Full Sun: Episode 9

by gummimochi

It’s about time our heroine grew a spine against Daddy Han and those who threaten to endanger those she holds most dear. But while her sharp tongue delivers some icy words, her heart still remains susceptible to persuasion. Emotions are laid bare in this hour for scammers and non-scammers alike—good for character development, bad for conning.

SONG OF THE DAY

KOHD – “내 사람 (My Person)” [ Download ]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

EPISODE 9 RECAP

As Se-ro lay bloody on the ground, Secretary Han bends down to deliver Daddy Han’s message: stay away from Young-won and Belle la Fair. Left behind with an envelope of money, Se-ro slips into unconsciousness.

Elsewhere, Jae-in is furious at Kang-jae’s lack of urgency in Se-ro’s capture and stunned that he won’t go save his loving dongsaeng.

Young-won storms into Young-joon’s office, demanding to know the current state of affairs. With the imminent threat of Daddy Han’s corrupt dealings being exposed, she cuts right to the chase and gives little bro a choice: either continue to do Daddy Dearest’s bidding or protect Belle la Fair. In other words: Daddy Han or her.

There’s a newfound ring of confidence in Young-won’s voice as she says she has the means to help him, and the three of them (including Madam Baek) can bring Daddy Han down together.

Her determination causes Young-joon to briefly waver, but another prod to how he hasn’t earned the spot as president has him scoff in response. Before they can discuss the matter any further, Hong angrily bursts into the office to confront Young-won about Se-ro’s abduction.

Speaking of, Jae-in takes the reins on that operation and orders Third Wheel Lackey to trace Secretary Ahn’s phone. (It’s also sweet that the lackey makes her promise to apologize Kang-jae on his behalf.) She runs out with Hama once they grab a general location.

At the same time, Young-won reviews the security tapes and recognizes the license plate.

Daddy Han is busy pacifying one of his business partners in his office, assuring him with a smile that everything is under control. And I might not be an expert on all things crook-related, but maybe you don’t want to label your shady dealings documents as “Secret Contract,” just sayin’.

That fake smile drops when Young-won barges in moments later, demanding to know what her father has done with Se-ro. She’s promptly dragged out of the office, screaming at the top of her lungs, and then pleads for answers outside the door.

Secretary Ahn’s car pulls up to the building just as Young-won is escorted outside. She runs to search the car, and when Secretary Ahn plays dumb about it all, she vows never to forget what happened today.

Young-won keeps her promise to her stepmother to return stronger at home as we see her refusal to tolerate Madam Baek’s nagging anymore. Now her words carry an icy tone as she says she knows just how disappointed her stepmother is that she’s back so early.

Madam Baek will have to work hard to keep up her ruse of acting like a mother to her, Young-won bitterly remarks—because Young-won is busy contemplating just how much she hates her family and how far she’s willing to abandon and give up on them in her fight against them.

Those words genuinely surprise Madame Baek, but I am loving this new spitfire turn in Young-won.

Once Se-ro finally wakes hours later, he beelines for the Han residence to demand an audience with Daddy Han. Shocked by his bloodied state, Young-won rushes outside to meet him despite Se-ro’s weary insistence that he isn’t here to see her.

Se-ro insists that he’s fine and Young-won tearfully asks if her father ordered the beating. He tells her not to apologize because he’s decided to regard Young-won and her father as two separate entities.

“No matter what your father did to me or what I do to him, I’d like for you not to worry about it,” Se-ro says, struggling to hold himself upright. He refuses to go to the hospital and tries to usher her inside.

But that’s when Daddy Han arrives home and masks his irritation in surprise at seeing Se-ro: “What do I see in front of me?” Se-ro answers: “A man.”

However, Daddy Han raises his hand to strike when Se-ro says he’s here for the chairman’s apology. He’s like any other man who bleeds and bruises and gets angry when struck, Se-ro continues, and there’s a measure of incredulity in his voice at how someone could do this to another human being.

Daddy Han doesn’t even flinch at those words, so Se-ro throws down the vile envelope stuffed with money. Young-won is disgusted that her father would nearly beat someone to death and then pay them off, but her words go ignored.

Daddy Han says Se-ro should be fortunate that Young-won is here, but Se-ro cuts him off, “Or else would you have me killed?” With slightly crazed eyes, he wonders if the hitman would have been rewarded more with his death.

Se-ro stops Daddy Han from stepping inside to ask the most honest question in their conversation thus far: “Why did you make me into this?”

