...

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I think they should have a bigger tent next time so it won't be collapsed, just ruin the atmosphere. may be this is one of Kim Sun Ah dream to have a kiss in a tent while camping. after she fail to do a kiss tent with Cha Sung Won in City Hall.

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Sae-Kyung has giant scary Crazy Eyes. Her face is like half eye. I'm frightened for everybody.

And I hope the writers take a few minutes and explain why her brother is such a jerk! The stuff he says is so uncalled for in the context of the drama that it's distracting. Especially since he's such a complete non-entity as far as the plot goes. he doesn't matter and yet he's so bitter... maybe that's why he's bitter, because he doesn't matter.

I hope we don't get too angsty from here on out. Though, I guess it's hard to make dying of cancer fun...

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Yeah, What's up with the brother.

He seems less formal than the rest of the family and less involved in the running of the business and yet so mouthy and bitter.

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Yesh, I thought I was the only one petrified of her overdone plastic surgery.

I feel a need to make a public announcement.

"Kids, don't try this on your own. You might end up looking like her."

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"Sae-Kyung has giant scary Crazy Eyes. Her face is like half eye. I’m frightened for everybody."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA! I seriously LOLed at that. But, I think She's very elegant looking.

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The person who knows and understands Sae-kyung, who's also the person she seems to trust most. I've wondered since their first interaction if she would end up with him.

I think it's obvious who I'm talking about.

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mr ex-creepy? LOL

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Yup. It doesn't seem like a route the drama would take - Rich girl, male assistant/inferior. Usually it's the other way around.

But there's something about the way in which she's shown as this girl with so many issues and problems, and he basically knows what she is planning, what she will do, etc. Even goes as far as to say once, she can't fool him.

Not only that, she doesn't hesitate in telling him, confiding in him, and just simply airing out her thoughts to herself/him.

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i've thought the EXACT same thing, esp since their first interaction. and now with this ep i'm thinking they might make something develop.

OR now that SK has a reason to interact with ES maybe there might be something that will go on there. eventhough i think she's a mega bitch i kinda feel sorry for her and hope that she can find love to make up for that loser she almost killed herself for.

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Exactly what I thought too!

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changed my name :)

Anyhow - YJ and JW are sooo cute together. I am seriously going to be soo heartbroken when the whole truth lets lose and all the angst and all the pain... and all the sadness. This is going to be pain #2 for JW... his mother, now YJ. I really have no idea how this series is going to turn out... if it's like AIMH or any of those other sad sad endings... I don't know what I'm going to do.

thx for the recap!!

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I love this drama, so romantic . Let's hope it has a happy ending.

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I do feel bad for Sae Kyung but then not really because out lead needs more love.

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Sae Kyung chooses to be miserable. As much as I understand her character, there's also value to learning to make lemonade out of the most tart of life's lemons. I've no pity for her.

I hope the writer's incorporate somewhere in the script someone snarking to her face that she's got one massive case of 공주병. Really, why haven't I encountered that card being thrown in any drama I've seen. But I really, really feel it with Sae Kyung.

I wish the beginning of episode 10 began with Yeonjae slapping Sae Kyung across the face in response to Sae Kyung's baseless accusations that reflect that the baser human being is, in fact, Sae Kyung.

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I have a hard time understanding women who want men who don't want them back especially when they weren't interested in that man in the first place. Sae kyung doesn't like or care for Ji wook none the less love him. She should be happy she has a blame free way out of that marriage she was being forced into. But no, she's gotta be typical and suddenly want to fight for something she's never cared about in the first place.

Also I don't understand why Seojin group wanted the marriage with Ji wook and Line tours in the first place since they consider Ji wook beneath Sae Kyung. Is it because they think Sae kyung's past will get out and then it will be difficult for her to get married? Anyway I'm so kinda over the 'suffocating parents forcing their 30yr old children to get married' storyline....excuse me, but we've got bigger problems– somebody's dying of cancer people!

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I think your guess as to Seojin Group's motivations is right. Saekyung's past isn't pretty, certainly scandal-worthy in reputation-crazy Korea. Gotta wonder if shame and fear aren't part of the mess of emotions driving Saekyung and Seojin Group's nastiness toward others who remind them of that shame and fear. Have some self-dignity, peeps!

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if you watch episode 1, you will understand why SK father choose ji wook. It's because he already made research for other bachelor and the results is some is sleep with his secreatary, some have afair with bar waiters. So Ji wook is the only one who dont have black credits, and eventhough JW don't have money as much as SK it doesn't matter because his job is support SK and never get affair with other woman.

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Why do I love this drama so much? It's well acted and well written. The plus is that the whole dynamic between the leads is actually decently equal for once - seems to be a novel concept for k-dramas. Lee Dong-wook and Kim Sun-ah are easily two of the best actors I've seen yet. I think this is the first drama I've seen where the characters seem real to me (and not adjusted to fit with k-drama stereotypes.)

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agreed ;)

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I quite understand how you don't like the SeoJin asshattery going on in the second half of the show, but compared to the Wilson debacle which shouldn't have been an issue at all really (I mean.... reeeeeeeeally, it took eight whole episodes!!) I think it is a lot more reasonable. And I was quite looking forward to Chairman Im having cancer (and hopefully it doesn't stop there) because I would have liked some interaction between Im and Yeonjae or Eunsook. I hope the ending leads to Sawkyung discovering Yeonjae's cancer before Yeonjae tomorrow. Now THAT would be something.

