Romance Town: Episode 8

by kaedejun

If every episode after this one could have the same pace as this one, I would sincerely ask for nothing more. Throw me the illogical-ness and the melodrama, and I would take it all. Just keep up the pacing and fun for the rest of the series!

Oh but a fast-paced drama does not mean you have to also give me whiplash-editing, OK editors?!

Soon Geum chases after Gun Woo and apologizes: she didn’t really mean to deceive him in the beginning. “I’m sorry! I was wrong!” she yells across the street at Gun Woo.

“I was sincere! Fine – good going, Kang Gun Woo! It was obviously the same person, but you said I should know my place. You didn’t think of me as anyone at all. I also wanted to act like a rich and beautiful person. I wanted to be a different person – what’s wrong with that?! Why do you think I’m even doing this? You didn’t even recognize me at first glance. You are partly responsible too! It’s clearly the same person, but you go liking her just because she has some money! So you are partly responsible too. Stay right there! Hey. Hey! HEYYY!”

I love her – FINALLY she’s calling Gun Woo out on his hypocrisy! After all, if he could reinvent himself into someone he thinks society will respect, why can’t she do the same? And, he was a blind fool.

But – I love even more that Gun Woo turns around, already at the other side of the street, and gives her a menacing glare. This woman has just aired all their dirty laundry for the world to hear. Soon Geum starts, amazed that he actually turned around.

And… 3…2…1… he comes running after her! Soon Geum: “Ahhh – mom!!!! Wait! I’m sorry!” He chases her back to the restaurant, where Da Kyum and Young Hee are munching happily. They run around in circles.

Gun Woo: “You like making a fool out of people? Did you enjoy playing around with me?” Soon Geum: “It’s not like that at all!” Da Kyum gives up and orders Young Hee to do something about these two kids, but he shrugs his shoulders helplessly. Soon Geum says she was really happy being with him, and takes the opportunity to dash out of there. Young Hee holds Gun Woo back, but he just stuffs six pieces of meat in his mouth, and out the door he goes!

Young Hee sighs; those two haven’t gotten along since the moment Gun Woo came back. Da Kyum prepares a lettuce wrap and tries to feed Young Hee, but he’s got hands and can make one for himself. She pouts, embarrassed, and Young Hee asks, “Since when have you been shy?”

OKAY THEN – since you dared her… Da Kyum kisses him on the cheek, which surprises him momentarily. (KYAAAA! KISS #1)

Soon Geum runs through the streets, and begs Gun Woo to stop chasing her as she’s getting tired. She runs down an alley, and Gun Woo advances more slowly. He watches as Soon Geum darts to the right, then crosses past him to go the other way, but then crosses and goes back towards the right. Haha – what a way to tell your stalker where you are…

Gun Woo turns right, and sees Soon Geum halfway up the wall, trying to climb over it. PFFT. Oh my ribs hurt from laughing. Gun Woo: “Get down. you’re just going to hurt yourself.”

Sitting on the steps, he beats himself over the head for having gotten fooled by his own maid of all people, who’s not even the best seductress in the world. Soon Geum kneels before him, arms raised in punishment. She feels sorry, although I don’t see why she has any reason to be sorry. (Perhaps it has to do with the obedient maid-to-master attitude? Meh.)

Back at the restaurant, Da Kyum blushes with giddiness, and Young Hee realizes his little maid must like him. She swears to steal a kiss next time, and Young Hee gets all mad: “Why are you being a thief? A person shouldn’t steal things from others!” And with that, he grabs her close and kisses her on the cheek. (KYAAAAA! KISS #2)

Da Kyum’s shocked, and Young Hee moans, “I didn’t even feel a thing. I knew it would be like this. I should be embarrassed – that would be normal.” He warns Da Kyum that he already has someone he likes. Aw well; not like I’m shipping the two of them, but more Young Hee-Da Kyum scenes would be nice…

Gun Woo orders her to confess every lie she’s told him, which would be quite the long list. But Soon Geum says she only lied about the name Yoon Shi Ah. She even points out that she didn’t do anything – Gun Woo just fell for her first. Heh – totally puts him in his place.

