One Spring Night: Episodes 25-26

by abirdword

Our lead couple move forward with their relationship at a rapid pace, fueled by all the passion that our librarian’s former relationship lacked. With their compatibility confirmed, all that’s left to the puzzle is where our pharmacist’s son fits in to the new couple’s world. Meanwhile, Dad begins to come around, but the ex-boyfriend still has one final move to make to keep him on his side.

 
EPISODE 25

Ji-ho’s apartment is lit only by moonlight when Ji-ho stumbles out of his bedroom and collapses onto his couch. In the bedroom, even the pillows are thrown to the floor as Jung-in sprawls across the entire bed, haha. And in case you were wondering if this was a family trait, we peek in quickly on Jae-in, who is also taking up her own bed entirely.

Morning arrives, and Jung-in crouches next to the couch where she finds Ji-ho still sleeping. She studies him closely, and he’s startled to find her so close when he wakes. She asks him if she was snoring and drove him away, and he gasps, “You even snore?”

Jung-in grumbles as Ji-ho complains about he nearly fell off the bed trying to share it with her, and Ji-ho teases that she won’t be allowed to sleep over ever again. Jung-in protests, curling up into Ji-ho’s arms on the even tinier couch. They roll and fall gently to the floor, laughing and kissing.

Over at Seo-in’s, Mom and Jae-in are there to cook. Mom asks where Jung-in is, and Jae-in lies that she slept over at Young-joo’s. Mom demands that Jae-in call Young-joo as proof, and the sisters tell her to drop it.

Jung-in strolls in like a satisfied cat to Young-joo’s apartment, but Young-joo looks frazzled. She reports that Ki-seok is on his way over. Jung-in grows frustrated, and promises to take care of this. Young-joo isn’t mollified though, her thoughts on Jung-in and how difficult this relationship will be for her.

Ki-seok’s still at home when Jung-in calls, and she’s curt as she tells him to leave her and her friends and family alone. Ki-seok stands firm that he has to do this, for her own good.

By the time Jung-in returns to Ji-ho’s apartment, she’s in a terrible mood. Ji-ho joins her on the couch and Jung-in vents, not just about Ki-seok but also about how she hates how everyone is treating them like they’ve committed a crime. Jung-in taps her phone to call her mom and tell her everything, but Ji-ho’s calm voice convinces her to cancel the call.

Mom spotted the call though and calls back right away. Jung-in does her best to play it off and says that she just wanted to check in, Ji-ho giggling the whole time while as Jung-in insists she’s been with Young-joo the whole time. Mom knows something’s up, and says as much after she hangs up to her eldest and youngest daughters. Mom badgers them for details about Ji-ho, and they send sidelong glances at one another but stay quiet.

Mom says that she can tell he has some kind of flaw, and the girls promise that Jung-in will tell her herself, but also add that Mom should brace herself for a surprise.

Meanwhile, Chairman Kwon is having a get together with some of his work friends, and one of the guys points out that Jung-in’s dad must have been purposely left off the guest list. The chairman seems surprised that he’s not there, and blames others there for not remembering to invite him.

Alone at home, Jung-in’s dad pouts on his couch. He’s surprised to hear the door open, and Mom returns with her suitcase in hand. She says that she felt bad for stressing him out. Dad asks if Mom managed to talk Seo-in out of the divorce, and Mom demands that Dad think about what brought Seo-in to her decision in the first place.

Then Dad totally surprises Mom by asking to meet Jung-in’s new boyfriend. Mom is suspicious, but Dad just says that she’s been telling him for a while now to listen to his daughters.

Outside Jung-in’s apartment, Ki-seok lurks. He rings the buzzer several times, but no one is home. As he leans over the balcony, he pulls up Ji-ho’s number and gives him a call.

Ji-ho sees the call as he washes dishes, but he ignores it as he gives a glance back to Jung-in, who is still there with him.

