Falling for Innocence: Episode 15

by gummimochi

I seriously can’t get enough of these two. Whenever they’re together, it’s easy to forget about the surrounding battles that they eventually have to face. There’s no better time to love than the present, especially when doomsday for Hermia is just around the corner.

When it rains, it pours as numerous obstacles threaten Min-ho both in the workplace and in his personal life and there just isn’t enough time to solve them all. However, he’ll learn that some problems were never meant to be fixed, that some storms are meant to be weathered with the one he loves.

SONG OF THE DAY

Kim Sung-gyu – “너여야만 해 (The Answer)” [ Download ]

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EPISODE 15 RECAP

As a bloodied Min-ho falls to the ground, another man in black swipes the memory card before hopping on behind the motorcyclist and speeds away. Soon-jung rushes to Min-ho’s side just as he falls into unconsciousness.

Ok-hyun orders a search and seizure warrant against Joon-hee upon hearing word of the attack. Unfortunately for her, Joon-hee has disposed of the aforementioned memory card in the Han River by the time Ok-hyun and her team stop him to examine his car.

Still, her detective buddy who does all the work uncovers that this vehicle’s identification number differs from the one Joon-hee originally registered under. Which suggests Joon-hee did buy an identical car after the murder.

Over at the hospital, Soon-jung is a ball of nerves despite Secretary Oh’s attempts to quell her anxiety. They’re finally allowed to see Min-ho (who isn’t dead, thank goodness), who looks at Soon-jung and asks, “Who… are you?” What. Are we really turning to amnesia at the eleventh hour here?

Unable to believe that he’d be close to such a beautiful person, Min-ho then turns to Secretary Oh, apparently unable to recognize him either. Secretary Oh: “I’m your fath—” Smack. Ohhh, ha—is it an act?

Min-ho scowls and keeps up the ruse for few more childish moments before turning back to Soon-jung, whose eyes are brimming with tears. Dropping the act immediately, Min-ho explains that he was just pulling her leg…

… and Soon-jung bursts into tears: “I’m… I’m so… grateful! That you’re okay, that you’re alive. Truly, thank you.” Min-ho is taken aback by her worried sobs that he might never come to again. When she drops to her knees still crying, he bends down to comfort her.

Min-ho has a box of tissues at the ready later on, where he gets upset for making him into a man who makes women cry. Well, you did. He tells her not leave him because he won’t send her away again. She nods.

He vows to make her pay for all the emotional suffering she’s caused him by being with her day and night, holding her hand and sleeping next to her. She nods.

“I’m going to nag you until you die and make you feel sorry to me for the rest of your life,” Min-ho says. Soon-jung nods in agreement again. If there’s one promise he’ll be sure to uphold, it’s this: that he’ll never leave her behind.

With that, Min-ho hugs Soo-jung and pats her back in comfort while a new wave of tears spring from Soon-jung’s eyes.

Over in the interrogation room, Ok-hyun rests assured that Joon-hee won’t be able to slip through her fingers like last time. His feigned ignorance grates at her nerves, and Joon-hee doesn’t even bat an eyelash at the discrepant vehicle registration numbers. At worst he’d be facing a one-year prison stint and a hefty fine.

He demands that the police bring in the original car that supposedly killed Dong-wook instead, and when Ok-hyun screams that he disposed of said car already, Joon-hee matter-of-factly states that the police has no solid evidence then.

Frustrated, Noh Hyungnim hollers that he bore witness to the incident, but Joon-hee is quick to twist those words around, pointing out that an eyewitness reported Noh’s car, not his. Furthermore, everything that’s been uncovered about the hit-and-run and the product tampering case points to Noh Hyungnim.

Ok-hyun stops the impending brawl between the two men. She’s willing to stay up all night interrogating Joon-hee, citing that there’s enough to at least file charges against him. But then she’s pulled aside and told to let Joon-hee go free.

Without any solid evidence and a new prosecutor-in-charge, Ok-hyun has no choice but to comply. When Joon-hee rubs it into her face, she says she heard that Dong-wook was still alive long enough to hear his former best friend suggesting that he be left to die.

She’s determined to catch Joon-hee and put him behind bars, and Joon-hee invites her to try. It’ll be fun for him to see if she can prove Noh’s delusional testimony to be true.

Back in his hospital room, Min-ho remarks it’s been quite the day, getting attacked and getting her back. He takes her hand in his and tells her that she must answer yes to everything from now on as punishment.

