Cinderella’s Sister: Episode 7
by javabeans
What makes this show fascinating for me isn’t really the melodrama, or even the romance — not that they are badly presented, as they aren’t — but the completeness of the characterizations. These people feel like real people, in that there are things you may like or hate about them but it’s difficult to peg them with simple explanations. There are multiple ways to read their motivations, and I think it’s okay if we disagree on how to read a particular character, because that’s the beauty of complex characterizations — all aspects of their personalities are so real that you can find multiple ways to interpret their behavior.
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Kim Dong-hee – “내일 다시 말해요” (Talk again tomorrow) [ Download ]
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EPISODE 7 RECAP
Dae-sung opens the door to Eun-jo’s hospital room just as she’s begging her mother to say that she likes Dae-sung. He overhears Kang-sook declare that she likes him because he has so much for her to take from him.
Kang-sook may be callous but she sees herself as a pragmatist, telling her daughter — while she swipes the hospital fridge’s beverages, in a nice juxtaposition — that she doesn’t know what it’s like to live the hard-knock life. But the sound of a door makes her look up — Eun-jo has left the room.
Eun-jo has caught a glimpse of Dae-sung watching from the hallway and sees him walking away with a weary gait, as though suffering from Kang-sook’s declaration. He walks numbly out of the hospital, and Eun-jo follows.
On the street, she tries to call out to him, but her voice is weak as she says, “Um, excuse me.” She calls out louder, and this time he turns, smiles weakly, and waves her along. Eun-jo follows anyway, a bit uncertain of what to do but not willing to leave.
Seeing that she won’t go, Dae-sung turns to tells her, to her shock, “It wasn’t something I didn’t know.” He asks her not to tell her mother that he overheard their conversation.
He continues on, but despite his words it seems that Kang-sook’s words have dealt him a heavy blow. There are two ways to read this scene — either he really did know the truth, or he is only saying this to mitigate Eun-jo’s pain. Personally I think it’s the latter, given how hard this scene has hit him, but perhaps it was always a thought that niggled on the verge of his subconscious, that needed this push to come out into awareness.
Ki-hoon and Hyo-sun sit in the parked car (following her “escape” from the hospital after yelling at her sister), and she tells him that she genuinely liked Eun-jo, “but how could she do this to me, oppa?”
As much as I can sympathize with Hyo-sun — she’s the displaced sister, the one who should be her father’s favorite but who feels shoved aside for her non-blood-related stepsister, even if it’s a consequence of her own frivolity of spirit — I do love Ki-hoon’s response, which is essentially a huge ol’ princess smackdown. He sternly tells her not to cry, and when she doesn’t, he bites out harshly to cut it out.
He takes issue with Hyo-sun’s charge that Eun-jo “stole” things from her, and gives her a rude awakening: “If you don’t want something taken from you, then get your act together and watch what’s yours.” Hyo-sun is stunned at his attitude, but he demands, “What, can’t I be angry? Do you think nobody can get angry at you? Does everyone have to coddle you, no matter what do? Are we only supposed to accept you, laugh for you, and clap for you?”
He asks what she has achieved on her own merit without relying on anyone else: “Eun-jo stole from you? You’ve never earned anything on your own strength so how can you have something stolen away?!”
Trembling, Hyo-sun contains her tears and glares indignantly, but Ki-hoon will not even let her get away with that: “What are you looking at? Why are you staring like that? Do you feel unfairly accused? Are you mad that I’m not taking your side? I’m not yours, you punk!”
Hyo-sun can’t help her tears and goes to him for a hug, but he pushes her away impatiently: “Your enemy isn’t Eun-jo. Make things on your own, and protect what you’ve made. If you get things stolen from you without doing that, there’s nothing you can say. Got it?”
He tells her not to rely on him — he won’t play that role. Impatient and frustrated, he growls, “Hurry up and grow up. Soon.”
He gets back in the car and tells her to get in, but she doesn’t. Not about to indulge her petulance today, he drives off.
Ah, Ki-hoon, you may just have redeemed yourself with that heavy dose of tough love! It’s pretty harsh, but honestly, Hyo-sun needs it, and badly. Furthermore, there’s nobody else from whom this speech would have this impact on her.
Eun-jo continues following Dae-sung, a few steps behind, all the way to the factory. He tells her to go rest, but she won’t — what she so sorely lacks in words she is trying to make up for, however inadequately, in actions. Although she’s not actually doing much, Eun-jo’s so defensive and closed off that her mere presence — and persistence — is hugely significant.
She asks how Dae-sung can be like this — calm, acting normally — when he knows the truth. He returns, “You mean even though I know that she’s with me so she can mooch from me?” He says it’s okay.
Eun-jo feels miserable merely knowing this, so she cannot understand Dae-sung’s attitude. He answers that he thinks of Kang-sook as someone to be pitied, because she can’t help thinking the way she does. When he first met Eun-jo as a young adolescent brought up under her mother’s way of thinking, she’d easily accused others of wanting something from her, thinking there was no other reason for them to approach her. He’d felt sorry for her, and says, “It doesn’t matter, since I like your mother. To me, it’s much better for me to be taken advantage of than to live without you and your mother.”
Eun-jo’s tears fall freely, and Dae-sung approaches to gently urge her home to rest. Or how about accompanying him to the company picnic?
He’s trying to turn her thoughts to happier things, but Eun-jo asks tearily, “What do I have to do?” He answers, “Don’t leave me.”
Company picnic. The men engage in a rousing game of… some mix of soccer, tennis, and volleyball. Among the players are Ki-hoon and Jung-woo, and when the ball goes out of bounds and rolls over to her, both jog over and extend their hands to her. Symbolism!
Eun-jo looks between them for a moment before making her choice: She tosses the ball past both, over to Dae-sung. Aw!!