Outside Ji-ho’s apartment, Ki-seok’s car pulls up. Ki-seok strides up the stairwell and rings the buzzer, but he’s surprised when it’s Young-jae and Hyun-soo who answer. Ki-seok cranes his neck over their shoulders, still expecting to spot Jung-in behind them, but neither Ji-ho nor Jung-in are there anymore. The guys tell him that they stopped by unexpectedly and don’t know where Ji-ho is. Young-jae invites Ki-seok in, but Ki-seok turns him down and wanders back down the stairs.

The guys close the door and return to their chicken. Hyun-soo scolds Young-jae for inviting Ki-seok in, and Young-jae says he was just baffled. He explains that he knows there was no way that Ki-seok was there to talk to Ji-ho. He was obviously there looking for Jung-in. Hyun-soo denies it, but Young-jae points out that Ki-seok is probably super embarrassed right now (as he should be).

Hyun-soo tries again to defend Ki-seok, saying that Jung-in shouldn’t have accepted the ring at all. But Young-jae isn’t having it, and says that it’s clear that Ki-seok knew very well that Jung-in had no intention of saying yes to his proposal. Young-jae names it as an obsession, and he’s not wrong. Hyun-soo tries to lighten the mood, saying that perhaps it just shows how much Ki-seok loves her. Young-jae responds that if that’s the case, having a one-sided crush counts as dating experience.

The next day, Mom visits Jung-in at work. Mom tells Jung-in about Dad’s new interest in meeting Ji-ho. Jung-in is worried it’s a trap, and asks if Dad heard something from Ki-seok. Mom doesn’t think that’s the case, but she presses Jung-in to tell her what the secret is, since there’s clearly something she’s keeping from them.

Jung-in takes several moments to gather her courage, and then she tells her mother that Ji-ho has a son. Jung-in begins to cry, not giving her mom a chance to have a reaction herself as Jung-in just blurts out her own worries and fears about it. “I can’t be without him,” Jung-in sobs into her mother’s lap, and mom strokes her daughter’s hair gently.

Eventually, Jung-in walks her mother to the library steps to say goodbye. But before she sends her off, the still tearful Jung-in asks her mother to meet Ji-ho. Mom asks why, seeming to protest, but she obviously can’t stay strong against her daughter’s mournful eyes.

Over at the pharmacy, Ji-ho ducks out of work. He says he’ll be back later, and Pharmacist Wang just tells him to be early the next morning.

At the bank, Ki-seok runs into Hyun-soo at the coffee machine. He tries to seem casual as he asks Hyun-soo if he told Ji-ho that he stopped by. Hyun-soo confirms that yes, he told Ji-ho that Ki-seok had stopped by with something to talk to him about. “I had something to talk to him about,” Ki-seok repeats, as if he didn’t hear Hyun-soo say it himself. Hyun-soo nods and leaves Ki-seok alone in the break room. Frazzled, the coffee cup slips from Ki-seok’s hand and spills all over the front of his shirt and pants.

At the school, the chairman runs into Jung-in’s dad in the hall. Dad gives an excuse that he had somewhere to be and that’s why he missed the chairman’s latest hang out (and definitely not that he had been excluded). The two nod politely at one another as Dad darts off to his office.

But not too much later, the chairman calls to invite Dad out for dinner to make up for the get together. But Dad says that he’s got plans. As he hangs up, Dad grimaces at the phone receiver, saying that he won’t be so easily won back.

Ji-ho arrives at the library, looking for Jung-in. Young-joo isn’t sure where she is, but Ha-rin shows up and reports that Jung-in was crying earlier and is now hiding in the basement theater. Ji-ho heads for the elevator, but can’t wait for it to arrive and takes the stairs.

Ji-ho finds Jung-in sitting alone in the empty theater room. He sits next to her, telling her that he wishes she wouldn’t cry alone. Jung-in says that she’s not upset because she was scolded, but rather that her mother left without giving an answer to her request to introduce Ji-ho.

