Oh My Venus: Episode 7

by LollyPip

Awww, there’s a lot of cuteness in this episode, to balance out some of the serious background we got last week. There are more smiles, more flirting, and Young-ho and Joo-eun both start to relax around each other. But this is Dramaland, and just when it feels safe to admit your feelings, something always comes along to throw a wrench into the romance.

EPISODE 7 RECAP

Young-ho shields himself and Joo-eun with his umbrella, says, “Your body is mine… you can’t say no,” and moves in for a sweet kiss. Joo-eun kisses him back, then looks a bit dazed as Young-ho smiles at her and puts her glasses back on. She murmurs, “Take your clothes off,” confusing Young-ho, but he grins and does as he’s told.

HAHA, she wanted his coat to hide her face, and keeps it tossed over her head on the drive home. Young-ho thinks she’s adorable, and keeps trying to take the coat off her head. When they get back to his place, Joo-eun runs to her room and collapses, replaying the kiss in her mind over and over as her heart pounds and her face burns.

She tries to write her physical reactions off as her hypothyroidism, but a quick internet search shows that it would actually decrease her heart rate. Suddenly she sees her Young-ho ghost hovering near her on the bed, and she hilariously prepares for another kiss, but he disappears before their lips touch. And then he’s on the other side, so Joo-eun puckers up again — only to be told to do fifty sit-ups. Hee.

In the morning, Joo-eun carefully primps before going out for breakfast, but Young-ho still startles her by waiting right outside her door. He thanks her for her gift yesterday, and says that today it’s his turn. She wonders if he’ll give her a gift, or a dessert, or even another kiss… but he just produces a scale and motions her onto it.

He does notice her perfume and asks about it, but he’s merciless when they realize she gained some weight back on her “Joo-eun Day.” She gets on the treadmill but soon turns it off, saying that losing weight too fast could kill her. Young-ho says that she will have her body her whole life and should keep it in peak condition, but Joo-eun grumbles that he’s not as if he’ll be living with her forever. Young-ho says that’s yet to be determined. Oh really?

Back on the treadmill, Joo-eun loses her footing and is flung backwards into Young-ho’s arms. He asks dryly if this is that thing people call a “backhug,” ha.

There’s a commotion at the office this morning, with a woman in Soo-jin’s office yelling at her — it’s the mother of one of the employees the chaebol daughter assaulted. The mother wants an apology, not money. Soo-jin sits silently with her head bowed, but Joo-eun runs in to gently ask the woman to calm down. She takes the woman to a coffee shop, and lets her tell her story.

It sounds like the chaebol daughter was pretty brutal to the employee, beating her badly, and they just want her to admit she was wrong. The mother breaks down in tears, and Joo-eun advises her to drag this out, and try to get more money. She’ll get a bigger payout that way, but also the apology she wants.

Walking back to the office, Joo-eun remembers her mother mourning her father’s death, and how his employer had tried to give them money as compensation. Her mother had thrown the money back at the employer, saying that what she wanted was her husband back. When the employer said that her father was to blame for the accident that killed him, her mother had wailed that they weren’t being treated like human beings just because they were poor.

Now Joo-eun calls her mother, who’s busy opening the store she bought for her brother. She agrees to come to the grand opening that weekend, and she and Mom bicker lovingly.

Joo-eun talks to Soo-jin back at the office, reminding her that they used to promise to become good lawyers. Soo-jin coldly says that she’s not interested in discussing the past, and that someone has to represent the chaebol daughter, so it may as well be them. She gives Joo-eun the reponsibility of handling the case from now on.

Joo-eun asks if Soo-jin really has no intention of apologizing to her, but Soo-jin says that she never stole Woo-shik — he left on his own. She asks if Joo-eun feels wronged, and says that anything she has can be taken away.

Joo-eun wonders how her personality could have changed so much just because her exterior changed, and Soo-jin says that the world is fickle when it comes to being loved. Joo-eun asks if she means whether or not you love others, which shuts Soo-jin up. For now.