Because the company is out enjoying their day, Hyo-sun finds herself home alone when several angry, unruly men arrive at the factory to complain about the spoiled makgulli they bought. She calls Eun-jo nervously to ask what to do — she’s been trying to handle this without depending on anyone (per Ki-hoon’s words) but she doesn’t know what to do.
Hyo-sun faces the men anxiously, and tastes the alcohol to find that it’s rancid. However, she says that it’s not their wine — the bottles are theirs, but the makgulli inside is definitely not, and she knows this because she’s practically been raised on the taste of their wine. Gaining confidence as she speaks, she informs them that company practice is to turn extra wine into vinegar rather than sell it, but the angry customers are hardly going to take her word for it. Hyo-sun asks in her cheery way, “Care to make a bet with me?”
Eun-jo, Dae-sung, and the rest hurry back to the factory, knowing that Hyo-sun is alone. But when they get there, to their surprise Hyo-sun is happily toasting the men with makgulli, the mood jovial, the men engaged in an energetic round of singing.
Hyo-sun gives the bad wine to her father, who tastes it to make sure. He passes the tainted bottle to Eun-jo, who also takes a sip and notes that it’s gone bad. Hyo-sun glares at her sister, saying that she’d already told them that — does Eun-jo not trust her? (Given that her father also took a sip and earned no ire, Hyo-sun is overreacting here. It’s understandable that she’s oversensitive after her smackdown by Ki-hoon, but this time Eun-jo hadn’t meant anything by her comment.)
Suddenly nervous, Hyo-sun’s uncle takes Jung-woo aside to warn him not to say a word. Since he’s an accomplice, he’d better keep his mouth shut!
We’ve seen the two of them driving off on mysterious errands, and now it becomes clear that it had something to do with this spoiled product. But Hyo-sun’s uncle is a sloppy saboteur at best (he’s no brilliant mastermind, that’s for sure), and now he’s scared he’ll get caught. Although Jung-woo hadn’t been in on the loop, the uncle’s panicked reaction now triggers his suspicions.
As the tainted makgulli has gone out for sale, the news breaks that the company has distributed product containing prohibited additives. Dae-sung and Eun-jo are questioned by police, where they defend their practices — unlike other companies, they don’t add preservatives and they make sure to pick up the unsold product the day before their expiry dates, but these days they haven’t even had any leftovers because of high sales. The factory has turned up no traces of those additives in the tainted bottles.
Dae-sung agrees to cooperate, saying that it’s all okay. However, Eun-jo grows indignant thinking of the business and how hard they worked to get things to this level. All orders have ceased and the factory has stopped production.
In the empty factory, Hyo-sun finds herself at a loss and asks plaintively:
Hyo-sun: “What do I have to do at a time like this? Oh, right — you told me not to rely on anybody. Am I not supposed to do anything in this situation? Am I not allowed to ask this? Is just asking also relying on someone? Okay, I won’t ask.”
As she turns to go, Ki-hoon says that it’s a good thing this happened before they increased production, which would have increased the recall. They can handle this. Hyo-sun asks, “You just said that the moon is a square, didn’t you?” His words have their usual calming effect and make her believe that maybe they’ll be fine.
Ki-hoon’s confidence in their recovery can be attributed to the fact that he believes this is the work of his father — that he somehow sabotaged the Dae-sung company to pave the way for takeover. But President Hong informs him that he has nothing to do with this, and neither does big brother Ki-jung.
Ki-hoon warns his father not to get any ideas of doing anything to Dae-sung Co. while it’s weak. Recall that Ki-hoon is supposedly working there for his father, and he wants control once Hong takes over. He says: “I won’t ruin the company or its image. I’ll take it, and I don’t want to take something that’s ruined.”
Ki-jung hears of this tete-a-tete between father and son, and guesses that Ki-hoon is working at Dae-sung under his father’s orders.
It is both hilarious and heartbreaking that Kang-sook slips into Eun-jo’s room that night to ask furtively whether there’s anything they can rescue before the company falls. She urges Eun-jo to secretly start stashing stuff that they can take before it all goes to ruins.
Eun-jo knows her mother is mercenary, but even so, she’s in disbelief at how low her mother can go and tells her, “We aren’t going to be ruined. And even if we are, there are lots of things for you to rip off. A ton. If you die, you’ll die of excess, not of starvation.” And like the silly, single-minded woman she is, Kang-sook is happy to hear this. Lee Mi-sook is so awesome, finding the dark edge of humor in such an extreme character.
Jung-woo finds himself conflicted with guilt, thinking back to the suspicious behavior of Hyo-sun’s uncle. As he broods, he spots Eun-jo through the window, grabs some clothes (he’s in his boxers) and hurries out to find her.
Eun-jo has paused to look up at the empty pavilion, recalling Ki-hoon singing the Spanish song from years ago, his voice ringing in her ears.
She continues walking — just as Jung-woo bursts out of his room and misses seeing her — and heads out the front gate, where she starts to hear Ki-hoon’s voice singing that song again.
Thinking it’s in her head, this makes her angry — until she sees him walking toward her, mumbling the song to himself. Again, these two are in tune with each other, even in their thoughts. Stopping still, they stare at each other for long moments. Then she resumes walking and he continues on as well, widening the gap between them.
Eun-jo takes refuge in the wine room, but today she’s not alone. Another voice calls out from behind a different set of jars — Hyo-sun.
Hyo-sun: “Let’s do it.”
Eun-jo: “What are you saying?”
Hyo-sun: “I won’t let you have everything. Once, I wanted to be like you. You studied hard, and you were smart and proud. And you acted like you didn’t need anyone. Arrogant, like you didn’t care if nobody looked at you. There were times you looked cool. But you always poured cold water over the things I longed for. So let’s have it out. I don’t know yet how, but let’s do it.”
(Her “Let’s do it” has the tone of a challenge, akin to saying, “Bring it on.”)
