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Marriage Contract: Episode 11

Denial is a powerful thing — it can make a person want to forget their true feelings, or it can also make you stronger as you struggle not to let go of the truth. But what do you do when everyone around you is urging you to let go and forget, when you know that you’re right? Ji-hoon will need to use every bit of his iron will to hold onto what he knows is true.

EPISODE 11 RECAP

Ji-hoon excitedly gives Hye-soo a ring and suggests they give this relationship a try as a real marriage, but she plasters on a tight smile and says that she got the rest of her money from his father. She lies that she’s never had feelings for him, not even once, and though she’s not saying it unkindly, her words hit Ji-hoon like a ton of bricks.

He tries to discuss it, but Hye-soo cuts him off at every turn. She says that their kiss that night was a mistake and asks him to forget it, her voice taking on an edge of desperation. He asks her one last time if this is how she really feels, and she says she does, but still with that horrible fake smile.

Ji-hoon’s face shuts down as she asks when they should go to the court to file divorce papers, and he doesn’t say another word as Hye-soo leaves. But he runs outside after her and stops her, asking what really happened to make her act this way, though she claims that his father has nothing to do with this.

She still maintains that he only became too immersed in their fake marriage and isn’t really feeling anything for her. She says that she has no intention of dating him for real, and walks away. Ji-hoon is left behind, fighting back tears, and he doesn’t see that as soon as she’s out of sight, Hye-soo also starts to cry.

Ji-hoon asks his father later that night if he really paid the balance of what he owed Hye-soo, and Chairman Han tsks that Ji-hoon still doesn’t understand what’s happening. He’s practically giddy, thinking that he was right about Hye-soo all along, and he tells Ji-hoon to get the divorce and go back to where he belongs.

He adds that there will be a meeting of the families regarding his and Na-yoon’s wedding this weekend, telling Ji-hoon to prepare. Ji-hoon retorts that he’s visiting his mother this weekend, since she’s not going to live much longer, and tells his father to reschedule the meeting.

Joo-yeon catches Hye-soo taking her medication, which she claims is cold medicine. Joo-yeon is skeptical, but she’s more interested in the fact that Hye-soo got the rest of her money, and she suggests that they open a restaurant together. Hye-soo says she’ll think about it.

Joo-yeon admits that she’s surprised — she expected Hye-soo to turn down the rest of the money when the surgery was canceled. She’s quick to say that she didn’t do anything wrong, but Hye-soo makes it clear that she’s not planning on spending the money any time soon.

Out on the island, Mi-ran watches her brother docking his fishing boat thoughtfully. He snaps at her to go back to the city and get her surgery, but she insists that she can’t because she canceled it. He breaks free of her, but he’s soon stopped by Chairman han’s assistant, who asks if he’s Mi-ran’s brother.

He hands him an envelope from Chairman Han, explaining that he’s willing to pay for the two of them to move away to a distant town. Uncle knows right away that this as a ploy to keep Ji-hoon from meeting his mother, and he flings the envelope in the man’s face, furious. He very nearly tosses the man into the ocean, but Mi-ran manages to stop him.

Na-yoon visits the chairman to find out what happened with Ji-hoon and Hye-soo (ugh, again with the sneaking around), and he’s more than happy to tell her that they broke up.

Joo-yeon continues to nag Hye-soo about starting a business together, but Hye-soo reminds her that that money is for Eun-sung’s future. Joo-yeon says that she can pay for Eun-sung’s future by earning money with a business, and Hye-soo gets perilously close to the truth when she says, “I could die before then.”

Joo-yeon reminds her that starting a business together was Hye-soo’s idea, a little miffed at the thought that Hye-soo might be afraid she’ll spend all her money. She repeats that it seems unlike Hye-soo to accept the entire amount when the surgery didn’t happen, but she wants them to use that money to start a new life. Hye-soo thanks her, but she’s firm that for now, she can’t start a business.

She asks Joo-yeon to encourage her, to tell her that everything will be fine. She says that she’s not going to die, so she needs Joo-yeon’s promise to only say encouraging things. If she does, then Hye-soo will tell her everything. Joo-yeon thinks she’s being overly dramatic, but as she looks at Hye-soo’s face, she finally realizes that something is terribly wrong.

Na-yoon stops by Promise to talk to Ji-hoon, looking smug with her new knowledge. He doesn’t feel like talking but she blurts out that she never liked Hye-soo, which makes him stop. She says that Hye-soo must have no common sense, to accept such an insane proposition.

Ji-hoon tells Na-yoon not to judge someone she doesn’t even know, and she reveals that she heard that Hye-soo threatened her father to get her money. Downstairs, bratty hostess Ara listens in, aghast, until Seung-joo arrives and makes her keep moving.

On her way out, Na-yoon runs into Hye-soo and Eun-sung heading to their room, and snippily asks why Hye-soo is here. Hye-soo reassures her that she’ll quit her job soon, but she’s not quite as accommodating and nice as she’s been in the past.

Ji-hoon hears Eun-sung playing with her kittens, and the happiness on his face is blinding. He grabs Eun-sung, swinging her around and kissing her, and she looks every bit as thrilled to see him.

Downstairs Hye-soo speaks with Ho-joon, who rattles on about how he thought there was something between her and Ji-hoon, and how he even borrowed money and sold his belongings to pay her. He thinks she did the right thing by not accepting, unaware that she instead got the money from Chairman Han.

She tells him that she’s quitting, which chef Soo-chang overhears, and he angrily demands to know why. Hye-soo agrees to stay a bit longer, and goes up to find Eun-sung.

She’s busy jumping on Ji-hoon’s bed while he makes her ice cream, but Hye-soo puts a quick stop to that. Eun-sung runs from her and leads her in a chase around Ji-hoon’s apartment, until Hye-soo finally catches her and carries her out to their room.

Eun-sung tries to escape back to Ajusshi’s rooms, so Hye-soo sits her down for a talk. Ji-hoon can hear them, as Hye-soo tells Eun-sung that they’re moving again, and that she won’t be marrying Ajusshi. Between Eun-sung and Ji-hoon, it’s hard to say who looks sadder, and Ji-hoon looks like it physically hurts not to run to Eun-sung when she starts to sob.

Later, Ji-hoon stops Hye-soo to ask her if he really was nothing to her. He’s not so stupid that he can’t tell the difference between true feelings and a mistake. Hye-soo gently mocks him, saying that he’s hanging onto that kiss like a child, unable to let go. Again, she requests they get the divorce as soon as possible.

Uncle calls Ji-hoon to complain about his father’s high-handedness, offended that Chairman Han thinks so little of Mi-ran. He tells Ji-hoon that his father will be punished if he keeps treating people like this.

Jung-hoon meets with the informant he instructed to dig up some dirt on Ji-hoon, angry when he couldn’t turn up anything more scandalous than a couple of speeding tickets. But he does perk up to hear that his little brother has been married, and he staggers home drunkenly to confront his parents.

He’s all puffed up with his information, delivering it like some kind of hero, but instead of being praised he finds Chairman Han looming over him, furious. He’s angry that Jung-joon did a background check on his brother and tells him that he’s finished if this gets out. I’d almost feel bad for Jung-joon, if he wasn’t such a gigantic tool.

