My Ajusshi: Episode 4
by LollyPip
It’s a terrible feeling, the thought that you’re alone in the world, that nobody knows what you’re going through. But that doesn’t mean that it’s welcome, when someone manages to see right into you and know exactly what you’re feeling. Right now, Dong-hoon and Ji-an feel safe in their isolation from the world, so as they begin to realize that there’s somebody who understands them, it feels more like a violation than a comfort.
EPISODE 4 RECAP
As Dong-hoon heads to work, he can’t stop thinking about Ji-an trying to kiss him last night. When he arrives, he goes straight to Ji-an and informs her that today is her last day. She barely reacts, then turns back to her work.
Director Park is out of jail and back at the office after his hit-and-run, looking shame-faced during an emergency board meeting. The other directors light into him for drinking so much that he missed an important meeting.
When they’ve yelled themselves out, Joon-young says that he’ll personally travel to China to tell the investors that Director Park missed the meeting because of his accident. He reassigns the project and tells Director Park that officially, he’s still in the hospital.
In private, Director Park pleads his case to Executive Director Wang, saying that he’s never blacked out from drinking, but somehow he woke up at the East Sea without his cell phone. They conclude that Joon-young must have somehow targeted him.
While walking to his office, Joon-young sees Ji-an sending a text, so he checks his burner phone as soon as he can. She asks for her ten million won payment (for getting rid of Director Park) today.
Dong-hoon approaches Director Yoon about firing Ji-an, and Director Yoon is insulted at having his time wasted, particularly by someone in Director Park’s pocket. Dong-hoon can’t be specific, so he says that Ji-an is badly-behaved, but Director Yoon just laughs that nobody at this company is well-behaved.
Frustrated at being denied, Dong-hoon pulls Ji-an into the conference room to speak privately. He opens all the blinds as the other people look on curiously, then he asks Ji-an if she thought he’d follow her like a dog because she saved him once. He accuses her of having fun with a middle-aged man, but she simply says she hasn’t kissed a man in a long time, so she just tried it.
She admits to being curious about how he seem be so bored with life while making a good salary, and why he pretends not to know that his college hoobae is trying to get him fired. She says that he looks like his life is as bad as hers, while she’s the most miserable person here.
She continues that she thought she might be less bored if she kissed him, but that it wasn’t fun. She asks how he feels, but he just sighs and asks if her parents know she’s living this way. He warns that if she acts up again, he’ll tell the whole truth and have her fired.
Director Park goes back to the bar to have a look at the CCTV cameras. He sees himself being practically carried out by someone who looks like a designated driver, and when he next checks the CCTV footage at the hotel where he woke up, they see the man going through his pockets.
He calls the designated driver company that he’d arranged for that night, and he’s told that he wasn’t there when they arrived to take him home. Director Park remembers telling Dong-hoon that they would go to the East Sea to celebrate once they took down whoever was trying to get rid of them. As he’s getting back in his car, he finds his phone under the seat and realizes that someone tampered with it.
He reports back to Executive Director Wang about the guy who took him from the bar, and how he hid his face from the cameras. They naturally assume that Joon-young and Director Yoon planned to have him abducted and hired professionals, and worry that they’ll even kill if pushed.
Executive Director Wang advises Director Park to take the blame and accept a demotion to Busan, and to look into Joon-young while he’s there. He wants to make Joon-young think he’s won while digging up dirt about him in secret.
Meanwhile, Joon-young meets with Ji-an outside the office, sure that this isn’t her first time doing this kind of elaborate con, and that she didn’t work alone. He passes her the money for getting rid of Director Park, warning her not to do anything else without his permission, but she says she’s already started work on Dong-hoon.
She tells him that she uploaded the picture of herself kissing Dong-hoon to a site visited by a gossipy employee, and that once the rumors begin, he can fire Dong-hoon. Joon-young worries that Director Park will be suspicious if it happens too soon after his own ousting, but Ji-an just says she needs the money quickly.
Joon-young goes back to the office and emails Ji-an’s photo and resume to Yoon-hee, asking her to look into the girl. Yoon-hee asks what happened to Director Park, but Executive Director Wang shows up so he hangs up on her. Executive Director Wang advises Joon-young that they need to get rid of Director Park, but they can’t fire him, so they should send him to Busan.
Dong-hoon’s mom holds a ceremony to bless Sang-hoon and Ki-hoon’s new cleaning business. The friend who sold it to them gives them some last-minute advice, including which chemicals never to mix, and he tells Mom that there’s no shame in honest work even if it’s a step down from what they did before. He says that Dong-hoon can start a business if he’s fired, but Mom snaps that Dong-hoon will work for his company until he’s seventy.
Sang-hoon’s wife, Ae-ryun, cries as she visits with Mom, who tells her that she felt better while watching the brothers go to work this morning instead of sitting around doing nothing. Ae-ryun asks her not to tell their daughter’s new husband about the cleaning business, since he doesn’t know she and Sang-hoon are separated, or about Sang-hoon’s debt.
She says that she still wants a divorce, but that she’s waiting until the kids are ready. Mom asks why she’s crying when Sang-hoon is working like she wanted, and Ae-ryun sobs that Sang-hoon will never pay down his debt with a cleaning job.
That night, Dong-hoon calls Director Park, who says that he won’t be there to help him anymore. Dong-hoon asks if Joon-young is responsible, but Director Park says that he just got drunk and made a mistake. Thinking about how he told Dong-hoon he wanted to go to the East Sea, then mysteriously ended up there, he tells Dong-hoon that he can’t trust him right now, and warns Dong-hoon not to trust anyone, either.
Loan shark Kwang-il lets himself into Ji-an’s old apartment, then calls someone to report that she obviously hasn’t been there in days. He says that she won’t leave the country because of her grandmother, and that she can’t get away from him, anyway. He starts to leave but finds Ji-an standing in the doorway.
He growls that he would have killed her if she hadn’t shown up today, and she angrily shoves the envelope with the ten million won at him. Kwang-il warns her to have some manners and taunts her about where she got so much money. Ji-an grabs his bag and drops a receipt book at his feet, ordering him to add a line: “I won’t break in ever again. If I do, she won’t have to repay the rest of her debt.”
She says that if he doesn’t, she’ll kill him. Kwang-il purrs for her to die so he can torment her grandmother instead. Never breaking eye contact, Ji-an calls him a dumb bastard and says that she’d kill her grandmother before she killed herself. She pushes the receipt book at him again and tells him to start writing: “I can’t stand you being anywhere near where I breathe. I’m afraid I might end up breathing in your air, and that man’s air as a result.”
Kwang-il slaps Ji-an across the face with the envelope of money, then tosses it aside and begins beating her.
Yoon-hee did as Joon-young requested and pulled up information on Ji-an, whom she discovers once stabbed a man to death when she was only in middle school. Yoon-hee asks Joon-young who Ji-an is, and he tells her simply that she’s an employee.
Kwang-il takes a break from punching Ji-an to spit at her that she’s not allowed to die so that he can torment her until she’s old. She yells back that she should have left his father alive so that she could harass him like Kwang-il harasses her. She screams that she was too nice by killing him right away, earning a fresh round of pummeling.
It’s snowing later when she staggers to her friend Ki-bum’s home, bruised and bloody. She pulls her grandmother’s bed across the room, ignoring her signed questions about her face, but Grandma asks if it was the same man who hit her. Ji-an reminds her grandmother that she killed that man. She gives Grandma the fruit she bought, then pulls her receipt out of her pocket — which includes the note saying that her debt is forgiven if he breaks in again.
Dong-hoon and his team go out for drinks, mourning Director Park’s demotion. They ask Dong-hoon why he tried to have Ji-an fired, but he just says that he feels sorry for her. He says that when people look tense, it gives you a clue about their past, and that he’s scared to know what happened to her. Ji-an, who’s listening in via her spy app, abruptly cuts off her feed in anger.
On their way out, Dong-hoon points out a building to his team. It was built in the same year he was born, and it follows the curve of the river so it can’t be rebuilt. “It will just disappear once it can’t hold up any longer,” he sighs. “It shouldn’t have been built here. Just like me. I also chose the wrong place. I shouldn’t have been born on Earth.”
The following day, Ji-an’s injured hand bothers her, so she stops to put on a bandage. One of the women from the office saw the picture of her kissing Dong-hoon, and even though her face wasn’t visible, the woman recognized her shoes.
She loudly mentions how if a woman goes up on her toes to kiss a man, she’s the one initiating the kiss, which Ji-an was doing in the picture. Realizing that she’s been recognized and about to be accused of seducing Dong-hoon, Ji-an calls Ki-bum and tells him to take down the picture and delete it.
Ki-hoon arrives at today’s cleaning job to find that someone vomited all down the stairs. A tenant says that it was a female tenant who lives alone, and that she tried to get her to clean up after herself but she pretended she wasn’t home. Apparently this happens often, and the woman always vomits in the same place.
Back at their office, Ki-hoon complains that Sang-hoon didn’t help clean up the mess, until Sang-hoon loses his appetite. His chin wobbles and Ki-hoon asks if he’s already ready to quit. Sang-hoon says he’s just having a hard time, but he leaves to cry alone.
The woman who saw Ji-an’s picture corners her and taunts her, saying that if she’d turned her in, she’d have been fired. She tells Ji-an to work harder instead of making moves on the boss, and to try being a bit friendlier. Ji-an just laughs dryly and says that if she gets fired, then so will the other woman, for having an affair with a married colleague.
Ha, it turns out that the woman (who’s also married) has been sleeping with a man from another department, actually in the office, and that janitor Choon-dae has seen them. Ji-an orders the woman to keep her mouth shut if she wants to keep her job.