Jung-woo doesn’t know what the uncle has been up to, but he does know something’s fishy and heads back to the area where the uncle used to go on his shifty errands. He finds a shack in the woods, and brings back Ki-hoon and Dae-sung. Together, they break open the door, and find inside the materials for a sabotage operation. Makgulli was taken from the factory, mixed with bad liquor, then bottled in the Dae-sung bottles.
While Hyo-sun’s uncle is living it up, drinking with bar hostesses and frittering away his cash, the family gathers to discuss options. Eun-jo is focused on the business and their huge losses, wanting to report the uncle to the police so they can clear their name and begin recovery. Hyo-sun, on the other hand, refuses to call the cops on her mother’s brother, who has nowhere to go. (As so often happens in this family, even when the issue isn’t about the sisters’ strife, it becomes about it on a secondary level.)
Dae-sung decides to take their time — he wants to think of a way to save the business without sacrificing the uncle. Eun-jo presses him to reconsider, saying they have no time (which makes Hyo-sun glower at her resentfully), but Dae-sung overrules her. They can go slowly.
Eun-jo has to accept this reluctantly, but she balks at Ki-hoon’s suggestion that they take out a newspaper ad with an apology; her pride refuses to admit fault when they’d done nothing wrong. There are people just waiting for them to stumble or die so they can swoop in and take over at a low price!
He’s the optimist (saying that they can recover swiftly) while she’s the cynic (or shall we say realist?) for highlighting how precarious their situation is and how important it is to act with haste.
Ki-hoon demands to know what she means, pressing her for an explanation. Who wants to buy them up? He grabs her arm, at which point Jung-woo interferes and casts his arm off Eun-jo’s. Ki-hoon swats Jung-woo away like he’s a pesky fly, while Eun-jo storms away.
Already Dae-sung is fielding calls about selling the business, which stress him out. Hyo-sun wishes she could be a help to him, saying with some insecurity, “I want to help, but I’m not anything, am I?” Still, she promises that even if she’s not helpful now, she will become more helpful to him from now on.
He smiles affectionately, and this is the scene Eun-jo witnesses as she arrives at the door. Which Ki-hoon also sees.
In another family business meeting, Ki-hoon presents a new plan to go after the Japanese market, citing positive initial responses. Eun-jo offers to go to Japan on a business trip, to which Ki-hoon announces that he will go. Lest you get excited about them going together, he is proposing to go instead of Eun-jo — and he wants to take Hyo-sun with him.
In light of Ki-hoon’s harsh speech to her, Hyo-sun is just as startled as Eun-jo, but he replies that he’s teaching her how to keep what’s hers. “But you said Eun-jo didn’t take what was mine,” she says. He answers, “When someone — whether Eun-jo or anyone else — challenges you and tries to take something from you, you have to protect it.”
Eun-jo walks in on their cozy scene — it’s not really that cozy, but tell that to her icy stare — to deliver their travel documents. What’s amusing is how she then walks over a few feet and calls out to Jung-woo from outside his room. Dae-sung wants to see him so it’s not like she’s doing this on purpose, but I’m starting to get a kick out of every time she talks to him in Ki-hoon’s presence, ’cause Ki-hoon’s being pretty frustrating with his constant silence.
Jung-woo has his bag already packed, expecting to be kicked out for his part in the uncle’s operation. When she says they’ll be working together tomorrow to track down Hyo-sun’s uncle, an adorable smile spreads across his face as he fixates on the one word in that sentence that interests him: “T…together?”
Jung-woo is really adorable, the way he steals glances at Eun-jo in the car. Since she still has no idea who he is, she clocks his interest but keeps a cool attitude, while he tries to contain his feelings.
But finally even he can’t keep it to himself anymore, and as they stop for lunch, he steals the pickled radish from her and explains, “Way back when, there was this person who used to cut kimchi and I’d grab the kimchi like this, and the kimchi-cutter would hit me. I’m just saying.”
Eun-jo doesn’t react, so then he lapses into his rural dialect to remind her of his childhood words that he’d find her again — and finally she smiles, asking in half-disbelief, “You’re that Han Jung-woo?”
She asks why he didn’t say anything, so he says he was waiting until she recognized him. But she was taking her sweet old time, so he spilled the beans.
She says, “How could I know that that Jung-woo and this Jung-woo were the same?” He teases, “Since I’ve gotten hotter? I make your heart pound, don’t I?” (Ahhh, he’s so adorable!) She plays it off in her understated way, but she’s definitely glad to see him again and it’s lovely to finally see her smiling.
Alas, their trip turns out to be in vain, because the uncle has run from the motel where he was staying. They report this to Dae-sung — who is holding his chest, WHICH CANNOT BODE WELL. Dae-sung heard that the uncle was going to use his money from selling the bad liquor to buy some land, but he’d been scammed, and therefore ran away.
Kang-sook notices her husband’s grimace and urges him to rest, but he has a playdate with his son and insists on going out.
In Japan, Ki-hoon and Hyo-sun (who’s wearing an indecently short dress — I think she forgot the business part of business casual) prepare to meet their Japanese contacts. As fans of Korean dramas, the two Japanese businesswomen speak fluent Korean, and respond positively to their makgulli. Furthermore, they recognize Hyo-sun from the ad that was uploaded on Youtube. One of the women says that her son is a big fan, and makes a request — she’d love to invite her home to meet her son, who’d be impressed with his mom for knowing the CF girl. This is a surprise, but a good sign that the deal will go through.
On their way home, Jung-woo and Eun-jo pause for a break, whereupon Jung-woo hands over his bankbook — he’d scrimped up all his money from being in the Marines, and this is his whole life savings. She asks why he’s giving it to her, and he answers that he’d saved it specifically to give it to her. He asks, “If I said that I’d saved up my first salary, who do you think I should give it to?” (In Korea, children often give their first paycheck to their parents, or at least buy gifts using the first paycheck.)
