Fantastic: Episode 12

by lovepark

When it seems like our couple overcomes one obstacle, another one pops up to replace it, but regardless of what life throws their way, So-hye and Hae-sung will face it together. So-hye experiences more hardships, but luckily, she’s now surrounded by people who’ll rush to her side in her time of need, especially Hae-sung, who continues to be the reliable and patient boyfriend who silently watches over her but also knows when to lovingly inject himself into her life when she needs comfort.

 
EPISODE 12 RECAP

Hae-sung proposes to So-hye, but she apologizes, stating that she doesn’t want to get married. She argues that marriage isn’t just between two people, and she hasn’t even told her siblings about her illness yet.

So-hye is happy with their relationship as is, but Hae-sung wants to be her legal guardian. She begs Hae-sung to stop making her the selfish one, but he keeps pressing her for marriage until she finally snaps. She asks Hae-sung to leave, and he complies with a heavy heart.

In his room, Hae-sung scrolls through the same social media account he occasionally looks at of the white couple with a small child. So-hye knocks on his door, and Hae-sung scrambles to hide his phone. She asks if he’s mad, and he replies that he isn’t, though he scoots away every time So-hye inches closer to him. She keeps asking if he’s mad, and Hae-sung finally blurts out that he is.

Feeling apologetic, So-hye brings up the wish Hae-sung hasn’t used yet. Smiling coyly, he mentions how he originally wanted to have their first night during their honeymoon, but since she’s so adamantly against marriage, they could have their first night here. He giggles to himself and covers his face in embarrassment. Unfortunately, So-hye missed everything since she’s lying on the bed, unconscious. Hae-sung assumes she’s pretending at first, but realizing that she’s not faking, he goes through the steps of checking her breathing and pulse.

The next morning, So-hye wakes up, and screams from the other room spur her to get up. In the kitchen, Hae-sung and Manager Oh have created a mini-war-zone, and when So-hye arrives, Hae-sung throws Manager Oh under the bus, accusing him of ruining the food. Manager Oh reluctantly takes the blame, and takes out an unrecognizable object still wrapped in aluminum foil from the microwave. How are they still alive?

So-hye walks into the kitchen, and wraps Hae-sung into a hug. She asks if she fell asleep again yesterday while they were talking, and Hae-sung complains that he should get another wish. So-hye shoots down his idea, but hey, it was worth a shot.

To their surprise, Sul visits them, and offers to make food. She thanks Hae-sung for paying for a year’s stay at a nursing home for her mother, and Hae-sung tells her that it’s not free since he expects her to pay him back. On that note, he’s found a job for her where she can cook as a chef in exchange for a paycheck and living arrangements, but Sul can’t believe anyone would hire her because she has no formal training. Hae-sung proudly states that he’s the one looking for a chef, and Sul enthusiastically accepts the offer.

Meanwhile, Manager Oh stares love-struck at Sul the entire time, and Hae-sung drags him away. In the hall, he reminds Manager Oh that Sul is still technically married, but Manager Oh argues that she’s going to be divorced soon and wants Hae-sung to support him. Sorry, but there’s an adorable puppy who’s been waiting before you.

In the kitchen, Sul asks So-hye what she wants to eat, and So-hye happily requests spicy rice cakes. Sul tells her to pick something better, so So-hye changes her answer to japchae (Korean glass noodles), her favorite dish.

So-hye notices Hae-sung’s scripts on the kitchen counter, and leaves to quickly hand them to him. Outside, So-hye stares up into the sky, and then starts looking around. Her eyes dart back and forth, and fear clouds her face.

She ends up at a bridal store, and admires the different wedding dresses. Sul calls her, and So-hye eagerly answers, saying it’s been so long since they’ve last talked. Sul laughs at So-hye, and So-hye thinks Sul has forgotten about her. She goes on to say that it’s been so long since they last met, and excitedly mentions that she’s getting married. Realizing something is wrong, Sul asks where So-hye is.

