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Nice Guy: Episode 15

It’s time for everyone to choose which side of the divide they stand on where love is concerned, with Jae-hee ready to throw love away to gain everything, and Eun-ki ready to throw everything she’s gained away for love. It makes for some interesting internal conflicts amidst all the corporate machinations, which have managed to stay interesting so far if only because it’s fun to see how Maru and Jae-hee go to war over business acumen.

But when our good guys are fighting to carve our heroine a place in a business she’s only interested in by virtue of their interest, I’m left wondering whether all this effort is really worth it. Eun-ki’s told us what she really wants, but if it’s not Old Eun-ki telling us, does it make a sound?

Ratings took a nice jump this episode at 18.3%. At this rate, we might even hit the 20% mark.

SONG OF THE DAY

Nice Guy OST – Song Joong-ki – “Really” [ Download ]

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EPISODE 15 RECAP

Jae-hee catches Maru after the meeting with tears in her eyes, asking how he could dare to use her brother against her. Despite his declaration that he’ll stop at nothing to return Eun-ki to her rightful place, Jae-hee can’t see how he would stoop to her level.

Well, there’s solace in that she recognizes it, and Maru does too: “In this world, do you think Kang Maru and Han Jae-hee are different? Anyone can become like you, but because they don’t want to, because they don’t want to go to that extent, because to become someone like you is embarrassing and shameful, they are barely holding back.”

He gets in her face to say all this, taking pleasure in bringing her down a notch. Even if he’s really saying that the two of them aren’t so different after all.

Jae-hee’s desperate to put a stop to all this, and offers to throw everything away if he’ll come back to her. Maru just smirks as he tells her not to rule it out, but, “With my empty shell, what are you going to do?”

Having witnessed the exchange, Min-young commands Jae-hee to come back to her senses. If she’s thinking of throwing everything she’s gained away for a man she threw away to gain it all in the first place, she’s got another thing coming.

Eun-ki knows something’s strange with Jae-hee for her to have given her the co-CEO position, though Maru just tells her that Jae-hee simply recognized her skills. Eun-ki doesn’t believe him, but lets the matter drop.

Then we see Maru open up to her as he expresses concern over continuing their fight, since it’ll only gain Eun-ki more enemies. But more than anything, he wants her to regain her memories so she can face whatever’s coming.

“Try your best to remember me. Bring me out from your memory. If you could remember me, all your memories may come back to you,” Maru says.

He takes her by the hand and leads her up the steps to his old house in an attempt to jog her memory, but she comes up with nothing.

Meanwhile Jae-hee is already at his front gate, which according to the neighborhood ajumma is now her front gate, since she bought the house.

She also frequents it often, and sits in his familiar yard longingly while Maru and Eun-ki are just outside the gate. Eun-ki recites the things she should remember, like this being Maru’s house, but they’re only words – she doesn’t actually have memories attached to them.

Any potential reunion is stopped when Maru prevents her from going inside, and Jae-hee remains on the other side, completely unaware.

Whoa. So we find Jae-sik beaten within an inch of his life on Min-young’s orders. He seems totally unaffected by Jae-sik’s bloody face and calmly asks what it would take for him to turn against Maru.

The next place Maru takes Eun-ki to is a vista overlooking the city, where they’d once broken up. He tells her as much, and that it was due to her finding out how much of a bad guy he was.

But when she asks for him to tell her what she found out, he refuses and tells her to find out herself. She takes him up on the challenge.

They pass a lovey-dovey couple on their way home, which prompts Eun-ki to ask Maru why he doesn’t kiss her: “You always seem like you only have one foot in the door with me. Like a person who is ready to run away at any moment.”

He doesn’t answer right away, and she comes to the shy conclusion that they must have. Which is why it throws her for a loop when he says they never have. I love that she’s literally all, No way.

Even as he remembers the passionate kisses they’ve shared, he lies to her that they haven’t kissed yet. Eun-ki doesn’t know how to react so she just walks away awkwardly.

They’re both restless that night as they think of each other, but Eun-ki is the first one to sneak into Maru’s room in the wee hours. She’s not there for a kiss, she’s there to wake him up so they can go to Taesan for some early morning business tutoring. She can’t wait around forever for her memories to return.

I love that she’s the one super eager to get to work, yet she’s the one who keeps dozing off during the lesson. Maru can’t help but smile.

They’re back to doing their bluetooth/hygiene routine, where he coaches her on the healing resort project she’d worked two years on. When he tells her that she was good at her job, she practically puffs up her chest in pride.

Later, Maru gets a call from Joon-ha with some grim news: Jae-hee embezzled funds from the company and secretly transferred them to Eun-ki’s account in order to incriminate her later.

Team Jae-hee doesn’t know that Team Eun-ki knows this yet, which is the only card Maru can count on for now. He chooses not to tell Eun-ki until they know more, since she’s buried in her studies on how to run a corporation. Where’s a montage when you need one?

Jae-hee meets with a chaebol we all know – Eun-ki’s past boyfriend, Jung-hoon, the one who’d completely used her. Both Jae-hee and Min-young are well aware of his past, which is probably why they called him in the first place. And surprise surprise, he’s recently divorced.

He shows up in Eun-ki’s office calling her informally, and the sad look on her face means she might just recognize him. Or at least recognizes that she should recognize him. Bleh, now I’m just confused.

Secretary Hyun informs the rest of Team Eun-ki on Jung-hoon’s sudden arrival, worried that he’ll find out about her amnesia.

They don’t know that it’s too late, because Jae-hee already told him about Eun-ki’s lost memories. She takes the role of a concerned mother worried for her wayward daughter, and wants Jung-hoon to help break them apart. Oh, and she’ll give him a lucrative business deal in return.

Now this is devious, since Jae-hee’s playing dirty. And Jung-hoon is terrible enough to go along with it, since it’s clear his feelings for Eun-ki aren’t sincere. But he’s playing them up to be.

He actually has the stones to ask Eun-ki about her current fiancé, before acting all hurt, like, “What kind of person was I to you?” What a douchenozzle.

Maru passes him on his way to Eun-ki’s office, and finds her looking crushed. He doesn’t say a word and just leaves her be.

Jae-gil and Choco have an unexpected guest in the form of Jae-sik, who tries to convince them that he’s turned over a new leaf. He’s certainly not one for privacy as he asks Choco about her love life, and she unashamedly claims Jae-gil as her boyfriend, and that they’ve even kissed.

Jae-gil takes offense to this, since he was unconscious when it happened. The two bicker back and forth on whether it counted as a kiss until Jae-sik intervenes by shoving Jae-gil forward so he locks lips with Choco. Hah. I know Jae-sik is there to do something terrible, but I love that he’s all, Well, that takes care of that.

Jae-gil stutters out that the kiss didn’t mean anything before he follows Jae-sik’s orders to scrub his back in the shower. He makes it sound like he’s got a line out the door of people who’d just be dying to have that honor.

Jae-sik ends up trying to put BB cream on around his open face cuts and has a bad time of it. When asked about what he’s doing now in terms of work, he replies: “I’m watching to see which side I should be on to get the most benefit.” Points for honesty.

Since there’s a rule which dictates that Min-young and Jae-hee must never have the lights on in their offices, Min-young uses the dark to brood about Jae-hee’s lingering feelings for Maru. He’s seen her display them time and time again, especially with her offering to leave Eun-ki alone if Maru would take her back.