This makes Eun-jo think of Mr. Jang, and she asks what he’s up to, but quickly rescinds her question, saying that she doesn’t want to know. But Jung-woo doesn’t know, either — he has been on his own since he was 18. Then he adds with a little smile, “To be accurate, I wasn’t alone — since I lived with you.” He means it earnestly, but she tells him not to joke. He lights up when she says she’ll accept his money — until she adds that she’ll return it when he marries.
And then, a horrible phone call.
In Japan, Ki-hoon awakens to frantic pounding on his door — Hyo-sun cries that her father collapsed.
COMMENTS
The romance is taking a backseat in the recent episodes, which I don’t actually mind so much because we are exploring Eun-jo’s relationship with Dae-sung, which is just as touching (if not more). I particularly love the opening scene when she follows Dae-sung out of the hospital, wanting to talk to him but not knowing how to do it. So she just walks, following a few steps behind, not saying anything.
As we know, Eun-jo has never called anyone anything before, so when it’s her turn to reach out, it’s doubly difficult. Eun-jo hardly ever initiates contact, so it’s too much burden to reach out to a person AND decide which defining label to use with him — whether it’s “Father” or “Ki-joon” or “oppa.” (Note that this applies to people older than herself, because there’s no dilemma in deciding what to call someone younger than you; you just use their name.)
As for Ki-hoon…. phew. I’m frustrated with him, even as I want to love the character and make excuses for his behavior. Although he does get points for setting Hyo-sun straight. Eun-jo made her wonder about her empty motivations, and now Ki-hoon is forcing her to be independent. The ones who hurt us the most have the most power over us, and as we’ve seen in their youth Hyo-sun looked up to these two the most. They are therefore the ones with the most influence over her, even if they don’t want to be.
Sometimes you don’t know how you truly feel about something — maybe you’re ambivalent, or indecisive — but ever notice that once you hear an extreme opinion about it, your feelings often sharpen into focus? This seems to be Hyo-sun’s case — she has never been challenged, so she doesn’t really know what she thinks about something, and if she lives her life with somebody leading her all the time, she’ll never learn how she really feels. Now is her time to figure that out.
I sorta feel like the difference between Ki-hoon’s relationship with Eun-jo now and in their youth is because he’s just as wounded as she is, and just as invested. In their youth, she was the one who closed herself off to all pain and lashed out in self-defense, and because he was a warm older figure, he could reach out to her. Now he has returned jaded, hardened, and harboring his own set of issues, and now it’s like they are both too wounded to break through each other’s defenses. Meanwhile, Jung-woo doesn’t have that kind of outlook and he’s like a boisterous puppy dog who gets knocked over but bounces right back up.
As I mentioned up top, the complexity of this drama, and this episode in particular, really comes through in these characters. For instance, is Dae-sung really being honest when he confesses that he knew Kang-sook’s motives? And was Kang-sook 100% honest when she said so callously that she only liked Dae-sung because of what she could take from him? You could take their words at face value, but there’s enough depth of character there that one may wonder if the opposite is true. Kang-sook strikes me as the type of person who would say something for shock value, who would never in a million years say something so maudlin or earnest as “Yes, I have grown to love my husband.” Maybe she’s protecting herself, or preserving her image, or maybe it’s easier for her to believe she’s a golddigger, but there are signs that she does care for Dae-sung.
Ambiguity isn’t always a good thing — it can be downright maddening — but in this case, I think it adds to the discussion.
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Tags: Chun Jung-myung, Cinderella's Sister, Moon Geun-young, Seo Woo, Taecyeon
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1 jjwu
April 28, 2010 at 7:15 PM
Dying for your review on CS... thanks for the recap JB.... I am really getting to like CS.
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2 MrsMicky
April 28, 2010 at 7:20 PM
thanks for the recap~!
CS is really great drama eventhough its making me really emo~
thumbs up,,for u guys
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3 anonymous
April 28, 2010 at 7:20 PM
Thank you for the recap!!!
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4 SteamyBun
April 28, 2010 at 7:20 PM
I take it you haven't been receiving my threatening e-mails javabeans? *tints fingers menacingly*
Just kidding! I'm always super grateful for your recaps because I miss some subtle stuff while trying to keep up with the subtitles.
And I don't care what ANYONE says: KiHoon has earned the right to be a douche. He's her true love and that's that. Sure, it doesn't work that way in the real world. But this ISN'T the real world! Don't worry - you don't have to make excuses for the character but you should keep faith that his behavior is all part of the development of this show. I think the outcome of all this silliness is going to be EPIC. Good or bad, I don't know. But EPIC, yes.
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5 SteamyBun
April 28, 2010 at 7:21 PM
Oh, by the way I was formally "michelle" when I commented, but I've thought of a better and more food-related username.
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6 WW
April 28, 2010 at 7:21 PM
Yes! I'm so glad I checked this site one last time before I went to sleep - thanks for the recaps, I love reading them! They make my drama-watching experience that much more enjoyable :)
As for Ki-hoon - I was also confused about his motives in these episodes before reading your recap, and I agree that it's probably because he's too burdened with his own issues to reach out to Eun-jo again. I find it really interesting that the Eun-jo vs. Hyo-sun relationship is echoed in Ki-hoon's relationship with his family - the sibling rivalry, the desperation for acceptance. And while I initially thought that Ki-hoon's counterpart was Hyo-sun, now I'm not so sure - he's dealing with problems similar to Eun-jo's, too.
I just hope CS has a happy ending!
