Fantastic: Episode 10

by odilettante

Ah, Fate — that cruel mistress. Bringing us both domestic bliss and the constant threat of death. So-hye and Hae-sung are still the cutest couple ever as they rekindle their romance, but she begins to come to terms with the realities of cancer and what it means for the loved ones she’ll leave behind. Meanwhile, Sang-wook’s desperate and futile attempt to find out more about his mysterious motorcycle noona leads him to a shocking discovery.

EPISODE 10 RECAP

Manager Oh and Hae-sung rush about to start their morning and are pleasantly surprised to see that So-hye has made them an elaborate breakfast. They immediately start to chow down, and exchange surprised glances as they tell her that her cooking is delicious and the best thing they’ve ever eaten.

She’s totally flattered, and as she steps away to get the birthday cake she made, both men quickly spit out their food and dump the rest in a bowl to hide it. Hahaha, apparently it’s actually the worst thing they’ve ever tasted, and they’re desperate to destroy the evidence.

When she returns, she’s surprised that all the food is gone, and Hae-sung smoothly says it was so delicious that he just wolfed it down. Then she shows him the cake she made, and his distressed face as he calls Manager Oh over to try some, too, is hilarious, since both men are keeping up the pretense she’s a good good cook. She tells him that she’ll cook for them from now on, but Hae-sung sputters out a protest, telling her he’s already looking for a new chef, and besides, he doesn’t want her unnecessarily wearing herself out.

Later, he and Manager Oh scarf down coffee shop goodies to replace So-hye’s disaster of a meal. It’s a coffee shop they used to go before Hae-sung started making a lot of money, and he’s surprised to see that the local fortune teller is still there. He decides to have his fortune read, and is thrilled to know that an old love will become a true love.

The fortune teller then warns him that he will need to be cautious, because there’s a devil nearby that could bring him harm. That can only be referring to Jin-sook. Finally, she tells him that someone close to him will die soon.

Suddenly the fortune teller isn’t fun any more, and the guys remind themselves that it’s all just a load of hooey, anyway. But they’re still rattled, and Hae-sung grows increasingly worried when he can’t get through to So-hye on her phone.

He ends up calling Joon-ki, wondering if he’s talked with So-hye today, asking if he’ll stop by and visit her. Joon-ki says he’s busy, y’know, running a hospital and all. Aw, but he still ends up calling her, anyway, letting her know that Hae-sung wanted him to check on her.

So-hye explains that she was just in the shower, and Joon-ki — in his teasing way — grumbles that Hae-sung thinks of him as his personal assistant instead of a director of a hospital. He then asks how she’s doing, and she tells him that it’s hard to eat since she’s lost her sense of taste and appetite. Joon-ki suggests that she eat for the memory of what it used to taste like.

She offers to stop by the hospital so they can have lunch together, and he quickly says that he’s busy, but maybe later that afternoon. That’s because he’s been barely holding himself together on the phone, and once he hangs up, he collapses back on the bed, struggling to breathe.

His sister barges into the room, annoyed that he didn’t bother telling her that his condition worsened. He tells her that he just needs some rest, but she’s still concerned that he’s overworking himself. Joon-ki reassures his sister that he hasn’t given up yet. He’ll go until the very end, fighting for the last breath and enjoying every single second he’s given.

During a break in filming. Hae-sung rushes to check his messages, relieved when So-hye chides him for being overly concerned about her when he should focus on his acting. He initiates a video chat (much to her annoyance — why can’t he just call like a normal person?) but he’s so sweetly adorable as he talks to his “princess” and asks for a kiss.

After a long day of work, a tired Sang-wook finally returns home. He’s surprised to see the motorcycle parked outside, but before he can get his hopes too high, the security guard hands him a note from Sul. It’s a gift in repayment for all he’s done for her.

In the privacy of the storage room, Sul tends to her bruises, all the while remembering Sang-wook’s declaration that she’s the most precious thing in the world and she should protect herself from anyone who would treat her poorly.

Mi-sun prepares lunch for So-hye, who wonders if her friend isn’t spending too much money feeding her. Aw, but it’s just what friends do. Sul calls her just then, and So-hye can tell she sounds a little unlike herself as she tells her that she gave away the motorcycle So-hye bought her to pay off a debt she owes. So-hye just reassures her that she’ll buy her a brand-new motorcycle later, something better than a second-hand bike.

