That Winter, The Wind Blows: Episode 6

by HeadsNo2

Mistrust abounds when a wild card is thrown into the mix, leaving Young perfectly vulnerable to Soo’s lies, of which there are plenty of in this episode. Despite everything I still can’t bring myself to hate our deceptive hero, maybe because I don’t see him reaping the benefits from his schemes any time soon. Especially when he’s falling for his prey and digging his own grave deeper in the process, which I suppose is kind of ironic, considering how much he wants to live.

 
EPISODE 6 RECAP

Soo denies Young’s request to give her the Instant Death Pill: “Because there is only one of this in the world, and it’s not yours… it’s mine.” As in, Get your hands off my suicide method.

It isn’t long before Young asks to sleep in the same bed again, but Soo’s temper flares up at her insistence as he reminds her that they’re not kids that can sleep in the same bed. “Oppa is still a man, and a man has to be careful.”

Young actually takes this into consideration, and explains that she doesn’t see things the same way because time seemed to stop for her after they were separated. To her, he’s just her brother, nothing more.

Moo-chul seems to be up to some nefarious plans involving Jin-sung’s sister, which seems to include putting her in debt by buying her things she wants, but can’t afford.

Meanwhile, Boss Man comes to demand the money Moo-chul has to collect from Soo, and Moo-chul actually spits on him when he’s disrespected. Guy’s got some stones.

Soo is drawn to Young’s room by the sound of the wind chime he made her, and closes her window against the winter air when he finds it open. She quips that the window will stay open if he’s not going to sleep with her, since she can only sleep hearing the chime. Soo sighs in defeat. “Let’s sleep together.”

She smiles, “I won.” Hah.

She’s all happy once he’s in bed with her, and wonders if she should get married since cuddling cures her insomnia.

She wants to know what he thinks about her fiancé, and Soo shrugs that he doesn’t seem like a very fun guy. She chuckles, “Like you?”

Never one to let things go, Young brings up the Instant Death Pill again and asks if they can both use it. In exchange, she hands him her will – the one where she promised to give him everything, no questions asked, if he kills her.

Soo thinks back to Moo-chul suggesting that very same thing, but Young is surprisingly chipper about the whole matter and makes him pinky swear that he’ll keep the pill for now, and then give it to her when he needs to.

“Now you’ve made two promises with me,” she says. “The promise that you will stay by my side if I ask you to, and that the pill belongs to both of us.” Soo has no choice but to reluctantly agree, but I think he’s just saying it so she’ll stop pestering him.

Young snuggles up to him and notes that he smells good, not because of any perfume or soap. “I don’t know what it is, but it’s a very good smell.” Honey, that’s what we call Sexy Man Smell.

Hee-sun comes barging into Young’s house the next morning on the basis that she’s Young’s friend, and goes to find Soo in Young’s room when he isn’t in his.

She forces her way past Jin-sung to go inside, and in the ensuing kerfuffle, Jin-sung knocks aside one of Young’s paintings to reveal a safe underneath before quickly covering it back up. (Ah, so Soo must have suspected as much, since he inspected that same painting before.)

As expected, Soo and Young are wrapped around each other in bed, and apparently Young’s keen hearing counts for beans because neither of them wake up, even when Jin-sung has to drag Hee-sun out kicking and screaming.

Secretary Wang followed Hee-sun in, and finally wakes Soo up by throwing the window open so the chime can ring.

Jin-sung tries to calm Hee-sun down outside, even though she’s fuming about Soo and Young sleeping in the same bed. Jin-sung reassures her that it’s all innocent and they slept with their clothes on “like real siblings.” He sleeps together with his own sister, so what’s the big deal?

Young comes out in the meantime, and Jin-sung warns Hee-sun not to say a word to her.

Secretary Wang takes Soo to task inside about the sleeping incident, claiming that Young is too innocent to know about men’s desires. He throws those words back at her, asking how someone who claims to be her mother never taught her that sleeping in the same room with her brother is unacceptable.

“But Young doesn’t know,” he says. “She doesn’t know anything.” He turns the tables on her – did she even know that Young had insomnia? Why would Young turn to him in her time of need instead of the woman who raised her?

So Secretary Wang offers a simple solution: Marry Young off. Because he’s leaving soon and Young hates her, it’ll solve all her problems. In fact, she’ll rush the marriage.

She’s got him there, and he punches a hole through the wall in frustration the second she’s gone. To make matters worse, Jin-sung tells him that it’s game over, since Hee-sun took Young out in order to tell her the truth. Soo starts running.