Tears pooling in his eyes, he pleads, “Apologize [to me]. That you did wrong by me. Then I’ll try to forgive you for once.” Oh, you’re talking about everything, not just the recent beating, aren’t you?

But when Daddy all but laughs in his face, Se-ro says, “I won’t forgive you.” And then his wipes his bloody lip with Young-won’s sweater before wobbling away.

Disappointed in her father more than ever, Young-won packs a suitcase, ready to leave for good this time. She makes two requests: that Se-ro remain unharmed because there’s nothing going on between them, and that her father settles his money laundering activities lest she reveals them to the media.

She isn’t the least bit afraid of her father’s threats to cut ties if she walks out that door; he won’t be able to do it and she would have done it years ago if she could. Daddy Han is hurt by her betrayal, and Young-won says she wanted to be a kind daughter, but that would have entailed her to become a horrible person.

Neither can she trust her own father nor can she continue living her life this way, and Young-won asks if she’s the strange one for being confused countless times every day. It all boils down to her disappointment in her father, so why must she endure this life? Daddy Han doesn’t answer.

When Young-joon tries to stop her, but Young-won reminds him to think over her earlier offer.

Young-won heads to Se-ro’s apartment, holding his whistle in her hand. Kang-jae spots her lingering outside and lets her believe that he thinks she’s here to see her boyfriend and hands off his bag of groceries for them to enjoy together. Aw, were those for Se-ro? Although, chips and fruit < rescuing from abduction.

Ha, I love how Young-won pushes through Hong (who's been doing zilch to nurse Se-ro) to let herself inside. Hong can barely let out a sigh before he's handed his things and essentially kicked out of the apartment.

Young-won apologizes to a sleeping Se-ro as she tends to him, explaining that she left her house to live her own life. She has him to thank for realizing just how fragile and awful she’s been. Se-ro turns in his bed, which makes her wonder if he heard her. Placing a hand on his cheek, she pities him on his hard knock life.

When Se-ro wakes later in the night, he softly caresses her hair, and Young-won opens her eyes, still awake.

Looking at the ceiling, Se-ro thinks to himself: “Why can’t I be strong? Your father made me this way, but why can’t I refuse your caring hands that nursed me all night long?”

Se-ro finds himself alone the next morning, with breakfast waiting for him. As he eats, he wonders, “As I eat the porridge you made me, do I want to ask for your forgiveness?”

Young-joon isn’t in any hurry to get to work despite his mother’s anxiety over how the company execs will react once they hear word about their failed contract with FL Gemstones.

Madam Baek wants her son to prove that he’s qualified for the job, but Young-joon sighs that now that she’s gotten him to this position, she’s scared that it’ll be taken away from her.

Kang-jae and Jae-in are on their way to that same meeting, and gruffly apologize to one another. He mentions that Young-won swung by and that it’s their job to separate the budding lovebirds. Jae-in agrees.

They run into Madam Baek and her son along with the board of directors, who are none too pleased to hear that an alliance with FL Gemstones hasn’t been made after all.

The employees celebrate Young-won’s return to work, and it’s cute how they shower her with gifts and encouraging words. Young-joon observes the festivities just outside the door before he interrupts to have a word with his sister.

Young-won intends to head the design team whether little bro likes it or not, and to eventually run the company again. Young-joon asks how she plans to do that without their father’s help, and she says she has a small sum set aside and will strike a deal with FL Gemstones.

That makes Young-joon wonder if his sister doesn’t believe him either. He believes the FL Gemstones scammers have been digging into their father’s affairs and that the paper company documents came from them.

Young-won counters that not everyone is as suspicious as Young-joon is, and it’s possible that they were looking into the company instead. Realizing that he’s getting nowhere with this argument, Young-joon lets the matter drop.

After Hong packs up Se-ro’s things in his office, he returns to inform Se-ro that Young-won has returned to work. Furthermore, she intends to expose her father’s misdeeds and right now, she’s gone to meet with Jae-in.

Se-ro drives to their meeting place, only to be stopped by Kang-jae. Se-ro pleads with him to leave Young-won out of this since they can still take the Han family down. But to Kang-jae, it doesn’t matter where that money comes from because they’re the ones to benefit from it.

Se-ro doesn’t see why they’re all acting this way because he’s here to fight Daddy Han, not mess with a completely innocent woman like Young-won. But Kang-jae stands his ground, asking if getting his revenge on the chairman is all because they’re swindlers at the end of the day.