Joon-ki is reading in his secret garden when he receives a call from Sul who tells him that something’s strange with So-hye. Sul calls Hae-sung next, and he quickly leaves the filming set after hearing the news.

Sul is the first to arrive at the store where So-hye is trying on wedding dresses. So-hye is ecstatic to see her, but then remembers how she never saw Sul in her wedding dress because she didn’t invite her to her wedding. So-hye starts to tear up, recalling how she lost contact with her friends, and then she cries in earnest, lamenting how she lonely she was. In tears, Sul apologizes for not contacting So-hye sooner.

Hae-sung runs into the store, and calls out So-hye’s name. However, the Hae-sung in her mind is the jerk who betrayed her, and So-hye coldly asks why he’s here. She tells him to go practice his acting, and orders him to leave.

Dazed, Hae-sung slowly backs away, and hides behind a wall. Joon-ki enters the store, and reassures Hae-sung that delirium is a common side effect for the medicine So-hye takes. He instructs Hae-sung to remain calm while they convince So-hye to go back home.

So-hye is safely sleeping in bed while Hae-sung watches over her. Joon-ki appears in the doorway and motions him to come to the living room where everyone is gathered. Joon-ki explains to the group that the situation isn’t too serious, and advises everyone to support So-hye when she wakes up.

Hae-sung visits Jin-sook to say farewell, so Jin-sook decides to give him a present: revealing the secret that she used to blackmail him. Hae-sung accuses her of bluffing since releasing that information will ruin the drama she’s producing.

Jin-sook says that Hitman has become more of a liability, so she’s decided to drop it. Hae-sung doesn’t understand why she’ll go so far to destroy him, and Jin-sook calmly explains that the horrible actor she raised to stardom stabbed her in the back.

Knowing Jin-sook’s threats are real, Hae-sung offers taking Hitman from her then. Jin-sook wonders if he’ll still buy it even if it’ll cost him his entire life’s fortune. Without skipping a beat, Hae-sung replies, “Yes.”

Manager Oh waits diligently in the hallway, and rushes to Hae-sung once he steps outside. He thinks this is too dangerous, but Hae-sung knows losing the drama will devastate So-hye. He asks Manager Oh if he’s found a lawyer yet, but everyone he’s contacted has connections to Jin-sook’s brother. Hae-sung remembers that Sang-hwa went to law school, so they decide to give her a call.

Sang-hwa barges into Sang-wook’s room, and tells him to get up because Superstar Hae-sung is here. Sang-wook thinks she’s crazy, but lo and behold, Hae-sung enters his room. Sang-wook jumps up from bed, and Sang-hwa lists his impressive credentials.

Sang-wook turns out to be a huge fan because Hae-sung donates to the volunteer group Sang-wook is in. Hae-sung smiles, and jokes that Sang-wook’s name would be even better if it was “Joo Sang-wook” (the name of the actor who plays Hae-sung). When Sang-wook inquires about Hae-sung’s visit, he asks him if he can keep a secret. Pounding his chest, Sang-wook declares that he protects his client’s secret like his life.

Alone with Sang-wook, Hae-sung explains that he committed a big mistake when he was seventeen and is being blackmailed for it. Sang-wook tells him that he’ll look for a solution, but before then, he asks if Hae-sung would be willing to tell him what exactly the mistake was.

So-hye wakes up, and Sul ushers her to sit and eat. She’s surprised that Mi-sun is here, and then shocked to learn that it’s three in the afternoon. The truth dawns on her, and she realizes that all those crazy things she did weren’t a dream.

Sul tries to comfort her, explaining that it was a side-effect from the medicine, but So-hye is still embarrassed by her actions. Sul wagers that she’s more embarrassed after living like a servant for ten years and then trying to die in front of her friends. Mi-sun chimes in, stating that she won the embarrassment contest back in high school when she got pregnant.

So-hye is still worried about acting foolishly in front of them, but they tell her not to worry since they’ll be by her side. Touched by her friends’ love, So-hye cries, and Sul comforts her. Soon after, Mi-sun gets a call from Hae-sung who’s almost home, and So-hye runs to hide.

