Awww!  Someone must have received new shoes from Santa this year and wanted to show them off!!!Ji-ho decides going to the States isn’t in his best interest after all, so he does an about-face and doesn’t get on the flight.  But as he leaves the airport, he is shadowed by two hoodlums.  A car speeds up in front of Ji-ho as the two bad guys each grab an arm and shove him into the back seat.  The car speeds away as Ji-ho asks who put them up to this plan… it was Chae Yeong Rang, right?

The car pulls up to a warehouse and Ji-ho is manhandled inside.  He somehow breaks free of the thugs and attempts an escape.  Ji-ho against 8 other hoodlums?  I’ll say this isn’t a fair fight, but he’s giving it his best before climbing out a window.  Suddenly surrounded by 10 thugs now, Ji-ho proceeds to get the crap beat out of him until they are stopped by a car pulling up.  That’s when a 2×4 finally meets his back and he goes down like a sack of potatoes.

Yeong-rang runs into the hospital room to find In-ha lying in bed with EvilStep keeping watch.  Apparently In-ha sucked down an entire bottle of sleeping pills, but his stomach was pumped out in time.  Yeong-rang tries to awaken In-ha while asking why he had to do what he did, but EvilStep is convinced Yeong-rang is hiding something major from her.   The hoddeok seller’s son died, the police keep coming to their house, and Ji-ho is locked up in jail.  Is In-ha involved in any of these messes?

Yeong-rang spins around and spits that Her Precious In-ha is completely innocent, but EvilStep isn’t convinced.  He’s not the one to kill himself unless he had a hand in something evil.  But if Yeong-rang wants to save her child, she’d better take a good long look in the mirror first.

Yeong-rang yells at EvilStep to leave, and she does but not without some parting words that Yeong-rang was the one to make In-ha end up this way.  Collapsing into a chair (and almost accidentally pulling out In-ha’s IV drip at the same time), she tells the sleeping boy that everything will be fine and that they’re safe now.  Why did he have to take the pills?  Can’t he just stay by her side as he was before?

Back at the warehouse, the beaten-up Ji-ho faces his beaten-uppers.  And oh looky at who’s in front of the pack — it’s Assistant Guy #2!  Ji-ho tells them all that he won’t die from any beating they bestow on him… he cannot die!!!  Pulling a large piece of wood out of the fire, Ji-ho starts waiving it at the advancing mob until a voice cries out to stop.

Jung-wook then comes towards Ji-ho and tells the thugs to step aside, since he’s going to kill him with his own hands.  Ji-ho asks if Chae Yeong Rang put him up to this, but Ji-ho tells Jung-wook that it’s not going to be so easy.  Jung-wook tells him that his life is already over, but before he puts up his own fists, why did Ji-ho kill Hong Woo Jin?

Ji-ho looks stunned, but asks back why would he kill Woo-jin?  Why doesn’t Jung-wook go and ask Chae Yeong Rang that question himself!!  Jung-wook accuses him of lying, as one of the thugs cracks Ji-ho across his back with another 2×4.  He tells Ji-ho that he knows Ji-ho killed Woo-jin by taking off his respirator mask, but Ji-ho is further stunned and asks if Yeong-rang really did something like that?  Ji-ho orders Jung-wook to bring that person in front of him so he can kill him himself!!!  Jung-wook’s chin starts to tremble while he’s thinking ‘oh poopie’…

Nam-joo is packing up a lunch box and tells Da-mi it’s for Woo-jin, so go wake him up since he will be late for school.  Da-mi sits next to her as Nam-joo explains that he must be having a hard time since it’s final exams time.  So she made sure to pack his favorites just in case.  Da-mi decides playing along would be best, so she explains that Woo-jin left for school early today.  She’ll take the lunch box to school instead, okay?  Nam-joo sits there and pouts over not being woken up to see him leave.

Back again at the warehouse, Ji-ho is brought a meal by one of the thugs.  He kicks it away until he realizes it actually looks good and starts wolfing down the japchae (glass noodles).

Looks like In-ha has finally woken up from his little drug-induced slumber with a new hairstyle and a touch of guyliner.  (You see me complaining?  HA.)  Yeong-rang asks if he recognizes her, but he doesn’t answer and turns away in disgust.  She starts panicking and goes to call the doctors, but he stops her and says it’s not necessary.

In-ha says that apparently even someone as pitiful as him can’t find a proper way to die.  He didn’t want to see Yeong-rang’s face ever again, because she’s now dead to him.  He cannot accept her and cannot forgive her because she killed his father.  But he’s not going to ask her to pay for her sins, because they both now each have a great secret.  In-ha reminds Yeong-rang that they will be connected by their sins until the day they die.  She killed his father because of him, and because of her, he killed Woo-jin.

