The line keeps getting longer for everyone to dogpile on poor Ji-ho.  Just look at them all queued up to take a shot!

Thankfully only repeating only the last 30 seconds of Episode 13, Ji-ho arrives at the Composing Contest Headquarters to find In-ha already there with tears in his eyes.  Ji-ho yells that he didn’t do anything to In-ha, as he disagrees and tells Ji-ho the truth will be revealed soon.  He didn’t have to do this to him… he’s already lost everything.  Ji-ho stands there wondering what the hell just happened, as In-ha heads inside the building and waits, flashing back to seeing him copy his own “Love Theme” composition and sending it off as Ji-ho’s submission instead.  Loosening his collar, In-ha returns to his normal evil self.

The Committee tells both boys that they have examined both pieces with a fine-toothed comb, and they conclude that this is an absolute case of plagiarism.  Ji-ho is stunned and tells them that this isn’t even his song — he didn’t even enter their stupid contest anyway, nyaaah!  The Committee Head wants to know what this is then, and pulls out the envelope with Ji-ho’s return address all over it.  If this isn’t his submission, then he must be Santa Claus!  Ji-ho tries to remain calm, but says that a main melody could never be exactly identical in any plagiarism instance anyway.  Ji-ho tells him to say something, but In-ha just demands that Ji-ho explain himself.  What does he want In-ha to do — beg the judges for forgiveness?  Ji-ho tells him that plagiarism is stealing another person’s thoughts… he would rather starve to death than do such a cowardly thing like that.

The Committee Head then has the balls to ask if all the scores that Ji-ho has submitted in the past to the Composing Contests have truly been his as well?  That was the final straw for Ji-ho, as he slams his hands down on the table and asks if those snooty-snoots are now insulting his intelligence?!?  The Committee Head asks if Ji-ho knew that In-ha registered the copyright on his song beforehand, because he knew that Ji-ho was like this?  If this news had gotten out after the contest was over, the Grand Prize would have been tainted.  In-ha has mostly been quiet through this whole exchange, but then asks for a few minutes to speak to his hyung in private.

And that’s what they go off to do, right outside the building.  Ji-ho demands to know why In-ha is pulling such a dirty trick?  In-ha asks him how was his acting — he was up practicing all night.  It’s much easier than he thought, since people are always on the side of the weakling.  Ji-ho asks how In-ha became such a low-life, as In-ha asks if he can’t at least yield to him… as his brother?   It would be the proper thing to do for Ji-ho to abandon the music world and let In-ha take his rightful place there.  Grabbing In-ha, he orders him to go inside and tell the Committee the truth, because In-ha knows how important music is to his life!  In-ha brushes him off by saying Ji-ho contradicts himself again… but Ji-ho wonders why In-ha has said that only his family was everything to him?  Why now is music taking that place — does In-ha know how dangerous the path is which he’s sliding down now?  Ji-ho may never be able to play the piano if the truth isn’t told… as In-ha leans in and says he’s right.  That’s exactly what In-ha wants right now.

That finally puts Ji-ho over the edge, as he lands a good hard right hook to In-ha’s jaw.  The Committee comes outside to see all the commotion, and the Head scolds Ji-ho for using violence on his dongsaeng.  In-ha says that it’s nothing, as they were just two brothers quarreling.  He was ready to let everything slide if Ji-ho at least admitted his crime, but Ji-ho continues to deny his involvement.  The Committee Head tells Ji-ho that nothing can be solved right now, as In-ha apologizes for creating such trouble.  The Committee Head says that he’s opening up a disciplinary committee right now, as everyone heads back inside the building and In-ha licks his wounds… with his tongue.  (*FAINTS DEAD*)

Ji-ho leaves the school with the Committee Head’s words echoing in his brain to sit back and self-reflect while they make their decision.  This time, they will not gloss over this so lightly.  On his way out, he’s almost run over by a glaring In-ha driving his John Cooper Limited Edition Mini.  (I want one too!!!)

As promised and/or threatened, Yeong-rang is visiting CrazyGran at Nursing Home #3.  The nurse ahjumma comes in and tells her she won’t be able to visit properly today because her mother-in-law’s condition is not good today and she’s getting intensive treatment right now.  (Whatever that means.)  Well apparently she’s been having seizures and not eating well, so that must mean she’s in decline.  Yeong-rang, being the compassionate person that she is, says oh well, we can’t do anything about that… so byeeeee!  But on he way out, she notices a sketchpad on CrazyGran’s night stand.  Picking it up, she sees that a bunch of trees were drawn on it, as the nurse ahjumma says CrazyGran called them spruce trees.  Yeong-rang asks if anyone else has seen this, and the nurse ahjumma says her oldest grandson has been by to visit… he always comes on his days off every week, taking her on drives and walks and everything.  Yeong-rang mutters that Ji-ho must made the first move himself.  Because she doesn’t want to break a nail doing it herself, she orders Secretary Oh to search CrazyGran’s room for anything piano-related.  So while he’s tearing up things, she voices over that she needs to find the manufacturing notes first so she can keep Boosung’s control.