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7 Devi
April 28, 2010 at 7:30 PM
I've been waiting for the recap forever! This episode I really started feeling the characters fully settling into their adult versions, making this episode really interesting to watch. The past few episodes we're kind of more catch up to where they are now. I'm also really enjoying Taecyeon's performance in this episode. He's like the little slice of happiness and less complicated presence in Eun Jo's life. I'm so happy to see Eun Jo SMILE!!!!!!! I feel like this is the first time I've ever seen MGY smile, so I agree with you that these characters feel so real. I feel like I've watched Eun Jo grow up and its so rare to see that simple smile of hers :)
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8 xiaoSxin
April 28, 2010 at 7:37 PM
Thanks for the recaps!
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9 jackie
April 28, 2010 at 7:39 PM
the opening paragraph - so true, jb, so true. and that's exactly what i love so much about this drama - that there are no real good guys or bad guys, that all the characters are so complex and definitive. it's amazing :)
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10 fyoora
April 28, 2010 at 7:41 PM
Great recap!! Thank you...I wish eun-jo and hyo sun will team up to protect their father business...I don't know whether dae sung will be alive or die, but I wish in the end they will be a real sister...just my wish, hope this drama has a happy ending
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11 Eleven11
April 28, 2010 at 7:41 PM
Cinderellas Sister!! eee! I'm so invested in this drama, and so's my friend in Korea, we've been fangirling over it on Facebook. I've already seen this episode, but reading the recap was still exciting for me, thats how much awesomeauce this show contains. Viikii's subs for ep 9 and 10 should be out in the next couple of days, if people give the awesome subbers a chance to work without watching the vids. I can't wait!!
Dae Sung completely won me over in episodes 6 & 7, I had originally thought he was a little dense and less developed as a character than anyone else, but these two episodes totally blew away that impression. He's what a Dad should be - loving and full of integrity, he's the perfect pillar to support both of his daughters' growth. I actually cheered at the screen during a couple of his scenes.
Thanks as always JB!
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12 dragonfly
April 28, 2010 at 7:46 PM
THANKS!! This drama is bringing out the discussive-ness in everybody, haha. The soompi forum is going crazy!
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13 estel
April 28, 2010 at 7:51 PM
Lovely analysis, javabeans. You always catch things that slip past me -- I totally took Dae-sung's words at the top of the episode at face value, but if, as you suggest, he didn't know before then, that makes his kindness and love to Eun-jo in the following scene that much more amazing. I'm so glad the writers didn't have him go crazy, that would have totally ruined his character for me. There should be more people in the world like Dae-sung. Also, I loved the moment with the soccer ball where Eun-jo chose Dae-sung over either Ki-hoon or Jung-woo. It warmed the jaded cockles of my heart. :)
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14 Al
April 28, 2010 at 7:55 PM
i love your recaps~~ ~((:
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15 peanut butter
April 28, 2010 at 8:00 PM
gosh, i've watched this show up to episode 9 and i must say that no drama recently has wrenched me like this. the characters have so much depth to them that it shocks me. the different relationships as well. to be honest, the mother daughter relationship between eunjo and kangsook also gets me to me. but i wont say more lest i reveal something!
and thanks for the recaps!! its always nice to go back and see how other people view the episdoes!
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16 sam
April 28, 2010 at 8:06 PM
"Seeing that she won’t go, Dae-sung turns to tells her, to her shock, “It wasn’t something I didn’t know.”
"There are two ways to read this scene — either he really did know the truth, or he is only saying this to mitigate Eun-jo’s pain."
I do think DS suspected it a long time ago. He already suspected about it the first time it happened. When he already suspected when he called the monk for some errand (EJ's mom is supposed to go to some temple) and then waited for EJ's mom to come home. He is quietly observant. That is his character. He put aside pride because he cares for them. He saw how scared and vulnerable both EJ and her mom really are. But that knowing doesn't stop from it from hurting. That's why he stumbled. He is human after all..not superman. It's like finally seeing dirt from under the carpet. You can be suspicious all you want, but once you heard the words out loud...You finally have to face the truth. And the truth hurts!
But another truth came out of this incident also. He have an ally with EJ. EJ do care about him and it makes him feel better. Doesn't she look like a pet (sharing the owner's pain) following the owner? :) Someone do love me as I am after all. If you have pets or children you will know what I'm talking about.
As always. Nice recap JB.
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17 hanalinlin
April 28, 2010 at 8:09 PM
thank you javabeans...please do more recaps on CS.<3<3<3<3
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18 snuffythemonkey
April 28, 2010 at 8:11 PM
Oh soooo goooood. Major hearts to JB! Oh yeahhh. I cannot contain myself for joy of this drama. Can't wait til it's finished so I could buy the entire series!
And I think Taec is shaping up to be a pretty decent actor. He kills me with those puppy dog eyes and his mischievous smiles!
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19 Ladymoonstone143
April 28, 2010 at 8:17 PM
Thanks for the recap Javabeans. I love your recaps because there are so many things I missed on each episode. But most of the times, I read your recaps then watch it so I have a clearer perspective of what is the episode all about. thanks again...
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20 FasirisFay
April 28, 2010 at 8:17 PM
Phew, really enjoyed reading this recap. I agree, I don't particularly care that the romance is taking a backseat in the past few episodes (which is odd, since I'm a big romance lover lol) but I'm finding the interactions between the characters so fascinating, even those that are not romantically involved.
I especially love the relationship between EJ and HS, as two sisters who love to hate each other...but then there are those tiny moments where EJ shows some regard for HS which makes me think there might be hope for them after all (when she tucks HS in after she's passed out drunk, and also when she threatens KH that if he does anything to her, she'll kill him). Small moments like those, even fuelled in anger, just make my heart melt and go aw.
On the romance side, I have to say MGY and the actor that plays KH have mad chemistry. You're right, their relationship has changed a lot since their youth and I'm enjoying watching the changing dynamics of it. For one thing, as a non-Korean speaker, who has for the first time ever started watching RAW videos (for this drama), the scenes between KH and EJ are so charged that I feel like I don't need to understand what they're saying. Just the emotion that they both express through their eyes and through their body language really blows me away and I'm hoping that MGY wins oodles of awards for this role, but I think she's doing a fantastic job.
