Temperature of Love: Episodes 27-28

by LollyPip

I knew that our lovers were due to have a disagreement eventually, and while I can’t say I’m entirely surprised by the source of the conflict, it comes about in a way that I definitely wasn’t expecting. For a couple who has been pretty good about communication, it makes sense that, no matter the actual subject, what comes between them ultimately boils down to a lack of honesty.

 
EPISODE 27 RECAP

Hyun-soo rushes to Jung-sun’s place after hearing him sobbing over the phone, but he seems to be fine by the time she gets there. He offers to make tea, and Hyun-soo wraps her arms around him and says, “Let’s live together.”

Jung-sun wordlessly turns to face her. He takes her in his arms, and a while later, they find themselves walking by the river. Hyun-soo is hesitant, but she finally asks why he was crying, and all he says is that he faced a reality that he couldn’t change.

Hyun-soo says that crying is cleansing, but Jung-sun just says that she sounds like someone who was raised with a lot of love. Hyun-soo brings up living together again, and Jung-sun seems skeptical that she was serious.

Later, Jung-sun confesses that he didn’t own a cell phone when they met because he was running away from his mother, and Hyun-soo surprises him by saying that she’s accepted his mother. He asks why, when her own son doesn’t want to accept her, and she just says, “Because I love you.”

Jung-sun warns Hyun-soo that letting his mother in means putting her own life on hold. Hyun-soo accuses him of being swayed in their relationship, but she says that she’ll just hold tight to him. Jung-sun replies that when someone is drowning, you have to wait until all their strength has been exhausted to grab hold of them, otherwise you’ll both die.

He walks Hyun-soo home, watching until she’s safely inside. He sits on the swings in the park for a long time, until her lights go out for the night.

The next day, Jung-woo finds Joon-ha and Hong-ah yelling at each other over her script. Joon-ha thinks some of the events in the script make no sense, while Hong-ah insists that these are scenes from her life. Joon-ha says that he can’t direct this drama and storms out.

Jung-woo tells Hong-ah that this is why he wanted her to work with Director Min. Hong-ah argues that if she does, then her drama won’t air right away on a major network. Frustrated, she demands that Jung-woo buy her lunch, and uses the excuse of helping a friend in need to get him to take her to Good Soup.

While at lunch, Hong-ah wonders why Jung-woo doesn’t just hire a personal chef, which would be cheaper than bankrolling a whole restaurant. Jung-woo tells her that Jung-sun is buying him out, just as Jung-sun approaches their table.

Two men agree to meet on the terrace to talk after lunch. Jung-woo arrives first, fondly remembering the day that he and Jung-sun decided to buy this place. When Jung-sun joins him, Jung-woo says that he only came to eat today, and Jung-sun asks if he has nothing to say to him.

He asks how much money Jung-woo gave to his mother, and why he never mentioned it. Jung-woo just asks where she would have gone for money if he hadn’t given it to her. When Jung-woo calls it a favor, Jung-sun retorts that his favors cause problems for him, and that it’s up to him to handle his mother’s money issues.

Jung-sun goes back into the kitchen and experiences his own memory of the day they bought the restaurant. He smiles wistfully as he remembers how he’d said he was glad they were doing this together, and Jung-woo had predicted that the ending would be as good as the beginning, because that’s how he liked things to be.

In the dining room, Hong-ah pretends to play on her phone while she scowls at Won-joon and Soo-jung making flower arrangements. When Jung-sun asks why she’s still there, she snarls that she’s watching Won-joon act childish. Ha, Won-joon just admits it.

Hong-ah snaps at him for ignoring her, but Jung-sun says that she’s been too mean to Won-joon. Hong-ah says that Jung-sun was even meaner to her, and that compared to the two guys, she’s being downright pleasant. She stomps out, declaring that she’s never coming back and glaring at Won-joon when he quips that she says that, but always comes back.

In private, Soo-jung tells Won-joon that you can’t control love, so she supports his love (for Hong-ah). But she asks if he fell for her just a little, and when he admits that he did, she smiles and says that’s enough for her. After she leaves, Won-joon calls himself an idiot, saying that he should have fallen for someone like Soo-jung. It’s not too late!

Hyun-soo brings coffee to her mother’s school, to talk about asking Jung-sun to live with her. She sighs that she was rejected, and that he told her not to sacrifice for him. Mom says that it’s good that he’s being responsible, and that she likes him a lot more, hearing this.

Hyun-soo says that she wants to be responsible, too, though she doesn’t go into detail. Mom says that love isn’t about pitying someone, because it never ends well, but Hyun-soo argues that not everyone is the same.