Driving back to Seoul, Yeong-rang wonders why they couldn’t find any of the piano information they were so desparately looking for.  Asking Secretary Oh where exactly was it where CrazyGran and Man-se used to holiday, he claims that he doesn’t because when they would leave on trips together, Man-se always drove them separately.  Yeong-rang just stares out the window and mopes.

Meeting late with Attorney Choi, she laments that CrazyGran might not be around much longer to remember where the manufacturing notes went off to, as Attorney Choi suspects they may have been burned up in the fire as well.  Yeong-rang stops and thinks… maybe Ji-ho has them?  Her knowing how sadistic Man-se was, it could be possible, since Ji-ho also said there was another ‘will’ made by his father that she knows nothing about.  Attorney Choi agrees that it could be possible, since he travels hither and yon looking for soundboard materials.  She thinks it’s not past Ji-ho to keep that from her, but… Her phone rings, and it’s Professor Ha telling her about the plagiarism situation.

She rushes home to run into In-ha to ask him if what Professor Ha is saying is the truth, but In-ha is more upset that the crazy old fart talks about that and not In-ha’s winning the Composing Grand Prize?  Yeong-rang stops and asks who did what again… In-ha won the competition?  Yay, my In-ha is the best — but wait, what about Ji-ho again?  Saying that he didn’t want to live as Number Two all his life, he just wanted to be on top once.  Yeong-rang tells him that is this ‘plagiarism’ is proven true, Ji-ho will be expelled from the music world forever.  But any bad press that comes out of this deal may come back to bite In-ha in the butt, so he needs to be careful now.  In-ha still isn’t satisfied, and since she’s the head of the Music Association, he orders Yeong-rang to block any press releases regarding the plagiarism .  When she asks why, In-ha explains that he’s lived for so long in Ji-ho’s shadow; if it was this easy to ruin him, In-ha would have done it sooner.  Ji-ho needs to live in as much pain; nay, even MORE pain that In-ha has over the last 14 years.  He leaves the house, she heads to her room, and we see EvilStep overhearing the entire conversation… saying that the little bastard has finally stirred up trouble, hm?

Ji-ho returns to work, as So-yeol barges in to yell at him for leaving so suddenly when there’s this emergency going on with Saerin Instruments?  Does he want his mother mad at him again?  He orders her to leave, since he’d rather be alone right now.  She bolts and he upturns several folders on his desk in anger.  Sitting down, Ji-ho again pulls out the Magic Wooden Box containing the handkerchief and handwritten note to sit and contemplate for awhile over its meaning (of which we still have yet to see its contents).

Da-mi comes outside the restaurant, crabbing that pabo Ji-ho hasn’t contacted her all day even though he’s supposed to meet her after work.  In-ha suddenly shows up behind her and asks if she’d like to eat dinner with him.  Or if she’d like to see a movie instead; or if none of the above, they can sit and just drink tea together.  Da-mi turns to walk away, as he snipes that if she’s waiting for Ji-ho to meet her, he’s probably not going to be in a good condition to do so.  When she asks what he’s going on about, he asks back if she’s that curious…

Da-mi sits across In-ha and says that there’s no way Ji-ho is guilty of plagiarism.  In-ha says oh yes he is, and it’s gonna get quite noisy in the press soon, and he’s going to be banned from the Music Association because of that.  What will she do after that — she’s going to hurt badly over those allegations.  Standing up to get away from this nutcase, Da-mi says she’s going to find Ji-ho, because she’ll only believe the words that come out of his mouth.  In-ha says he has a better idea; if she cares for Ji-ho that much, she’d better sit down and listen to what he says first.

Ji-ho is still at the Boosung HQ, sitting in the dark and self-reflecting like the Committee Head said he should, as he stares at the screensaver of Da-mi on his phone.  Da-mi returns home to think over what In-ha had told her earlier — since he won the Daesang for the Composing Contest, his song gets to be played at the awards ceremony.  In exchange for In-ha helping Ji-ho get out of his predicament, he wants Da-mi to play his song at the gathering.  She calls out In-ha for being a cheeky little jerkwad, and refuses to do so.  Ji-ho’s all caught up in this plagiarism scandal, and there’s no way she can stand on stage while he’s going through all that.

In-ha hands her an envelope and tells her that she needs to see the REAL Ji-ho in action.  Of course she opens it to see a press release showing pictures of Ji-ho belting In-ha during their altercation outside the Composing Contest offices.  Telling her that it’s not enough for the world-reknowned composer Yoo Ji Ho to steal his song, he also has to hit his dongsaeng to make his point.  Wondering why In-ha would stoop this low, he reiterates that if she accepts his proposal, this news article will not see the light of day.  If she refuses, Ji-ho will never recover from this ever again.  So YOU make the call!