Yeong-rang demands that In-ha forget everything in order to live – it was his dad’s fate to die on that day!  In-ha then wonders if it was she that set the fire… Yeong-rang is more than capable of doing such a thing, since she’s completely brushed off Woo-jin’s death as well.  Yeong-rang just stares with her mouth agape at him, as In-ha orders her out of his room.  Until he is discharged, he’s refusing all visits from his family, so just LEAVE HIM ALONE.

Speaking of other mental cases, Jung-wook and Da-mi have put Nam-joo to bed, as Da-mi explains to him about her phantom lunch-packing deal earlier that day.  Jung-wook reminds her that she’s still in shock but that she’s a strong lady and will fight it off.

They sit for tea, as Jung-wook strongly suggests that Da-mi and Nam-joo move to an apartment he’s rented for them.  Da-mi strongly suggests that they’ll do no such thing; since their house still feels like oppa is still around, she’s not even going to touch his room.  Jung-wook tells her they may still be in danger – at least quit the restaurant gig and let him set her up with a proper job.

Da-mi still ain’t buying it, and gives him a thanks-but-no-thanks for his offer.  She’s the head of the household now and she’ll watch over everything… but Jung-wook should watch over her mom until she gains more strength.  And there is one more thing he could help her with:  getting rid of the piano in their house since she’s never going to play it again.

Back for a third time at the warehouse, the guy who actually killed Woo-jin is perp-walked and thrown in front of Ji-ho.  Jung-wook asks him one last time who it was who told him to kill Hong Woo Jin?  Beat-Up Guy says again that it was Yoo Ji Ho who ordered the hit, but Jung-wook tells him to look at the guy in front of him on the chair.  Is this the same jerk who told you to kill Woo-jin?  Beat-up Guy says it is not, but how many times does he have to tell Jung-wook it was Yoo Ji Ho that told him to do it?!?

Ji-ho looks up at Jung-wook, who then lands a right cross to Beat-Up Guy’s face and accuses him of deception.  Jung-wook will give him one last chance for Beat-Up Guy to tell the truth before he beats the life out of him – who gave the orders?!?  Finally Beat-Up Guy pleads for his life, and spills that it was a guy named Oh Yeon Mo who ordered him to kill Woo-jin and pin it on Ji-ho.  Ji-ho tells everyone that’s Secretary Oh… Chae Yeong Rang’s right-hand man.  Lots of manly jaw-clenching and nostril-flaring over hearing such news!

Assistant Guy #2 tells Jung-wook that they’ve finally found the cab driver who took Ji-ho to the warehouse that fateful night.  Apparantly Chae Yeong Rang’s people were preventing him from testifying at the police station, but he was able to obtain the black box from that evening.  Jung-wook tells him to roll tape, dammit!  And the tape shows Woo-jin on the ground even before Ji-ho arrived in the cab!

Assistant Guy #2 gets a call which states that they’ve located a witness from that evening as well.  A neighbor of the Yoos claims that he saw In-ha drive away in Ji-ho’s car the night at issue, but he claimed he wasn’t sure at the first police questioning because of the rain that night.  Jung-wook orders him to find out what In-ha’s whereabouts were on that night – don’t leave out even the tiniest detail!

Da-mi is working like a pack mule back at Restaurant Louis, when Louis himself comes up and tells her to slow down since it wasn’t that long ago when Woo-jin died.  Da-mi tells him this is the only way she and her mother can survive is if she works hard… and if he knows of another job he can send her way, she’ll take it on.  (And what is the deal with the safety pins on his tie?)

Yeong-rang returns home to a bitchy EvilStep asking if she really did stay at the hospital even after In-ha gave her the heavy-ho.  It was totally rude of In-ha to pull something like that, which she thinks shortened her life span by at least three months.  (Hee!)  Saying she needs to rest, Yeong-rang turns heels on EvilStep…

… but EvilStep’s not done with her yet.  Demanding to know what happened to Ji-ho since he’s not at the police station anymore, Yeong-rang tells her he obviously doesn’t want to come home, but EvilStep wants to know if Yeong-rang made that possible.  Yeong-rang throws down the Pity Card, in that she used all her lawyer connections to get Ji-ho sprung from jail.  And now he disappears without thanking her?  What an ingrate!  Yeong-rang is more concerned about her precious In-ha instead, which then leaves EvilStep no choice but to call her out on her ‘worries.’

Yeong-rang finally explodes and says that the last 14 years of raising Ji-ho taught him nothing, and that their relationship should have ended when Dead Burnt-Up Dad died.  She’s held back this far, but she’s done with him!  Stepchild or no stepchild, EvilStep chastises Yeong-rang for chasing out Ji-ho just when he needs her the most.  Go and bring him back right now and then send him off properly if she must.  Yeong-rang flat-out refuses to, and says that she will not see Ji-ho again until the day she dies.  For the first time in her life, she’s happy – there’s no mother-in-law abusing her, no cheating husband, no special son from another mother.  Is it a sin for her to just life the rest of her life with her only son?

