I thought the finale was not bad. Although it was predictable, Lee Joon Hee’s downfall was satisfactory and bittersweet. Kang Min Ho remains a joy till the very end and I LOVEEE that.

Readers beware, MANY screenshots today! (I hope you guys enjoy this recap and this episode!)

Min Ho walks out of his room and feels slightly dizzy. He recalls Dr Jo’s words that the suppressants he’s giving him are useful, but will have major side effects which he has to endure.

Min Ho reminds himself, “It’s because I’m alive…that I can feel these things.”

Soon Jung watches the news, which reveal that both Gold Partners and Hermia will be submitting names for the legal manager of Hermia, which will decide Hermia’s future. Obviously, for Gold Partners, it’ll be Joon Hee.

 

Joon Hee runs into Min Ho in the corridor and taunts him – what’s a President who is forced to step down (because of the company’s bankruptcy) doing here? While he will be busy at the courts dealing with Hermia’s bankruptcy, Min Ho will be busy being investigated for professional negligence.

Min Ho’s directors bid him a tearful farewell, and they are thankful for whatever he has done for the company, which I guess in a way it’s nice, because these directors have now grown to be fond of the man whom they used to hate/betray.

The secretaries similarly are sad to see Min Ho go. Min Ho jokes that Mi Roo isn’t sad to see him go at all, and advises Yoo Mi to ditch Deputy Song and find a better man.

“Kim Soon Jung! You have worked hard. Since you have worked hard, please continue to work hard by helping me carry my stuff down.”

Asking her to carry his things down is just a cover.

As she worries about his pale complexion and wonders why his flu isn’t improving, he grabs her into a hug.

 

She protests, “People are watching!” (Said people promptly appear from the back and bow as they awkwardly look at this scene)

He laughs at them, “You don’t need to greet me. I’m not the President anymore.” Haha.

She pats him gently on his back, and he says that they should have a party to celebrate his unemployment. She nods. He deserves some comfort because he has worked very hard.

He murmurs, “Let’s stay like this for a while. It feels nice.”

Woo Shik finds Ok Hyun at the girls’ detention centre (she’s sent there because of her suspension) and laughs at her uniform. She’s exasperated that she didn’t manage to get the watch the other day and notices Woo Shik’s unbuttoned sleeves.

As she bends over him to button the sleeve, Woo Shik is enamoured and kisses her on the cheek. She’s stunned for a moment…then starts to hit him, “Did you just assault me sexually in front of a school?!”

Ok Hyun receives good news from her sidekick (while Woo Shik runs around in panic) – he has found the scrapyard where Joon Hee brought his damaged car to.

The secretaries tidy up the President’s room once again and Mi Roo notes that all her matchmaking dates have cancelled on her. “Who would take someone who is old and doesn’t have a job? Just look at me and Soon Jung. We have the looks but can’t get married due to our age.”

Soon Jung smiles while Yoo Mi laughs dryly, “Oh it’s because of the age? Okay…” Hahahaha.

Min Ho is back for treatment again, and Dr Jo informs him that even the treatments available to him are slowly diminishing because his situation and vital signs are getting worse. Min Ho remains hopeful and asks if there is any alternative treatment methods. Dr Jo is thinking of changing the type of injection and Min Ho is relieved.

At least there is still treatment available. Dr Jo nods, “Since the patient is trying his best, the doctor should try his best too.”

I kind of like this relapse, because it contrasts Min Ho’s current mindset and his attitude all the way back in Episode 2. Now he has a reason to live, and that makes all the difference in the world. He receives a phone call, looks at the caller ID, and answers in a raspy voice. HAHA. I guess we all know who called him.

Soon Jung meets with Ok Hyun. Now that they have found the scrapyard, they only need the watch to press charges against Joon Hee. Ok Hyun tells Soon Jung hesitantly that Joon Hee’s father died to cover the crime for someone else, and Soon Jung is in disbelief when she realises it was Joon Hee. It cannot be! They were best friends! In a heat of moment, Ok Hyun reveals that Dong Wook discovered Joon Hee was the mastermind of the harmful ingredient case.

