Marriage Plot: Episode 7

by gummimochi

What is sweet vengeance in dramaland? Breaking them down by exposing their weaknesses? Evading awkward encounters? Making the other person jealous? No no. Revenge means making someone else’s bed then sleeping in it.

 
EPISODE 7 RECAP

The rain stops and Gun-hee pulls away from Kang-jae’s jacket. Handing it back to him, she asks how he found her here. He felt uneasy about her whereabouts so he followed her footsteps which is both sweet and creepy.

She gives him the stinkeye – that makes him a stalker then. HA. He gets offended but then tells her isn’t it better to have a stalker since she’s lonely? Or why else would she go see her first love?

SMACK. He reels from the hit to the head while she calls him a nutjob. Gun-hee says it was idiotic of her to think that she’d be grateful to him for a split second before she grabs a cab.

Kang-jae, who is yet again left behind, smirks to himself, “You’re back, Yoo Gun-hee.”

The air is tense at breakfast, enough for the young’uns to wonder if they’re fighting or dating. It might be noteworthy to mention that although the family eats together, Gun-hee’s the only one who eats bread. She gets up first and Kang-jae scrambles to tag along, resorting to using himself as a shield in order to carpool together.

Mom tells Sun-hee that they need to find a new boarder because there’s a spy amongst them.

In the car, Kang-jae tells her that she reminds him of a traffic light that cannot lie. He tests it out, remarking that she’s a red light so he better stop. And he laughs as if it will make it better. Don’t scratch the itch!

Gun-hee’s still irritated so he presses further. Does it irk her that Su-ho dumped her or is she red-faced that he comforted her afterward? She corrects him that it was stalking not comfort, and you have to report a stalker.

He muses aloud if she hates him, and she agrees since he hates her. But he doesn’t, and she blubbers does he like her then? Kang-jae stays silent, brooding in the car like a child and Gun-hee reasons that he must really hate her for spewing such nonsense. Here, I’ll knock some sense into you Gun-hee.

She stops short on the stairs, trying to evade an awkward encounter by citing she needs to go to the bathroom. Kang-jae asks if it’s indigestion and offers that he knows a secret cure. Ha, aw, and ew. It’s these straightforward moments that make me love him a little more – he isn’t afraid to address whatever’s wrong.

It’s Su-ho she sees, who in turn catches a glimpse of her rushing down the stairs. Kang-jae calls him his behavior cowardly, asking if he’s a turtle hiding in his shell. Su-ho doesn’t pick up on the meaning, asking instead if Kang-jae has a grudge against him. Kang-jae: “What if I do? What will you do if I do?”

Gun-hee sits in the bathroom berating herself for showing her vulnerable side to Kang-jae. Her ears perk up at the sound of two employees gabbing about her. They find it preposterous that a subordinate can turn into a Team Leader overnight and make bets on how long she’ll last. One says three months, the other two.

Gun-hee slips out after they leave and gives herself a little pep-talk not to give up.

Su-ho gives a pitch in front of the group about expanding the banchan division into internet shopping. The presentation is hard for Gun-hee to watch which Kang-jae notices.

The president gives the go-ahead and then addresses his employees that although he allows his staff some freedom, he does think about how he would approach a project himself. So he takes ultimate responsibility and will compensate for anything he says that it out of line.

He calls Gun-hee outside, noting that the banchan team covered everything but kimchi. It would be awfully embarrassing for the company to fall short on such a key item. He asks to hurry the project along, ripe kimchi can be great for a company but you need freshly made kimchi as well.

The president asks after Mom and currently she’s getting tests done, overseen by Doctor Drunk Ajusshi. They sit outside afterward and she chides him for drinking at work – how is she to trust him? But he assures her that it’s his day off, the only reason he came in was to see her.

She reads between the lines and asks casually if that means she’ll be dying soon. Doc laughs that it doesn’t matter when a person dies, but how sexy their bodies are. And for mom, she’s totally sexy… including the cancer trapped in her body. Oh no. Bad news bears after all.

Mom puts on a brave face, asking if it’s serious to which he nods and says in a lighthearted tone that everyone lives and dies once. She smiles, thanking him for giving her some time to prepare herself.