EvilStep tchtch’s her and realizes this is why she started to look for Jung-wook’s kid and kicked out Ji-ho instead.  Yeong-rang goes pale and asks who’s going around saying that she’s looking for that child?  EvilStep says she knows everything – is it her plan to keep the bloodline pure and make a kingdom out of her own children?  Too bad, since the child she’s looking for isn’t even hers…

Yeong-rang grabs EvilStep and tries to shake the truth out of her.  EvilStep claims that she definitely wrote Jung-wook’s name on the baby blanket, but another child also was sent to the orphanage on that same day.  The child Yeong-rang thinks she found is another kid instead, which makes Yeong-rang beg to know what happened to her child!

EvilStep doesn’t know, but it was the right orphanage… he must have disappeared on his way to it.  Yeong-rang screams that EvilStep must take responsibility and find that child immediately!!!  EvilStep pushes her off and reminds Yeong-rang that since she abused and chased away Ji-ho, consider this her punishment from Heaven.

Yeong-rang falls into a chair and takes out the child’s picture she took from the orphanage.  A few seconds lapse as we watch the wheels in her head start turning…

Back at Boosung, Yeong-rang is still sitting and contemplating when Secretary Oh arrives on her beckoning.  She wants him to find a person who she can trust to keep a secret… because she needs to find a baby.  She doesn’t care if it takes one month or ten years, whether he’s in Korea or the States, and money is no object… this child must be found.  Secretary Oh presses for more detail, but Yeong-rang says that’s all he needs to know right now.

Jung-wook pulls up a chair next to Ji-ho, as he asks who the hell he is.  Obviously he must have a vendetta against either Woo-jin’s death or against Boosung.  Jung-wook doesn’t trust Ji-ho enough to tell him his life story, but Ji-ho begs to differ since Jung-wook has decided not to kill him yet.  Jung-wook doesn’t care because he’s still Chae Yeong Rang’s cherished son, so Ji-ho must be on her side as well.  Ji-ho begs to differ on that fact – if she cherished him so much, why did she frame him for murder and then ship him off to the States?  Some maternal instinct there, huh?

Jung-wook tells him it doesn’t make sense for Yeong-rang to pull that on her own son, but Ji-ho doesn’t care whether Jung-wook believes him or not since he’s already lost trust in the world.  Everything that Yeong-rang has taken from him, Ji-ho is going to get back three-fold.  He doesn’t care that he’s already reached the bottom of hell or if he will die in the process.  Jung-wook asks Ji-ho if he’s confident enough to take down a person whom he once called his mother.  Ji-ho says there is no one like that in his life… especially the one who claimed she was his mother but ends up being the person who killed his father!  Jung-wook sits back with a smirk on his face and says that he just found the jerkwad who killed Hong Woo Jin…

Ji-ho agrees with him that Yeong-rang was the killer, but Jung-wook says he’s wrong.  It turns out that his dongsaeng Yoo In Ha was the true killer.  Ji-ho is stunned to hear that piece of news, as Jung-wook goes on to piece together the events of that evening, starting with In-ha driving Ji-ho’s car to the warehouse that night.  In order to clear In-ha’s name, Yeong-rang bought him false alibis to protect his reputation… so the purpose of bringing Ji-ho to the crime scene so that he would rot in prison instead of In-ha.

Jung-wook says yeah right kind of… but since they do not have concrete evidence in hand, they shouldn’t rush to revenge just yet.  Ji-ho mutters that because Yeong-rang believes that a child who isn’t her flesh-and-bloodline is trash, she’s less than a human being.  He decides right then and there that he is no longer a human being either… so just wait and see what he’s capable of doing now.

Ji-ho staggers out of the warehouse and into the bright sunlight and takes off running like a bat out of hell.  Da-mi wanders aimlessly around Woo-jin’s room while staring at its contents.

 A mirror shatters, as In-ha continues his descent into madness.  Yeong-rang takes a picture of her, Ji-ho and In-ha and rips it into shreds.  And Ji-ho continues to run run run.  (Run, Von Ji Ho!  RUN!!!)

Even though there’s no caption saying it is so, it’s almost one year later, and In-ha is giving a small press conference/recital at the Boosung HQ to celebrate the beginning of his second year as CEO.  He reports that the Butt-Ugly Piano Jr. has sold over 2,000 copies nationally, and the export sales will soon exceed 1,000 copies.  But wait, there’s more!  With In-ha still not satisfied with Boosung cornering the market in their instrument sales, construction, distribution and shopping mall acquisitions, they still have a lot more to accomplish.  Hopefully President Chae Yeong Rang will assist him in making that dream come true.  Golf claps all around from the gathered press corps.

Of course, that then calls for a tour around the shopping centre with its General Manager, who reports that sales are up and everyone is happy.  Yeong-rang compliments In-ha on his brilliant strategy, but he deflects the remark by saying it was all her doing.  The General Manager then asks In-ha about his engagement party this weekend.  (WAIT.  WHAT THE HELL?!?)

