If You Wish Upon Me: Episodes 9-10

39 September 10, 2022September 9, 2022

by quirkycase

Our volunteer’s traumatic past comes careening back into his life, shattering his newfound peace. But his hospice family isn’t about to give up on him that easily and hatches a plan. Meanwhile, more reveals are in store about our mysterious patient and our beloved supervisor’s past.

EPISODES 9-10 WEECAP

After Joon-kyung’s unceremonious arrival, she demands that Gyeo-re leave with her immediately. When he resists, she falls back on her old pattern of abuse and threatens to kill herself if he stays. So, he leaves with her, looking like he’s been handed a death sentence. He can barely meet Yeon-joo’s eyes as he leaves.

Joon-kyung’s abusive and emotionally manipulative behavior made me so angry it was honestly hard to get through the episode. I kept pausing for deep breaths. She’s profoundly broken, but it’s hard to sympathize with her on account of her being so awful. Making matters worse, it seems like he’s never even wanted to be in a romantic relationship with her – she’s just trying to coerce him into it.

Besides her constant threats of self-harm, she also guilts him into cooperation by blaming him for this whole situation. When they were little, she almost got adopted by a rich family, but she refused the adoption after Gyeo-re asked her to become family with him instead. Now, she holds onto him with a death grip using that innocent childhood promise.

Gyeo-re tries to convince Joon-kyung to seek professional help, but she lashes out and refuses to accept that she’s mentally ill. Instead, she focuses all her efforts on holding onto Gyeo-re, literally and figuratively. She won’t let him out of her sight and clings to him every chance she gets.

When he attends the wedding ceremony of a wishee, Joon-kyung follows him looking sullen at the mere thought Gyeo-re can be happy without her. He chats with Team Genie, although he avoids Yeon-joo, afraid of dragging her into his mess. Thankfully, Gyeo-re does talk to Tae-shik and explain his situation.

Gyeo-re finally reaches a breaking point after Joon-kyung has a dish-breaking screaming-bloody-murder meltdown when he won’t eat the meal she made for him. He’s so desperate he texts his address to Seok-joon because he’d rather die by the gangster’s hand than live like this.

While Gyeo-re waits for Seok-joon on the roof, Tae-shik has a chat with Yeon-joo to explain Gyeo-re’s situation. When she hears he’s basically in a hostage situation, she grabs her boxing gloves and marches over to save him.

Yeon-joo finds Gyeo-re ready to die on the roof and tells him off before punching Joon-kyung twice when she starts acting up. Then, Yeon-joo locks Gyeo-re out and has it out with Joon-kyung. She lets Joon-kyung rage like a parent riding out a tantrum. Yeon-joo is completely unfazed by Joon-kyung’s histrionics and calls her out on her abuse and BS. It’s SO satisfying.

Somehow, Yeon-joo manages to find empathy for the woman and gives her the boxing gloves, telling Joon-kyung to come by the hospice when she’s ready for help. On their way out, Yeon-joo and Gyeo-re are intercepted by Seok-joon. They get in a scuffle and escape with some bruises.

Once Yeon-joo leaves with Gyeo-re, Joon-kyung can’t face reality and ends up jumping off the roof. She survives with Seok-joon – who is totally in love with her – at her side when she wakes up. (Why not pick the guy who doesn’t find being with you a sentence worse than death?)

Elsewhere, Gyeo-re is welcomed back by his Team Genie family who give him a hard time but are thrilled he’s returned. Tae-shik does his best to hide his worsening pain from Gyeo-re and everyone else, but it’s a struggle.

We do get some further developments on our mysterious patient in the locked room who seems to have woken up. Unbeknownst to the staff, he’s taken to lurking around the hospice at night and even finds the will Gyeo-re left. His intentions are unclear since he did help Yeon-joo when she fainted in the hallway, but he was holding a knife and seems to have made a shallow cut on her neck for some reason.

But we finally learn the deal with this bizarre situation. The man is the shady business partner from Tae-shik’s past, and one day he came with his minions to the hospice to find Tae-shik. Now, here’s where things get a little murky. Somehow, he ended up injured and on the brink of death in the woods nearby. Grandpa Yoon found him and got Team Genie to save the man, saying he didn’t want Tae-shik to be branded a murderer.

We never see Tae-shik attack the man, so I’m not sure if it’s to keep Tae-shik from being falsely accused or if Grandpa Yoon saw Tae-shik hurt him. Either way, Team Genie has kept him alive and stashed away ever since. Gyeo-re overhears Yeon-joo talking to Dr. Yang about it and finally gets his answer about the mysterious patient.