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Oops, Saekyung

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That WOULD be exciting. The Wilson issue took way too long to fix, and I'd love a slew of mini-stories (like in City Hunter) showing Ji-wook working hard and tackling all the conflicts that come his way rather than one length issue after another.

I actually hope that Sae-kyung won't discover that Yeon-jae has cancer until the end. Sae-kyung's the type who'd just rub that knowledge in, and I'd rather have her consider Yeon-jae a threat - because then that's acknowledging her as an equal. If Sae-kyung were to know about Yeon-jae's cancer, I can picture her saying, "Oh, I'll be generous and share Ji-wook with you, since you can't compete with me financially, socially, and - oh wait! - you're gonna die in a few months" and just being her cocky, entitled self.

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Edit: I hope the ending leads to Saekyung discovering Yeonjae’s cancer before Jiwook tomorrow.

I'm half asleep at the moment but I waited for the recap since dramacrazy hasn't uploaded an english subtitle yet.

I wanna root for Saekyung to improve a lot since I have an unhealthy appreciation of bitchy second leads (case in point: Heejoo from You've Fallen for Me) and I think we're seeing cases of that improvement from this episode alone. I mean, she wasn't whiny self-narcissistic princess when Jiwook broke off the engagement with her until she found out it was because of Yeonjae. And anyone who has gone through their bit of campus (high school anyone?) drama knows two girls with history plus a man in between calls for some heavy drink and tonic.

*Le sigh......... Now that I think about it I ended up hating Heejoo anyway.

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I'm starting to feel Sae kyung is hopeless....some people never learn.

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Agreed. I feel bad for her because she clearly knows what it's like to be heartbroken...but then she just turns on her bitch mode and it becomes so easy to hate her.

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Yeon Jae is super selfish, lol.
I guess it's okay to love someone if you die and don't have to feel any pain when you are gone and also let someone leave their whole life behind for you all while knowing you are only temporary.

I guess she deserves Ji Wook. Blah.

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Actually, in the end Ji Wook turns out to be a guy who has convictions and sticks to them.

I don't know how I'm supposed to NOT think of how unfair and selfish she is being to Ji-wook.

But I went on about it last week. At this point, I'm just going to focus on trivial matters.

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"Knowing you are only temporary."

Ouch.

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Then again, aren't we all?

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That's one way to look at it, but I'm of the camp that it's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.

Even shitty relationships - I learned something from those.

Good relationships - even though the pain may be overwhelming at losing such relationships, what remains is a reaffirmative good, the kind that stays with you the rest of your life.

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"it’s better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all"

I agree. I don't think Ji wook will regret loving Yeon jae. Especially since in this episode he let her know that because of her, he realized he wanted to live his life for himself.

I'm not sure now if I think Yeon jae is being selfish for being in a relationship with Ji wook...I do think she should tell him now that she knows he likes her (I think she should realize that now, he almost squeezed the life out her while hugging her!).

I also don't think that Yeon jae is playing the noble idiot by not telling people about her cancer. It's not like if she told people that someone could save her from that situation. If I were in her situation I wouldn't broadcast it either. Yeon jae probably doesn't want to spend the little time she has being pitied by people and knowing that she makes people sad every time they see her. I can understand that. So I think Yeon jae is keeping her cancer a secret mainly for her on sake as opposed to for the sake of others so that doesn't make her a noble idiot.

One thing about Yeon jae is that she's been very decisive about what she is going to do with the remainder of her time. I think that decisiveness and finality has made many of us in the audience uncomfortable. Yeon jae's made her decisions about her life and these will be her last, but we in the audience constantly discuss what she's doing as if she has years and years to live. Death is no joke and I think sometimes the urgency of living that Yeon jae is feeling escapes us because she seems to be so put together and resigned to her death.

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"but we in the audience constantly discuss what she's doing as if she has years and years to live."

i guess, we are grieving.
step 1: denial.

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What makes me sad that Yeon-jae wants to keep her illness to herself is that she's taking away something from the people she loves. She's taking away from the people she loves the right to make any sort of amends with her or to enjoy what's left of her time. I don't care so much that she want's to suffer alone and and thinks her loved ones can't handle it and yaddy-yaddy-yadda. If my best friend or someone I love will die in six months, I would want to know. I'd want to be there for him/her and spend as much time together and ask all those questions I've wanted to ask that I always thought there'd be time to ask. THAT's why I want her to tell her family. It'd be too unfair - and too sad - for them to find out too late.

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Yes, its's selfishness masked as self sacrifice. Although I love YJ, this is one decision that I hope she rethinks. I know she doesn't want to die with regrets, but please don't leave your loved ones with regrets of their own.

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I actually like that she isn't telling others about her cancer. Maybe because I feel that it would be a burden for her to have other people know. All of a sudden people overly care for you because they know you're about to die; it's hard not to find that disingenuous. And with the kind of person Yeon Jae is, she would feel responsible for the fact that other people are suffering because of her. They will have time to work out their feelings and the possible trauma from her death after she is dead; she does not have that luxury of time. I think she wants to enjoy what's left of her time on her own terms and not have to compromise that in order to give everyone else a chance to say goodbye to her when all she wants to do is live, for once. I mean, whether they know or not--a mother's daughter dying, a best friend dying, a lover dying--it's still horrible. If even in death you have to consider others, then when can someone think of herself first without being thought of as selfish?