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21 danni
April 28, 2010 at 8:23 PM
I have to agree, the plot of CS isn't as interesting as the characters themselves, and it's not like they limit the complexity to one character, ALL the characters are multi-dimensional and that's what makes it interesting. The two episodes before this were more focused on fleshing out Hyo-sun's character, which was just great and probably wouldn't have worked if Seo Woo wasn't playing her, and Dae-sung has slowly been becoming a more interesting character which makes me sad because if this follows the Cinderella Story, then he won't be around for long and I'm pretty much loving the interactions between him and Eun-jo. The scene where she's following him around, trying to find the right words to say is my favorite of the episode. Ki-hoon is definitely becoming a harder character to like (I totally thought I'd be rooting for him, but Jung-woo is so adorable that Ki-hoon will need to do something major for some redemption) but thank God someone told Hyo-sun to stand up for herself because as much as I'm starting to like her character, watching her whine every time she didn't get her way would be annoying eventually. Love the recap jb, thank you!
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22 Auntiemame
April 28, 2010 at 8:26 PM
I thought the opening segment, with EJ following DS and their conversation, was the most beautiful and loving scene between a father and a daughter.
I've watched it several times and never failed to shed a tear. For people who may be interested, Viikii has that scene as 'leaked' unedited footage, without the background music. Without the music, the acting is unadulterated and fascinating.
This drama is one of the best. And, Dramabean's recaps and comments are the best of the best.
Thanks so much.
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23 amhrancas
April 28, 2010 at 8:29 PM
"They report this to Dae-sung — who is holding his chest, WHICH CANNOT BODE WELL"
D8
DDDD8
Oh hello there, tragic turning point. I'd wondered when you would show up.
Great recap, JB, as always!! Thank you so much!
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24 nabi
April 28, 2010 at 8:37 PM
Oh yeah, the ambiguity in KH's character is definitely maddening. I'm too exhausted to comment further due to the overdose of all the angst coming from recent episodes, but I just want to say, Stay strong all EJ-KH shippers!!!. Let's hang in there!
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25 holey moley
April 28, 2010 at 8:40 PM
love love this drama, best drama of the year (too early much?), and love love your recap, ive waited for so long...
have watched ep 9, and it was awesome as always but heartbreaking at the end...
now ep 10 is where the real cinderella story begins, and im so excited and nervous at the same time...the family dynamics would dramatically changed...
regarding jungwoo, i change ship about this episode because kihoon seem like a jerk, also ep 9 is kihoons episode, just saying...
mgy should definitely win another daesang for this...her performance is so rivetting...
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26 giddygirl108
April 28, 2010 at 8:40 PM
Love every single minute of this drama. Like you said, so many complexities and different psychological pathways that could be taken with each character's perspective and experiences shaping them. I have two papers due next Tuesday so alas! I'll have to miss this week's episodes to write those dang things. I'll have to watch them next week after the hell has passed ^_^
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27 Thu
April 28, 2010 at 8:45 PM
Thank you!
I agree. Eun Joo's sceen with Dae Sung was great. I seriously felt terrible for the both of them. Confused and hurt..
Love your caps and point of view on things.
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28 jandoe
April 28, 2010 at 8:47 PM
I sorta feel like the difference between Ki-hoon’s relationship with Eun-jo now and in their youth is because he’s just as wounded as she is, and just as invested. In their youth, she was the one who closed herself off to all pain and lashed out in self-defense, and because he was a warm older figure, he could reach out to her. Now he has returned jaded, hardened, and harboring his own set of issues, and now it’s like they are both too wounded to break through each other’s defenses.
AGREEEEEEE.
i love your insights. the drama's taking a lot of real turn-of-events and i'm honeslty getting frustrated and depressed just watching it but when you put it this way - the character complexity and being able to relate and all this realism stuff - you've put me right on track to keep watching it (and probably cry in depression) :)
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29 saranga
April 28, 2010 at 8:51 PM
i don't think daesung was lying, but i liked how you put it: it was a thought that had been living in his subconscious, and kang sook's words forced him to see and accept the reality. he told eunjo as much, saying that he felt a little 씁슬 (didn't know what that would translate to in english) because kang sook's had given him confirmation by voicing that thought that had been "niggling" at his mind, in your words- but that he was okay. it didn't strike me that he was lying to make eunjo feel better.
kang sook and eunjo obviously have a very complicated mother-daughter relationship, and like in many such relationships, mother and daughter both find each other aggravating. so when eunjo was shouting at her mother to say that she was staying with daesung out of love, and not because he was wealthy, i think that provoked a contrary spirit in kang sook- she became irked, which led her to react the way she did.
but what i love is that this complicated mother-daughter bond is still a very close one. they might not have the most affectionate relationship, but i'm convinced that kang sook loves eunjo and would go to great lengths to protect her. same for her little boy. and i think eunjo loves her mother too. if she hadn't, she would have run away long, long ago. they share a deep love for one another, but love can be expressed in very different ways. but at the core, it's still love.
and i was wondering if i was the only one who had found eunjo and kang sook's nighttime scene funny!! kang sook is quite wonderful and complicated and layered and lee misook makes her that way.
how i LOVE this dramaaaaaaa
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30 animedork101
April 28, 2010 at 8:52 PM
Please... Please Please Please!
Because of the changes they made in the Cinderella for this Drama, please sidestep from the dying. I like Daesung, and I would be PISSED if he gets killed off... Maybe it might not happen in the next episode or two or three, but they better not smack us in the face with it later. I'm not going to get my hopes up though...
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31 Porcelain
April 28, 2010 at 8:59 PM
Thanks for the awesome update again...