He maintains that he sincerely meant every action he did, and she replies that she’s still Shi Ah. Soon Geum slyly says that if Shi Ah is his first love, she can still make it come true… And he realizes that raising her arms is not enough. He forces her to jump in a crouched position.

Gun Woo tells her to stop liking him, but Soon Geum can’t help who she likes, just like how others can’t control their own hearts. So Gun Woo tells her to just control her mouth and stop spouting nonsense. He doesn’t want to be confused by her anymore, especially since he can’t decide if he’s just a fool or if he’s naive. (YOU’RE BOTH!) Soon Geum: “I’ll still like you whether you’re a fool or naive. Even if you’re fat…even if you’re poor…can’t cook as well as me, and it’s ok if you can’t babysit as well as me, because I can do all that. It’s OK if you can’t drink as well as me, or don’t know how to have as much fun as me, or pettier than me because you don’t hold grudges, or more ruthless than me because you have a kind heart.”

Man. This girl is BOLD. Gun Woo knows she’s head over heels for him, and somehow he is touched. But he won’t forgive her in a million years.

She’s not the only bold one though; back at 1st Street, Hwang Yong makes small talk with Yoon Joo and finds out that she’s all alone in her big house. Shall they have a cup of tea then, at her home? The truck leader can bring in their knives in a bit. The next truck over, Hyun Joo sees the two of them walking together as she waits for her knives, which completely raises her suspicions.

As they close up shop, the truck leader asks his lackey if the lottery ticket really has not been claimed yet. Since it hasn’t, it means it’s still in the house. As he goes to drop off the knives at the Kang Residence, he takes out a taser and breaks the keypad lock. He then attaches a sticker with a number for a repairman.

Back in one of the maids’ rooms, Hyun Joo mulls over all the moments she’s seen Hwang Yong with Yoon Joo. Finally she can’t help it anymore and confides in Soo Jung – should they set up a trap for Hwang Yong and Yoon Joo, as a form of revenge?

Soon Geum and Gun Woo arrive home, but the door lock is broken. Truck Leader and Lackey are watching behind some bushes; they’ll have to break in tomorrow, when the entire family will be out for a party and Soon Geum will be home alone.

The next day, Lackey appears to replace the keypad lock, supervised by Yoon Joo. Hyun Joo goes up to her and promises to not acknowledge her in front of the other madams. However, is it possible for the two of them to just be friends when it’s just the two of them, like back in the old days? Yoon Joo scoffs; the two of them are living very different lives, so there is no way for them to connect anymore. Money is a big divisive factor.

Hyun Joo is so hurt; had Yoon Joo said they could be friends, she might not have gone through with her revenge plan at all.

At work, Gun Woo gets a call from Soon Geum, and she asks if he’s busy. He says he is and hangs up right away. The phone rings again; this time, “Yoon Shi Ah” calls Gun Woo. He picks up, and she asks if he’s busy again. He notes that she must have a mental problem and hangs up again. (Honestly gal, did you really think calling him under Shi Ah would make any difference anymore!?)

Soon Geum shakes her head; she must really be liking him a lot. Gun Woo himself can’t relax; he thinks back to when he first met Soon Geum three years ago and she ate chips with him.

Meanwhile – Yoon Joo gets a call. It’s San’s biological mother. She wants to meet at the coffee shop of the hotel where the party is to be held. DUN DUN DUN!

Alone in the house except for San, Soon Geum gets a visitor: a bespectacled Young Hee. He wants to know what’s wrong between her and Gun Woo, but she says it’s nothing. Young Hee removes his glasses (whew – much better!) and proposes that they date. Soon Geum laughs – so not the reaction he was expecting. He practiced so much to get the courage to say it! But Soon Geum says an owner would never ask a maid out on a date. Despite Young Hee’s persistence, she just keeps laughing, and thanks him for cheering her up a bit.