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Maybe I'm biased because of watching my husband deal with the deaths of first his mother, and then his father. With his mother he had the opportunity to put to rest some long held resentments and say goodbye with wounds healed and at peace with each other. With his father, he didn't get that chance and that's a hurt that's hard to forget.

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I don't care about the people who are already in her life, but why intentionally go out and cause someone pain just to cross off an item on your list? Personally, I can't see around the selfishness of that.

It's like she just picked a random stranger out of the crowd and was like "This is the most interesting". Bleck. There are so many moral issues with this drama, I cannot sympathize with her at all. It's trying to say "poor her", but I just get pissed, lol.

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The Ji Wook situation is problematic, especially when you call attention to the fact that he's an item on her list (which I'd forgotten about) but I've forgiven her for it. I have wondered about why Yeon Jae has fallen for Ji Wook and not any other rich, handsome guy, and I came to the conclusion that the fact that she likes him is enough. She's been holding back her desires her entire life and now she feels that she needs no justification for them. I'm ok with that.

I actually found her infuriating and more "poor her"-y when she didn't know she had cancer, when she was putting up with everyone's abuse and being the meek heroine. I like her much more now that she doesn't put up with any of that. I like that the drama's bringing up all these moral issues, though. I thought it was just going to be a light dramedy romance type of thing, but I'm really appreciating these aspects of it.

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I totally agree with you.

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Totally agree.

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It's funny, but I don't see Yeon-jae's decision as selfish (I don't know what to make of it truthfully), I just think it's sad that it makes it harder for the people she loves. I see why she wants to spend her days happy, instead of being seen as a cancer patient, but it could cause her to leave behind so many unfinished business. How long is she going to pretend to her mom everything is okay? Up to her death bed? Yes they can work out their trauma and deal with her death AFTER her funeral, but what about the things left unsaid? What about the things Yeon-jae deserves to hear from everyone? What if there are things that she needs to know and everyone is taking their precious time about? It's not just about the loved ones having time to reconcile and make amends, it also works in Yeon-jae's favor.

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Oh, I hadn't thought about that, about how Yeon Jae would benefit from telling others about her cancer. It's ironic: it just makes me realize how much people just go about their lives, holding onto these things they are going to do or say later, at a convenient time, much like Yeon Jae was saving up money and putting her desires on hold at the beginning of the show. I suppose her being sick is a wake up call for everyone, not just her?

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I understand the idea that you want to give people the chance to deal with the fact that you're dying and make amends, but really, for example, do we think Sae kyung is going to suddenly feel apologetic towards Yeon jae because Yeon jae is dying? Call me a cynic, but I don't think she would and even if she did it would be because Yeon jae is dying not because of Yeon jae herself.

I also think it's a fallacy the idea that you can tie up all the "loose ends" of your life before you die. There will always be things left undone and unsaid whether you know about them or not. That is the reality of life and death and it doesn't have to be a sad or pitiful reality. It's just the truth. Is it really possible to die with nothing left to say or have said to you? What does it mean to prepare for death? Living life as you see fit till the end or laying out a path to death. I don't think one choice is better or more morally correct than another. Either can be selfish or sacrificial depending on the context.

If "Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light," then what about youth?.... If "old age should burn and rage then what should youth do?... Yeon jae may not be in denial of her death, but I think the things she is trying to do is her own way of "raging" against her death– living life as she sees fit as opposed to laying out a path to death... Basically the more time that goes by, the more supportive and understanding of Yeon jae I become, just like Hae won.

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I highly doubt Sae-kyung can get counted as a loved one to Yeon-jae. I also think if Sae-kyung finds out, she'll use it as a way to make Yeon-jae stay away from Ji-wook, probably guilt trip Yeon-jae into doing that.

As for how Yeon-jae spends her last days, I think everyone will continue to see it differently depending on how they feel they would like to spend their own final days. I think we would also see it differently if it wasn't us, but a loved one who was dying.

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I totally agree with Yeon-Jae's approach.

She doesn't want to 'suffer alone." She want to live the life she has left on the terms without the limitation people put on her because of her illness.

I say the person who is sick decides how they want to deal with their sickness. And their desires trumps all, unless they have children.

I love Yeon-Jae's friendship with Hye-won but since she has told Hye-won about her illness Yeon-Jae has spend all their interaction comforting Hye-won and making her feel better.

When I had a medical scare, I only told my work supervisor-with the understanding that I wanted it kept confidential, and the one friend I knew who would be practical and not burden me with their sympathy or fears. Thankfully it was just a scare, but I say Yeon-Jae gets to live the rest of her life in a way that makes it easier for her.

I expect this is an unpopular opinion-I think Yeon-Jae has to put herself first, even if some folks end up being hurt.

Now no one will want to be my friend. :^(

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I don't think it's that unpopular an opinion. :)

I think people dealing with their sickness how they feel they should is pretty reasonable. It'll be interesting to see how Ji Wook finds out, how he reacts, and if Yeon Jae tells him or if he accidentally discovers it. I wrote about this in the responses for episode 8, and I would like her to tell him, but not in a moment of fear or anything, but in a moment of confidence and security, because (with ho awesome Ji Wook is being nowadays) she sees in him someone who can handle the news with her and help her, as opposed to someone she will have to comfort.