Mom wonders where the old super-picky Hyun-soo went, the one that coldly analyzed the men she dated. Hyun-soo just says that she thinks she fell for Jung-sun when he asked her to date, back when they first met. When Mom reminds her that she used to be strict about dating, she says that being cold-hearted didn’t hurt so much back then.

She joins her parents for lunch, where she learns that they received a gift from Jung-woo when the news broke about the co-writer for Unruly Detectives. Mom says that she only accepted it because she thought he and Hyun-soo would end up dating, but now she wants to know if she should give it back.

The papers are signed for Jung-sun to buy Jung-woo’s shares of Good Soup. Jung-woo offers Jung-sun one last chance to back out, saying that it’s not good to make business decisions for emotional reasons. But Jung-sun declines, preferring to do things his way.

Jung-woo holds out a hand, but Jung-sun says he doesn’t want to shake it, because he’s being swayed right now. He also promises to pay back his mother’s debt and asks for the amount.

On his way out, he takes a call from Hyun-soo, who notices that his voice sounds strange. She says she called because of how they ended things the other night, and when Jung-sun just apologizes, she complains that it makes her feel distant. She says he should ask where she is, then playfully refuses to tell him, but he just says, “Okay,” in a sad voice.

Joon-ha goes to see CP Yoo about quitting Hong-ah’s drama, and begs him to let him work with Hyun-soo as he wanted. Joon-ha promises to treat him well when his career outlasts CP Yoo’s, which irritates him.

After the restaurant closes that evening, Won-joon tells Soo-jung that he thinks Hong-ah is a habit for him, but that he thinks Soo-jung is a great person. She interrupts to suggest that they see each other for a month and then see what happens, and the smile that breaks out on Won-joon’s face is absolutely gorgeous.

He asks if that’s okay with her, and Soo-jung says that since the chase can often give you more butterflies than being in an official relationship, then a month should be enough to clarify their feelings one way or the other. She leaves, and Won-joon watches her go, looking positively giddy.

Alone in his family’s old house, Jung-woo thinks about his mother, who seems like a loving woman who doted on her young son. Jung-woo mutters that he’s coming here often these days, calling himself weak.

After a morning jog, Hong-ah calls Jung-woo to tell him to set up a meeting with Director Min. With a grimace, he agrees, and then tells Joon-ha (who’s there with him) that Hong-ah is a nutjob. They’re about to have a meeting with Hyun-soo, and Joon-ha stops to use the restroom on the way.

Steeling himself, Jung-woo goes into the meeting room first, and seeing Hyun-soo reminds him of something that happened earlier this year. Kyung had called him to Hyun-soo’s apartment because she was very sick and unresponsive after a stressful meeting with Director Min. He’d piggybacked her to his car and rushed her to the hospital.

Now he informs Hyun-soo that she and Joon-ha will be working together as originally planned. Joon-ha is thrilled, particularly at the idea of working with Kyung again, and he pouts when Hyun-soo says Kyung is probably doing interviews at Good Soup again. Hyun-soo tells him that if he likes Kyung, then he should just tell her and treat her nicely.

The three go out to eat together, but while they’re eating, Hyun-soo gets a call from Jung-sun. He’s feeling badly about the way he’s acted lately, and he says he wants to drive her home, so she begs off lunch to see him. Jung-woo lets her go, and Joon-ha notices that he seems preoccupied.

Things seem more relaxed between Hyun-soo and Jung-sun on the drive, and she asks to see his tattoo again. She rolls up his sleeve while they’re stopped at a red light, and she touches the tattoo and says she likes it, admitting that she likes everything about Jung-sun.

When he pulls up to her house, Jung-sun unhooks his seatbelt and grabs Hyun-soo in a tight hug. He tells her that he’s not going anywhere, so she doesn’t need to be nervous.

Kyung knows about Joon-ha being back on their show, having gotten a call from him about it. Noting her over-excitement, Hyun-soo asks Kyung if she likes Joon-ha, but Kyung warns that if Hyun-soo teases her, then she’ll tease Hyun-soo about what just happened in Jung-sun’s car. HAHA.

But Hyun-soo is uneasy about something, though she can’t quite put her finger on it. She says that Jung-sun makes her both relieved and nervous, and she wonders what exactly she’s feeling.

 
EPISODE 28 RECAP

Now that Jung-sun owns Good Soup outright, he tells the chefs that he has a new goal. He says that he needs a Michelin star to continue doing what he wants to do, and Won-joon reveals that apparently, Michelin inspectors have shown up in a few other restaurants lately.