In-ha’s smile fades ashe wonders how that piece of news got out – it’s only going to be a quiet party with close family and friends.  General Manager says nuh uh, since a press release has gone out saying that a grand party is going to be held at the Boosung HQ.  Yeong-rang’s Cheshire Cat smile grows wider, as she says she took care of the planning since the CEO was too busy to handle it himself.  She takes In-ha’s arm to leave, with him looking like he was kicked in the gut instead.

In-ha turns and demands to know why everyone in Boosung plus the press has been invited against his wishes.  Yeong-rang says it’s to show him off to the world that he’s finally getting his own family, so why can’t they throw a spectacular party to celebrate?  In-ha asks if that process will make their family finally look acceptable in everyone else’s eyes?  It’s more like a castle built on sand that will eventually come crashing down.

As he turns to leave, Yeong-rang reminds him that they need to go for their engagement party wardrobe fittings with So-yeol this afternoon.  (WHAT THE HELL AGAIN?!?)  In-ha says he has an appointment, so go without him.  Attempting to leave again, Yeong-rang quietly asks if In-ha remembers what day it is today… it’s his father’s memorial service day, so come home early.  Finally In-ha bolts for the door.

Nam-joo runs after Da-mi who is leaving for her second job at a small grill near their home.  Nam-joo hands her a pizza to eat on the way there, as Da-mi promises to be home early for her father’s memorial service as well.  As Da-mi runs across the street to catch the bus, Nam-joo catches a glimpse of Yeong-rang standing there glaring.  Suddenly Nam-joo darts into traffic, all the time yelling at Da-mi that she’s in danger!!

Nam-joo is grabbed by Louis right before a car mows her down and drags her back to the sidewalk.  Bitchy Manager Girl makes a scene about Nam-joo getting all nervous whenever Da-mi isn’t by her side.  They’ve got her back, so just chill already!

The curtains are drawn to show So-yeol in her engagement party dress, as Yeong-rang coos over everything she’s put on so far is perfect.  Se-yeol says it would have been nice if In-ha himself had bothered to show up and help pick one out.   Yeong-rang grabs her hands and says In-ha may be a little stiff right now, but once they get married and have children, he will be more devoted to his own family than he is to anyone else.

So-yeol’s fine with hearing that, because they both grew up alone and her plan is to make him happy.  Yeong-rang then springs out the surprise that as an engagement bribe present, she is going to promote So-yeol to the Executive Manager of Boosung.   And since it is In-ha’s father’s memorial service day, they need to hurry up and go.

At the barbeque restaurant, the owner ahjumma gives the bum’s rush to Da-mi to get her out the door for her own father’s memorial service.  And since she works so hard all the time, the owner hands over a huge bag of meat as a bonus.  She accepts with a big smile and leaves…… just as we see In-ha around the corner watching Da-mi walk away.  The owner ahjumma comes out to greet In-ha and tells him that he owes her 150,000 won today.  (I’m unclear on the concept, but did he pay for her bonus meat or something?)

The altar is all set up and ready for Dead Burnt-Up Dad’s service, but it’s getting late and In-ha has yet to return home.  EvilStep says they should just go ahead and start without him, but Yeong-rang pleads for a little bit more time.  And right on cue, In-ha finally shows up, but he decides that going upstairs works better.  Grabbing him from going upstairs and asking why he’s not going to greet his father, In-ha demands to know why she’s being so shameless in setting a table for him.

Yeong-rang knows that he’s upset but he shouldn’t show it in front of his dad, so they should just talk later.  That sends In-ha into a laughing fit which EvilStep accuses him of drinking.  In-ha says he did that very thing… so don’t prepare the altar for next year’s anniversary; he’ll just have a few drinks alone with his father instead.

In-ha grabs Dead Burnt-Up Dad’s picture from the altar and screams that enough is enough… he’s all creeped out by all the fake filial piety.  After he goes upstairs, EvilStep calls Yeong-rang out for being so stupid as to finally get caught by In-ha.  EvilStep wants to know what she’s going to do now that her first son is missing and her second son is becoming her worst enemy.  Yeong-rang says she doesn’t care who conducts the memorial rites – she’ll just do it herself.  EvilStep is appalled, as Yeong-rang goes on to say she has every right to appear in front of Dead Burnt-Up Dad!  Who made Boosung into the global king it is today?  Who took in Ji-ho to keep him from the orphanage?  She did absolutely nothing wrong, as she kneels in front of the altar to start the rites.

And In-ha has started his own rites in front of his father’s picture with a couple of bottles of Jinro.  Pouring a glass for his dad, In-ha apologizes to him for being such a sorry sack of cowardly shit, but he can’t abandon his mother since all she has is him right now.  He pours another drink while tears roll down his cheeks.