Over coffee, Hee-sun’s bitterness and rage reaches its boiling point when Young tells her that Soo rode a motorcycle with her. “Did he tell you about my sister’s death from a motorcycle?” Hee-sun asks, catching Young by genuine surprise. Hee-sun mutters under her breath that Soo swore he’d never ride a motorcycle again, even when she asked him. So, is she mad because that’s how her sister died, or because Soo gave Young what he wouldn’t give her?

Young can hear Hee-sun’s anger and sincerely apologizes, trying to take the blame off him. But it’s too late, as Hee-sun tells her, “Did you know? Your oppa is a conman. He isn’t being sincere when he’s being nice to you, he’s just conning you.” Oh, crap. Hee-sun. I know you’re mad, but let’s stop while we’re ahead…

Except she doesn’t. She explains everything to Young about the two Oh Soo’s, and how the Soo she has now is a conman, gambler, and a player. (To her credit, so far she hasn’t outright said that Soo isn’t her real brother, she’s just saying Young’s “brother” is the worst sort of person.)

Tears begin to fill Young’s eyes, but it doesn’t stop Hee-sun from telling her that Soo is using her for an easy con because of her disability.

Soo bursts through the doors of the coffee shop, and Hee-sun meets his gaze as she calls him human garbage. “I’ll tell you why your oppa came to you,” she tells Young. “It’s because of money.” She starts about the debt he needs to repay, but is interrupted when Soo slaps her across the face.

Jin-sung drags Hee-sun out, and attempts some damage control by claiming out loud that Hee-sun was acting out of jealousy. Soo struggles to keep his emotions in check after the slap.

Young looks crushed as she asks, “Is it true? That you were good to me, not because I am your younger sister, but because you need money? Is that why? Answer me.”

Soo takes a long pause, his face contorting as he holds back tears. Maybe he feels bad that it’s all over, or maybe he feels bad that he’s about to lie more. He finally responds with a simple, choked, “No.”

The word sends her tears spilling over, and she reminds him that if he read her will, he’ll know that everything thats hers will be his if she dies, and he’ll have more than enough to cover his debt. “If you need money, you can just kill me now. But, like I said before, you won’t get a cent from me before I die.”

While Young’s paid-for friend Mi-ra reports the fight details to Secretary Wang, Soo follows Young home, and has to fight the urge to help her up when she stumbles.

Moo-chul watches all of this from afar, and smirks like he knows a fight went on.

Young knows Mi-ra switched to Secretary Wang and maintains a cool facade as she claims that her and Soo just had a small fight between siblings. Curiously, she starts asking Secretary Wang about her family and catches her in a lie on purpose, noting how hard it is to keep the details of a lie straight.

Ah, so she’s confident in her ability to know who’s lying, and knows that her and Secretary Wang will go back to playing the lying game once Soo is gone, just like old times. Hooray?

Turns out she’s getting dressed up for a date with Myung-ho, not because she’s warmed up to him, but because Secretary Wang told her that it’s what Soo wants.

Soo calls to meet with Hee-sun, her cheek still red from the slap. She gives him what-for by slapping him repeatedly as she sobs, “I could have told Young that you weren’t her real brother, but I didn’t because of one reason. I have a crush on you. I saw it – the way you looked at her, the way you looked so relaxed sleeping with her. I’m a girl, too. I can feel it. You like her, right? What did I do so wrong that I can’t ask her for money?”

Okay, this all makes more sense now. I thought she was trying to throw Soo under the bus in a jealous rage, and while it was partly that, she was also trying to let Young know that Soo needs money. “If she knows you’re her brother, what’s wrong with her giving you some money? I’m the one asking for it. What did I do wrong?” she cries. “I have to ask for money so you can live!”

Soo knows her heart was in the right place, and pulls her into an embrace as if to say that he forgives and understands her. Jin-sung watches from a distance. Aw.

While Young heads off for her date with Myung-ho, Soo waits for Jin-sung at his parents’ humble restaurant, and it’s cute to see that Jin-sung’s parents treat him like a son (even though it seems like Soo swindled them out of some cows). Regardless, Jin-sung pointedly ignores him.

I’m literally a little shocked at how much of a douche Myung-ho is – I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt since we’ve seen so little of him, but on his date with Young he only pretends to be interested while he texts the whole time, using her blindness to his advantage. Dude, you can’t even try for like, ONE hour? Would it kill you? Grr. (This moment brought to you by: It’s Song Hye-Friggin’-Gyo!)

