I Do, I Do: Episode 9

by gummimochi

Our couple go head to head but not necessarily in the way you might be thinking. The Black Knight aka the Real Daddy Long Legs gets to put on his chivalrous armor and remind us why we love him so darn much. And apparently, so does everyone else.

Well, except for the guy who wants to stomp around declaring what’s not his as his. The shoe doesn’t fit so stop trying to shove her foot into it.

EPISODE 9 RECAP

Moment Killer Eun-sung marches up to Ji-an and tells her that he’s been looking high and low for her. He’s been so worried that he nearly filed a missing person’s report. Woah Doc – she’s a pregnant woman not a rebellious lost teenage girl.

And what? You were about to call Dad?! I’ve jumped ship from Team Doc.

Tae-kang apologizes that he took Ji-an against her will and she cuts off, “What are you sorry about?” (THANK YOU) She thanks Eun-sung for his concern but finds his anger unfounded. Eun-sung launches into a shpeal about how Ji-an does as she pleases without thinking of others…and then Tae-kang steps in that people who love each other shouldn’t fight like this.

Placing their hands in each other’s, he adds that they have to communicate and think of unborn baby. He earns two shocked frozen faces in return. HA. He takes his leave and Eun-sung stumbles,”Did he catch on that you’re pregnant?”

Ji-an apologizes for the misunderstanding – she’ll make sure she talks with Tae-kang tomorrow that the baby isn’t Eun-sung’s. But he just laughs in response, seemingly okay with the mixup.

Tae-kang waits right outside the gate and confronts Eun-sung about coming to the workplace and making a pregnant woman cry. Eun-sung politely tells him to butt out (clearly a lecture you should be giving yourself, Doc) and Tae-kang asserts that he can’t stand by to see a woman cry.

His name? “Park. Tae. Kang.” which sounds totally badass and confident. When he’s asked about his age he starts, “Twen– you don’t need to know that.” Now formally introduced, they shake, tightening each other’s grasp harder by the moment.

Ji-an sits at home, telling herself it’s no big deal to come clean to Tae-kang. She imagines Giddy Tae-kang taking full responsibility and arriving at her doorstep ready to move in. Dad invites himself into the household as well, claiming her shoe closet as his room. Ji-an shakes her head to rid herself of the thought.

Meanwhile Tae-kang can’t sleep, restless and Choong-baek tells him that he need to cut ties from Ji-an or else he’ll be the one end up hurt.

He’s the first one to speak the next morning at work, confessing that he’s known for a while ever since he discovered the ultrasound photo. He hasn’t told a soul, and carefully asks how long Ji-an intends to keep it a secret since she’ll be showing soon.

Accepting her answer that until the collaboration is over, he ekes out that it must be nice knowing the father is an OB/GYN. Ji-an doesn’t correct him (grr).

Tae-kang changes the subject to his hardcore shoe design training and she forks over a huge medical textbook about podiatry, “Memorize it.” Ji-an piles on the workload, reminding him of his vow that he’d do anything he was told. He gapes in astonishment and she tells him that he likes doing things in one go. Heh.

As a token of motivation, she tells him to take it as an opportunity to show up the people who look down on him for being a high school grad, including herself. He’ll try and she tells him to see the sun from the East Sea. (He says “hae-bol-kkae” which also means “I’ll see the sun.”)

Catching on the wordplay, he pipes that he’ll do it so long as Ji-an shapes him into a designer. She cocks her head in reply.

Bong-soo reels in shock at the news that Tae-kang didn’t join Na-ri’s team after all, effectively ruining his chances to join the design team. He grabs Tae-kang by the collar who tells him it’s all part of his grand plan.

In fact, Ji-an was the one who chose him to be on her team as her protege. Bong-soo blusters, “What did you do?” Pfft. Tae-kang asks for one month. Bong-soo balks, “So I only have to wait one more months?!”

Ji-an calls Eun-sung who relishes in the fact that she hasn’t come out with the truth to Tae-kang. He readily agrees to play Baby Daddy until after the collaboration. In exchange she’ll have to buy him a car. A camping car full of amenities like a bar and tub.

Ji-an stares at the phone all, Where does this guy get at? Sigh, isn’t it just easier telling Tae-kang than all this roundabout, hon?