When she hears that Mi-sun is there with So-hye, too, Sul longingly says that she wishes she could be there and promises that she’ll try to find time to meet up next week. After they hang up, So-hye asks Mi-sun if everything is okay with Sul, and Mi-sun admits that her in-laws treat her like a slave. They sigh over the fact that they all thought Sul would end up having the best life out of the three of them.

Instead, she’s relegated to the servant daughter-in-law, enduring the glares of her in-laws as her husband seeks treatment from a chiropractor for the back injury that she caused. (Yeah, but it was totally his fault!)

So-hye wanders into Joon-ki’s secret garden, wondering where he is, only to be startled when he suddenly pops up from a coffin like he’s Dracula. She’s a little creeped out, but he reassures her it’s actually nice and cozy, and she reluctantly lays down in it. But he’s right — it’s comfortable, and she realizes that death is actually a really simple matter after all. You come into this world with nothing, and you leave with nothing.

Joon-ki asks if she’s written her will yet. Even more than a bucket list, it was writing his will that made him realize how he wanted to live the rest of his life. He tells her where he’s hidden his will, joking that she can be the one responsible for it. But she retorts that she could die before he does, and he cheerfully accepts that whomever will live longer will be responsible for the other’s will. How can such a heavy subject matter seem so sweet?

When she gets home, she attempts her first draft of the will. As a writer, she feels obligated to write something worthy of a masterpiece, but decides to keep it simple as she describes her wish for her funeral: outdoors, with the people she’s closest to so they can lean on each other when she’s not there, no sad music, yummy food, and definitely no Jin-sook.

She hesitates when she starts to list Hae-sung’s name. Brushing away tears, she studies the photo of him on the desk, and sadly admits to herself that even though they now live under the same roof, they’ve never been on a proper date.

She texts him, asking if he wants to go on a date. He’s super excited, assuming that by “date” she means sexy times. But instead she tells him that she wants to go on the date she originally wanted to do twelve years ago but never happened.

He rattles off stereotypical couple things like going to an amusement park or putting a lock on the wall of love at Namsam Tower, but then he reassures her he’s just joking. He remembers exactly what she’s referring to, when twelve years ago he’d agreed to act in So-hye’s drama, and then asked if she was free that weekend to go camping with him. They were both casually nonchalant, but after they left each other, they were adorably excited about their upcoming date. (Presumably this date never happened due to the fall-out of Hae-sung signing on with Jin-sook.)

So-hye says she wants to go camping today, and Hae-sung hesitates, knowing his packed filming schedule. But when she says that it may never happen if they put it off, he agrees to go. Anything for the “princess.”

Manager Oh helps set up a campsite near the Han river, and it looks pretty cozy with a picnic dinner. As he hurries away to give the couple some privacy, he wishes So-hye good luck. Aw, he’s such an adorable lil’ matchmaker.

Hae-sung gets her settled in, making sure she’s comfortable and warm. He then distracts her and moves his chair closer to hers when she isn’t looking. Smooth. He pours her a glass of juice in lieu of wine. She’s apologetic that he can’t have any, but he reassures her that he gave up drinking in solidarity with her. Too. Cute.

So-hye rests her head against his shoulder as she asks how his day went, adding that for the first time it feels like she’s actually his girlfriend. Even though they now live together, they hardly see each other.

He pulls out a ring box and surprises her with the couple’s rings he’d prepared earlier. He admits he’d wanted to plan something more elaborate, but tonight seemed like the perfect opportunity. He tells her what he’d been planning to say since that night he originally asked her to go camping twelve years ago: “I love you.” Swoon.

She holds out her hand for him to put on the ring, but it’s too large for her finger. Trying to reassure him, she says it’s probably because she lost weight due to her treatment, but that’s not as reassuring as she might think. Still, they’re sweetly adorable as they pose for a selfie in total boyfriend-girlfriend mode.

Sang-wook smashes one of the motorcycle’s mirrors. It’s on purpose, though, since it means it’s an excuse to call the police to track down the owner to discuss the “accident.” It’s a pretty smart idea, except he’s dejected to discover that the owner listed in the database is the guy Sul originally stole the motorcycle from. The guy tells Sang-wook the story of the crazy woman who stole the motorcycle and her friend who bought it from him.

He can’t stop thinking about Sul, though, especially as he works on the marital rape case where the photos of his client exactly mimic the bruises Sul had that night. He gets a call from Jerk-face, asking him to bring the file by — to his house. OMG.

Sul is busy cleaning in the storage room, so she’s not there to answer the door. Jin-sook seems pretty happy to welcome the handsome young lawyer, though, and when Jerk-face calls for his wife to bring them some wine, Jin-sook hurriedly tells him that she’ll get her for him. It’s really just to make sure Sul covers up her bruising with makeup so their guest doesn’t see it.

