Prosecutor Princess: Episode 8

by kaedejun

I love this photo – she’s puffing her cheeks AND squatting – she looks like a little kid…heh!

THE KISS!

Do I even have to give a preface to this recap!?

Song of the Day

I was pretty torn on which song to put up from the OST but here goes…

Prosecutor Princess OST – Amazoness [download]

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Episode 8

The insanely long, at-least-10-seconds-to-seal-one’s-love-forever kiss finally ends when In Woo sees Se Joon leave, and Hye Ri manages to pull herself away. (Note: even though Se Joon already leaves, In Woo still holds on to her as though he doesn’t want to end the kiss!)

She asks him what is going on through that crazy mind of his, and he explains he did it all for her and Se Joon – if Se Joon doesn’t respond to the kiss then he really is not interested. Hye Ri freaks that Se Joon could have misunderstood and starts running after him. But he is nowhere to be found.

To give Se Joon some credit, he is a bit shocked at the sight of Hye Ri kissing another man. (But it might just be because Hye Ri looks like his wife and it’s weird to see his “wife” kiss someone else.)

Hye Ri barges into In Woo’s apartment and demands to know why he did what he did. Se Joon wasn’t around, so was In Woo lying to her just to kiss her?! In Woo inverts that as justification for his action: if Se Joon ran away, then it means he really was jealous. His only motive is to help Hye Ri snag Se Joon for herself, so he has no hidden agenda. (Yeah right. If I were Hye Ri, I’d wonder, why are you working so hard to help me get Se Joon!? But I’m not her, so I just enjoy it…)

Hye Ri is mad at him, but she can’t really forget the kiss. In Woo is conflicted and mutters to himself, “Crazy.” He’s slowly realizing that he’s becoming more irrational around her.

The next morning, Hye Ri wakes early, and she bumps into a cool-looking In Woo in the elevator. She initially wants to take another elevator, but he grabs her hand and forces her to ride with him. He teases her for being super eager to know Se Joon’s reaction, so she exits and stomps down the stairs.

During the morning carpooling, Jung Sun comments that Bin looked pretty glum after her weekend with Papa, and Se Joon looked pretty stern. But he says he always looks mean. Jung Sun says he’s cuter when he smiles, which confuses Se Joon because she rarely talks like that. And this is how Hye Ri is rubbing off on Jung Sun…

They arrive together at work, and see Hye Ri snooping Se Joon’s office to see if he’s arrived yet. She covers her tracks and says she’s really looking for Jung Sun, covering for herself by asking about the autopsy case. (Turns out the woman died from foul play since her rib damaged her lung. Suspect #1: her fiance).

Se Joon’s non-reaction to her makes Hye Ri think that he didn’t see the kiss. However, it frustrates her even more because she gave him the Superman coupon and can’t figure out whether or not he saw it. She vents her anger towards her new case about a car accident, questioning why the perpetrator and the husband of the victim settled so quickly. Asking more questions shows her growth as a prosecutor because she is no longer just taking in the facts. She wants to know more about the circumstances surrounding the case and questions every detail so that she can get it right.

Meanwhile, Jenny and In Woo work on their case with the defective apartment buildings. The lady who brought the case to him is extremely thankful. On the side of his store-owner-unni Ha Jung Nan, she is selling off her liquor store when she finds out that her abusive (ex?) husband put her house up for sale without her knowledge. She calls up In Woo right away, who changes into his “writer-disguise” in the back of his car, and rushes over right away. He tells her to make a clean break and bring up a lawsuit against him. If she doesn’t, she’ll be stuck in a vicious cycle.

Hye Ri mopes to Yoon Ah, who becomes the voice of the audience. Yoon Ah asks if the lawyer really likes her because he kissed her. Hye Ri doesn’t believe it. Yoon Ah then asks how the kiss went – even if it was forced, the feeling is different depending on who it was… unless Hye Ri’s just freaking out over a peck. (Oh no my dear, it was SO NOT a peck). She points out that if Hye Ri really hated it, she would rather think of it as a peck than a kiss. GOTCHA!