Young Hee asks if it really is that weird for a house owner to ask a maid out on a date, and Soon Geum says it is. The neighbors would talk! Young Hee takes it to mean that she isn’t flat out rejecting him, but is simply not trusting his words. There’s hope for him yet! He sees her as a woman, not as a maid, so it’s perfectly fine if they date. He tells her to think about it, and then heads off for the Kang party.

Yoon Joo heads to the coffee shop to wait for San’s mother. A few tables away, Soo Jung and Hyun Joo are watching surreptitiously. Hyun Joo had faked the phone call and posed as San’s mother. They watch Yoon Joo sit for an hour, waiting for the mother that would never show up. Hyun Joo predicts that Yoon Joo is the type to find another man when she’s pissed with her current one. They watch her as she makes a phone call… to Hwang Yong. She tells the waitress to give her a call at room 548 if “San’s Mother” arrives, and then leaves the cafe.

Truck Leader and Lackey return later in the afternoon posing as food delivery men on motor scooters. The dog, Mong Ryong, barks like crazy, but they throw him a treat to shut him up. Using their master key card, they enter the house and split up in search of the lottery money. Lackey enters Soon Geum’s room and goes through her closets. There’s nothing, but he smells money.

He opens her boxes and finds her stash of 10 billion Won. JACKPOT.

Soon Geum is not at the Kang Residence at the moment, as she had dropped off San with Zar Lin to watch over him while she cleans the house. However, Gun Woo arrives home.

Truck Leader rifles through Tae Won’s office in the end, and discovers the lottery ticket in his locked drawer. Lackey enters – they rejoice! And then Truck Leader notices the phone number in the back. They can’t steal the ticket now, because the rightful owners can prove their ownership of the ticket through that phone number. Lackey doesn’t see a problem; they’re thieves! Truck Leader doesn’t want to take it; Lackey says they might as well, having gone this far.

Doorbell rings.

Unable to get in, Gun Woo calls up Soon Geum – AND Shi Ah – but she’s left both phones home. Lackey finds the “Shi Ah” phone and hangs up, making Gun Woo think that Soon Geum purposely rejected his call. Unsure if he’ll get any money out of this venture, Lackey takes all of Soon Geum’s cash and stuffs it inside his food delivery box, leaving a few stray bills on the floor.

Outside, Gun Woo notices the scooters, which are weird to him, but then he spots Soon Geum across the lawn – which is even more important. She opens the door for the two of them, and he orders her to make food for him. The thieves are stuck in the kitchen, and they hide as Soon Geum enters her room. But she notices the money is gone, and she catches the thieves trying to escape. They grab her back into her room and tie her up.

Back at the hotel, Tae Won strolls the lobby and sees Hwang Yong making his way up the hotel. Tae Won finds it strange – didn’t Hwang Yong say he was too busy for this event? Hwang Yong heads up to the fifth floor, where Soo Jung confirms him going into room 548.

Soon Geum is trapped in her closet, and the thieves try to make their escape. However this time Gun Woo comes down to the kitchen looking for her. Lackey bangs his metal case against the wall, attracting Gun Woo’s attention. He sees Lackey’s figure behind the wall, and Truck Leader swings a heavy object across Gun Woo’s head.

Gun Woo turns around. Truck Leader gulps – does Gun Woo have a head of steel or what?! Gun Woo: “Who are you?” Suddenly, a trickle of blood trails down the side of his face, and he falls on the floor.

The thieves drag Gun Woo across the living room, and he becomes conscious. Freaked out, the two thieves beat him up, stomping on his leg and punching him across the face. Soon Geum desperately kicks her way out of the closet and hops her way through the kitchen. She sees the thieves tying up Gun Woo and then tries to kick the Truck Leader.

Except. Her ankles are tied. So it’s more like she’s jumping with her legs to the side, barely touching the Truck Leader. The music is also heavy on the drums, dark and ominous.