Tae-kang works relentlessly to memorize vocabulary, drawing up sketch after sketch into the wee hours of the night. Even Dad helps out, recording the textbook into audio while Tae-kang works. So cute.

HA – I love that the old lady painting creeps Ji-an out so much that she covers her face.

Tae-kang pops in with his hundred sketches in hand. Ji-an starts off with praise… for Bong-soo. HAHA. Tae-kang looks up helplessly that sunbae offered to take a look at them and gapes at his harsh punishment to redo them plus another hundred.

Thankfully his pop quiz score isn’t too shabby and Ji-an talks to Ankle, “Your dad isn’t all that dumb.”

Jake’s team packs up to go on a team outing and she orders Tae-kang that they’ll be doing the same. That bright excited smile turns upside down when that “outing” means the local park.

They grab a picnic spot. Tae-kang hands her a pint of milk (aw) and notes that Ji-an hasn’t been wearing her killer heels lately. She’s acting on doctors orders and gradually decreasing the heel length so she doesn’t cause suspicion.

That prompts the question of why women resort themselves to killing their feet wearing stilettos. Fashion over comfort, kiddo. If they wanted to look taller, they could wear platforms or shoe inserts.

She’s impressed that he’s learning and asks, “Were you ever curious about these things when you worked for your father for 10 years?” The answer’s no, and he beams at the thought of making progress. Despite Ji-an’s reminder that it’s only the beginning, he can’t help but be proud of himself.

They sketch in the park together and Tae-kang nods off. Ji-an curiously listens in to his headphones and hears Dad’s voice reciting the textbook. The sight of his bare feet piques her curiosity and she compares their feet. Talking to Ankle again, she muses, “I wonder whose feet you’ll take after.”

She eventually falls asleep too and they nap in the shade, their heads resting against each other (which is just about the cutest thing ever). Tae-kang is the first to wake and Ji-an’s head naturally falls against his shoulder.

Tae-kang smiles then lightly brushes his finger against her lips bringing his face closer to hers… and her eyes flutter awake. DAMN.

In order to get over the awkward moment (and Ji-an’s icy glare), he blusters that there was a bug but then puts a finger to his own lips at the missed opportunity. I’ll say.

They relocate to the jokbal restaurant and Tae-kang tenses when Eun-sung calls, looking longingly towards Ji-an as she takes the call. His heart further gets broken into pieces when she leaves first, leaving him to eat the most depressing looking jokbal ever.

At the hospital, an annoyed Ji-an asks Eun-sung what the urgent matter was. He informs her that they have to assign her a new physician and he knows just the doc up for the job. Uh-oh, you’re not… wait… why are you leaving…

Sure enough, two seconds later, a doctor sits in the chair, introducing himself. Do I even need to say it’s Eun-sung wearing glasses? This doctor is okay with business trips, e-mails, and phone inquiries.

Ji-an turns to leave which is when Dr. Without Borders contends that not a single doctor will take her case because of her notorious track record and behavior. He’s the only one in the world who will. I’m about to break those glasses in half.

She says that she’s not willing to show her uterus to a man she went on a matseon with. Dr. Without Borders cuts her off that he’s seen his friends’ wives (ew) and sure it was awkward at first but it was fine as time went on (double ew).

Then Ji-an barks what I’m thinking that they’re weird and Dr. Without Borders gets the last word, “They’re mothers.”

Rather than finding a laundry list of qualities (the kicker being a female doctor. You didn’t think of this beforehand?) for a new doctor, Jun-hee says sarcastically that she might as well find Ji-an a perfect husband instead.

So Ji-an dangles a sold-out bag that she could pull some strings to acquire… and Jun-hee bites the bait that she’ll do whatever she can to help.

Na-ri’s face lights up when she gets a call from Madame Jang about dinner. Too bad that it’s a matseon in disguise with a sleazeball who rambles on about how they’ll have to live abroad and asks after her inheritance.

She cuts in and whispers what he thinks of her and then suggests they continue the date upstairs in a suite. His fork clatters to the table in surprise and he takes her suggestion to head upstairs first.

Na-ri drives off, crying. She says to herself, “You idiot.”

At the same time, Tae-kang is doing his best to hold it together, both Choong-baek and Na-ri’s words that he’ll end up hurt bringing tears to his eyes. He turns around to see Na-ri standing there, her face bathed in the shadows and he jumps. These two should be in a comedy troupe.