I am between turning schizophrenic... I laugh so much early in the week(Oh My Lady, Personal Taste...) and then I want to cry so much whenever you recap Cinderella Sister...
This ep, actually its the father and mother that stole the show subtlely...
Daesung hands down win best daddy of the week... When she ask Eun Jo not to go... I totally feel my heart swelling! Daddy... really breaks my heart here... And does Kangsook means what she said? Does she really not care for her hubby the least bit?
The younger generation wants to set things straight the case w Kihoon towards Hyosun... And I think its real cute how Jungwoo make Eunjo recognize him... Oh Taec your country bumpkin haircut and your teeth is adorkable!
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32 Noypi
April 28, 2010 at 9:04 PM
Taec is PERFECT for Jung Woo role.. he doesn't seem like a beginner..
Can't wait for next eps recap... Let the Love Quadrangle BEGIN!!
Thank you again JB!!
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33 Lan
April 28, 2010 at 9:04 PM
Thanks for your recaps JB! Gosh, I remember watching this episode and it totally broke me when Daesung found out. I love EunJo and Daesung relationship too and am quite happy that she's finally opening up somewhat to him. Not barring herself off because of the sins her mother created but finally letting herself be loved and love in return. I loved how Daesung told EunJo to not leave him. In a way, it really sealed the deal about EunJo wanting to leave after paying her debt to Daesung. I wished there were more interaction between these two and that she'll be able to call him Appa once.
This drama just gets more and more twisted for me esp. with the recently aired episode.
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34 mingtsai
April 28, 2010 at 9:07 PM
thanks for the review JB.. been waiting for this hehe
i love how you highlight the complexities and the layers of characterization that CS offers its audience... I'm not really a fan of melodrama but because this show does not seem to be just about the melodrama or even just about the romance, as you mentioned, it's 'wholeness' so to speak is what keeps me gravitating towards it.
many people have already said this before and i agree with them that CS offers characters that are not cookie-cutter protagonists or antagonists, they are characters that really do seem like real people with layers of complexities; they have their good points but they have their flaws as well.
i also agree with fasirisFay.. i'm a huge romance lover as well but i'm also not so much disagreeable that the romance is taking a back seat these past few episodes (well, not yet anyway.. give me 3 or 4 more episodes without EJ/KH interaction)... but because every single relationship has its own pull... and this is the first drama that i've watched that has done that for me...
i can't wait for the following episodes and i can't wait for the next reviews...
thanks again JB for the recaps and insights.. love them...
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35 gloria
April 28, 2010 at 9:16 PM
God, I knew this post was worth the wait. Great insights.
I really appreciate how CS will address some issues that I feel most dramas shy away from. Some lines that EunJo says really shock me and cause me to gasp but I actually enjoy the reality of the situation. The characters are so much more real in a drama with maybe a more obvious plot and that's what keep me dying for every next episode.
Thanks again for all your work truly providing a detailed and well thought out recap. It's a delight to read and makes me enjoy the experience that much more.
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36 -
April 28, 2010 at 9:27 PM
Awesomeness!!
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37 jamieguo
April 28, 2010 at 9:30 PM
Thanks for the recaps, javabeans. I continue to be slightly amazed at the twists and turns in the story, who'd have thought KH would finally give princess HS a well deserved smackdown?
But I have to say I'm equally divided by like and dislike regarding this drama. The last episode 6 was meh to me until the last scene, which I totally loved. I've been wondering why and came up with two reasons.
First, I have no sympathy towards Hyo-sun at all. She has enough self pity as it is, soaked always with tears of "poor 'lil me." . Any more pity towards her would cause wells and oceans to dry up. She sees everything from her self centered perspective and can't even seem to fathom that its not all about her. Blaming Eun-Jo for stealing some of her father's affection for her is just plain stupid and childish. She makes every issue about her, and her needs, including her uncle's plight.
Second, I'm not feeling the male lead Ki-Hoon or Taec's character as being right for my girl, Eun-Jo. Ki-Hoon, as he was years ago, may had been it, but now the new embittered KH is one I can't really understand and don't get. K-Frenzy said it better than I could. "It’s like he cannot emote and thus he resorts to furrowing his eyebrows and glare every 15 minutes." http://kfrenzy.wordpress.com/2010/04/28/verdict-on-wednesday-dramas/
Really, KH doesn't seem worthy of EJ, who at heart, is someone who has been betrayed and hurt time and time again, yet still manages to love and give back, in deeds, if not with words, even though she's desperately afraid of her heart being broken. And Taec, he's doing a fine job and all, but I think EJ could make mincemeat out of him. I also wonder if he sees her as a real person.
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38 Sakura
April 28, 2010 at 9:32 PM
Thanks for the song recaps, javabeans.
DS knows that he's not getting the love from KS but only mere concern for him but great interest in the co. (HS is a threat to her scheme so she must be lovey dovey to her.) EJ is trying to dissolve her mum's intentions that she has to do all she could for Daseung farm because she is indebted to DS.
It is a wake up call for HS( at the moment she is "sleeping beauty") from KH to learn to be skillful in business as KH's father is eyeing and planning to take over DS farm because the co is failing and buying it to hand over to KH ( concerning distribution of Hong family wealth).
I would like to differ about the wine sabotage. I think HS uncle is trying to make extra bucks buy stealing the wine and tainted it and selling it cheap by using DS label because he is also trying to make big - a name for himself, to become rich as he has been struggling since childhood - not much education.
It is interesting as this drama unfold to see how would HS learn about the business and make a name for herself without comparing and feeling a little jealous of her step sister, right now she has low esteem. Will she become a business woman or a ballet dancer or a wine taster ? and as for the EJ and KH lovenest will it go further glowing (like as shown in the trailers) and what will JW be?. Lastly the father/daughter scene very touching - sob, sob.
ps Javabeans please fill in my curiosity as to their age (EJ, KH, HS and JW) when HS father remarried ?. Thanks.
