I’ll Find You on a Beautiful Day: Episode 13

by quirkycase

We’re wrapping up loose ends as we head into the home stretch, focusing on relationships and timing as our characters grapple with misalignment and missed chances. Is there really some elusive right time when it comes to relationships, or do we create the right time? A few of our characters are presented with opportunities to redefine or rectify relationships, but it’s up to them whether or not they make a move.

 
EPISODE 13: “Tear-water Tea Recipe”

Bo-yeong treks through the forest on her ridiculous quest to endanger herself so a boy will notice her. She recalls times when Eun-seob was kind to her at school by helping her close a window or giving her his umbrella. She calls Eun-seob, but he’s busy getting a tattoo drawn on him by Hae-won (Eun-seob: “Is this really Gunbam?”) and doesn’t answer.

Bo-yeong, not about to give up on her inane plan that easily, rings the bookshop. Eun-seob answers, and she tells him she’s lost in the mountains. “Can you come and save me? I’ll be waiting until you come.” Ew. What is his “saving” her supposed to prove, other than that he’s a decent person?

Not looking happy, Eun-seob tells Hae-won what’s going on and says he’ll be right back. He’s thrown when Hae-won declares she’ll go instead. “I think she and I need to have a talk.” Ooh, this should be good. Eun-seob sighs in worry as Hae-won marches out to “save” the damsel. So much for that plan, Bo-yeong.

Hae-won doesn’t mince words when she finds Bo-yeong, perfectly fine. Is she disappointed Eun-seob didn’t come? She could’ve managed to get back on her own, Hae-won accuses. Bo-yeong admits she’s disappointed. We flash back to her pining over Eun-seob. Bo-yeong thought of this as her last chance. For what?! He already said he doesn’t like you.

Bo-yeong whines that Hae-won doesn’t know how much effort she put in. Hae-won loses her temper, asking why now? Why like this? Because, Bo-yeong concedes, she couldn’t win his heart. “What was I supposed to do?” Uh, respecting Eun-seob’s feelings and behaving like a grown up would be a start.

Sure, she had lots of chances, but the timing was always wrong. We see all the times over the years she stood by and chose not to approach because someone else, like Hwi or Jang-woo, did first. “That’s why I couldn’t do anything.” Huh? She does realize it’s possible to talk to someone even if other people are there, right?

After Hae-won returned, she felt anxious and more determined. “I, too, wanted to get in your way and spite you.” Wow. Hae-won looks incredulous as Bo-yeong continues that Hae-won did the same thing to her. We flash back to when Hae-won sat down next to Eun-seob that day in school.

Hae-won firmly states that she did no such thing; she never intentionally made a move on Eun-seob to spite Bo-yeong. Hae-won guessed Eun-seob might have been Bo-yeong’s crush, but she never knew for sure. Bo-yeong looks stunned, and Hae-won wonders, “Kim Bo-yeong, what made you so twisted?” Bo-yeong is silent.

Eun-seob calls to check on Hae-won who tells him she found Bo-yeong and will bring her back. Hae-won leads the way with a warning for Bo-yeong to keep up.

The following morning, Hwi bikes while chuckling to herself. Her chuckles turn into something closer to maniacal laughter as she exclaims, “Everyone get out of the way!” She pulls up beside Yeong-soo outside school and walks with him. He asks for the terms of their deal. Hwi leans close and whispers something that makes his eyes go wide. Yeong-soo resignedly agrees to her terms.

In Seoul, Yoon-taek has lunch with Yeong-joon who immediately begins talking about Myung-yeo. Rumor has it, Yoon-taek has been meeting up with her, and Yeong-joon wants his undivided attention as a writer and woman. Yeesh. She magnanimously allows him to publish Myung-yeo’s book, but there’s no need to see her.

He’s distracted by a text from Myung-yeo that reads, “Those words are all true, Yoon-taek.” Yeong-joon prattles on about how she’s just as good as Myung-yeo, so why does everyone say she’s “the next Shim Myung-yeo?” Yoon-taek doesn’t look up from his phone until Yeong-joon asks if he’s heard the rumors.