Then, we get another flashback that answers the question once and for all: what is Tae-shik’s connection to Gyeo-re? And my initial interpretation was right! Gyeo-re’s father is none other than Tae-shik’s ex-business partner now stashed at the hospice. After Tae-shik saw little Gyeo-re with clear marks of extreme abuse, he encouraged him to run away and save himself. And Gyeo-re did just that.

Now, Tae-shik asks Gyeo-re about his family – isn’t he curious about his parents? Gyeo-re reveals he can’t remember his mother who left when he was little. As for his horribly abusive father, Gyeo-re intentionally wiped him from his memory and can no longer recall his face. (Whelp, I have a feeling his memory is going to be jogged soon enough.) Gyeo-re worries he’ll be like his father, but Tae-shik assures him he’s too warm and kind for that.

We end the week with Tae-shik, Gyeo-re, and Yeon-joo going on a wish-granting trip. When they stop for food, Tae-shik’s pain leads him to pass out in the street. Yeon-joo and Gyeo-re frantically try to wake him.

Haven’t we had enough trauma and sadness? I’m not ready to lose Tae-shik, too. At least we finally have some answers about both Gyeo-re’s connection to Tae-shik and the mysterious patient. I wish they hadn’t done the red herring thing with Tae-shik and Gyeo-re since I don’t think we needed the extra mystery – there’s enough going on without making Gyeo-re’s parentage a guessing game.

Now that Gyeo-re’s father has woken up, it’s only a matter of time before he and Gyeo-re come face to face. Thank goodness Gyeo-re has his new family by his side who have proved they’ll protect him no matter what.

And I have to say, I love that Yeon-joo gets the knight in shining armor role. It’s fun to see the gender reversal with her being the protector and the initiator in the relationship. Whether it’s getting him out of a hostage situation or scandalizing him with her forward remarks (that lunch box comment made me LOL), Yeon-joo is such an active character. With her and the rest of Team Genie by his side, I’m confident Gyeo-re will be able to get through whatever comes next, whether that’s Tae-shik’s worsening condition or having to face his father.

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1 Nefret

September 10, 2022 at 9:19 AM

I am glad that Gyeo-re is out of this toxic relationship.

If you compare his posture at the end of episode 10 and the way he speaks now with his appearance at the very beginning, you can see that he has become happier and therefore more confident. I hope this helps him to get through the encounter with his father more emotionally well.

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fourwithsun

September 10, 2022 at 2:21 PM

I agree!! I get that JoonKyung is in a really pitiful situation, but GyeoRe was not in any capacity to help her, nor was that his responsibility. She needs professional medical help, but even then, SHE has to want it first, and right now she’s clearly not ready to admit she has a problem. That’s the difference between her and GyeoRe. They were both broken, but GyeoRe got to a place where he was willing to admit he needed help and take steps to try to get assistance. Hopefully she’ll come to her senses before something worse happens, but even if not, GyeoRe cannot and should not be blamed for it.

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emsel

September 11, 2022 at 12:24 AM

You are right that Joon Kyung should be the one wanting help to reform and she is being manipulative and toxic, but Gyeo Rye can't be absolved of all his responsibility because objectively speaking, he prevented her from being adopted and her life could have been entirely different. Though the promise was made as a kid, Gyeo Rye continued to honour it well into their adult life, until he wanted to get free. He should have been persistent with her and knock some sense into her to get therapy, but the first thing he did as soon as he saw her at hospice was to chase her away. I get he wanted to forget his past, but that girl was dependent on him and all the others that were by her side just wanted to use her for money. This is why I liked the scene where Yeon Joo saw through her and called her out on her crap to die.

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Aidualc

September 11, 2022 at 6:27 AM

I don't think Gyeo-re has any responsability to her anymore. Of course he chased her away at the hospice, last time they saw eachother she tried to set him on fire. Gyeo-re honored the promise for them to be family, he always meant a brother sister relationship,not lovers. But she wants more, so what is he to do, be in an abusive romantic relationship when he is not into her that way just because of a promise he made as a child? You can't help someone if they don't admit they have a problem. In real life it wouldn't be expected of someone to stay in a situation where their literal life is in danger just because that other person has traumas/mental illness.

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fourwithsun

September 12, 2022 at 6:53 AM

Said my thoughts exactly. The fact that the promise was made when he was child and the fact that she endangered his life automatically nullify whatever supposed “responsibility” he beared for her. Joon Kyung experienced many hardships and injustices in her life, but none of them were caused by GyeoRe. The blame needs to be where it belongs - the family that abandoned her, and the jerks who exploited her for money.