After work, Ji-an goes to a pharmacy to have her injured hand checked out, and the pharmacist recommends that she go to the hospital. She notices that her other hand looks injured too, but Ji-an jerks that hand back. Ki-bum is there, and the pharmacist assumes he’s the one who hurt Ji-an and writes her a note asking if she needs help.
Later, Ki-bum asks how long Ji-an will let Kwang-il beat her up, mentioning guiltily that some of her debt is because of him. She just tells him to bring Grandma back to her place tomorrow since Kwang-il won’t be coming over anymore. Ji-an asks what he found out on Dong-hoon, and Ki-bum says that his son is overseas and his wife is a lawyer, so they can’t mess with them.
The cheating woman calls her lover, frantic that Ji-an knew so much about them. She revisits the website to find the picture of Ji-an kissing Dong-hoon, but it’s gone.
When Dong-hoon meets up with his brothers for a drink, it’s obvious that Sang-hoon has been crying again. He confesses that while he was cleaning today, he accidentally swept some dust onto the man who built half the buildings in the area, and he threatened to fire him unless he apologized.
Sang-hoon had to kneel in front of him, then when he got back downstairs, he found a lunch box that Mom had left for him. He told himself she couldn’t have heard what happened, but when he got home, she just smiled at him, and he knew she’d seen his humiliation.
Ki-hoon storms off to kill the man who belittled his brother, but Dong-hoon grabs him in a back-hug and holds him until he calms down.
In their secret apartment, Yoon-hee tells Joon-young that Dong-hoon should have married someone else. She says he’s hardworking and kind, but he’s also lonely, which makes her feel lonely because she can never make him happy.
She describes Dong-hoon as a man who feels like he’s lost something, though he doesn’t know what. She asks Joon-young why he never talks about his ex-wife, but he just says there’s not much to say, and gets ready to leave.
Ji-an tells Ki-bum to find something, anything, on Dong-hoon even if he has to make it up. She seems ill at work, sweating and clutching her stomach in pain. She passes out for a moment, falling out of her chair, but nobody goes to help her (they think she just nodded off) and she gets up and goes back to work looking weary.
Mom visits the temple to talk to a monk she knows, telling him that he’s better than all three of her sons and joking that she’s sending them to the temple in her next life.
Dong-hoon runs into Ji-an drinking a beer at a convenience store, and he notices her injured hand. He grumbles at her to take medicine if she’s sick, then goes to smoke his cigarette, but he throws it away unlit.
That night, Ji-an listens to the recording of the brothers’ fight, and she hears them mention the name of the man who humiliated Sang-hoon, Young-woo. She even listens to Dong-hoon telling her to take medicine, then later she hears him going to see Young-woo.
He’d taken the man a basket of oranges, saying that he was there about his brothers’ cleaning company. He’d told Young-woo that he’s had to kneel before too, and been slapped and cussed at, but that his family never learned about it. He’d said that whatever happened, it didn’t matter as long as his family never knew.
Dong-hoon had told Young-woo that you can’t treat someone like that in front of his family: “If you did, then it wouldn’t be strange if I killed you.”
As she listens, Ji-an flashes back to six years ago, when a loan shark had been beating her violently, and her grandmother came to her rescue. He’d turned his fury on Grandma, and Ji-an had run to the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and defended her family. A tear runs down Ji-an’s face as she remembers killing the man.
She continues listening as Young-woo asks Dong-hoon why he’s here. Dong-hoon says calmly, “My mom saw it. So I’m capable of doing anything to you right now.”
Young-woo suddenly shows up at Mom’s house, looking chastened and carrying the basket of oranges that Dong-hoon gave to him. Ha, they weren’t for him — they were for him to give to Sang-hoon. He apologizes for his behavior, bows deeply, and quickly leaves. Sang-hoon finally begins to smile again.
Ji-an hears Young-woo on the recording in the past, refusing to apologize. Dong-hoon had then pulled a mallet out of his bag and begun tearing holes in the walls, pointing out the serious violations in the building’s construction. He’d asked if all of Young-woo’s buildings were built this way and threatened him with fines, then told him again to take the fruit and apologize. That. Was. Awesome.
Dong-hoon leaves the man’s office, and stops in the street to catch his breath. Sang-hoon calls to say that someone named Jung-hee is back from Thailand, and all three brothers hurry to Jung-hee’s bar. Jung-hee seems very popular with the neighborhood men, and she’s obviously fond of them.
Dong-hoon arrives to find Jung-hee nodding off from jetlag. He wakes her, and she gives him an affectionate slap, then drifts off again. As he gets drunk with his brothers, Dong-hoon recalls Ji-an’s words that he looks as bored as she is, as if he’s living out a life sentence day by day.
He tells Ki-hoon, as Ji-an listens in, “There’s someone who knows me. And I think I know her a little, too.” Ki-hoon asks if he’s happy, but he says, “I’m sad. I’m sad that she knows who I am.”
COMMENTS
I’d wondered what was going to bring Dong-hoon and Ji-an together, when their relationship began with Ji-an literally trying to destroy Dong-hoon’s life. I don’t think it’s that she doesn’t care what happens to him, but that her situation is so dire that she can’t afford to care. She’s literally fighting just to stay alive day to day, not to mention taking care of her disabled grandmother, and she’s so desperate that she can’t bother with things like morals or sympathy. But somehow, although they are in such different circumstances and facing very different challenges, there’s something that Dong-hoon and Ji-an recognize in each other. They seem to just get each other — like Ji-an said, she’s bored with life, and she saw that same boredom in Dong-hoon. Despite themselves, they can’t help but be drawn to the one person who instinctively understands them.
It’s interesting, because they really don’t seem to like each other very much. In fact, I’m sure that they both wish the other weren’t around (other than Ji-an needing the money she can get by getting Dong-hoon fired). But Ji-an’s plan to listen in to Dong-hoon’s conversations is backfiring on her, hard, because she keeps overhearing him saying things that reveal that he’s thinking about her. He’s a lot softer when speaking to others about her than he is when speaking directly to her, so it’s like she’s got a direct line to his emotions. She could use that against him, but it’s probably been a very long time since someone thought about her and worried for her, so she can’t help but be affected by his concern.
I’m really fascinated by Ji-an, who seems to have a lot of secrets. Her grandmother is her only family, but how did she incur so much debt? Is it her debt, or one she inherited? At least now we know a bit about why Kwang-il hates her so much — his father is the man she killed, apparently because he was abusing her and her grandmother. I find it very interesting that Kwang-il carries so much animosity towards Ji-an, but in the end, he bowed to her demand to add the note to his receipt. I think she may be right that he has feelings for her, probably against his will, but enough that even after beating her up, he still caved and did what she wanted.
As difficult as Ji-an is to like, I can’t help but like her despite her cold disregard for anyone but herself and her grandmother, because she could so easily just give up on life. But she fights back tooth and nail, even taunting a guy who’s twice her size and has already beaten her multiple times in the past. I don’t know if she’s pretending to be fearless or if she’s just truly not afraid of dying, but she still fights with everything she has when necessary. I think it’s that determination to fight that draws Dong-hoon, who seems to have genuinely lost any interest in life.
But the best part of this episode was when Ji-an overheard Dong-hoon defending his brothers, but doing it in a way that seemed, at first, to be gentle and respectful. Her tactic of defending her loved ones is (necessarily) violent, and she heard Dong-hoon handling a situation where she expected him to display his usual meek, apologetic demeanor. But instead, she saw something in him that she didn’t know he possessed — vengeance. A different kind of vengeance than Ji-an has ever seen, but one that was effective while still showing mercy to the man who wronged his family. It showed Ji-an that Dong-hoon is a lot more like herself than she believed, but that there’s a better way than hurting people, and he began to earn her respect. She won’t find it so easy to betray him now.
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1 pineapplegongzhu
March 31, 2018 at 8:22 AM
Such a great show! The FEELS! Thanks for the recap, @Lollypip!!
Okay, I said before Dong Hoon brothers seem like such a joke, but for Sang Hoon to lose his dignity like that - and in front of his mother - so heartbreaking. It must be hard being the eldest son, when the family honor rests upon your shoulders, and you feel like such a failure. I actually cried for him.
Conversely, I LOVED it when Dong Hoon sticks up for his brother. What a bold and loving move - and something one wouldn’t expect from such a mild-mannered man! To see him riled up, fighting for his family…what’s not to SWOON over?!
I’m not a fan of Dong Hoon’s wife. I’m fairly certain most people here don’t care for her, even though we acknowledge she’s an interesting, layered character. But, what can I say? I’m a hopeless romantic. She has betrayed and acted adulterously. She doesn’t deserve him. But, I wonder if “deserve” is the right word. If Dong Hoon still loves her, and I think he does, losing her would not be a win (even though she is a cheater). I dislike Joon-Young enough that I want him to lose, and losing Yoon-hee would be sweet revenge. So, yeah, I know I’m totally alone in the “save the marriage” camp, but here I am.
Also, I find it interesting that regardless of Yoon-Hee’s infidelity, she KEEPS TALKING about Dong Hoon when she’s with Joon-Young. Even in her illicit affair, her husband isn’t far from her thoughts. It’s quite telling that in contrast, Joon-Young doesn’t mention his ex-wife at all. He is 100% all in for Yoon-Hee. I don’t think the same can be said for her.
She may be discontent, dissatisfied in her marriage, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she were very much still in love with her husband, Doon Hong. Who wouldn’t be?
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lemoncello
March 31, 2018 at 8:44 AM
I’m curious about a few things: Joon-young, Dong-hoon, and DH wife in the past? How these three are connected? I believe that DH disliking JY for a reason, and vice versa.