Prophetically, Myung-yeo texts that all the rumors are true. Yeong-joon continues that, supposedly, Myung-yeo had an affair with her brother-in-law which is why Myung-joo killed him. “Believe what they say,” Myung-yeo texts. Unsettled, Yoon-taek walks out of the restaurant without a word, to Yeong-joon’s consternation.

In a flashback, Yoon-taek chases Myung-yeo down and pleads for a reason. She just tells him to live well. Get married, have kids – be happy. He grabs onto her and cries until she screams, “Let go!” He vows to her retreating back, “I’m going to do everything with you!” He walks up and slides an engagement ring onto her finger.

Myung-yeo stares at it silently for several seconds before returning it and refusing him. She doesn’t let herself begin to cry until she’s almost out of sight. In the present, Myung-yeo sits home alone and exhales a deep sigh.

At the bookshop, Hae-won lovingly watches Eun-seob sleep and kisses his forehead. He wakes right as she goes to kiss him. He’s concerned after her trip into the mountain last night and makes sure she’s okay both physically and emotionally.

He only relaxes once she informs him the talk with Bo-yeong went well. Satisfied, he lies back down for a nap. Hae-won whines at him to get up since she’s bored. He starts pretend-snoring, and they continue play fighting.

Jang-woo, meanwhile, meets Eun-shil at the bus stop in the city. They pass by the flower shop, and Eun-shil remarks the roses look like the ones he bought her that time. We flash back to high school when Jang-woo presented Eun-shil with a bouquet of white roses. He’d nervously introduced himself, and she’d commented he must be a kind, innocent type.

Unfortunately for him, earlier that day, she’d agreed to go out with someone else. “Sorry. I guess our timing didn’t match,” she offered. She spotted a card in the bouquet and plucked it out while Jang-woo spazzed at her to put it back. “It’s not for you.” Ha!

Eun-shil thanked him and turned him down. “Guys, I turned him down,” she announces to the horde of students hiding nearby. Poor Jang-woo runs away while everyone jeers that he got rejected.

In the present, Jang-woo asks what would’ve happened if she hadn’t already agreed to date someone else. “Of course, I would’ve said no.” He wasn’t her style back then; she was into bad boys. She interrupts his musings to state that she’s going to follow him to the fun place he’s going later. Ooh, is she coming to the book club?

Elsewhere, Bo-yeong’s mom and a neighborhood ajumma are gossiping about Hae-won’s family. Bo-yeong enters as they discuss Myung-joo returning recently and how both she and Myung-yeo are spiteful like their mother. The woman belatedly remembers Bo-yeong was close to Hae-won. Outside, Bo-yeong breathes heavily as she thinks back to when Hae-won confronted her about breaking her trust and spilling her secret at school.

Speaking of secrets, at the bookshop, Hae-won stumbles upon Eun-seob’s private blog/diary through the bookshop’s website. She clicks on the top post: the love letter. Eun-seob comes downstairs and catches her reading. He snatches his laptop away, and Hae-won marvels, “Irene was me?”

Frozen, Eun-seob clutches his laptop close as Hae-won recalls his lies about the keychain and Irene being Hwi. Eun-seob insists the phrase “Goodnight, Irene” is a lyric from a song he likes and nothing more. “Why am I Irene?” she suddenly asks. Flustered, he replies, “Because you gave me the keychain.” Whoops. Hae-won cracks up at his slip.

She finds it cute he keeps a diary, and she’s enjoying his discomfiture too much to disclose how much she read. Hae-won only realized after reading the diary that he was the kid who gave her the beetle and slept at Hodu House that time. He rapidly explains that Hwi got sick, so he slept over while his family went to the hospital. “Ah, so that’s why you fell in love again with a fairy like me.” Heh.

“This is so fun, Eun-seob!” Hae-won exclaims gleefully while Eun-seob sits dismayed. He drops his head to the table after she admits she read most of his posts, including the one where he detailed the river incident. She promises not to tease him but then starts dramatically quoting from his diary. Ha.

Yoon-taek takes the train to see Myung-yeo. He doesn’t want to believe the rumors about her affair. Myung-yeo doesn’t think it matters anymore what anyone thinks. The affair, the murder – the outcome is her brother-in-law is dead and her sister went to jail. No matter what, she’d still be a mess. “Whatever you believe is the truth.”