Soon Jung pretends to be okay but crumples to the ground and starts sobbing hysterically, “How could he do that to Dong Wook? They were the closest of friends. They spent 24 years together!”

Tae Suk treats Min Ho to lunch and is so pleased with himself that Min Ho likes the food (because Dong Wook liked the food too).

Min Ho looks at him in distaste, “Why are you trying to substitute someone for your son. Pervert.” Hahaha.

Tae Suk wants to thank Min Ho and assures him that it’s not his fault things turn out like that. He thinks it’s nice that Min Ho has grown and developed to be how he is now.

“Thank you very much, President.” Min Ho ponders over his words. As he drives home, Ok Hyun calls him and he gets annoyed with her, “Why did you tell her? BYE.”

Soon Jung returns home and sees Min Ho. She rushes to him with a smile. Min Ho laments, “Oh my fate…” Instead of Soon Jung patting him on the back and comforting him, “it looks like I will be doing that to you instead.” Soon Jung has no idea what he’s saying but Min Ho reveals that he has already heard from Ok Hyun.

 

He sighs, “There’s no words to dry your tears.” The thing that upsets him the most is that even when he does his best and tries everything, she will still get hurt. The fact her scars are larger than what he can comfort. She replies tenderly, “I feel better that you are here.”

He smiles, “Really?” and hugs her.

What follows after just makes all of us love this couple even more.

We see Soon Jung with tissue in her ears, “I mean…you told me to lie down so that you could clean my ears…but were you trying to kill my ears?!”

 

Min Ho tries to pacify her. It’s his first time cleaning someone else’s ears.

“Are you trying to kill me??!” “People don’t die from that.” “What if you touched my ear drum- *shrieks*”

Min Ho has accidentally clipped her skin instead of her nail. HAHA.

Min Ho explains sheepishly that whenever he was upset, his mother would clean his ears and clipped his nails. “I was going to be your mother…but it doesn’t seem to be going so well.” He throws the clipper away and Soon Jung smiles.

He makes her laugh even in serious situations. He’s glad that she’s smiling – if there are no words that could dry her tears, he should try to make her smile.

He then offers to cut her toenails. Hahahaha Soon Jung I think you should start running for your life.

Soon Jung reads the newspaper the next day and everyone predicts that Joon Hee is most probably going to be appointed as Hermia’s legal manager, effectively spelling doom. She recalls her conversation with Ok Hyun the previous day, that the watch was an important piece of information. Woo Shik visits Ok Hyun again and presents her with a Wonder Woman apron.

 

He has a Superman one as well! Soon Jung calls Ok Hyun to tell her, “I’ll do it.”

Woo Shik calls Min Ho, “Soon Jung is going to Lee’s house to get the watch!” Min Ho rushes out of his house and Soon Jung ignores his calls.

While on his way, Min Ho chastises Wendy, “How could this happen?” Ok Hyun has already tried stopping Soon Jung, “but you know her personality!” “Then why did you tell her if you know her personality?!” Ok Hyun apologises and Min Ho demands to know where she is. “I’m about to leave now. Lunch at school just ended.”

“Why are you STUFFING YOUR FACE WITH SCHOOL MEALS?!” Oh dearrrr even at this point in time, Min Ho manages to crack me up!!

Soon Jung pretends to find Joon Hee on the pretext of asking him what he will do if he’s the legal manager. While she’s nervously trying to carry the conversation, Tinkerbell, Wendy and Captain Hook have met up in the parking lot. Captain Hook wants to dash up right now and save Soon Jung, but Wendy convinces him to find Joon Hee’s car. Turns out that she wants to create a diversion for Soon Jung. As Joon Hee leaves to settle his non-stop beeping car, Soon Jung quickly and frantically browses through the drawers. She accidentally drops one drawer and finds the watch, but only barely manages to squeeze the drawer back before Joon Hee appears.

She steps on the watch and slowly bends down to pick up the watch, as Joon Hee answers the follow-up call about his car.

She turns to leave and clutches the watch tightly in her hands, when Joon Hee calls her name. But it’s fine. He merely wants to tell her that it’s weird not to send her home as he used to.