At the Hongs, Nam-joo says it’s not right for her husband’s memorial service to be held without Woo-jin.  (And notice that the J.W. piano has gone away, just like Da-mi requested.)  But has there been any word from the police?  Jung-wook apologizes and says that it’s been almost a year and he’s ashamed to say the case hasn’t been solved yet.  Da-mi tells him she’s not giving up, since there’s no perfect crime in this world.  Something is bound to turn up from all the fliers they distributed looking for witnesses.

Jung-wook agrees and tells them that’s why he’s starting a new business, and asks Da-mi to quit the restaurant and join him in his new venture… manufacturing musical instruments.  Apparently Saerin Instruments has gone into bankruptcy and he wants to obtain what’s left of the assets to start up his own company.  Wouldn’t this be the best way to avenge Woo-jin’s death than by taking on Boosung where it hurts?

Nam-joo tells him no freakin’ way her remaining child will enter his company – doesn’t he remember how Woo-jin died?  He joined Geumdan to revenge his father’s death, and look what happened to him.  Jung-wook asks if they have decided to let Chae Yeong Rang get away with murder then?  Nam-joo says they will take care of things their way going forward.

In a scene that hopefully will explain itself later, a black car rolls down the highway, when the back window rolls down and a hand grabs onto it.

Attorney Choi and Yeong-rang are discussing a new lawsuit filed by a bankrupt company against Boosung for breach of contract.  Attorney Choi thought the matter had gone away on its own, but they’ve all of a sudden decided to fight back.  Yeong-rang is appalled that he would even bring that up on In-ha’s engagement day, but Attorney Choi (thinking like a lawyer for a change) suggests maybe some nuisance money might make them go away.  She dismisses him with a directive to take care of it himself, dammit!  (And what the heck is she wearing around her neck?  Looks painful!)

Yeong-rang takes a call from Jung-wook, wondering if the party has started yet.  She tells him it hasn’t, but she’s sorry she couldn’t invite him today.  Jung-wook brushes that off because he’s not ready to come forward as her boyfriend just yet.  (Again… WHAT THE HELL?!?)  Saying that he’s at home, they should talk after the party.

But liar liar, pants on fire – Jung-wook is actually standing on the Balcony of Regrets at the Boosung HQ overseeing the festivities!  Assistant Guy #2 comes up and tells him the place is completely packed.  Jung-wook decides the time is ripe for a parable: “He that has no silver in his pocket, should have silk on his tongue.”

So-yeol’s girlfriends are fawning over her outfit when Yeong-rang and EvilStep come in to do the same.  Yeong-rang wishes that Professor Ha was there to see his only child get engaged, but So-yeol says there was nothing he could do about his concert schedule but he’ll be back for the wedding for sure.  EvilStep waxes nostalgic (with a drink in her hand, of course) over the day Yeong-rang got engaged.  Dead Burnt-Up Dad stuck a diamond worth 500 million won onto a 250 million-won dress, but the bride looked like she wanted to be elsewhere.  Is Yeong-rang wanting to push her son into a loveless marriage because she thinks it’s the right thing to do?

Yeong-rang demands that EvilStep leave the room immediately, but So-yeol says it’s okay since she knows what she’s getting into.  In-ha doesn’t like her much, but she guesses he will grow to love her after they live together.  EvilStep insists that So-yeol give up on that idea since it will be better for her mental health in the long run.

Yeong-rang tells EvilStep to stop drinking and shut her trap; why is she upsetting So-yeol on her big day?  EvilStep considers her words well-wishes, but did she happen to strike a nerve with Yeong-rang instead?  And by the way, where the heck is In-ha?  Did he forget that today was his engagement day?

Da-mi and Do-ri are cleaning the outsides of the restaurant windows when Do-ri heads inside for some clean rags.  In a repeat of Episode 6, Da-mi slips off the ladder as two hands suddenly reach out and put her back upright.  Breathing a sigh of relief that Do-ri was there to save her, Da-mi turns around to see no one there behind her.  Do-ri returns with the rags, further confusing Da-mi as to who her actual saviour was.  She thinks… nah, it couldn’t be… as we see a guy get into the back seat of a car and drives away.

Yeong-rang is frantically trying to contact In-ha, but he’s not picking up.  EvilStep tells her to chill out because he’ll be there.  Yeong-rang says he’s embarrassing her by not arriving on time – they have hundreds of guests and reporters there waiting to get started.  EvilStep grouses that there hasn’t been one word from Ji-ho in almost a year; can’t she worry about him as much as In-ha?  Yeong-rang crabs over why she would bring up Ji-ho on a day like today…  as EvilStep tells her why shouldn’t she?  Does it make sense that In-ha’s hyung wouldn’t attend his dongsaeng’s engagement party?  With Ji-ho, it was all about family.