Young-ho accompanies his grandmother in praying for her daughter, his mother, at the temple. When she finishes he hugs her and asks if she’s still mad at him, and she hits him weakly while crying, though clearly relieved to see him again. Awww, even Manager Min looks a little choked up at the reunion.

Young-ho sadly reminds his grandmother that he doesn’t like hospitals, referring to her illness, and she says that she knows, but his running the company is her final wish. Young-ho repeats that he wants to build cancer and physical therapy centers, and that he worries he’ll ruin Gahong if he takes over.

He asks Grandma not to come here so often anymore, and she cries and says she’s sorry, and thanks him. Young-ho just hugs her tenderly. He goes for a walk by himself (with Min trailing in the car) and sees his childhood self limping beside him on the road.

Joon-sung trains with Ji-woong, who warns him not to train too hard and injure himself. Yi-jin bursts in and interrupts, furious at Joon-sung yet again. Apparently he’s turned down a second commercial with her, and she’s so upset that she’s crying.

Joon-sung asks if something else is going on, since her reaction seems so over-the-top, and she cries on his chest that she’s his fan, and wants to be closer to him. Really, that’s why you’re sniveling like that? Poor Joon-sung looks like he wants to flee the planet, and I can’t blame him.

Ji-woong takes the opportunity to tease Joon-sung about the crazy girl crying at him, all the way home. All three guys arrive at the house at the same time, and recoil in horror at the stench of whatever Joo-eun is cleaning out of her purse — a year-old tangerine, ew.

She tells Young-ho that it’s her lucky bag that she takes to all of her court cases, and at the same time they both become very aware of the fact that they’re right next to his massage chair… the one he leaned over her and teased her in. Interestingly, it’s Young-ho who jumps up and runs out of the room first.

As she scrubs her purse, Joo-eun complains to herself that if he’s going to kiss her, he should at least follow it up somehow. Acting like it never happened is confusing.

Ji-woong calls Joo-eun out to see a new exercise video he found that’s a lot like dancing, and Young-ho says with a smirk that he’s going out because of the smell still lingering in the house. Joo-eun dances out her frustration with Ji-woong, which looks like tons of fun.

Young-ho goes for a drive and finds Joo-eun’s coffee cup still in his car, and he remembers her saying that he doesn’t know much about the sweetness that life has to offer. It makes him smile, though when he broods by the river and thinks about his grandmother, he still looks deeply weary.

Manager Min calls to ask where he is, and he says he’s in the Garden of Gethsemane (a Biblical reference — Gethsemane is where Jesus is said to have made his final decision to sacrifice himself). He tells Min that he was going to end up giving in anyway, so he can start making the arrangements.

Joo-eun lies in bed, legs quivering from the intense workout Young-ho put her through, and wonders why he’s acting like that kiss never happened. Though I gotta say, he’s awfully handsy with her while she works out.

Later Young-ho tries to sneak a brand-new bag onto Joo-eun’s doorknob, jumping ten feet when she steps out of the room and busts him. Ha. He gives her the bag like it’s no big deal, that he just doesn’t want her stinky old bag in his house, but we know better. Joo-eun starts to object but when Young-ho leans right into her face (sadly, only to close her bedroom door), she stops talking mid-sentence, suddenly unable to breathe.

He finally mentions the kiss from last night, and Joo-eun makes out like it was nothing — in America, they kiss hello, so it mustn’t have meant anything. Young-ho just quips that it was a much deeper kiss than a hello kiss, so Joo-eun brings up Anna Sue, and Young-ho figures she doesn’t want to be the other woman.

He says that he and Anna Sue are friends, and Joo-eun is all Yeah, friends who kiss. Noting her jealousy, Young-ho puts his hand on the wall by her head and whispers into Joo-eun’s ear that he thought he reassured her of all this yesterday. Should he reassure her again? (The answer is YES PLEASE.)

But Joo-eun just fends him off, because she’s apparently lost her ever-loving mind, and Young-ho backs off. She claims she didn’t come out to eat, but to fetch You Bastard, because he doesn’t like being cold at night.