As Sang-wook politely chats with the family (who all fawn over him, Sul appears and Jerk-face introduces her as his wife. She freezes when she realizes who their guest is, and Sang-wook is equally astonished to discover his mysterious motorcycle woman is his boss’s wife. Noting Sang-wook’s stunned expression, Jerk-face jokes that he reacted the same way when he saw Sul’s beauty. Mom pipes up that her son just adores his wife. Uh-huh, sure.

Mom orders Sul to prepare a fruit and cheese plate, and Sul dazedly goes to the kitchen to try and gather herself enough to remain calm before Sang-wook. Meanwhile, Jerk-face asks Sang-wook about his girlfriend, but Sang-wook is still lost in thought and barely responds. Jerk-face continues to lavish the praise, so proud of his ability to suss out promising young lawyers who will eventually become super successful.

Sul returns and quietly sets out the cheese plate, and Jerk-face tells her sit down and join them, which she does, hesitantly. She can’t keep her eyes from Sang-wook’s face while Jin-sook chatters about how perfect he would be for their niece. Jin-sook notices something odd the way Sul and Sang-wook stare at each other, but Sul quickly makes her escape, explaining that she left something on the stove.

Sang-wook somehow manages to politely get through the rest of the visit, but once he gets home, he stays up all night, trying to come to grips with what he’s just learned. Meanwhile, as Sul does the dishes, she recalls the little hints that Sang-wook was a lawyer at a high-end firm. She manages to keep her composure when Jin-sook demands to know if she’s ever seen Sang-wook before, which Sul says she hasn’t. But she lets out a ragged sigh once her sister-in-law leaves.

In the morning, Hae-sung tries to surprise So-hye with a bouquet of flowers. But when he finds her sleeping at her desk, he sees the will she’s written and a bottle of pills spilled all over the desk. She doesn’t wake up when he shakes her, and remembering the fortune teller’s warning about someone close to him who will die soon, he hurries to take her to the hospital.

Joon-ki is waiting for them, but as soon as he starts to look her over, she wakes up, shocked to discover she’s in the hospital. She explains that she just took her medicine and then fell asleep. The guys are relieved, but Joon-ki says he’ll look her over anyway. Aw, and Manager Oh is there to make sure Hae-sung wears his mask, since he was in such a rush he forgot to put it on.

After the examination, Joon-ki chides Hae-sung for getting overly worried at every little thing, and for So-hye for taking more medication than prescribed. Those heavy narcotics could make her pass out for days. They stand before him like two naughty school children being reprimanded. He’s just being gruff for their own good, though, and he watches them with a bit of longing as Hae-sung and So-hye talk to each other like the comfortable couple they are.

Later, at home, So-hye wakes up from her nap only to find Hae-sung passed out on the guest bed next to her. He’s written his own will, which says that they’ll live a hundred years and have a ton of kids and grandkids, and have amazing careers writing dramas and starring in them. So-hye can’t stifle her laughter when she gets to the part where he apologizes for breaking the hearts of various Hollywood actresses due to his loyalty to So-hye, which causes him to wake up. He then chases her around the house as she teases him about all the Oscars and other acting awards he’s planning to win.

But Hae-sung isn’t totally joking when he says that they should live a long time and have a ton of kids. He tells her that after they get married, they should immediately adopt. But then he balks, insisting that’s not his official marriage proposal. So-hye says he just focus on each day as it comes, and he leans in, ready to hear what So-hye is suggesting they do this evening, if she knows what he means.

She just pushes him away, asking him how the filming is going, and he leaps up, showing off his action skills. So-hye wonders if she should just write more action scenes for him instead of so many lines, but he swears he’s been getting much better in his acting and line memorization. Aw, it’s sweet how he has no pretense about his acting skills.

Later, when she’s alone, So-hye is still pondering her will when Sang-hwa calls her to reveal the script she wrote. Sang-hwa barely slept in order to work on it, and is incredibly pleased when So-hye says that it’s good. So-hye then tells her she has some serious news to tell her, but only if she promises not to cry.

She promises, but it’s pointless, because Sang-hwa immediately starts to cry when So-hye tells her that she has cancer. That’s the reason she’s been determined to finish the script as fast as she can. Sang-hwa asks if can be cured, and then begins to sob as she begs So-hye not to die. So-hye acts embarrassed by her assistant’s anguish, yet she can’t help but tear up as well.