They head over to Choong-baek’s restaurant for a drink and not surprisingly, the best friend stares in awe at the pretty. Na-ri introduces herself as a colleague which Tae-kang doesn’t correct and Choong-baek declares everything’s on the house, “It’s free for beauties -jjoo!”

Dad and Choong-baek giggle in the kitchen watching the two.

Ji-an finds Mom waiting for her at her apartment, making gom tang (oxtail soup). D’aww Mom, I knew you’d come ’round. She nags about how messy the place is and how there wasn’t anything in the fridge… and Ji-an silently pulls her in for a back hug.

It’s a beautiful moment as they just stand there, holding back their tears to stay strong for the other.

They sit to eat and Mom tells her that Dad isn’t quite ready to face her after the news about the menopause. Ji-an jokes she’s healthy enough to deliver a child. Assuring her that she’s more than fine, Ji-an tells Mom that she even talks to Ankle, named after her own prettiest body part.

Taking her hand, Mom says that she was always jealous of Ji-an not for her success but that she built a life for herself. She tells Ji-an, “Let’s raise it well. Mom will help you out.”

Ji-an takes in the affection and then stops Mom when she gets up to leave. Mom initially uses the excuse that she has to catch the last bus, but then reveals that Dad is waiting outside. Then we see her get yelled at for coming out so late.

By the window, Ji-an tells Ankle, “When you get older, don’t mistreat your parents like I did.”

Getting some air and overlooking the city, Na-ri asks about his family. It’s only Dad and myself with Mom out of the picture long ago and Na-ri declares, tipsy, “I have two mothers! Aren’t you jealous?”

Na-ri reveals that she wanted to become a shoe designer to follow in her biological mother’s footsteps. But no matter how hard she works, she can never best the ones with natural talent.

Her heel breaks the next minute and when Tae-kang realizes it’s too broken to salvage, he offers his sneakers for her to wear. Even without the twinkling music, we know that she’s showing the classic signs of Tae-kang Syndrome, sneaking in glances as they walk back.

At home, Tae-kang works to fix the heel, handing it to Dad when he finds it too difficult a job. Dad slips up and it rips which is when Tae-kang wails, “Dad! That’s the Vice President’s!’

Dad puts two and two together and they hilariously bicker over the shoe, grabbing at it from both ends and causing further damage. HAHAHA, these two.

Ji-an casts a suspicious eye to Jun-hee, wary that she found someone who fulfilled all of her requirements. Well, she had every right be because after a long time of waiting Dr. Without Borders is sitting across from her, re-introducing himself.

Turns out he was the one who sent Mom and Dad over to visit and Ji-an agrees to be seen by him in thanks. She previously thought that pregnancy and motherhood would be easy but her parents’ visit motivated her to try her best. However, she draws the line at cervical tests to which he (thankfully) agrees.

They jump in with the check-up and he runs her through questions that get progressively more embarrassing to answer in a coffee shop. She squeaks her answers as his unwavering tone asks if she’s constipated. He adds that she should never prevent any normal bodily function, namely farting.

With a quick glance, he notes that she’ll need to change her underthings into maternity wear. If it couldn’t get any more embarrassing, it just did because he starts to show her HOW to massage her breasts if they get sore.

She can barely stare at him in complete disbelief. Then he just keeps going on and on and I think my eyes have burned through my sockets. I just… can’t undo it.

Bong-soo declares the shoes ruined and suggests Tae-kang can see his fortune teller (named “Boy that Embraces the Sun”). Good ol’ Tae-kang comes clean about the shoes and Na-ri smiles as he promises to pay her back.

She has a better idea – why doesn’t he give her the sneakers she borrowed last night? He skips down the steps for getting off the hook easily.

Ji-an calls him in and plops a pair of heels in his size. He can wear these for a week and then write on his experience so he can understand why women wear heels.

Tae-kang asks Ji-an if she doesn’t plan to get married to Eun-sung. She has no such plans and reasons such as she’s older or the parent’s wishes or that everyone does it isn’t good enough for her, “What kind of marriage is that? Those are shackles.”

He takes this answer that Eun-sung isn’t willing to marry her and puffs up that it’s a person’s duty to take responsibility if someone gets another person pregnant. Ji-an sternly warns, “I make my own decisions and I take my own responsibility.”