Maru calls Eun-ki to let her know that he’ll be out all night and that they’ll need to move their early morning tutoring session to a slightly-less horrifying time of five a.m.

He’s pulling an Eun-ki by waiting outside a CEO’s house, and tries to catch the man before he disappears inside, while Eun-ki holds the picture of them together from Aomori close at home.

The CEO Maru’s visiting is one in on the Eun-ki Embezzlement plan, and Maru threatens him with one day to come out with the truth. He completely misses Secretary Jo waiting with some thugs outside the man’s house, and is asleep in his car when police later pass by. What in the what?

Jae-gil calls Maru frantically from the bathroom, since police have invaded their house looking for him. The CEO is in intensive care from receiving a beating, and Maru is their chief suspect.

Maru seems to realize right away that he’s been framed and urges Jae-gil to take care of Choco and Eun-ki. In a sweet moment, Eun-ki holds Choco’s hand for support until the police are gone, having come up empty-handed in their search.

Jae-gil tells the girls that Maru has been framed, but he isn’t too worried since Maru knows how to get himself out of a tough spot. Eun-ki still waits up for him to pick her up in the morning, but Maru never arrives.

Police show up at Taesan the next morning to investigate the assault of CEO Kim, which Jae-hee has to find out about through her secretary. So either she staged it and is faking it, or she really didn’t know anything about it. My money’s on Min-young.

Eun-ki blames herself for Maru’s situation, and that he’s always cleaning up after her messes. Joon-ha tries to get her out of her cycle of self-blame by admitting that Maru’s job is to clean up after her, so he’s doing his duty.

Obviously she doesn’t understand all the implications of his words, and asks if Joon-ha would be able to throw Maru under the bus if he were in her shoes just because it’s Maru’s job to be thrown.

No one’s heard from Maru, yet he pops up in Jae-hee’s executive bathroom like a ghost. (Seriously, how did he sneak through that entire building unnoticed?) She’s under the impression that he really did assault CEO Kim and tries to tear him a new one for taking such risky measures, but stops in her tracks once he tells her he was framed.

He implicates Min-young as the “brains” behind Jae-hee’s operation, but that’s not what’s important: “What you need to do right now is to clear Seo Eun-ki’s name. After that, you need to apologize to Eun-ki sincerely. ‘I apologize for treating you like a fool.’ You’ll also say, ‘I’ll never bother you again with such dirty tricks and immature actions.'”

Jae-hee claims it has nothing to do with her, which causes Maru to move toward her, each step more menacing than the last. She backs up until she meets a wall, and Maru all but presses her against it as he traps her in the corner.

“If you think about it carefully, I think you will know whether this is related to you or not,” Maru says, making sure he’s eye level with her. She’s shaken, and wants him out of her personal space so they can talk freely. I’m sure she’s going to just call the police on him.

However, when Min-young calls her, she looks legitimately afraid as she answers. He asks if Maru is there and she lies that he isn’t in order to protect him.

That’s not how it ends up looking to Maru, since the police arrive the moment Jae-hee walks out to meet him. This time I really do feel bad for her, since he looks at her like he’s been betrayed when she really didn’t do it this time. (“The Boy Who Cried Wolf”, anyone?)

Joon-ha stops Eun-ki from rushing off to Maru’s rescue, because she has to keep up appearances now that she’ll be representing the company. She’s more upset about Jae-hee calling the police. Please tell me we’re going to start seeing Eun-ki Smash.

Jae-hee isn’t happy with Min-young taking actions she never told him to take, even though he’s deluded enough to think that he deserves a compliment. There’s a way he has of saying things that toe the line between controlling and just plain crazy, as he uses an analogy of a car that might break down on the way to its destination, but it must continue on the road it’s taken no matter what.

And guess what? She’s that car, and he’s the madman behind the wheel. Min-young: “Although you momentarily go off the track or waver, I will steer you straight. So relax and trust me.” Famous last words.

Eun-ki comes storming into Jae-hee’s office with Joon-ha hot on her heels, even though he isn’t able to stop her from offering Jae-hee Taesan in exchange for leaving Maru alone.

When Jae-hee demands to know why she’d trade everything for him, Eun-ki simply replies: “Just because.” This is not in a language Jae-hee understands, and she grows more and more screechy as she demands to know what Maru did to make Eun-ki like this. Is he extorting her? Threatening her?

“No matter how crazy you are, how can you give up Taesan for a bastard like him?!” Jae-hee cries. Eun-ki is unaffected by her hysterics and wonders why this is such a foreign concept to her – she loves Maru more than Taesan, so why wouldn’t she choose what she loves most? Does that not apply to Jae-hee?

“No. Not only me, but anyone in this world wouldn’t do that, either. Does love feed you? In order to have Taesan, I can throw a guy, even love, away at anytime,” Jae-hee fights back. And Eun-ki doesn’t press the matter, since they’re clearly on two different pages.

She accepts that she’s being crazy and doesn’t care, while Jae-hee is left fuming.

Joon-ha’s not a happy camper because Eun-ki just handed over Taesan, but they don’t get to go into it further since Jung-hoon spots them. Eun-ki soundly ignores him before she’s on her way.

Joon-ha remembers him from their time spent in America, which means he remembers the false drug charge. Jung-hoon claims that he came once he heard about Eun-ki’s situation, and asks if there’s any way he can help.

We then find him in Eun-ki’s office, asking her out for tea. Has this date been Joon-ha Approved?

Our resident lawyer has gone to visit Maru while he’s under the prosecution’s care, and tells him about Eun-ki offering Taesan in exchange for clearing Maru’s name. “Does this make sense to you?” Joon-ha asks.

Meanwhile, at the only coffee shop in Seoul, Jung-hoon shows Eun-ki a picture of them together that he claims he’s kept with him all these years. He “shyly” admits that Eun-ki was his first everything – his first love, his first kiss…

But these words bring back Eun-ki’s memory of confessing her love for Maru in the rain, and how their kiss in Aomori had been her first. And when Jung-hoon claims that they lived together in New York telling each other that they loved each other a million times a day (*vomit*), she remembers how she’d told Maru that she’d never said “I love you” with all her heart before, nor had she ever heard someone tell her he loved her before him.

Jung-hoon is on a roll, and takes Eun-ki’s hands in his as he asks her to start over with him. She now remembers her entire confession to Maru, and knows that every word Jung-hoon says is a lie. So when she orders him to take his hands off her, it’s Old Eun-ki peeking through.

So there was a literal contract Maru signed in order to swear that he’d leave Eun-ki once she returned to her place, and it’s that contract that Maru brings up now: “If I can’t leave, what happens then?”

Joon-ha’s more in shock than anything, like he hadn’t even considered this as an option. The fact that he’s all, “But you promised” has me feeling terrible for him. How long has he been in law that he believes people’s promises?

Maru calls him out for the same thing: “Whatever credibility and integrity did you expect from a bastard like me? What would you do if I just keep standing my ground?” He explains how he stands to gain everything if Eun-ki stays with him, and how if she’s already willing to give up everything for him, all he needs to do is keep doing as he is in order to have all of Taesan.

But he seems more intent on how Joon-ha would stop him, as if he wants to make sure Joon-ha can stop him. The most he can come up with is suing Maru for breach of contract, “But, when Eun-ki’s memories return, it’s game over for you anyway.”