As a final gift, So-hye hands over the notebook she made back when she was a rookie that will help Sang-hwa with her writing. Sang-hwa refuses to accept it, though, telling So-hye to give it to her only when she’s cancer-free. Annoyed, So-hye says she’s just giving it to her to help since So-hye no longer needs it, and with renewed determination, Sang-hwa pledges her allegiance to her mentor.

Sul continues with her daily housework, but her heart isn’t in it as she keeps stopping to think about Sang-wook (who’s still huddled in his bed, looking like he’s caught a cold — probably from sitting up all night thinking about Sul).

Just then she gets a call from her mother’s nursing home, letting her know that her mother has taken a sudden turn for the worse. Sul hurries to leave the house, but she’s stopped by her in-laws who demand that she prepare the extensive food items for the family ritual. They’re dismissive of her explanations regarding her mother’s condition, but Sul’s too worried and after quickly apologizing, she continues to rush to her mother’s side.

Hae-sung is determined to do all his own stunts in order to prove that he’s a good actor. One particular stunt requires him to leap from a building and hang, one-handed, from a rope as he shoots at the bad guys. But as he hangs there, the anchoring point for the rope falls out and he slams against the side of the building.

Meanwhile, Joon-ki is being rushed to the ER as his sister frantically tries to perform CPR on his unresponsive body.

As she prepares dinner, So-hye gets a call. We don’t know who it’s from, but she immediately starts crying, and the fortune teller’s voice reminds us that someone will die soon.

COMMENTS

I know the main premise of this show is someone dying of cancer, and I know Joon-ki’s been living on borrowed time for the past few years, but I’m still all “NOOOOOOOOoooooooooOOOOOOOO!” at that last scene. I’m not ready! I just met him and fell in love with him! I need more time! He can’t die on me, not yet! I still need his adorable smiles each week! *cries*

I thought the fortune teller was a pretty heavy-handed move, specifically created just to foreshadow events and remind us that, yes, people will die on this show — there will be no drama miracles here! It felt forced and served no purpose except as a dramatic callback to remind us that cancer=death. Which I think we already know, thank you very much. I was actually kind of bummed that we didn’t get as much Joon-ki the last couple of episodes (although we got Sang-wook, so maybe there’s only so much space for awesome leading men in one show at a time), and now you’re telling me he’s going to die? I am not prepared!

I’m glad that So-hye is starting to tell other people about her cancer — at least the ones who are close enough to her (and when will she tell her family? I keep forgetting that they exist, but they need to know, eventually, too). I’m not sure I want her putting on the same, carefree, brave face like Joon-ki has, only to shock people with the severity of her condition. I mean, if I, a viewer, am angry to find out that he’s been hiding the toll the last few months have been taking on his health, I can only imagine what an actual family member would feel. Then again, I wonder if his time with So-hye makes him think he’s more of a “man” than a mere “cancer patient,” in the same way she feels like a “woman” instead of a “cancer patient” with Hae-sung. But that will just break my heart even more if I think about it.

I’d try to distract myself with something else, like Sul and Sang-wook, but they’re poised to break my heart, too. How am I going to forget his face when he realized that her abuser must be someone in this family that was showering him with silver-tongued praise? Not to mention that Sang-wook has to assume the abuse comes from her husband, since her wounds match the ones on the marital rape case he’s working on. Which means not only has he discovered that the woman he loves is married to someone else, but she’s married to an abuser, who is also his boss, whom he originally looked up to as his hero. I’m not sure if he knows what to believe in any more (but hopefully he chooses to continue to believe in Sul).

How about instead I think about Mi-sun, who continues to be a lovely friend that takes the time each day to stop by with food and cheerful conversation (no doubt knowing So-hye can’t be trusted to make anything edible), filled with reassurances that it will all be better. Maybe it won’t be, in the end, but at least she lets me think so for now. Then there’s the ever-loyal Manager Oh, who at one point left behind his dreams of acting to support Hae-sung, and is the closest friend he has. But he’s also the first one concerned about his boss and friend’s health and welfare (and also the number one supporter of his relationship with So-hye).

So even though I am not at all prepared to find out who is the soul Fate has decided to take in order to fulfill the fortune teller’s prediction, I am at least grateful for this cast of characters who have grown more real to me each week as I watch them go through their small or large struggles. I may still long for the perfect “happily ever after,” but for now I am content with the “happily today,” since that’s all we can really know for sure. Why worry about the future when there’s still so much to live for right now?

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