He starts off by asking if he’s good-looking, to which she laughs and replies yes. As instructed Soon-jung agrees to all of his demands—sit vigil by his bedside until he falls asleep, to be here in the morning, and stay by his side until his dying day.

“You love me too, don’t you?” he asks in a sleepy voice. Soon-jung takes a moment before softly answering “yes.” Aww.

Those recent heart pangs Min-ho has experienced turn out to be signs of transplant rejection. Dr. Jo keeps that tidbit under wraps while telling Min-ho to come in for more tests, but Min-ho’s head is filled with thought about the happy future he’ll share with Soon-jung.

Seeing Min-ho beam through the introduction of his girlfriend leaves Dr. Jo both amused and saddened. Marching out of the hospital hand-in-hand, the happy lovebirds are reminded of the sobering reality when they catch a report about the patent lawsuit. But Min-ho insists that they remain happy when they can be.

Which is probably why Min-ho doesn’t let go of Soon-jung’s hand in the elevator once they’re at the company. Soon-jung worries that someone might see, words which in Min-ho’s eyes deserve extra punishment in the form of a quick peck. Heh.

Her protests has him wondering if she actually wants these “special punishments,” playfully drawing closer to her into the corner…

… at which point the elevator doors open to an unamused Joon-hee. Why, hello there. Keeping a firm grip on Soon-jung’s hand, Min-ho doesn’t skip a beat and asks for a chat.

Once alone, Min-ho thanks Joon-hee for the gift, pointing to his own head. He isn’t surprised when Joon-hee sidesteps responsibility for hurting him; he thanks him instead, since that incident reunited him with Soon-jung. But Joon-hee yet again reminds him about those unpaid bonds and professional negligence that are supposed to be hanging over Min-ho’s head. “Your love for each other… how far can that go?”

Rather than getting angry, Min-ho looks upon Joon-hee with pity. “You don’t look like someone who lives to gain something but one who lives to take things from other people. Is there really satisfaction or happiness in your life?”

But Joon-hee deflects the opportunity at self-examination, instead pointing out that the exported shipment of Hermia products were returned. That loss was probably a big blow to Min-ho, and no amount of hidden chaebol grandmas will be able to bail him out.

It appears the returned shipment is just the tip of the iceberg, the lawsuit has taken its toll: all production has halted, their distributors are canceling contract deals, and the number of returned products from the distributors and retailers will exceed half a million by the end of the week. At this rate, Hermia will face bankruptcy by the next bond maturity date next week.

Taking all of this information in stride, Min-ho is willing to see everything to the end. They will now prepare appropriate measures to respond to the impending bankruptcy.

Now that Soon-jung has returned to Hermia, she stays behind to wait for Min-ho, who’s jostled by a sharp pain. He thinks it’s due to the head injury, and when Soon-jung says he’s burning up, he says it’s because of her.

It’s adorable how he can’t take his eyes off of her at home, amazed that she’s here with him. He takes her hand once more and suggests they hold hands for at least an hour every day no matter how busy their lives get. People forget to love others, using work excuses to always rely on a “next time.”

“But I don’t plan on doing that,” Min-ho says. There was no need for him to love in the past because he knew there wouldn’t be a next time back then. Things will get very busy and difficult for the both of them, but nothing has to change. “No matter what happens, I’m going to love you.”

It was a hard enough journey in catching her, Min-ho says. He pouts at having to eat his porridge, arguing that he needs an appetizer first in the form of a peck on the lips. He then obediently eats a bite, then sets the bowl aside because it’s time for dessert. Hah, a kiss?

Soon-jung worms her way out and runs out, with Min-ho happily declaring that sure, they can have dessert outside. Hahaha.

Time for a quick check-in on the closed (but still ongoing) murder case: Noh Hyungnim is dragged away by a different police unit for his gambling charges, Ji-hyun is belatedly filled in on Joon-hee’s personal involvement in trying to bury the product tampering and Dong-wook’s murder case, and Joon-hee promises to live by his father’s words lest his death be in vain.

On Min-ho/Hook’s orders, Secretary Oh/Tinkerbell collects/kidnaps Ok-hyun/Wendy from her stakeout so that Min-ho can share another crucial clue from his dreams. Ok-hyun looks expectant until Min-ho says it involves the fish watch—they’ve already been through this already, haven’t they?

But this time, Min-ho says in his dream Dong-wook used his bloody hand to tear off the watch from Joon-hee’s wrist. A fallen watch would not only bolster Noh’s testimony, but it would also be game over if they found traces of blood on that fish watch.