Da-mi picks up the crystal piano music box that Ji-ho had given her earlier, and winds it up.  Playing the song that she pilfered the sheet music for, she tears up but then her phone starts ringing just before she breaks out in full-blown sobs.  Ji-ho wonders why she sounds so strange; did she catch a cold?  Denying that, he asks if they could meet up for a bit right now, but she begs off saying she’s really tired and stuff.  Ji-ho wishes her a good rest and ends the call, wondering if there really is something wrong.  Da-mi wonders what to do about this boy who keeps getting piled onto, as Ji-ho wonders if his hanging around is not making it harder on her.

Young-rang flips through a stack of photos taken of Denny Hong meeting with the executives at Saerin Piano, as Attorney Choi says they’ve already started a large-scale promotion about the release of their own Butt-Ugly Piano.  Yeong-rang slams her fist down on her desk and asks how dare he?  Attorney Choi doesn’t mince words when he tells her their stock has crashed that the directors are crabbing again about Boosung’s failure to recreate the Butt-Ugly Piano… and by the way, the way she’s been handling the Company will be Agenda Item Number One at the emergency Board of Directors meeting in the morning.

Yeong-rang asks In-ha what he knows about the manufacturing notes for the Butt-Ugly Piano.  She’s amazed that Ji-ho would go behind her back like that, when he seemed so disinterested in the Company as a whole.  There’s no way she’s gonna lose her control over Boosung if she cannot reproduce that monstrosity, as In-ha commends Ji-ho for being a sly bastard on his own.  Yeong-rang turns to him and says they need to use the plagiarism bait now… didn’t In-ha want to join the Company as an Executive Manager?  The time has come for him to start… now.

Jung-wook’s Assistant Guy #2 delivers a huge fruit basket and other gifts to the Hong Residence, but Nam-joo tells Woo-jin that his boss shouldn’t send stuff like that to them as it makes her uncomfortable.  Woo-jin says that he heard she and Jung-wook met and discussed the reason why Yoo Man Se died, as Nam-joo tells him they shouldn’t have secrets from each other they work together now.  She asks if he thinks Jung-wook is a trustworthy person, and he kinda sorta agrees… with both he and Attorney Choi on their side for now, they both could also turn around and stab them in the back as well.  So going forward, Woo-jin says to trust no one but their family because he has a good feeling things will turn out for the best — he’s been seeing his Dead Deaf Dad in several of his dreams lately.

Showing how much of a perfect jawline he has, In-ha is on the phone with Da-mi demanding a decision out of her now.  She asks if he really has to take it this far, as he tells her that one of his dreams was for the girl he loves to play one of his compositions on stage.  Swallowing hard, he tells her it’s a win-win situation as well, because then she will be protecting that Yoo Ji Ho that she loves so bloody much.  She says that they need to meet and talk first, and gets up to head out.

But first, Woo-jin has to be Captain Bringdown, as he enters her room and asks if she’s broken up with Ji-ho yet?  Da-mi asks why he’s being such a jerk, as Woo-jin demands she break up with him immediately or he will go see him to make sure it happens.  She pleads for understanding, because he’s going through a lot right now… he’s the first person she’s ever fallen in love with outside of her family.  She hasn’t been this happy since their dad died, so why is he trying to stop her?!?  Woo-jin tells her it’s all for the best because he doesn’t want to see her get hurt.  Da-mi doesn’t care if she does get hurt… she won’t stop seeing him regardless.  And why is Woo-jin being such a butthurt about this?  Taking his hand, she tells him to back off so she can make her own decisions.

Slamming his report on the table, Yeong-rang rips into Ji-ho over the report he’s making to the Board of Directors today.  He has no right, given the state the Company is in these days as he’s off gallivanting looking for soundboard wood.  Ji-ho reminds her that Saerin Instruments allegedly has the jump on Boosung to reproduce the Butt-Ugly Piano, but has anyone seen a prototype yet?  Saerin could be leaking false information to manipulate the stock prices.  Yeong-rang yells back if that is the case, then what is Ji-ho going to do?  The father that treasured him will roll over in his grave over his disappointment in his son to carry out such a simple task.  Ji-ho tells her to back off; he just joined the Company not too long ago, and is spending all his waking hours attempting to figure out the ways to recreate the beast.  It’s HER flippin responsibility in the first place, so why is she dumping this all over his head?

Yeong-rang reminds him that Ji-ho must not know the way of the world when it comes to how she operates; if the world finds out about his plagiarism, Ji-ho is done for.  He yells back that he did not plagiarise anyone, but Yeong-rang doesn’t give a rat’s ass about the truth… the real truth doesn’t matter anymore.  Is the truth more important than Ji-ho being blackballed for the rest of his life?  Ji-ho gives up and asks her what it is she wants out of him, as she says in return for her blocking the press releases on the plagiarism allegations, Ji-ho needs to take responsibility for the construction of the Butt-Ugly Piano out of Yeong-rang’s hands and into his own instead.