I think I’m gonna go die from laughter right now.

Truck Leader watches her TRY to beat him up, and then finally just pushes her down on the floor next to Gun Woo. Lackey is about to tape Gun Woo’s mouth when the doorbell rings AGAIN.

This time it’s Zar Lin, carrying San. These thieves have the worst luck in the world. They decide to just burst through the door and run for their scooters. Zar Lin and San are knocked back in the process, and she has the good sense to call the police. However, she’s also locked out, and can’t help Gun Woo and Soon Geum.

As they race away, Lackey tells Truck Leader that he stole the family’s cash in the maid’s room, and stuffed it in the Truck Leader’s basket. He’s framed his hyung for stealing money – but he has the lotto ticket in his back pocket!

Soon Geum moans as she sees the pool of blood around Gun Woo’s head grow. She nudges him awake. He sees her about to cry, and reassures her that he’s fine. They slowly sit up, and turn back to back. He tries to undo the tape around her wrist, and they hear Zar Lin yelling through the door about the police coming.

Gun Woo turns, and he asks if she’s OK, if she’s hurt anywhere. She assures him she’s not, and he leans in.

Using his lips, he grabs a corner of the tape around her mouth and tries to pull it off. He sees her close her eyes, and forces her to open them. This is not a kiss! (But I’m going “KYAAAAAA!”) He goes for the tape again, warning her not to think of anything strange.

Oh how could you NOT!?

He pulls it completely off. Able to speak, she apologizes for lying to him, and that both persons have fallen in love with him. Gun Woo closes his eyes, and passes out. In the ambulance, Soon Geum holds his hands. “Don’t use the excuse of caring for a patient for some skinship,” he groans. HAHAHA – you ass.

Tae Won finishes his hair appointment and is informed that his wife is getting ready in room 548. Hmm – and he just saw Hwang Yong go up to the fifth floor… Highly suspicious, he gets on the elevator, and Hyun Joo realizes that he may be on to Yoon Joo and Hwang Yong. She didn’t want it to get this far. She pushes Soo Jung to delay him!!

In the room, Yoon Joo and Hwang Yong are sitting quietly side by side. With tears in her eyes, she wearily leans on Hwang Yong’s shoulder.

Soo Jung gets on the elevator with Tae Won and sees him pick the fifth floor. She picks the second floor. When they get there, she steps halfway out of the elevator and looks around, seeing if this is the “right” floor. They do this for every floor, and finally Tae Won completely snaps.

Soo Jung quickly lies that she’s supposed to meet a relative but forgot what floor it was. That’s a pretty quick one coming from a lady who’s shivering in fear under Tae Won’s laser-like glare.

They reach the fifth floor, and Tae Won stalks out. Meanwhile, Hwang Yong is fastening a necklace around Yoon Joo. The room phone rings, and it’s Hyun Joo, pretending to be San’s mother. She quickly tells Hyun Joo that Tae Won is at the hotel and heading over now, so she needs to get the guy in her room out now! Yoon Joo: “Huh?” Hyun Joo: “Just finish quickly already! I’m hanging up!”

Despite hating her, she can’t help but be a somewhat good friend.

Yoon Joo knows she’s been found out, and when she opens the door for Tae Won, no one else is in the room. Hwang Yong is in the bedroom (where the sheets are disheveled BY THE WAY, ho-ho), and when he leaves later, he bumps into Soo Jung and Hyun Joo, who hitch a ride with him home.

Gun Woo moans in pain from his injuries. The doctor informs Soon Geum that there might be some temporary amnesia, and he’ll have to be in the hospital for a day or two. The nurse comes in to inject medication in his butt, and Soon Geum helps her pull his hospital pants down. AIIEEEE – Korean broadcasters really have no problem showing us Jung Gyu Woon’s butt eh? He yells at Soon Geum to get out, but she’s like, “Pfft – I’ve seen it all already.”