The chairman finds Ji-hoon to ask him again when he plans to get the divorce, and Ji-hoon just tells him “soon.” He assures his skeptical dad that he will get divorced, but he’s more concerned with his own question: What did he and his mother mean to the chairman?

The chairman scoffs that this is a stupid waste of time, and tells his son to focus on his business. I guess, there’s Ji-hoon’s answer right there.

Both Ji-hoon and Hye-soo overhear others speaking nastily about them — Ji-hoon from his father’s employees, and Hye-soo from the Promise servers (led by bitchy Ara, of course). The rumor mill is working overtime in both places, about their marriage and their motivations, none of it flattering.

Having been told off by his father for Promise’s lack of increased sales, Ji-hoon blasts the restaurant employees, demanding a whole new menu from chef Soo-chang. He’s in a foul mood, and when he’s gone, Soo-chang calls Hye-soo over to find out what’s really going on. She doesn’t answer, but he’s firmly on her side, and threatens to thrash anyone who says another unkind word about her. I can’t say it enough, I love him.

Ji-hoon can’t get Hye-soo out of his mind — the times she’s rightly scolded him, and the times she’s told others that he has a kind heart under all that gruffness. She’s the only one who understood why he was willing to put himself in harm’s way to save his mother, and he knows that their kiss was not a mistake or a misunderstanding.

For the first time, Uncle goes to see Mi-ran unprompted, and asks her to have dinner with him. She’s sleeping and doesn’t wake, and he finally notices that there’s blood around her mouth. He calls an ambulance, and word gets back to Chairman Han that she’s back in the city, and in the hospital in critical condition.

He goes to see her personally, and when his assistant recognizes and greets Uncle, Chairman Han stops to talk to him. It clearly hurts Uncle when the chairman laughs that this is probably her last few days, and the chairman has the nerve to tell him not to entertain the idea of donating part of his own liver.

Uncle remains silent during Chairman Han’s insulting speech, but when Han tucks an envelope of money in his pocket for funeral expenses, he snaps. He shoves Chairman Han, saying that he’d like to kill him right here and now. He knows why Chairman Han is really here — after ruining Mi-ran’s life, he wants to make sure she’s really and truly dying.

Uncle throws the money back at him, and lets him know that this has only made him that much more determined to save his sister’s life, no matter what it takes.

Hye-soo goes to see Young-hee, and tells her that she and Ji-hoon broke up. Aftera moment of shock Young-hee completely has Hye-soo’s back, and she’s happy to agree to take care of Eun-sung sometimes.

Ji-hoon catches up with his mother and Uncle in the hospital, who called him despite Mi-ran’s wishes to the contrary. He tells Ji-hoon about his confrontation with his father, wondering why Mi-ran would waste her life on such a jerk. He says in a deceptively casual voice that he’ll donate his liver to her, and Ji-hoon is so grateful he can’t speak, and bursts into tears.

Hye-soo gets home just as the restaurant employees are heading out for the night, and Ara starts to complain that she’s been gone while they all work. Seung-joo stops her, and Ho-joon sends them all away, staying to talk to Hye-soo.

He tells her that rumors are fickle, and will disappear once people get to know her better. He also tells Hye-soo that Mi-ran is in the hospital after collapsing, then regrets it when he sees her expression.

Eun-sung is still angry with her mother, and insists on doing everything herself without any help. Hye-soo feels ill after taking her first treatment that day, though she tries to hide her vomiting from Eun-sung, and she cries in the bathroom.

Joo-yeon is so upset that she can’t work, crying in front of her customer and making mistakes. Hye-soo calls her, and Joo-yeon runs right over. While waiting, Hye-soo reads Eun-sung the story of Beauty and the Beast, and Eun-sung sleepily imagines Hye-soo dressed up as Belle.

When the Beast collapses and his beastly face dissolves under Belle’s tears, we see his true princely face — Ji-hoon. Hye-soo leans down to kiss him, while Fairy Eun-sung dances around them. Once Eun-sung falls asleep, Hye-soo sits awake, fighting her emotions.

She speaks tearfully to the room in general: “I have so much left to do. I have to read a book for my Eun-sung. I have to take her to her school opening ceremony. In the mornings, I have to tie her hair up. I have so much left to do.” She gives in to her tears.

Ho-joon literally pounces on Joo-yeon on her way to Hye-soo’s place, but she’s in too much of a hurry to stop for coffee. Aww, he really seems to like her, poor guy.

Hye-soo asks Joo-yeon to watch Eun-sung, but Joo-yeon is worried about her, and asks her to tell her what’s happening first. Hye-soo says that her first treatment was today but it wasn’t as bad as she thought, and she swears she’ll recover from this.

Hye-soo goes to the hospital to see Mi-ran, crying to see her surrounded by equipment and looking so ill. She runs into Uncle, and asks him to give her apologies to Mi-ran when she wakes, that she can’t go through with the surgery. Uncle says that another donor has been found, so Hye-soo needn’t worry anymore.

He’s surprised that she didn’t hear from Ji-hoon that he’ll be the one donating, and Hye-soo bursts into relieved and grateful tears. Oh, I just adore her loving heart.

On her way out Hye-soo sees Ji-hoon and tries to pass him without a word, but he says coldly that their contract is over so she doesn’t have to come here anymore. He looks so angry, but he brightens to hear from Uncle that his mother is awake.

Uncle tells Ji-hoon that Hye-soo came, and asks what’s going on between them. He tells Ji-hoon about her reaction when she heard he was doing the transplant, and Ji-hoon realizes that he must have been wrong to believe his father, and goes after her.

He finds Hye-soo outside the hospital and follows closely behind her, but just as she seems to sense him there, her eyes start to roll back and she nearly collapses in front of an oncoming car. Ji-hoon whirls her out of harm’s way and yells at her for putting herself in danger, but Hye-soo just pulls herself out of his arms and keeps walking.

Ji-hoon stops her again, saying, “It was my fault. All of it was my fault.” Hye-soo keeps walking but Ji-hoon isn’t finished, and walks beside her saying that he doesn’t know why he’s like this around her. He realizes that even though he studied about her for their interview, he didn’t really know anything about her.

So he asks, if he doesn’t know anything about her, shouldn’t she tell him? Hye-soo is starting to tear up and she tries to push past him, but he keeps getting in front of her and asking her questions, until she finally stops.

He says that no matter what she says about herself, he’s okay with it all. Tearfully, he adds, “I just want you to be next to me. I’ll get a divorce if that’s what you want, but can’t you just be by my side?” By now he’s crying shamelessly, his voice breaking as he begs.

He says that he can’t forget her, and he’s willing to take all the blame for doing this wrong. He begs Hye-soo to forgive him, just this once.

COMMENTS

Well, that was a huge breakthrough on Ji-hoon’s part. It’s true that he didn’t make much attempt to learn about Hye-soo, even when the surgery counted on it. And when he started having feelings for her, he still never just talked to her. But to realize it, and realize he wants to know about her, then to chase her down and try to finally talk, is a big deal for him. He’s probably never had to make an effort for a woman, and now here’s one who’s going to make him work harder than he’s ever worked for anything. As much as I would love for Hye-soo to just fall into his arms, I also want her to make him earn it, for his own growth.

