Fantastic: Episode 14

by lovepark

So-hye struggles to handle more terrible news, and stumbles to express herself as emotions get jumbled and people clash. However, in times of trouble, the most comforting things can simply be a supportive hand on your shoulder and an ear that will listen to your worries.

 
EPISODE 14

Joon-ki sings at the party (a remake of “Someday” by Kim Dong-hee), while looking straight at So-hye as if confessing through the song. “One day I met you. [You] made me realize the joy of love. Even taught a man like me to know what love is.”

In his secret garden, Joon-ki watches the video recording of the party with contentment, and then slowly falls to the ground. Just as his eyes close, he stares at the image on the tiny screen of So-hye as she waves at him. Everything turns silent, and after an undisclosed time, Jamie runs into the garden and shakes her brother to no avail.

So-hye jogs down a path where, up ahead, Joon-ki runs a few paces ahead. She calls out to him, asking him to wait because she can’t keep up. He smiles at her, but then continues running. Clutching her heart, So-hye calls after Joon-ki, but it’s already too late. He’s gone.

So-hye jumps up from bed, covered in sweat, and realizes it was all a dream. However, it feels like a bad premonition, and she frantically gets up. In the kitchen, she hears Sul and Mi-sun talking about ordinary events in their lives, and So-hye sighs in relief.

She hugs her two friends, and they ask her if anything is wrong because she’s drenched in sweat. So-hye explains that she had a bad dream, so Mi-sun searches online and thinks the dream is a good sign. So-hye changes the topic, and asks Sul about Sang-wook. Sul feels guilty asking him for help, but both of her friends think he’ll be great (not to mention that he’s easy on the eyes).

Sul remembers that So-hye had plans for lunch, and So-hye says that she’s meeting Joon-ki, except he hasn’t texted her back which is unusual. Just then, she receives a message from him, but when she reminds him of their lunch plan, the messages stop again.

The sender turns out to be Hae-sung since Joon-ki is unconscious and laying in a hospital bed. Hae-sung yells at Joon-ki, and orders him to get up and tell So-hye the truth himself, like he promised. Jamie enters and firmly states that he won’t get up. Managing a smile, Jamie suggests that they tell So-hye now so at least she can say farewell.

So-hye arrives at the restaurant first, but instead of Joon-ki, Hae-sung shows up. He takes a seat, and after preparing himself, he tells So-hye that Joon-ki won’t be coming. He informs her that Joon-ki lost consciousness in his garden after their party and is in the hospital. So-hye gasps for air as she hears the news, and shakily gets up to leave.

Hae-sung assumes she’s going to the hospital, but So-hye wants to be in her office and work. Hae-sung chases after her, and tries to convince her to go to the hospital to say good-bye because there’s no time. She refuses to listen to him, and runs in the opposite direction.

Sul meets with Sang-wook at a café, and he declares his intentions to work on this case even if it costs him his career. He asks her to trust him, and Sul says that she does. When they start talking about the case, Sul feels ashamed about her situation, again, but Sang-wook loudly declares that she shouldn’t be ashamed.

He reads over her statement while Sul reads case files he prepared for her, but the entire time, they sneak glances at each other, occasionally meeting eyes and quickly averting their gaze. A server comes by with a menu, and Sul orders a cappuccino. Sang-wook brightens up at that and excitedly mentions that he drank a cappuccino, too. He realizes his old habit returning, and puts on a serious face because he has to look the part of a trustworthy lawyer. Too cute.

Sang-wook asks how Sul married Jerk-face, and she explains how their fathers went to the same school. The story is pretty typical, but suddenly, Sang-wook interrupts and asks what her zodiac sign is. She laughs, and Sang-wook explains that he wanted to make her laugh.

Outside, Jerk-face spies on them with binoculars and orders his secretary to take pictures. He mutters that he loved her (more like abusive obsession if you ask me) and takes a swig of alcohol. His excursion is cut short by a phone call, and Jerk-face scurries to his office.

The assemblywoman is waiting for him, and right as he walks in, she slaps him across the face. She can’t believe he dared to miss the meeting she made for him, and Jerk-face whines that he has family troubles at the moment. She shows him no pity, and warns the sniveling lawyer that he’s standing on thin ice. If he doesn’t fix his family issue by today, then she’ll break the ice herself.

At the house of terror, Mom berates the new helper while Jin-sook sprays her damaged hair (courtesy of Mi-sun). Jerk-face arrives and demands his sister to bring him new underwear. She yells at him to get it himself and calls him an idiot for his ridiculous plan of bringing Sang-wook’s father. They bicker with each other until Mom yells at them to act respectable in front of others (i.e., the new helper).