At the first floor, Soon Jung is taken aback when Min Ho descends upon her in rage, “Crazy girl! How dare you go to his house with no fear? Did you not see me get attacked in broad daylight? Are you okay??”

Ok Hyun tells him to shut up and assures Soon Jung that she will send Joon Hee to jail with the watch. The guys want to go up immediately to arrest him hahaha but Ok Hyun scolds them – she still needs to send the watch for blood-testing but she will make use of the time she has because Joon Hee will be caught up in the court, waiting for the court’s ruling.

Min Ho passes some documents to a mysterious person. The court, as expected, appoints Joon Hee to be the legal manager. He’s swarmed by reporters when he returns to Hermia, as he’s the youngest legal manager. One reporter asks, “What’s your method of success?”

Before Joon Hee can reply, Min Ho appears behind him, “Hey murderer!” This person’s method of success? “He killed his best friend of 24 years.”

Joon Hee whispers threateningly about suing him with defamation but Min Ho shouts for Wendy. Wendy appears with sidekick to arrest Joon Hee. Joon Hee tries to poke holes. Where’s your arrest warrant? Do you have evidence?

Oh yes, they have evidence. The watch tests positive for Dong Wook’s bloodstains.

Ji Hyun is unfazed. Does Min Ho think that anything will change just because they lost a hunting dog? Nope, and that’s why Min Ho is going to bring Gold Partners down as well. He has submitted evidence to the Prosecution, which shows all the manipulation of documents and figures BOTH him and Gold Partners have done. Hermia will now sue Gold Partners for compensation of damages, as a form of counter-suit against the patent lawsuit. Now, any legal manager Gold Partners recommends will not be approved. Min Ho will willingly receive any punishment since these were wrong deeds done by him in his past.

“Are you crazy?!” Min Ho replies that he will not stop. It’s just like two cars about to collide into each other. Either she dies in collision, or she turns the wheel and avoid the collision.

Min Ho apologises to Soon Jung for not having told her his plans earlier, but it was something he had to do to save the company.

 

“If I were to spend shameless days with you, I need to take responsibility for my past.” He is going to be summoned for investigation immediately the next day and is already missing her face.

He asks if Soon Jung will be with him and she’s all like, Of course! She suggests that they spend the night together and Min Ho intentionally puts on his suggestive face, “Doing what?”

  

“We can cook?”

 

“Sounds good” “Watch TV?”

“Aigooah” “Babble?”

(whispers) “What else?” “Killing time~”

Hahahahaha. Watch Min Ho make some strange, grumpy noises HAHA.

And so they cook (and fail terribly), play games, dry their hair, and chat in bed.

Min Ho warns that he will escape from jail if she cheats on her, and likewise, she’s relieved that there’s only men in the jail. He jokes that he might become popular with the men because he looks pretty but Soon Jung retorts, “Your personality is awful, that’s not possible.”

Soon Jung will wait for him with a happy heart. And when he’s out, let’s do the stuff that they are supposed to do one by one. The day he comes out, he will be waiting for her at the stairs.

She holds his hands and wonders, “Mm is it because I’m getting sleepy? Your hands look a little blue…” She apologises for being sleepy and falls asleep.

Min Ho whispers, “You have to smile, even when I’m late or if I take longer than you expected. Just as you always do, Kim Soon Jung.”

They stay in that position till morning wakes Min Ho up (I think only male leads in dramas can fall asleep for the entire night propped up on their elbows).

Before he leaves, he reminds her to smile. She laughs at his funny face and reminds him to come back safely. He caresses her head, “I will be back”.

I just love the tender side to Min Ho so much! It’s the Jung Kyung Ho power?

Wendy is doing well. They manage to get the confession from the gang members that they attacked Young Bae and Min Ho under Joon Hee’s orders. Other than murder and instigation of murder, he will also face charges like breach of trust.

 

Joon Hee is stunned to hear that Gold Partners has blamed the Hermia’s takeaway project all on him and that he’s now made into the main culprit. Even Ji Hyun is leaving Korea that very day.