I’m curious too about the son. Does he study abroad?
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egads aka Dame Maggie
March 31, 2018 at 8:49 AM
Yes, the son is studying abroad.
I'm thinking Joon-young, Dong-hoon, and the wife were all at university together and we will eventually learn more about what went down during that time.
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pineapplegongzhu
March 31, 2018 at 8:52 AM
@lemoncello, good questions! My conjecture is that JY was in love with YH in college (all three obviously went to the same university since DH is JY's sunbae, and he has already mentioned that YH was in the same class(?) as he).
Somehow, DH was able to win YH's heart, and JY has borne a grudge against DH since then (at least, that seems the most plausible).
It is interesting that their kid studies abroad. Not sure what to make of that since he doesn't seem to move the plot or characters very much. He isn't even mentioned; we only know of his existence through the photos on the wall.
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Lord Cobol (Kdramas, like water, flow downhill)
March 31, 2018 at 9:11 AM
I halfway expect the son to come back as a genius profiler (?)
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pineapplegongzhu
March 31, 2018 at 9:12 AM
LOL...always fun reading your comments, @lordcobol
mindy
March 31, 2018 at 9:24 AM
And end up finding his long-lost brother, who was kidnapped by the serial killer who killed their father and became a killer himself?
But wait. Both of his parents are alive, so this can’t be an I Remember You prequel. Can we still get a SIG cameo?
mushroomsoupie
March 31, 2018 at 9:31 AM
😂😂😂 Then he'll get to know JA (who's around 5 years older than him) and time skip 4 years later, he ends up having a crush on her. I'll take noona romance over ahjussi romance any day! 🤣
theimprintonmynose
April 1, 2018 at 12:24 AM
lmao this is so random (and funny) :P
lemoncello
April 2, 2018 at 3:32 AM
more genius than Dr. Reid. <3
JustMe
March 31, 2018 at 9:46 AM
Comment was deleted
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Beverly
March 31, 2018 at 1:00 PM
I honestly thought he'd died, but then the whole studying abroad came up.
And how old is he? In the photos he is young.
It kind of gave me chills how easily they thought of messing with his son and wife.
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Andre
April 1, 2018 at 12:48 AM
No, I think their son was dead. One of them (DH or his wife) or maybe both have a mistake related to the death. So they felt guilty to each other, that's why their relationship is so weird.
If their son abroad, why DH mother doesn't mention about her grandson when she talked about DH will work in the big company until his age 70 years? Study abroad needs much money so DH have to defend his job in big company.
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MapleSilver
April 1, 2018 at 7:08 AM
The fact that the son is abroad comes directly from his character description on the show website.
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IamPilgrim
March 31, 2018 at 8:48 AM
That’s an interesting take. Joon Young not mentioning his wife could be the total opposite. He could have really loved her so much that now he hates her for something. It’s the people you really love that when you hate them, it’s deep and unrelenting. Or she could be associated with a bad memory he just doesn’t want to think about. OR as you mentioned, he’s over her or never even loved her to begin with.
Personally, I find Joon Young so unreadable. He gives little away and is extremely cunning and ambitious. I also wondered why the wife kept mentioning Dong Hoon in Joon Young’s presence. She could really still love him. I’m not sure about now but I think she must have really did.
I’m probably with the majority of people who wish they get divorced. I’ll find it hard to forgive her betrayal. It’s not just a random person she’s cheating with - it’s with the guy her husband has explicit dislike for. And it’s not just cheating, they want him out of the picture... whether or not he resigns in disgrace. She’s his wife. She knows what the job probably means to him and his family. It’s a bitch move. I don’t hate her rather, I’m willing to understand her but still.
Even if he still loves her and they do get back together, there’s never going to be trust. She’ll always feel guilty and he’d turn into a crazy person who doesn’t trust his wife. Realistically speaking, it’s a relationship just waiting to fail. I believe no one who truly loves you and respects you would do something like that to you and even if they did, you as person does not realize your worth by taking them back. You can love someone but not forgive them. Her sin is something hard to forgive.
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pineapplegongzhu
March 31, 2018 at 9:11 AM
@esther, agreed, JY's silence regarding his ex-wife could be for a myriad of reasons. Still, with the level of devotion he displays for YH, my guess is he never really loved anyone other than YH. What would be REALLY interesting is if he had to make a choice between his career and YH: who would win, then?
I totally agree, YH-wifey is a despicable character. I have little sympathy for her, although I felt in this episode they were attempting to explain how she felt alone and a failure in the marriage, being unable to make DH happy.
This doesn't excuse her rotten behavior, she is fully to blame for her terrible betrayal of DH...but still, it sounds like she actually longs to be close to DH and would be willing to return to him if he opened himself up to her.
I mean, honestly, I would prefer DH and Ji An to get together because their chemistry is off the charts. But, that also means the family is permanently broken. If it weren't for their son, a divorce in this story would be very clean.
That's why it's so strange that the writers kept the son in the picture(s) - literally. He seems like such a non-entity since he hasn't shown up, let alone been mentioned by his own parents. His presence also makes a divorce in the story, how ever just, destructive because now the son has to go through the trauma of his family being ripped apart. It seems like a messy situation, but well, this is a melodrama.
True, forgiveness itself is a life sentence. It has to be done every day. It is a hard thing to do. But, if only one person in this Show could do it, I'd put my money on Dong Hoon.
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IamPilgrim
March 31, 2018 at 9:50 AM
About the son. If you’ve noticed, they’ve only mentioned him once and that was during Ji An’s snooping. The only other info we’ve got about him is the pictures of him where he’s no older than a certain age. Why would they send a kid so young abroad? It seems pretty clear that Dong Hoon’s family is in Korea. Maybe the mum’s?
Interestingly, no one has mentioned the kid. There are no scenes of either parents speaking to the kid on the phone. The older brother’s daughter has been mentioned twice but nothing about the kid. Not even Dong Hoon’s Mum. I wonder if he’s dead but why would they lie about him being dead to begin with? If the kid was dead it’d explain the rift in the relationship. And the camera seemed to linger in the kid pic in a scene. Maybe I’m reading too much into it 👀
Also interestingly, I don’t think the wife has ever mentioned her kid as the reason they’re still together. In fact, she’s usually the one bringing up the divorce and Joon Young would have to persuade her about the impending scandal.
And the moment she cheated, she broke the family. I’ve heard of many kids with dysfunctional parents where there’s little trust and fights (which is bound to happen if he doesn’t trust her) would rather their parents got divorced. Let’s be frank, forgiving is not forgetting. Rather, many try to forgive but not truly forget. Once trust has been broken, it can’t be mended no matter how desperate you want it to be. People don’t want to make the same mistakes again having learnt once. So, if Dong Hoon does in fact forgive her, he won’t forget. I realistically don’t see it ending well. But this is a drama. As best as they might try to depict reality anything could go down in fantasy world. Truthfully, I feel a divorce would be a good outcome for both parties. They could even become friends or be better off that way. I think it could be just as traumatic for a child to grow up in a broken family as in a home where there’s no trust and fights ensue.
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MapleSilver
March 31, 2018 at 2:25 PM
I hope this is not considered a spoiler. The kid will enter the picture in the episodes to come. The character description for the kid says that he is 12 and studying abroad. And I have seen a couple of photos circulating in the internet of the two parents and the son, one taken during his birthday with a birthday cake, and another one with just the three of them smiling. I am sure we are kept in the dark for a purpose, but I won't be surprised if we'll get the marriage backstory revealed next week. Maybe it was the mother who insisted on sending their son abroad, and that pissed off Dong Hoon. Who knows.
pineapplegongzhu
March 31, 2018 at 4:52 PM
@esther,
Regarding the son, that was exactly my point: the complete lack of mention about him, except in passing, would make it very easy for the writers to cut him out completely. In fact, it would make Dong Hoon and Yoon Hee's marriage easier to dissolve without the messiness of the child.
Yet, they didn't cut the character of the son out of the script. Why? That is what is intriguing and that is why I call him an odd non-entity to be still IN the story.
Yes, cheating damages a family, but I don't consider it a break until there is a divorce. And while your example of warring, distrustful spouses is noted, it is anecdotal. One could just as easily argue that statistics and research on children of divorced parents suffer a great deal as well, and who probably wished their parents remained married.
I don't think I ever made the claim that forgiving is synonymous with forgetting. I also don't think I claimed that forgiveness is easy. In fact, I would say that forgiveness is one of the hardest things to do; but it is also the most freeing (to the one who was hurt). Forgiveness doesn't mean forgetting, but it means acknowledging the injustice and still being strong enough to let go of the hurt in order to heal. The irony is unforgiveness actually hurts the victim more than the perpetrator.
I'm happy to agree to disagree with you on trust. Once trust has been betrayed it is extremely hard to build back up - which is why people give up. But, I think it can be mended. It just takes a lot of effort and a willingness in both parties to reconcile. It must be earned with effort, but it can be done.
Moonbean
March 31, 2018 at 7:28 PM
Regarding this being a drama: yes it is a drama but a very realistic one. So I don't really expect a story book ending, an easy forgiveness for the wife and a happy ever after for Dong Hoon's marriage. I know of no such thing in a similar situation in life.
Moonbean
March 31, 2018 at 7:31 PM
Oh and I agree that it is better for the kids if the parents have an amicable divorce than a miserable marriage. It is when the parents are resentful through the divorce and after that hurts the kids so much.