Okay, Chairman Han has officially crossed a line, and I’m ready for someone to yank him up short. He’s one of the most meddling parents I’ve seen in Dramaland in a long time, pulling the strings on everyone in his family and beyond. He’s telling his sons where to work, where to live, who to marry, and chuckling the whole time as if he’s actually enjoying their discomfort at being forced to do things they don’t want to do. And when he did everything he could to stop Mi-ran’s surgery then told her to go and die, in my mind he pretty much went from “over-controlling father” to “evil puppetmaster.” Who does that?? Okay, I get that she’s a troublesome past mistress who’s made your life difficult, I do get that. But actively stepping in to block a lifesaving surgery is going way, way too far.

But now the chairman is even telling her brother not to consider donating his kidney, and what the hell?! Why does he hate her so much that he is now forbidding people he has nothing to do with to help her? At first I was willing to give him a bit of the benefit of the doubt, that his blocking the surgery was more about controlling his son than anything else. But this right here proves that no, he just flat-out wants Mi-ran dead. It’s especially cruel since she has every intention of staying out of Ji-hoon’s life from now on — the chairman just doesn’t want Ji-hoon to have any soft place to go to, or anyone he can rely on but his overbearing, horrible father. This is so many kinds of screwed up I don’t even know where to start. Thank goodness for Uncle, who is guaranteed to do the exact opposite of what anyone tells him to do.

What’s great about this drama is that everyone has motivations for their actions that make complete logical sense if you look at things from their point of view (with the possible exception of Na-yoon), so you really can’t fault anyone for being an Unnecessarily Noble Idiot. Hye-soo has an exceptionally good excuse for the way she’s treating Ji-hoon, because she sees how his mother’s illness and possible death is hurting him, and she wouldn’t want to be the source of more of the same pain for him. She also knows that no matter what, her daughter comes first, so her priority and responsibility as a mother is to focus all her energy on getting treatment and getting better, if at all possible. I actually think that she believes she will die, but she’s willing to do whatever it takes to gain that 30% chance of being alive for five more years.

So she has “selfish” reasons for breaking things off with Ji-hoon, because if she’s only going to live five more years, she owes it to Eun-sung to give her every bit of her love and attention for as long as she has left. She’s already expressed that she wants her little girl to be able to do things for herself, and has started teaching her, so that it leaves less of a void if (once) she’s gone. But while that’s a very good reason not to get involved with a man, I also want Hye-soo to see now much Eun-sung and Ji-hoon love each other, and that if she’s going to pass away, having a father she loves and who dotes on her could be a better situation to leave Eun-sung in than even with her best friend. Plus, if Hye-soo is going to die, then what better than to leave the two people she loves most, who love each other, to comfort each other?

I’m still hoping, of course, that Hye-soo won’t die. The best ending would be for her to beat her tumor and live. But if she only has a few years left, then I want her to have years filled with love and comfort, and Ji-hoon could give her that. He’s already so in love it’s painful to him, and I have no doubt that he’s fully capable of dealing with her loss, if only he had the chance to love her until the end.

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Well haven't I refreshed almost every 15mins in the last 72 hrs to read this!

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+1

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+1000

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Me too. I've been dying waiting for the recap. Haha

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+1.
I already saw episode 11 and 12, yet i still waiting for the recap in DB to know what everyone else thinking about...

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+1
Exactly what I did.

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Same here!

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+1000!

Me too!

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We are heavy in the "all tears all the time stage" of this drama. And that just from me not the actors.

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When Ji-hoon said "anything is ok" or something to that effect - obviously I am heartbroken.

I had to sneak watching the last part while at work, and my 9 year old student with the cutest fringe noticed that my eyes were kinda red and swollen, and like an adult, she said please dry your eyes.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry more, but yes, everything that has happened in the drama as of late just made worse my already weak heart.

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I learned the expression 'noble idiocy' on this site and BOY!!! does it ever apply here. I want to shake Hye Soo fro. Here to kingdom come.
If she dies Eun Sung has her best chance with Ji-Hoon as her father, he already loves her!
Sigh...

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I don't think it's that simple. I do agree that Hye-Soo's priority now is Eun Sung so she has decided to put aside her own happiness to focus on Eun Sung. But also, I don't think she wants to start anything with someone when she thinks that she only has a 30% chance to live 5 more years. I don't think that's noble idiocy like the kind we see in most dramas. I think that's realistic and logical, no matter how much you care about someone. In fact, I think if you really care about someone you need to make those tough decisions. I mean, think about it, if you knew that you were - for example - moving away in a few years and never coming back and the person you love can never leave with you, would you start that relationship? It would be completely unfair for that person and it would be selfish and irrational for anyone to do so. I think this drama really got Hey Soo's motivation correct.

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Agreed so much. Noble idiocy is a trope which usually annoys me, but in this case I think Hye-soo has very legitimate reason not to start a relationship with Ji-hoon. There's just no way she could justify it to herself when she knows she'll likely be dead within five years.

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spot on @ Grnapple31 & Gwinna

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+100000000

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Totally agree. Plus I dont think spending 3 month together is enough that Hye soo can leave her daughter with Ji Hoon.

By being logical, I will trust my mother-in-law first and my best friend to take of my daughter

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Agreed with above notions that this is not at all noble idiocy. Hye Soo is doing all the right and logical things.

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I wouldn't start with anyone if I know I was going to die and leave them with more pain. She loves both Ji-Hoon and Eun Sung enough to try to minimise their pain. The only way she can minimise Ji-Hoon is if doesn't start with him. From her point of view, starting with him is turning his life upside down then bailing on him during his transition period.

He needs to break free from his father on his own and look for his own happiness. He needs to come to her without his father behind him and show her he wants to stay, as just Ji-Hoon and not the Ji-Hoon owner of Promise, son of a chaebol.

I am looking forward to Ji-Hoon actually choosing her over his father, before he knows she is sick, then choosing to stay beside her even when he does.

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Well, I don't think it's noble idiocy. Since she and Jihoon don't have any genuine relationship at the moment, I can understand her reluctance to tell him about her illness. At this point, it would be more realistic for her to tell her best friend and leave Eunsung at her care. And she also knows that her ex-mother-in-law and Seungjoo care about Eunsung as much as her.

Of course, she might react differently if Jihoon already knows about her illness without her telling him and she can saw how much he still love her despite that. (which I think what would happen in the next few episode)

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You also have to take into account - he was going to lose his mother.

How can you tell the person you love, who is about to have his mother die, that you're going to die as well. Oh and that little girl you love so much, yeah she's going to be an orphan. And while he loves you now, how's she to trust he'd have the same love for years and years for a little girl he's know for what...1 month maybe?

No way...I'd definitely be more guarded and entrust my daughter to her grandmother, uncle and friend-aunt than some man who wanted a piece of my liver for money, who I may have a thing for...

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+1
Also, she knows Ji Hoon's family. She knows this awful dad and the complicated family situation. Would you like to give your child into the hands of such a sick family?!
Hye Soo loves the alternative family made of Ji Hoon's mom, him and her and Eun Sung, but this wouldn't be the family Eun Sung would be growing up in.