“I always tell you that everything will be okay and that we can take things slowly because there’s this faith, that only you and I know of,” Ji-ho says. “The ‘us’ you always mention?” Jung-in asks, and Ji-ho nods. Ji-ho asks what this theater is, and Jung-in says that it’s a place where people can kiss in secret, and the two lean in for a kiss.

Jung-in returns to work in the stacks, and Ji-ho stalks her again, although this time there’s no fear of being caught. Instead he walks right into the same aisle, and Jung-in smiles and hands him a book to place on a high shelf. Instead, Ji-ho picks her up at the hips and raises her up to the shelf. But she’s laughing too hard to get the book on the shelf. The two giggle with one another, happy to be together.

EPISODE 26

Mom returns to Seo-in’s apartment to discuss the Ji-ho situation with them. Jae-in points out that they have their own future single parent in their family, and while Mom tries to say that it’s different, Seo-in agrees that it’s kind of the same.

Additionally, Seo-in reminds Mom that she regrets not talking Seo-in out of marrying Shi-hoon. “You should meet him,” Seo-in says, “so that there are no regrets.” Both sisters gently encourage their mother to trust Jung-in and meet the guy.

Meanwhile, Shi-hoon meets up with his lawyer buddy, and is surprised to hear that yeah, a guy who abuses his wife may not get parental rights during a divorce settlement. Surprise, asshole.

Shi-hoon insists that he’s just asking for a friend of a friend, definitely not himself. His lawyer buddy says that this guy sounds like a jerk. He tells Shi-hoon that if this is his own circumstances, he definitely shouldn’t ask him to represent him. “This guy will definitely lose the case.”

And now it’s time to check in on Ki-seok, who is sitting in his car outside Jung-in’s library. Ugh. Ji-ho and Jung-in walk out together, neither of them spotting Ki-seok’s car. But Ji-ho ducks back out of his car to make a call, and as he stands on the sidewalk, his eyes lock on to Ki-seok’s own gaze.

Ji-ho doesn’t say anything to Jung-in, but he’s very aware of Ki-seok’s headlights behind them as Ki-seok follows them back to his place. Ji-ho sends Jung-in upstairs first, saying that he’ll park the car, but instead he exits his car and approaches Ki-seok, who also gets out and walks forward.

“You can date Jung-in again after we break up,” Ji-ho says. “This is your least pathetic realistic option.” Nice. Ji-ho then warns that Jung-in will open the window and see Ki-seok, and Ki-seok barks that he’s not afraid.

They square off with one another, issuing challenges, until Jung-in does spot the two of them and comes out to confront Ki-seok herself. She tells Ki-seok that he can bother her, or her friends, or her family, but demands that he stay away from Ji-ho entirely. She warns that if he keeps this up, she’ll do whatever she has to do to stop it.

At Seo-in’s apartment, Shi-hoon blusters in with complaints, until he realizes that Jae-in is also there. He nods at her and then heads into the office with Seo-in. He tries to insist that there will be no divorce and that he won’t give up his parental rights. Seo-in stays strong, and he lurks forward, using his body to intimidate Seo-in back into her seat.

He tries again, but Seo-in will not back down. Seo-in stands, and when Shi-hoon asks if she’ll tell the baby that he doesn’t exist, Seo-in says of course not, she’ll tell them that he’s in prison. Zing.

Except that her remark incites Shi-hoon’s anger, and he raises his hand to strike her. Jae-in is at the door in a flash, now just realizing the full extent of Shi-hoon’s abuses. She yells and strikes out at him herself, driving him from the office. But her bravado drains from her just as quickly as it came on, and she drops to the floor in mournful tears, the baby sister who sees the reality of her sister’s supposed dream life. Seo-in drops to the floor to hold Jae-in tight.

And Ki-seok heads to his dad’s place after his confrontation with Jung-in. The two sit together in the dark room, Ki-seok joking if his dad is worried that he’ll take up music again. The chairman returns that he’s worried that he’ll do something worse, and the topic turns to the photos of Ji-ho and Jung-in together. Ki-seok still denies the truth to his dad and insists that Jung-in and Ji-ho are just friends, and also asks his dad to please give Jung-in’s dad the job he’s promised him.