Kdramahiatus
March 31, 2018 at 4:59 PM
The wife is way past redemption at this point. And I agree, she is sleeping with her husband's boss and among their circle of old college friends which is plain despicable. No matter how disconnected and closed off Dong Hoon's personality is in their marriage, he does not deserve to be humiliated over and over again. That's like a bulldozer into a man's self worth. If the wife has any self-respect, then she should have divorced him regardless of the consequences. The problem with the boss and the wife is they don't want to suffer the aftermath of their affair. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Affairs are always messy and one way or another you will lose something because of it.
I am guessing that Dong Hoon already knows about her affair but is too afraid to confront the truth as of yet. BTW, the wife will get her karma soon because it looks like loverboy is getting bored with her already in this episode. The boss is a greedy man so he will quickly lose interest.
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pineapplegongzhu
March 31, 2018 at 5:14 PM
Oh, I totally agree with you that Yoon Hee is a despicable character, and her choice of lover (her husband's boss!) and how she's willing to see him destroyed is utterly reprehensible - shameful - contemptible! I mean, there aren't enough awful adjectives to describe her!
But......we're also only in episode 4. Is she really irredeemable? Hmmm...I wonder. I think the writers have done enough so that the audience wouldn't want them together, but I am curious to see if the writer will (or even could) bring her back to redemption.
The thing is, no matter how much Yoon Hee deserves her comeuppance, no matter how much she deserves the same kind of humiliation and degradation she has planned for Dong Hoon, it still is a loss to have a marriage dissolve. It means adultery wins out over marriage. I dislike that. Love is beautiful, redeemed love even more so because it is so rare.
The only way the marriage dissolving would be a good thing is if neither of them loved one another anymore. But, I don't think that's the case. As I mentioned before, Yoon Hee continually brings up Dong Hoon, even when she's with Joon Young! That's really odd. And remember that scene where Yoon Hee yells at Dong Hoon for ripping the plastic bag with vegetables in it (after he said he found the bribe money)? He immediately re-wrapped the vegetables. I think he cares for her a lot, but he's closed off from her, and she from him.
Also, while I hate her actions, she isn't written as malicious, bitter, vengeful or spiteful. I find that also intriguing. Why not just make her full blown EVIL? This is also what I find intriguing.
I don't know, maybe the writers are setting us up just to hate on her for the rest of the 12 episodes! Maybe she'll get worse, but right now I don't think she's beyond redemption. I'm eager to see how their marriage plays out!
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Kdramahiatus
March 31, 2018 at 5:44 PM
She is not evil more like an unhappy woman trapped in a dead marriage. I don't hate her completely just her actions and disrespect towards her husband. I really hope the writers will give her some sort of redemption as the story will progress by giving us insight into her past. But as of right now, she is clearly siding with her lover to have a "clean divorce" without reprecussions of their affair by getting rid of Dong Hoon in the company.
I am really into couples staying together despite a tumultuous marriage but this situation is completely different. They both looked like trapped in a dead marriage and the only reason they are still together is because neither have the guts to pull the trigger and end it.
Moonbean
March 31, 2018 at 7:47 PM
I don't hate Yoon Hee, I just don't care for her. I have no respect for her.
And while some may think there can be redemption for adultery (which I would disagree) Yoon Hee's betrayal is far beyond adultery. She was a party to her lover's plotting and planning against her husband to get him wrongfully accused and shamefully fired. There is no redemption from that in my eyes. This woman does not respect her own marriage and is doing many things against what that institution is standing for, not just sleeping with another man. There is absolutely no love for her husband in those acts. She didn't defend her husband at all in that conversation. She said it would be cruel, that's it. After that her worry was selfish: "We are becoming bad people" not "we are destroying another person's life, and that of my husband whom I promised to be loyal to". If Ji An didn't bring back he money Dong Hoon was sacked and divorced already. I don't know about Dong Hoon but there is no coming back from that in my eyes.
KnowLimit
March 31, 2018 at 9:46 PM
But the theme of this drama is to depict reality. I refuse to believe that there's anyone EVIL in the real world. Most pursue self interest, and to act one-dimensionally evil just isn't productive. You'll acquire a bad reputation.
persianrose❤️战哥
April 2, 2018 at 7:39 AM
I really want to know why their marriage is so dead? DH and YH are both trapped in a dead marriage, and they might not hate each other, but I can't see any love either. One is in a terrible affair and the othet giving the coldest shoulder in marriage life ever. DH might have been loyal to his marriage so far (he is a upright man), but he spend his time and his love only with his brothers and mom, and ignoring his wife completely! I wonder if he already knows about the affair or he's not confronting/divorcing his wife only because of their son?!
JustMe
March 31, 2018 at 9:45 AM
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Kdramahiatus
March 31, 2018 at 9:57 AM
Dong Hoon - I agree about the *Swoon* when finally our Ajusshi stood up and did something daring. I also swoon when he started mentioning Prison Break.. there's a man that knows how to get into my fangirl heart:) This episode is intense. What can I say again about Dong Hoon and Jian? Amidst all his exterior cool facade that she saw through him. Dong Hoon would finally admit it later on but he was fighting that apparent emotional connection with her.
Dong Hoon's wife - I am sorry but the woman has to go.. It does not matter anymore if there will be a possible romance angle later on with Jian. He has to divorce that woman. I understand there is no perfect marriage. A few moments of weakness is understandable but once a woman starts to share a home with her lover then that's a permanent thing. It makes her a heartless bitch in my opinion. No marriage will survive that kind of betrayal especially she was siding with her lover on getting Dong Hoon fired from the company. If he ends up forgiving her, then this is not a realistic drama anymore but bordering into a fantasy noble idiocy genre.
Jian - I am not liking her conniving ways in this episode and uploading a photo in the intent of destroying Dong Hoon. She is becoming our resident bad girl. Oh Jian! you are such a hot mess but still love you anyway because having a heroine that is so imperfect is a breath of fresh air in kdramaland. It was also revealed in this episode that she murdered a man to protect her grandma. Jian might have taken a life but I think she also died with that person too because it took away all her optimism about people and life in general. Hard hitting scene in the episode: the girl still has the energy to feed and bathe her grandma even after beating up by Gwang Il. Life does not stop just because we are hurting.
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MikeyD signed up
April 12, 2018 at 8:50 PM
I mentioned back around episode 1 or 2 that the first thing they tell about Dong-hoon is how he slaughtered pigs as a child. At the family shrine there was a severed pig's head. And then Dong-hoon whipped out that axe at the guy's office. It looks like our mild-mannered hero is capable of snapping at any moment.
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Moonbean
March 31, 2018 at 7:18 PM
I found the scene where Yoon Hee kept talking of her husband to her lover very interesting also. She may still be hung up on Dong Hoon and may have chosen the easy way out of her lonely marriage by seeking excitement through an affair. But the issue for me is not her deserving or not deserving her husband. I don't think Dong Hoon loves her anymore and she is right in saying she cannot make him happy. Even if the affair wasn't enough reason for them to split ways (which for me is more than enough) these two facts show me they are both better of by divorcing. Yoon Hee's fidelity isn't for seeking her husband's attention. Even if she would have been happy with her husband if he didn't make her feel lonely she can as easily be happy without him as well. Dong Hoon on the other hand needs someone who would understand him without telling, who would penetrate through his loneliness and see him as he doesn't want to be seen - like Ji An does. It may be unwanted and uncomfortable at first, a violation of his privacy as he is feeling right now but I think he will find comfort in it when he gets used to it, starts to feel he is not alone and finds support through it.
I interpreted Joon Young not talking about his ex-wife also quite differently. There is something there that I believe we will find out later. In the first couple of episodes I thought this couple loved each other and would try to do what it takes to stay together (barring giving up the company) but I am not so sure anymore. And therefore to me Joon Young losing is not necessarily losing the woman (Dong Hoon is not even in the competition!) but losing everything else he is sacrificing his principles, integrity and morals for. I don't think their relationship is strong enough to stand him losing his position in the company and being disgraced.
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MikeyD signed up
April 12, 2018 at 9:04 PM
I vaguely recall an old Mark Twain comment. It goes something like 'The surest way to be a happy person is to be *born* that way' or words to that effect.
I get the impresssion Dong-hoon is just a naturally unhappy person. Even the visitng CEO said he was an engineer and engineers are odd people. So Yoon-hee is living with a man whose normal everyday mode is sad. Imagine living with such a person for 20 years. It would be a little bit soul-sucking.
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Moonbean
April 12, 2018 at 10:15 PM
It would indeed but do we actually know it has always been that way? That's a very big assumption to make. Similarly I can easily assume that things were much different in Dong Hoon's life and marriage before his brothers' failures and his need to help them which must have caused the rift in their marriage. There must be a reason why his wife started an affair after 14 years.
Who is to say at this point whose assumption is closer to the truth?
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fay17
April 1, 2018 at 2:40 AM
I know this has been talked already several times, but just to give my two cents lol, I also do not think the wife should stay with dong hoon anymore. To be honest, she doesn't love him IMO, you can't sleep with another man if you love someone else. It just isn't possible. If she did love dong hoon and still slept with joon young that would have been more precarious, but right now I can see her not loving dong hoon. Like the moment she said, 'we are becoming bad people', I can see she not caring for Dong Hoon, if she did, she would have forsaken joon young's side and do anything in her power to help Dong Hoon. But instead she said, ' we are becoming bad people'. That Dong Hoon is in danger and at risk of losing his job didn't matter to her. I don't blame her either and it is possible to stop loving each other, or maybe they have been in a loveless relationship for a while. But then to stay this way without removing the shackle is worse, she's wasting the time of both of them. What she could do is take a clean divorce and start anew with or without joon young. For now, I feel like she needs to save herself without any man and try to figure out what she really needs to do. Not men are always the source of problems in life.