She reminds him that he grew up with a single parent – was he ever unhappy or lonely? The answer’s no.

Eun-sung is by the newborn ward again and his doctor buddy asks if there’s a lot on his mind. He encourages Eun-sung to hurry up with the babymaking with his ladyfriend if he likes kids that much.

Solemnly, Eun-sung asks about adoption – would he be able to raise another person’s child and love them as if they were his own? Dr. Yang figures that missile must have pierced deep into Eun-sung’s heart and bets in his favor.

Na-ri buys a pair of shoes the cleaning ajummas found in the trash. Jake is impressed with the design and at closer examination, Na-ri realizes that Tae-kang was the one who redesigned them.

Meanwhile, Tae-kang hobbles around in the heels in Choong-baek’s restaurant. It’s beyond me why he’s wearing them around in public and he whines to his best buddy that he STILL doesn’t get why women torture themselves in these.

So he gets the brilliant idea that he has to go big or go home. Thus begins Operation Tae-kang into Tae-yang, dressing him to a her, waxing (via duct tape…ouch), with hair and makeup.

They get looks of horror as Tae-yang walks the streets with Choong-baek, awkwardly reaching to adjust his wardrobe in public. No shame to go pee in the men’s bathroom? Cool.

Their experiment has left Tae-kang with more questions than answers. He already asked Dad why women go through all that trouble to dress themselves up with clothes, makeup, hair, and shoes, and Dad told it was all to seduce men.

But their conversation gets cut short at the sight of Eun-sung at a nearby table. Why does he have a powerpoint presentation entitled, “How to make Hwang Ji-an a Mother?” Beats me.

In Tae-kang’s eyes Eun-sung is with another woman massaging her hand affectionately. But we know that he’s actually running through his master plan with Jun-hee. Because of course pregnancy and motherhood will always go as planned.

Tae-kang gets up in defiance, ready to punch someone as Choong-baek holds him back. Then we cut to Eun-sung showing Jun-hee how to reduce swelling in Ji-an’s hand. Jun-hee barks that this is something the baby’s daddy should be doing.

She feeds his curiosity that he’s an employee at the same company. Starting to connect the dots, Eun-sung asks for his name… when a punch comes flying at his face. Is it sadistic of me to find that oddly satisfying?

Now sporting a fresh black eye, Eun-sung gets up as Tae-kang grabs him by the collar. “You rotten bastard.”

They stare at each other as Ji-an turns the corner just in time to witness their standoff.

COMMENTS

There you have it – another episode where Tae-kang is in the dark. At this rate, he won’t find out that the baby is his until the kid’s 18. Also, I can probably almost always rely on Moment Killer Eun-sung to swoop in just in time to stop Ji-an from sharing the pregnancy news with someone she not only wants to tell but has the right to know. So it’s okay for you to tell her parents she was diagnosed with premature menopause but not okay for her to talk about her own health?

I thought that we’d already crossed the border of totally unethical medical practice when Dr. Without Borders conducted Ji-an’s ultrasound, but nope – he decides that he’s going to be her doctor. Do you know that you have to be the one delivering the baby too? Maybe it’s written in your powerpoint presentation.

His demeanor, words, and actions are so inappropriate and wrong at this point that I wonder how Eun-sung became such a recognized doctor in the first place. And then his blatant disregard of how comfortable or not she felt towards him being her doctor just made me want to throw that punch myself. What I so frightfully feared became a horrible reality. It really is such a pity because I love Park Gun-hyung ever since I saw him in Innocent Steps.

However, I loved that Mom got her moment to shine after how upset she was over Ji-an’s pregnancy. She’s a caring and affectionate mother who loves her daughter. Though her marriage is far from perfect, that scene tacked on another motivation for Ji-an to be a good mother to her unborn child.

I’ve mentioned it before but I like the “Rome wasn’t built in a day” concept for both of our lead characters whether it comes to motherhood for Ji-an or becoming a designer for Tae-kang. I love how this drama shows that it takes hard work, that it takes wise words from the experienced, and a desire to work towards it. There’s no one thing that caused a drastic improvement.

We can tell that Ji-an needed to awaken her maternal instinct and Tae-kang needed to tap into his inner talents. By gaining confidence in those and allowing them to shine through, the possibilities are endless to what they can achieve.

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