Prosecutor Princess: Episode 10

by kaedejun

I wasn’t completely psyched watching this – even though a lot of the mystery gets elucidated and the love square/pentagon is at full force. This is not a particularly happy episode (nor was it a particularly happy week for PP) but Park Shi Hoo OWNS this episode! His acting and his pain saved it for me, because I wanted to know what he’d do next. Out of all the characters, he’s the wild card no matter how he is feeling because you can’t tell what exactly he’ll do next, or how exactly he’ll treat someone.

Song of the Day

I’m breaking away from the usual with a song from Gummy. I feel like her entire Loveless album could be applied to this series – but I’ll stick to one. I call this particular song Seo In Woo’s Anthem, because he refuses to accept that thing called loooooooooooooove. =D

Loveless – Gummy – “There Is No Love” [download]

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Episode 10

In Woo admits to Jenny that he wants absolutely nothing to do with Hye Ri. He doesn’t want to love her, and he doesn’t want to hurt her – he just wants to disappear from her life. (Gosh, such melodramatic words fueled by drunkeness…no wonder Jenny gets annoyed)

Jenny tells him to snap out of it – she’s just the air headed daughter of his enemy. She’s stupid enough to just listen to what he tells her to do. But In Woo says she’s not, and she’s not Ma Sang Tae’s daughter – in the sense that she’s not manipulative like he is. So what, should they just stop everything they’ve done so far? He would never have met her if it wasn’t for Ma Sang Tae anyways. In Woo looks at her mournfully, and she closes her eyes as though she wish she never saw this side of him.

Meanwhile, Hye Ri is having difficulty sleeping after staying up all night – and it’s something to note that the alarm clock is now by her bedside rather than by the coffee table. Her mother calls her, and immediately asks if she’s with In Woo. (HA! Where does her mother’s mind go at this late hour..!?) The reason she called is because she wants to say goodbye.

In an incredibly pathetic, over-acting, attention-seeking manner, her mother says, “I wanted to say my goodbye to you” because she’s going “to the other world.” Say whaaat?! She apologizes to Hye Ri for being born to her, which only increases Hye Ri’s concern. Turns out – she never got to tell Hye Ri (because of the In Woo Distraction) that her father’s company is in a bad state, but she doesn’t know what’s wrong. She just wants Hye Ri to come home and settle it. Hye Ri says she’ll come by as soon as her homicide case is over, and at that moment, Mr. Ma enters the room. The mother immediately hangs up and comes up with a feeble excuse for talking to Hye Ri, but Mr. Ma doesn’t care – he just wants her to draw him a bath.

Feeling lonely, Hye Ri calls up In Woo, afraid that she might have put him in an awkward situation with the meeting with her mom. But he doesn’t answer – he’s passed out in the bar, and Jenny doesn’t answer the phone, nor does she wake him up. Usually I’d hate the girl who does this, but she’s fully justified in hating on Hye Ri right now.

Outside on the terrace, Hye Ri wonders why In Woo isn’t home – but she gets a call from none other than Se Joon!

He’s waiting for her by a bench, and Hye Ri comes running over (not in heels!). He asks her if she had been up all night looking at the CCTV videos, and that’s why she went home in the morning/afternoon? Awkwardly, he then says that she must be stiff and sore – and that’s why he called. He wants to teach her some stretching techniques to relax her body.

Eh!?

Prosecutor Yoon’s Personal Workout commences! He starts stretching his arms and tells her how to do it. Hye Ri looks around worriedly, hoping no one is around to see this… (I’m just laughing and laughing and feeling so embarrassed for them – I don’t know why – I wonder how they did this with such a straight face)

Eventually Se Joon stops stretching with Hye Ri, and she says that they have to do it together so that it looks more like a date. (I didn’t even know that this was considered a date!) But Se Joon says ok, and they start stretching by lifting the other on the back. Hye Ri looks like a doll on his back and she shrieks awkwardly as she freaks over being lifted. BUT THEN – it’s her turn! She bends down to lift Se Joon over her back; while Se Joon goes, “Ahhhh…” Hye Ri goes, “Unghhhhhh!” in pain.