Young-ho just nods and looks thoughtful, and says that he wants to say something but doesn’t know how. Joo-eun says that he can think tonight and say it tomorrow, and Young-ho trails his fingers down her cheek before wishing her goodnight.

At breakfast the next morning, Ji-woong and Joon-sung cringe when they see Joo-eun’s bag, but she assures them it’s a new one. She notes Joon-sung’s weight loss and asks if it’s difficult, but he just says it’s how he makes a living. She notices that Young-ho isn’t at the table and asks if he’s sick, but he’s just up in his room treating his knee.

Hyun-woo calls Joo-eun to ask her to go to Min-joon’s school for parent’s day this afternoon — her mother-in-law is in the hospital, presumably having been beaten again. Joo-eun reluctantly agrees, though she’s not sure how to explain her job to a bunch of children. She’s also got to produce a father-figure, since Min-joon’s dad can’t be located, so she calls Joon-sung.

Young-ho overhears Joon-sung’s conversation, and next thing you know, all three of Joo-eun’s boys are at the school. Hee, little Min-joon does not look happy. Young-ho teases Joo-eun about being worried about him this morning, and says that her bag is pretty, and she actually flirts back that the woman carrying it is prettier. Go, girl!

Joo-eun introduces Joon-sung and Ji-woong as Min-joon’s uncles, making Young-ho quip that she’s good at lying. She says that they’re like uncles, since they’re her friends, and Young-ho starts to say, “Friends who kiss”? Joo-eun claps her hand over his mouth, and he licks her, HAHA. She gets him back by wiping her hand on his sleeve, which earns her a glare-smile.

Joon-sung and Ji-woong look super-nervous, but they gamely give a wrestling demonstration — which doesn’t seem to impress the kids. But then they get a huge round of applause, and Min-joon perks up when his little girlfriend gives him a bright smile.

Min-joon asks who Young-ho is on the ride home, and Joo-eun says he talks gruff but he’s a nice guy. They take Min-joon to a superhero museum, and Young-ho tries to look grumpy while actually looking like he really wants to play. Joo-eun asks which hero he’d like to be, and he says he’s already richer than Iron Man, more secretive than Batman, and more handsome than Superman, ha. The three of them have a fun afternoon, and Young-ho seems more than a bit smitten, watching Joo-eun play with the little boy.

Hyun-woo calls to ask Joo-eun to watch Min-joon overnight, which she agrees to easily. She gets a leg cramp with him sleeping in her lap in the car, and Young-ho jumps out to massage it for her, then she takes Min-joon into the house. Young-ho watches them go with the softest, mushiest look on his face. Oh yeah, he’s toast.

Soo-jin sits on a bench to enjoy a candy bar, and recalls Joo-eun’s words from earlier: “It should be whether you love or don’t love.” She’d also asked why Soo-jin says she doesn’t want to relive the past, yet seems so mired in it. Soo-jin starts to call for a driver, but sees Woo-shik nearby, waiting for her.

Joo-eun sends Young-ho a grouchy text, wondering why he didn’t respond when she texted him a good night. His answer is that he was busy taking off his clothes. RAWR. She reminds him of her next deal with Ji-woong — if she loses another five kilos before the first snowfall, they’ll all go camping.

A bit later (while Young-ho is in the bath) Joo-eun texts again, thanking him for all his help since they met. That seems to get him a little choked up, aww.

Woo-shik goes to the driving range with his boss, Uncle, and current CEO Choi. They propose to him that they stick together and oppose Young-ho being appointed as the new CEO, and CEO Choi agrees.

Joo-eun is called to the meeting room by Soo-jin, to meet with her and their boss. Just before she goes in she gets a text from Young-ho that he’ll be late for her workout, and they’re both surprised to discover that that’s because he’s here, too, as the other half of Joo-eun’s meeting. Manager Min introduces Young-ho as the director of the medical branch of Gahong.

Joo-eun quickly excuses herself, suddenly aware that all of Young-ho’s comments about being rich weren’t just idle talk. Young-ho follows and stops her, apologizing. Gasping for breath, Joo-eun can barely speak, and Young-ho coaches her to breathe slowly and calm down. He starts to check her pulse as he always does, but this time she bats his hand away.