This guy even has the nerve to look bored while she’s talking. Seriously? Like, really? Really. Really? He even starts checking his watch. I’m about to fly to Korea just to punch him in the face.

At least Young is smart enough to realize he’s not listening, and manages to pour and down her own soju bomb. I love her.

Soo finally catches Jin-sung and apologizes for hitting Hee-sun, but that’s not even what Jin-sung is mad about: “You’re sorry for hitting her but not for hugging her?” He’s still mad, but he still loves his hyung. (And that’s what really matters.)

Young calls Soo to tell him she’s drunk in the most sober voice ever, and adds that there’s no better time like the present to come and kill her. Soo heads over.

Moo-chul calls Jin-sung to proposition him over to the dark side, saying that he’ll go down with Soo as an accomplice to murder if Soo gives Young that pill. He also adds that Psycho So-ra is looking for Soo, and if she finds him, “She’ll destroy him.” I… totally believe that.

Myung-ho is at least paying attention now that he has a few drinks in him, especially since Young keeps pouring them for him and encouraging him to drink. He wants her to answer whether she likes him or not, and when she tries to avoid the question, he leans over the table to kiss her.

Soo ends up seeing the kiss the second he gets there to pick her up.

“I love you,” Myung-ho tells her inside. He claims he’s wanted to tell her for a while… but I don’t believe it.

Soo interrupts to take her home, but Myung-ho volunteers to take her to her car when she stumbles, leaving his cell phone on the table. The same number that popped up earlier (it’s not a name, just “Secretary”) calls and Soo picks up, but the girl on the other end who called Myung-ho honey/darling quickly hangs up. So Myung-ho is having an affair? Ohhh man. It is on like Donkey Kong now. (*rolls up sleeves*)

On the car ride home, Young insinuates that Soo might try to kill her through a car accident but warns him against it, since he could hurt himself in the process. We know her morbidity stints come when she’s hurt, especially since she thinks that all the happy memories she had with Soo were only because he wanted money. “I can’t help but feel betrayed.”

Soo tries to just put up with it, but he pulls over when she starts talking about how easy it would be for her to die if she just took her seatbelt off, and what excuses he could give for her death. I love you Young, but this routine is starting to get on my nerves.

“It’s all a misunderstanding,” Soo finally says. “Hee-sun was lying.” But he’s not convincing at all, and Young chokes back a sob as she gets out of the car.

He cups her face in his hands as he tells her that if he had wanted to kill her, he had umpteen opportunities to do it by now. If he was only after money, he could have gotten it already. A tear falls as he speaks. Does he at least feel bad for lying?

“You’re saying I can trust you?” Young ekes out, before she drops to her knees. “You’re saying I can trust you, my oppa? I can’t trust anyone around me…” she breaks down, sobbing. “Please… can I trust you?” She’s all but begging, hoping, wanting to trust him. That last line, the switch in her tone when she says it, breaks my heart.

Soo knows very well what kind of grave he’s digging when he pulls her into an embrace and reassures her that yes, she can trust him. It’s all she needs to hear, and he knows it.

Jin-sung finds the Instant Death Pill in Soo’s room after Moo-chul’s phone conversation, and watches Soo suspiciously when he carries Young in. Does he think Soo would actually kill her?

Soo holds Young’s hand as she tells him that she had her first kiss today, only it wasn’t what she expected. Aww, she’s forgiven him. (Wait, that’s a BAD thing.)

“What you said earlier, that I could trust you… is it really true?” she asks. He says yes. (Well, he makes a throat noise that means yes.)

Once he thinks she’s asleep, he gently touches her cheek as we hear him in voiceover: “Why do I want to live so badly? Why must I live? I don’t even have a reason to do this to her, who can’t even see. An endless lie… Why must I live like this?”

Against his better judgment, he starts leaning forward, his face getting closer and closer to hers. Omo. Omo omo omo.

He seems to keep rethinking it as he wonders whether everything he’s ever thought about life – that it’s just something you get through, that it isn’t worth much – was a lie. “Was I frantically hoping for a moment like this all my life?”

He leans forward to kiss her… but stops just before his lips can brush hers. He’s holding back with all he’s got.

I need a fan. Soo needs a cold shower.

Jin-sung shows Soo pictures of Young’s safe, claiming that it’ll be a cinch to break into with Hee-sun’s help. But really, he wants Soo to break into the safe because he’s worried Soo’s plan was to kill Young, and while he can abide by gambling and stealing, he can’t abide by murder.

He tearfully reminds Soo that he never once hated him, even when he sold his father’s cow, gambled everything away, or when he lived off Jin-sung’s family and constantly ended up in the police station. His mother suffered a heart attack from always begging for Jin-sung to be released.