Also, just because one has children, do they need to stay together for the sake of the children? To me that's a heavier burden to carry through. That's injustice for the person who has been cheated and can't come to initiate the relationship again. This is also burdensome for the children too, who have to taste the bitterness of their parent's relationship. For anyone who had seen cheating in family, [and I say this from personal experience], it's hard to stay together once someone breaches that trust. To me, it seems like it would be better if the wife starts with a clean slate and gives herself more time. She also realizes that Dong Hoon is in his own zone, and I do think there's a reason why he has been so aloof, spaced out.
About the revenge, I hope there are other ways to gain that, like how he was so impressive and used his brain to tackle that guy who harassed his brother, I'm sure we would get to see how he wins this corporate game too in course of time.
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2 Beverly
March 31, 2018 at 8:24 AM
Can not wait for the next episode.
I love the slow build up to whatever this relationship will be. When will he become her mister?
I am surprised at how much I like her even though I do not like her actions. Though I admire her fierceness.
Dong-hoon hit it on the head that she lives in survival mode from her traumas. I am trying to think if I've seen her take her coat off except for at home.
Though it seems like in some dramas they leave their coats on all the time so that may be nothing.
The fruit basket scene was amazing! Though now worried about the people in those buildings.
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3 egads aka Dame Maggie
March 31, 2018 at 8:30 AM
I'm glad Dong-hoon finally revealed a ruthless side. When he pulled out that hammer and started knocking holes in the wall I wanted to cheer. His methods might be a bit different than Ji-an's, but their motivations are somewhat in alignment--protecting their respective families.
The tapping of his phone has definitely backfired on Ji-an as she never expected to hear someone be such a decidedly decent person. He doesn't even join in the sexist banter and small talk, not even a little bit; moreover, he shuts it down, and reveals that he worries about her. How weird does that have to be for someone doing their best to get him fired?
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4 k
March 31, 2018 at 8:31 AM
agree- its the insecurity DH feels when ji an gets him almost to the core, that he lives in such boredom, with no interest and drive for life. He doesnt like it neither but has been successfully ignored it until he met ji an. She is stirring up his life, and now he has to face all the issues (including his marriage) instead of just simply turning his back on them.
the drama is intriguing enough for me to keep tuning in, partly for iu amazing portrayal of jian. But something is definitely missing, and i think its mainly the writing. Story/ idea is interesting but the implementation (pacing/ story telling) isnt done well.
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5 pineapplegongzhu
March 31, 2018 at 8:47 AM
Why I like this Show so much
First: the basic premise is very clear: office-politicking.
The male characters are clear in their motivations and sides. Cool. But, the wild card is Ji An (IU’s character).
Second: The interesting characters.
Ji An is fascinating because she is both helpless and extremely capable simultaneously. Her helplessness comes not from a weakness within, but a situation completely out of her control. The fact that she was able to take Kwang Il’s pummeling in order to obtain the promise never to break into her place again: girl’s got moxie. Her back story is tragic, but her spirit remains unbroken. She may be ruthless, she may be weary, but only because she’s a fighter. Who wouldn’t back such a heroine?!
Dong Hoon’s character is equally complex because he is enigmatic in a different way. In a world of pog pieces, he’s really the only decent guy. He’s a good son, a faithful husband, an honest and hard worker, and kind-hearted boss. He is just as alone in his goodness as Ji An is alone in her plight. He desires to do what is right, even when tempted. He doesn’t gossip, he doesn’t bad-mouth. His silence is due to his integrity, whereas Ji An’s silence is her armor. Which brings me to my third point….
Third: Opposites attract
We have two opposites who naturally attract one another. Both have different armor in order to face the unkind world: Ji An has grown harder to face her circumstances; Dong Hoon remains silently soft-hearted. I doubt Ji An has ever experienced someone truly stronger who is also kind to her.
What is so magnetic about their relationship is, although they are opposites, they are surprisingly perceptive: capable of seeing past each other’s defense mechanisms. Ji An understands Dong Hoon is numb and walking through life half-heartedly. My guess is that he had dreams once, too, which he sacrificed for those he loved. Dong Hoon perceives Ji An’s difficult childhood, and it ignites his compassion.
While the bugging was a clever ploy by Ji An to keep tabs on Dong Hoon in her cat-and-mouse game, it is a good plot device to show how she is unexpectedly softening towards him precisely because she hears his true thoughts and feelings when his “guard is down” around his family and friends. She hears how he “sees” her, and his tenderness towards her - which puts a crack in her armor. How very disquieting and exhilarating.
And lastly, of course, it’s so compelling that we (as the audience) can see these two unlikely heroes being drawn closer and deeper into each other precisely because they see so clearly into one another. Ji An already knows one of Dong Hoon’s deepest secrets that even his wife doesn’t know: he once kneeled and sacrificed his dignity. And Dong Hoon admits to his own brother how he is fully aware that this “kid” knows him so well already. Kindred spirits. Soulmates. Oh yes, this is...
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pineapplegongzhu
March 31, 2018 at 8:57 AM
LOL, wrote too much.
The last sentence is "Oh yes, this is intoxicating."
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MapleSilver
March 31, 2018 at 9:43 AM
I really love your analysis, very spot on. Intoxicating is right. Now if only we could root for their relationship all the way. :(
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Kdramahiatus
March 31, 2018 at 11:07 AM
Thank you:) And I agree with all your points. The wiretap is backfiring big time as Jian gets to know Dong Hoon's thoughts. That's her karma right there. She deserves it quite honestly. I wish Jian knows that sometimes our Ajusshi spontaneously thinks about her. Am I swooning again? Their attraction is not physical or even sexual but something in a deeper emotional level that I think it was fate that he picked her out of all the paper applicants in that desk. Soulmates, kismets, or whatever it is.. I am completely bewitched by the story of this two lonely people who found each other and saw through each others facade.
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MapleSilver
March 31, 2018 at 2:20 PM
I think she does know that he thinks about her spontaneously. Remember when he saw his teammate's ankle socks and asked if that was the winter trend this year? She heard that over the wiretap, so she knew he was thinking about her.
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Kdramahiatus
March 31, 2018 at 2:26 PM
I was talking about DH thinking about the attempted kiss on his way to work. But you are right about the socks:)
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MapleSilver
March 31, 2018 at 2:34 PM
Ah, I see. Except that if she's able to read his mind with regard to the kiss, she'd realize that he is just like other ordinary men in their thoughts. LOL. I wonder if the attempted kiss affects her at all.
6 mushroomsoupie
March 31, 2018 at 8:48 AM
So many great lines in this episode!
✨"You're struggling through your life sentence of earnestness."
✨"It shouldn't have been built here. Just like me. I also chose the wrong place. I shouldn't have been born on earth."
✨"You dumb bastard. What makes you think I'd die alone? I'd kill my grandma before I killed myself." (i got the CHILLS!!!)
And my favorite one:
✨"Haven't you seen "Prison Break"? Scofield is a structural engineer!" LOL
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KnowLimit
March 31, 2018 at 9:58 PM
The prison break scene was awesome. It really expanded DH's character: he's ferocious when it comes to family.
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7 NEVERSAYDIE
March 31, 2018 at 8:50 AM
It looks like Ji-an has made certain misjudgements in her attempt to get this job over and done with. There's the part about getting Director Park drunk suspiciously beyond belief, although Ji-an could not possibly have planned it any other way (as she rightfully pointed out). And then there's the part where she reaches up to Dong-hoon on her tippity-toes while being all too recognisable... I suspect that her wavering regarding Dong-hoon will soon contribute to more errors in her plans.
I'm also worried that Director Park will no longer back Dong-hoon because of the whole 'East Sea' incident; Lord knows he might be suspecting this maligned man now. Well, if he figures out Ki-bum's identity and involvement, he'll soon get onto Ji-an's tail...
Dong-hoon proved himself to be a truly cool ajusshi during his confrontation with Young-woo. Way to apply your specialisation! This was so satisfying to watch. Plus, Prison Break!!
I'd also like to highlight my favourite part of this stellar episode: "Kitano Takeshi, the comedian, says, 'Family are the people you want to shove in the trash when no one is looking.'" Now I cannot verify if Kitano really said this, but I love the man; many kudos to the writer for referencing him here.
PS: I wonder if/how Jung-hee will be made significant to the story?
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MapleSilver
March 31, 2018 at 9:40 AM
Yet they are also the people you're willing to go to jail for.
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sweetiepie12
March 31, 2018 at 10:26 AM
I wonder about that too! I find her endearing and she has this "fun yet dependable older sis" aura to her.. DH seems to be fond of her.
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8 beantown
March 31, 2018 at 8:55 AM
Thank you, Lollypip, for the excellent recaps!! I am so glad you are doing this show, and your comments help me to understand the subtleties that I miss, it makes such a difference! 😗😗😗
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Beverly
March 31, 2018 at 9:05 AM
Second this.
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9 foosha
March 31, 2018 at 9:05 AM
Now it totally makes sense why JA had to join that shady temp agency. She killed someone... So that banter between JA and DH on episode 1 turned out to be true after all. I honestly doubt at this point if she even got any proper education after she killed GI's dad. (Someone on twitter pointed out that her education background on her resume was filled with made up dates and names). And with her background, getting a job would be difficult. CD (Janitor) who was in the same agency probably had a similar past too.
Now I wonder if she accumulated all those spy-like abilities during the 2 years she spent in jail / detention.
I find the shift that happens to her reaction towards DH very interesting. She went from calling him "son of a b*tch" (which is a lot, knowing how expressionless she is) to being able to relate to him and actually cried. Baby steps! :''') Based on episode 5 preview, seems like we'll get to the scene where DH piggy backed her grandma and she finally let him into her world. I'm so excited!!!! Wednesday seems so faraway...