In-ha comes stomping up the steps as Yeong-rang grills him over his lateness – is his goal in life to make her go nuts?  In-ha says that he didn’t want this engagement in the first place, as Yeong-rang hushes him in case someone is listening.  In-ha says not to worry; he’ll be the lead clown in her little circus.  After he leaves, Yeong-rang says to no one in particular that everything will be okay and that this is the best for In-ha right now.

So-yeol and In-ha walk up the aisle towards the engagement cake with fake smiles on their faces.   He puts the ring on her finger and share an extremely chaste kiss before being applauded by their guests.  (Urge to kill… rising…)  The MC announces that a toast will now be given by the groom’s mother.

Yeong-rang remarks that today is one of the most happiest in her life since they will be adding to their family.  Chukahaeyo and konbae to the kids!  *clink*  *drink*  The MC says that the special musical performance will begin next.  As In-ha and So-yeol are being paraded around by Yeong-rang (to Lizst’s Nocturne in A-flat major being played at double-time), In-ha looks over to the grand piano as if the pianist’s playing style seems very familiar….

The camera pans around ever-so-slowly, as we watch the slow burn reaction shots of In-ha and Yeong-rang’s faces when FINALLY Ji-ho is revealed as the pianist!  Yeong-rang looks like she’s seen a ghost, In-ha can barely contain his anger, Attorney Choi almost faints, and Ji-ho sits there and smirks at all of them.

EvilStep grabs him in a bear hug and is squeeeeeeing with glee because her Ji-ho has returned home!  Yeong-rang can barely spit out asking him what the hell he’s doing there, as Ji-ho says it’s In-ha’s engagement… he wouldn’t miss this for the world!  He congratulates In-ha, who looks like his jaw is going to collapse for all the clenching of it.  Yeong-rang orders Ji-ho to follow her, but Ji-ho reminds her that she still has guests to attend to – the party’s just getting started!

At that moment, a guy in a trenchcoat walks into the Boosung party with something sticking out of his pocket.  Yelling after Yeong-rang, he accuses her of sucking the blood out of her subcontractors in order to throw such lavish parties.   He pulls out a gardening trowel and lunges towards Yeong-rang to stab her, and as everyone screams in terror, Ji-ho steps in front of her and takes the blade instead!

The guy is wrestled to the ground by security as Ji-ho collapses in pain.  EvilStep rushes over to him as In-ha and Yeong-rang look on in horror.  (Yeah, don’t protect your fiancée at all, In-ha.  Asshole.)  Ji-ho’s bleeding out pretty badly, and Attorney Choi yells for an ambulance STAT!

At the hospital, the news stations are having a field day reporting the stabbing, as the suspect is named as President Kang of the Jae Ho Trading Company – the bankrupt company that just filed the breach of contract lawsuit against Boosung.  So-yeol tries to comfort Yeong-rang, as In-ha stands in shock and EvilStep paces.

Nam-joo is also watching the news reporting the stabbing of the famous pianist Yoo Ji Ho.  The reporter lists the litany of alleged charges against him, as well as him being suspected in the murder of Hong Woo Jin, but being released due to lack of evidence.  At that moment, Da-mi arrives home and drops her bag of groceries over watching the stabbing replay.

Jung-wook is watching the news report as well, as he asks what the status of President Kang ended up being.  Assistant Guy #2 said he was arrested and is being questioned.  Jung-wook asks to have him cool his heels a little bit more; he’ll hire a good attorney for him to spring him from jail.

Ji-ho finally comes to in his hospital bed to find Yeong-rang glaring at him and asking why he returned to Korea after pinky-swearing and signing a pledge and everything?  Ji-ho says that he just wanted to come to In-ha’s engagement.  He didn’t think anything like this would ever happen, though…  he guesses a parent-child relationship must exist between them after all.

Yeong-rang threatens Ji-ho with his returning to prison, or even worse, his not being able to play competitive piano ever again.  Ji-ho just smirks and wonders why she’s not thanking him for saving her life.  Yeong-rang screams that she didn’t ask to be saved, and grabs the poor boy making him wince in pain.  She orders him to leave pali pali – don’t get any ideas that he’s going to settle down in Korea again.

She attempts to pull Ji-ho out of his bed, but EvilStep comes in and tears Yeong-rang off of him, saying she must be the Devil Incarnate to do that to someone who just got out of surgery because HE SAVED YOUR LIFE!!!  If Yeong-rang lays another finger on Ji-ho, she will call the reporters and disgrace her in public for the rest of her living days!!!

Ji-ho puts on his best Puppy eyes and tells EvilStep to calm down, because his mother must be hurting as well to see her child lying in a hospital bed all messed up.  Yeong-rang decides that kicking the side of his bed is one way of showing her displeasure.

In-ha returns to his room in utter shock (and missing his engagement ring on his hand as well).   A minor freak-out while he wonders out loud why Ji-ho had to return on today of all days – he could have just left for good… and then In-ha continues his descent into Crazy Town.  Population: HIM.