Still, they can’t lay a finger on Young-won, Se-ro persists. Kang-jae grabs him when he tries to step inside, and warns, “The moment you walk in there… it’s the end for us.”

Inside, Young-won is told of a larger investment sum than they’ve previously discussed. Jae-in can’t pass up an opportunity to ask if she’s dating Se-ro, which Young-won denies. Jae-in admits that she’s glad to hear it and warns her to be on her toes with him because “Lee Eun-soo… is a con artist.”

And it looks like Young-won believes her because she pulls out of Se-ro’s touch in refusal to his offer of driving her back home.

They both register her reaction, and Se-ro explains that he heard she’s returned to work and helping her brother. He asks why she would choose the hard way of trying to save Belle la Fair instead of stepping away, but she cuts him off to ask him: “Is there something you’re hiding from me?”

He doesn’t understand where this is suddenly coming from. A moment passes before Young-won admits that she momentarily suspected Se-ro, and walks away.

But then he calls after her: “You’re just saying that! Just listen [to me].” Omo, is that the first time you’re speaking to her in banmal?

We flashback to the rest of Jae-in and Young-won’s conversation while she rides in a taxi. Jae-in had told her that Se-ro had wanted a cut for striking a deal with Belle la Fair. He had also that they should feel free to shake down the wealthy family for money and that he’d do the work to persuade Young-won to agree.

Young-won had asked why she’s being informed of this now, and is told that it felt appropriate now given recent events with a new president and all.

Those words leads Young-won to believe that FL Gemstones are the con artists and stops to tell Se-ro of this theory face-to-face. She can’t believe that Se-ro would deceive her just to wring her out of money and asks if he did anything in the past to ruffle their feathers.

Se-ro listens to all this in silence, and then answers no. At her suggestion that they go confront Kang-jae and Jae-in to sort out the matter, Se-ro asks what Young-won would do if they happened to be right and he was a swindler.

He sighs at her naivete, and then noticing her tears, Se-ro replies that it isn’t true. Young-won believes him, and Se-ro pulls her into a tight hug.

Then Se-ro meets with Kang-jae on the rooftop, the latter of whom is already waiting. Se-ro confesses that he was ruthless to Young-won when he thought she was his target. Even when he found out that Daddy Han was responsible, he still cowered in fear of the chairman and thought Young-won an easy target.

“But isn’t it petty to pick on the weak and easy?” Se-ro asks. “Let’s not lead petty lives.”

Kang-jae intends to continue living his life that way, and at Se-ro’s argument that Young-won cared for his grandmother, Kang-jae retorts that Jae-in took care of him while he was in prison.

Se-ro knows what it feels like to be stepped on when you have no fault of your own, and it’s the same for Young-won. Moreover, he knows it sounds strange “but when I see her, I keep remembering what it was like to live as Jung Se-ro.”

Now Kang-jae lays his bitterness bare before Se-ro, like how he was abandoned by his own father when he was young, and pickpocketed in order to impress Se-ro’s father. “You were always embarrassed by the things I wanted. So you made me feel miserable.”

So while Se-ro might have the luxury of loving his enemy’s daughter, that isn’t the case for him—all Kang-jae can see is money they can loot in this job.

Growing more desperate, Se-ro says he feels sorry at how Young-won doesn’t know anything but still chooses to love him. Kang-jae asks if Se-ro thinks she’ll be grateful to him if she finds out later on down the road. What will Se-ro say if he’s met with bitterness instead?

They both know that Se-ro doesn’t have an answer. Se-ro confesses through tears, “I tried my best to hate her, but instead of hating her, it was easier to love her!”

That’s why he can’t do wrong by her anymore, and asks that they put a stop to messing with her. Kang-jae’s eyes have wavered several times throughout this tension-filled conversation, but that last request tips him over and he agrees to lay off of Young-won.

Instead, this is where they part ways, Kang-jae says. “And if we were like brothers, we’ll meet again one day even if we part like this.”

With that, Kang-jae storms downstairs to announce to the rest of the team that Se-ro is no longer part of this job. Kang-jae roars at Se-ro to get out and then drags him outside when he doesn’t, pinning him to the wall.

“You think that we were born differently, don’t you? That you’re a good person and I have no choice [but to be awful], right?” Kang-jae hollers before stalking off.

Se-ro confides in Hong, who’s then told by Kang-jae not to speak a word to Se-ro about their future dealings with Belle la Fair, even if it involves Young-won. Why do I find it so funny that people keep their secrets with the biggest blabbermouth in this dramaverse?