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I too, wanted to reach into the tv screen and shake Hye soo from here to Sunday. I am a sucker for a crying man, how could she not be? How could she resist those sincere tearful pleas? Smh. In any case, I admit his timing sucked. The girl was about to fall off her feet with dizziness and exhaustion .

I feel sorry for them both. Smh again.

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I think that "noble idiocity" works in that show. Simply because Hye Soo is already a noble and kind person from the start so she doesn't act out of character.
Usually, we see noble idiocity from the male lead who was previously struck with a case of the 'darcy syndrom' (another expression I've learned on DB). Seing a jerk pull a 180 and sacrifice himself all the sudden always feels fake.

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I have always disliked noble idiocy, but such is not the case with Marriage Contract. Granted that if she starts a relationship with Ji-hoon with limited days left... it does not make sense. Her priority is this: She is putting Eun-sung in the state of preparation on her eternal absence.

Love this show.

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My favorite part came from the scenes between Joo-yeon and Hye-soo. The conversation was soooo natural (on Joo-yeon's part): she's so happy that Hye-soo has a windfall, a bit confused on why she accepted money for something she didn't do, but still supportive, eager to start a new business, happy to help and be with her friend...confused and hurt when Hye-soo keeps brushing aside her asking for plans to start looking... and then the silence and the lens drawing out as she tells what has been going on. That Hye-soo had time to TELL HER in her own time, (vs. all the sneaking around by Na-yoon and the rumor-mill by other people). It was a really beautiful part of human drama. Oh gosh, BFFOTP!

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I agree... This is the best part for me... The silence moment and when joo-yeon start change expression, hug hye-soo really beautiful... i really love this scene... the camera angle... everthing :)

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+1000000

I couldn't have said it better, myself. This was the most realistic scene I've seen in a drama in a loooooong while.

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I also like how they communicate without words. She just look at HS and totally gets something terribly gone wrong. Best scene. I love the friend so much. She is like a kid, not talking about scary stuff make it go away. She is just in denial, wont accept HS voicing her fear out loud. But then she totally gets HS without a single word! I am little confused at the way she push HS about setting up the money. It feels to me unlike her character.

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That's the part I thought was natural too! You're that close with each other - your good news is hers and her good news is yours to share. And she wanted to be partners and wanted to help (in completely objective point of view - if you are starting a business, you will need help - whether a reliable employee or a business minded partner to help manage and Joo-yeon was better than both!) so she wanted to start their next chapter and was a bit let down when hye-soo kept brushing her off. Which she clearly said "if you don't want to work with me, just tell me. I'm not a child, that I'd be upset over such a thing, but just tell me. You were the one singing about starting a snack shop, and now that you actually have money, you aren't going to spend it?" and that's what draws Hye-soo to share where she is actually spending the money (at least a part of it).

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This. I teared up the most at this part. I love the friendship between these women and I love their interactions...but this part blew me away.

I loved that it really reflected the depth of their relationship - that they understand even during silence and before words are actually spoken. I was getting impatient for Jooyeon to finally realize that there is something going on which is far worse than Hyesoo brushing off the business opening thing or even the being heart broken part (it's a part of the reasons for the tears but...it's just a part). I found that it also showed a breakthrough for both women in that Hyesoo finally finally lets - trusts - someone else to be with her and fight her disease with her, even if that person will also hurt because of that. And Jooyeon... Even that part when she couldn't work well because she worried so much about Hyesoo later on... I can't even.

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I love it that the writer let Hyesoo tell her friend herself rather than make Jooyeon accidentally found out about her illness. It shows just how much they love and support each other no matter what happened.

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I love that part lots too! For me, a lot of the tension in this drama is how information is being leaked - whether Chairman dad "looking into things" or Jung-hoon being nosy and jumping to conclusions, or Na-yoon needling or even Joo-yeon and that cousin letting things slip past their mouths. I'm like "NOO too many people knowwww too many loose lips!!!! Gah!"

But in this case, because there is trust and time and space given, Hye-soo and Joo-yeon can share (voluntarily!) what's been going on, instead of from rumors or spying or eavesdropping etc. I loveddddddd it!

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This scene gave me goosebumps. Very well written, acted and shot. Don't we all wish for a BFF like her? No words needed, once Hye Soo is willing to open up the friend senses the horrible truth.

Other memorable scenes were the desperate prayer for a longer life, because her child needs her, and Hye Soo's relieved crying once she learned that the mom got another donor. At least one burden taken from her soul.

UEE excels in this part.

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I remember everyone talking about Joo yeon not noticing what hye soo is going through but I guess this ep justified it all. I felt so touched when she was trembling while applying nail art it speaks a lot about how much she cares....she might be an air head but she is a great friend.
It was emotional ep for me coz I remember myself trembling just like that when I found my friend was no more

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Totally agree! I didn't expect that Hye Soo's bestfriend know about her cancer during thia scene, up until when she made some mistakes while doing her customer's nail.

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I actually repeated that scene, it was so enchantingly beautiful and sad. The music is good, and then the way the camera pans out and let them hug it out without any word, ugh..perfect!

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Waahhhhhh, why is Ji-hoon swinging Eun-sung around the cutest thing ever? *shakes fists defiantly despite crying eyes* Yellow backpacks of joy for EVERYONE!

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Ikr?
I bawled and laughed at the same time watching those two. This drama makes me crazy, seriously...

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I find myself going crazy to see cutest dimple smile beast

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Oh what this drama does to me! Every time I turn it on, I first have to clear everyone out of the room and sit with a box of tissues in my lap, preparing for at least one (but often more) ugly cries.

Kudos to the writer and the actors. There is soooo much that happens in the quiet moments of this drama. I don't know that I've ever felt so much during scenes where there is no talking, but this drama is packed full of those silent, meaningful moments. Tonight's moment was when Joo-yeon finally realizes that something is wrong with Hye-soo. The gamut of emotions that ran across Joo-yeon's face let us know exactly what she was thinking and feeling, and it was powerful indeed. It speaks a lot to the writer's talent for letting those moments exist - I wonder if it is hard for someone whose living is made with words to know when it is best to not use words. And for the actors to take those moments and make them speak so loudly only through facial expressions and body language - simply amazing.

Gah - I love this drama so so much!

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I so agree! This drama has been shot beauifully, and it has moments where the viewer is left to feel for themselves what the characters feel, without need for words! Didn't think I'd be so into it at the start, now I really like it.

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+1

@momchichi so agree with you!
Didn't expect much at the beginning but I am now totally in love with this drama ❤❤

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you write what in my mind... thanks... i totally agree with u... i start with this drama with no expectation at all but now i really love this drama and dying waiting for the next episode

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I'm not a fan of the angsty part of dramas and was planning on skipping these two episodes. But I can't stay away. (Help, please!)

I think it's because the angst feels real and not manufactured, so that I'm crying with them instead of rolling my eyes and yelling at the screen. Like LollyPip said, nobody at this point seems like an Unneccesary Noble Idiot to me. Also, the acting is just stellar, especially from Seojin.

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Oh, glad you managed to watch binmom. I wanna hug them alllllll.