Secretary Jo has paid the real thugs to turn themselves in under Jae-hee’s orders, thus clearing Maru’s name. Min-young is not happy about this, and lashes out at Secretary Jo. Wow. It’s nice to see him, yunno, actually move.

Eun-ki’s waiting when Maru is released, though things get tense when her expression turns serious before she calls him a liar and a crook. “You deceived me,” she says, causing Maru to go stock still…

“You said that you and I haven’t kissed?” Oh, she’s just playing with him. She thinks that he didn’t believe her when she’d confessed that their kiss was her first, and walks off all embarrassed.

But Maru’s quick to catch up to her. “Remember this well,” he tells her, his voice urgent. “This time, don’t ever forget it. Remember it well. This is our first kiss.”

Then he swoops in to make good on his word. Omo omo omo omo.

And of course, Jae-hee watches the whole exchange from her car, having come to pick Maru up.

 
COMMENTS

Well, that’s not your mom’s drama kiss. But it is your mom’s drama in that the second lead must always be within viewing distance to look on mournfully while the One True Pairing has a make-out sesh.

Every time someone (mostly Joon-ha) reminds Maru that this whole little charade will end the second Eun-ki regains her memories, I want to throw it back at the drama as a double dog dare. If we’d seen Old Eun-ki recoil in horror from Maru once she found out about his schemes we’d be on a different level, but Old Eun-ki was willing to accept him, warts and all. It was Maru who kept pushing her away out of guilt, though I’m of the mind that if he’d opened up just a little, Eun-ki would have fought tooth and nail for their love/not love/half love.

It’s getting to a point where I hear much thunder but I see no rain, and I’m ready to hit the fallout stages of this supposedly epic memory gain. Eun-ki’s been undergoing her own changes since the amnesia, but as we see her begin to slowly return to her old self, it seems like we’re losing whatever footing we gained while she was an amnesiac. It’s not like she was incorrigible before (the friends she has now are the same ones she made when she was a word-that-rhymes-with-ditch, who were willing to do everything for her even pre-amnesia), and she knew how to manage a business. So if she’s just re-learning everything she’ll eventually remember along with re-learning how to be suspicious of those she should be suspicious of, what exactly is her amnesia supposed to be teaching her (and us)?

If there’s a positive edge to this ongoing ailment (aside from her learning how to open up to Eun-suk, because that was adorable), it’s that Maru is learning how to wholeheartedly fall in love with her. For him, this really is their first kiss because he no longer has a hidden agenda, but this monumental occasion would hold more water for me if Eun-ki were standing on equal footing with him. As of now, Maru’s still technically deceiving her by withholding the truth, and seems all too aware that he’s only temporarily enjoying her company while she doesn’t remember who he really is.

It works in that it makes them both more tragic figures, even though Eun-ki was tragic enough when she had only a Barbie for a friend. She’s tragic in that she loved the same man through thick and thin, even through a total factory reset, only to have him finally start to really come around when she’s missing a couple marbles from her possible suicide attempt. He’s equally tragic because he’s got a ticking time bomb in his head. If only there was a competent neurosurgeon in this show intricately tied to Maru’s medical past with the ability to fix him… (Come on, Nice Guy! Fix your anti-hero!)

I’m fine with them being as tragic as they want together, but I do wish Eun-ki could have her full faculties in order to face whatever comes at them so that this journey could include her full participation, instead of her being strung along to manage a business she only slightly cares about. So that maybe, just maybe, she can be Maru’s knight in shining armor for once and give that boy a well-deserved break.

 
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i love this episode..and yes, because of the KISS! :-)

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Yeah, Maru, tell us what kind of guy are you? *facepalm* *headdesk*

Another great episode, and more Old Eun-ki than ever, but still not enough! It was so nice to see her tell off her old skeezy boyfriend in classic E-k style, though.

Also, congratulations, heroes! You have now both lied to Eun-ki. I’m sure that is going to be so nice to remember when she gets her memories back. Although I’m glad the kiss lie didn’t last for too long, I wish she’d been the one to kiss him, rather than vice versa.

I’ll be interested to see how much of this is an act on Maru’s part. We saw glimmers of his real feelings even before the accident, with his tender kiss on Eun-ki’s cheek while she was asleep, but until Jae-hee’s duplicity came out I think he was still holding out for her. Currently, I want to believe that he actually loves her, but I’m afraid to trust him. Especially with that little Joon-ha encounter. It’s hard to tell how much is bravado , wanting somebody to trust him, and how much he really wants love or money. Also, I hope he doesn’t pull a Jae-hee and lose sight of what’s really important with the possibility of all that money.

Anyhoo, I really love how in taking care of Eun-ki, he’s healing his own heart. Now, Maru, about this brain surgery… GET IT THE FUCK DONE. Ahmygahd. I mean, 6 months of swindling after the accident and you could have totally had enough to have the surgery and be recovered by now. What gives?

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I think they will save the "brain surgery" thingy on the last episode. It's their last card to bring Eun Ki and Maru back in each other's arms.

Also, if I'm not mistaken, the surgery is not a simple one. He might have serious complications and the percentage of the surgery's success is not high. It might result a brain damage if the surgery fails.

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heol! He gets brain damage and she nurses him back just as he nursed her - I can live with that!

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I want that end. Someone finally needs to take care of that boy and let him rest.

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I agree with you, despite his wrong act and decision, his action always driven by someone else problem/conflict. It's never about him.

I want the ending is finally someone has to take care of him. it breaks my heart seeing him like this the entire drama. But please don't him tragic ending

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WIth this writer's history, I'm just afraid he'll get brain surgery, lose his memories, and fall back in love with Jae Hee - his first love! (Then Eun Gi will take a gun to both of them, then turn it on herself! haha)

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with this writer's history...he won't get brain surgery in time...die and Eun Gi will kill herself. Or they will somehow freeze to death

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Yes. I am sure that you're right!

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I'm predicting Maru's surgery in ep 19, with amnesia just as Eun-ki's is cured.

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Oh yes, I thought of that too, Maru ending up with amnesia after brain surgery and Eun-ki having to nurse him back to health.

That will be hilarious though in the worst kind of way.

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I'm going to ride that prediction along with you.

I think we get a total re-set for Maru towards the end.

And the benefit of that is it will be like Jae-Hee will not have existed--therefore any insecurity Eun-Ki might have about Maru's past relationship with Jae-Hee will vanish because for all practical purpose it would never have happened.

And unlike Eun-Ki Maru's memory will won't have a possibility of coming back because the surgeon will have actually cut his memories [Jae-hee] out of his head.

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Nope, no more amnesia, please.
I would rather have another side effect of brain surgery like a temporer paralyze or no, as long as it doesn't affect his virility. (Yeah, I know. I'm a little bit picky in this thing. They still need to produce beautiful babies, y'know :)).
But Eun Gi will still have him unconditionally. ...
Another amnesia (sometimes) seems superficial in the drama, 'cause in the end it will be cured and that "beautiful shell" left intact.

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Oh, I didn't say I WANTED more amnesia. It's a silly and overused plot device, and although they've used it pretty well here, it's getting old. I'm waiting for him to go blind or something, to pay for his past wrongs or whatever, so long as EVERYBODY LIVES. Except maybe Attorney Ahn, he's a slimy skeezeball who does not seem keen on giving up Jae-hee or not being evil.