Turns out that this is all planned – the Chairman intentionally gives Joon Hee a lot of authority and power such that it is Joon Hee who signs the documents and makes the call. When problems like this arise, Gold Partners simply hands over all these incriminating documents and shirks every bit of responsibility. Although Ji Hyun and Gold Partners have to pay huge amounts of compensation to Hermia, she manages to leave the country still rather gracefully.

 

Ok Hyun helps Soon Jung sneak in a meeting with Joon Hee. Soon Jung really wants to ask Joon Hee something, “It’s not just anybody…it was Dong Wook.” As she sobs and breaks down, “It was the person who was friends with you and me, Dong Wook!”

 

Joon Hee replies softly, “It’s because it was Dong Wook. In front of Dong Wook’s superficial sense of justice, the friendship we had for 24 years was nothing to him.”

Soon Jung is in disbelief at Joon Hee’s nonchalance. He explains that his nonchalance in front of her is because he knew that if he climbs up the power ladder, the matter will be covered up. Even now, he’s the one left behind.

It’s not because he’s worse than those people, “It’s because I have no power.”

Soon Jung crumbles – what’s there for him now? His life is ruined, the people he were loyal to betrayed him.

In the end, their friendship ended. “You simply threw away that precious life!”

Joon Hee watches Soon Jung cry and finally, there’s some sense of emotion on his face.

There’s a change in the Prosecutor in charge. As they have submitted health as one of the reasons, and because Min Ho has admitted to his charges, the investigation is concluded quickly and efficiently.

Taking in consideration of what he has done for the company, he gets 2 years of imprisonment and 3 years of suspended sentence.

Woo Shik is worried for his body and wants to drive him straight to Dr Jo, but he insists that he goes somewhere else first. Where else other than the stairs? Soon Jung receives a text from him and rushes back home.

Before he can properly touch her face, his vision blurs out and he collapses onto her.

He is rushed to the hospital, with Soon Jung by his side, just like Episode 2 once again. His body goes into shock and the doctors use the defibrillator on him. Once, twice, thrice…

The scene fades out into a three-months time jump. Soon Jung visits a bridal shop and hahaha turns out it’s for Ok Hyun and Woo Shik! Ok Hyun has an injury on her face because she went around chasing robbers but Woo Shik thinks she’s still beautiful.

Ok Hyun jokes that preparing for weddings is tiring, “I really cannot get married again.” Soon Jung is the bridesmaid, Tae Suk will be coming…everyone that is supposed to come is supposed to come right? Woo Shik protests, “No there’s still the guy who has helped me and you -” Ok Hyun punches Woo Shik and drags him away before he says another word. As Soon Sung watches their backs, she narrates. Months have passed in a blink of an eye,  and people’s fates have flowed smoothly according to their wishes. 

Yoo Mi gets a job opening to a Russian company, Mi Roo reads Tarot cards for other people, Director Yoon (sidekick) is exercising hard to control his diabetes (why does he deserve a scene in this happy ending?), and Tae Suk is promoted.

As Soon Jung walks along the road, she looks opposite and recalls Min Ho’s smiling face. When I think about how this happiness of ours was something you made, I start to yearn for you. She smiles and waits at the crossing. Someone passes her a lollipop. Are you doing well? Dear. 

They are trying so hard to dupe me into thinking that Min Ho’s dead, but I REFUSE to think that they will do that. But good try, good try.

A cab drives to her house thinking that someone called for him (again) and Soon Jung asks if the driver can drive her instead. There has been a reservation error. Instead of having the lunch banquet indoors, they are moved outdoors instead. As the party moves outside, they see a figure waiting for them.

Who else, other than Min Ho? TADAH.

Min Ho gives a toast, in Tae Suk’s raspy voice. Oh he’s really good at the imitation??? Turns out he wasn’t dead, but he was just in US dealing with some expansion of the business. Since Tinkerbell and Wendy are getting married, Captain Hook has to come. Okay the Peter Pan references are just confusing HAHA.

 

As the party banters (Min Ho will be made into an Executive at the next board meeting), the couple holds hands.