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You're not alone. I just think people surrounding YJ (incl. her mom, Hye-won and Ji wook) have not given her enough confidence that they can handle the fact that she has cancer easily. We see that after Hye-won knows about YJ's condition it's YJ who has been comforting HW, not the other way round.

While YJ has accepted her condition she has doubt how the others can take it, and I tend to think she can imagine that letting others know will actually make her more stressful if not otherwise.

I don't think YJ is playing the "self-sacrifice" card either; instead, I think she needs to find things that people around her can hold onto after her death before she can tell them the condition. It's her sense of responsibility. This applies to her mom. Ji wook, on the other hand, is someone unexpected as she planned her bucket list. It's one thing she wants to fall in love; but it's not like she can just go on the street and pick a random guy. Nor it's like she can control JW's mind and make him fall for her either.

YJ and JW has just started dating and as we see from the plot development the writer-nim just hasn't given any good timing for YJ to discuss that with JW (or perhaps people think that it's just good to tell JW she has cancer when he's facing troubles with his company? I'm not so sure about that)

About the issue of letting others having enough time to react - I think this point is valid to a certain extent; but I think it just brings out a very important issue here - why do we have to wait until we know there's a "deadline" before we are willing to open up our heart? This drama is telling us that we should treat every moment like it's our last moment, it is only then can we truly have no regrets when our loved ones or ourselves make the last breath.

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I agree. It is bad enough to be sick. It will feel worse to be sick and be pitied, and have to comfort other people.

That's the problem with dying. The dying person has to act strong for the family they are going to leave behind, meanwhile she herself is already having a hard time dealing with her own emotions.
I definitely can understand why YJ doesn't say, yet.

Eventually she will have to tell her mom and others, but while she is still healthy enough to go out and about, she must feel like she want to delay telling to as late as possible to minimize the angst.

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I totally support our heroine too.

Sorry, but this post is going to be a long one because people judging her are really starting to aggravate me.

Imagine if everyone started to cry all the time around her the way her best friend does? It would drained all colours out of life too soon.

My best friend passed away when I we were both 21. He told me a mere month before. He wanted to live until the last moment as normally as he could.

It took me time to grieve him, but then I HAD time.
The price he paid was much higher than mine. I don't begrudge him anything; we even travelled all over Europe -which I wouldn't have done had I known.
We had been saving our money since we were 12! So yeah, it hurt and I cried; but I'm still here.

I think what is really selfish if for the living to make demands on the dying.

They've kissed once, and she doesn't know if they'll date for a week, a month or 6 months. If they start making commitments to each other, then, and only then, will I be upset if she doesn't tell him.

Rant over. YJ hwaiting!

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If I know you personally I'd like to be your friend. :)
I completely agree with you in this. I don't find YJ selfish, too. She just want a little bit more time, before she has to tell. Just a little bit more time without has to comforting people around her. But why has to comforting when she'll be die not the other? :(

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I join the league of obsessed scent of a woman lovers. Its crack addiction and more. I love it so much that i am scared for every episode. You know how some kdrama starts really well then it just makes a wrong turn somewhere in kdramaville then the great is gone. Scent of a woman is so good that i want it to continue being good every week. I want it to get good ratings. I want this drama to succeed. I love the characters because they are multi dimensional. From episode 1, i fell in love in yoon jae. The reactions of characters to circumstances are a result of their past experiences that made them who they are. If anything, i want to see more character development for poopy sook. What makes him an ass? Emotionally and socially retarded? I want more eun seuk malbokie scenes. I want sae kyung to be happy. I pity her, as much as i pity yoon jae. Sae kyung lived being told she is loved only because of money, like there is nothing more in her person that is worth loving. No wonder she flaunts her money so much. I hope she and eun sook finds each other. Cant wait for tonight.

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yup........ I am doing the same thing , hoping for every episode to just get better and better.....

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"you’ve stripped people of the ability to react, to prepare themselves, to say the things they want/need/hope to say before the ultimate goodbye" - I couldn't agree more with what you said in the last paragraph. It bothers me that she hasn't said anything to her mom yet. I know she has the right to be selfish but for goodness sake, I'd want and need my child to let me know they are sick immediately after they find out. Her mom would like to treasure the days she has left, maybe she'd have a list of what she wants to do with her daughter too!

And again, I know she has the right to be selfish, but how unfair it is to keep the sickness from Ji-wook? He's falling in love with her, and then one day she'll just drop a bomb like that on him...I don't know what I would do in her shoes (maybe the same thing) but from the outside I just don't like her behaviour at all.

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It's not even her keeping it from those she already knows that bothers me the most. It's just...not easy at all for me to just forget that she is dreaming up all this stuff with Ji wook, wanting them to fall in love, experience love etc while knowing she will die, and she doesn't tell him.

It's just...

My mind recalls A Walk to Remember. But in there, we didn't know her situation. And even then, it was much more easier to swallow than this situation here.

Even if the situations are similar.

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I understand that she's pushing the thought of her inevitable death away, comforting herself by dreaming up their perfect romance and wedding. And that would be okay if she just found out about her sickness and would be in the denial stage. But at this point, I would want her to fight, to find out more about her cancer, to try the innovative treatment the doctor mentioned, and definitely NOT to postpone her chemo. It's like she gave up already, it pisses me off.