Sighing, Jerk-face tells them that he has to solve the issue with Sul by today or the assemblywoman will drop him from the election. Mom tells her son a proverb, but he points out that she interrupted it wrong. Peeved, she explains that Jerk-face should just apologize to Sul, and once she’s back, they’ll break her legs then. Jin-sook scoffs at the plan since Sul won’t come back because of an apology. She tells them to leave it to her because she has a solution.

Sang-hwa arrives at the office and wonders why Sul suddenly scheduled a meeting. While frantically typing, So-hye tells her that they’re going to finish the script today, and though Sang-hwa asks if she’s alright, So-hye continues working, telling her that she’s fine.

A phone starts to ring, and seeing that it isn’t hers, So-hye asks if Sang-hwa’s phone is ringing. She says that it’s not, but the ringing continues. So-hye turns off her phone, but the ringing persists. Grabbing her head, So-hye jolts up from her desk and excuses herself.

On the filming set, Hae-sung meets with the director who notices his fatigue. Another staff member assumes it’s because of filming, and then asks about “dumb.” Hae-sung has no idea who he’s talking about, and the staff member explains that they’ve nicknamed the doctor and Hae-sung “dumb and dumber” because they were acting like goofs last time. Before filming starts, Hae-sung asks his manager to contact Sang-hwa and check up on So-hye.

After leaving the office, So-hye runs to the hospital and stands outside Joon-ki’s room. She starts hyperventilating, and Jamie turns the corner to see So-hye slowly backing away from the door.

In her office, Jamie hooks up So-hye to a portable oxygen tank, and looks over the meticulous notes her brother left behind concerning So-hye. There’s a tinge of bitterness in Jamie’s voice because Joon-ki didn’t even leave her a memo, but she apologizes for her erratic behavior because she’s on anti-depressants. She understands that So-hye isn’t prepared to see Joon-ki, and advises her to not push herself.

So-hye numbly walks down the sidewalk as people stare at the tubes in her nose. A little kid even points them out to his mom, but So-hye pays no heed to them. When she arrives at the apartment, there’s a box on the table and, inside of it, her wedding dress. She chucks the lid back on top and avoids looking at it.

Sul finishes her meeting with Sang-wook, and as they walk outside, he receives a call. She patiently waits for him and doesn’t notice a motorcycle zooming towards her. Sang-wook swoops in and pulls her out of harm’s way. The sudden proximity makes Sul extra-conscious of Sang-wook, but he seems more concerned about her wellbeing. They decide to go eat, but Sul gets a phone call and her expression hardens.

Jerk-face opens the door to his house, and Sul and Sang-wook enter. When he goes to fetch his mom, Sang-wook tells Sul to let him negotiate the terms of the divorce. Moments later, Mom greets Sul with tears, and wears a white headband around her head to signify her lament. Jerk-face mentions how Mom fasted after Sul left, and then Mom gets on her knees to apologize to Sul.

She promises to leave Sul alone, and Jerk-face joins his mom by kneeling and asking for forgiveness. Sul tells them to stop the act because it’s disgusting, and immediately, Mom reverts back to her true self, calling Sul uneducated. However, Sul’s not the meek daughter-in-law from before, and calls her out for her hypocrisy since the truly uneducated ones are her son and daughter.

Enraged, Mom raises her hand to slap Sul, but Jerk-face stops her in time. They resume their pitiful act, and Jerk-face makes it clear that he won’t settle for a divorce. Unfortunately for him, Sul has changed her mind: she won’t settle either because she’s going to sue him instead.

Hae-sung comes home, and notices So-hye hooked up to an oxygen tank. Since she went to the hospital, he asks if she met Joon-ki, but she angrily snaps at him for badgering her to go. Hae-sung changes the topic to So-hye’s wedding dress, but that worsens the mood since So-hye returned the dress. She can’t believe she thought of marriage when she has no tomorrow, and gets up to leave.

When Hae-sung tries to stop her, So-hye finally blows, asking the question that’s been bothering her from the beginning: If Hae-sung knew about Joon-ki’s condition, why didn’t he tell her? Hae-sung says that Joon-ki wanted to tell her in person, but it’s not a satisfactory answer for her.

He’s worried that she’s acting strangely, but So-hye reminds him that she’s a cancer patient. She can’t control her emotions, and yells that she isn’t ready yet. Hae-sung says the taboo phrase, “I know how you feel,” and instantaneously, So-hye asks how he would know. He yells at her to consider his feelings of loving a terminally ill patient, and states that it isn’t easy for him to face death, either.