After lunch, Soon Jung asks Min Ho, “You didn’t even contact me yesterday. I was so surprised!” Min Ho kisses her on the cheek, “Dessert~” He reminds her that he will always make time to love.

The people he loves not only includes him, but the people who brought them together. They have 36 hours left before he returns to US, “Why don’t we have some killing time?”

 

Soon Jung nods and they stroll down the street happily. And that’s how you learn to exist together with the people you want to protect. 

The two of them return to the stairs and Min Ho proposes a game. If someone from the left passes by, he will kiss her. If someone from the right passes by, she will kiss him. Okay game on.

Three people pass by from the left one after another. As Soon Jung laughs shyly and wonder why people are only coming from the left, the two of them look up and their faces go into pseudo-shock.

It’s a whole bunch, a hugeee bunch of people coming in from the right.

 

Min Ho laughs, “Oh yeahhh” and starts taking off his coat and shoes. Soon Jung is so tickled as he claims that it is to make her more comfortable.

As he closes his eyes and leans forward, Soon Jung smiles and leans in to kiss him on the lips.

For the rest of my life, I will do my best to live with you and love you. 

-the end-

Okay the number of screenshots I took for this episode is almost twice the number I took for Sensory Couple’s Finale Recap. T.T I need to stop doing this hahaha.

I like Joon Hee’s downfall in a way. Till the very end, he holds on to his ideals about power, and to be very honest, I don’t think that his ideals are wrong (although the act of killing definitely is!) The fact that Gold Partners managed to walk away largely unscathed shows the harsh reality and I’m glad the scriptwriters didn’t try to convince anyone that a large corporation like that could be brought down easily. Although I do think that Min Ho’s sacrifice is a little unnecessary in the larger picture of bringing Gold Partners down, I like the idea of him atoning for his past so that he can move on to his future. Additionally, I also appreciate the fact that no one, not even Joon Hee himself, tries to link Joon Hee’s actions to Soon Jung. This allows the focus to stay on power. Undoubtedly, however, Joon Hee remains fond of Soon Jung till the end, and the fact that he’s brought to justice by Soon Jung is bittersweet.

One reason why I love taking screenshots of this episode is because of its beautiful cinematography. I like the way it’s shot, the angles, the scenery, the placement, and especially the colours. What the leads wear matches their surroundings well and portrays/enhances the atmosphere. A warm, cozy colour in Min Ho’s house (where he clips her skin) and a bright, chirpy, clean look at the very end. Things like this please me very much!

What happened to Min Ho’s heart isn’t explicitly mentioned. All we know is that in three months, he recovers well enough to carry expansion plans for the company. Did he have a change of heart? Or did he simply recover? I approve of the fact that we don’t know for sure. Because one of the hurdles the couple has to overcome is the uncertainty of whether Dong Wook was a factor in them liking each other. He isn’t and shouldn’t be a factor. That’s why it’s not essential to answer the question of whether Dong Wook’s heart is ultimately removed, since the couple’s love for each other is stronger than that doubt.

Of course, the constant reference to the lollipops make me think that he still has Dong Wook’s heart. It’s lovely that even Soon Jung has started to love eating lollipops, something we have never really seen her do with Dong Wook. Lollipop as a constant motif, and something different. Nice touch!

Jung Kyung Ho’s face IS priceless. I really love his expressions in this episode, whether they show his dirty thoughts or his hope, whether it’s just a simple smile or an annoyed snarl. I’ve never watched any of his shows before, but I’m quite won over by him. On the other hand, I’ve watched Kim So Yeon in Princess Prosecutor (and really loved it!) so I was quite happy with her in this show anyway. In my mind, I remember her as a cold, manipulative anchorwoman in All About Eve, a smart bimbo in Princess Prosecutor, and now, a capable, determined woman.

Thank you for the past weeks, drama. I loved this couple, Kang Min Ho and everything else nice. Hopefully, no bad drama blues!!

<3thoughtsramble

P.S I’m not very sure what the last sentence of the episode was. When I am, I will edit this recap!