At the stunt school, Jang-won trains his staff, sustaining a small cut in the process. He directs his employee to be careful on set, but Min-ji’s seen the whole thing with a worried look.

She patches him up in a jiffy. Her next question throws him off: does he find her sexy? She’s read that men fall for women who treat their wounds because they’re sexually aroused. Hahaha. She’s so happy-go-lucky that she’s harmless but Jang-won freezes up anyway, feeling uncomfortable.

Meanwhile back at home, Sun-hee tries a bit of lipstick before catching her reflection in the mirror. Deciding against it, she rubs it off with the back of her hand.

Gun-hee sighs in the car, asking Kang-jae if he finds it tiring that they’re stuck together all day long. He suggests then that they be squished or even sssmmmuusshhedd together instead.

Kang-jae is surprised at her genuine laughter, figuring her for someone who laughs less than ten times in her life. Gun-hee admits that she’s never laughed much since she was always so bogged down with life. But whenever she’s with Kang-jae, she finds herself laughing anyway.

They spend the rest of the day in higher spirits, examining the lab and reading up on research together. There’s an adorable moment where Kang-jae offers a banana milk to Gun-hee and then tries to sneak a sip out of the same straw without her looking. ‘Cause then it’s like kissing? GAH, so so cute.

Gun-hee heads up to the office first carrying a mountain of books. Just as Kang-jae returns from parking the car ready to relieve her, Su-ho swoops in, asking if she’s free to chat. He solemnly looks on as Gun-hee follows him out.

She breaks the ice first, asking when the engagement party is. It’s Sunday and Gun-hee blurts in shock that it seems so sudden. Realizing her mistake, she advises that they should proceed with caution, which Su-ho finds pointless because he’s known Ja-young since university as fellow club members.

Gun-hee muses aloud that she knew Su-ho longest in both respects but he’ll still be marrying Ja-young. All the while Su-ho looks at her as if he’s searching for the right moment to tell her.

She laughs it off that this is why people think she’s the Queen of Wasting Time and wonders where her wall will be now once Su-ho is married. She interrupts before Su-ho can get a word in, giving her congratulations and a forced exaggerated handshake to send him off while Kang-jae observes the scene from another balcony down below.

They’re both in grouchy moods during their team meeting (Kang-jae draws a doodle aptly named “cowardly turtle” hehe). Gun-hee suggests that they team up with the banchan division in marketing. Kang-jae points out that they don’t have a kimchi to market yet.

Soon they’re bickering over principle and practice as voices rise and it’s about how moody he is and that her biorhythm is all off. Doesn’t she think about others? They steam off their rage separately.

Gun-hee falls asleep at her desk after spending countless hours reading at the library. It’s this half-drunken-on-sleep state that Kang-jae finds her in after hours.

He asks if she’s feeling better now and goes into this speech about how men are like transportation – some buses come right on schedule, others a little later. If you miss those, there are always cabs. She asks if he’s here to comfort her or get hit again, heh.

The camera zooms into Gun-hee’s lips and Kang-jae draws in close. The proximity makes her uncomfortable and Kang-jae smoothly asks if this is how she maintains her distance. He lifts his hand towards her cheek and she flicks it away, warning him to stop kidding around.

But he doesn’t flinch and asks if her heart is beating fast. Is she nervous that he’s so close? Gun-hee stops breathing for a moment and he observes that her eyes are brown before reaching for her cheek again.

Gun-hee suddenly rises… and then grabs his ear, pulling him towards her as he cries out in pain. HAHAHA. He squirms under her tight grasp as she whispers into his ear asking if this is what he meant. With a soft blow, she finishes, “See you at home.” and storms off.

Kang-jae ends up on the floor, his legs lost all strength. In the car, Gun-hee places a hand to her chest to calm herself and belatedly notices the post-it stuck to her cheek.

The president notes that Mom doesn’t look well and she cryptically replies that people their age are riddled with health problems. He offers his help because he’s heard that Chinjung isn’t doing well, but Mom firmly refuses it. Ever since “that incident,” she’s worked to the bone to the point that she regrets that she didn’t raise her daughters well enough.

Dad understands with a heavy sigh but Mom makes it clear that she doesn’t want anything to do with him. Tears in her eyes, she discloses that they dragged that child out and killed it. If they hadn’t met then, who knows – they could have raised their children better.