Hae-sung knows that more difficulties will arise, and questions whether So-hye would want him to avoid her when those times come. She tells him that she doesn’t want to see him, and if it’s so hard for him to be with her, then they can separate. So-hye marches past him, so Hae-sung hugs her from behind in another attempt to calm her. It’s ineffective, though, and she orders him to stop following her.

So-hye returns to the office, and from around the corner, Hae-sung watches to make sure she safely makes it inside. Frustrated, So-hye starts to clean the office until Jin-sook rings the doorbell. So-hye removes her tubes, and opens the door for her.

Jin-sook is here to offer an exchange since she has a bomb ready to drop, but So-hye tells her to drop it. Undeterred, Jin-sook mentions Hae-sung’s criminal record, but So-hye already knows about it. In fact, she also knows that Jin-sook signed a contract with Hae-sung to keep it a secret.

Though this wasn’t part of her plan, Jin-sook calmly resumes her threats, and explains that she “lost” her phone which contained a mug shot of Hae-sung from back then which wouldn’t be a technical breach of contract. Thus, even if Hae-sung sued her, it would take years for them to maybe win in court.

Jin-sook then laughs and “finds” her phone in her purse. She shows the picture of Hae-sung to So-hye, and tells her to bring the account book today before she loses her phone. So-hye suddenly screams, and then head-butts Jin-sook in the face. They end up at the police station, and Jin-sook wants So-hye thrown in jail for breaking her nose. So-hye agrees to accept the punishment, and goes inside a cell.

Hae-sung pays another visit to Joon-ki, and talks to him about So-hye. Even though he knew why she was acting that way, he still let out his anger at her. He says that he was frustrated, but then admits that he was actually scared. He wants her to be strong, but seeing her weak made him afraid. Tearfully, Hae-sung confesses that he doesn’t deserve to be number one, and tells Joon-ki to not be disappointed if So-hye doesn’t show up.

In flashback, Joon-ki allowed Hae-sung to call him “hyung” and wistfully mentioned that they should all be reborn again, together. Hae-sung declared that he still wouldn’t lose So-hye to him, but Joon-ki told him that Hae-sung would be born as a girl. He then reminded Hae-sung to take care of himself because he has to be healthy in order to support So-hye.

Back in the present, Hae-sung munches on food and drinks with Manager Oh, and goes to the office to check on So-hye. However, she’s not there, and Manager Oh finds out that she’s with Jin-sook.

Sang-wook drives Sul, but noticing her troubled expression, he makes a detour and stops at a park. They sit at a bench, and Sul declares her intentions to reveal the two-faced nature of her in-laws. That would mean handing over the account book to the prosecutors, and Sul would also be questioned.

Sul is prepared to fight, though, because after seeing her friend battling cancer, she’s decided to be brave, too. Sang-wook uses this moment to also be courageous, and stumbling over his words, says, “Baek Sul… I like you.” After a brief pause, he adds that “like” has a plethora of different connotations, and though he would actually like to say something else, he’ll wait until after the trial to say it. Adorably, Sang-wook asks if Sul is curious about it, and she simply laughs at him.

In a cell, So-hye hears clapping, and turns to see Joon-ki sitting next to her. He congratulates her for punishing Jin-sook and finding such a good hiding place. She apologizes to him, but he’s the one who is sorry for breaking his promise to her.

So-hye tells him that he was her hope, and even though she thought she was ready, she feels afraid. She questions how Hae-sung will feel after she leaves, and how she’ll continue without Joon-ki by her side. He reassures her that everyone feels fear, but rather than be immobilized by it, he thinks it’s better to face it head-on.

Hae-sung calls out So-hye’s name, and Joon-ki disappears. She’s surprised that he’s here, but he tells her that he would even go to hell to find her. Through the bars, they hold hands, and both of them apologize for their behavior from before. Hae-sung won’t force her to go anymore, but So-hye tells him that she wants to go, now.

She’s worried about how to leave, but Hae-sung already has a plan. He tells the police officer that So-hye has cancer and her medication causes delirium. Thus, her actions weren’t intentional, and once Manager Oh arrives with So-hye’s medical report, the officer reprimands Jin-sook and lets So-hye leave.

So-hye runs to the hospital and stops in front of Joon-ki’s room again, but this time, Hae-sung is by her side. He places a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and So-hye walks in. Jamie is inside, and she hands So-hye an album Joon-ki prepared for her before exiting to give So-hye some privacy.