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Aww my tears flowed this episode, eun-sung and ji-hoon practically ripped out my heart. I really wish the chairman and na-yoon can die from let's say food poisoning. Jung-hoon is so hell bent on getting recognition from his father that he doesn't know her pathetic he looks; it must be miserable to belong to such a family with a commanding and manipulative father. Nevertheless i can't express my love for this show. The characters seem human, like they are alive, it's adorably cute to see ji-hoon and eun-sung together, i hope hye-soo realises how deep ji-hoon's love for her reaches

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Oohhh. I like that. Kind Chef is on "our" side anyway. Maybe he can whip up something for Na Yoon and Chairman that makes them sleep.

Forever!!!!

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Chef for president. Uncle as his running mate.

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i really need that 'like!' button for this comment!

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Triple like!

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Lol. He totally looks like a drill sergent whem asked his workers one by one about the rumours!

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My ideal ending for this drama: Hye-soo is cured. Ji-hoon finally snaps and yells at his "family" that he never wanted their company or their money, he just wants a family that loves him. Then he, Hye-soo and Eun-sung go away and open their snack shop and live happily ever after. Stepmother divorces Chairman and takes half his assets. Chairman is left alone with (half of) his money.

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And joo yeon marries manager ;)

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Yes! :-)

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my favourite pairings are eun sung-ji hoon and hye soo-joo yeon.

knowing how grumpy lee seo jin can get makes me appreciate him as an actor. from grandpas and three meals, i would never know he can love a kid (or at least pretend to) so much!!

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I understand that he's very close to his niece in real life

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The way he talked to his niece at the beginning of three meals a day melt your heart.Just the way he addresses her. So much love. Bet he is favorite uncle forever!

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He is totally in love with his niece, so cute those two. She also came to the set of Running Man, as she is a huge Lee Kwang Soo fan. And after she appeared grumpy Seo Jin started to fight for the win.

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Ahh I want to see this RM. Which episode is it, around when was it aired?

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It's #229, the promotional visit of Lee Seung Gi and Moon Chae Won für their movie Love Forecast in which LSJ had a short special part.

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I am totally going to check it out. Thanks for the info.

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@newbie thank you!

Off to go checking that RM Eps!
While waiting for the weekend episodes to come. Ppali ppali..

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I think the only person who's cried more than I have from this drama is Uee herself.

I'm naturally a cryer (books, movies, videos of soldiers coming home, etc), but this drama has unlocked a new level of crybabyness for me. I even cry from happiness when Ji Hoon's uncle threw money back at the evil chairman.

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I like, I like! The episode, the recap, awesome! I'm just not sure though, what kind of steel Hye-soo is made of, to keep saying 'no' to Jihoon with all his emotional guts hanging out!!! I don't know what to want anymore. But their pain, their collective pain, of almost everyone in this drama from Ji-hoon's entitled big brother to the beautiful angel child Eun-sung...drama please just stop all the pain already!!

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Man that confession /apology nearly had me in tears.... See this is why I dont do melo. Seo Jinnie is totally killing this role, he has won me as fan for sure. That scene where Hye soo finally told Joo Yeon about her tumour was so beautifully crafted, it didnt feel overwrought or too sad, I actually felt relief.
tHye Soo has a will of steel , walking away from that confession when u actually love the guy and ure in a very weakened emotional state, it cut me to watch him get rejected it but I really have to applaud UEEs performance. I felt it man, i really felt it.

I knew the angst was coming, I thought I could brace for it but I couldn't . When Ji hoon broke down in thanks to his uncle I had to pause and collect myself mannnnnnnnn. Similarly when he heard Eun Sungs voice outside and lit up... (stupid ninjas cutting onions)

Even though we've hit the angsty stretch of the show, I dont feel like its draggy or annoying , I credit the direction and writing. The first family, melo, romance weekend drama I've enjoyed. I just keep hoping we get a happy ending because I love these characters so much.

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I felt it was uncanny that they both had the same reaction when told of the news that Uncle was going to donate part of his liver to Mi ran. They both burst out crying and saying thank you, time and again. It shows that their hearts were and are in the same place. They both want Mi ran to survive and be healthy. No wonder Uncle was taken aback. I too, couldn't stop my tears. The feels. This drama is wonderful.

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Thank you Lolypip for the quick recap..I can hardly wait to read dramabeans after an episode. I agree with Dramamama, "Tonight’s moment was when Joo-yeon finally realizes that something is wrong with Hye-soo."
I did not need to hear any words, it was ALL in the expression of body language, magnificently conveyed! Also, I wanted to express how satisfied I am with what the Uncle did to Jihoon's father. Uncle is not going to dance around or accept any of the immoral acts of the Chairman...great scene showing Uncle's disgust....I got so involved, I wanted to help throw that money around!!!

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I watched the scene with Chairman and Uncle about a dozen times! So satisfying! And Uncle's acting is so good, but I can't find anywhere the name of this actor. Can anyone help?

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I really like the uncle too! And his accent, it's so soothing.the writers have made him to be such a good person. Somehow, like someone mentioned above, I like every one in this show except for the big brother, nayoon and that unnecessary waitress colleague but everyone else (even annoying Chairman) have their angle!

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To think of it fairly... I think all the actors playing antagonists (father/chairman, Jung hoon, na young, stepmother, waitress Ara etc) everyone of them are doing a great job making our lead actors shine too.

They created, building up, such angst that we become so rooted in the OTP relationship HS-jihoon, jihoon-eunsung,

It Is a casting well done, great writing and directing works. Will not be surprised if they win several awards this year ❤❤

Yeah, fighting!!

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I may or may not have marathoned 10 episodes on this show over the weekend.. :-o

How did a show with such a cliched description do this to me?! It is probably because the main trio of characters (Hye-soo, Ji-hoon and Eun-sung) just fit and crackle with chemistry and love. Even the tropes of asshole chaebol dads, noble idiocy, terminal illness don't sully my enjoyment of the show. Still cant put the finger on it. Every emotion is well done and not wasted. Moments are prolonged for the right amount of time. Not too short and not too long.

This is the first Lee Seo-jin drama I have seen and I love him. This grumpy sexy ajhussi with the craters on his cheeks, how can one say no to him!

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Thanks LollyPip!

Best drama airing currently (that I'm watching).

This is really one of the most coherent and sensible (as in everything makes sense) stories I've seen, with nary a plothole, no contrivances and no over-melodramatic cliches. And yet it draws the tears without effort.

On a different note: how I love seeing those long skirts again after so many months of minis. Are they coming back in fashion? I love Hye Soo's few but sweet 'dress-up' outfits with their elegant flowy skirts/skorts and the line she creates with her figure.

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Hi my dear @Growingbeautiuflly!!! Waving madly at you. Once again, we are in complete agreement about a drama. This is my absolute favorite drama right now and it's way up there among all my favorites of the past three years. The emotion is so pitch-perfect ...GAH...I am so undone!

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My dear * lunatic4kd

It's always a pleasure to read you on the threads and to see your continued enthusiasm for all things Korean.

Yes, this show is one of the few that has quite undone us ... I think I need a drinking buddy to watch the ending of this show with!!! *sob!* :D

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The scene with Hye Soo and Joo Yeon; the moment Joo Yeon realizes that Hye Soo is ill as the camera pans away... Man, that scene had me so emotional. The acting, music and directing was just perfect. There are so many scenes in this drama where there isn't dialogue, but yet the scenes are still so powerful.

