Witch Amusement: Episode 4

by javabeans

(Theme) SONG (Comparison) OF THE DAY

MY GIRL theme: “Never Say Goodbye” by Mario & Nesty
[ Download ]

WITCH AMUSEMENT theme: “운명의 장난” (Fate’s game) by MC Jinri (Feat. HaHa)
[ Download ]

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EPISODE 4 SUMMARY

As before, Seung Mi (whose last name is shown this ep to be Nam) arrives at Yoo Hee’s door, having learned that Mu-ryong is working for her. As Seung Mi debates whether or not to knock on the door, inside, Mu-ryong puts a drunk and chilled Yoo Hee to bed.

Discovering Yoo Hee has a fever, Mu-ryong rushes out into the rain to buy medicine. He accidentally bumps into Seung Mi, who decided not to knock on the door and is going back home. However, Mu-ryong doesn’t recognize her because her umbrella hides her face and he’s in a hurry.

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Yoo Hee wakes up to find Mu-ryong has spent the night by her bed, tending to her fever. Unfortunately, he stirs in his sleep and his hand lands on her chest, causing her fist to land on his face.

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Yoo Hee’s father calls her telling her to come into work, and Yoo Hee’s horrified to find that he’s calling from right outside her door. Mu-ryong asks who it is, and Yoo Hoo panics and tries to shut him up, while telling her father that she’s not home and therefore is unable to meet with him. The father-daughter relationship is an interesting dynamic, as Yoo Hee maintains a formal distance from him, although it seems her father would like to be on better terms. Yoo Hee stubbornly calls him “President” instead of Father, and replies to him more often than not with her stock answer of “I’ll take care of my matters myself.”

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Mu-ryong goes to see Seung Mi at work, and she asks him why he didn’t tell her about his situation, and about lying to his parents about going to study abroad. Mu-ryong sheepishly tells her that he’s sorry, he should have, but his pride wouldn’t let him (which makes sense; in their very first scene together in Episode 1, Seung Mi alludes to Mu-ryong’s strong pride as a reason she was hesitant to help him find work). Seung Mi seems like a very sweet and understanding girlfriend, and Mu-ryong does seem to recognize her worth… but it’s weird, there’s a near-platonic quality to their relationship. I know kdramas generally skimp on the skinship unless it’s the main couple, but they aren’t very passionate or romantic with each other. Perhaps it’s because they’ve known each other since childhood and have become used to each other, in the way that old married couples get.

Anyway, Seung Mi is called away by an urgent situation, as one of the employees has injured himself and they’re one man short. In the kitchens, Johnny’s annoyed to see Mu-ryong appear to offer his services in face of their work shortage. Although he’d rather send Mu-ryong away again, he does need the help, and his own kitchen staff is still making lots of mistakes.

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Yoo Hee goes on another mat-seon (matchmaking date), and fears she’s going to get rejected again when the guy surprises her by saying he really likes her. Yoo Hee is incredibly pleased to hear this, until he tells her the reason for that is because of her impeccable qualifications. Yoo Hee’s understandably let down to hear that he likes her because she’s the daughter of the MK Group’s president, and dating her would make a good business connection.

Back home, Mu-ryong says at this rate, she’ll never get a guy and he won’t be able to hold up his end of the contract. Why’d she dump the guy? Yoo Hee tells him he only cared about her good qualifications, and Mu-ryong responds: “Good job! Guys like that should be kicked to the curb. So, is that all you did?” Yoo Hee: “Nope. He’s probably in the emergency room right now.”

After that incident, Yoo Hee’s unable to line up any more matchmaking dates — the service she’s using is unable to find anyone willing to meet Yoo Hee. Her employee, the Team Manager, almost gets caught talking to Yoo Hee’s father (whom by now I believe most people have already recognized as the grandfather in My Girl). Her father instructs the Team Manager to cancel their company’s business with the other company (of the failed blind date) — how dare they reject his daughter?

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There’s a small bit about Mu-ryong’s brother that isn’t very important, but I’ll just mention briefly to point out that the guy playing the thug is the same thug from My Girl. Basically, Mu-ryong’s brother runs into trouble while delivering food, and we hear of his unexplained history/fear/trauma involving Taekwondo. Yes, the sport itself. But when he gets faced with the unruly thugs, he whoops their asses.

Left: Witch Amusement — Right: My Girl

Anyway, he asks his mother for 4,000 manwon, which leads his mother to assume he’s gotten himself into yet more trouble. He won’t explain what he needs the money for, so his mother berates him and demands to know what he’s screwed up this time. His airheady girlfriend stands up for him (well-meaning but misguidedly) and blurts out to his mother that the real reason they need the money is because of Mu-ryong, and tells his mother the truth about what Mu-ryong is doing.