She even cries out “OMMAAAAA!” in pain as she lifts him over her back, and topples over – causing Se Joon to grab her wrist to prevent her from falling. And they smile and laugh awkwardly at the touch – finally realizing that what they just did was beyond ridiculous.

In Woo finally wakes up and Jenny tells him to just sleep over at her place. But he refuses – he needs to go home to protect the little girl Hye Ri who is afraid of being alone at night. In Woo smiles to himself as he remembers that she wouldn’t let him move out because of it, and Jenny has a moment of thinking, “What a fool he is for this girl…”

She walks him up to his apartment, but he tells her to go – just as Se Joon walks Hye Ri to her stairwell. They just miss each other, but Hye Ri sees In Woo walking drunkenly across the promenade. He nearly falls over, and she grabs him, but he brushes her away. She holds on to him again, afraid that he won’t make it to his apartment, and he grabs her wrist. This time, the grab is not too kind – and he gives her a heartbreaking stare that screams, “LEAVE ME BE!… but I don’t really want you to…”

In Woo falls into bed, and begins to dream of all the moments he had with Hye Ri, from the ski resort to the airport, when he told her not to leave.

Hye Ri returns to watch all the CCTV DVDs, pausing to wonder about In Woo’s wellbeing before continuing with her work all the way into the early morning. Finally! She sees the car that Woo Sung Mi had driven pass by a storefront, and there’s a shadow that looks suspiciously like the husband in the passenger seat. She is completely ecstatic – and to celebrate she calls In Woo first!

In Woo wakes to see that she’s calling, but he decides to ignore it. This is his first step in trying to remove her from his life – or vice versa. He gets up and is about to pull of his shirt to take a shower (show us those choco abs!) when Hye Ri rings the doorbell (aw maaaan!).

He answers the door, proving that he’s alive to her, and she enthusiastically asks if he’s ok. He avoids looking at her, and keeps his sentences short with her. His attitude makes her forget why she’s there in the first place – but she invites him to a celebratory brunch for finding the evidence. Though In Woo wants to reject her, he can’t help but be somewhat impressed with her.

And then the staple shower scene that shows off the male character’s angst AND body at once.

He meets her at the promenade – freshly dressed but wearing sunglasses (how can a guy look so good…? Ok I’ll stop gushing now). Hye Ri, though, seems to notice that he’s particularly handsome in a scruffy way, and looks away, fluttered at first. She tells him they’ll go to another brunch restaurant, because her regular place does not serve soup – and In Woo was drunk last night so he needs soup. In Woo looks a little uncomfortable and surprised that she was so concerned for him.

They go to the restaurant, and In Woo doesn’t touch his food. Instead, he just watches Hye Ri eat, which makes her self-conscious. And we get our InHye conversation that hearkens back to old times…

Hye Ri: Are you looking at me now?
In Woo: I’m watching.
Hye Ri: Why? Because I eat so deliciously?
In Woo: Because you look like a rabbit eating meat for the first time, and wondering, “There’s such a taste in this world?!”
Hye Ri: (pointing at the sunglasses) Can you take those off?
In Woo: Don’t mind me, and continue eating.
Hye Ri: Why did you cry yesterday?
In Woo: *looks down*
Hye Ri: I saw it all, so what’s the point of covering your eyes today? You cried, right?
In Woo: What about Yoon Se Joon? Shouldn’t you come here with Prosecutor Yoon on a day like today? On a day when you achieved something, when something good happens, on a happy day and on a sad day – don’t people usually meet the people they like?

He’s purposely irking her, and trying to push her away, but Hye Ri responds innocently that it’s the weekend and Se Joon needs to spend time with his daughter.

Hye Ri: Today is a very happy Sunday. On a nice day like today, with someone you feel comfortable with, to be sitting like this while eating delicious food – it’s a great feeling. Don’t you think so?

And she goes back to eating happily. In Woo looks slightly abashed, and he rips off his sunglasses in frustration. He just can’t get through to her the fact that he’s a bad guy!