Hae-sung comes home and immediately looks for So-hye, eager to at least see her face. He enters the bedroom, and asks if she’s sleeping. He pulls back the covers, and caressing her face, says that she looked beautiful in the wedding dress.

So-hye mumbles that she’s embarrassed, but Hae-sung admits that he’s the one who’s embarrassed. Instead of realizing how sick So-hye was, he pestered her to marry him like a child, so he promises to propose again when she’s better. So-hye tells him to forget about today, then, but Hae-sung says that he won’t because she looked so beautiful.

Jerk-face leaves a message for Sul, apologizing for his mistakes, and Jin-sook walks into the living room, asking if he’s found his mother-in-law yet. He explains that she disappeared after her surgery, and neither of them have a clue as to where and how Sul got the money for it.

Mom joins them, and complains about Sul’s lack of gratefulness. Jerk-face frets over the account book, wondering if Sul already handed it over to prosecutors, and Mom considers selling some of their paintings to hide the evidence. Just then, Jerk-face gets a call from Sul.

Sul meets Jerk-face at a café, and though he attempts to convince her that he repented, she simply tells him to drop the act because she’s lost faith in him. He tells her that it’s an important time for him right now, but Sul argues that now is also a good time for her to get a divorce.

Jerk-face drops all pretenses, and asks if this was her plan all along. She tells him she’ll return the account book after he’s processed the divorce papers and prepared her alimony. Until then, she’ll be with her friends who are much better than him.

Jerk-face trudges home, and his mom is stunned that he has neither Sul nor the account book with him. A thought suddenly occurs to him, and he hurries to his bedroom. He pulls out clothes and boxes from the closet and drawers, and discovers items he’s never seen. Filled with rage, Jerk-face calls his secretary and screams at him to come to his house.

Hae-sung comes home just as Mi-sun is leaving, and learns that So-hye fell asleep in the living room. He goes into his closet to change, but hears rustling noises from the other room. So-hye is awake, but once she sees Hae-sung, she lets out an exasperated sigh.

He chases after her, but So-hye tells him that she has no lingering feelings for him. Hae-sung continues to follow her outside, and So-hye insults a cardboard cutout of Hae-sung. He pops up next to her, and So-hye asks if he isn’t busy. She tries to get him to leave, but Hae-sung states that he’s going in the same direction as her.

So-hye reaches her old office, but soon realizes that she’s locked out. Frustrated, she turns her head and locks eyes with Hae-sung. She’s angry at first, but slowly, her expression softens. So-hye takes in her surroundings, and Hae-sung approaches her.

She knows that she did it again, but Hae-sung mentions that she got better faster this time. His words fail to comfort her, and So-hye walks away. Hae-sung catches up to her, and suggests going on a date. So-hye wants to go home and says that Hae-sung doesn’t understand how scary and terrible she feels. He tells her that he does, and has something to confess to her.

After taking a seat, Hae-sung tells So-hye about his past. He was adopted, but less than two years after his adoption, his parents had a child, which meant he became overlooked. Then in his teenage years, a couple of neighborhood kids offered him some money to drive, but it turned out that there were drugs in the car. Thus, he was dissolved by his adoptive parents, and he returned to Korea.

So-hye deduces that Jin-sook discovered this past which was why Hae-sung stayed with her. He clarifies that it was part of the reason because Jin-sook also found his grandma for him. After hearing the truth, So-hye apologizes for not listening to him back then, but Hae-sung doesn’t hold it against her. He then shares some good news: he left Jin-sook. He declares that he’s going to do well and tells So-hye to do the same.

The next day, So-hye cooks meat, and Hae-sung joins her at the table, amazed by the spread of food. She tells him that she needs to eat because she’s going to be Hae-sung’s guardian. She feeds him a piece of meat, and then proposes to him, “Let’s get married.”

She only wants a small wedding for now, and Hae-sung smiles like a goof. However, he returns to his senses and can’t believe she proposed to him like this. He won’t accept her insincere proposal, so So-hye makes him a lettuce wrap and asks again. Hae-sung refuses, but quickly retracts his statement after seeing So-hye’s solemn face.