Taking a seat next to Joon-ki, So-hye opens the album that starts off with telling her to make a fist. The pages are filled with photos of So-hye, before and after cancer, and underneath are handwritten notes from Joon-ki. He writes that she shouldn’t be afraid because in exchange for cancer, she found what’s precious in life.

So-hye holds Joon-ki’s hand and thanks him for bringing her happiness that words can’t describe. She promises to never forget him, and asks to meet again. As if his last wish had been granted, Joon-ki flatlines, and So-hye holds onto his hand.

On the last page of the album is a picture of Joon-ki, and he asks if he did well. He wants to show her that dying isn’t that difficult or scary, and since he did it well, she can too. He thanks her for making his journey enjoyable which is why he can leave happy. He tells her to play for a long, long time before coming, and signs it from “Number 2.”

 
COMMENTS

It finally happened. No more miracles or tricks. Joon-ki has left, and just as So-hye couldn’t prepare herself for his death, it was difficult to say good-bye as a viewer, as well. While it breaks my heart to see Joon-ki leave, it was proper send-off and an important part of the narrative for the show. I enjoyed how the drama portrayed So-hye’s reaction to the news. It was similar, in a way, to how she reacted to her own news about having cancer. Her defense mechanism is to be busy in order to forget. She throws herself into her writing because it’s something familiar and constant in her life unlike the scary uncertainty of cancer. Joon-ki was more than a doctor to her because he represented the future and hope. It was touching how she confessed her worries to an imaginary Joon-ki because even in her imagination, he still offers wisdom and guidance.

It was also heartbreaking to see Hae-sung’s reaction to Joon-ki’s impending death. Though they started off as petty rivals, they ended up as brothers and friends. While So-hye lost her source of hope and saw herself in Joon-ki’s predicament, Hae-sung has a different relationship to Joon-ki’s death and how it affects him. To Hae-sung, he lost his source of wisdom and sees So-hye’s death in relation to Joon-ki. He’s dealing with grief, but there’s also sadness and fear in knowing that this won’t be the last loved one he’ll lose to cancer. If Joon-ki, who looked so healthy and invincible, can suddenly die and leave him behind, then the same can happen with So-hye.

I appreciated the confrontation between So-hye and Hae-sung in the apartment when they fought about visiting Joon-ki. It’s true that he’ll never understand how she feels, but the same can be said about him and how she’ll never understand how he feels. It highlights the tension of caring for someone who’s ill and also emphasizes the different effects Joon-ki’s death has on them as individuals. I’m also glad that both of them apologized and understood that neither of them meant to truly hurt the other with their words. Emotions run high, and it’s natural for people to clash. However, that’s why I love So-hye and Hae-sung as a couple, because in the end, their love and compassion for each other outweighs everything else. Even though they’re facing this immense challenge as a couple, I know that whatever the ending may bring, they’ll be together.

With only a week left, I’m sure that there will be more reasons to cry in the future. Thus, let’s talk about things that were uplifting in this episode like Sul and Sang-wook. I’m elated to have courageous Sul back, and it was refreshing to see her confront her two-faced mother-in-law. I was so happy to hear Sul call her children “uneducated” because I get the impression that Mom acts especially mean to others because she’s overcompensating for her own shortcomings. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s actually uneducated herself, and acts high and mighty because of a low self-esteem. If that’s true, then she’s an even more despicable human being, not that she has much room to fall further down. Also, Sang-wook’s confession was adorable, and I thought it was funny how he asked her if she was curious about what he really wanted to say. He wears his emotions on his sleeve when it comes to Sul, so there’s no doubt in my mind that she knows what he’ll tell her after the trial ends.

Last but not least, the scene with Jerk-face spying on Sul was oddly hilarious to me. The action isn’t funny (stalking is a crime), but just the ginormous binoculars and how he can say without shame that he loved Sul while taking a swig of alcohol was strangely funny. It was such a jarring transition that I thought the show made it over-the-top on purpose to really highlight how ridiculous Jerk-face is. In addition, the bickering between him and his sister was disgusting but also weirdly funny. They were so appalling that I simply found their actions outlandish. Seriously, how can a grown man who runs a successful law firm ask his older sister to find him underwear and then whine like a toddler that he is “dumb?” This family is absurd, and I’m glad the show is making no qualms about giving them their just desserts without a hint of forced redemption. Also, I fully support how Mi-sun and then So-hye each got to give Jin-sook a piece of their mind, so I’m expecting Sul to get some action to complete the triangle. It’s only fair.

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