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I think the thorniest issue is about falling in love with Ji Wook and not telling him. She's actively pursuing him, but not giving him the whole picture. I'm willing to forgive Yeon Jae for this, though, because she's got enough problems, and I honestly don't think she has the ability to think that far ahead. Her death is a reality for her; so far she seems only to be able to think of all the things she will never have or do, and all the things she can try to do before she dies, not of the things someone else will have to deal with after she's dead.

I am very ok with her keeping it from her mother, because from what I've seen her mother seems to be rather childish. I suppose she could be generous and tell her and then her mother could surprise her in her reaction and not freak out and dissolve into a puddle of tears and make it about herself as opposed to Yeon Jae.

I disagree about "stripping people of the ability to react," though. I said this in another post, but they will have the time to react after she's dead. More importantly, she's not taking anything away from anyone, she simply isn't giving something to them; she's witholding, not stealing. It's not her job to attend to the emotional needs of others right now. If she chooses to tell her mother or her (other) friends, then she would be doing something for them selflessly, not doing something she is indebted to them for. And maybe they should tell her the important things they have to say anyway, without needing an excuse of impending death. I think asking a dying person to make time for others to get a handle on their emotions is pretty inconsiderate; it's practically asking that person to be a saint.

It's interesting, though, how much is expected of her. She was accused of being morally inappropriate for asking Ji Wook out when she knew he was engaged, and now for keeping her sickness a secret from him.

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I understand what you mean and I partly agree. She should think about herself first and foremost in this situation. I guess I just differ a lot from her character, because I would want to make the best of the time left with the people I like and love. She made a list that mostly consists of things she wants to do alone, but what's the point if she's dying in 4 months and no one will remember that? I'd prefer to spend 90% of the time with my mother, family and friends, so that they remember me well.

As for Ji Wook, my problem is that she's not considering his feelings at all. She has this plan that they're going to have a perfect romance and she'll die in his arms - what the hell is this, Shakespeare's play? What about later, when she's dead and he's left alone, a widower, having just fallen in love with her and then taken his love away?

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She made a list that mostly consists of things she wants to do alone, but what’s the point if she’s dying in 4 months and no one will remember that?

Poopy Doc called her out on the frivolity of wanting to meet Junsu instead of doing something 'worthwhile' - and I seem to recall she said something along the lines of everyone having to decide for themselves what is important. I guess it's different for everybody.

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Totally agree with your post. Her mum is so immature, it would be hell - she can't cope with cleaning dishes or taking out the rubbish (as we saw when our heroine went on a trip in the earlier episodes).

Dying woman = the priority. Aiiish!
Why are people setting such unreasonable standards for her?

I bet if the roles were reversed and Wookie had cancer, most people would go: "oh he's so brave, he's just protecting her".

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Personally, i think it was not really Yeon Jae's intention to be selfish or to keep her disease a secret from everyone except her mother and she already gave out the reason for that.

After all, in this show, she only has 4 persons who is close enough to her that she should share this secret to. Her mother, Eun Seok, Hye Won and Ji Wook and from the very beginning she was supposed to tell Hye Won already but circumstances prevented her from doing so.

Eun Seok of course knows about it since he's her doctor, so i guess the main point of contention for everyone right now is only about how she is not telling Ji Wook.

One must remember that when Yeon Jae started crushing on Ji Wook, it was nothing else but that.

A high school crush much like one has on a popular jock at school whom everybody was pining for. He was just an item on her list of things to accomplish before she dies and probably never in her wildest imagination did she think that something would really come out of it and that they would fall in love.

But in the end they did.

So given that scenario, how easy would it be to just blurt out to a person whom she is just starting a relationship with that she is dying and she has cancer?

When should she have told him?

During the trip in Okinawa when she thought he would be nothing more than a summer fling?

During tango classes while they are waltzing?

Beside that pool after she jumped in when he was trying to brush her off as someone whom he was just helping?

It would have been a different case if from the very beginning she has intentions of starting a serious relationship with him and i would have agreed with everyone that she is being selfish if that indeed was the case.

However, she had given him enough hints already during the time when she was unsure about his feelings for her and her to him and i understand why she didn't share the whole truth during those times because at that moment, there was still something keeping them apart and they are mostly just strangers with an undeniable attraction for one another who doesn't know where that attraction is heading.

Rather than keeping it from him, i think what she's doing is biding her time until she finds the right time to tell him.

The trip in Wando might have been the perfect opportunity but I can understand why she didn't, because first, it was just a couple of days that they have only started officially dating and she is still basking in that glow and happiness that one feels from a newly started relationship that she wants to perhaps savor it some more and second, Ji Wook has enough troubles as of that time and she went there to cheer him up rather than to confess something which would have troubled him even more so.

I know that in time she will tell Ji Wook about it.

On her own terms and not like it's some dirty secret that she is keeping because she has intentions of betraying him.

Knowing how strong Yeon Jae's character is despite seeming like a pushover, i know that this will come sooner or later and i have enough faith in Ji Wook's character too to believe that he might be hurt at first but in the end he would be the one standing beside her, holding her in his arms while she took her last, happy, dying breath.

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Well said and I just concur with everything you said.

I just don't think timing wise there was any "good chance" for YJ to tell JW about her condition. When "right timing" is will depend on both the development on their relationship as well as circumstances at a certain point in time, and you've just made a very good analysis on that.