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And given Maru's lifelong unlucky streak, if I were him I wouldn't be so confident that the surgery would be a good thing. It's like tempting fate. The little bit of luck he had was when Eun-ki returned to him....but she ended up returning without her memory.

Fate needs to give this guy a break. Please don't kill him off! (I don't want Eun-ki to be responsible for his death!)

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I'm kinda worried about him living or dying... Just because of the writer's TRAGIC works

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He is so gonna die unless they push through with the 1-ep extension. LKH rolls like that...you know, making us love the characters and then - WHACK! 'Kills 'em off!

The foreshadowing of Maru's death just seems so 'blatant' now. I'd take it as conditioning ones' tear glands.

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Really? It's not hard to figure out he loves her completely and totally and anything he says to sexy lawyer is mostly bullshit. His talk with Joon-ha was testing the waters to see how far he'd go to get rid of him because Maru obviously thinks he can't leave on his own. Listen to his song man. Maru doesn't care about money in the slightest.

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i agree..He is sincere with Eun Ki. And all those things he have told the lawyer is obviously NOT TRUE.

Before, when he kissed EK, he's emotionless (with eyes opened while kissing). But now, it's obvious that he did it WITH LOVE.

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Yeeeah you're right. Although he doesn't seem to think he deserves her love, so I'm worried that he agreed to the deal to make it seem to Eun-ki like he didn't actually care. Old Eun-ki would call his bluff in about a half-second, but Current Eun-ki? Not so much. Here's hoping Joon-ha rips up the document or something and sees that Maru actually cares.

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Maybe...just maybe... in Maru eyes, he is a 'bastard' that should not be saved?

Jus sayin' :P

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Well, yes. It makes sense for the character, too, but I can still be exasperated with him :)

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Definitely. His unhealthy, depressed impulses will have him throw himself away at any chance. His sacrifice for Jae Hee established that even before he was burdened with guilt he didn't value himself enough to look after his own interests. Now the whole thing is complicated with a lot of guilt. As long as Eun Ki needs Maru, he can convince himself that he has a reason to be there. Once she doesn't need him, he may just sacrifice what he wants (staying with Eun Ki) again for her hypothetical benefit. But it seems that Maru is learning to value his life and his happiness a little more, otherwise the conversation with Joonha wouldn't have happened and the kiss may not have happened either. Let's hope that once Maru allows himself to be happy despite his guilt it's not too late...

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y'all remember back to Maru's flashback of Jae Hee, Choco, Jae Gil and Maru cooking/eating? that's Maru's happiness. family having family moments. and he's now getting that with EunKi---so i think he's falling and his convo with Joon Hawtness :0) (lawyer) was more info gathering regarding 'their' contract and ramifications if Maru breaks contract/promise.

he's definately fallen. game over.

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I think it's really clear that he loves her desperately and his tete-a-tete w/ Joonha was his way of making sure that someone will fight to keep him away from Eun-Ki, to make sure that he doesn't try to have happiness for himself with a woman he thinks he's wronged . He definitely isn't motivated by money. He's intentionally presenting himself in a negative light, letting Joonha continue to believe that he is an opportunistic con artist. It's just so sad.

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But i'm not sure that Joonha buys Maru's I'm in it for the money.

I'm not saying he thinks Maru's motives are pure, but I think he suspect there is more than the money to it.

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i agree.

Joon Hawtness knows MaRu took the fall for JH's murder victim, so me thinks Joon Hawtness trusts MaRu more than he is letting on.

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I hope Joon-ha "backstabs" him and plays cupid to a Maru and Eun-ki OTP!

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i'm also hoping that hottie lawyer will change his mind in the end and see through Maru's sincerity towards Eun Ki.. *SIGH*

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I think you're right. He seems to think that it's his responsibility to keep away from Eun Ki, but because he thinks he may not be able to and doesn't want to, he makes sure that someone else will fulfill that role...

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I believe at this point he does love her.

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Agree with you. When he walked out of the police station and she was there the look in his eyes and on his face was of a complete love. Wow!

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so ready for the real showdown! Bring pain or turn this show upside down but I need to get to the end game and just have it be done with - either he is gonna die and I cry or he is not but I cant WAIT any more - show you hurt SO GOOD

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lols. patience is a virture, JoAnne.

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I agree, JoAnne. This show is making me weary. I feel the constant framing schemes by Jae Hee and cohorts that always fail are getting a little old, as are the does he/doesn't he really love her and does she/doesn't she remember plot lines. (However, true to this writer's history with this show, next episode goes a really long way to clarify and move things along - yeah!)

And as much as I love this show, I really hope they don't have an extension!

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Oh the kiss <3

Does it only irk me whenever Maru gets all up in Jaehee's space? Because she sure doesn't mind the close contact.

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greets autumn--

i think JH is shaken and disturbed when MaRu gets all up in her grill, because of his anger and meaness. She calls him on it by saying it's not his style to which he retorts that even he can change to be just like her.

i don't think she is liking the new MaRu 2.0, especially when he gets up close and personal.

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Somehow, the kiss doesn't get me all hot and bothered. The harder Maru falls for Eun-ki, the more my heart aches for him in knowledge of the heartbreak to come.

(I know, I'm such a wet blanket.)

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This was once again a great episode. I believe 16 is the last episode sadly. I love this drama.

I love it that the kiss was, as Maru explained, their first kiss. There are a lot left in mystery throughout the drama. I hope the conclusion is a satisfying one.

One complaint I have is jaehee once again watching as the maru and eunkee kiss. I thought she ruined a perfectly good kiss which as maru explained was genuine all around this time. For me thee writers should not have stuck jaehee there.

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I stand corrected. Last episode is 20. Yay! lol.

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There's also some talk of an extension. I hope not though. I love the pace as it is now.

http://koalasplayground.com/2012/10/26/san-francisco-foreshadowing-or-just-an-earworm-from-nice-guy/

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No extensions. Down with extensions! Ugh. I will be sad if that happens.

I like the author's hope that Song Joong-ki and Moon Chae-won will vacation in Bali after it wraps to prevent that from happening, though.

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NO more extensions please! And i'm hoping for a happy ending, seriously. :-(

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From what I'm picking up here and there, the extension was brought about because people now demand that Maru stay alive. LKH must've already written the entire thing, which totally means she's killed off Maru in the end.

But let's see. I've never liked killing off characters just because it seems like it's their fate. Anything is better than dead.

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Actually, I know someone on this board (who will remain nameless) who thinks dead is better than ending up with Jae Hee!

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Phew, you scared me. I think the show is 20 episodes, so there is enough time to wrap things up satisfactorily. AHEM, writers.

Also Jae-hee being there moves things along faster plotwise, and seriously. There are private kisses in Dramaland.

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The kiss didnt get me all oozy with Love too cos Eungi look so unresponsive. For a girl aching & asking for kisses , she sure is clammed up . Its really not an instintive reaction to a kiss that one's been curiously desiring for.
So Thank you so much , writer-nim , for reading our posts about eeky morning breath & lack of kisses. Thanks for the teeth brushing session & the 3( i think) kisses. Please tell Chae Won to pucker up & respond more. Mummies are in the house. We could upscale from kindy kisses 101 to 301, maybe..surely?
Also I'm kinda tired with the Amnesia runaround.
Just get out of it already. Move On!
Jae Gil , please , go tell Choco & Eungi about Old bleeding brains.And , one more thing , writer-nim, please make sure you don't kill off Maru or shift amnesia to him. That'll be SOO irritating! Sorry & Thank you .