Kang-jae meets with President Shin Pil-do to return the blue diamond necklace. He confirms that Daddy Han seemed to be shaken by their meddling and grows slightly uneasy when President Shin chuckles that Daddy Han might come crawling to him.

After Young-won signs off on an investment deal with FL Gemstones, Kang-jae drops the bomb to Jae-in that Se-ro isn’t working with them anymore.

Grandma drops by with some homemade food for Young-won, which she uses as a segue to bring up Se-ro. She’s touched to hear that Se-ro listed all the particular things she liked to furnish her home, and asks what relationship Young-won has with him.

Young-won describes Se-ro as a warm person she’s grateful towards who’s also extremely good to her. Grandma is glad to hear it and squeezes Young-won’s hand, saying that she doesn’t know what kind of relationship they had in their past lives.

Young-won answers that it must have been ill-fated and that they must have met again in this life to reconcile their relationship. Aww, I love these two together.

Jae-in confronts Se-ro outside his house, admitting that she thought the sky had fallen when he was captured. Just because he pulled out of this job changes nothing, Jae-in presses, especially because Young-won signed off on their fake contract.

That’s news to Se-ro, and neither he nor Jae-in are aware that Young-won is walking up to the apartment building as they speak, carrying the homemade food in hand.

Jae-in says they should leave Korea now, and when Se-ro shuts down that idea, she screams, “Am I invisible?!”

Her eyes brimming with tears, she tells Se-ro to think upon the time they’ve spent together. Se-ro tells her to give it a rest, to which Jae-in counters, “How much do you like her that you would abandon Kang-jae and myself?”

Se-ro yells back, “I didn’t want to con her. I didn’t want to con that woman!”

Jae-in asks if that erases the fact that he helped her bring Young-won down, and how hard he worked to swindle that money out of her. “How much has she already lost because of you?”

Se-ro: “That’s why I want to stop things now. Because Han Young-won is innocent.” And not too far off, Young-won’s eyes widen at everything she’s just heard.

 
COMMENTS

And now she knows—well, she knows that Lee Eun-soo is a con man at least. As if those two didn’t have enough trouble trusting one another as it is. Oy.

The awful truth to this revelation (which would have inevitably happened sooner or later) is that Se-ro’s present guilty feelings and attempts to stop the con doesn’t change the fact that he deceived her in the beginning. She’s said it herself that she doesn’t have the confidence in trusting people twice, and I foresee much anger and beating herself up for trusting in Se-ro to such an intimate level. And at this point, the people she can trust are few and far between. If I were to step back to assess her current situation, I’d be surprised that someone like Young-won hasn’t collapsed into herself given how her trust circle has imploded so swiftly and quickly.

That being said, it was a real joy to see Young-won take action in this episode and break out of that wallflower shell. Her newfound determination made me want to yell out, “You go, girl!” several times in this episode as we saw her stand up to Daddy Han in order to protect the people and things she holds most dear. I love the new fieriness in her and her spitfire tongue to speak her mind and show off her own attack cards. This turn in Young-won doesn’t change her overnight, like how we still saw her fall prey to her naivety to believe in FL Gemstones in the end (which was indirectly linked to her trust in Se-ro, methinks). Neither is this change warmly received by her family either, but these things take time and they are a pretty terrible family.

Conversely it was our hero who was the helpless one in this hour leading up to his confession that he’d fallen in love with the lamb. While Se-ro is no angel in this series, I love how truthful he is to Kang-jae about his feelings, his vulnerability, and his brokenness. We saw Se-ro grab at straws trying to stop his own revenge scheme in Daddy Han’s presence, appealing to the chairman’s humanity to feel the tiniest bit of remorse—to give him an out to at least try to forgive the man. Then we saw him plead with Kang-jae, and in the end, he was unable to stop Kang-jae and the other scammers from conning Young-won anyway.

Speaking of, Kang-jae continues to be a fascinating character to watch. Just like how we see the depths to his guilt in the previous episode, we now start to see more of the bitterness he harbors towards Se-ro. Even though Kang-jae’s outward behavior and words are harsh, we see the conflicting feelings towards Se-ro plainly written on his face, which makes the separation that much more painful. Say it ain’t so ’cause bromances torn apart break my heart.

RELATED POSTS

• Full Sun: Episode 8
• Full Sun: Episode 7
• Full Sun: Episode 6
• Full Sun: Episode 5
• Full Sun: Episode 4
• Full Sun: Episode 3
• Full Sun: Episode 2
• Full Sun: Episode 1