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10 JustMe
March 31, 2018 at 9:43 AM
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mushroomsoupie
March 31, 2018 at 10:00 AM
I'm not sure about him having feelings. But he's definitely obsessed with the idea of making her notice him. This is from his character introduction poster (translated by 4seasonswithIU):
"Gwang Il is a loan shark who enjoys tormenting Ji An. He started to notice that there's somehow a middle-aged man who's always around Ji An. He isn't happy with the idea of Ji An paying off her debts. That's why he continues to torment her even more. Because that's the only way for making Ji An to notice him"
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JustMe
March 31, 2018 at 10:04 AM
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missjb
March 31, 2018 at 12:48 PM
I interpret Kwang il action as his way to get revenge on her. After all she killed his father.
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yumii
March 31, 2018 at 7:08 PM
I'm with you.
He may have feelings for JA but they aren't romantic. They are sadistic.
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11 UmbrellaMan
March 31, 2018 at 10:02 AM
This show is so good. It's like a slow burn. It is rare, I think, to see a character like Ji-an so impoverished and so destitute in kdramas. She is hanging on by a thread to survive. I wonder how far she will go before her moral compass kicks in. Clearly she is starting to sympathize with Dong-hoon.
That scene where the pharmacist asked if she needed help got me in the feels. A nicely understated moment.
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gadis
March 31, 2018 at 3:28 PM
The pharmacist offering her help to Ji-an is a nicely done scene. Especially contrasted by how her co-worker barely paid her any attention despite her very obvious bruises and split lip. They were too busy bad-mouthing her when they know nothing about her life circumstance, while this complete stranger offered her help unasked.
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windsun33
March 31, 2018 at 5:34 PM
Most of her co-workers seem to kind of suck.
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neener ~ Inside the Magic Shop ~
March 31, 2018 at 11:13 PM
I loved that scene with the pharmacist. I Actually wanted to hug the pharmacist for doing that.
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12 foxinthetrot
March 31, 2018 at 11:12 AM
Episode 4 is amazing. I think after the darkness that surrounds episode 1-3, sang hoon's scenes in this episode gave us an idea of what kind of "healing" that this drama promised to deliver. To sum up my feeling about this drama, russiangray's comment (that i found on kissasian) does it best.
"This drama really hits me in the feels but like in a different way. It doesn't make me rage with anger or drown in my tears or laugh like crazy, it just makes me feel... suffocated? tired? empathetic? I'm not sure. It's that feeling when you let out a deep sigh and the tears start to gather in your eyes but you don't quite have the energy to cry. That's how this drama makes me feel."
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gadis
March 31, 2018 at 3:35 PM
Suffocating is the right word. I only have the 'energy' to cry when Ji-an got angry after overhearing Dong-hoon saying to his team that he felt sorry for her. I couldn't help thinking "How low have you sink in your life that you can only feel anger and pain when someone is concerned about you?" That was a powerful scene.
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13 Ronin
March 31, 2018 at 11:36 AM
Just want to throw my convoluted thoughts into the mix, but is it possible that the son is not Dong-Hoons and that his wife was pregnant when they married. They were all at college together and there seems to be too much hate between the two men for it to just be over a woman, or am I overthinking the situation.
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Beverly
March 31, 2018 at 1:04 PM
Lol. I was wondering the same thing, if where the animosity comes from. And then thought maybe I am just looking for something that isn't there.
I really hope he is portrayed as a good dad no matter what the story is about the son.
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pineapplegongzhu
March 31, 2018 at 4:33 PM
Great idea, @ronin01! I also had that thought. It may explain why the son was sent abroad. It may explain why Dong Hoon dislikes Joon Young, even though he doesn't exactly know why (perhaps Joon Young is the father).
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14 missjb
March 31, 2018 at 12:43 PM
I can't wait to see Ji An will slowly enter Dong Hoon's life, and slowly will eventually alongside with his two brother. Through dub his phone, she is overhearingvnot only DH's life butvhis family. It's like unofficial attempt his family Introduction to Ji An.
It seems Director Park is starting to distrust DH and it will be bring conflict and the unexpect circumstance which created by Ji An without her knowing. There is possibility It will end up make DH getting fired or screw over. So even if she has already stop her plan, there is something out of her beyond control.
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15 jh
March 31, 2018 at 1:11 PM
im really curious about the son. where is he? why no one ever mentions him? also his age. do they just not have pics of his older years? or he really that young and went abroad? its really weird
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Kurama
April 1, 2018 at 1:52 AM
I was wondering if he was dead. It could explain why the couple don't speak anymore and why nobody seem to be interested in this poor kid they sent abroad...
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16 gadis
March 31, 2018 at 1:38 PM
It's a clever plot to have Ji-an bugging Dong-hoon's phone for surveillance purpose, only for her to then discover what kind of person Dong-hoon truly is. It is oddly intimate to see Ji-an doing her chores while listening to Dong-hoon's more private moments and thoughts. He never really shared his worries and problems with his wife or family, and yet Ji-an heard it all. And when she understood that this man she tried to take advantage of has seen through the real her and didn't even have any thought to hate her for what she did, I think that's the turning point for her. Now she couldn't treat him just like another pawn anymore.
I understand now why they keep saying that this isn't a romance drama. Because romance couldn't even begin to describe the deep connection between these two lonely souls (and to think that they unconsciously formed it when they weren't even in the same space). I think Ji-an is shaken that after such a long time, there is someone who understand her and her life choice. Same as Dong-hoon who realized that someone finally see through his mild-manner attitude to how he truly felt. It would be interesting to see where this realization would bring them next.
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Kdramahiatus
March 31, 2018 at 2:17 PM
DH and Jian's relationship has the same vibes as the famous movie Lost In Translation:) Their attraction is above all romantic gestures or skinship but rather two lonely souls forming a undeniable emotional bond amidst all the mess in their respective lives. I am ok with it if the writers and PD will pursue their relationship that way.
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yumii
March 31, 2018 at 7:24 PM
I'm so glad you mention JA's unbroken connection to DH.
Having someone's voice in your ear continuously is an incredibly intimate experience. That is why a late night telephone call can feel more intimate than a face to face meeting.
Right now both JA and DH are feeling the other invading their psyche and it leaves them feeling emotionally naked and vulnerable. Neither likes it probably because they are used to being alone, being ignored or being seen as self-sufficient and impervious. Now someone has seen their true selves and they feel exposed.
JA is being aided by the spyware with her insights. DH is doing it unaided.
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17 Miss Flame
March 31, 2018 at 3:11 PM
If Ji An is THE badass, Dong Hoon don't stay behind. I definitely did not deemed him like the kind of person who confronts others savagely, until now we only saw his most stoic side. This was a great surprise.
I'm really shocked, because drama gets better and better. It has enough suspense to make you crazy, but also its characters touch you deeply. My heart crushed when Ji An started to cry, that was her firts emotional reaction and was for Dong Hoon's words. I can't handle my excitement.
Beyond wanting to match them (I do), I wanted them to achieve this connection. I'm overwhelmed. After listening to Dong Hoon threaten the idiot (with a hammer), just to protect the dignity and pride of his family, I don't think Ji An will remain indifferent. At least,she will stop feeling boring.
Inside, Ji An and Dong Hoon are so broken, I truly feel sad for them. But more than considering them regrettable, I have a lot of respect for them. Not once we have seen them protest, they are people who act are firmness. So, both are able to cross any limit for the welfare of their people, but without being totally self-denying. They flow in solitude, trying to avoid further disappointments and deceptions, enduring the fact that they don't trust anyone.That's why discovering that the other can see through the shell makes them feel embarrased and angry. They're mutually destroying their armors.
When Dong Hoon's brother knelt ... that scene hited me. I'm not capable to imagine how hard is being humilliated in that way, and in front your own mother. Those brothers... they make me uncomfortable, I still do not like to have them hanging around. But they give a certain spark to this drama. I apreciated a lot this nuance of reality that is beginning to characterize My Ajusshi.
I am more and more convinced: it will be one of the best dramas of the year.
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MapleSilver
March 31, 2018 at 3:32 PM
I love the contrast of their reactions when each realized the other has him/her figured out. She, true to her nature, cussed at him and called him son-of-a-b****. He, on the other hand, also true to his gentler nature, just felt sad.
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18 Adal
March 31, 2018 at 4:22 PM
Is Dong hoon the middle son? I often get confused if Ki Hoon is the youngest or if it’s Dong hoon.
Dong hoon is respectful but apathetic towards his wife. It’s little wonder that she’s having an affair. I’m not blaming him by any means, but they appear to be little more than roommates. It makes me wonder what went down between them to make things deteriorate to this point, or if they were ever really in love at all.
He barely confides in her, opens up mostly to his mom and brothers and occasionally his friends. Does he suspect her of cheating behind his back, I wonder? Maybe she was bored and craved affection and excitement in her life. I don’t blame her for the affair as much as I despise her for carrying on with a man willing to destroy her husband.
Love the connection building between Ji An and Dong Hoon and eager to see how the story will unfold. I know it’s slice of life and reflects some reality, but the scenes of Ji An being beaten is truly disturbing and distasteful.
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pineapplegongzhu
March 31, 2018 at 4:36 PM
You are correct, Dong Hoon is the middle son! The birth order goes Sang Hoon, Dong Hoon and then Ki Hoon. :)
I agree that there's more to the story than just the wife is being evil...just because. There is a backstory, and I'm so interested in finding out what it is!
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JustMe
March 31, 2018 at 9:38 PM
Comment was deleted
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19 Adal
March 31, 2018 at 4:36 PM
Gotta give IU props, she’s playing the heck out of this role. Her dead eyes, general air if weariness yet resilience is very hard to get just right. And she isn’t over acting in her role. She nails it just right, very naturally. I hope she gets the respect and acclaim she deserves when this drama is over.