The next day at work, she has the tape get analyzed so that she can get clearer photos of the video. It’s clear that they were together, and so she just needs to take them in for questioning. However, Park Yoo Chul is packing to leave the country and leaving his children behind. At the same time, Woo Sung Mi requested for vacation days from her job. She asks the Chief if she can go with the police at the arrest, and Se Joon supports her. He knows how it felt like when he was in her place long ago and wanted to make his first arrest. The Chief tells him he hates taking sides, but he asks Hye Ri how she feels. Hye Ri says she can only imagine their faces when she arrests them, especially since Park Yoo Chul dared her to find evidence. And the Chief yells, “I HAVE THE EVIDENCE HERE, YOU S.O.B.! That’s what you want to say, right?”

Hye Ri says, “S.O.B.? What if I get caught by the disciplinary committee?”

Yeah – she’s ready. 🙂

Hye Ri, accompanied by Investigator Cha and Se Joon’s assistant, goes off to arrest Park Yoo Chul outside his home. She starts reading him his rights, but then sees his two young children peeking out from the door, crying. They beg that she not take him away, and it’s clear he was going to abandon them. She lowers her voice and finishes reading the rights.

The police bring in both Park Yoo Chul and Woo Sung Mi to her office and she shows them the evidence from the CCTV cameras. Hye Ri won’t reduce their sentence, but she wants to know the truth as to how Choi In Sook died. Woo admits that she injected a lethal drug into Choi one morning. Every morning, Choi drank a cup of water as soon as she woke up, and so Park had put in a sleeping pill in it. After she was drugged, Woo came to inject her with two doses of the drug that killed her. They snuck her dead body out and went to the road where Woo struck her with the car.

Hye Ri can’t believe that there are actually people who would kill a dead person twice, and what’s more, Park Yoo Chul has the gall to say, “I didn’t commit the murder directly. She’s the one who gave her the injection.” Lady – what the hell did you see in this guy?!

Hye Ri escapes to the bathroom and starts crying. Jung Sun tells her to get out – she needs to poop. That gets Hye Ri moving. Jung Sun tells her to leave – she has no head for law, because prosecutors will always have to deal with people like this. “If you cry at all these moments,” Jung Sun says, “your double eyelids will unfold!”

Hye Ri can’t raise the kids herself, and she’s not expected to. As a prosecutor they can only help as much as they can within their capacity, but not expected to do more.

Se Joon is faced with his own problems: it looks like Go Man Chul has run away because they can’t reach his cell phone anymore, so he requests for a warrant.

At the meeting, the Chief reviews all the cases, and ends the meeting very abruptly. Jung Sun gives Min Suk the weird eye, and he says on cue, “But I heard Prosecutor Ma won another case.” The Chief over exaggerates his reaction, and Prosecutor Chae immediately looks at her expectantly for a free lunch. Everyone laughs at how hesitantly he says it, and Hye Ri says it’s not a problem. Everyone immediately says they want to be treated today, and they want to go to her home so that it can be a housewarming party as well. Hye Ri can pick the food.

Jung Sun notes that it is sort of short notice, but Prosecutor Chae outs her as the one who came up with the idea in the first place. Se Joon says that catching a criminal on her first year can be quite shocking, so she should be with plenty of people on that day – hence the party idea.

Hye Ri is touched that they were actually all thinking about her – and the prosecutors are finally bonding!

Meanwhile – In Woo drives Jenny over to his place. He thanks her for being patient with him and not asking too many questions. Jenny notes that she’s not his wife – and therefore shouldn’t be nagging. HOWEVER – if he cares to know – she was pretty anxious and pissed that all their plans might just go to waste.

Hye Ri welcomes them to her home, and she’s set up a wine party outside on the terrace. She even changes into a red party dress for the occasion! What’s doubly hilarious is she practically scripts the entire party, telling them that they’ll drink wine first, and then stand by the edge of the balcony to chit chat. And all her coworkers were expecting were some jjajangmyun and soju.

The Chief raises a toast to her, and it spurs her to ask about what he did for his wife. Jung Sun frantically tries to signal to her to shut up, but it’s too late. The Chief says he never got married – Why? – Because he couldn’t. She’s shocked that such a thing could happen. Prosecutor Chae is even snarky enough to say that everyone could get married – he himself did! And Min Suk makes an equally snarky comment that someone is trying to do it twice (ahem*Se Joon*ahem)

AWKWARD TURTLE!!! Made even more awkward when Jung Sun downs her entire glass of wine at once.