2 Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️

September 10, 2022 at 10:04 AM

@quirkycase thanks for the weecap. I agree it was hard this week but thankfully it was balanced out with the turn around with the wish, although that dress was too extra for a woman of her age. The found family reunion and watching Gyeorye’s tour of the building, clearing things away and checking in on the residents it was so sweet. He finally felt that he belonged and was loved. The band of three homeless men must be have some kind of military background as they are able to track people down like the special forces 😂 It also goes to show how easy it is for homeless people to blend into the background as people don't want to see them. Because of Gyeorye’s background as a lost person he did notice them.

I do wonder how they will end the series as the money has been moved by shady man. Joonkyung is bound to take the mobsters to the hospice as she is a woman scorned and has nothing to lose now her attempts to kill herself and get her man have both been ineffective.

I don’t get how the patient is so ill they need to bring the doctor in but he is able to walk around the building most nights seemly energised and undetected. Also when there was all the activity in the reception where was the security monitoring the corridors with cameras and or staff actively walking around? Why is he loitering at the hospice rather than calling in his boys if he is well enough to roam?
I have a bad feeling that the elder was a cop who sent an innocent young man to prison and now wants to make amends but is going to be too late.

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Nal

September 10, 2022 at 11:23 AM

If the shady fourth floor man is indeed Gyeo Rye's father then the ending seems pretty clear.

The stolen money is technically Gyeo Re's dad's since from the flashback it looks like he is/was the head of the whole prostitution thingy. So I guess they will round thing up nicely when everything is out in the open.

Gyeo Rye will even be more devastated when he finds out that the father from which he ran away is responsible for the life Jun Kyung is living

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Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️

September 10, 2022 at 11:33 AM

Then who is the man with the golf club at the hospital? Sungll seems to be gang boss for Gyeorye’s situation and I thought it was a separate gang linked with Taesik. I have a part time face blindness that means I can’t always remember people but Gyeorye didn't seem to be bothered by them because they were connected with him but because he thought Taesik was a con artist covering his dodgy ways. That reminds me that issue re the money from Sehee’s parents and other things that Taesik had in the ambulance have yet to be explained.

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Nal

September 10, 2022 at 1:42 PM

There was a flashback where they showed Gyeo Rye's father ransacking the hospital and looking for Taesik because he had reported him to the police or some and I thought that I saw the gang boss in that scene too but maybe I'm was mistaken 😅

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emsel

September 11, 2022 at 12:55 AM

That Room 403 man was with the gang boss when they caused a ruckus in the hospital. If he is indeed Gyeo Rye's dad then your thoughts on Joon Kyung might be true, but I am still not 100% confident he is Gyeo Rye's dad because they never showed Gyeo Rye's dad's face. Only his back was shown when he strangled Tae Shik.

Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️

September 11, 2022 at 1:04 AM

@emsel thanks for confirming the link.

Aidualc

September 11, 2022 at 6:32 AM

Yes the gang boss and the room 403 were both in the scene where they were looking for Tae Sik. I suspect maybe it was gang boss who stabed the man in room 403 to take over the business and not Tae Sik.

Messy

September 10, 2022 at 9:16 PM

Perhaps that person in room 403 is faking his own sickness to avoid the police. So he just does his roaming and lurking at night when no one is around. But I don’t get how he’s Gyeo Rye’s dad? Maybe I’ve missed something, I haven’t the time to rewatch all the episodes yet. Now I am also watching JCW in Young Actors Retreat, a new variety show 👍😂..

Somehow I have sympathy for Joon Kyung, she’s so young and beautiful but what kind of sad life in the orphanage had done to her to make her the way she is now? People are not born intrinsically bad or wicked, something must have happened to her and Gyeo Rye to make her so desperately clinging on to him. I guess there was a time he really liked her, when they were younger, until she started getting those suicidal and death wishes. I admit she’s too depressing for anyone to be with her, it’s best that Gyeo Rye gets away from her.

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Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️

September 10, 2022 at 9:56 PM

She has signs that she has a significant mental illness which can be treated so she learns how to manage her overwhelming moods and negative thought patterns without relying on another person’s presence or self harm or feeling the only way to be free from negative thoughts is to be dead. The problem with dramas is that they show people going for physical treatment for minor issues but don’t show treatment for mental health. Nobody with a broken leg is told you just need a loving relationship then you will be healed. Yet we expect the partner to deal with the fallout of mental illness rather than a qualified therapist. Which partner with a healthy mindset can be with a person who refuses treatment.

I also missed the scene when we saw the person who attacked Taesik that time in Gyeorye’s home was the same person who was threatening him in the hospital. If he is it faking it what meds is he taking to impact on the readings. Also where is he hiding the money he collected from the car.