Plus I think it is only in this episode that YJ starts to feel the weight of JW's love - unlike viewers like us who have bird's eye view on the wholy story.

I'm not even sure if YJ is really "actively" pursuing JW - if you look at all the incidents it's actually JW who's been following YJ around and it is only after the tango dance in ep 8 (which was again initiated by JW) that prompted her to make that question by the end of the episode to test the waters.

Then in JW's home he said he broke the engagement for himself, not for YJ. A day passed. Then JW's already at Wando and finally YJ got to hear JW saying that he wishes to live according to his own wish because of her. I do notice that from both circumstances YJ felt uncomfortable and it confirms my belief that when YJ asked JW if he wants to start dating she didn't think he would give her a favorable reply. It's more like she wanted to confess once and she'll be ok that he rejected her. And that's why we see that she's in a dilemma whether she should be happy about JW's returning favorably to her affection.

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totally agree, i was thinking the same lol, thank u

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I agree with your viewpoint as well. At first, I had the opinion, which I kept for a while until last couple of eps, "groan, they've given your the old-style kdrama syndrome - suffer alone for the sake of others." I mena, you feel like she should have known b/c of her father. How would she have felt if her father kept it to himself then surprise her suddenly when there even less time left? Since my dad died suddenly without telling anyone he was sick and my mom found out she had cancer too late, I was even more sensitive about it. Damn straight angry at the character for not TRULY thinking about the people that care about them - giving them more time to enjoy their presence while they can...

But alas, as the story went on, I give creds to the writers that I feel like I understand her character - the realistic make-up of this fictional character is that she's human - full of conflicts, and like the rest of us dealing and making the best we can with what we got. We have this doctor trying to reel her into reality of her situation, and she, despite seeing her dad go through, still not making the connection. I get that, and the fact that she feels no pain makes her illness less "real" to her so she doesn't feel the sense of urgency to alert others.

As she's feeling pain, the urgency is surfacing, she's waking up and facing hard issues. I actually like how she's trying to handle it, a complex mix of dignity, responsibility and compassion - both for herself and others.

My floodgates opened last week with her confession to her best friend and if it wasn't for the wonderful presentation of her character by Kim Sun Ah, I probably would have left the drama thinking that it's just trying to make a weep-fest out of it. I find Yeon Jae dealing with her death helps me deal with it as well.

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Haha, it has bothered me for very long... How did they manage to ride the bike and NOT FALL OFF or BUMP INTO ANYTHING? Its magic i swear.
I half expected them to crash into a tree at the end of the bike riding scene. haha. :)
LOVE LOVE THIS DRAMA!

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Me too!!! I think Ji Wook keep looking over Yeon Jae's shoulder to see where they are going, and only look at her occasionally and for the kiss.

There is one short scene where Yeon Jae was shouting ahh because the bike was unstable. So cute.

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Thank you for the recap :)
But telling someone you have cancer is a pretty hard thing. They start to look at you with pity and mostly make you feel like you're already dead rather than dying so I understand why Yeon-jae doesn't want to tell anyone, she still wants to live.

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I understand her thinking the settlement $ was tainted, but given her Mom's dependence,does it make sence she would so lightly donate it ? a fantasy i am not buying. I love Kim, but the cutesy direction always seems forced with actors over 22. Its a K drama staple I could live without. Best thing about this are the 3 leads who are great.

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She has set two of her savings account aside to take care of her Mom.

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Yeah, she already prepares enough for her mom even without that money from Saekyung.

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Yeah, not lovin' the whole father collapsing, Seojin payback story line either. It feels like the show is veering into kdrama cliche territory, and the story really doesn't need it. There's enough emotional territory to mine without it, and it takes away from story lines that I want to see more of.

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I agree. I rolled my eyes when Sae kyung's dad collapsed.

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im in love with this drama

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Thanks for the recap. Been waiting for this...Hehe. Can't wait to watch the subbed episode and see the KISS SCENES.

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Love this Drama!

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Thank you for the recap!

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I love this drama. I love the character development, the plot flows, the pacing is really good.

That being said, for the first time, I'm really disappointed.
How can a drama build the passion between the two leads, feed that intensity scene after scene and when it comes time for their first real kiss, have the damn tent fall on top of them?!

I don't need cutsey here - I need passion on the same (or higher) level as the last Tango scene where he shaking with his need for her!
This tent scene was the real-life equivalent of just reaching your "happy place" in bed and then the doorbell rings! And NOT in a good way...

If the writers had handled that tent scene in a serious way, then the bicycle kiss would have been the real cutsey scene of the episode and that would have been okay.

Disappointed, am I. Disappointed. :(

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me too!

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I have to agree with every point you have made. After that tango, Ji Wook, shaken to his core, wasted no time in making necessary changes TO LIVE HIS LIFE! and even makes that same declaration to his father AND Sae-Kyung: "I want to live my life!" (bravo for telling Sae-Kyung that she should live her life also, too bad that Sae-Kyung will be too shallow to take it) Perfect setup: 2 main characters determined to live their lives...and the tent collapses. Which brings me to another kdrama cliche: women clutching their clothes anytime they are alone with a guy. Seriously. At what age are women secure enough in themselves that they can stop doing that, especially since our lead is a woman and not a little girl.