Ji-ho needs to block the votes for her removal by suspending the meeting, and telling the Board of Directors that the construction is under his direction going forward.  Ji-ho says he can’t do that because it’s not true — why dafuq is she doing this to him?!?  Yeong-rang says fine, do what you like… if he wants to never play the piano again, the plagiarism releases will be announced as soon as possible.  So Ji-ho needs to show his taking responsibility as the owner of Boosung!  Ji-ho is thinking to himself that the false accusations were not enough for her; she wants to take away his position as Executive Director as well?  How much farther is she going to go with this?  Yeong-rang has her own thoughts in saying that she raised this bastard for 14 long years… he needs to at least pay for the cost of his food now.

So-yeol arrives with coffee for Ji-ho at his office, but it’s not Ji-ho sitting there.  In-ha complains that she’s being too passive in just providing coffee service… she needs to be moving more aggressively to snatch up Ji-ho.  So-yeol tells him to take off his blinders, because she’s not going to be a pawn in his little love game.  So-yeol wonders if In-ha could really break those two up so they can both be happy with their respective partners?  In-ha walks over and takes a sip of coffee from one of the mugs, and says it’s always the mad dog that catches the tiger.  It will be easier if both of them are playing on the same team…

Louis and the girls (sans Da-mi) are sitting around the table unwrapping a present that he has bought them — some sort of limited edition luxury version hairband.  (Looks more like he picked those up at SaveMart instead.)  Bitchy Manager Girl scoffs at his purported largesse, as Louis says now that sales have gone up, this is a little thank-you present for all their hard work.  So THENK YOO!  Nam-joo thanks him for the gift, because now she will feel like a rich person while wearing it.  (Was that sarcasm?  I can’t really tell with her.)  Bitchy Manager Girl wants the receipt for her, because she detests group gifts — it’s not like they’re in kindergarten and have to wear the same clothing.  Louis rails on her for being a damned if I do; damned if I don’t type of person, but Bitchy Manager Girl stomps off regardless.

Louis comes up to Nam-joo later wondering if she liked the present or not, since she was rather quiet while receiving it.  She affirms that she likes it, but that it would look better on Da-mi, so she’s going to give it to her.  Louis complains that all she does it think of her daughter; doesn’t she want to take care of herself instead?  Fortunately, some customers arrive to take her mind off their conversation, as he looks longingly at her and wonders why the black band Nam-joo ties her hair back with looks so sad…  (OMG does he have the hots for her?  GAG.)

Da-mi meets with In-ha as promised to give him her decision… which is, she just can’t do it.  If she gets up on stage, that’s going to hurt Ji-ho even more.  In-ha asks her if she doesn’t care if he gets hurt?  Her boyfriend stole his song, fer chrissakes  — no truth is going to ever convince the public otherwise.  Da-mi tells him too bad, so sad.  Ji-ho didn’t do anything and she will believe him until the end.  In-ha asks how long she’s going to believe in Ji-ho if he loses everything because she wouldn’t capitulate to In-ha’s demands?  He asks her one last time, but Da-mi has heard enough.  In-ha says to her leaving backside that he’s the only one that can save Ji-ho… or kill him instead.

As soon as Da-mi is safely out of sight, Ji-ho is then right on top of In-ha, grabbing his collar and calling him out for being such a prick.  If he’s going to threaten his girlfriend, he’d better threaten Ji-ho first… and then see if In-ha can stand up after that.  In-ha deftly reminds him that he holds Ji-ho’s life in the balance now; he even sent a letter begging for leniency to the Composing Committee to take pity on Ji-ho’s ‘crime.’  Ji-ho asks why In-ha has decided to push him to the bottom of the well… In-ha says that it’s fun!  He’s lost to Ji-ho every time he’s competed with him, but Ji-ho says he knows the truth and it will come out.  He’s only holding back from beating the crap out of In-ha because he’s his dongsaeng.  In-ha tells him he doesn’t care that Ji-ho hasn’t turned his back on him, because it is In-ha who has turned his back against Ji-ho instead.  Calling him a deluded bastard, Ji-ho runs out in search of Da-mi.

He catches up to her on the Balcony of Regrets, and calls her silly for crying in front of him.  And why didn’t she tells him what In-ha had up his sleeve, ne?  Da-mi takes the Noble Idiocy Route and says she didn’t want to add to his pain, to which Ji-ho says that he SHOULD be in pain.  But Da-mi says SHE should be the one in pain because she loves him so much… that she’s ready to bear all his pain instead.  With the OST Part.1 playing underneath, Ji-ho grabs her and plants a more aggressive kiss on her that makes Da-mi’s fingers curl up.  (RAWR.)

Yeong-rang is grilling So-yeol about her piano construction professor — the guy who worked under Man-se to produce the Butt-Ugly Piano.  Would he possibly be the one to know where the construction notes would have ended up?  So-yeol says she doesn’t think so, since there are no notes, right?  Yeong-rang says there just happens to be notes somewhere, so get on the horn with your professor and find out pali pali!!