Yoon Ah points out that all she has to do is visit Se Joon’s mailbox to see if he really saw the coupon or not. So Hye Ri goes to the mailbox and sees that the mail was taken out; Se Joon definitely saw the coupon. She confronts him the next day and he is forced to admit that he saw the coupon too late. Therefore, he did see the kiss. Hye Ri freaks and tells him that In Woo is just a friend, but Se Joon doesn’t care. He does give Hye Ri another chance to use the Superman coupon though (aww – he’s not completely cold-hearted)

Now it’s time for her new case: the car accident. The woman who was driving the car, Woo Sung Mi, was getting off her night shift, and because she was tired, she sped home. She didn’t see Choi In Sook come out and jaywalk until it was too late. Woo Sung Mi struck Choi In Sook, and immediately brought the bloodied woman into the hospital. However, by then, Choi died. Choi’s husband was distraught, but Woo settled the case with $100,000 just three short days after the funeral was held. Hye Ri questions whether Woo was being unobservant on the road because of her exhaustion, and wonders why they settled the case so quickly. In addition, Woo had procured the funds pretty quickly by using her own savings and insurance money.

Investigator Cha and Jung Hee think that Woo might be telling the truth because she’s so calm. However, Hye Ri is intent on being suspicious.

When she arrives home, In Woo is waiting for her and asks if she confronted Se Joon yet. She says that no matter what, what In Woo did was wrong. He could have kissed her anywhere else, or faked the kiss. In Woo says, “In order to fool a person, you need to do it for real. It was a real kiss but it’s not really a real kiss.” OOOOOOOOOK – if that excuse to kiss Hye Ri makes you happy…!!!

Hye Ri announces that Se Joon wasn’t jealous at all, and so In Woo inverts it again: she knows way too little about men – outward jealousy is not everything. He promises to help her pack another lunch if she treats him to a meal. He suggests Thursday, but she has something else to do…

Thursday, she has to go investigate the locations where the victim Choi visited and was struck. In Woo catches her at the parking lot and tells her to go in his car. *Warning: In Woo’s logic made no sense at all, and I don’t think it’s really supposed to*

In Woo: Let’s take my car. That person might also have a grudge. What if she follows you again?
Hye Ri: I won’t fall for that again.
In Woo: You’re exactly a ghost’s ideal type.
Hye Ri: But…why?
In Woo: You’re pretty. You’re fancy. You’re absent-minded and naive. You have everything that ghosts like. We have to go by my car so that the ghost would follow me to my house.
Kaedejun: HUH!?
Hye Ri: Really?
In Woo: Really…what do you mean by ‘really’? Do you know how secluded that place of the accident is? You said you’re also going to a temple. It’s not ghosts we should be afraid of, but people. You have no fears.
Hye Ri: What is he talking about?
Kaedejun: DITTO.
In Woo: Let’s go!

They arrive at the scene of the crime and In Woo helps mark out the spots where the victim was standing, where the car braked, etc. Hye Ri wants to do a test-drive to see how Woo would have reacted, and they can’t figure out why she was driving so fast in the first place. In addition, it looks like Choi may have not just “popped out,” but that Woo was really at fault. To test out this theory, they must reenact the scene.

In Woo yells, “NO!” He’d rather wait for her to get a dummy doll for the reenactment, or wait for the accident report. But Hye Ri doesn’t want to wait that long – besides, it’s not like she’s asking him to hit her. She quickly scrambles out of the car and In Woo has no choice but to follow…

However, as he drives towards Hye Ri, he gets a flash of a vision of a bloodied woman on the ground. Before he even reaches Hye Ri, he brakes suddenly.

