Romance Town: Episode 15

by kaedejun

AHHH THE MONEY! AHHH THE MONEY! Yeah – that’s really my only worry going into this episode. The characters? Screw them – they’re all screwed anyways. AHHH THE MONEY…!!

It’s ridiculous (in a good way) how this money just pretty much ruined everyone’s lives in this episode, in logical, physical, and emotional ways.

Hyun Joo is practically hyperventilating as she calls up front desk about the four people fainted in the room. Ambulances arrive and the four maids are quickly wheeled out of the hotel. The concierge stops Hyun Joo for a moment; they have all the garbage bags that her fainted friends left behind. The chambermaid was about to toss them until they realized the contents of the bag, and then kept it in a safe place.

Garbage bags? Hyun Joo remembers the maids’ suspicious activity with those bags and goes with the concierge to claim them. Without looking at the contents, she asks that they help her into a taxi with those bags, and checks out of the hotel.

Soon Geum awakens first in the ambulance, and she quickly wakes up Soo Jung. Da Kyum and Zar Lin, who are in the other ambulance, also wake up in surprise at their surroundings. Both sets of maids plead with their EMTs to bring them back to the hotel. They’ll die if they go to the hospital! They need to be at the hotel!

They rush up to the concierge, who happily informs them that their companion took their garbage bags away. Hee. The women’s faces turn black with fear and worry, but Soon Geum believes that Hyun Joo would never cheat her friends like they cheated her… right!?

Hyun Joo opens the bags one by one in the taxi, and nearly screams at the sight of so much money. She has the taxi drive around for a bit, refusing to go home or the hospital.

The maids all rush to Hwang Yong’s home, asking him quite rudely if Hyun Joo came home. She didn’t, and so Soo Jung, Da Kyum, and Zar Lin enter Hyun Joo’s room and start tearing it apart. They discover she left her cell phone, rendering her unreachable, and can’t even contact her son to ask where she is.

Hwang Yong asks Soon Geum if she told them he was a gangster, because they’re all treating him as if he is one. She blames everything on him; even if he doesn’t know the reason why or doesn’t think he ought to be blamed, he has to take the blame! Hwang Yong then reveals that Hyun Joo did call. Well then what did she say?! He tells Soon Geum that Hyun Joo won’t be back for a few days, and she’s only a little sorry about that because he still has Zar Lin around. However, Hwang Yong’s face closes up, and Soon Geum picks up that he’s withholding information about the phone call from her.

He is – Hyun Joo had requested to meet him alone tomorrow. She needed his advice, and meeting him will help her figure out what to do in the future. Uh oh. He distracts Soon Geum with another question though: Which one would she pick – the guy whom she likes, or the guy who likes her?

It’s easy – Soon Geum picks the guy she likes, since he likes her back. Suddenly, she picks up on it – does Hwang Yong like Hyun Joo!? And he should stop liking Yoon Joo while he’s at it, because she’s a married woman! Hwang Yong doesn’t answer, although it’s clear that question is troubling his mind.

Back in the room, Da Kyum gets a text message from her credit card company about a recent, expensive purchase. Soo Jung curses her out – how dare that thief start spending their money! (But who’s really stealing from who here!?)

Meanwhile, Young Hee grabs a soju bottle from the convenience store and manages to purchase it without using his last 1000 Won. Poor guy can’t even afford a 50 Won paper cup, so he resorts to using the cap as a mini sipper. He wonders if he should just tell Da Kyum the truth about the painting, and the scene plays out in his mind…

Da Kyum refuses to give back the painting when she learns how much it’s worth. Young Hee pleads with her – she didn’t sleep with him, therefore he has nothing to be sorry for, and therefore he’s entitled to get his apology gift back! They get into a tug-of-war over the painting, and Da Kyum threatens to smash the painting. It ends with Young Hee being slammed with a huge pile of rotten bananas.

Nope. Telling the truth is not a feasible option right now. So Young Hee wonders if he should just lie to her….

In a candle-lit bedroom, Young Hee confesses that he’s in love with Da Kyum. They don’t need a wedding; as long as she’s there with him and the painting, they’re good. Da Kyum shyly kisses him on the mouth, and he pulls her down on the bed.