Ji-ho and Da-mi are at a clothing store for some unknown reason.  She complains that she’s got enough clothes in the bags already; when will she wear all this stuff anyway?  Ji-ho tells her to shaddap; do as he says today.  He will buy whatever he wants for her regardless of what she says, because this is her punishment for not coming to Ji-ho right off the bat with her troubles.  (Dang, sign me up for some of THAT!)

They have dinner at the Boosung courtyard (so not conspicuous at all), as Da-mi apologizes for taking up so much of his time today when he’s got important company work to do.  Ji-ho says he’ll go back after dinner, but he’s got something to say first.  Why doesn’t show blow off the restaurant and come to work for him at Boosung instead?  She can resume her piano studies (because she had all of what, two lessons back then?) and earn a paycheck at the same time; heck, he could even send her to college if she wants.  (Hmm, where has she heard that before?)  Da-mi says thanks, but if she does that very thing, she’ll do it on her own.  Reminding her that her dream is to make pianos, not play them; his real excuse to offer her such a position is to keep her by his side every day.  So think about it, okay?

Yeong-rang intercepts Ji-ho as he returns home from dinner.  Asking if he was out with Da-mi again, he defers answering that question.  She asks again if he’s given serious thought to what she requested of him to say in front of the Board Members; it’s not an unreasonable proposal if he thinks about it.  Ji-ho just shakes his head and walks upstairs.  Yeong-rang pulls out her phone and calls Da-mi, demanding that she meet with her tonight… it’s concerning Ji-ho.

Stupid Da-mi does just that, as they meet up for coffee.  Yeong-rang is reminded of their first meeting, when she fixed the piano for In-ha right before his Charity Concert and SAVED THE DAY!! (*cough*)  Is Da-mi still interested in piano production?  Da-mi says she is still lacking in that department, since she hasn’t had any formal training or what-not.  Welp, that’s why Yeong-rang is there to “help”… by offering to send her abroad to study piano production professionally.  (Say that fast five times!)  If she’d rather do so, Yeong-rang will support her getting a job at Boosung if need be.  But her only condition is that she stay by In-ha’s side since he likes her so much; Da-mi is the only one that can ‘tame’ In-ha’s wild ways.  Looking more uncomfortable by the seconds, Da-mi graciously declines by saying that she’s already in like with Yoo Ji Ho and she’s told that to In-ha in no uncertain terms.

Yeong-rang pulls out the Threaten Card and says that if she doesn’t come to work with In-ha, she won’t be able to work with Ji-ho either.  As a mother, she will not permit it.  Da-mi asks why — Ji-ho is in a lot of pain, but Yeong-rang only sees In-ha’s purported difficulties?  Yeong-rang calls her out for being strong-willed, which she didn’t expect out of someone like her.  But remember that Ji-ho will never go against his eomma’s wishes because his family is everything to him.  If Da-mi doesn’t end up with In-ha, she’ll never allow Da-mi to stay with Ji-ho.  Yeong-rang stomps out, leaving Da-mi to mutter over poor Ji-ho… how lonely he must have been growing up with a bitch on wheels like her.

Ji-ho is reviewing schematics in his room when EvilStep barges in asking for money.  Didn’t he know that his mother has slashed her allowance because EvilStep has taken Ji-ho’s side all this time?  Ji-ho asks how much she needs, as she requests a wad of cash to feel better.  The GNP will go up in Korea if she can get back to spending freely.  Handing over a credit card, she takes it like it’s Christmas Day again.  Saying that this is the card where his paychecks get deposited, it’s okay to take it since he’s got lots of homework now.  But EvilStep being like that, she can’t get something without giving in return, and hands Ji-ho a copy of a ticket where In-ha was popped for parking in a no-stopping zone… in front of a POST OFFICE.  She’ll give it to him on one condition; he can only use it as a joker card.  But don’t use it to kill his dongsaeng.  *winkwink*  Ji-ho takes a look to see that it’s dated a week before In-ha made the plagiarism allegations against Ji-ho.  And he puts it in his top drawer instead.  (DOO. FUS.)

EvilStep is grilling the maid staff over the guest that is coming later to make sure all preparations are in place.  Yeong-rang comes out all dolled up, as EvilStep actually compliments her for once and then asks where she’s off to with such an important guest coming by shortly?  Yeong-rang reminds her an emergency Board meeting happens today, so she needs to get cracking… it’s not HER guest, so why does she have to be here?  Yeong-rang attempts to leave, but it stopped cold by Jung-wook entering the front door bearing gifts.  Yeong-rang looks like she wants to floor to open up and swallow her, as EvilStep explains their chance meetings and invited him over.  Aren’t you SO glad to see him, hm?  (BWAHAHAHA!!!)