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greets jade---

i agree with peeps that are not romantically moved by the kisses. after watching Faith, i have very high expectations of emotional bonds between couples. hopefully writer-nim took notes about Faith romances, bromances and villainces (villains + romance?)

amnesia is making all of us forget what is lies and what is memories and what is truth. so, i agree...move on and remember to forget.

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Omo omo omo! The kiss, i was crying.. tears of joy.

And Jae-sik playing cupid for Choco and Jae-gil, hahaha i cant believe i like him for that.

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I enjoy that doofus brother - when he was singing about the big office building he was going to get I was PEEING with laughter

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NG you are making me feel sorry for JH and I'm not sure I like it. I probably wouldn't feel sorry for her if she wasn't such a failure at being evil. She's really not cut out for it.

The more loving EG/Maru are the most uncomfortable I get for their future. I can't really enjoy the moments knowing they are just putting them there to potentially rip our hearts out later.

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I agree. I still dislike JaeHee with a passion, but I can't help but feel bad for the gal.

Every time she attempts something loving -- give Maru money when he visits her, make Maru a doshirak, throw Minyoung off Maru's trail -- she just steps into a pile of dog sh*t.

It's like Fate is trying to tell her, "STOP HELPING MARU. YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE EVIL AND ALONE!"

Tragic.

Her road to hell is paved with intentions -- both good AND bad, sadly, and the way her wheels of morality turn, turn, turn, I have no idea what fated Realization she's supposed to learn.

JaeHee: Damned if you Do. Damned if you Don't.

I guess I can see why she chooses "Don't" so often. What's the point of trying to be good when she ends up getting punished for it anyway?

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I also feel sorry for JH - mostly because of Lawyer Ahn, who is definitely a bad character. At least we can see that JH has some semblance of a conscience (before she crushes it). With Lawyer Ahn, it's like he doesn't even feel the slightest bit bad. Like the whole Chairman Seo's death scene. And I don't like how he's so obsessive over her. The way he knew that Maru was in Jae-hee's office- I'm sure he has her office and probably her home bugged. When Maru touched her name plate, I was sure some bugging device would fall out. While I think JH always needs to be taken down a notch and be at the other end of evil machinations, I don't like how Lawyer Ahn tries to control her.

I love the EG/Maru moments, but I also feel really anxious for them when they're happy. It's like the happier they get, the harder they fall.

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You know, though, @asianromance -- I dislike Lawyer Ahn, too, but I can't help but remember that he wasn't so bad to begin with, really. He used to be somewhat noble and fiercely loyal.

I think Lawyer Ahn is a case of what happens when you go crazy for an already neurotic and self-serving character. There's just no win.

From the set up, it's like he gave up everything to become evil Chairman Seo's ONLY right hand man. He decided to give up on evil to protect an evil from another evil, to save Jaehee from a fall from grace.

It's poison he's drunk, falling for a character who doesn't understand love.

Your ideals of love begin to grow perverse after a while, me thinks.

Anyway, in dudespeak: Ahn betrayed his One True Master to serve Evil Queen Jae Hee and her designs on World Domination, or at the very least, Ridiculous Wealth and Power.

But JaeHee's betraying their agreement with her indecisive heart that wants to help, hurt and possess Kang Maru all at once.

Lawyer Ahn may have a perverse Code of Honor, but at least it's a Code of Honor.

JaeHee has none, which is a bit hard on the Dark Knight Lancelot and his devotion to his Black Queen Guinevere.

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Haha thanks for the written update since it was running slow for me (melodramas) and I have lots to do. Skim skim!

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The kiss was more like Maru sucking Eun Ki lips though. She had her lips sealed tight.

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haha! It's because in this drama, Maru is an expert kisser, while EK's first kiss was Maru. That's why the director just instructed MCW not to move her lips. HA!

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Just like all PDs instruct all the female leads in Korean drama. Yep, that excuse doesn't work much anymore. :P

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This show is really killing me.
It's so good that I don't want it to end.

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when Jung-hoon claims that they lived together in New York telling each other that they loved each other a million times a day (*vomit*)

LOL

Actually felt my skin crawl when he touched Eun-Gi.

Thank god for that ending to wash it all away. Just wanted to bask in it for a while because more than any other couple, any other k-dramas, with these two, a few minutes of pure bliss & happiness equals unbearable heartache in the near future. So I loved Maru's urgency, when he told her to remember it, to remember how much he loves her now. And I think it's something he was telling himself as well, remember how much he loves her and was loved in return, to get through what's about to happen, what he thinks is inevitable and unavoidable.

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MEH. I was soooooooooooo not interested in the Jung Hoon storyline, though I guess it did serve a purpose: show us how much harder EunGi trusts her heart than what everyone else is telling her.

Memory-loss or no, this gal is consistent.

The whole world can tell her that the grass is green and the sky is blue, but once her heart's made up its mind that the grass is pink and that the sky is falling, she's going to act accordingly.

Despite what she'd been told about her relationship with Junghoon, she was hesitant the entire time, not even trusting for a moment that any of this was really truly true. Even with the pictures and the supposed evidence.

It kind of has me wondering what EunGi's gonna do once her memories and faculties return.

A part of me wants to believe that she will continue with Maru, since she did accept him, warts and all, but Show's taught us time and time again that whenever there is a hope of happiness, Fate and Karma shall swoop in and crush it under its unforgiving heel.

After all, it WAS a suicide attempt. And though we were unsure as to whether or not she was fully aware and conscious of the fact that she was taking Maru with her in the tunnel, she had GIVEN up on, literally every hope, aspiration and dream in that car crash -- and that may include all her loyal attachments to Maru.

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Regarding the car crash, I wonder if she would have done it if Joon-ha hadn't TEXTED her that her dad died. (seriously, don't reveal bad news to people while they're driving. I've definitely seen another drama before where a guy gets bad news over the phone and he's so worked up, he gets into a car accident that killed his passengers). Must have driven her crazy to know that she was chasing after a lowlife while her dad was gasping his last breath. (But really sucks that she had to take Maru down like that and now he may die)

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Yeh , greasy jung hoon made my skin craaawl too !
* Uuuuwwwak Vomit * Soorry everyone. Gut reaction .
Maru & him are oceans apart ! Eungi can't like such differing types, right ? People normally like a certain type & they're chalk & cheese! Anyway , they shudda chosen a less retchsome character .

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Do all melodramas have bad endings (aka leads do not get together or one dies or both dies)? I'll be so freaking upset if the ending is horrible (any scenario where its not happily ever after falls in this category). -stressed-

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Oh yes, this is what has been occupying my mind too... This is the first melodrama that I love, and as much as I'm enjoying the heart wrenching moments, I want Maru to live!!!

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Not all, but a fairly high percentage do. Even if the ending is not straight up tragic, there is usually a whole lot of angst before it's over. Let's just say it never hurts to have the tissues handy! :)

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good call, trix.
i used an entire box of tissue on the drama "scent of a woman".

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Not all melodramas do, but this writer has a record of really, really tragic endings. Someone did point out though that some of her recent work have ended without tragedy.