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This episode gave me Gong Yoo Han-Gyul vibes for Lee Seo-Jin as Ji-Hoon. This is *his* role for sure. That last scene was so powerful and raw. It was so wonderful and heartbreaking and real. Read a comment on the site I watched it on, saying that it almost felt wrong to watch that scene because it felt like it really was happening and he really was asking, practically begging for one more chance to be with her. And UEE is doing a beautiful job as well. Gah, I just want Hye-Soo to be ok in the end, and not die! ;_; This drama is so close to my heart; I find myself going back and re-watching scenes, I just love it! <3 <3 <3

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When I first saw him, I really didn't *like* him much but that's probably kudos to his good acting to make himseld unlikeable. Now though... I'm won over!

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A couple things about this episode. First, I'm 100% on HS's side about not telling JH about being ill. She's known this guy, what? Five months at the absolute most? Sure, for some people that's plenty of time, but this is a very sick woman with a very young child. I would be pushing him away, too. Ain't nobody got time for that, especially not her.

Secondly, I'm pissed off that she hasn't told ES yet. That kid is way too smart to not notice that her mother is ill. ES will be more pissed off the longer HS holds off the information.

Thirdly...well, my third thing doesn't happen until episode 12 so I won't rant about it. It's minor but it has mildly pissed me off.

Anyway, all of these things that I love or that annoy me add up to a really heartwrenching and heartwarming drama that I can't get enough of. Even if things frustrate me, I'm totally down for all of them happening. Unless those things result in the Chairman getting a redemption story--screw that man.

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I think she's fair in not telling her daughter yet until visible signs occur. You want to protect your child from as much trauma and stress as possible..either way, the child is going to be scared and worried the whole time....Hye Soo's got 5 years...she's got enough time to let Eun Sung be a kid for as long as possible.

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As someone whose mother made the decision to not reveal her cancer to me and only learning about the whole truth a few weeks before she died when I was aged 19 after fighting a long 10 years fight, I completely get Hye Soo's decision to give her child a happy childhood as long as possible.

She is seven and still believes in fairy tales, let her have a peaceful mind as long as possible.

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@newbie

Thank you for sharing your personal story. I agree with you too, as well as Hye Soon decision of not telling Eun Sung yet.

You can't rob the child's childhood by giving her the truth now, when in fact Hye Soon still have those 30% chance of living in the next five years.

When time comes, there will be a right moment to tell the child what it means to be that sick...
*teary-eyed* ?

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I definitely understand where you're all coming from, and it does vary in different circumstances. But I know, even as a small child, that I would not have been okay with not knowing if one of my family members was gravely ill. That's my perspective and that's how I would plan on being with my family as well if, god forbid, something like that were to happen with me. I would not want there to be any residual guilt or missed moments due to my deteriorating health.

It's always hard to pin-point the 'right moment' when lives are, literally, at stake. Although HS plans on surviving this and is working hard at being there for ES, there's always a risk of something happening unexpectedly. Especially with something that affects the brain. I know this is a drama and I doubt that the team would let there be unresolved issues with ES...but it still just gives me bad vibes about not sharing that information early on.

Might just be me, though, and that's totally cool if everyone else disagrees, haha.

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@Newbie

Your story made me cry. Your mother must've been an amazing woman. Thanks for sharing.

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@Newbie
So sorry to hear you had to go through that. It had to have been hard. Your mom sounds like she was an amazing woman.

I went through something similar as your mom and handled it the same. Though not for the same reasons.

I was diagnosed with a brain tumor when I was 25. Oddly, I wasn't particularly worried about it and believed everything would turn out well. Which thankfully it did.

However, at the time I still chose not to tell anyone about what was going on until the diagnosis was settled and the surgery scheduled. What I anticipated - and what happened - was that after I told my family, boyfriend, friends and co-workers they all pretty-much had meltdowns. And it was a non-stop effort to console them. I was definitely grateful for their concern. But I was already so tired - and each day feeling progressively worse - trying to help them with their fears took a lot of energy. And it took added mental and emotional effort to keep from being pulled into their fear-driven outlook.

So I can completely relate to why this drama character is choosing to deal with it on a need-to-know basis. Sometimes it can be just a matter of what you need to do to survive.

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Gidget, glad to hear you defeated this ugly illness. I am very happy for you!

Just a couple of days ago I heard from a friend that her colleague died of a brain tumor. He knew for a year that he'd die and told no one. Even his wife only learned about it two weeks prior to his death. He made the decision to live as normally as possible till the very end, he wanted to be treated by everybody like they used to. No pity party, no dramatic situations, peaceful till the end and yet still able to say the final good-byes. I didn't know him, but I'm glad he could fulfill his wish.

This drama for sure makes you reflect the tough situations in life.

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Agree~! Also she is breaking the news to Eun-sung, in small manageable ways: "learn how to do this, you must be ready to do things alone," etc. Eun-sung is smart, but she is still a child and processing this diagnosis (with lots of fear, uncertainty, grief too) will be hard no matter her age.

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I'm not crying, Eunsung-ah. There is just something in my eyes . A lot of something.

And that old chairman, seriously... Is he ever human? He can just die or go far away and let his family be happy without him controlling every aspect of their life. Heck, even Junghoon and his mom deserve that much.

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hahaha..i think i'm agreed with you about that old man! waiting for his KARMA lol.... ;)

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I wasn't crying either. My face just started leaking for no explainable reason.

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??

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Thank you so much for your recap. :) as always...Well Done. :)
This drama drawns me in so quietly I feel I'm watching reality at times. Lol The main actors..the child actress..wonderful! The whole cast is doing the best job ever. I'm loving the ones I'm suppose to love and wanting to thrash the ones I'ed like to punish. (That would be dear ol Dad!) Lol. Congratulations to the cast, crew, writers, all of them, for making me fall in love with this drama's charaters and cry way too many tears.

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I actually feel that even after the cancellation of the surgery hyesoo has taken miran's journey to be somewhat parallel to her own: although both have very different opinions abt dying, hyesoo's investment in miran's recovery goes beyond her original motivations stemming from the contract, but is a glimmer of hope for herself who is seeking to be excused from death this time. But even miran - whose death has been painted by the show to have been accelerated by her destructive habits - has now her chance at redemption (at life); how desperate and alone must hyesoo feel when the tumor seems to be through no fault of her own...

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So true! From the very beginning Hye Soo felt a special connection to the mom. We all remember mom's suicidal behavior on the street and Hye Soo begging her to then die together. At that moment she needed mom to get the money, but she also somehow intertwined her fate with her, I think.

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i've watched the episode but i still love how LollyPip recap the episode..keep up LollyPip
thanks a lot ^_^

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Gamsahamnida Lollypip!

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My heart broke at every glorious moment of this episode. Right at the very first appearance of Beauty and the Beast, hot tears suddenly were down to my chin. What a brilliant piece of writing!! I have replay the final scene MORE times than the kissing scene at the end of episode 9. This drama continues to exceed my expectations. It simply fulfills everything I've ever wanted in a beautifully unfolding love story. Uee is knocking me out SO Much with her brilliant acting and Lee Seo-Jin is just WOW...I mean that last scene. OMG - I cried buckets. He made me feel his pain and longing. I felt it down to my toes. I am in love with this drama!