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Yes there is a weakness from the writers because from passion we fall into burlesque and in this episode the story didn't move enough : are they really teen-agers ? We would have needed a bit of City Hall .
All the more that there are many hints to MNIKSS and CH.The episode had other flaws such as a bad editing in teh scene between the son and the Dad : LDW crying and the next second dry-eyed , and too much music .
But this episode was all for the glory of LDW whom the camera loves a lot ; he is improving his acting in every episode and he is getting more handsome . So finally nothing to complain about in this episode , right ?

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i swear that man has the lips of a god! dammit!

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His lips should be banned.

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Banned?

Duplicated and marketed--for individual use and pleasure.

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Just his lips? I'd love the whole package. (:
But I totally agree. I couldn't stop replaying that tent scene and staring at those a-freaking-mazing lips of his. Oh, the thoughts that they stir...
Kim Sun Ah, you are one lucky lucky duck.

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My DL finished around 5am and I was able to get some sleep around 7 cause I need to watch the episode last night, but more on FF, cause scenes without JW and YJ made me feel bored. My eyes are heavy now, but I couldn`t sleep without reading your recap. Thanks javabeans!

The kiss inside the tent was short, but KSA and LDW did it naturally as if they really want it and not acting.
I love LDW lips and when he kissed KSA, it makes me wish for a longer kissing scene of this two wonderful stars.
They looked cute together. Wanting more was not so bad, cause after the tent kiss, there was a bike kiss.
That made episode 9 better than the episode with sizzling hot Tango.

I wish they would focus more on JW and YJ and her cancer.
I wish they can get married and spent wonderful time together, than YJ spending her remaining time in the hospital.

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I wish they get married and live together while Yeon Jae is still healthy enough, and not that kind of bed-side wedding.

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I got three minutes of Eun-seok! Why?!... Oh yeah.
Just a question, what is he looking for in the internet before the doctor interrupts him? What did he write?
I still cant watch the episodes (I just saw the 3 minutes or less), but I saw cute in the recap. Yay for them.
I agree that the cancer is enough reason for drama, they dont have to use the power of the rich and the blindness of the anger and the jealousy. But altough I know it would be better to involve Eun-seok more, It will kill me to see more of his pain. But I can do the sacrifice if I can see more of his development!

Im always greatful, but now the recaps are my only conection to the drama, so Im more greatful. Thank you very much for the recap!

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He was "googling" Ji Wook. He typed in Lion Tour Bon Bu Jang (Ji Wook).

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Thanks!

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Thank you!

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My DL finished around 5am and I was able to get some sleep around 7 cause I need to watch the episode last night, but more on FF, cause scenes without JW and YJ made me feel bored. My eyes are heavy now, but I couldn`t sleep without reading your recap. Thanks javabeans!

The kiss inside the tent was short, but KSA and LDW did it naturally as if they really want it and not acting.
I love LDW lips and when he kissed KSA, it makes me wish for a longer kissing scene of this two wonderful stars.
They looked cute together. Wanting more was not so bad, cause after the tent kiss, there was a bike kiss.
That made episode 9 better than the episode with sizzling hot Tango.

I wish they would focus more on JW and YJ and her cancer.
I wish they can get married and spend wonderful time together, than YJ spending her remaining time in the hospital.

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Javabeans there was an error when I submitted my post, sorry, just delete number 31 comment and this one also!

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Thanks for the recap.

Bike ride looks good on camera, but must be dangerous in real life. I think it needed a don't try this at home.

I love how straight forward and decisive Ji-Wook is now that he has decided what he wanted. I hope he can keep it up.

I'm loving his faces.

Love the bored ten year-old face hanging over the care door.

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I'm a cancer survivor; I've recently finished my chemotherapy and I have follow-ups with my oncologist. Thus this drama truly resonates with me. It's not about a lame heroine who only in episode 14 or whatever, gets a cancer scare and boohoo so she goes to the doctor and it's benign and yay it's a happy ever after with her hero. It's about a heroine who knows that she has cancer from the start, who's trying to live her life as much as she can and has an uncertain future.

Looking at the way this drama is going, I don't have much hope that Yeon-jae gets to live in the end. Am I happy about it? Nu-uh. But this is realistic; it doesn't veer off into the K-dramaland mentality of now-you-have-cancer-now-you-don't. I was in the paediatric onco ward and I've seen so many children who gave it their all but don't make it.

So with seven more episodes to go, I wanna see Yeon-jae battle this damn cancer and even if she doesn't make it, it's ok. Because that spirit and determination of hers to live her life fully embody the pain and struggle of real-life cancer patients. Yeon-jae, hwaiting!

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I know. I love that her cancer isn't simply being used as a plot device or tool because the writers have run out of ideas.

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I wanna vote eun sook w/ sae kyung, hahahaha.. (World within nostalgia) :p

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Me, I just want to vote SK off the island! I find no redeeming value in her character at all. I might have some sympathy if she got hit by a bus. At least for the bus! :)

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Apparently, Yeon Jae will not die because of cancer but because of the kisses that Ji Wook and her share, causing her ovaries to explode.

How can a woman not die after a man looks at you that way and then live afterwards to live the tale?

I'd never look at bicycles or tents the same way again.

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haha! I love your comments, Flowerpot! What is it with you and organs anyway, lol. But yeah, I think one of mine def ruptured, and i wasn't even really with him.

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LOL... maybe i should have been a doctor...

I don't know even in my blog (http://donnapie.tumblr.com) i always come out with comments like that... maybe i was an organ seller in a past life... :D

But seriously, LDW and KSA does something to me INSIDE that i just can't explain... that chemistry is lethal!