So-hye meets with Joon-ki, and tells him that she didn’t want to be a burden to Hae-sung at first. However, she came to understand how he must feel, because when he’s sick, she wants to be his source of strength. She credits the experiences of delirium for making her more courageous, and Joon-ki confesses that he had delirium, too.

In fact, he ran around the hospital in his underwear thinking he was batman. At first, he was too mortified to meet people, but now he regrets not using it as an excuse to go hit someone who annoys him. He orders So-hye to get through this cheerfully, and the two of them clink their cups.

Jin-sook has coffee with the assemblywoman, and asks if she has a relationship with her brother. Rather than answer the question, she threatens to withdraw support from Jerk-face’s campaign, citing how disappointed she was by Jin-sook and her mother. Jin-sook immediately changes her attitude, and panders to the assemblywoman. She offers reconciliatory drinks, and the assemblywoman casually mentions how she misses the “diamond-tasting” wine she had before.

Jerk-face is handed a resignation letter by a staff member at work. It’s from Sang-wook, and in the letter, he writes that he witnessed the repulsive, true nature of Jerk-face and is resigning because of it. Needless to say, Jerk-face isn’t pleased.

Righ then, Jin-sook marches into Jerk-face’s office and begins to smack him with her purse. She warns her younger brother to cut ties with the assemblywoman, and then asks about Sul. Jerk-face reveals his hunch about Sul having another man, and in a hushed voice, he vows to destroy them if it’s true.

In the lobby of Hae-sung’s apartment, Sul runs into Sang-wook, and they relocate to a coffee shop. Sang-wook tells her that he quit the law firm and is looking at other jobs. Sul is confident Sang-wook will be a good lawyer, and thanks him for all the help he gave her.

A pen drops to the floor, and Sul reaches to pick it up. Sang-wook also goes to get it, and their faces end up inches apart. Suddenly, Sang-wook grabs Sul’s hand, and then smiles at her. He gently touches her face, and leans in to kiss her. They break apart, and Sang-wook says that he loves her. He urges Sul to escape that house and promises to help her.

But that was all in Sul’s imagination. (WHAT!?) In reality, Sang-wook says that he’s glad that they met and thinks Sul looks much better now. Sul puts out her hand, and offers to read Sang-wook’s palm. Outside, So-hye walks past the café and spots Sul with Sang-wook.

While Sul reads his palm, Sang-wook stares at Sul. She tells him that he’ll meet a good person soon, and looking up at him, says that she truly wishes for his happiness. Sang-wook returns the sentiment, and their short meeting ends.

Hae-sung reads a contract in Jin-sook’s office, and when she pressures him to sign, he tells her that he wants to consult with a lawyer first. On cue, Sang-wook enters, and Jin-sook stares at him flabbergasted. After a brief introduction, Sang-wook takes charge of the situation and argues that the current contract is drafted to Hae-sung’s disadvantage. He suggests a couple revisions; one being that in the case of Hae-sung’s secret being released in any manner, Jin-sook will take full responsibility and pay a penalty worth three times the contract fee.

Jin-sook argues that she’s not the only one who knows his secret, but Sang-wook already has a counterargument prepared: if Jin-sook isn’t the only one who knows the secret, then this entire contract is void. Jin-sook then threatens to not sign a contract at all, and Sang-wook informs her that they’ll sue her for blackmail then. Checkmate.

At a bridal store, So-hye comes out wearing a wedding dress, and Sul and Mi-sun gush over her. They’re all excited for So-hye’s wedding, and Mi-sun volunteers to do So-hye’s makeup while Sul volunteers to prepare the food.

Later that night, So-hye visits Sul in her room, and asks about that handsome, young man she saw at the café with her. Sul tells her that she met him while riding, but So-hye wants to know if he likes her. Sul laughs and says that’s in the past. So-hye doesn’t think so from the way he stared at Sul, but even if that’s true, Sul thinks it would be greedy of her to want him. So-hye comments about how happy she is to be living under the same roof with Sul, and they promise to live together until they’re old grandmas.