She calls themselves a horrible influence when a phone call interrupts their conversation – it’s Gun-hee, who’s called to ask if it’s true that she’s going to kick Kang-jae out. Mom confirms it and hangs up when Gun-hee doesn’t press further.

Mom declares that she’s going to take things back one at a time and mentions that they’re meeting too often lately. When she’s gone, Dad asks his secretary if she think he’s an evil man. She doesn’t and he informs her to look into Chinjung Kimchi’s current status.

We cut midsentence and see Mom stewing in the car, vowing that she won’t let him take anything of hers again.

At a café, Min-jung sits with her arms crossed with a disbelieving expression on her face. Looks like Se-won’s showered her with gifts with the money he’s earned. He earnestly tells her that he’s changed just like she’s asked.

He follows her out like a little puppy asking her if she’ll waiver the rent at the boardinghouse. Min-jung finally blows up, confronting him that she’s heard he’s been cut off from the family. Through gritted teeth she tells him that he has to pay for his own food and in the same vein, he’ll have to fork over rent if he wants to live at the boardinghouse.

She gripes over how inexpensive the gifts are, when Soon-dol happens to pick her up. In an adorable nervous voice, he mentions that she could have sat in the back, but Min-jung protests that she’s not THAT snooty. Oh thank goodness you’re above all that, Princess.

She spurs a rant asking if Mom’s paying him enough, suggesting that he could always hold something of the company’s as collateral once it goes under. But Soon-dol is good-natured and she wonders if he’s as innocent as his name implies. She instructs him that everyone’s responsible for themselves or else everything will be swiped right under their nose. Thanks for the life lesson.

Min-jung runs into Gun-hee outside, appalled by her lack of skincare. At that rate, she’ll just age faster. Gun-hee tells her sis not to tease her about her love life but Min-jung points out the lack thereof – at her age she’s bound to pounce on anyone.

Gun-hee tries to erase thoughts of Kang-jae from her mind that evening and even ditches him for work the next morning. HA.

Mom gets updated on Chinjung which is still running despite its financial struggles. She feels that Sangcharim is too quiet lately, calling it the calm before the storm. She warns him that ever since they wanted to expand into kimchi, they’ve kept their eye on Chinjung.

Meanwhile Dad approaches Gun-hee at the office and asks if the team member living with her is doing his best. She assures him that he is and gapes when he leaves. How did he know about Lee Kang-jae?

The gears start turning in her head and she makes out that they’re father and son. Gun-hee’s convinced that they’re teaming up to ruin her.

Kang-jae and Dad’s secretary meet his wife by the elevators, and she scolds him for calling her “honey” at work. They bicker about acting professional in the workplace and Kang-jae rolls his eyes, calling both of them childish.

Once he’s in the elevator, Dad’s secretary teases him that when you’re not considered perverted nor childish once you’re married. What more is that you aren’t lonely anymore either.

Kang-jae takes a quiet moment to himself mulling over the last few words. He scoffs at them, telling himself that it isn’t true. He asks himself: “Was there a time that I wasn’t lonely?” and he does a half smile/nod thinking back to that day in the rain.

Next thing we know we’re at Su-ho’s engagement party and Gun-hee is the last to arrive. Gun-hee misreads the intention when her friend sticks out her hand. It isn’t a greeting, she corrects, but they’re collecting contributions towards Su-ho and his fiancée’s surprise.

She refuses a polite shot, arguing that she can’t drink too much tonight. Gun-hee looks towards the other table as Kang-jae follows in behind her, noticing that she’s looking at Su-ho.

The party continues and both Kang-jae and Gun-hee are tipsy, their heads slumped on the tables. Kang-jae notes that it’s gutsy of her to attend an engagement party where the man dumped her. Gun-hee clarifies that she didn’t get dumped and she’s totally over it.

Kang-jae retorts that he can see the truth written on her face. It’s easy to hate what you can’t have, like the fable of the fox and sour grapes. In her drunken stupor however, she misinterprets this as him calling her a fox or sour grapes. She warns him that he’d already been fired if he said that to someone else.

Su-ho drops by the table and his face falls when Gun-hee gets up to slip away to the bathroom.