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emsel

September 11, 2022 at 1:04 AM

Yet we expect the partner to deal with the fallout of mental illness rather than a qualified therapist. Which partner with a healthy mindset can be with a person who refuses treatment

Spot on, but I slightly have a different opinion. One should also not run away when their partner/person in their family is mentally unwell. If they couldn't stay at the other person's low, why even commit to the relationship? This is exactly what Joon Kyung questions to Gyeo Rye. I see that the problem here is Gyeo Rye never had a sweet adult in his life, so he was never in a position to help Joon Kyung, until he met the people at the hospice. This is the point where he should have visited Joon Kyung and actively talked her into seeking help instead of chasing her away.

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Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️

September 11, 2022 at 1:17 AM

I agree the ‘in sickness and in health’ clause is there for a reason but significant mental illness WITH unhealthy coping strategies is really emotionally draining. If you have your own emotional challenges you can become co dependent which doesn’t help either of you. This is a long term problem he tried several times over the years to do things her way it didn’t work. She has a choice about her whether to have treatment or not but he also has a choice whether to sacrifice his needs for hers. When he made the decision not to commit joint suicide in the fire he was taking a step on his own healing journey. He knows if he gets strong she doesn’t like it because she feels he will leave so he directed her to ways she could be strong too. She refused to accept she had a problem that needs healing, it’s no different to having an addiction or paranoia claiming you don’t have a problem does not make it disappear.

emsel

September 11, 2022 at 2:44 AM

Sorry that I'm replying to your last comment here because there was no option to reply there.

I agree to everything you said. When I said "actively talk to her/persuade her/be persistent", I meant he should be conversing in a way to change her mind rather than alienate her. He kept saying "I don't want to die", "You are making me unhappy" etc but he never once said, "You too can find happiness", "We can survive this" etc. I guess through the years, he got tired of her and he must have felt right about distancing himself from her because he himself was also a broken soul.

In the flashback scene where the hospice cooking ajhumma fed her, I thought I saw a flicker of hope in Joon Kyung's eyes which makes me wonder why GR had never tried anything familial with JK despite naming their relationship as "family".

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Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️

September 11, 2022 at 2:57 AM

Yes I get what you mean. The first thing he said is let’s go get help and without context, warmth and ‘we are in this together’ vibe of course she would be defensive.

Adjummi

February 4, 2024 at 9:24 PM

You all forget that GyreRe has no emotional resources to deal with the severity of her mental illness. He is just learning positive social skills himself. If he had visited her in the hospital, he would just be drawn in again out if guilt & manipulation. As someone said, the person who is ill must be willing to change their behavior- her violence and manipulation got her what she wanted- GRe by her side. She didn't care that he was miserable.

3 Kafiyah Bello

September 10, 2022 at 10:15 AM

So the guy in the hospital bed Gyeo Rye's dad, whose powers only manifest at night, lol. That being said, I am very happy he is out of that toxic and abusive relationship. Yikes. I feel so bad for Joon Kyung though. She needs help and I hope she gets it by the end.

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Nal

September 10, 2022 at 11:24 AM

I'll be waiting for the explanation the show will give us about his night walking abilities because it was utterly ridiculous

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Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️

September 10, 2022 at 12:25 PM

Yes the patient must have trained at the same place as the 3 homeless Ahjassis as he operates like a Ninja he has the strength to carry an unconscious woman to a staff night duty room, then continues wandering the building all the while blending into the background to avoid detection. Knows where to look for staff only parts of the building and never meets any night staff. He locates and reads the Will finds the car keys knows which car it is despite the fact there must have been other parked cars there for the night staff and knows how to reenter a key coded room which only named staff will have been given access to. It must be one that can be put on the latch! I assumed that male patients would be shaved especially if using breathing masks but maybe the facial hair was to indicate the length of stay in a non verbal way?

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Nal

September 10, 2022 at 1:44 PM

😂😂😂😂😂😂

"maybe the facial hair was to indicate the length of stay in a non verbal way"

I think so too

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Kafiyah Bello

September 10, 2022 at 6:03 PM

🤣🤣🤣🤣

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4 Nal

September 10, 2022 at 11:17 AM

Episode 9 was awful for me because of Jun Kyung. I also had to pause to take deep breaths because the whole situation really annoyed me and I kept screaming for Gyeo Rye to just walk away. It's hard to feel any sympathy for her. I hope her and Seok-jun live happily ever after somewhere very very very far as the utterly selfish people they are.