Nope. Young Hee shivers at the thought of giving up his bachelorhood for a painting. He gives up the cap and guzzles the bottle.

Hyun Joo phones the hospital from a phone booth asking about her friends. She’s relieved to hear that they all woke up and insisted on returning to the hotel instead. With that, she goes to the bank the next day to make a very. large. deposit.

Soon Geum mixes her leftovers into a spicy bibimbap with some soju on the side. Gun Woo wants to eat with her, but she doesn’t feel like sharing right now. Besides, they’re not in a relationship to share spoons. “What’s wrong with that? We’ve kissed!” Gun Woo exclaims. “Three times? That’s not enough to share a spoon,” Soon Geum replies.

WELL THEN. When you put it that way… Hey Gun Woo, think you can kiss her again!? Like… now?! No? Fine. *grumbles off*

Gun Woo is jealous (again) that she only cares for Young Hee. They’re back at this argument again… But Soon Geum is not in the mood to talk after all that’s happened today.

In a dark church, Soo Jung prays to God for her money. She knows she’s done a lot of wrong, stealing from her mother at a young age, keeping a dollar here or there wherever she found. She was a true follower of Finders-Keepers Philosophy, but even then, she thinks that losing her 2.5 million is just too much to lose. She tearfully cries that she just wants to be loved for once, and yet God is preferring pretty Hyun Joo over her.

(Gah. I can’t sympathize Soo Jung on this after all she’s done. However, kudos to the actress – she really knows how to cry.)

Suddenly a voice yells from across the church: can she tone it down!?!?!

HEEHEE.

Soon Geum visits Bong Yi in his office, under the pretense of asking after her father. But Bong Yi wises up fast, knowing that Soon Geum just wants to check in and see if he told her father about her winning the jackpot. Bong Yi is honest – even if she can try to buy his silence, he has a loose mouth that starts spilling secrets after one drink.

Miserable, she makes a phone call to Gun Woo to say she missed him. She admits that she won the lottery jackpot but got found out by the other maids. And now, her father will find out that she won through Bong Yi. She herself doesn’t know what her heart feels, but she asks if he will stay by her side, where they can fight and talk and see each other anytime.

But then… her phone rings! She never dialed to Gun Woo! But speak of the devil – he’s the one who’s calling her!

He just wants to know if she’s feeling better; will buying a bunch of balloons help cheer her up? He also wants to let her know that his father’s finally been released, which is much to Soon Geum’s relief.

Gun Woo is having lunch at a hotel restaurant with his father, Yoon Joo, and the lawyer. The lawyer credits Gun Woo for getting Tae Won out, but Tae Won refuses to thank his son for anything. They then spot Hwang Yong entering the restaurant to meet with Hyun Joo. Tae Won finds it interesting that Hwang Yong would have a special relationship with his maid, while Yoon Joo glares with jealousy.

Hyun Joo wanted to meet with Hwang Yong for one thing: does he like her? If he does like her, she’ll be able to let go of her greed and return it (back to the other maids). She’s fallen for him because he’s been so nice to her, and she wants to know if there’s sincerity to that kindness. Hwang Yong frankly apologizes. He was only nice to her, and hired her, because she helped him during the hotel incident and because she looked pitiful after getting fired. Hyun Joo breathes heavily; it is now going to be very hard for her to give up the money, as she no longer has a chance to become a madame.

Meanwhile, Da Kyum, Zar Lin, and Soo Jung mope in the front lawn, jealous that Soon Geum’s wealth didn’t disappear. When they see her, they find out that Soon Geum only lost 150,000 Won to Hyun Joo, which is nothing compared to the others’. Soon Geum scolds them – see, if they had followed her idea and just shared it with Hyun Joo, none of this would have happened. Soo Jung insists that she’s a victim of a robbery and wants to report it to the police. Soon Geum immediately vetoes that idea – if they go to the police, they’ll be caught with all that money and be forced to pay taxes for it, meaning that they will have even less money.

Young Hee muses over seeing Soon Geum’s money in the large duffel bags. He’s been rejected by all of 1st Street for a loan, and so he gets the crazy idea of asking Soon Geum for a loan. He asks to meet her that evening, but suddenly loses his nerve.