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Lol. Me too! I watched the wonderful, wonderful kiss scene maybe three times, but this finale I watched at least ten times. He's really nailing it. Who'd have thought.

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The best part about Beauty and the Beast is that was Eunsung's dream layered on her mother's story telling in which she is happily taken part as the fairy making their love possible. And in the middle of this heartbreaking episode, we were sold with a fairytale. Totally crazy and brilliant execution.

And the episode which gave us space (visual) to feel the connection between friends on life and death, allows us, and Yoo Yeon, time (the after realization) to sink in the depth of what dying might means.

The writing, directing, and acting are all around outstanding.

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I decided to start this drama because I'm a sucker for the contract marriage trope, as cliche as it is. But man am I floored by how many emotions this drama is drawing out of me. And what I love is that the drama does not focus *just* on how tragic the love story is, but just how every part of Hye Soo's life is touched by this illness. Her friendship with Hye Soo, her relationship with her in-laws that she's just putting together again now, and of course, her relationship with her daughter, the lovely Eunsung.
I'd have to agree with some of the other beanies that the scene in this episode that really just gutted me right in the heart is the very quiet, but very real scene where Jooyeon just slowly starts to absorb that Hye Soo is terminally ill and she could very well be loosing her friend. The way the realization sunk in, it just killed me. I couldn't hold it together as the camera zoomed out.
And of course, the scene at the end was another killer. Never have I seen a kdrama lead be so vulnerable and willing to put everything on the line like Jihoon has. The way he kept circling her and running after her, Oh God, the FEELS *ugly sobbing*

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I just wanna say thank you God for me not dropping this drama! Indeed it was beautiful melo. I felt everyone's pain. And thank you to the actors, enough to lure me into this freaking.awesome.human.sad.melo drama with their amazing chemistry! I'd cried, I feel the pain, their face shows everything even without dialogue! I felt pain in my chest when Ji Hoon begging for forgiveness!! I felt everything guys! Such an awesome acting from everyone!

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I actually pity the actress Kim Yoo-ri, her recent dramas all cast her as super irritating second lead. From Kill Me Heal Me to My Beloved Eun-dong and now this. Na-yoon has got to be one of the most irritating person in drama history, the fact that she always goes to equally irritating daddy dearest for information and thought that this will help her win Ji-hoon is totally beyond me. Where's your pride girl? The guy is obviously not into you, you should just back out gracefully.

Anyway, this show has been nothing but fantastic. Who knows that something this melo can be so good? Heart totally broken when Ji-hoon started apologizing and tearing. Oof.

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I forgot to say how much I like Ji Hoon's character. He has grown so much from a 'bratty' person who would have thrown a tantrum at not getting his way, to someone mature enough to stop and consider the other person. I love how he did not (like many male leads I've seen) let Hye Soo's rejection get him angry with her in anyway, if anything, it showed that he became even more considerate and got him thinking deeply about where he might have been lacking.

I also heartily approve of the way Hye Soo 'broke up' with Ji Hoon. I don't normally like people lying, but she had to make it clear and break it off cleanly for his sake. And she did it clearly and with dignity and respecting his dignity as well. At least there was none of that deliberately hurting a person in a mean way in order to reduce the pain of separation cliche, followed by totally disappearing without a word, that we get in many shows.

I love how this show is so much more reasonable in the way real people may make decisions and behave, under such difficult circumstances.

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My favorite scene is Ji Hoon and Eun Sung meeting again ... soooo heartwarming! So much warmth and affection in that man that he's hidden under all that temper and his putting on a front ... what a great difference from ES and JH's first few meetings! So heart-breaking when they have to be separated... and Eun Sung's tears even in this episode.... heart rending!

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I really, really loved the scene between Chairman Han and Mi-ran's brother. Bro was so AWESOME in his righteous anger, throwing money at Chairman Han and yelling like a mad man. And the chairman actually looked disturbed, like he had expected _gratitude_ after handing out such a nice amount of money and then he gets firmly put in his place. Ha. Serves him right.

You can see why Jung-hoon is such a horrible piece of sh*t. On the other hand he has his father disapproving everything he does (I bet chairman has NEVER shown him appreciation about anything) and on the other hand he has his mother enabling him as a compensation. So he ends up being a big man child always whining to get his way. I'm actually fine with this character because even though I find him rather disgusting, I can still see why he is like he is and where he's coming from (even though I definitely do not agree with him).

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Well said about Jung hoon character
+1

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Yay for Uncle!! We knew all along that eventually he will help his sister. I'm glad he already let go all of ill-feeling he has towards his sister....smiling all around.
This episode brings a lot of powerful scenes and I love all them. Particularly part when Hye-soo tell Joo-yeon about her illness...silent but powerful scene. I cried buckets in this episode. Poor Ji-hoon...his newly found feelings are unrequited (yet). I don't like Hye-soo way to handle her feeling towards Ji-hoon, but I totally understand her point of view. She can't let Ji-hoon feel the same (or more) pain loving someone with terminal illness. She already saw the effects on Ji-hoon when his mother face the same situation. Oooff....this melo...adictive one.
Btw, how we can sympathize with Na-yoon and Jung-hoon when they write the characters like that!! I wish their characters written better.

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well this episode 11 and 12 make me crying so badly...such heartbreaking for the both side..hurmm..i'm really hates Ji Hoon's father, what kind of arrogant and cold hearted person.

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Whew, okay... Just let me get my bearings together *breathe*
I've been religiously following and watching this drama, but still come here every week to read the recaps, so thank you so much, Lollipip, for doing it <3
So, the Good: Ho Jun, chef Soo Chang, Joo Yeon, Uncle <3
The Bad: Hye Soo and Ji Hoon basically ripping my heart out into shreds, then stomping on the shreds into mush... But I still love them and understand why they do what they do and the choices that they are making
Honorable mentions of The Bad: Chairman Han T.T

Let's take this step-by-step, character-to-character, and scene-by-scene:

1. Hye Soo: this 'noble idiocy' that Hye Soo is doing, I can't even call it 'noble idiocy', she's simply just so honourable and so, SO selfless and SO loving!!! The woman has her priorities straight (Eun Sung) and is trying so, so hard to keep her composure when her whole world is crumbling and when she's facing everything alone; And I understand why she's choosing to face everything alone: Ji Hoon is already slowly facing the (premature) looming death of his own mother and she doesn't want to have to put him through the wringer again, possibly 5 years down the road.... And yes, he would be the perfect guardian/stepdad to Eun Sung because he already loves her and Hye Soo so, so much-- and he is probably a better candidate as a guardian for Eun Sung compared to Joo Yeon, simply for the love that he has for both mother and daughter and because he is actually so capable... But let's be honest: I have a feeling that Ji Hoon might just want to go and die along with Hye Soo if anything were to happen to her, or if not follow her and die, then he might possibly just end up being a living zombie--- and I'm saying this with the perspective of having already watched both Episode 11 & 12

2. Ji Hoon: He shattered my heart, and basically put all the broken pieces into a food processor and pulsed it until everything became ash.... especially the last scene when he was pouring his heart out and begging at Hye Soo Na Yoon & Jung Hoon: You 2 deserve each other, 'nuff said
--> Chairman Han: I wanted, SO BADLY, to throw something at my...