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"Eun-ki’s told us what she really wants, but if it’s not Old Eun-ki telling us, does it make a sound?" Good point, cleverly put. Yep, we're spinning our wheels here-- it's time to show us Eun Ki 3.0. This ep. was kinda draggy for me but I did squee at the real Maru showing up for the kiss this time. Let's hope that tongue is as effective as tofu in terms of preventing further arrests.

Thanks for another great recap!

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Forgot to say how much I enjoyed the moment near the end when MR and EK just stood there staring at each other, reveling in their mutual feelings. And I also enjoyed being serenaded by SJK while reading the recap. :D

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Just noticed you picked Song Joong-Ki's OST track for this episode. *approves* :) Could you do it for episode 16 as well? Pretty please? I'd love to listen to it while reading your recap/review, and episode 16 is emotionally tough to watch.

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His eyes! They're closed!
Yup. definitely his first real kiss.

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Thanks again, Heads for driving the bat-mobile while i watch the scenery.

just gotta say, i used to think my family was messed up, but we aint got nothing on this clan! OY. i got nothing but prayers of gratitude for my family's brand of crazy-we're cool.

thanks again, show for all the quick reveals and polar opposites. and i'm loving all the skinships. thanks show.

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"No one’s heard from Maru, yet he pops up in Jae-hee’s executive bathroom like a ghost. (Seriously, how did he sneak through that entire building unnoticed?) "

maybe it's like The Sixth Sense and Maru's been dead since the accident only instead of just one little boy everyone can see him and hear him.

"Min-young is not happy about this, and lashes out at Secretary Jo. Wow. It’s nice to see him, yunno, actually move."

I don't know why maybe because it's late and I get goofy and giggly when I'm tired but that sentence cracked me up.

also where's old Eun Ki can we have her back already please

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greets sajen---
remember he got the news about being a suspect in the evening and then sent text to EunKi about not being able to make their 530am training session at the company---me thinks that is where he was texting from---waiting for JH.

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How many times is JH gonna offer to give it all up in return for Maru? C'on writers been there! And i don't know about hot lawyer's reasons for keeping stuff from EG but as for Maru i think it's cuz he wants her to remember by herself. Cuz most of the stuff she's told sounds like fiction to her anyways and doesnt trigger much memory. Plus the whole 'i used u and dumped u' explanation is a bit much to reveal to a girl who goes around thinking she was the world's best loved woman, the longer she gets to hold on to the fantasy the better for her when all hell breaks loose!!!

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"How many times is JH gonna offer to give it all up in return for Maru? C’on writers been there!" --->seriously! I practically LOLed when Jae-hee said that. I was like, again? And yet, she has not made any move to give it all up! Maru's not doing to bite when you didn't deliver the first two times - especially when she has done a bunch a bad things since then.

If Eun-ki remembered it by herself, it wouldn't hurt as much - like "oh right, he's a bastard. I can hate him now. He deserves a kick in the balls" rather than "he betrayed me? But he's been so nice to me!"

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It's especially funny since she makes it clear she can't even conceive actually giving up everything for Maru and thinks EG is abnormal for saying she'd do just that.

I know JH isn't all that smart, but even I'm surprised she hasn't gotten the hint that Maru just isn't that into her anymore. Though I guess she's got that bitter ex-girlfriend kdrama stubbornness working for her.

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Thanks for the recap, HeadsNo2!

Great moments in this episode, though I'm really itching for Eun-ki get her memories back and go all BAMF on everyone. Wow, it's not only Jae-hee, Lawyer Ahn, and Secretary Jo taking her down anymore. We've got this other CEO in on it too. Probably more where that came from. Bunch of effing vultures. I want her to give death glares to Joon-ha and Maru for lying too.

LOVED the whole "first kiss" thread in this episode. I squealed when Maru said they didn't kiss. Loved how he didn't count his manipulative kiss at Aomori as a kiss. And then the episode came back around at the end for their real kiss.

Other great scene is the meeting between Eun-ki and the ex-bf at the coffee shop - how every lie he tells her triggers a flashback to her saying those same sentiments sincerely to Maru during the rain-confession scene. And the shaky, almost static-y way they showed her memory was pretty awesome. And then her telling him to take his hands off her! YAY! I love it when Eun-ki openly expresses her disgust with someone! You can really feel her repulsion from every pore.

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I felt bad for Jae Hee. She bought Maru's old home and visits it often so it shows that she still has feelings for him. When she was sitting there at the house looking around and laid back it was like she was reminiscing the good old times she had with Maru. I think that a part of her wishes to go back to the past but she has come so far and gave up so much already. I can see that she is struggling a battle with herself. When she was yelling at Eun Gi that she can give up a man and even love to get what she wants, and that not only her but anyone else would do the same, she sounded like she was so desperate to prove that she is not the one in the wrong but Eun Gi. Its like she's trying to convince herself that all the choices she made and what she gave up were the right and normal thing to do. And it makes sense. I understand where she is coming from when she asks if love can feed you. In her mind, success and staying alive is more important than love. But I can see that she is not happy at all, which is really sad. We always see lovey-dovey happy family scenes with Maru like when Eun Gi, Choco, and Jae Gil were making breakfast and then we pan over to see Jae Hee eating all alone in the long empty table. It just shows that even if Jae Hee gets what she thinks she wants(Taesan, success, money), she wont be as happy as she thought she would be because what she really needs is love. Which is why I like that Choco sings Alicia Key's 'If I Ain't Got You' for her audition in the next episode. I really love Jae Hee's character. I don't see what's so evil about her.
And omg I just love that scene with Jae Sik, Jae Gil, and Choco. It was cute. Even though Jae Sik isn't exactly the good guy, I think he fits in well with their little family. His character is quite likable at times.

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THAT.FREAKING.ENDING/PREVIEW.

Right in the feels. Right.in.the.feels.

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I'm sorry, I still can't buy Maru's love. He may love this Eun Gi, the soft hearted, kind, quit version with amnesia of the original Eun Gi, BUT would he loved her as she was at the begining? Stong, though, straight, painfully honest - the Eun Gi that I, as a female viewer, love?

Both had/have a common enemy - Jea Hee. Maru's had ample opportunity to tell the truth, long before the amnesia, long before he fell in love with Eun Gi's empty shell. I truly believe that the old version of Eun Gi, with heart full of hate to Jae Hee would cooperate with Maru's revenge plain.

Love with foundations of a scam and its essence is revenge - their future uncertain. The opposite of uncertainty is certainty itself by clarify misleadings and put the truth on the table, naked and vulnerable as it is. So, let's be honest for a moment and put aside Maru's past and the fact that most of us as viewers pity and want him to find happiness. Is Maru really love Eun Gi?

Thanks for the awesome recap, my lovely HeadsNo2.

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I think he did have strong feelings for old Eun-g that he didn't or couldn't or didn't let himself express as love. The strongest piece of evidence that he did have those feelings for old Eun-gi is how he had waited for her to return to the (old) house. And then the way he spoke fondly of her crabby old self and their encounters when he was rescuing her from Lawyer Ahn's crew trying to gain access to Secretary Hyun's house. - though personally, I felt that scene was sort of hard to focus on because I couldn't believe they wasted time talking when they needed to get out of the house STAT.