A week later, EvilStep is helping Ji-ho get dressed to be discharged since the doctors said he can finish his recuperation at home.   Yeong-rang doesn’t care and wants to know where Ji-ho plans on going, but EvilStep says that of course he must go home – she wants to kick him out after saving her life?  Yeong-rang says that when So-yeol comes to live with them after she and In-ha are married, it’s going to be way too uncomfortable for everyone.  Ji-ho tells them not to worry; he’ll go to a hotel and then look for a separate place to live.  He doesn’t like it either if his mother is uncomfortable. *snerk*

Ji-ho is wheeled out to greet the mass of reporters awaiting a statement from him.  Of course, some tabloid scum asks him about all the scandals that plagued him in the past that were suddenly wiped away by his heroic efforts.  How does he feel about that?  Another reporter wants to know that after all the problems between he and Yeong-rang, why would he throw himself in harm’s way?  Ji-ho determines that there were many misunderstandings, but he loves his mother most in the world and never stopped thinking about her when he was away from the family.  All this time, Yeong-rang is barely keeping the fake smile on her face.

Reporter #3 asks that Ji-ho’s ranking from Nation’s Immoral Son to Nation’s Devoted Son was anticipated, but where did he summon up the courage to do what he did when even her REAL SON couldn’t help?  (OOOOH, BURN!!!)  Ji-ho says that it doesn’t matter which son did the rescuing – it’s a relief that she didn’t get hurt.  But he’s done with being interviewed, thanks goodbye go away now.

Reporter #4 asks if he’s going home now, but Ji-ho hesitates to answer except for saying he will do what his mother wishes.  Yeong-rang has no choice but to tell the throngs that of course he will be returning home to rest comfortably.   They both look at each other with thoughts of revenge coursing through both of their heads.  (Well played, sir.  Well played.)

The reporters ask for one last picture, staged to show Yeong-rang helping Ji-ho into the waiting limo.  Yeong-rang protests over having to put on a show, but Ji-ho says it’s all right since she’s done it many times for him before.  With her grabbing one arm and Secretary Oh grabbing the other, they help Ji-ho to the car, but not before Ji-ho gets in one last dig reminding her too look a little bit more happy… he saved her life, remember?

In-ha is cobbling a piece together for the upcoming Composing Contest and takes his frustrations out on the keyboard.  Ji-ho wanders in and startles him, while In-ha just stares back.  Ji-ho wonders why he’s so surprised; it’s not like he committed a crime or something!  (BWAHAHAHA!!!)  Of course, that makes In-ha bark at him over not knocking, but Ji-ho retorts that they’re brothers… they should have nothing to hide, right?

In-ha apologizes but tries to shoo out Ji-ho so he can get back to working on his contest piece.  Ji-ho tells In-ha that he’s really glad to see him, but In-ha doesn’t look too happy to see him… wae?  They’re brothers, aren’t they?  In-ha wants to know what he means by that, and Ji-ho says he doesn’t know.  (Aish, too cryptic for my feeble brain!)  As he turns to leave, Ji-ho catches a glimpse of the Composing Contest flyer on top of In-ha’s piano and smirks.  In-ha wonders what it is that Ji-ho actually knows…

EvilStep tells Ji-ho that his room should be ready shortly, but Ji-ho wants to know why something is missing in his desk drawer.  EvilStep claims nothing was touched, but Ji-ho is searching for the Joker Card that EvilStep gave him over a year ago… that notice for illegal parking.

Yeong-rang reads the morning news as EvilStep shoves a tray with water and medicine in her face and demands she go take it to Ji-ho right now.  Of course she refuses, until EvilStep rips the newspaper out of her hands and pushes the tray into them.   Reminding her that he has a hole in his body because of her, Yeong-rang finally capitulates and grabs the tray.

Ji-ho is changing clothes just as Yeong-rang arrives with the medicine.   As we see him putting on his shirt, THERE’S NO STAB WOUND ON HIS TUMMY!!!  Yeong-rang sees that as well and drops the tray in shock.  Ji-ho just smiles as she accuses him of deceiving her… wae?  Ji-ho says that since Yeong-rang wasn’t sincere in saving him from the fire 14 years ago, he’s only doing what he learned from her.  As long as the people trust him, he can then do what he wants to do in the future.

Yeong-rang screams at Ji-ho to leave the house immediately and go back to the States, but Ji-ho says there’s no need for him to leave HIS house.  She charges him ready to slap away, but Ji-ho grabs her arm and says that he’s held back all this time because she was his mother.  But all that’s over now; there’s no holding back for him.

Yeong-rang asks what that comment is supposed to mean, as Ji-ho says he’s just getting started, baby!  She needs to save her tears for what she’s going to lose in the future instead.  Yeong-rang wrestles her arm away, and the usual Show Ending Stare-Off begins.  Thus endeth Episode 19!