Hye Ri’s coworkers are unused to having European food, and the Chief just wants some simple kimchi. She decides that she could ask In Woo for some.

She goes up to his apartment – and who should open the door but… Jenny! Hye Ri’s surprised, but she asks if In Woo is around – she wants to borrow something from him. Jenny says that he’s in the shower, but she could go and ask him if she wants. Hye Ri stops her and says it’s not a big deal before running off. She is a mite jealous that Jenny’s in his apartment while he’s showering though. Hee!

But – Jenny lied! He had gone out to get some American food for her instead. While waiting for him, she thinks back to her first impression of Hye Ri, when Hye Ri had gone to In Woo’s office and said she would sue him for revealing that she had gone to an auction instead of the orientation. It’s clear she doesn’t like Hye Ri, and she doesn’t like that In Woo is falling for her even though he denies it.

When In Woo returns with the food, we find out more about Jenny’s upbringing. She was adopted and raised by an American mother who fed her westernized food. That is why she’s not used to Korean food.

Hye Ri tells her coworkers that she couldn’t get any kimchi, so Prosecutor Chae offers to go to a store and get some along with soju. The Chief follows him out, and that’s when Hye Ri and Se Joon both look up to see In Woo on his terrace. In Woo looks down but refuses to acknowledge them with a kind eye. Jung Sun, seeing that the two of them are so in sync, leaves the table, and Min Suk – not wanting to be a third wheel – leaves too.

Se Joon asks why In Woo is still around when he thought he had already moved. Hye Ri says she stopped him – after all, In Woo did help her when the weird stalker lived in her apartment. Se Joon is slightly indignant that she did not call him first, but Hye Ri reasons that In Woo’s just closer and so it’s more convenient to ask him. (This time Se Joon – YOU are one step too late!)

The prosecutors all leave tipsy, and are driven away. Jung Sun says she’ll leave first and Se Joon can help Hye Ri with the clean up. Hye Ri doesn’t want Jung Sun to go off in the dark alone, but Jung Sun says that’s she knows hapkido and taekwondo – she’ll be fine. She runs off to avoid any further awkward interactions, and Hye Ri prods Se Joon to follow her. To Hye Ri’s credit, she actually looks happy and relieved knowing that the two of them will be safe at night.

It’s refreshing, actually, to see a similarly insecure second female lead who is not going to be catty over her man, but would just rather not see her man interacting with another girl. It’s a bit cowardly, but it’s a nice change from all those other second female leads (ahem*Yura*InHee*ahem). I would do the EXACT SAME THING. Anyways – Se Joon follows her out, calling “Prosecutor Jin! Prosecutor Jin!” and Jung Sun just keeps walking faster and faster. Finally Se Joon calls out, “Jung Sun ah!”

Jung Sun stops in her tracks and she wipes away a tear before turning to face him. She comes up with the excuse that she wanted to exercise because she ate so much, and Se Joon is relieved to find that she is not angry with him. She tells him that she could sense the feelings between Se Joon and Hye Ri, and he gives her a non-reassuring answer of, “A person’s feeling can’t be controlled as he wills.” Jung Sun tells him that as long as he likes it, then it’s good – and if he’s happy, she’s happy.

In Woo and Jenny discuss their plan of action, and he tells her to stay the night since she has a very important task to do early in the morning. She reminds him that she came to Korea with him for a year so that he could do what he had to. Once the year is up, she wants to return to America quickly, together. (Ugh – I have a bad feeling about the future episodes). Then, Jenny immediately claims the bed and suggests that he sleep on a mat because the sofa’s uncomfortable. There’s no further awkwardness – just complete familiarity between the two.

Hye Ri, on the other hand, can’t sleep. She goes out to the terrace and stretches – only to see Jenny standing on In Woo’s terrace in his shirt. BAM – that was not what Hye Ri wanted to see, and she hides when Jenny looks down at her. Jenny doesn’t pay her any further mind, but Hye Ri isn’t too thrilled to see that another woman has taken up In Woo’s attention.