Secretary Oh notes that all they need is a search and seizure warrant then. Ok-hyun shoots that idea down since recounting Min-ho’s dream would paint him as a crazy person. So Min-ho decides that it would be better for him to concentrate on saving Hermia whereas Ok-hyun continues to dig for evidence on the murder case.

In the car, Min-ho can’t comprehend why Joon-hee would continue wearing a watch that could incriminate him. Honestly, neither do we. Speaking of whom, Joon-hee recalls how touched he was the day he received the fish watch from Soon-jung (unaware that it actually came from Dong-wook, of course).

He’d promised to wear it on meaningful and important business days as good luck. In the present, Joon-hee opts to wear something else. Things are on track for Hermia’s downfall with the next bond maturity date in three days’ time, and Ji-hyun surprises Joon-hee by hinting that he’ll soon become the head of Gold Partner’s Asia division, aka Min-ho’s old job.

Min-ho is called in by Dr. Jo, who tells him that his recent bouts of offscreen symptoms that include nosebleeds and dizziness aren’t signs of a cold that won’t quit, but of respiratory distress. In other words, his body is rejecting his new heart.

He requires medical treatment right now because every passing moment puts him at more risk. He’s told that his vital signs have already taken a hit and things will only get worse here on out. If he continues to ignore the signs and push himself, his body will go undergo shock and fall into a coma… and presumably death.

The news leaves Min-ho in a daze, as he’s reminded of the promise he made to Soon-jung not to leave her, along with his pre-surgery morbid outlook on his remaining days. He walks into oncoming traffic, and when one angry driver asks if he has a death wish, Min-ho softly answers “no.”

After returning home to find Soon-jung waiting for him outside the gate, Min-ho finds her writing down activities to do together in the future. He jokingly asks if she’s keeping a log to nag him with should he forget one later on.

But she says she was moved by his words that people need to be intentional and purposeful with love, so even if they can’t do everything, there’s meaning in putting words into writing.

Seeing that reminds Min-ho of his late father, who also wrote down destinations for future family vacations. Unfortunately, they never got to go to a single one because his father passed away shortly afterwards. “Maybe he wrote those down because he wanted to live longer, that he felt he could live… if he created reasons to do so.”

Soon-jung disagrees—she believes it was a determination to continue loving others until one’s dying day. She once heard that heartbreak was the reason why so many people died from heart attacks. Even his father once told him that no one truly lives unless they love, she reminds him. Couldn’t it be that his father planned to keep loving his family until his final breath?

Min-ho says he momentarily forgot about the promise he’d made that he would keep smiling even if things in life got difficult. He says he wants to complete the “special punishments” first, promising to tell Soon-jung what those are later.

As his boyfriend duties, Min-ho walks Soon-jung home. But Soon-jung sends him off, arguing that he’s been looking increasingly unwell and should get some rest. They strike a compromise where he’ll stay and watch until she disappears from view.

As Soon-jung walks up the steps, Min-ho thinks to himself, “That night, on those steps… why are the tears coming? Why does it feel like you’re leaving far away from me?” He calls out to her and Soon-jung stops in her tracks.

Min-ho runs up the stairs and pulls her in for a kiss. Followed by another, and then another.

Ok-hyun’s plan to break into Joon-hee’s place goes awry when Secretary Oh spots Joon-hee approaching. Thinking fast, Ok-hyun pins him against the wall and pretends to be a couple in mid-makeout session until Joon-hee disappears into his home.

Ok-hyun and Secretary Oh the failed operation in procuring the fish watch in drink, the latter the drunker of the two. Next thing we know, Secretary Oh finds himself in a motel, naked, with Ok-hyun exiting the bathroom. He immediately thinks the worst—that he’s been taken advantage of—and she reminds him of the great trouble she went through dragging his butt up here after he peed in his pants. Eww.

If that weren’t bad enough, Ok-hyun is reprimanded for her black-ops attempt that was caught on-camera near Joon-hee’s place. Her covert mission earns her a two-month suspension.

Min-ho, meanwhile, begins his intensive medical treatment. He’s told that the dizziness is just the beginning of a brutal uphill battle ahead where Min-ho must undergo a plasma separation procedure and injected with an immunosuppressive drug several times a week.

However, Min-ho and his analytical brain are interested in one thing: the chances of survival. It’s a fifty-fifty chance, but Dr. Jo tries to provide some encouragement, saying that Min-ho once beat a near-impossible one percent chance—his willpower will be what moves the needle in the end.