Joo-eun voices the thing that’s upsetting her: “You were seriously out of my league, weren’t you?”

COMMENTS

Poor Joo-eun, she’s spent days in that lovely post-first-kiss romantic haze of Does he or doesn’t he?, when you know that he does and you’re just waiting for him to declare himself. It’s safe to make yourself a little nuts at that stage, because you know he likes you, and it’s just a matter of time before he says so. It’s torture waiting for the man to make a second move and show you his feelings, but it’s a delicious torture because you know it’s coming. And Young-ho was so close to speaking his feelings, and Joo-eun knew it. So to find out that he’s not just John Kim, self-made man, but a chaebol son and next in line to inherit a conglomerate, has got to be a punch to the gut. No doubt Joo-eun’s been seeing hearts and diamond rings for days, at least a little, and that’s all just come crashing down. No way would a family like Young-ho’s accept a simply-born lawyer as a daughter-in-law.

But let’s back up a bit — while that kiss was pretty awesome (and I don’t want to spark another debate, but if you want my opinion, Young-ho’s statements before kissing Joo-eun rang to me like their little inside joke), but what I love about Young-ho is that after the kiss, what he remembers most about that night was Joo-eun’s wish for him to experience the sweet things in life. That tells me that he’s the kind of guy whose priorities are firmly in place, because he values Joo-eun’s feelings more than the physicality. He’s deeply touched that it mattered to her that he experience at least one day of simple luxury and relaxation, because nobody’s ever cared about him in that way. And considering how much physical chemistry they have crackling between them, that says a lot about him as a person, that what really matters to him is her caring. He’s moved that she cares about him enough to want him to relax, taste something delicious, just veg out for a while. He smiled more in this episode than in all the previous episodes put together, and it was always at something Joo-eun said or did. He’s really seeing her now, and he likes what he sees.

Just as we learned last week that Woo-shik isn’t really a bad guy, now we’re starting to see flashes of Soo-jin’s underlying sensitivity. It’s interesting that she still sees the insecure, overweight girl when she looks in the mirror, since just changing her outer appearance didn’t solve any of her problems. But more and more it feels like she’s not so much a bad person, but just trying to be one, to get the revenge she thinks she wants. She’s angry enough at what she thinks Joo-eun did to her in the past to follow through with her nasty plans, but every time she sees the consequences of her actions (such as when her trick to get Joo-eun on television resulted in her being hospitalized), she feels bad and appears to genuinely regret what she did. I think that, as Joo-eun shows that she hasn’t changed as a person, and in fact never did all the callous and hurtful things Soo-jin thought she did, Soo-jin will revert back to the nice girl she used to be.

Even Joo-eun has noticed (and called out) that Soo-jin changed for the worse as her looks improved, while she herself never let her exterior change who she was on the inside. That seems to resonate with Soo-jin, and I feel like it will continue to resonate, hopefully giving her something to think about. She’s not happy being thin, because she let her experiences change her for the worse. She’s learning that being pretty on the outside doesn’t mean she’ll be happy on the inside — only being a good person again will do that. And as Joo-eun put it, life isn’t about how much others love you, it’s about how much love you give to others. When Soo-jin learns those two lessons, to be her genuine self no matter how she looks and to give love whether or not she receives it, then she’ll rediscover how to be happy again.

In fact everyone seems to be changing, except for Joo-eun herself. Normally I want to see drama characters growing and evolving, but in this case, I think Joo-eun’s strength is that she doesn’t let outside influences affect who she is as a person. Her ability to hold rock-solid in the face of any challenge is what makes her such a great heroine, and it causes others to change just by being near her. Usually for the better, thank goodness. She’s a wonderful anchor for Young-ho as he softens and opens up, and her unyielding strength is what makes her a safe place for him to relax. Now that they’re both realizing their feeling for each other go beyond the initial physical attraction, I can’t wait to see Young-ho change even more as he falls for Joo-eun.

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