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39 tonia
April 28, 2010 at 9:44 PM
Just started watching this about 2 days ago and I just fell in love with MGY and CJM....MGY is definitely a first class actress and everytime she cries she makes me cry with her. I can definitely feel her pain. The youthful Ki Hoon definitely made me love his character from the start but starts to give me doubts as to if he will be able to redeem himself in EJ's eyes if and when she finds out his nefarious plan of taking over the company......EJ is the kind of person who protects what is hers and to her she owes the family and business so much that she will draw blood if someone tries to do something evil to those that she protects......I am falling in love with her relationship with DS, who despite her continued reluctance to acknowledge him as her adoptive father is always there for her to support and give his love even if she keeps denying him that......I just love this series and I would like to thank you for your recaps because it definitely gives me something to look forward to......Keep it up.
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40 Tha
April 28, 2010 at 9:46 PM
LOVE CS!!! Cant wait to see more o f this story unfold. Mauahahahaha!!!
Ki Hoon especially because his true character was already revealed early on but just now hidden and for good reason, I think. I'm still cheering him on. I know he knows Eun-jo's true character as well. So I'm just waiting for them to reveal it to each other. Cant wait! I wish I understood Korean!!!
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41 who is
April 28, 2010 at 10:02 PM
Definitely loving the drama. Everyone is so real. I love how each character is developing, coming in and out of zones. It's not so clean cut like all the other dramas out there where personalities are a straight path... ie... Personality A.... development/transition... viola! Personality B! People in this drama are more like... Personality A... A-prime... B.... back to A-prime..... A.... C... end of drama. That's reality. I like their actions are not restricted, they can sometimes behave rationally, sometimes irrationally. We all have emotions, flaring up at different times. and ALL these actors show them magnificently!
I really really want them to give me ALL the episodes RIGHT NOW! I'm dyyyying!
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42 Shrimp
April 28, 2010 at 10:05 PM
An excerpt from the classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird: Atticus has spoken these words, "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
One of the things I love about this drama is that it makes us realize how damaged, vulnerable we all are and that no matter how a person put on either a braveface or pity face, bottom line is she/he is going through something complex inside his/her head.
Whether in this drama or in real life in order for us to truly get along with other people, empathy is the key! Again... to understand other people we have to consider things from their point of view, put on our mental shoes and walk around the solid ground wearing them! Carpe diem everyone
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43 Angel
April 28, 2010 at 10:06 PM
This drama is beginning to get on my nerves. There is no advancement towards the OTP, instead its been sliding backwards. There are many secrets and lies to be uncovered and it would take a while before they are resolved. KH is no longer the smiley-happy person we knew in the teenage eps. He is now an equally messed up and hurt as EJ! He is now unable to be the warm-loving figure that he was earlier. They're both too injured inside to help each other. (Oh the lovely twists of K-drama angst).
I feel that this drama is moving much too slowly, with only more twisted tactics in store :(. It'll be an age before we finally reach a resolution.
Has anyone thought about this but will EJ and KH actually end up together? By looking at the way its currently progressing, it seems highly unlikely. I'm certain that I am not the only one feeling frustrated at this drama's backward progress. It used to a brilliant gem of a drama, but now its simply a large ball of angst. I still have hope in it though and I hope it won't end up disappointing me once and for all... EJ and KH MUST end up togther, or else they have some sort of crazy scripwriter/director (who builds up all this romatic tension and in the end, to have it all be for nothing - it would be a pure betrayal for all fans)
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44 ohemgee
April 28, 2010 at 10:17 PM
more. taec.
HAHAHAH
in all seriousness though, i am REALLY enjoying the show and these caps! thanks JB and girlfriday!!!
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45 okdubu
April 28, 2010 at 10:37 PM
wow longest comments section in a while! i agree, the opening scene with eunjo following around her stepdad was really great. this whole drama feels like a fairy tale, and in a good way. like you said, all the characters feel 110% real.
BUT. i think i am starting to ship jungwoo x eunjo. HOW CAN YOU RESIST THAT ADORABLENESS?
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46 nixxochick
April 28, 2010 at 10:37 PM
thanks for your recaps, i have been waiting to read it although im already in ep.9..but reading with other people think is always great.
my one and only complaint about this drama, and not so much a complaint but more like a concern, is that EJ and KH wont end up together. I need a happy ending or at least a hopeful one because anything that is only going to provide more angst is going to be a big let down. after watching ep.9 i think this drama is really leaning towards a let down but i hope these two characters end up together
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47 chimaera
April 28, 2010 at 11:01 PM
I agree, this drama does a very good job at showing just how complicated those seemingly simple lines can be.
Thanks for the recap. Looking forward to the next one.
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48 Drina Ros
April 28, 2010 at 11:04 PM
LUV Jang Bin ssi.!!!
his smile, my heart is melting,,,
aw aw aww!!
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49 moana
April 28, 2010 at 11:56 PM
i really only have superficial, fan-girly things to say about CS which means i'm enjoying it. i'll have to kill hyo-sun if she marries ki-hoon although i want her to because then we'll get more face time with jang-woo who is freakin' a-dor-a-ble, sticking-out ears and all.
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50 Deborah
April 29, 2010 at 12:04 AM
JW: If I didn’t say anything, you wouldn’t have recognised me, huh?
EJ: How could I recognise you…that this Jung Woo is that Jung Woo…
JW: Because I got hotter, your heart’s racing, right?
EJ: You’ll get hit if you keep messing around.
JW: Hit me. I want to get hit unconscious by your hands.
That last line just made my day. They are too cute together! Even in their earlier scenes, without any conversations - I was already starting to feel a mild case of Second-Lead Syndrome... and how I'm completely wrapped up in their relationship!
I hate it when this happens, because according to K-drama Law, it can never be... which absolutely kills me. :(
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