Dal Ja’s Spring: Episode 14

by javabeans

Episode 14: “It’s Okay Even If You’re Not Superwoman!”

This episode features lots of romance, and wonderful acting from Soon Ae! She made me cry tons in this episode and last.

Dal Ja and Seon Joo talk: Sae Do doesn’t know she’s pregnant, and Seon Joo doesn’t intend to tell him. She asks Dal Ja not to tell him. When Sae Do arrives, they talk about Go Soon Ae’s condition and how her husband could leave his wife.

Dal Ja and Sae Do disagree — Sae Do sympathizes with the husband, saying that he feels bad for Go Soon Ae, but the husband must be having a hard time, too. Dal Ja says they took marriage vows — “For better or worse” — to be together through everything. But Sae Do says that men can’t be expected to be Superman, and it’s selfish of women to expect their men to take responsibility for everything. Dal Ja says a man who leaves his wife to deal with everything alone is cowardly.

Soon Ae wakes up from surgery believing she lost her baby, and blames herself. She thinks back to what she said in episode 13, when she told Dal Ja that if she knew how hard things would get, she wouldn’t have had her second baby now. If she hadn’t said those words, her baby wouldn’t have left her. It’s really sad until Dal Ja tells her that she has a son, and her baby is in the incubator because he’s premature.

Seon Joo schedules her abortion for the soonest date possible. Dal Ja thinks Sae Do should know about it, so they can decide what to do together. But Seon Joo says that whatever affection they share now will turn into burden and responsibility the instant she tells him she’s pregnant. She’s not even sure if she loves Sae Do, and her feelings aren’t strong enough for that. But Sae Do has overheard the conversation. While Seon Joo acts cool at work, Sae Do is preoccupied with the news.

Tae Bong brings Dal Ja food at the hospital. She’s tired and would like to lean on him, but instead insists she’s fine. Still, he tells her not to overdo herself, and offers her his shoulder. Dal Ja leans on him, and marvels: “Ahhh, this is nice. I could get addicted to this shoulder!”

When Tae Bong watches her eat, Dal Ja feels self-conscious, but can only make silly conversation about things like traffic. She tries to think of something else, and blurts out, “Have you ever slept with a woman?” She tries to cover up, saying it’s because she’s in the hospital with all these pregnant women around.

Dal Ja wonders if Seon Joo told Sae Do anything about her pregnancy. Dal Ja’s about to tell him the truth when he tells her, “Don’t tell me. Just don’t say anything. When I’ve prepared myself, then I’ll listen. For now, just leave me alone.” Dal Ja realizes he knows about the baby, and tells him, “You must be having a hard time, but the person who’s having the most difficulty right now is Seon Joo.”

Crazy Wife visits Ki Joong’s apartment and is alarmed to see it in disarray. Ki Joong has let himself go, reading Candy comics and drinking. She calls the police, saying an intruder has come and killed someone. When they figure out nothing happened, Crazy Wife apologizes, saying she’s never seen his place in such a mess and was worried. She guesses that things aren’t going well with Dal Ja. She leaves him with some almond candies that he likes, which she made.

Tae Bong’s mother goes to Dal Ja’s office, which is empty except for her bald co-worker. She calls to make sure Kang Team Leader isn’t there (she’s not) and basically intimidates Dal Ja’s co-worker into telling her everything he knows about Dal Ja.

When Dal Ja visits Soon Ae, she tells her that Soon Ae is a remarkable person: “You play wife, mother, daughter-in-law. In the office, you’re a worker, and my dating coach. How can you do all that?” Soon Ae says that all housewives do that, and wonders if Dal Ja’s started to gain some sense now that she’s living with a man (Sae Do let it slip that Dal Ja and Tae Bong are living together).

Soon Ae tells Dal Ja that if she’s gone so far as to share her room with a man, she must like him a lot. If she feels she can love him, she should go ahead with their relationship. Dal Ja asks if that would really be okay. Soon Ae says she doesn’t need her permission, but Dal Ja feels if her unni were to say okay, she’d feel better about it. Soon Ae tells her, “It’s okay. If it’s love, what can you do about it? It’s okay.”

Tae Bong’s father visits Dal Ja’s mom. She’s cold to him, telling him she has nothing to say, that she forgot everything years ago. Tae Bong’s father says he’s missed her every day, and wonders if she hasn’t missed him at all. After she left him so many years ago, she should have gone on to live a happy, good life. Instead, she’s living a hard life. Dal Ja’s mom asks if he’s satisfied to see her struggling now. It’s her punishment for betraying him — she was swayed by another man’s riches, but not long after they married, he became ill and died, leaving her alone to raise Dal Ja and care for his mother. She’s been punished for doing him wrong, living such a difficult life. She tells him not to come back.

Outside, Tae Bong’s mother is spying. She came because it’s Dal Ja’s restaurant, but sees her husband leaving. Naturally she’s suspicious.

Dal Ja finds the cake Tae Bong bought the day before and eats it all. Tae Bong asks how she could eat someone else’s birthday cake — it’s his birthday. Dal Ja asks if he wants anything, and he says one kiss will do. She gives him a peck on the cheek, which he calls childish. So she gives him a peck on the lips, and he teases her for such an innocent kiss. She must really not have any experience.

So finally she kisses him full-on, surprising him. Tae Bong: “So you can kiss well. So why did you act so coy before?” Dal Ja: “I told you, I thought you’d be too shocked.”

Sae Do confronts Seon Joo. She tells him she didn’t want their relationship to be built on this burden and will get the abortion soon. He gets upset at how coolly she’s handling things. True, he didn’t want to have a kid, and he didn’t want this responsibility. But now that things have come to this, they should think about the future.

But Seon Joo tells him he doesn’t love her enough to have this baby. “If you really loved me, you should’ve at least asked me this: ‘Are you okay? Are you really okay?'” Sae Do storms out, and Seon Joo sees the gift he brought her: baby socks.

Soon Ae’s husband finally comes to see her and apologizes for leaving her to handle this alone. She tells him their son is handsome like him, and will break hearts when he grows up. She thanks her husband for coming back safe and sound. It seems they’re going to reconcile.

Dal Ja thinks how, since the advent of Superman in the world, there have also been Superwomen. As wives, mothers, workers, women, working hard to protect their happiness.

Dal Ja prepares a fancy dinner for Tae Bong, and dresses up nicely for his birthday. She asks what he thinks of her dress, and he says, “It’s not that great.” She gets offended, saying how she was so busy going to work and the hospital, then shopping to cook him a nice meal for his birthday, and even going to lengths to dress prettily for him — and all he can say is “It’s not that great.”

Tae Bong tells her he didn’t want her to overdo it. He likes her fine in jeans and sneakers, or with her unwashed face in the morning, or with a bowl of cup noodles. He already got his present, so she shouldn’t overwork herself going from work to the hospital to the store to cook him something special. She wanted to do something nice for him, but for him, it’s enough just to be together. She doesn’t have to put on her Superwoman face for him because her everyday face is enough for him.

They’re interrupted by a wrong number calling, and Dal Ja takes that as her cue to retire for the night. Tae Bong seems frustrated, and drinks some wine before going in his room. Then comes out and barges in on Dal Ja.

…and scene. Till next episode!