And to that, Min-ho takes hold of the edge of Dr. Jo’s sleeve and pleads in a soft voice, “Save… me. Because I’ve… found a reason to live.” A tear runs down his cheek as he asks in a breaking voice now, “So… please save me.”

A news report covers the dire financial straits Hermia is in with one day left before the impending bond maturity date. Unable to secure a loan anywhere, the media speculates that the company’s legal guardianship will fall into Joon-hee’s hands.

To make matters worse, Joon-hee already has the judge that will presumably be overseeing the bankruptcy case eating out of the palm of his hand.

Min-ho keeps a strong face in front of his staff and right-hand men, affirming that Hermia will declare bankruptcy tomorrow. Forsaking his position would be easy for him, but Min-ho wants to make sure to secure all of his employees’ jobs with his departure.

When Soon-jung checks up on him later, Min-ho affirms that all of his stocks will be worthless and he’ll be hunted down by the prosecution office as of tomorrow. Will she still be able to love him in his penniless and ex-convict state?

Soon-jung shares the story of Eleanor Roosevelt after her husband (FDR) was left paralyzed from the waist down from polio. He had asked her the same question, and she told him: “Do you think I only loved your legs?”

Drawing him into her arms, Soon-jung echoes his earlier words that they promised to love each other no matter what life threw at them. Min-ho agrees that it’s been a rough day for them both, so they should treat themselves to a reward. Min-ho: “Three ramyuns?”

He means that fishing trip they never got to go on, so they drive down to the lake together where Min-ho is amazed by how Soon-jung isn’t afraid to handle earthworms. She, on the other hand, wonders why he’d suggest going fishing when he’s squeamish. He explains that men never want to catch fish when going fishing with a woman—they always want to catch something else. Lol.

Min-ho: “Kim Soon-jung, I’m only confessing this now… though I pretended that I wasn’t that day, I think I was actually very scared, afraid, and sad. I think I laughed too forcefully in order to try my hardest in pretending not to know of all the impending difficulties we’d face. Could that be why? All of those mundane moments, the moments spent with you… were so tearfully special and precious.”

He teaches her how to skip rocks, and they eat their obligatory three ramyuns before curling up next to each other, their fingers intertwined.

His narration continues, “You, like a flower, our time that was so flower-like, those moments too good to let pass by us… those moments are still dim and vague.”

Their heads rested on each other, Min-ho’s vision starts to blur. As he closes his eyes, Min-ho finishes in his head: “Soon-jung.”

 
COMMENTS

Oh no you don’t Min-ho—you can’t die on us now. Not when your odds of survival are exponentially higher than before. Because if he can overcome an actual miracle, then a 50-50 shot is no biggie, right? Right… guys?

Considering the real-life risk of transplant rejection, it seems silly that no precautionary measures were taken from the very beginning (and Min-ho would have grounds to sue Dr. Jo for medical negligence). But this is dramaland, where no action is ever taken until things are about to be too late (or in some cases, already too late) and presents an opportunity of conflict that is left up to Fate. Or a literal coin toss.

Min-ho has long since found a reason to live in Soon-jung; his affection for her has been no secret to anyone. But this hour finally let Soon-jung reciprocate those feelings through her actions, as a pillar for Min-ho to lean on. She’s never been too vocal with the words, but at least she does affirm her love for Min-ho when it counts and to remind him that he’s a man who was loved by his family and still loved by the one who matters.

Even though I don’t like bringing up the closed-but-ongoing murder case again because it makes me sound like a broken record, these periodical check-ins every hour feels like I’m traveling through a revolving door where each rotation brings up yet another ridiculous morsel of a clue of a case we’re waiting to see the end of already. Joon-hee got hella lucky when eliminating the memory card that became incredibly important for about two episodes, and now he won’t wear the watch that will definitely incriminate him… because he doesn’t feel like it? With Ok-hyun out of commission as well, this really feels like the Case That Will Never End. Not while the evidence that would incriminate Joon-hee but won’t still exists in this dramaverse.

Yet even with that rinse-recycle-repeat conflict looming over our heads and Operation: Hermia Takedown actually underway, I’m not at all scared of how those imminent threats will affect our couple. Perhaps it’s because Min-ho and Soon-jung have shown that they can find happiness as long as they’re together, that they can be penniless and still want for nothing. All it takes for these two to be content are three packs of ramyun, but it’s evident that if we’re to brave the final hour with them, we’re going to need a lot more appetizers. And maybe a full-on dessert table.

 
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