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windsun33
March 31, 2018 at 5:37 PM
I recall UI's first drama, and to be honest she kind of sucked. But she is really rocking it in this one. She has come a long ways. Not often that I can actually empathize with k-drama characters, but she is one I can.
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yukirin
April 1, 2018 at 8:56 AM
you mean dream high? i really liked her in dream high tho. the entrance to the IU fandom for me.
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20 windsun33
March 31, 2018 at 5:21 PM
This is the only show I am addicted to right now. As we get deeper into how these two people's lives, it just gets more interesting. I could do with his stupid brothers not showing up again, but I guess there is some law that every k-drama has to have a couple of stupid people in it.
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missjb
March 31, 2018 at 6:36 PM
His two bother has to show up in this drama and I predict, they will have more an important part of this drama narrative. After all, the story it's not about 1 ajusshi with his problem engage in an unconventional relationship with a girl. It's depict life in a cruel world, what position when we reach our fourties and getting older. When You have no job when you are fourties, then you get thrown out. Your marriage at the peak of where there is no excitement left, you get cheated by your wives who is still crave excitement and affection. Your position is in danger and there is possibility you can get fired right away, you feel pressure and lack a real effort to get it back.
And In contrast, there is Ji An, one girl who has already thrown out by society because of her past, She can hardly get a stable job because of her past killing someone. but still find away to survive. I think this drama will depict this kind of dynamic in the future.
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21 Moonbean
March 31, 2018 at 7:01 PM
We now have an answer to some of my questions. We finally know what the loan shark’s beef is – exactly what I expected. He took over from his father whom Ji An killed to defend her grandmother and was in prison for two years. I wonder who took care of her grandmother then? Ji An is very smart, she got beaten but got what she wanted from the loan shark in the end. Kwang Il grudgingly respects her. In his line of work he must be used to people fearing him and be subservient and this girl who has wronged him by killing his father is still so defiant. So she intrigues him. The CEO learned of her past but Dong Hoon is afraid to learn, doesn’t want to know what made her the way she is because he is expecting some horrors in her past and present.
We also now know why her friend is helping her - because he feels indebted to her. But now I wonder how some of her debts could be because of him?
But despite her street smarts Ji An’s inexperience in life and love was her downfall in the photo incident. It’s a good thing she covers all her bases and had something to pacify her gossipy colleague with.
I wish Park Dong Woon found a way of warning Dong Hoon that he was bugged (though he doesn’t know that), on the other hand, it’s good that he doesn’t know as Ji An cannot prevent herself from feeling something the more she gets to know of Dong Hoon through her eavesdropping.
It is also revealed that their son is abroad. It doesn’t make sense to me at all. The couple may not have any interest in each other any more but no mention of their child at all besides his photos scattered everywhere is bizarre. I could understand him being abroad if he was college aged, I would understand (but not condone) his wife’s affair and the state of their marriage if the child was dead but it was simply a case of “I made a mistake and married the wrong man”? Then correct your mistake by divorcing him before adding to it by an affair!
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22 yumii
March 31, 2018 at 7:04 PM
I could forgive YH for the affair, but I can't forgive her for seeing DH as unavoidable collateral damage for her and DY to be together.
I don't get why YH and DY are together. They strike me more as bored, and perhaps lonely, rather than being in love.
Without any evidence I feel as if DY's affair with YH is more about DH than YH. Probably because I find DY and DH relationship more interesting than the affair.
I do have some sympathy for YH. I believe her when she says DH makes her lonely.
In the same way JA's pain is catching for DH, DH's loneliness is catching for YH.
Her complaint about her marriage echos MH's ex-wife in Should We Kiss First. I think in some ways the husband's were in penetrable to the wives do they went elsewhere to have their emotional needs met.
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Adal
March 31, 2018 at 9:59 PM
Yeah, these are my thoughts as well. She appreciates that she is married to “a good man”. But he is not emotionally accessible to her. Eventually, she’s going to see someone else who can meet her emotionally needs. But she should have some standards and not allow her lover to ruin her husband.
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Kdramahiatus
April 1, 2018 at 5:36 AM
or have some standards not sleep with her husband's boss from the same company.
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23 Isabel
March 31, 2018 at 7:45 PM
I love it, four episodes and I love it, (I loved lee sun gyun in Miss Korea and I love him here, funny his last drama also involved his wife cheating, honey you need better taste in women, or better love tactics).
I was so sure that debt guy was related to the man JiAn killed, and now we got a confirmation he was, also Dong Hoon's wife is giving herself away lmao, honey stop talking about your boyfriend, which honestly just proves right that DH knows she's having an affair, he just..doesn't care.
That scene at the end, with the hammer and all that, boy did I love it. Also, i know we have talked bout whether this drama will actually develop a romance between JiAn and DH, and I think they will? I just don't think it will be a happy-ending kinda romance but a 'help me feel something again' kinda romance, they will find each other and pick each other up, and I'm all for that tbh.
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24 S
March 31, 2018 at 9:58 PM
did the police report actually said Jian was jailed for killing the man? she's in middle school so can she be trialed as an adult(?) and seems to me to be self-defence too.
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Adal
March 31, 2018 at 10:01 PM
I don’t think she went to jail, probably to a juvenile facility. She knows too many tricks, is too hardened and jaded not to have spent some time in a facility.
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Moonbean
March 31, 2018 at 10:51 PM
I think they said something along the lines of she served 2 years but did not specify where.
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25 JessieSmith
March 31, 2018 at 11:27 PM
Move over, Subway. Quiznos is ready to take over K-dramaland!
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26 Bean
April 1, 2018 at 12:49 AM
If not for their age difference, apart from being in an irresolvable marriage, which is a tradionally imposed, and a still impractical concept to most people, these two disjointed souls could have connected at a deeper level and be freed from their miseries. So it is, from DH’s ending remark, sad indeed.
Or the story could challenge society’s norm.
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MapleSilver
April 1, 2018 at 7:20 AM
Someone upthread mentioned that these two are much more than lovers now, more like kismet to each other, soul mates, they are the only people in the whole cosmos for each other. And this episode hints at something bigger than the space and time they are occupying now. Dong Hoon likens himself to the structure built on the river, how it will soon disappear and never be rebuilt again, and perhaps it should have never been built in the first place, much like himself. Also the wife says that he seems to have lost something, although what it is he himself doesn't know. It has to be the one person who understands him, and we know it's obviously Ji An. The question now is if they need each other as lovers to conquer their loneliness? They were born a little too far apart, 20 years is not nothing. And what do make of the mom visiting the monk and telling him that he seems to be happier than her three miserable sons? Is it that their happiness lies not in this lifetime?
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MikeyD signed up
April 12, 2018 at 9:13 PM
This series is riding the 'bleak' train hard. There's no guarantee that Jain won't back-stab and ruin him in the end regardless of her feeling towards him. Just in order to survive.
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27 Jellibeanie
April 1, 2018 at 4:54 AM
Thank you LollyPip for your recap and wonderful insights!
I'm surprisingly liking this drama even if it's dark, gloomy and every character is somehow writhing in pain. I totally ship Ji-an and Dong-hoon. I don't care about the age gap to be honest. It's the pull, how they connect to each other which is the core of any relationship really. I love how they are slowly growing on each other even if there was mutual hate at first (because I know that they no longer hate each other now). I do loathed the phone bugging at first, but if that would make Ji-an discover the true Dong-hoon, who's starting to make me swoon, well so be it, let's continue the bugging then shall we?
I don't really think that Dong-hoon's marriage can be salvaged at all. In my opinion, if one strays in marriage and has been sexually involved with another, I reckon that's it. Finished. Unsalvageable. Goodbye.
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28 Jellibeanie
April 1, 2018 at 5:16 AM
Oh, with regard to the beatings, Ji-an's only friend, Ki-bum, questioned her why she'd put up with it when she's the type who wouldn't. I do think that the physical pain inflicted by Kwang-il numbs Ji-an's conscience or guilt feeling of killing somebody (however bad that person was), if that makes any sense. Hence, she lets him beat her, even goading him to beat her at times (I was like, no please stop, he'll beat you to a pulp!). Ji-an is sort of atoning for her sin, and is probably the reason why she welcomes the pain, maybe even thinking she deserves it, which is really sad.
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dramaandfilm16
April 4, 2018 at 3:27 PM
I never thought of it that way, but now that really makes sense. She's atoning for her sin of killing someone, but at that same time she's also emotionally suffering from Gwang Il's harassment. He's that constant reminder in her life of what she did that day. She sways back and forth from the relief of killing someone who hurt her and her grandmother, but also the shame of killing someones father.
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MikeyD signed up
April 12, 2018 at 9:15 PM
Didn't she say during the beating that it was her assailant's father she has stabbed? Perhaps I misheard.
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29 yummys
April 1, 2018 at 5:39 PM
I ugly cried when Mom just smiled at Sang Hoon after he got back home from work. It's true what Dong Hoon said. I don't care whether I get humiliated, trampled, and ridiculed by my peers or seniors. But don't do it in front of my precious family.
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30 Mira004
April 2, 2018 at 12:20 AM
This drama really took me by surprised! The two leads are connected on such a deep emotional connection and I can't help but hope for a hint of romance between the two... I can't wait to see more of Dong-hoon's fiesty and protective side and Ji-an's reactions to them. (and well, us swooning over both of them getting closer, without them even realising it hehe)
Can I just say that the scenes of Ji-an and her grandmother are really heartbreaking. It is so touching to see the cold and lifeless Ji-an put in so much effort and care for her grandmother even when she is struggling to make ends meet every day. I really hope to see them both with smiles on their faces in this drama!