Air Date:  20 October 2012

Ratings:   AGB Nielsen Nationwide 11.3% (6th) / Seoul 12.1% (7th); TNmS Nationwide 10.3% (9th) / Seoul 11.41% (10th)

Flowers and Brickbats

Happy New Year, minasan!  Hope you all had a nice holiday and returned to the grind as well.  Apologies for not getting this up as quickly as possible — a few moving-target deadlines at work kept me away from recapping.  So I took this episode on in bits and chunks when possible, but it was still a long slog through with lots of stops and starts.  I could not wrap my brain around this episode to do it justice, which was odd because upon the first watching live, I was so flippin’ happy finally seeing some progress in the storyline.  And this was the episode that finally started the upwards trajectory for the ratings, so why the sudden writer’s block?  (Brings to mind a old saying: “Writer’s block is when your imaginary friends won’t talk to you.”)  Still don’t know the answer to that.

I remember at the time of Episode 19’s filming where Chang-wook’s tweets were flying right and left during all-night shooting sessions, with one saying he was so happy to be filming a bed scene so he could catch up on his sleep deficit.  Hee!  But the warehouse scenes were shot over in Incheon where they only had the premises for three days total, so of course an around-the-clock shooting schedule was called for to get the film for Episodes 17, 18 and 19.

Of course, the Elephant in the Room is the sudden engagement of In-ha and So-yeol.  Did the Writer-nim suddenly decide that there wasn’t enough romance in the show now that Ji-ho and Da-mi have split up, and this is what we get?!?  Remember back a few episodes, she had the hots for Ji-ho since they were college sunbaes and was jonesing for him since Episode 5.  I wouldn’t have put those two together with spit and bailing wire, but I can see why Yeong-rang pushed for In-ha to get married in order for him to get started on that whole baby-making thing so in case the cops came knocking again, at least he’d have mitigating circumstances and they would be hesitant to arrest him for Woo-jin’s murder — it’s an insurance plan for Her Precious In-ha.  But to HER, REALLY?  He’s the CEO of a KOSPI 200-listed company, so wouldn’t you think there were other chaebol girls throwing themselves at him?  That’s not a marriage; that’s a business deal at best.  Gotta give So-yeol major props for at least knowing what she was getting into if she married into that family… but honey, someone who doesn’t want to be saved doesn’t need saving.  That’s a little advice from someone who knows that from experience.

And in another one of the WTF Departments, Jung-wook decides to quote an old Scottish parable: “He that has no silver in his pocket, should have silk on his tongue.”  The basic meaning is that one who cannot pay his debts should at least make good promises.  I have no idea why the Writer-nim decided to pull this one out of his back pocket, because it really had nothing to do with that scene.  Was he talking about the bankruptcy CEO?  Or Yeong-rang?  Who the heck knows?  Even my friends over in Daejeon were stumped as to why such a line was spoken, so it’s not just me!

Speaking of Kim Jung Wook, give me a few lines to wax poetic about one the Hardest Working Adjusshis in Show Business: Jeon Noh Min, who seems to be in every K-drama shown on the face of the earth over the past three years.  Since January 2011, he has popped up in ELEVEN different shows over five different networks.  I first took note of him in MBC’s “Queen Seonduk” where he played the leader of the Hwarangdo Clan, then saw him appear in a few other forgetful shows… until “Bachelor’s Vegetable Store” where he played the Fake Dad to Wang Ji Hye’s character and was sort of a mentor to Ji Chang Wook’s character.  Of course, the role he’ll be remembered for the most is as Damsari in GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKSITAL!!!!  Being an English Lit major in college must have helped him hone a very regal air to his acting skills, and I hear he’s been cast for two more roles in dramas that will air in 2013.  And since he’s only 46 years old, I expect him to be playing both bad and good guys for a long time!  Chukahaeyo!

Music Nerd Ramblings:   Ah dang it.  Only one classical piece to discuss for this episode, and it’s the other composer the Music Director is so fond of:  Franz Liszt, with his Nocturne No. 3 in A flat major (Op. 62-1).  I’m sure the tune was familiar to everyone’s ears, as it was featured in several Bugs Bunny cartoons in the late 1940s and 1950s, tons of movies, and music videos even to this day.  I am also very familiar with this tune, having performed it for my college Senior Recital way back in the Stone Age.  (I still have a copy of the performance on 1/4″ reel-to-reel tape.)  What Ji-ho played was the third work in Liszt’s Liebestraume (“Dreams of Love”) solo piano series, all published in 1850.  I’m sure the MD decided to speed up the performance in order for the viewers to drink in the theme as much as possible in the 90 seconds available, and then sit there and think, “Yeah, I remember that tune!”  But that’s it.  Move along.  Nothing to see here.

Heading into the last third of the series now, and my goal is to finish up this whole hot mess by the end of January.  So it’s time to go work on Episode 20.  See you all on the flip side!