Soon Geum urges him to just tell her what’s on his mind, and he finally asks her for a loan. She’s surprised that no one has lent him anything, and he replies that everyone seemed to be judging his worth, and didn’t think he was very worthy at all. He tells her to forget it, but Soon Geum says she’ll think about it. That puts a small smile on Young Hee’s face – there’s some hope left!

Soon Geum returns to her room and begins counting out some bills. There’s a faint knock on the door, but she doesn’t answer, and so it automatically opens. It’s Gun Woo. Soon Geum immediately stuffs the bills back in her bag and closes it up, but Gun Woo already knows. He too, quietly asks her for some money. He won’t tell her what he’s using it for, but knows that she has some “extra funds.”

She awkwardly tells him that she has no money for a loan (despite her wealth sitting right there between them). Gun Woo apologizes for even asking and leaves her room. I don’t think he really wanted to borrow from her, but was just testing her to see what her response would be.

He immediately suspects Young Hee and confronts his friend for asking Soon Geum for a loan. Does Young Hee really like Soon Geum the Girl, or Soon Geum’s Money? Young Hee stands up – he likes both, ok?! That warrants a good solid punch in the face.

Meanwhile, Soon Geum is struggling over the fact that two men are asking her for money. But the next morning she decides to give Young Hee the loan. “I have money,” she says, as she hands him the envelope. She even asks him to keep it a secret from Gun Woo; too late though, since he’s watching from across the lawn, incensed that Soon Geum would rather give Young Hee money than give him. Young Hee is embarrassed at having taken money from the girl he likes, but accepts it under Gun Woo’s watchful eye.

That day, Hyun Joo is also on a spending spree, purchasing expensive sunglasses with her credit card rather than the cash that she took. The other maids are alerted once again through her cellphone, and they decide that if she buys a plane ticket, they will report her to the police.

Gun Woo is in a totally bad mood and throws a tantrum around Soon Geum. All he wants to know is what it will take to get the words “I have money” out of her mouth and say it to him. (I think his desire to hear the truth from her has reached this point of extremity.) Soon Geum scoffs – is this all he thinks of her?

He grabs her wrist and drags her inside to confront his dad and stepmom with her. He wants Tae Won to hire three maids; from tomorrow on, he’ll be living with Soon Geum: “I clearly told you before, I like her and I love her.” Soon Geum will no longer be a maid, but will be his girlfriend, and his equal in status. Instead of holding her wrist, he holds her hand. He wants her to be accepted as family. If not, he will not give his father a penny, since he holds the real lottery ticket.

That does not go over well with Tae Won, who yells and throws papers after them. Gun Woo whisks Soon Geum into her room for a breather and asks for her to hug him. He’s so nervous and scared he feels like he’s falling apart, but so is Soon Geum. They clutch each other…

Gun Woo: You like me, right?
Soon Geum: More than you know.
Gun Woo: Even though I know Young Hee is having a hard time, I’m getting jealous. You give him preferential treatment.
Soon Geum: Being jealous is a good thing. (But) I’m telling you I like you much more, Kang Gun Woo.

Gun Woo declares that from now on, she can sleep in his room – that’s how they’ll cohabit. The second floor is all theirs; they will not move out.

The other maids are basically waiting around for another purchase to come through on Hyun Joo’s phone – and another one it does. This time it’s a plane ticket. Soo Jung dials in the police.

She goes over to Soon Geum’s later to let her know that they’ve called the police already. She, Da Kyum, and Zar Lin are going to take Young Hee’s car to confront Hyun Joo at the airport before she flies off to Australia. Soon Geum quickly runs over to Hwang Yong. Everything is going to be lost! She quickly tells him what has transpired, and that the maids are seeking revenge. What will happen if the police get to Hyun Joo first?

Well, Hwang Yong explains, 1) Soon Geum will be in trouble for receiving more money than the ticket is worth; 2) Hwang Yong will be in trouble for giving more money and buying the ticket; 3) all the maids are in trouble for having touched that “tainted” lottery money; 4) Hyun Joo will be in trouble for stealing it, and 5) the person who purchased the ticket from him with even more money will be in trouble. Basically, everyone is friggin’ screwed.