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Their chemistry burns the screen (and causes tents to fall). After the Heartstrings finale kiss - I really needed something more substencial in the lips-exchange department.

This series has elements of sci-fi because, that bike kiss scene would be impossible in real life.

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Flowerpot, I can't be bothered to join Tumblr and comment there, but just wanted to say I'm having a right good chuckle over some of your posts - nice one :)

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i checked out your blog--very cool. Was wondering, do you know how to get screencaps for dramas somewhere besides doramacaps on livejournal--b/c for some reason it won't let me access most of them--is it cause you have to be a paying member or something? Just wondering if you might know?

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And how much do I love that after they bickered over who was to blame for the tent's collapse, JW asked, "wanna do it again?". Lol.

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Sae-Kyung's lil strand of hair that's always off to the side is kinda ticking me off...I wish they would just pin it back I couldn't concentrate on the drama with that one annoying piece -_-

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i SOOOOOOOO totally agree with you!

in the drama, she's supposed to be RICH. How come this rich girl can't change her hairstyle?

Get a hairstylist already!!

:)

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She has a hairstylist, one you is committed to the Marcel wave.
http://www.google.com/search?q=marcel+wave&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&prmd=ivns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=QxNRTo2EG4eFsALgubiHBw&ved=0CBoQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=585

The hanging Marcel wave is annoying, but I can deal.

I've having greater issue with her orange lipstick. Maybe the stylist doesn't like her.

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That's because that snakey hank of hair just reflects her personality - Snake!
:)

(actually, I do feel kinda sorry for her - sometimes...)

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ahh I love this drama, I'm obsessed ... Thanks for recap ... ahhh I have hope that the drama ends in the best way .. I do not want to see suffer .. I really want to finish happy .. but all make it seem otherwise because she feels the symptoms of cancer .. but I love the drama above all that each chapter has been improving and is getting very exciting .. I liked the scene of the bike .. is really sweet .. really wanted to be in their shoes ..
wait to see the next chapter .. feet this drama is having the reception of the audience .. and is positioned as the first .. Thanks again for the recap ..

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Awe. I want that bike ride. I'm willing to lie about not knowing how to ride a bike just to do that.

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Okay - we'll let you take that bike ride, provided that no WHITE pants are involved - especially since the first thing anyone sees hanging over the handlebars is a huge, white butt.
Knowing how thin KSA is, how was that shot even possible?
Fire the wardrobe stylist for that one!
:)

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Thank you for the recap!!!

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thanks for the recaps! i watched it raw earlier and funny how i can understand sentences now... kdrama addiction FTW! hahaha

random question... i know what song Ji Wook's ringtone is... but i want to know Yoon Jae's ringtone too... it sounds familiar but probably an old korean pop song?... help?

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Aaaaaaghh! A tent-toppling kiss with lee dong wook!!!!! God bless beetles!

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LDW is an amazing actor. He can show the character's feelings without even saying anything. I love how many different facial expressions comes across his face and it makes me want to fall in love with him! :) KSA is a great actress as well and their chemistry is unbelievable. I hope despite the cancer issue, the ending will be a happy one. I wish!!!

Btw, thanks for the speedy recap!

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"shall we do it again?"

YES PLEASE! *tilts chin up expectantly at Lee Dong Wook*

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Thanks for the recap!

"I think there’s plenty of emotion and story to be mined out of the relationships and the resolution of how Yeon-jae lives out her remaining days that I’d rather see that be the focus of the drama, rather than more corporate assholery" -- i totally agree! I think a lot of the external conflict is what is holding me back from really enjoying this drama, beyond the scenes with YJ dealing with her fate. I want to see YJ live out the remaining days of her life, not her getting involved in all this outside nonsense with the stick-up-her-ass Saekyung and her messed up family. It really leaves a bad taste in my mouth when I watch YJ have to deal with this crap when she already has cancer. Now we'll have to watch SK try to tear YJ a new one in every other episode. More drama-free YJ scenes, please!!

And Saekyung- for a second, I thought she was turning over a new life and then she flips out over hearing YJ's voice.

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I'm really excited to see all of their reactions when they will know that Yeon Jae has a cancer and has a few months left here in this world..
I'm excited to see how they cry, how they regret... FOR THE BAD THINGS THEY HAVE DONE TO YEON JAE!!!

One thing's for sure about this drama.. When Ji Wook will know Yeon Jae's illness.. He will be a little bit like CHOI HAN KYUL on coffee prince (when he knew that eun chan is a girl)... SHOUTNESS OVERLOAD! TEARS OVERLOAD too! :(

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Another good recap!!

I find that the pace of the drama is really good, given that we all know how this is going to end... I certainly hope I'm wrong but it would be meaningless to build up all the emotions to this point..

My heart aches for both of them as the episode continues, and clearly I'm enjoying the "pain".. I'm such a sadist..

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The speed in which the re-caps come out is in proportional to the quality of the drama! Scent of a woman rocks!

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Those two kisses... /swoon!! xD

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Yay!! Like you, I'm finding my giddy anticipation tempered by a wish to avoid the sadness that's soon to come. By the way, I too thought that ji Wook had found her bucket list, but on second viewing, it seems that it was part of her wando tour proposal, no? Thanks for the recap, keep it up!!

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