Yeong-rang hisses at EvilStep over how she didn’t consult her first, but Jung-wook catches the clue that he should beat cheeks instead.  Passing on the gifts to EvilStep, he makes his excuses and promises to return at another time, but Yeong-rang disappears out the door first with him right on her heels.  He asks why she never returned to the record store; he was waiting for her but she didn’t even call.  Handing over an envelope, he says that it’s tickets to a concert that he’s wanted to see with her for a long time, but they couldn’t back in the day because they were both starving musicians.  Saying that she doesn’t have time for something so trivial, he grabs her wrist (*drink*) and places the envelope in her hands anyway… as a shadowy Attorney Choi watches from the bushes.

In-ha thinks back to the conversation he had with Yeong-rang earlier, when she orders him to forget Da-mi since she’s just a rude girl anyway.  In-ha retorts that like father, like son… Man-se married HER even though she had no money and her family was in ruins, because he loved her so.  Yeong-rang tells In-ha to get a grip and figure out what you want to do — his brother is trying to recreate the Butt-Ugly Piano and In-ha is basically sitting on his ass pining for a girl he can’t have.  He won the Daesang for composing, didn’t he?  In-ha says big freakin’ whoop over that; no one is interested in talking about him but that Ji-ho didn’t win it this year.  Yeong-rang tells him she’s had enough; living all her life for In-ha seems to have been a waste if he’s gonna be such a Loser with a Capital L.

The Board of Directors meeting commences, and Cranky Director #1 calls it to order, saying that there will be a vote to suspend Yeong-rang’s control over Boosung, and to appoint a new CEO to overcome the current crisis.  Yeong-rang leans over to Ji-ho sitting on the dais and tells him this is his last chance to keep the plagiarism press releases quiet, but Ji-ho just sits there like a stone.  At that moment, In-ha enters and takes his seat next to Attorney Choi.  Yeong-rang stands up and tells the directors that she understands their concerns since the Butt-Ugly Piano has not gone into production yet, and her six months are up now.  She begs for a little more time, to much grumbling from the Peanut Gallery.  Instead, Yeong-rang tells the throng that she grossly over-estimated what Director Ji-ho could bring to the table, and proposes that In-ha take over his role of Managing Director.  She’s positive that In-ha will get the job done in the time remaining.

Ji-ho stands up and says he never agreed to give up his position as Executive Manager, as Yeong-rang calls him out for not doing anything as the Executive Manager while the company is in such a crisis.  Attorney Choi stands up and says that Yeong-rang Johnson is right!! (100 points if you catch that reference!) — if he’s not doing his job, then the Board should be considering replacing the Executive Manager position instead!!  Much more hubbub from the Peanut Gallery ensues.  Yeong-rang orders Ji-ho to reveal his plans right here and now, as he does by saying after he’s reviewed all the documentation and everything, there’s no way they can recreate the Butt-Ugly Piano without… drumroll, please… completely dismantling it.

Much hubbub from the room, as Yeong-rang says no way, Jose!  The Butt-Ugly Piano is not to be touched in that way!  (Um…)  Using the analogy that one cannot build a new house unless the old one is town down first, there’s no way to recreate the beast just by looking at it.  Yeong-rang asks Ji-ho what if it doesn’t work again after its reassembly, as Ji-ho says that possibility is a possibility.  (Um again…)  Ji-ho says that he’ll take full responsibility if that happens, but that’s not good enough for Yeong-rang — she tells him to bet 50% of his stocks plus his Executive Manager position first, and then she will approve the dismantling.  Ji-ho has no choice but to go along with that blackmail in order to move forward with the project.  Attorney Choi licks his chops and In-ha out-smugs himself.

Yeong-rang tells Attorney Choi that for Ji-ho to make such a bold bet, it’s for sure that he must have the manufacturing notes along with Man-se’s other will.  Attorney Choi says it’s a win-win situation regardless; they get the Butt-Ugly Piano into production or they get to kick Ji-ho out of his position… would be nice to get both, though.  Yeong-rang says that all their hard effort will be for naught if Saerin Instruments rushes their version into production first, so they need to contact Denny Hong and block him from giving up his copy of the manufacturing notes.  Asking whatever happened to the papers transferring Ji-ho’s 30% stock shares to In-ha, Attorney Choi confirms that it has already been changed to reflect the names of the directors still on Team Ji Ho.  Even though it’s not a legally-bound document, there should be no problem in charging Ji-ho with stock bribery.  He has truly hit rock bottom now.

At that moment, So-yeol rushes in to say that she’s finally got in contact with her piano professor in Italy.  He has already met with the largest investor on the Butt-Ugly Piano… Alvin Kim.  Yeong-rang looks confused, but asks if her professor can get in contact with President Kim.  So-yeol doesn’t know about that, but she has a picture of the two of them when President Kim came to visit him in Italy. Yeong-rang is estatic to think that she can finally see Alvin Kim’s face… she’s been curious to see what the man looks like.

Attorney Choi steps out to call Woo-jin to warn him that Yeong-rang will be paying him an unfriendly visit real soon.  Woo-jin wants to know why, as Attorney Choi tells him about management’s decision to dismantle the Butt-Ugly Piano to find out what makes it tick.  If Ji-ho cannot put it back together, the construction notes will be absolutely necessary.  We see Woo-jin looking over at Jung-wook for further instructions, as Attorney Choi goes on to say that she’s going to get desperate soon.  Be ready… and also be ready to reveal the identity of Alvin Kim at the same time?