The following morning, Hye Ri goes down to the parking lot, where In Woo had just sent off Jenny. He asks if she had fun yesterday with all the prosecutors, and she turns the question back on him by saying why he’s asking something so obvious. Hye Ri is talking too much too quickly, and so In Woo asks if she’s being defensive because she had a fight with Prosecutor Yoon. Annoyed, she tells him to stop calling Se Joon like that because it makes it sound like he’s mocking her hero. She walks away on him, but starts berating herself for talking too much.

Hee! She’s jealous!

Jung Sun is in her own car – and when Se Joon comes to pick her up, she explains that she doesn’t want to go carpool with him anymore. Her excuse is that she’s going to start exercising in the morning, and she wouldn’t be able to go to the office at the same time. This is step one in trying to let go of her crush – and it’s pretty brave of her.

Meanwhile, Go Man Chul is on the phone with Ma Sang Tae, and he’s ordered to leave Korea through Incheon Port. Mr. Ma wants him to disappear for a few months and then he can come back quietly. Go Man Chul drives off, and the car in front of him is being purposely slow. He tries to overtake the car, but it speeds up. However, there is a checkpoint up ahead and the car brakes immediately. Go is unable to brake in time and so slams into the car. The driver gets out, and it’s Jenny holding on to her neck.

The police at the checkpoint station come over towards Go’s car, and he makes the stupid, very stupid mistake of trying to run from the cops. Of course he is caught and hauled to jail – and Jenny only smiles.

Hye Ri finally gets the notice that Ha Jung Nan withdrew her lawsuit, and she gets called in by the Chief. He’s going to combine her Ha-Go lawsuit case with Se Joon’s Go Man Chul-construction case. Se Joon gives her the notes. As she goes over them, she realizes that Go has never held a stable job – and yet he is the CEO of a paper company. She suspects that he lent his name to someone else, who then made illegal dealings for him. However, when she questions him he refuses to open up to her and tell her who ran the company for him.

Ma Sang Tae is in the shock of his life when he hears that of all people, HIS Ma Hye Ri is the prosecutor handling his case! Meanwhile – In Woo tries to gather some energy and motivation by looking over his soccer shoes again.

Hye Ri is frustrated with Go Man Chul, but she remembers that he mentioned buying land with money that wasn’t even his 15 years ago. She goes to visit Ha Jung Nan, and explains the new case that Go Man Chul is involved in. Ha is surprised to hear that he was involved with a construction company – since he doesn’t even know how to hammer in a nail! So Hye Ri asks if anyone gave him compensation to use his name. That’s when Ha starts getting a tad bit uncomfortable. She claims no knowledge and says that she never wants to hear about him again.

Hye Ri dejectedly returns home, and she bumps into In Woo sitting outside. He hands her a bottle of juice because she looks tired, and she gratefully accepts. He asks if she worked overtime, since it doesn’t look like she’s coming home from a date. Hye Ri responds that he’s losing his touch – both hypotheses are wrong.

In Woo says that she should go in an rest, since she looks like she is sick of talking to people and therefore would not want to talk to him. DENG! Hye Ri says that he’s right – she is tired of people, but does he know any great ways of getting someone to talk when they refuse to?

In Woo SO knows where this is going, and he gives her the advice that will lead to a breakthrough beneficial to both (or more for him really). The next day, when she questions Go Man Chul, she asks if his responses will be the same: “Do by the law” or “I have nothing to say.” Go nods, and lets her continue her investigation – she can just pick one of the two responses.

Hye Ri: Young Jin Corporation is a phantom company. You were asked by someone and merely lent him your name, right? “I have nothing to say.” That person said that if you take the responsibility on his behalf he will compensate you. But if you reveal his name he won’t let you go. He threatened you, right? “Do by the law.” Correct?
Go: Yes. *looks mighty uncomfortable at the facts that are bordering truth*
Hye Ri: That person, when you told him that regarding the Nam Woo Apartment you got a call to be questioned by the prosecution. He told you, ‘Go into hiding now.’ When the warrant was executed he told you he’d help you leave the country. That reason is to use you to pass the statue of limitation of this case, he said.
Go: Uh – wait, what do you mean?
Hye Ri: If you didn’t get caught within the remaining statute of limitation, then he’s exempt from any criminal charges in regards to Young Jin Construction. You knew right? Even in a civil suit, thanks to you who have no assets under your name, he wouldn’t have to give a cent. You knew that as well, right?
Go: *his expression says No!*
Hye Ri: But that person, if he got all those benefits because of you, he should give you at least $2 million. How much did he promise to give you? Well.. how about $100,000?