The chairman asks his son if he can’t win the girl himself, and Ki-seok just nods that he’s willing to take a crappy deal if he gets him what he wants.

At her apartment, Jung-in finishes her skincare routine and cuddles into her bedding on the floor. She’s surprised when she feels Jae-in’s arms wrap around her, and Jae-in asks her big sister to enjoy a long happy life with Ji-ho. They cuddle together as they fall asleep.

Young-jae checks in with Ji-ho at the pharmacy. Ji-ho assumes he’s there for supplements, but Young-jae says he actually just wants to talk, and says that he was joking when he and Jae-in discouraged his relationship with Jung-in. Ji-ho jokes that perhaps he will run, and Young-jae scoffs that Ji-ho is not the type.

Jung-in’s dad sees the chairman enter the school from his office window, and the two look at each other nervously. In his office, Chairman Kwon goes over the organizational chart for his foundation, considering Jung-in’s dad’s spot in it. And Ki-seok makes his own move, sorting through all the photos of Jung-in that were taken and placing the ones of Ji-ho and his son in an envelope.

And meanwhile, Ji-ho’s parents help strap Eun-woo into Ji-ho’s car for an afternoon out with Jung-in. Mom is clearly still worried, but Dad soothes her, saying that Jung-in is the one who asked for Eun-woo to come.

Eun-woo delivers the pinwheel he promised Jung-in as soon as they pick her up. Ji-ho pretends to pout in the driver’s seat, and Eun-woo calls his behavior stupid from the backseat, making Jung-in crack a huge smile.

Jung-in’s dad finds the envelope from Ki-seok in his mailbox, but he’s late for a wedding and leaves the envelope there for now. Whew.

So with that tragedy momentarily delayed, we move on to a joyous time spent with Eun-woo at a children’s amusement park. Jung-in and Ji-ho walk hand-in-hand with Eun-woo, swinging him up into the air and popping bubbles together as they want the performers on stage.

They run with their pinwheels spinning in the breeze, just happy to be together. Jung-in and Ji-ho take a break on a bench as Eun-woo plays in a field just ahead. Jung-in asks if Eun-woo will remember this day, and Ji-ho assures her that he absolutely will.

Jung-in runs over to Eun-woo, and in a moment is back with a photo to show Ji-ho. It’s of the three of them, smiling together in a selfie, and Jung-in asks Ji-ho to replace the family photo of him and Eun-woo beside his bed to this one. Ji-ho is quiet, seemingly stunned, and Jung-in’s face turns to a pout.

She runs out to Eun-woo again, and after a whisper in his ear, Eun-woo runs back this time to Ji-ho. Eun-woo looks up at his dad, and says that Jung-in asked if he’d like her as his mom. Ji-ho swallows heavily and asks what Eun-woo’s response was, and Eun-woo tells him that he said yes.

Ji-ho walks to Jung-in now. She continues to pout, and says that she’s not embarrassed that he rejected her first attempt at proposing. She continues to tease lightly, but Ji-ho’s response is very serious as he asks, “Are you really coming to us?” She warns Ji-ho that she’ll be a tough wife, and he smiles as he says that he knows that already. They hug, Ji-ho’s expression so full of emotion.

On the way home, they stop alongside the road for a celebratory drink while Eun-woo sleeps in the backseat. They look out at the landscape, arm in arm, two small cups on the hood of the car, and kiss.

Back at his home, Jung-in’s dad finally opens up the envelope from Ki-seok. He flips through the photos, the elevator opening and closing without his notice.

Ji-ho’s parents are still up and worrying about Ji-ho and Eun-woo. Mom bounces back and forth between wanting to invite Jung-in inside when they return, and worrying that Ji-ho’s heart could get broken again, and Eun-woo’s as well.