Woo-jin tells him that he’s not negotiating any further until he gets that tape recorder in his hands.  End of story.  Turning to Jung-wook, Woo-jin tells him it sounds like Attorney Choi is ready to crack, but Jung-wook reminds him that he is not to be trusted.  Why he’s doing what he’s doing means he’s getting greedy to obtain more of Yeong-rang’s money.  Attorney Choi will never be on their side, because he’s got ulterior motives that have been silent.  Woo-jin sits and thinks about that for awhile.

Ji-ho meets with the Butt-Ugly Piano Demolition Team to go over their plans to take it apart.  He wants to know everything step-by-step the risks and pitfalls involved in the disassembling, so we get a montage of a bunch of guys sitting around going over schematics and nodding approvingly.

Ji-ho walks across the Boosung courtyard to meet up with Da-mi, wondering why she’s there.  She’s there because she’s worried about him dismantling the Butt-Ugly Piano.  He wants to know how she heard that… did In-ha blurt that out to her?  She takes his hands and says this has to stop.  She’ll just play in In-ha’s freakin’ recital so Ji-ho doesn’t have to go through such a difficult time.  Taking her shoulders, he tells her it’s not that dangerous; it was his father’s will, and it’s what he wants to do.  The only difficult thing for him is to see HER in pain because of what he’s going through.  So if she could just smile for him once, he can bear all the troubles he’s going through right now.  Taking her hand to his chest, he says he feels better now.

Ji-ho gives the word, and the Disassembling Team starts their work.  Yeong-rang and In-ha are looking on worriedly, and EvilStep asks why all of a sudden it’s being taken apart?  That thing was treated like the ancestral tablet, and now you’re violating it like this — is the dead Chairman Yoo hiding in here or what?  (BEST LINE EVER!!)  The team continues with the take-down, as In-ha gets a call.  Taking it in the other room, the voice on the other end asks for Yoo In Ha.  He confirms and asks who’s calling… and from Gapyeong too?

Next thing, In-ha is speeding over the River Bridge on his way to Gapyeong (but actually, it’s recycled footage from the time Da-mi shot him down after his proposal at the Sculpture Garden).  The voiceover says that the caller is the son of the guy who was the caretaker of Yoo Man Se’s private arboreteum.  That man is near death, and requested In-ha to come see him… it is a matter of great urgency.  In-ha repeats to himself this is the first time he’s heard that his father owned land in Gapyeong… Arriving at a nursing home, In-ha meets with the person that called In-ha down to Gapseong.  Trying to wake his father, he tells him that Yoo In Ha has arrived.

In-ha sits by the old man’s bedside and asks why he was summoned there.  The old man apologizes and says he was told by Yoo Man Se to keep this location a secret until the Young Master (meaning In-ha) came looking for him first.  Since he doesn’t have much time left, he wants In-ha to have this key to a warehouse that was entrusted to the old man.  In-ha asks him what about a key again hunh?

It’s now Day 47 of the Butt-Ugly Piano Dismantling, as the Team Leader inspects the soundboard and pronounces it made of the best quality spruce.  He’s never seen a soundboard made from this wood before, as Ji-ho asks for confirmation that it is exactly Alaskan Spruce.  Pulling out the wood sample that Man-se gave him, Ji-ho notes that it’s not the same wood — the grain is way too different.  Yeong-rang asks if everything will be fine once it’s put back together, but the Team Leader says they won’t know until that happens.  Ji-ho is still confused as to why he was given a different wood sample.  Leaning down to inspect the inside string assembly, Ji-ho feels around for something out of the ordinary, and he finds it.  A key was hidden there, and Ji-ho palms it before anyone else can see.  Returning to his bedroom, Ji-ho asks what the key is for… must be something important to hide it in the deepest recesses of that Butt-Ugly Thing.  That means his father knew that someone would eventually dismantle it for fun and profit.  But wae?!?

We see In-ha opening a lock to a warehouse at a lumber yard.  Walking through it, he suddenly realizes that this is the humidity-controlled storage shed for the Alaskan Spruce!  And boy, is there a ton of it, as the old man voices over the difficulty that Chairman Yoo had in obtaining this wood during one of Alaska’s worst winters.  He insisted on the best quality material for the soundboard, and if anything ever happened to Chairman Yoo, he asked the old man to give the key to his son, Yoo In Ha.  If In-ha never appeared in front of him, then he was to keep the key forever.

Running his hands along the stacked boards (ouch splinters!), In-ha wonders why his father never told him about this place… why did he never tell him that he loved him, and that he was proud of his son?  If he would have said that one thing, In-ha wouldn’t have gone through his whole life hating his guts like that.  Dropping to his knees, he tells the wood that he would have not led such a foolish life either, so he’s very very very very sorry and sobs away.  (Kleenex, please?)