Gun Woo asks – whose butt did she see? Young Hee’s?! Soon Geum scoffs; his butt and San’s are the same – they both even have a mole on their butts. (Bwahah!) Gun Woo sends her to call Young Hee, but she insists she’ll stay and take care of him. She mimics the Statue of Liberty and Lady Justice, and though he’s annoyed she took away his freedom and lied to him, he’s amused she promises to protect him and stay by his side like a statue.

Young Hee gets the call that Gun Woo’s in the hospital because of thieves. Tae Won and Yoon Joo are alarmed, and all three rush out of the party. Yoon Joo immediately goes to check her jewelry is all safe; Tae Won makes sure the lottery ticket is still there… and it is.

Turns out, the thieves had a replacement lottery ticket they were going to plant in the drawer. When Truck Leader had left the room because of the initial doorbell, Lackey had quickly planted the fake one, adding the phone number in the back and circling the winning numbers. He took the real one for himself – where it now hangs a little too loosely in his back pocket as he races through the streets of Seoul.

Gun Woo reawakens to the sound of Young Hee playing games on his phone. Soon Geum must have gone home, and Gun Woo pouts – she left despite having promised to stay by his side. His parents came to visit too, but he was asleep the whole time. He sends Young Hee out to buy him some sweets.

A little while later, he sees Soon Geum by his bedside. Except this time, she’s dressed in a new fancy outfit.

“Shi Ah” heard he was injured, so she came to visit him too. Besides, he has amnesia, maybe he’s remembered Shi Ah? Gun Woo snorts – he clearly still remembers that Soon Geum is both people. Soon Geum admits that she originally wanted to compete against this “Shi Ah” fantasy and then win, because it seems like Gun Woo likes Shi Ah more. As Soon Geum, she’s jealous of that. He asks which one likes him more, and she says they’re the same person, so they like him the same. Soon Geum will be around in the morning, and Shi Ah in the afternoon. He’s amused, and doesn’t want her to leave.

He asks her to help change the bandages, and he looks at her closely. “Now you can close your eyes.” He leans forward, and he kisses her on the lips. (KYAAAAAAA! KISS #3!!)

And Young Hee is returning to the hospital room, carrying the “sweet” and “sweeter” chips in each hand.

Comments:

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE! 😀 On a completely shallow level, I’m in LOVE with this episode. Not only do I feel completely spoiled with 3 kisses (or 3.5 if we include the duct tape kiss), but we get some comedic action with the thieves. I like that the lottery ticket continually seems to haunt our characters, reminding us that the rich can be stupid when they’re greedy.

However, I’m not sure if I like how Soon Geum and Gun Woo’s relationship is progressing. Soon Geum is far more frustrating than Gun Woo. She has turned into a hypocritical girl who’s madly, irrationally in love.

She expects a relationship with Gun Woo, but then tells Young Hee that she can’t be in a relationship with a master? It’s only now that this logic is starting to really grate on me. I can understand a bit if she doesn’t believe in that philosophy, and is merely saying it as a way to reject Young Hee kindly, but I’d rather she tell Young Hee straight up that she’s not interested. She was honest to Gun Woo, so can’t she be honest with Young Hee? While I don’t want him to end up with her, I do feel a bit bad for him. It doesn’t help that Kim Min Joon is endearingly hilarious.

Soon Geum is the one maid who’s so caught up about status, she has yet to truly value herself as a person. Every maid around her and Young Hee acknowledges that they’re people first, jobs second, and try to break the barrier. It’s a shame that a girl whose mother refused to let her be a maid for this reason can’t realize this much. It annoys me that she thinks the only way to get Gun Woo is through role playing, and that Gun Woo plays along and encourages it (i.e. kissing her when she’s Shi Ah and not when she’s Soon Geum). Granny Choon Jak needs to come back and beat sense into her head before she dies from leukemia/cancer/brain tumor/name-your-disease.

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• Romance Town: Episode 2
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