Go Man Chul realizes that he was severely ripped off in this scheme. The police officer begins to take him back to his cell, but Go stops midway and decides to confess to Hye Ri. He really did just lend his name, and knew nothing about the way the company was run. Hye Ri asks who was the person who asked for his name, and Go Man Chul says:

“Ma Sang Tae. S.T. Construction’s President Ma Sang Tae.”

Comments:

ABOUT FREAKIN’ TIME we made some headway here with the case! I have to say, I’m starting to get used to Jen-Woo speak. They always sound so mysterious, but now that I kind of know where their objective lies, it’s easier to read exactly what it is they’re going to do. And not to mention, we’re getting faster pay offs; case in point: when Jenny says she has a “mysterious assignment” we find out five minutes later what it is, rather than wait another episode to see it come to fruition.

But on to the most important thing in this episode – IN WOO! Or more accurately PARK SHI HOO!! I never saw a man express so much while covering his eyes with shades. I could tell exactly what he was feeling even though I couldn’t see his eyes. During the entire conversation at the restaurant with Hye Ri, he covers his eyes as though trying to mask himself and keep his defenses up. He tries to push Hye Ri away towards Se Joon, and not just to get into her good graces, but to protect her and give her the emotional support she may not be able to find in him later. But when he takes off his glasses – it’s as though he’s unmasking himself because no matter how hard he tries to hide, Hye Ri won’t let him. She still sees the sincerity in his words and refuses to get pushed aside. She may not know the true In Woo, and In Woo may be trying to ward her off from finding out. But I think he also wants to believe in the good side that she sees in him and make that the “true In Woo.” Gosh – he makes the angst all worth it.

It’s arguable that Se Joon is now the ‘perfect man’ – he’s starting to enjoy her company and willing to look out for her. But similar to how Hye Ri admires him more than she likes him, it seems that he is simply looking at her in a new light and admires her too. He knows now that though she is unconventional, she is developing a good head on her shoulders. But I don’t think it’s love quite yet, on either end. Jealousy is always the best signal to determine whether one is in love or not, and when Hye Ri looked bummed at the sight of Jenny – that was totally a sign of love right there!

As for the whole going back to America thing – I have a bad feeling that when the case is over and Hye Ri is hating In Woo, he will go back to America with Jenny. And there will be an angsty moment of when they both think about whether they can live without the other. And Jenny will say, “There’s no point – she’s Ma Sang Tae’s daughter – you have to go.” And so he dejectedly follows Jenny to the airport, and is about to enter the security checkpoint when he pauses. And meanwhile Hye Ri is brooding over at Yoon Ah’s, and Yoon Ah tells her that she’s being stupid – they both really loved each other and the case is over with and there is nothing that should get in their way. Her dad’s a crook – too bad. And so Hye Ri run run runs! to the airport and she calls out to him, desperate because she can’t find him. And he shows up behind her and says, “Ma Hye Ri?” And she grabs him and says, “Seo In Woo, you’re not allowed to leave the country!” And they kiss!

WHEEEEEEEEE! (Whoa that was a lot of ‘ands’)

Until then, I must suffer since I think Angst will be here for the next couple of weeks, doing triple time in all three dramas… aberdeen_angus: lead forth and conquer Angst!!! I want my Happy InHye back! 😀

P.S. I keep seeing comments on who the lead of this drama is – isn’t it wonderful that no one can really tell with this drama?! I love this writer…

P.P.S. By the way – I wrote the above ‘delusion’ before reading any comments from soompi, viikii, or from amatea‘s comment!! 😛 Seems like there’s a similar ending floating around…

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