They’re supposed to work in secret, but chef Kyung-soo says that they usually give themselves away somehow. Jung-sun says that they may have been here already, but regardless, they should all be at their best.

As she works, Hyun-soo worries over whether she should call Jung-sun, then decides to just go see him. She sneaks up behind him as he’s sharpening his knives (is that wise?), and she tells him that she was outside Good Soup when she called him before.

Jung-sun lifts her up to sit on the counter, looking deep into her eyes as he says a heartfelt “Thank you.” Hyun-soo tells him that she’s on his side, and he ducks his head to her shoulder and stays there for a long time.

They spend the afternoon working on Jung-sun’s terrace, building new planter boxes for more plants. They stop to eat, and when Jung-sun’s mom calls Hyun-soo, Jung-sun asks her not to answer it. He says that his mom has no reason to call her, but Hyun-soo waves off his concern and answers anyway.

Jung-sun’s mom asks if Hyun-soo and Jung-sun are still dating, and Hyun-soo confirms it. In a sad, pitiful voice, his mother asks Hyun-soo to be nice to him on her behalf, and to call her if anything happens to him. Hyun-soo agrees, and after hanging up, she tells Jung-sun that his mother is worried about him.

He tells Hyun-soo that he’s not on good terms with his mother at the moment, and that he doesn’t want Hyun-soo to be some kind of messenger between them. She asks him how he can decline his mother’s call, reminding him that she’s still his mother, but Jung-sun tells her that she doesn’t know everything about his mom and family because it’s still difficult for him to talk about it.

Hyun-soo says that she heard some of it from his mother, and that to her, he and his father are different. You can practically see Jung-sun shrink back emotionally, and he jumps up to make coffee. Hyun-soo watches him, knowing that something is wrong.

Hyun-soo’s mom meets up with Jung-woo to thank him for being good to her and Hyun-soo, and for the gift he gave to her and her husband. She gives him something, but she’s not returning the gift he gave her. It’s a jar of homemade citron tea, and Jung-woo looks incredibly touched.

After Hyun-soo leaves, Jung-sun thinks about what his mother revealed to her about his past. He recalls Jung-woo saying that it’s not a good idea to make decisions when you’re emotional, and he decides to call his mother. She guesses that he’s calling because she spoke to Hyun-soo, and says she’s been avoiding him because she’s scared.

Jung-sun tells her not to call Hyun-soo again, and she drops the caring mother act to spit that he cares more for Hyun-soo than he does for her. Jung-sun just tells her to let him know how much her debt is and hangs up on her.

That night, Kyung finds Hyun-soo staring out the window, thinking about Jung-sun’s promise not to let anyone tear them apart. Hyun-soo asks why she’s feeling so lonely when she’s in love, and Kyung calls her crazy and manages to tease her out of her funk a bit.

It’s the first day of Good Soup’s new menu, and one lunch reservation is a party of two, one of whom is a foreign gentleman. After seating them, Soo-jung tells Jung-sun that she thinks they might be Michelin inspectors. Seeing that all his chefs have frozen solid, Jung-sun reminds them to just focus on doing their best.

Still, Jung-sun can’t help but step out of the kitchen to watch the men’s reactions to their meals. He tells Won-joon that they’re too obvious to be Michelin inspectors, and sure enough, one of the men leaves behind his business card, revealing that they were just investment bankers. Won-joon heads back to the kitchen to tell the guys, who slump in disappointment.

Over in Jung-woo’s office, Hong-ah is annoyed when she shows up for their meeting before Director Min, which she thinks gives him the upper hand. LOL, Jung-woo wipes his face of all reaction, but it’s still clear that he’s thinking she’s a whacko. When Director Min finally arrives, Jung-woo tells the two that he’s not interested in their war and to go somewhere else to talk.

They relocate to a coffee shop, where Hong-ah hands Director Min a contract stating that if he changes her script, she’ll sue him. Director Min is offended, but he does assure Hong-ah that he likes her script.

Hyun-soo takes another call from Jung-sun’s mother, who invites her to lunch. Mom says that she’s seeing Jung-sun soon, and that she’ll be upset afterward, which is why she wants to see Hyun-soo. Hyun-soo agrees, though she doesn’t look happy about it, and when she hangs up, Kyung says that Jung-sun is “super great,” but his mother is “super stupid.”

Jung-sun shows up to meet with his mother looking guarded, and he gets right to the point, asking how much she borrowed from Jung-woo. His mother says it’s not much, only about fifty million won (roughly fifty thousand dollars). She says she’s scared of him when Jung-sun asks the exact amount, and he sighs, supposing that this is the only way she knows how to live.