Yoon-taek disagrees, so Myung-yeo states unequivocally the rumors are true. Even if it’s true, shouldn’t she lie about it to him? Yoon-taek believes it’s the least she could do. Myung-yeo apologizes. “I’ve … wilted,” she confesses defeatedly. “We’ve all wilted,” Yoon-taek counters.

Myung-yeo removes her sunglasses and faces him. Yoon-taek looks at her in sorrow. “I’m the only one who’s completely dead, Yoon-taek.” As she walks home, he follows at a distance. Yoon-taek breaks down as Myung-yeo’s voice recites:

I will cut off the tips of my five fingers and draw a staff with my blood.
I will be alone tonight, but I won’t be lonely.
And tonight, I will shed tears.
The first glass is for you, who left me.
The second glass is for me, who is already so pathetic.
Another glass for our eternal love.
And the last glass is for the Almighty who foresaw and decided everything in advance.

At the book club meeting, Eun-shil enthusiastically introduces herself while Jang-woo frets in the background. Of course, Hyun-ji points out his odd mood to the group, and everyone messes with him, per usual. Eun-shil reads aloud the poem “Love” by Cho Chi-hun about missing the chance to tell someone you love them.

Little Seung-ho is confused when Soo-jung says the poem makes her heart ache. Is love painful? Eun-shil claims it isn’t for her before turning to Jang-woo. “Is love painful for you?” Jang-woo does a spit take, and Eun-shil cheekily wonders if his unrequited love broke his heart.

Hae-won runs upstairs to get tissue for Jang-woo and uses the opportunity to peek at Eun-seob’s laptop again. Hae-won’s face falls as she reads an entry titled “The Bookstore in the Ocean” about how she will leave again one day. Hwi pops in to say Bo-yeong is on the phone for her.

Downstairs, Jang-woo is defending himself, swearing he’s never been heartbroken. Seung-ho pipes up that unrequited love is sad – or that’s what he’s read, anyway. Ha. They all start teasing him about how knowledgeable he is and whether he has a girlfriend.

The next day, Hwi primps while she waits for Yeong-soo to ride up. When he shows, she unceremoniously hops on the back of his bike. He sighs and keeps riding as she exuberantly yells her famous, “Everyone get out of the way!”

Meanwhile, Hae-won and Bo-yeong meet on the bus, sitting seats apart in the back like they’re about to trade international secrets. After thinking about what Hae-won said, Bo-yeong agrees she was right. She hated Hae-won for cutting ties after a single mistake without hearing her out or giving her another chance.

When Hae-won still wouldn’t talk to her years later, Bo-yeong wanted it to seem like Hae-won was spiteful, and she was pitiable. Ugh. Hae-won takes issue with Bo-yeong’s interpretation. It may have been one mistake, but it had a huge impact on Hae-won.

“I didn’t think that far,” Bo-yeong interrupts. “I’m sorry.” Finally. From her perspective, it was one mistake, so she hated Hae-won for her reaction. Bo-yeong claims hate is born of liking someone, and she really liked Hae-won. She doubts Hae-won felt as strongly about her, seeing how she dropped her so easily. She gets up, takes one last look at Hae-won, and gets off the bus. Hae-won reflects on the early days of their friendship.

Eun-seob gets a call that sends him running to the hospital. Gil-bok collapsed and, worried about the bill, wants to be discharged against recommendation. At the hospital, Eun-seob comforts little Seung-ho who’s scared his grandfather will die. Eun-seob promises he’ll be alright. (Why do people promise things they can’t deliver?)

Eun-seob drops Seung-ho off at Hodu House. It’s more crowded than usual with Eun-shil and Hae-won’s friend Ji-yeon there too. After Hae-won and Seung-ho do some skincare PPL, they go downstairs to join the others. Seung-ho shares the book he’s reading called “Owl at Home” by Arnold Lobel about an owl who collects the tears he cries to make tear-water tea and forget his sadness.

When little Seung-ho calls Myung-yeo noona as opposed to the age-appropriate imo (“aunt”), everyone rants about how uncomfortable Myung-yeo’s insistence on always being called unni and noona is. They try to get Seung-ho to admit it’s awkward, but he’s too sweet. Later, when she’s alone in her room, Myung-yeo ruminates on her emotional conversation with Yoon-taek.