I think he did have feelings for old Eun-gi, but I don't think he would have expressed his love without the amnesia. He had said those cruel things to old Eun-gi on the beach that if he wouldn't have felt worthy to go back and pursue her (considering she was so upset after the beach scene, she attempted murder-suicide).

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Maru feelings are the result of enormous guilt. That's how the human structure from infancy to adulthood. We did something bad? We need to repent. We hurt someone? We need to apologize. Eun Gi's accident was the result of his machinations and intrigue, without her knowing that she was played by him like a marionette.

We, just like our heroine, want to believe in that love. How the hell can we continue to watch all his dark plan road to revenge, if we don't like and empathize the hero? That's the writer's great. She managed to weave a challenging, full of hatred, almost animalistic need for revenge when all means are justified to achieve it.

Between us, if you stand in Maru's shoes, used in the most negative and most manipulative someone else and because of your malicious program is damaged, won't you repent? Won't you trying to make amends? This is exactly what the writer did. She turned him from a "monster" aimed revenge to someone returning to care about others. If the writer doesn't do that, would you have stayed to watch to the end?

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But he was already developing feelings for pre-amnesia Eun-ki, that was made pretty clear in Episode 8/9 - his response to her confession in the rain, the kiss on her cheek when she was sleeping (and that kiss wasn't for manipulation purposes - I think he really did have feelings for her by then and they went way beyond guilt and plain old attraction).

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"but I don’t think he would have expressed his love without the amnesia"

That's what makes me so sad! It makes me ache for the old Eun ki.

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Maru has never really actually lied to Eun Gi- except once- at the beach before the accident, when he tells her that he still loves Jae Hee. He told her that to protect her from himself and to block her feelings for him for her own good.

When he told her they'd never kissed, and then he tells her to pay attention because *this* is their first kiss- he's telling the truth. He wasn't kissing her with meaning, with his heart, with himself before. He is now engaged and present, invested.

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That was exactly my point. He did NOT kiss her before but used her. When he kissed her in this episode, he kissed the new with amnesia Eun Gi. He Fell in love with this woman, not the old one. And again, he didn't try to protect Eun Gi on the beach scene cause he loved her, but trying to atone for the wrongs he made her.

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I buy Maru's love.

He fell in love with EunGi because his heart was able to accept something as healing as love.

Before when he wasn't in love with EunGi, it's not fair to say that it was because he wasn't in love with EunGi.

His totally mind-f*cked heart and soul operating in conjunction with his savior complex (yes, even when he was 'bad' he was trying to save Jae Hee from herself by taking her out of that world) and his repressed talents really didn't leave room for him to see anybody as a whole person, much less love them for what they truly were.

It's like getting mad at a PTSD soldier who had just returned home from war for not being all warm and cuddly and smiling with small children when they come home for Christmas, and then getting mad at the soldier 20 years later when he's running a halfway house for orphaned children from war-torn countries.

It's not fair to say, "He never loved children! He's just guilty as f*ck!"

Why does it have to be black and white when we know that human feelings don't operate that way?

I do buy that KMR is totally feeling zey guilts. He is sorry. But he is only capable of feeling sorry the moment he allows himself to accept EunGi as a human being and not as a pawn in his game with JaeHee.

And the moment he's able to see someone as human indicates that it's also that his heart is capable of having real feelings for another person -- ah, yes, even feelings that include love.

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I think he was in love with both Eun Kis (although how he reconciles loving two such differing "people" is something I'd love to see, but that in itself would be enough for a mini-drama), but that he was only able to admit it--to himself and two Eun Ki--to the amnesiac Eun Ki. And if that's the case then that's a problem.

As for the PTSD analogy, I totally agree that Ma Ru was dealing with some serious issues after he'd dumped Jae Hee and that neither of them were in a place where they could make healthy decisions. The problem is, though, that 11 months later Ma Ru is still in that same place, and yet he makes a different decision. He's not the 20-years-later-soldier, he's still the PTSD-suffering-soldier. In fact he gets worse. The difference isn't in Ma Ru, but in Eun Ki, in that she's weaker and has less knowledge, and it's these new qualities about her that allow him to admit his feelings. And that just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. But maybe I'm reading this wrong?

And I also agree that Ma Ru feels an enormous amount of guilt for using Eun Ki. But I don't feel that his helping Eun Ki out now is enough for his redemption, because he still isn't dealing with the cause of his guilt. He's approaching it sideways. I want him to apologize to (a fully knowledgeable) Eun Ki, to come to terms with what he did, and to accept her forgiveness, if she chooses to give it. I feel like he's scared of that old Eun Ki, and I don't know why, because she loved him so fiercely and forgave him so readily.

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@ladida: I don't see Eun-gi as two different people. (Matter of fact, I've been pretty impressed with how well they've not fallen into making the amnesiac a different person.) So I don't see Maru loving one and not the other. He'd always been able to see beneath Eun-gi's prickly armor -- that's what attracted her in the first place.

I think Maru only feels able to express his love towards Eun-gi because it's got a time limit. His lie to Eun-gi at the beach pre-accident was his way of showing love previously -- rejecting her to keep her safe from him. But now the best thing he can do for her is help her become strong -- to remember. And then, when she remembers and properly rejects him, he'll back away. (He'll still love her, but his guilt tell him he doesn't deserve her.)

But I think Maru's admitted his love for Eun-gi for a long time. Definitely pre-accident and I think pre-beach. (Maybe after that confession scene in the rain? It's after that that he gives her that kiss on her cheek when she's sleeping, right?) His issue is in accepting her love back. And that can't change until she is fully herself again and remembers all he's done.

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Well, yeah, but Eun Ki was invested in that other first kiss.

I know I'm in the minority here, but my emotional investment was at it's peak in episode 9 on that beach; that was the moment of truth, and for me it represented the central crisis of the story, and all the shenanigans from then onwards--especially if Eun Ki's amnesia isn't used as a tool for her to better navigate her world--I kind of see as, "Ok that's pretty, but why?" (It's weird because I can recall everything that happens to the characters from episodes 1-9, down to minute details, but after that I only remember major events.) Because really, we're just headed straight back for that scene in episode 9, when they were both confronting all the lies and messed up issues about their relationship and both (yes, even Eun Ki, though less so than Ma Ru) turned away from them. I realize it's totally pointless for me to be feeling the way I am, because I want the story to be different form what it is, which is never a good sign, but whattaya gonna do, right?

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I loved the contrasting of the "crooks" in this episode. First Eun Ki calls her not-quite-ex-boyfriend one, then Maru calls himself one in front of Joonha, then Eun Ki playfully calls Maru a crook and a liar. Maru is right that he is a crook, but some crooks recover a heart they originally had (which can't be said of all of them) and, I think, can be redeemed. I liked the contrast of one man telling Eun Ki they were closer than they really were and one, being honest, telling her they were less close. I hope the difference in Eun Ki's reaction is a foreshadowing that she can discern what Maru's deal is, that he desperately needs someone to keep him from self-destructing and that he finally seems willing to accept Eun Ki's love post-amnesia (if we ever get there...).

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LOVE THIS SHOW :* :* it was great ,the kiss was great toooooooooooooo :P can't wait for next episode :(

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Is it bad if I want Maru and Jae-hee to run away together? She always looks so sincere when she asks for him back... and I feel sorry for her when Maru shuts her down so harshly :c

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If there would be a brain surgery in the ending, I sincerely hope that Maru loses his memories, a restart so to speak, coz at the end of the day the overbearing guilt would've driven the pair away, they needed a clean start.