In Woo gets out of the car, ready to yell at her, but she talks over him. In Woo braked way before he even got near her, while Woo had braked only when she hit Choi. Therefore Woo was speeding, and it was not solely Choi’s fault for jaywalking. She’s so excited that In Woo can only threaten her, “Do that one more time…!”

They head over to the temple to speak to a monk, who says that Choi visited twice a week because she had marital problems. Her husband had a mistress and wanted a divorce. The husband settled it with Woo so quickly because now one of his problems had been eliminated. While this has nothing to do with Woo, at least Hye Ri knows that the husband lied.

As they walk back towards the car through the woods, Hye Ri breaks her heel. In Woo graciously offers his shoes to her, and if she doesn’t want it, he’ll give her a piggy back ride. Of course, she chooses the shoes. But later on, In Woo steps on a small wood splinter and hurts his bare feet. He wraps it with his handkerchief, so Hye Ri gives him back the shoes instead, and rides piggy back.

The walk is long, and In Woo says it’s because he expanded the road. She wants to get back more quickly; he tells her to shut up so that he’ll move faster. (AWWW – so this is how you kids flirt huh?)

At home, Hye Ri is excited to figure out the order of the investigation, but In Woo wants to eat first. He goes to her bathroom to wash his feet, leaving behind bloody footprints that do not escape Hye Ri’s attention. When he checks her fridge however, all she has are tomatoes and melons and salad. Time to go grocery shopping!

He purchases actual kitchen supplies, to Hye Ri’s surprise, because he reasons, “They’re things needed in a place where a human lives, not rabbits.” She notices his limp becoming more pronounced, and sneaks off to purchase medicine.

When they return home, she presents the band-aids and ointment. He’s surprised, and looks at her completely startled and touched.

Hye Ri: Why are you looking at me like that?
In Woo: Ma Hye Ri bought it.
Hye Ri: If you’re going to cook while standing you should at least put on a band-aid…Why do you keep looking at me like that!?
In Woo: It’s surprising. Without me saying anything, you knew that I was hurt.

Hye Ri brushes off this moment and plops herself on the couch to wait for the food to be made. In Woo takes the opportunity to complain about his foot and asks that she cook instead. She doesn’t know how to cook – ok, how about ramen? – she doesn’t know how to make ramen.

Cooking Lessons with Seo In Woo begins! He guides her step by step in making ramen, and I think In Woo just enjoys bossing her around. Having been a success, she eats her salad and watches enviously as he slurps up the ramen. In Woo takes note and offers it to her. Hye Ri says, “Only a bite.” But we all know that when a girl says “one bite,” she doesn’t really mean one bite…well, I don’t…

Meal done, they discuss the case, and In Woo falls asleep fairly quickly on the couch. Hye Ri is so engrossed with insurance laws that it’s very late before she finally notices that he’s asleep. She tries to wake him up to make him go home, but he is completely passed out. Knowing that it’s partially her fault because he had to carry her, she lets him catch some z’s.

Soon enough though, he starts shaking and has a nightmare. Images of the bloody, dead woman on the ground reappear, and In Woo tosses around like mad. Hye Ri tries to calm him down and tell him that it’s just a dream. She grasps his hand, and he holds on to her tightly like a child. He doesn’t let go of Hye Ri’s hand, and she has to gently pry herself away, noting that he’s not as cool as he really seems.

The next morning, In Woo’s alarm clock wakes her up, and next to it is a prepared breakfast of sweet potatoes, salad, and a smoothie for her. They bump into each other at the front of the apartment and she thanks him. Devilishly, he jumps into her convertible and asks/demands that she drive him to the courthouse. As they drive up to Hye Ri’s building, who should see them but Se Joon, Jung Sun, and Min Suk. Se Joon watches suspiciously as In Woo leaves in the opposite direction. He realizes later that In Woo was fighting in the fields along with him during the gambling case.