Irate at the discovery, Mu-ryong’s mother goes to Yoo Hee’s apartment to track down her son…

(Fox versus tiger)

Mu-ryong’s mother accuses Yoo hee of taking advantage of her son and forcing him to work for her. Yoo Hee shows her the contract, but his mother won’t accept that. She insists that she will repay Mu-ryong’s debt — whatever it takes, even if they have to sell their house — so she’ll be taking her son home. She drags Mu-ryong out, and Yoo Hee is unexpectedly more affected than she thought, as she has a flashback of when she, as a young teen, wailed and begged her mother mother not to leave her family. From the brief flashbacks we’ve seen so far, we know Yoo Hee remembers her mother with love and fondness, so given her current coldness toward her father, it’s likely that she blames her mother leaving on her father. It also goes a long way to explaining Yoo Hee’s abandonment issues.

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Over the next few days, both Yoo Hee and Mu-ryong find themselves thinking of the other person without meaning to. Yoo Hee’s gotten so used to having Mu-ryong around that she keeps expecting him to appear and do things for her like usual. Likewise, Mu-ryong hears her voice and answers automatically, and wonders if she’s doing all right. Yoo Hee tries calling, but Mu-ryong’s mother intercepts his phone calls, and likewise won’t let Mu-ryong leave to go see her.

On top of that, Yoo Hee and Mu-ryong are supposed to have dinner with Sara Han, whom I find utterly hysterical (and looks so much better without bangs). She’s so immature and ridiculous that you can’t help but laugh, and she’s a lot funnier than I originally thought she would be. She’s also really fixated on Yoo Hee and her underwear incident — whenever something happens, Sara’s first question is, “Is it because of the underwear? See, that’s why you should’ve been wearing better underwear in the first place!”

Left with no other option, Yoo Hee goes to Mu-ryong’s family’s restaurant (using the excuse that she came to return Mu-ryong’s stone rice bowl, which he left behind). Mu-ryong’s father is pretty great in this scene — actually, he’s great the entire episode, but particularly in this scene. While his wife is upset with Yoo Hee, his concern for his son is apparent, and he treats Yoo Hee with kind respect. He also ushers the family out of the restaurant to leave them with some privacy.

Yoo Hee and Mu-ryong wonder what will become of them and their contract, but Mu-ryong just answers, ” Isn’t it obvious? I’ll have to go back [to your house]. That’s why I left the bowl behind — why’d you bring it back?” Yoo Hee seems relieved to hear him say that, although she tries to act cool. Mu-ryong says it might take some time to convince his mother, but Yoo Hee tells him to figure it out by tomorrow. If he does, she’ll reduce his debt further.

However, the curious family members jump to the opposite conclusion, and think Yoo Hee must be planning on sending Mu-ryong off to prison (technically they say, “She’s going to make him eat bean-rice?!” because that’s what prisoners are fed). They burst in, and Mu-ryong’s mother shouts out: “Fine. Take him, make him your housekeeper, do whatever you want. But you’ll have to promise that you’ll never mention bean-rice.”

Mu-ryong and Yoo Hee look on in bewilderment. That was easier than they thought.

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Yoo Hee goes to see Johnny to uncomfortably ask him, as a favor, to test Mu-ryong. Johnny seems to oppose the idea and tells Yoo Hee that it’s kind of a troublesome thing to ask… but he’d already been thinking of doing so.

Mu-ryong is thrilled, and thanks Yoo Hee for helping him.

For the test, Mu-ryong is given the assignment to make an omelette, which he does as everyone watches on in curiosity. (I have to point out that as much as I have to hold back from bashing Dennis O too much — which is difficult, since I so enjoy the bashing — he does a pretty good job acting the chef. Some of the shots may be substitutes, but many of them are actually Dennis (and Jae Hee) cooking, and he manages to handle the food like he knows what he’s doing. So I CAN give credit where it’s due.)

Mu-ryong tells Yoo Hee that he passed the test:

Yoo Hee: “Then what’s with the long face?”
Mu-ryong: “That’s just because even if I’m only working the lunch shift, I don’t think I’ll be able to pay you the proper attention. I feel sorry.”
Yoo Hee: “That’s fine, since it’s work. But in exchange, you’d better be completely devoted to me the rest of the time.”
Mu-ryong: “Wait. I think I have to tell you… I won’t forget what you’ve done for me, and I promise I’ll pay you back.”

(Yoo Hee seems disappointed at Mu-ryong’s answer — she may have been expecting something more from him.)

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As for the meeting with Sara, Mu-ryong and Yoo Hee arrive, and while Mu-ryong’s on a phone call, Yoo Hee runs into Joon Ha at the elevators. Sara hadn’t told her that Joon Ha was also invited. As the two of them get into the elevator together, Yoo Hee sees Mu-ryong rushing to catch the closing doors… but instead, she pushes the “close door” button. Alone in the elevator, without any warning, Joon Ha approaches….