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31 crazyjason
April 2, 2018 at 2:14 PM
Just a couple of things I'm wondering about: Who did Dong Hoon have to kneel down for and why? He mentioned it to the thug building owner who humiliated his brother.
Just wanted to say that Yoon Hee and Joon Young have no future together even if Dong Hoon divorces her. It will always be a scandal if JY were to pursue a relationship with the ex-wife of a subordinate. And JY does not seem to the type to be held back by love. He seems very calculating. So why is he in that relationship at all.
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32 Sanada
April 2, 2018 at 6:32 PM
I have to say I'm glad Park Ho-San was the replacement for the role of the eldest brother. He's absolutely brilliant in his role and I couldn't imagine anyone else doing it now.
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33 Izie
April 2, 2018 at 9:42 PM
I don't like helpless girl like in Hwarang. It annoyed me to the bone. But Ji-An is different. She's helpless, broke, miserable. Despite that, she doesn't need rescueing. She doesn't need man to console her. She only need her and herself. Go Ji-An!!!
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Izie
April 2, 2018 at 9:43 PM
Anyway, the beast has been unleashed!
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MapleSilver
April 2, 2018 at 9:48 PM
What do you mean by that?
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Izie
April 6, 2018 at 7:34 PM
After he made the thug apologized to his brother and took his first inhale of cigarette after many contemplation, we'll soon be seeing Park Dong Hoon fight for himself.
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34 mrsdimple
April 3, 2018 at 6:02 AM
Watched the first episode. Still has 3 episodes to catch up but I have a feeling that I will like this a loooot. I love lonely-themed dramas, and people finding love despite that.
I just wish I have enough time to watch the rest. I haven't watch any Lee Seon Kyun's drama in a while so that's another reason to tune in.
Ah...shigan chuseyo~
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pickledplumtree
April 3, 2018 at 7:21 PM
The lonely theme is the tone that is bringing me in too, though I hadn't put that name to it in my mind before!
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35 la
April 3, 2018 at 2:24 PM
hands down the actor who plays the older brother MADE this episode. I feel like his scene has invested me into this show now.
seeing him trying to hold back his tears were so powerful, that was honestly the best crying scene I have seen in a long time. it seemed so real and the reasoning behind it made it have an even bigger impact.
the idea of family in this show is something to take away.. I honestly love the director behind this show and the park ho-san for playing the character so well. I feel like that alone has started to make the rest of them act so well or for at least me to see how skilled they all are.
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MapleSilver
April 3, 2018 at 4:34 PM
Even more amazing was the fact that Park So-han was given very very little time to understand his character. In the v-live interview he said due to the emergency nature of their shooting, the director even let him see the completed scenes shot with the original actor (Oh Dal-su). I do wonder what the originals look like with ODS, but the fact the these re-shot scenes work so well is a testament to the degree of professionalism possessed by the production team and the veteran actors. Also amazing that Park So Han was so eloquent in the vlive interview, talking as if he was in it from the very beginning. What a gentleman.
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36 pickledplumtree
April 3, 2018 at 7:19 PM
I went from..."Eh...this is way to slow," on episode 1 to "AH HOW WILL I WAIT FOUR DAYS FOR THE NEXT ONE!?!!" on episode 4. Such a thoughtful, absorbing, atmospheric drama. While when I first Ji An killing the ladybug I thought "Oh no, I'm not gonna like this gal!"...when I saw her dark, complex, intense persona I became a fully fascinated by our "antiheroine." Only thing I'm thinking now is, if she and her pal are that intelligent, quick witted, and competent, couldn't they have been making big money illegally via numerous ways by now, or in the least, figuring out ways to eat things other than people's nasty leftovers?! But I do appreciate the full-on grunge presented to reflect her lot in life. For me, this drama is good stuff.
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37 dramaandfilm16
April 4, 2018 at 4:28 PM
what a fantastic episode. I think dong hoon's wife still has feelings for him. She's seeking an affair to fill the emotional (and physical) void of having a lover. Dong hoon has a void that she can't fill so she looks elsewhere, but sometimes when they talk at home, you can see that she wants him to open up to her, but he never does. So she cried in the room after. That's why she blows up nagging at him over things that don't really matter. She just wants him to reciprocate some sort of emotion. She knows he's a good man, and she talks about him a lot to Joon Young, which goes to show she still thinks of him. She was in the plot to fire him so that probably means that she's in love with joon young to the point where she's willing to hurt dong hoon over it. She can't hate DH or love him. It's a strange dynamic with those two. Like 2 people who used to be in love but now just occupy the same house.
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38 LT is Irresistibly Indifferent, Dame Judi
April 8, 2018 at 12:07 AM
I feel like there's something almost ridiculous about the plot of this show and yet it's utterly gripping, its minimalist tone and dirge-like OST almost hypnotic.
It kind of reminds me of Black and I couldn't stop watching Black (I won't make any further comparisons in that respect because I'll feel like I'm jinxing it - the ending of Black being so goddamned awful.
On a lighter note, I've never seen somebody threatened with structural engineering before. That was kind of awesome.
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Carolina
April 8, 2018 at 1:51 PM
I loved the structural engineering threat. Dong hoo is so bad ass here, why can't he be more straightforward when dealing with everyone else.
The very last bar scene was also really cool to watch. Felt like I was watching from some drunk guys perspective.
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LT is Irresistibly Indifferent, Dame Judi
April 8, 2018 at 3:14 PM
I really like the direction of this. I feel like what makes the show so gripping - almost hypnotic - is 85% direction and acting. Parts of the script on paper almost feel ridiculous but the show is just so well produced.
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39 Tiago
June 10, 2018 at 1:00 PM
When Ji An confronts Jung Chae-Ryung about having an affair with co-workers, she say that Chae-Ryung was in the conference room with Manager Park Dong Hoon... that CR was in an affair with DH? So, Manager Park betrayed his wife too?
I'm asking that cuz I don't know if it's an issue from my subs or it's for real .-.
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40 LT is Irresistibly Indifferent, Dame Judi
April 2, 2020 at 7:10 PM
Two years later I'm a different person and a different drama watcher. And I have the benefit of having seen the whole show and of having time for its message to sink in.
The first time around I was cheering on Dong-hoon but now I'm more interested in the women. In his wife and her almost cliched middle-aged unhappiness. Now I realise why they included her talking about her relationship with Dong-hoon in the same episode they had his sister-in-law listing the reasons why she couldn't get a divorce. The first time around I was extremely angry at her. Yes, you're wrong for each other, you married badly: so divorce him, don't betray him with the one person he truly hates (and while infidelity is always a deal breaker for me I still maintain the biggest problem here is who she had an affair with).
But now I think I understand how trapped she feels in her situation, how she sees herself as unable to get out. How do you divorce a kind, humble, hardworking, family-oriented man who has done nothing wrong? What cultural precedence is there for a woman to get out of this relationship if Dong-hoon's sister in law can't even leave the broke loser who plunged her family into debt? Maybe, just maybe, you'd do something unforgivable so he would be justified divorcing you.
Which means she wants to get caught, she wants to do something truly unforgivable, on some level she wants this all to blow up. And now her choice of partner becomes understandable. He may be able to forgive an affair with a stranger. He is, after all, legendarily loyal, kind, compassionate and empathetic. So she had to make it something he could not ever forgive. So her biggest crime really is cowardice. And that seems to be the theme here. Middle age makes you a coward.
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41 Michael Rudisill
June 23, 2020 at 10:42 AM
I'm re-watching this series. I'm a white American who loves well done Korean Drama. This drama is disturbing. Partly because of how the couple act and behave to each other. My general comment -is it this drama or Korea....but if you shut the volume & captions off ...What do you see going on with our married couple. No sweetness, no touch, have they not had sex during her affair, Very Cold and she has a lot of bad comments that seem inappropriate, mean, trouble making, contempt, I hated her. But even though I changed my mind about the married husband (I thought he was stupid for not picking up on the affair and even when its going on under his nose) and I realized that he was showing love towards her even when she didn't deserve it. He let it go, to keep the peace, to keep his wife. He wanted to pretend, but even when it is exposed he wants to forget it (after freaking out & and having a breakdown). Somewhere in there is the correct response to her cheating. Also its unclear how long this affair was going on. There was a reference to him saying it started last spring. But there is a world of difference when someone (for what ever reason) is tempted and cheats 1x they are heart broken they did it maybe ask forgiveness apologize, etc and this bitch -they have a secret apartment, she is not careful and attacks him when he shows up near work and sees her suspicious behavior. every night before going home its time for her lover, fake business trips, deceit, lies, planning, acceptance...when I see her kiss him and she doesn't even kiss her husband hello or good bye...makes me sick and mad. She is really just like the lover says..."married women are easy targets for having an affair and easy to break up with too". Also it is totally selfish. It is a repeated act of betrayal. Also cheaters are cowards, they have no morals, no strength, no sense of fairness. It is hard to confront with the facts, they hide, lie, deceive. If they said to partner I cant live with with you anymore, I am starting to have feelings for them...I don't want to dis-respect us, I want a divorce then I will move forward with the new person. What about talk, figure it out...move out, Start divorce, start new love with other. This is respectful, honest she is shit. Or if a guy does it same thing.This takes guts, humans are lazy, selfish and have no honor. Yes I know 50% of viewers will probably feel sorry for her, because of what ever problems he has. But he says in there " Why didn't you tell me, why didn't you ask for divorce. What about counseling...am I wrong Asians are not into idea of counseling?
I hate / Love this show
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