And as for Jung-in’s dad, he’s officially furious and demands that Mom call Jung-in and demand that she come over immediately. Jung-in is still in the car on the way home when her mother’s call reaches her. “Your dad found out,” her mother tells her, and Jung-in’s eyes widen.

 
COMMENTS

We’ve had it too good up until now. We’ve been able to swat away Ki-seok as an annoying gnat, and Jung-in’s female family members have been easy to win over. But now here we are finally, with our real conflict. Dad officially knows about Eun-woo, and he intends to take care of this immediately.

And yet… I don’t feel any real concern. Maybe it’s the “us” that Jung-in and Ji-ho discussed in the basement theater. I too believe that they’ve got this faith in themselves as a unit, and that it’s not going to matter in the end, because they are going to make things work.

Even better, we possibly saw hints of growth from Jung-in’s dad. Sure, it took something as childish as being ignored at work by the chairman, but it was nice to see him stand up for himself a bit and consider that his life doesn’t have to completely revolve around Chairman Kwon and his happiness. I can’t help but think that for all his yelling, that Dad is going to have to come around. He’s already seen that his wife won’t hesitate to walk out the door and leave him to fend for himself if he pushes too hard. And really, I think if he takes a moment and weighs things, he’ll see that his real concern should be Seo-in and how to keep her safe.

So, I’m strangely hopeful. It won’t make for especially interesting television perhaps, but I’m completely okay with Dad’s objections just fizzling away and Jung-in, Ji-ho, and Eun-woo riding off into the beautiful sunset that is their new found family.

That said, the proposal scene didn’t land for me the way I think it was intended. It was supposed to be heartwarming, Jung-in’s embrace of not just Jiho but the whole family. But instead, I was so worried about Eun-woo’s feelings that it took a moment to feel happy for our couple. It obviously made Ji-ho happy, and they are moving forward together. But what if Eun-woo had said no? What if he hadn’t been quite so sure yet after his one outing with Jung-in? Not to mention, what happens when this confrontation with Jung-in’s family blows up? I really don’t want a scene where Jung-in has to tell Eun-woo that she won’t be his new mom after all. This felt like one moment where Jung-in and Ji-ho were really not thinking of the larger picture, and one where I can’t help but side with Ji-ho’s mom and her fretting.

But even though that particular moment didn’t hit me as perfectly as it should, I am happy for them. I’m not mad that they’re moving so quickly. In a show meant to contrast complacency and staying in a relationship where there has never been any real passion to something that just consumes them entirely, I’m fine with the super speed of this relationship.

I had a good cackle when Shi-hoon’s face just fell when he discovered that he might not win in a custody battle against his abused wife. He’s been getting by on the rules of a society that gives the right of way to men for so long, he couldn’t fathom that beating his wife might actually have consequences. And it was delightful to see that smug smile wiped off his face from last week, when he was so sure that the baby revelation was a point for his side.

My only worry is that as the focus shifts to Jung-in, Shi-hoon might get desperate and see an opportunity to find Seo-in left alone. Can we make this storyline wrap up nice and easy as well, and just send this guy to jail?

With Ki-seok and Shi-hoon out here making men look bad, thank god for Young-jae and his enlightened outlook on life. I loved when he had a response to every single one of Hyun-soo’s attempts to put the blame on Jung-in as they discussed the whole Ji-ho-Jung-in situation. Hyun-soo isn’t a bad guy, but he just doesn’t want to be stuck in this uncomfortable spot at work anymore. He’s willing to throw blame anywhere that makes it easier for him, and that means seeing Jung-in to blame for at least a few things. But Young-jae won’t let him get away with that and calls Ki-seok out for all of his bad behavior. I’m so glad that he and Jae-in worked things out quickly, because this guy is a good match for her.

This show has flown by. I was so surprised to realize that we’re almost to the end and that I only have one more week with everyone. It also means that I’ve forgotten to take a guess at what will happen in the end, and I’m happy for that. It means I’ve started trusting this show, and I really think we’re going to make it to a satisfying end. I’ll see you all there, and hopefully I won’t have to eat my words.

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