So-yeol comes up to Attorney Choi and wonders if Yeong-rang is around, but is told she’s back at the Yoo Mansion supervising the Butt-Ugly Piano Tear-Down.  So-yeol announces that she finally received a letter from her professor in Italy, and he enclosed the photograph he took with Alvin Kim.  Attorney Choi asks to take a look, and he is horrified to see that it’s That Guy — the same guy he watched hand the tickets to Yeong-rang in the garden the other day.  So who exactly is this Alvin Kim… and how does he know Chae Yeong Rang that way?

Ji-ho slides the keyboard back into place, and tests out one of the low C keys.  Thunk thunk thunk it makes no noise!  Yeong-rang demands to know what happened, as the Team Leader states something must have happened to the soundboard during the reassembly and will need to be readjusted.  They’ll figure it out, and go off to do that very thing.  Yeong-rang starts screaming at Ji-ho that it’s all his fault — he broke the Butt-Ugly Piano and ruined the future of Boosung Instruments!!  Ji-ho says it’s not as bad as she thinks; he’ll figure out a way to get it back to new somehow.  Yeong-rang says it’s too late now, so he needs to keep his promise to give up 50% of his shares and leave the company.  She’s gonna start over with In-ha this time.

Ji-ho protests that the beast can be fixed, but In-ha arrives at that time to say there is no need to put it back together.  He plans on learning the piano-making business from the ground up in a calm and orderly manner.  He doesn’t care if it’s underneath Ji-ho’s watch or in another department, but mark his words… if In-ha’s team produces a Butt-Ugly Piano before Team Ji-ho does, he has to give up the Boosung Owner position to In-ha.  That’s all he wants.  Much glaring all the way around, and Episode 14 ends there!

Air Date:  29 September 2012

Ratings:   AGB Nielsen Nationwide 8.5% (13th) / Seoul 8.9% (10th); TmNS Nationwide 9.8% (15th) / Seoul 10.9% (12th)

Flowers and Brickbats

This was the second show in a row aired that night due to the Chuseok Holiday Programming Wizards screwing with us viewers.  Anyone travelling was probably just arriving at their destinations for the weekend and didn’t give a fig leaf what was on TV that night.  I should probably not stress over the ratings (especially witnessing the low single-digit numbers that were put up for “Bachelor’s Vegetable Store”), but seeing them still cuts me deep in the heart.  I feel for My Precious and the other actors that are doing such an amazing job week in and out, but they are up against some wicked competition.  Anyway, FIGHTING!!!

But to quote MadDeeno:  GRUMBLE GRUMBLE GRUMBLE.  Ji-ho further being labelled a total weenie is starting to get on my nerves.  I mean, just how much more can that boy take before finally snapping and breaking out a flamethrower?  (Don’t answer that; we do know when.  Just sit on your hands until then.)  His first big mistake was not taking Attorney Choi out behind the woodshed to beat him senseless after the whole tape-recorder Board Meeting debacle.  And ya gotta admit that he and Da-mi still look pretty cutesy together.  BUT DAMN IT SHOW — make with the Evil Holy Revenge already!!  The Korean Press is raking you over the coals with your “been there; done that; don’t care” approach to the script, and it’s showing in the ratings.  ARGH.

At least In-ha has toned down the histrionics by not throwing hissy-fits every time something didn’t go his way.  Oh don’t get me wrong; he’s still a prick, but a controlled prick now.  There’s a huge difference there.  Yeong-rang is finally starting to show some cracks in her armor, but her own plots are pretty awesome in a revenge-y sort of way.  There’s no way I could have come up with something so devilish unless I was coming down off a three-day tequila bender (and I have the notebooks to prove it *ahem*).  I still don’t get the whole restaurant sub-theme; assuming there’s something simmering underneath the surface that may allow those characters to play a larger role, it’s just ‘filler time’ for me.  (Jung Joon Ha, don’t hate me, please?  You’re still awesome no matter what!!)

Outside of EvilStep assuring that her 401(k) was going to be fully funded one way (through Yeong-rang) or another (through Jung-wook), I guess the only scenes that made me dance with glee was when the Butt-Ugly Piano was dismantled.  That monstrosity is considered a Korean National Treasure, and the production team took it apart like it was made of Tinkertoys.  I truly do wonder if there were problems in reassembling it to have it returned to its residence museum after those filming scenes were over.  Regardless, RIP Butt-Ugly Piano.  You served your purpose well.  SA-LUTE!  Now go away.

Music Nerd Ramblings:  What ramblings?!?  There was really nothing to discuss; the only “new” piece was the 30-second reprise of the Lim Young Hee tune, but that’s it.  Wasn’t this show about classical music and pianists and their trials and tribulations?  Grrrrrr… move along; nothing to see here.  Next week I’ll pick up the slack.

OH PLEASE K-Drama Powers-That-Be, make Ji-ho figure out he’s being played like the Butt-Ugly Piano soon!!  On to Episode 15!