Seeing that this drama doesn't depict slaughter fest or plots thereof, I think we're in it for a cathartic ending..

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Thank you for the recaps, I have a bad feeling about next week. I'm excited but I know that i will have to half cover my eyes the entire time.

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please don´t let Maru die at the end pliiiiiz, And don´t part the couple Eun-ki and Maru. Make this drama as a unforgettable, lovingly and remarkable drama this year. I love them, love the cast. But if Maru or Eun-Ki will die at the end i never watch none show from the screenwriter anymore, coz i will hate it and it makes me sad.

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Thanks for the recap! I find that the conversation between Joonha and Maru is kind of cute and innocent... And, in the end, isn't his brain illness his way of stopping himself? I also have the impression that Jaehee is trying to be like Eungi by saying that she wants to throw everything away but that in the very last moment she can't.

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Thanks for the recap!
I love reading what you and everyone thinks about this show, because it is NOT simple. All these shades make for spirited discussion here.
Love this: "Since there’s a rule which dictates that Min-young and Jae-hee must never have the lights on in their offices..." because we wouldn't know who the bad guys are otherwise?

By the way, really don't like aptly named douchenozzle ex-boyfriend. It is a little disconcerting to see him all wooing EG when the last time we saw him was holding his little baby in his arms...You, sir, are scum.

Love SJK's OST. So sad.

The best thing about having the actors sing on the OST is how powerful the memories are when you listen to the song months or years after you stopped watching the show.
Even if it isn't on the OST exactly, like when Go Soo sang over the phone for his mother on WISFC. I d/l it from the WISFC recap the second I found it, and it still makes me cry. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS0NhvheWnk

After listening to many K actors sing these slow mournful tunes, I wonder if they all don't have the same music director - Gong Yu, Hyun Bin, Jung Il Woo, Jang Dong Gun, or if there is a common key that suits non singers best. Whatever it is, hearing them makes me fall in love with them even more.

PS SJK is very pretty, but Jae-sik putting BB cream on was priceless!!

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YES!! Just remembering that Mom character from WISFC makes me cry. Forget the romance, I stayed for that Mom character til the end. SHE got to me!

And kdrama music is the BEST! (Thanks, heads, for the recaps. You make me laugh, always.)

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The only person that scares me in this drama si Ahn Min Young. That dude is a total wacko ticking time bomb.

I swear, he's just insane.

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It is so interesting when these characters claim they do these terrible things for the love of someone else.

Really? Are we supposed to believe that they believe that?
Have they never done any self-reflection?
Is saying a thing make the thing real?

I guess that opens up the whole "What does love feel like to you?" "How do you know you are loved?" discussion.

The purest "lover" we have in this story is Jae Gil. He is the bestest friend ever. <3

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I agree too! Whenever I see him with Jae-hee, I feel bad for Jae-hee. For me, that's how gross and creepy Ahn Min Young is.

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I enjoyed this episode. Especially the ending. Nice job, Maru!

I can't wait for the next episode. Thanks for the recap, Heads!

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I do not think that we need to have the added drama of Eun-ki being unable to forgive Maru upon regaining her memories. She knew about his motivations before her accident and was still willing to be with him. I feel that her being unable to forgive him until we reach the end of the show would amount to unnecessary drama (it would be more like filler in my opinion). Then again, if we go with the whole once-Eunki-remembers-she-won't-be-able-to-forgive-Maru plot, maybe when she realizes her role in Maru's life-threatening brain condition she'll forgive him. I don't know! Since this is a melodrama, maybe she'll need to nurse him back to health (or maybe she'll be his permanent caretaker!). I do hope that Eun-ki grows as a person and that this amnesia serves a purpose. Likewise, I hope that she can regain her faculties and stand on an equal footing with Maru. The boy cannot always be the hero (even if he has a hero complex). I wish that the woman he loves can also provide a shoulder on which he can stand.

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"If only there was a competent neurosurgeon in this show intricately tied to Maru’s medical past with the ability to fix him… (Come on, Nice Guy! Fix your anti-hero!)"

We could always have Dr. Jin make an appearance!

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not to be too superficial but does anyone else think the actress playing jae hee is preggers in real life? i thought at first she looked like she gained weight to look older but in ep 15 when maru confronts her in her bathroom i thought i could totally see a baby bump.

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I definitely went "Hmmmmm" at one of her outfits from 15, I think. She had on a long bulky jacket that hid everything.
Then when she came out from behind her desk, she practically flew to sit down. There are only two weeks left, so she won't get that much bigger if it's true.

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Skipping all comments to save myself for ep. 16 spoilers (because previews suggested big changes afoot and I'm all excited and anticipatory) to say:

I love, love, love how this is all coming down to how you define love -- true, healthy, we strengthen each other love. And that, as I think she did from the beginning, Eun-gi is the one with the clearest sense of it. Maru has begun to catch a clue in that he's realizing it's about letting the other person be strong (he's aiming for Eun-gi to be able to stand without him). Jae-hee is banging around in the dark. In the wrong room. In the wrong house.

My hope is that Eun-gi is able to not only show Maru he is capable of loving (which I think he's getting that he is) but is also worthy of being loved. (Which I think he's still thinking he's not. Or as HeadsNo2 put it: "So that maybe, just maybe, she can be Maru’s knight in shining armor for once and give that boy a well-deserved break." Your words to the dramagods' ears, HeadsNo2. (Also, please bring back fully-functional Eun-gi. It's time.)

Min-young is beginning to turn up his creepy-dial. And I love it! I suspect Jae-hee is going to regret flipping that particular robot's switch to "on". (Because seriously -- there's something cyborg-y about the guy. In a Cyborgs AttaaaaaK! kind of way.)

Finally -- Park Si Yeon is totally pregnant. Her jacket fell open when she walked into her executive bathroom and that was definitely a baby-bump.

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Hahhaaha. So much side speculations on PSY's bump.
I paid special attention to her midriff just cause.
I dont know whether its a baby bump , which means CONGRATS , Si Yeon!!....or or "Imma married .Imma don't care too much about having a muffin top waist line!"

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I'm kind of hating myself for marathoning this drama and not wait until it actually ends. It's going to kill me, the next two weeks. I don't know how you guys do it.

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Am getting a little bored of Jaehee vs her lawyer partner schemes. Jaehee wants to win but does not yet have the heart to hurt Maru. Hope we can move on from this plot....
And I love the part where Maru says this is our first kiss! Coz it is really the first true kiss for him =)

Cannot wait for EunGi to remember!

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The last picture... Awwww

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i luv this song thnx DB he's got an awesome voice considering he's not even a pro, i'm so impressed with K actors/tresses when they sing, absolutely multi talented people!
this drama is so addictive i can't concentrate too much during the day at work thinking of when the next epis is going to be subbed online - i can't wait for nxt two epis although i don't want to think it's ending soon! maru & eun gi fighting, both awesome best best couple i hope this year

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I love the kiss but I also hate it at the same time too. That's because I wanted her to HUG him while they are kissing. I don't like that the male lead does all the kissing while the female lead just stands there like a statue. I'm like, "Hello, it's a hot guy kissing you! The least you can do is hug him or something!!" LOL
Love these two!

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