Instead of bothering to explain that the pill was for his own suicide, Soo resignedly agrees to break into the safe.

Soo and Young are back on close terms, though he keeps interrupting their movie-watching session to remind her about her upcoming meeting with Myung-ho’s parents. She’s not too enthused since she admits she’s only marrying him because her dad chose him, but she’s pretty laissez-faire about the whole issue. He tells her to get some beauty rest for the meeting tomorrow. (Once again, It’s Song Hye-Friggin’-Gyo!)

He bows out of the marriage meeting the next day by telling Young something urgent came up, and her instant reaction is to back out as well, because she doesn’t want to go alone. “You’re alone anyway. Get used to it,” he tells her coldly.

Ah, but we find out that he’s using the time everyone’s away to crack the safe.

Myung-ho’s parents oppose the marriage and refuse to go into the meeting, and at least Dad seems to know his son is in it for the money. Young overhears the conversation but plays it off, and calls the meeting off by claiming she has a cold.

So everyone starts heading back home, just as Soo sneaks into Young’s room to open the safe. Eeek.

When he finally breaks into it to find gold bullion inside, he hears Young about to enter and he hastily re-hangs the picture before hiding behind the door.

…But Secretary Wang spots him and the skewed picture, putting two and two together. She swings the door shut to rob him of his hiding place.

Uh oh. He’s caught.

 
COMMENTS

I have no idea how he’s going to get out of this one, since he’ll be depending on Secretary Wang’s mercy. Considering their past track record, my money is on Secretary Wang using this as blackmail to get him out of the house. Or, she could just reveal it to Young and let things play out.

It’s hard to know what Secretary Wang’s motivation is, because everyone in this show defends themselves with the excuse: “If I wanted to do it, I would have done it already.” Secretary Wang claimed that if she wanted Young’s money, she could have taken it already. Soo claimed that if he wanted Young’s money, he could have killed her already.

The first argument I can maybe buy, the second one (“I didn’t kill you when I could, that proves XYZ!”) comes up in melodramas semi-frequently and makes me scratch my head every time. Yes, Soo technically could have killed her already, but it’s just weird for him to have to defend that choice. Even if he was a true bad guy, murder is still kiiiind of a serious deal. Can’t Young accept that maybe, just maybe, he doesn’t want to have that on his conscience? Is it impossible to fathom that even with the Get Out Of Jail Free card she’s giving him, maybe Soo would simply enjoy not killing another person? I know she’s focused on her life and how she doesn’t want to live it, but asking someone to help you shuffle off this mortal coil is asking a lot of that person. It makes me wonder whether Young’s worldview is comprised of complete polar opposites – black OR white, good OR bad, brother OR man. I don’t think there’s such a thing as a middle ground with her.

So it’s not that the ultimatum exists that bothers me as much as the way Young tosses the idea of murder around so easily, like Soo should just be falling at her feet and thanking her for the opportunity. How literal she’s being is up for grabs, and it’s clear that she uses the “just kill me” excuse to test his loyalty, not necessarily because she thinks it’s going to happen. (Or does she?)

Likewise, Hee-sun got some fleshing out this episode, and I love it when character reveals stem organically from what we’ve already pieced together. There’s a strong ambivalence in her character, especially with her tendency to run hot and cold, and I chalk most of that up to her feeling guilty for liking the man she considers responsible for her sister’s death. In that vein, though, it’s not like Soo wielded the murder weapon or intended for it to happen, so I’m not sure if Hee-sun wants him to feel guilty for the rest of his life in order to stay true to her sister, or if it’s just because she wants to keep him close.

A character like that is really hard to play, because her objectives in a scene can directly oppose each other in a way that say, someone like Jin-sung doesn’t experience as much. He has one objective: To help Soo not get killed. Hee-sun might want five different things at any given moment, but in instances where she’s acting out (like when she first told Soo to just kill himself, or when she told Young half the truth), I didn’t necessarily get what she was (secretly) aiming for in those scenes until there was dialogue to explain her actions. In that sense, I don’t think Eunji is doing her character a disservice, inasmuch as it’s just a freakin’ difficult part to convey. She’s still green, but she’s got natural screen presence and a great cast to play off of. Time will tell.

Of course, now that Young’s in this relationship to win it, the deception that’s bound to come later will hit her, and us, like a ton of melodramatic bricks. (Which, if you didn’t know, weigh a lot more.) Call me a masochist, but I’m actually excited.

 
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