The Fraudulent Ajumma Hwang Soo Ja returns for another round of questioning – another lawsuit has been filed against her. But Hye Ri notices the clip that Hwang Soo Ja is wearing in her hair. She asks where she got it, and Hwang Soo Ja says she bought it cheaply at Dongdaemun Market last summer. However, Hye Ri points out that it’s a limited edition Gioberni – only seven of them exist and they were sold out the day it was released – which was in February. How does Hye Ri know this? because she missed out on buying them – she had gone to the shoe auction instead.

Hwang Soo Ja immediately changes her tune and says that ‘Bang Unni’ bought it and gave it to her as an appeasement. But Hye Ri just smiles and tells her team to call up the department store and get the list of names of the people who bought the clip. Then we’ll see if Hwang Soo Ja’s story really holds.

GO LEGALLY BLONDE MOMENT!

Hye Ri takes out all the other prosecutors to a nice Korean restaurant for lunch to celebrate her success. Prosecutor Chae laments that it must be so nice to be able to afford to treat the entire team every time she wins. Jung Sun asks how it happened, and Hye Ri unabashedly praises herself for knowing about fashion – isn’t she impressive? And since she’s treating, doesn’t the food taste better?!

Se Joon agrees that it does, and Jung Sun smiles at Hye Ri’s achievement. She’s probably thinking, Hye Ri’s like a child…so harmless…

After lunch, Se Joon requests a private coffee break with Hye Ri, and he takes her outside. Everyone becomes curious about their relationship. The Chief notes Jung Sun’s expression and says that it’s not really what it seems – it can’t be.

True enough – it isn’t. Se Joon just wants to point out to Hye Ri that In Woo isn’t who he says he is. He asks if they’re really just friends, and if so, did Hye Ri know he came from America? She says she doesn’t pry into others’ lives unless they say something. Se Joon also asks why In Woo helped her so much with the gambling case, going to the extent of fighting the hoodlums? He warns her that In Woo is the type to use people so he can win his cases – he’s even bribed a witness before. “I don’t think he is someone who would be good to you for no special reason.”

DUN DUN DUN. The seeds of doubt are planted in Hye Ri’s head.

Hye Ri drives home and sees In Woo changing into his disguise at the back of the car. She wonders why he dresses so differently.

In Woo meets Ha Jung Nan and she confides that she’s thinking of dropping the lawsuit – her husband is giving her a hard time. In Woo tells her that if she thinks it’s best, then do so – he only wants her to be happy and find a man who really loves her. However, he also grips his hands tightly, as though hoping his unni won’t drop the lawsuit just yet.

At that moment Hye Ri calls him up to check on him. He asks, “Why are you acting like my wife? We’re not in a relationship to ask and answer that.” She makes up an excuse about wanting a favor and then camps outside waiting for him to return. But she misses him driving back in, and so she cannot confirm her weird suspicions.

Instead, Hye Ri goes up to his apartment and begins her interrogation:

Hye Ri: Lawyer Seo, you came from America?
In Woo: You didn’t know that?
Hye Ri: You didn’t tell me that.
In Woo: You must not have asked me. I don’t talk about myself unless someone asks me.
Hye Ri: Since when did you start living in America?
In Woo: I went to the U.S. in 6th grade. Four months after moving there my mother was killed in a car accident. I lived with my father.

Slowly – In Woo is becoming clearer…

Hye Ri asks why he took the bar exam in Korea, and he sidesteps it by saying, “Someone I know who hazily went to the fashion school and the law school here also passed the bar exam.” Hye Ri defends herself by saying she didn’t sleep for more than 2 hours studying before the exam; In Woo says he must be smarter since he slept 4 hours!

She keeps asking why he returned to Korea – without his father too – and he wonders why she’s so curious all of a sudden. Hye Ri reasons that he knows far more about her than she thought, and he tells her that she knows all his important aspects: his personality, face, and temper. Oh but there is SO. MUCH. MORE to a person!