Gun Woo joins them – he wants to go to the airport too. He drives Soon Geum over, while Hwang Yong ends up with his brigade of black cars, full of his men. Young Hee and the maids are also driving over, and Young Hee is in absolute denial that the nice Hyun Joo would betray them and steal their money like that.

The police are also on their way, and Hwang Yong’s cars catch up to the police car. He orders his men to create a distraction: have an accident with the police car and stop them from getting to the airport!!

Hyun Joo arrives at the airport, reassuring herself that she can now start over her life and find a new man. (Seriously – what happened to her kids? Is she not going to take them? or give them money?) While waiting for her flight, she calls up Soo Jung…

Soo Jung, Da Kyum, Zar Lin, and Young Hee have all arrived at the airport, looking for Hyun Joo. When Soo Jung picks up her phone, she bristles with anger – that backstabbing liar! Hyun Joo points out that Soo Jung betrayed her as well; if she were never betrayed, she wouldn’t have gone through this extreme. But Soo Jung insists that the money never belonged to her anyways because she wasn’t there to contribute to the pot.

Soon Geum and Gun Woo arrive to see Young Hee (munching on a banana) and they chase after them. Right behind them is Hwang Yong with his swarm of black suits. Gun Woo takes Young Hee aside to give him a good yelling for taking Soon Geum’s money, to which Young Hee threatens a fight in a very public airport.

The maids all catch up to Hyun Joo but can’t get past the gate because Hyun Joo’s already gone through security. Soo Jung yells at her to come over and give back the money, but Hyun Joo has no sympathy. In fact, she looks more saddened by how money has changed her friends into unrecognizable monsters. They’ve totally betrayed her trust. So Soo Jung cops to begging – she apologizes for doing wrong, and Zar Lin and Da Kyum chime in too.

Hyun Joo doesn’t fall for it – she tells them to pretend the money never existed, that they only lost out on $5 for purchasing the ticket. Soon Geum asks if she’ll be comfortable with doing this as well, but Hyun Joo doesn’t reply. I’m kinda proud of her for turning her back on the whiny, greedy maids and boarding the plane.

Her actions are not without regret, as she does cry on the plane. Thank goodness Hwang Yong boards the plane and sits next to her. She doesn’t notice at first, so he gets her attention by noting the hot weather: “In this situation, your dessert is most certainly delicious.” Hyun Joo is surprised to see him there, and even more so when he says: “I’ll let you like me. So, will you come home with me?”

Comments:

Wow. Hwang Yong is so awesome. I love how he doesn’t mention the money at all and uses her feelings to convince her to come home. It’s beautiful how the two of them have a separate, but equally important issue that needs to be resolved. Her feelings for him have equal weight in convincing her to stay, just as her discomfort over taking money almost worked in getting her to stay. Plus, he orchestrated a traffic accident to buy time – yeah!

I personally don’t want Hyun Joo to fall for Hwang Yong’s ploy because I don’t want the maids to get their money back. (Soon Geum’s alright, but not the other maids.) Seeing how terribly childlike Soo Jung is when the money disappears makes me want to puke in disgust, and I don’t want to see them get something they don’t deserve. Those maids only apologized to get Hyun Joo to come back, but there’s no sincerity in it.

As for Soon Geum and Gun Woo, there was plenty of satisfaction in seeing the two of them comfort each other and reaffirm their feelings for each other. I understand why she lent the money to Young Hee, but I do wonder why she is so insistent on lying to Gun Woo about her money when it’s so obvious that he knows about it! What is so important to her in making sure that he doesn’t get a single cent? If she’s still worried that he’ll like her for her money, then I think she’s not really paying attention to him. He’s done enough to prove that he’s trustworthy: helping her unconditionally, protecting her from her dad, and declaring his love for her twice without any prodding.

I get this feeling that the whole money issue will be resolved soon, and if so, I’m praying that no one gets a cent. It’s a very risky situation we are in though, because the police could get involved, and everyone could get found out. It’s also not easy to reform a greedy person like Soo Jung overnight. Oh the pain of enduring her wails again…

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