The same friend from before asks if she’s too drunk to help her out (Gun-hee: “I’m fine.*hic*”). She’s got to run and the surprise preparations for the couple haven’t been completed yet. Handing her a card and some bags, she requests for her to help her out.

Kang-jae sidles up behind her and the friend ropes him in too. I like his introduction: “I’m Lee Kang-jae. Gun-hee and I make kimchi together.”

They set down the bags and Kang-jae thinks aloud. “This is what you call…i-i-i-Ironman?” Pffft. Gun-hee correct him, “It’s ironic.” as she starts to blow up balloons in the bags they brought over.

He asks if she’s nuts for actually preparing for someone else’s romantic evening. She should have refused to do it, that it’s hypocritical to do so. But she’s too tired to fight tonight so he can shut it and work.

Kang-jae brings over some soju in a juice box saying that they might as well be drunker for it. Woah, woah soju comes in juice boxes now?! Talk about travel-size.

Su-ho notices that Gun-hee’s missing and searches for her. His concern upsets Ja-young who looks at him with angry tear-filled eyes. And I’d be more invested if I weren’t looking at two pieces of wood talking to each other.

Completely trashed now, but somewhat able to sound comprehensible and stand up, they hang the rest of the decorations. Kang-jae teasingly pokes Gun-hee’s love handles as she hangs a balloon until she slips off of the chair and falls right into his arms.

They break into laughter and suddenly, Kang-jae pulls her in close, gazing into her eyes… and commercial break. No kidding. I’m annoyed too.

Staring back, Gun-hee asks: “Do you like me?” Kang-jae retorts: “What?! That…makes sense. I believe I do.” Gun-hee scrounges her face and tells him to stop joking around but he pulls her right back in, “Why? You scared? That you might actually like me?”

But she denies it, telling him that she doesn’t feel anything. So he sweetly talks into her ear, asking if she still doesn’t feel anything. Oh swwooon, what a tender gesture to what could have been petty revenge.

It’s her turn to squirm this time and she playfully tugs on his ear again. Then he swoops in for a sneaky kiss.

Her eyes widen and he asks: “Do you really hate me?” Gun-hee: “Yeah, I did. But to be honest, not now.” Another kiss. Kang-jae: “So will you like me or hate me from now on?”

She says she’s not sure and he kisses her. Again. And Again. *mouth dries up*

Uh, ‘scuse me for a sec. *takes cold shower* Thank goodness for cable.

Morning. The sun peeks in as the camera pans over the empty bottles and scattered clothes. Kang-jae stirs awake to see Gun-hee lying next to him.

It takes a few blinks for the reality to settle in and he watches her sleep for a few moments. Then Gun-hee opens her eyes.

COMMENTS

I’m going to say it again – thank goodness for cable and breaking out of those tight-lipped kisses. Wanna see it again? I wanna see it again. Here you go. You’re welcome.

I’m really enjoying this drama so far and there hasn’t been a single episode where I haven’t literally laughed out loud. What I’ve loved from the three tvN dramas I’ve seen thus far (Flower Boy Ramyun Shop, Shut Up Flower Boy Band, Marriage Plot) is that what I think will be completely fluff and outlandish has a way of surprising me. Who knew that kimchi could serve as metaphors to business and people? Though I should mention that my view on kkakduki (spicy radish kimchi) shall forever be changed by Cha Chi-soo.

The cryptic conversation between Mom and President Lee, Kang-jae’s father, left me with more questions than before. Who is this child they “killed”? Did they have an extramarital affair that led to an unborn child so many years before? Does it tie into how one of her daughters isn’t biologically hers? What does Mom mean that she won’t let him take anything away from her again? Food for thought, for now.

On a different note, I’m a little sad that we’re leaving our boarders in the dust while our main couple is being driven forward. At present, the tiny glimpses we get into their relationship do little more than serve as some comedic relief. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll take Kang-jae staring into Gun-hee’s eyes wishing it was me any day, but what’s the point of marrying off four daughters if they’re not given the spotlight with their men?

I loved that Kang-jae and Gun-hee inadvertently exacted revenge on Su-ho by sleeping together in the same room that he and his fiancée were supposed to spend a romantic night in. It’s totally… ironic.

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