In Woo figures out that Se Joon must have put doubts on her mind and he shrugs it off – Se Joon isn’t supposed to like him anyway.

While Hye Ri mulls over In Woo’s responses, In Woo takes out a bunch of photographs. Most are of people who are probably witnesses for that big, mysterious case he’s working on, and the others are of Ma Hye Ri throughout her adult life. He puts them away, but misses one picture stuck underneath the rug…

The next day, Hye Ri meets with Ha Jung Nan. The woman’s husband Go Man Chul is also present for questioning. They are at her office in regards to the apartment contract, but Ha and Go can’t stop bickering amongst themselves over who really owns the land. Ha accuses Go of not buying the land with his own money in the first place.

Cut to Hye Ri’s father (who reprimands his wife for eating so much) – and it looks suspiciously as though he is involved…

Hye Ri goes up to In Woo’s apartment that night to pick up a law book to borrow, and she spots the photo of her under the rug. She doesn’t say anything because she wonders why he has her photo, when Jenny enters the apartment. Hye Ri is shocked to see another woman, while Jenny is wondering why Hye Ri is there. Hye Ri rushes out, taking the photo with her. (Turns out – the photo was taken during the time of Yoon Ah’s birthday, when she didn’t even know In Woo yet. This puts a suspicious light on all their interactions.)

Jenny notes that In Woo is hiding a lot of things from her now, and he says it’s only because a lot of unexpected things started to happen – including being neighbors. Jenny knows that there’s more to it – that he might be falling for Hye Ri – but she hadn’t told him anything. In Woo wants to keep it that way – and he can deal with it. Jenny leaves him with a couple of warnings: 1) he doesn’t have much time left, and 2) it’s Ma Hye Ri! (The way she says it makes it sound like Hye Ri is forbidden territory).

He walks her out, and Hye Ri follows him outside. He’s surprised to see her out so late.

In Woo: You were startled because of Jenny earlier, right?
Hye Ri: Mr. Seo In Woo. Exactly who are you?

Yes – who are you In Woo!? aberdeen_angus will enlighten us!!

Comments:

This was a perfect episode for more In Woo and Hye Ri chemistry in conjunction with episode 7. Episode 7 cracked me up, and episode 8 made me feel all “bubbly with love” inside. Unfortunately, all the In Woo drama is boiling up and spilling over.

There are many speculations as to In Woo’s motivations – and it’s clear they have to do with 1) Hye Ri, 2) prosecuting someone, and 3) perhaps Hye Ri’s father. It is also clear that Hye Ri is his one friend and enemy in this case, as he needs her help but can’t seem to be involved with her more than he needs to be. Of course, that’s always easier said than done. I don’t think this episode really answers any of the questions, but perhaps it solidifies the mysteries that aberdeen_angus brought up before.

One thing for certain is, these characters cannot turn back anymore. Everyone has laid their soul out on the table – so it is time to confront the appropriate people about it. Jung Sun has admitted her feelings for Se Joon; Se Joon has admitted his private pain to Hye Ri; Hye Ri has finally confronted In Woo on his motivations; In Woo has come face to face with the unexpected variables that are changing up his plan, including his burgeoning feelings for Hye Ri. Someone in this square knows something about another person, and so no one has a “secret” that they can hide forever. They are going to have to start taking action from here on out.

I won’t be surprised if we are going to have less bubbly moments between In Woo and Hye Ri – hence the overcompensation of InHye moments in the last 8 episodes.

One of my favorite quotes in this episode is from Yoon Ah: “I really used to envy that personality of yours, not minding what others think, doing whatever you want to do, and saying whatever you want to say.” Hye Ri has done less of that, which shows that she’s becoming more self-conscious of her words. Her character has definitely changed so much, but I also liked it when she was more outspoken – it was fun, and her logic made sense. Surprisingly, or not, she’s only outspoken now when she’s with In Woo.

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