In the morning, Eun-seob comes to pick up Seung-ho. After Hae-won sees them off, she goes inside to wake her aunt. Hae-won enters Myung-yeo’s room to find her unconscious on the floor. As Hae-won rushes to her aunt and cradles her head, Eun-seob narrates that he’s prepared for Hae-won’s leaving but hopes she can do so gladly, without a heavy-heart. Myung-yeo’s eyes flutter open for a moment before closing again as Hae-won desperately screams her aunt’s name. Ack!

Eun-seob’s Blog Post

Irene saw my private diary. Darn it. I think she saw the bookstore diary section. I’m not sure how much of it she read. Since she teased me about the marshmallow story, I think she read up to where she arrived in Bukhyeon-ri. How much did she read after that? It’s not like anything’s going to happen even if she read it all. But I almost lost my mind from sheer embarrassment.

 
COMMENTS

Okay, they’d better not have anything happen to Myung-yeo. We do not need more tragedy up in here. Everyone is finally facing their demons and moving forward, so can we just give them a break? Clearly, there’s more going on with Myung-yeo than just the glaucoma. Those headaches haven’t been mentioned in a while, but I doubt they’ve gone away. If we go the cancer or fatal illness route, I will not be happy.

On the topic of health, things aren’t looking so hot for Gil-bok. I’m assuming Seung-ho is being raised by his grandfather since we’ve had no mention of his parents. If something happens to Gil-bok, Seung-ho would likely be left completely alone. Although, I’m sure he’d be taken care of by everyone in the town if something did happen. He’s a sweet kid, and it’s clear everyone loves him. But he seems particularly close to Eun-seob, which is cute. I wonder how they got to be so close.

The role of timing in relationships took center stage this episode. How much does it really affect? In the case of Eun-shil and Jang-woo, timing has had a significant impact. At the start, young Eun-shil wasn’t in a place to appreciate Jang-woo’s sweetness, but that seems to have changed. By her endearing looks and smiles, as well as how much she loves teasing him (like Hae-won does to Eun-seob), I’d say Eun-shil is interested. But timing can also be a convenient excuse to sit on the sidelines, as we saw with Bo-yeong. She had years’ worth of chances but wasn’t brave enough to take them, blaming “timing” for her failure instead of her own inaction.

Ah, Bo-yeong. She finally apologized, which is good, but she still managed to make it mostly about her. I’m convinced this woman is incapable of being unselfish. Her whole woe-is-me spiel in the woods had me rolling my eyes, but I do like how it was resolved. Hae-won was no-nonsense, as usual, and put Bo-yeong in her place with a much needed wake up call. Bo-yeong has been acting like a spoiled child who can’t stand for anyone to have anything she likes, but, thankfully, it seems like Hae-won’s words got through to her a smidge. Not fully, but what can you do?

I loved that we didn’t get the typical meddling second lead situation. Yes, Bo-yeong tried to meddle, but it was wildly unsuccessful. Her whole plan fell apart the moment Hae-won stepped in to “save” her. What a great reversal! Thank goodness we didn’t get the conventional lack of communication leading to misunderstandings; Eun-seob didn’t hide what was going on and immediately informed Hae-won of the situation. Then, although he didn’t love the idea, he stepped back so Hae-won could handle it. Despite the fact that I do worry about the imbalance in their relationship – Hae-won initiates everything while he stays passive – I do like how they support, trust and respect each other.

Now for a relationship I’m not so sure about: Myung-yeo and Yoon-taek. They obviously care about each other deeply, and I want Myung-yeo to have someone she can lean on. But those flashbacks of the early days of their relationship from a couple episodes back were concerning. Myung-yeo was condescending and controlling to a degree that was not okay. It felt borderline abusive the way she demeaned him as he worked tirelessly to please her. Of course, we only saw a snippet, and we don’t know if that dynamic continued into their older years. As it stands, that makes me too uncomfortable to fully root for them as a couple. But, for both of their sakes, I do want Myung-yeo to stop lying to him and give him the truth he so desperately wants to hear. She needs to unburden, and she has a willing listener (and, likely, supporter) in Yoon-taek. It’s time to let it go.

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