Hae-sung steps out of his new management office to answer a call. He tells Joon-ki to just come upstairs, but eventually agrees to come down. He sees Joon-ki in his car, and jokes about how great the present must be for him to order Hae-sung to come.

However, Joon-ki breaths heavily with beads of sweat dripping down his face. Hae-sung grasps the seriousness of the situation and asks if he should call an ambulance. Between wheezes, Joon-ki asks for medicine in his bag since he can’t move his body. Hae-sung quickly complies and places a pill in Joon-ki’s mouth. He swallows, but after a few more haggard breaths, Joon-ki loses consciousness.

 
COMMENTS

I’m really worried about Joon-ki. I had this inkling that he was getting sicker because throughout this episode he wasn’t his usual, cheery self who radiates positive energy. He was much more subdued, and in the short glimpses we saw of him, he looked exhausted. While it’s in reason for Joon-ki to… leave, I’ve seen him as this untouchable figure who’ll always be there smiling with his cute dimple. However, it does bring a new sense of urgency to the show, reminding the viewers that a future isn’t guaranteed. Every moment is precious, and there’s no time like the present to express your feelings. It’s ironic in a sense that the character who has motivated the leads to live life without regrets is also the one who may have the biggest regrets. I wouldn’t be surprised if Joon-ki leaves us because he has mentioned a will and being very rich. I’m guessing he could have left something for Hae-sung or So-hye, and his death could be a good catalyst for So-hye to embrace her heart without fretting over the future, too much. Though I say this, I really, really hope that Joon-ki is alive because I can’t part with him just yet.

While I love Joon-ki, I equally love Hae-sung, and am amazed by his ability to love. Taking care of someone battling a long-term illness is taxing both physically and mentally. However, whatever obstacles get thrown at Hae-sung, he continues to forge on ahead, and he never lets his frustrations or worries get channeled in the wrong way. He’s understanding and patient with So-hye who’s going through a turbulent time. She probably feels lost in her own body, and the idea that she’s slowly losing control of herself must frighten her immensely since she learned to be independent in order to survive. However, cancer changed everything, and all the aspects of her previous life that were her constants, no longer are. Thus, sometimes she’s emotional, but Hae-sung doesn’t hold that against her. Her difficulties and troubles are always more important than his, and for someone experiencing something as devastating as cancer, knowing that the person you love will remain by your side, no matter how far you fall from grace, is a reassuring thought and source of strength.

Sul and Sang-wook provided a few breaks in the story being their adorable and amazing selves. At first, I was miffed to learn that the kiss scene wasn’t real, but then realizing that it was Sul’s imagination made up for it. Since the beginning, we’ve known that Sang-wook has fallen head over heels for Sul, and still remains smitten by her. On the other hand, Sul’s feelings were never developed because she had a husband and didn’t see him that way. Thus, her little imaginary scenario showed her true feelings, and it was cute to know that Sul also felt butterflies towards Sang-wook. I can’t wait to see their relationship grow, though I do worry about Jerk-face complicating matters by jumping to conclusions before anything actually happens.

My favorite scene this episode was the encounter between past So-hye and Sul. So-hye never confessed her true feelings to her friends before, and I doubt she would have ever expressed those emotions if she wasn’t delirious. Thus, we understand why their relationship fell apart back then, and how much it affected So-hye. In the end, she was the one who tried to maintain their relationship in the past, and even now in the present, she was the one who brought them all together again. It’s sad that cancer and the news of death had to be the catalyst that brought these amazing people back together again. However, if anything good came out of So-hye’s medical diagnosis, it’s the fact that she learned that a future is never guaranteed which spurred her to act out of her comfort zone and be willing to make herself vulnerable. Though I wish no one would die and everyone be happy until the end, that’s not what this show is about. Life is short, and rather than lament the “what ifs,” it forces its characters to embrace the present. Love those around you while you can, and don’t assume you’ll have tomorrow to say “I love you” because it can’t wait.

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