He leaves and his mother goes to meet up with Hyun-soo next. Mom picks at her lunch, suggesting a drink when Hyun-soo asks what’s wrong. Over a beer, she asks Hyun-soo to listen to her life story, turning on the waterworks as she asks why she was even born, or why Jung-sun had to be born her son and suffer like this. She asks Hyun-soo if she thinks she can change, and Hyun-soo reaches out to take her hand comfortingly.

Later, Hyun-soo waits for Jung-sun to get off work. He’s happy to see her, until she tells him that she saw his mother. Still tipsy from their drinks, Hyun-soo says that she was moved by his mother, and that she wants to be good to her.

Dropping her hand, Jung-sun asks why Hyun-soo didn’t think to tell him before seeing her. He reminds Hyun-soo that things aren’t good between him and his mother, but Hyun-soo argues that she has a relationship with his mother too, and can’t just refuse to see her.

She adds that she can’t very well leave out his mother if she’s to be a part of his life. Jung-sun asks if she’s really just nervous about him, and Hyun-soo admits that she is. She says that she’s nervous because he’s never been unsure before, and that she’s scared he’ll give up on them.

Jung-sun finally speaks, saying, “You don’t trust me.” He turns and walks away, and Hyun-soo calls out to his back that it’s not just fun and games to her. She accuses him of only thinking of himself, and he turns back, a look of disbelief and betrayal on his face.

 
COMMENTS

Oh Hyun-soo, why?? I know she wants to help, and to be an active part of her relationship with Jung-sun, but her first and most important responsibility as a partner is to respect her partner’s wishes. Jung-sun may not have given her the embarrassing details, but he made it quite clear that he wants as little as possible to do with his mother, and that he doesn’t want Hyun-soo to get involved with her, either. But Hyun-soo is letting herself be manipulated by his mother despite Jung-sun’s asking her repeatedly to stay away, and I knew it wasn’t going to go over well.

Hyun-soo may be naïve about Jung-sun’s mother’s ability to twist the truth because she came from a family who is open and honest, and I can even understand her frustration at how closed-off Jung-sun can be about why he wants her to keep her distance. But trying to get closer to him through his mother is the wrong tactic—even if his mom were the nicest person on Earth, Hyun-soo’s primary loyalty should be to Jung-sun. If I were Jung-sun, I think I’d be furious with Hyun-soo. He specifically asked her to stay away from his mother and she ignores his request, then reveals that his mother has told her some very personal and sensitive things about his past. Those things were nobody’s but Jung-sun’s to reveal, in his own time and in his own way. And then, after he asks her again not to see his mother, she goes and does exactly that.

To learn that his mother betrayed his trust, and then to have Hyun-soo flat-out refuse to honor his request not to speak to the mother whom he’s spent years trying to get away from—that would hurt anyone, much less an intensely private person like Jung-sun. And now his mother has gotten to Hyun-soo again, and I’m certain that her version of her life story is very different than the one that Jung-sun would tell, if Hyun-soo had simply respected his wishes and he’d been given the chance to tell her in his own time. He said he wasn’t going anywhere, but after learning that Hyun-soo and his mother have been violating his privacy, I won’t be surprised if he breaks that promise, nor will I blame him.

On a happier note, I’m so excited for Won-joon and Soo-jung, because even though their beginning is tentative and careful, it’s still a beginning. They have so much chemistry, and the smile that breaks out on Won-joon’s face whenever he talks to Soo-jung is pretty telling. I think he likes her more than he realizes; it’s just that he’s been “in love” with Hong-ah for so long that like he said, it’s become a habit. It’s going to take him some time to break that habit, but luckily he’s found a woman who’s willing to go slow and give him time. And it helps that Won-joon is aware that while Hong-ah is a habit, she’s a bad habit, one that needs breaking. He’s also fully aware that Soo-jung is a good woman, the kind he should be falling for, so I think that he’s going to do exactly that. I can’t wait to see it.

As for Jung-woo, he continues to defy understanding, though now he’s swinging in the opposite direction. After all that posturing about how he’s going to see this to the end and do his best to get between Jung-sun and Hyun-soo, now he seems to be backing off and letting them both off the hook. He didn’t fight Jung-sun about his buying him out of Good Soup, nor did he use his loans to Jung-sun’s mother to put pressure on him. And he’s giving Hyun-soo everything she wants for her next drama with hardly a word. He admits to himself that he’s weakening, but I just wish we knew why, and what caused this change in his behavior. Not that I’m not glad that he seems to be backing down, but when I don’t know why he’s acting like he is, it worries me that he’s going to bounce back worse than ever.

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