Has a second lead ever been as flat as this doctor? I feel nothing when he's on screen and I'm not sure if the problem is the writing of the character or the actor

So, the guy on the fourth floor aka Gyeo re's dad walks freely at night, eavesdrops, steals then goes back into a coma during the day? Or did I miss something? LOOOOOL

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Nal

September 10, 2022 at 11:18 AM

The 3 homeless Ajusshis are my faves 😂😂

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Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️

September 10, 2022 at 11:24 AM

We should set up a fan club🥰

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Nal

September 10, 2022 at 11:26 AM

Yesss😆

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fourwithsun

September 10, 2022 at 2:12 PM

I knooow the Second Lead guy irks me to no end! He’s equal parts awkward and grumpy at at the same time, it’s like the minute he walks in the room the atmosphere becomes so unpleasant and stifling. He always seems so frustrated and displeased with Yeon Ju, I’m like why do you even like her bro?? And the fact that he keeps trying to pursue her despite knowing their ideals are just too different for them to be compatible - it’s painful to watch. And what the heck was that confession?? “I rarely get upset at people, but you’re strangely the only one that makes me upset” Like is that supposed to make a girl’s heart flutter?? I personally wouldn’t feel drawn to a guy who’s constantly looking at me like I’m a disappointment lol.

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Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️

September 10, 2022 at 10:12 PM

‘ I personally wouldn’t feel drawn to a guy who’s constantly looking at me like I’m a disappointment lol.’ This is so true, yet the staff in the hospice all think he is lovely and can’t understand why she hasn’t picked up on his feelings 😐

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Nal

September 10, 2022 at 11:21 PM

This is exactly how I feel about him

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OLakes

September 19, 2022 at 12:11 PM

Same. He's actually starting to make me angry because he keeps cutting her down. Like even when he told her he liked her, he basically said, "You upset me." Stop the negging, bud.

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5 abalyn

September 10, 2022 at 8:06 PM

I really enjoyed episode 10! Ji Chang wook smiling so broadly so much, and it seemed earned by him and all of team genie, for how far he’s come. I’m also glad we got so many answers and also didn’t see him languishing with his very sick sister for episodes. There are so many shows that think stringing us along until the very end to be reunited/find out answers is entertaining. I thought the pacing and development in these two episodes was really well done. Choi Sooyoung is also killing it!

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6 emsel

September 11, 2022 at 2:04 AM

I thoroughly enjoyed that "Your lunchbox is here" comment with a wink from Soo Young❤She is doing a great job here as Yeon Joo. If her relationship with Gyeo Rye is cute, then the bond between Tae Shik and Gyeo Rye is endearing. I really do not see why the show has to kill Tae Shik in the end for the sake of emotional punch🙄🙄

I was frustrated with the scene where Tae Shik's friends humiliated him at the dinner, but after hearing about Tae Shik's misdeed, I understood his friend's disappointment. It was heartwarming to see them be genuinely glad that he was out of that pit.

I guessed that Seok Joon had feelings for Joon Kyung, even before the reveal in ep 10 and I would like to see the backstory linking the kids with the mob leader. They all seemed like nice kids at the orphange and I missed Jin Goo in these last two episodes.

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OLakes

September 19, 2022 at 12:13 PM

Wookie's jaw drop after the wink was the cherry on top. That whole sequence was seconds long, but they nailed it. I burst out laughing, they play off each other so well.

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7 Rose

September 11, 2022 at 2:08 AM

Finally, a week that I enjoyed the pace, I was very pissed with Joon-Kyung and was literally thinking I couldn't wait for someone to come and tell her to stop harassing people, which nurse Seo did, and now I'm happy.
I used to think the guy in room 403, is Gyeo-Re's father, but now it seems that's not the case. What I don't understand is why the guy's going around trying to harm others.

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8 Aidualc

September 11, 2022 at 6:14 AM

That has got to be one of the most toxic relationships I've seen in a kdrama. I do want for Jun Kyung to end in a better place and heal but I can't excuse her actions just because of trauma and mental illness. Other characters, like Gyeo-re, have gone through similar traumas yet don't behave that way. It's one thing to be suicidal, another to use it as emotional abuse and manipulation and to try and take someone else with you too, that's criminal.

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9 Messy

September 12, 2022 at 7:32 PM

There’s a glitch logging in here...hope the admin will see to it. Can’t come direct to this thread, got to go from section to section to get here 😢

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10 Toodlepip

September 16, 2022 at 12:25 AM

I'm finally caught up on this drama! Not sure I would have stuck it out but for JCW. For me he's the tops at playing vulnerable and tortured with a heart of gold. I love his character in this drama. Definitely on form here.

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