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Whoops! My comment came out weird and actually got cut off =( I'll wait until tomorrow and refresh a couple more times to see if it gets fixed, and if it doesn't I'll just repost the rest of my comment in 'Reply'

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Okay, finishing my post here

I wanted so badly to throw something at my screen when Chairman Han gave Uncle that "funeral money" ugh, it took a lot of restrain not to do so and break my screen

Na Yoon & Jung Hoon: they deserve each other, enough said

Eun Sung: you poor, precious little thing <3 At least she got 5 minutes of happiness seeing Ahjussi again and got to play for a little bit with him <3 Anyone else notice in that scene that Ji Hoon had actually said, "OUR Eun Sung!!!" ? That was the sweetest thing ever <3

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Na Yoon & Jung Hoon
Nooooo! Can you imagine how creepy their kids would be?

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I think their babies would be beautiful, because, c'mon, Na Yoon is actually a very beautiful woman....
I'd just worry about the child(red)'s mental health XD

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Another thing that makes her decision to pull back from him seem reasonable is that it's organic to her personality. She's comfortable living life and handling things alone. And she genuinely doesn't want to burden other people with her problems.

We've seen this consistently in how she's handled her relationships with co-workers, friends and family. So the fact she's handling her relationship with Ji Hoon this way seems more normal than noble.

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This episode made me cry... it was so sad...
Thanks for recap

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Thanks for the recap, I always enjoy reading the comments on DB website..
What an awesome drama!! I started watching it because when there were 4 episodes aired, because I was bored on that weekend. But I couldn't sleep before finishing all the 4!!
I've not watched such a heartbreaking awesome drama for a while.
Ji Hoon, it breaks my heart to see him cry.. I can feel his pain like his heart is broken into pieces literally.. So sad. I like how I've seen him changing throught the show and how Hye Soo and Eun Sung opened his heart and made him see some sides of himself that he didn't know they are there.
The friends in this drama are amazing, they support our leads emotionally (and financially) when needed.
Evil dad and hyung, I HATE THEM!!
Na Young, she needs to go away and stop being so clingy..
Mom, I understand that she might have left her family for the chairman because she was blinded by young love that made her think he will be her world. But come on 30 years should be more than enough to know his true nature.. I'm glad she understands this now.
Is it too much to hope for a happy ending for this show?

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I am so happy reading all the comments here, knowing that you enjoy the drama.

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My favourite scene: When Eun Sung cried because "I told you not to fight & be good to each other!" *teaaaaarss T_T

The thing about being a child is, they are so pure and understand things in a very simple way. But as we become an adult, things become more complicated.

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Yes, everytime Eunsung cry i cry too...
She is so very talented.
Havent found a child actress as good as she is until now.

I saw the bts when they did first script reading, Shin rin ah is so shy and her voice is so quite. But indeed in the drama her acting is stellar...
I love her well written character and the way she act.

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Another thing about our lead couple,... their tears are real... noses are red,... eyes bit swollen... faces slightly blotchy even through the makeup. Don't seem like pretend tears at all!

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So true. I made that observation as well. Everything is so realistic. Kudos to the director. He really must be a class act for being able to wring genuine emotions from his actors.

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So true...

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I was thinking the same thing. There's just so much emotion in their performances.

Wish I put my comment at 41.1 here.

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Can I say how satisfying was the scene between Dad and Uncle? I was like "Yeah, tell him bro" haha

Ji-hoon's uncle appears really natural to me, like how he give a slap on Ji-hoon's knees or how he became once his sister was really in pain.

And gosh, Ji-hoon and Eun-sung are just too cute.

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I was blown away with JH's plead for HS to stay. I really didn't expect for this drama to be this good but it is. Even its full of cliches but its executed nicely or differently. I even like how they do PPL here.

JH's father is really... I don't know... The chances of him redeeming himself is as slim as HS not dying.

What we will do if HS dies? huhu.. I hope they can be together like the three cats...

Thanks for the recap and can't wait to read the next one.

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He's playing this week's episodes with such raw and powerful emotion. It seems so realistic to deep suffering; you get the feeling that LSJ must be drawing from his own life experiences.

I always wanted to see him let go of his inhibitions like this. His former performances have always seemed so carefully controlled and, to a degree, self-aware. But every so often you could see glimpses that he has a lot of emotional context under that surface image. It's nice to see him tap into it and deliver it on screen.

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Did they really say kidney? It's the liver.

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Don't have time to read all the comments so forgive me if this has already been clarified. I thought I should put this up since it'll help us to understand what they're implying about her survival. Either her cancer has a 30% one year survival rate and something less at 5 years. Or it has a 30% 5 year survival rate. Probably the former.

Fun facts for the wonky:

Cancer diagnoses commonly use a system for predicting survival rates, benchmarked at 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years.

The real life statistics for brain tumors (in general) are: after diagnosis the statistical probability of living 1 year is 40%, 5 years is 19% and 10 years is 13%.

Said another way, and in broad terms, after being diagnosed with a brain tumor a little less than 1/2 of the people live one year. Of those survivors, about half will remain cancer free until the 5 year benchmark. Of those, about 3/4 will remain cancer free until the 10 year benchmark. After that, the likelihood of recurrence is extremely low so it's likely they've been cured.

They commonly reference the 5 year survival date because it's a huge turning point in your hope of remaining cancer-free. At 10 years you can fully breathe a sigh of relief. In reality, there is no way of saying that a person only has 'X' years to live because beating cancer is unpredictable.

For example, I have a friend who was diagnosed with a particularly aggressive malignant tumor in her brain stem. Several doctors refused to operate on her because the 1 year survival rate was less than 5%. She finally found someone to operate, and did brutally aggressive radiation and chemo afterward to kill what they couldn't remove. Now, over 20 years later she's still cancer free. Another friend was diagnosed with a far less aggressive (but still malignant) brain tumor. She seemingly beat it quickly; but it recurred within a couple of years and she passed within 5 years of the initial diagnosis. So you just never know.

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Thank you! That was very informative.

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love this drama

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Likewise

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I wanted to say something the defense of Na-Yoon. I think all of us are forgetting that she is a victim here. Ji-Hoon lied to her and when they were in a relationship al thoss years ago she obviously loved him a lot. So if I were in her position would I be so willing to let go? Would I become buddy buddy with Hye-Soo? Nope. I'm not saying she is my favorite character or anything but I don't hate her, i don't feel anything towards her.

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Thought 1: Oh heavens, please don't cry, Ji-hoon. Please please please. I can't take it--please don't cry.

Thought 2: Dear stars above, I want his father to die a miserable, horrible death. No--no to the death. To the pain. First his eyes, then his tongue and his hands. But not his ears, so he can hear my disgust for all of eternity. Through his perfect, disgusting ears. What Mi-ran's brother did was not enough. I want a slap before this show is done.

Thought 3: Just... just don't die. Can you do that for me, Hye-soo? Please.

Love, Cozybooks.

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This drama is beautifully done; great story line, script, superb actors and excellent directing.

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