Fated To Love You: Episode 3

by gummimochi

Yeah, I’d look like that if I just got some unexpected life-changing news, too. Humorous and heart-tugging, this show gets more adorable by the minute. The hour goes by pretty quick when you’ve got a heroine trying to figure out how one night turned her world upside down, and a hero who doesn’t even know what he’s being yelled at for. At least they’ve both got people in their social circles who truly do care about them, and they don’t even know how much they’ve affected one another already.

Fated To Love You continues to inch upwards in ratings, as this episode hit 7.9%.

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JunggiGo & Soyou – “썸 (Some)” [ Download ]

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EPISODE 3 RECAP

Now back in Korea, Mi-young starts off her day just like any other: carrying breakfast and errands for her co-workers, much to her friend Ji-yeon’s indignation. But like always, Mi-young’s a cheerful spirit about everything.

The friends arrive at the office just in time to see a special guest being welcomed—it’s Gun, and Mi-young timidly turns her face away in embarrassment.

Gun is seeking the services of this law firm to deal with the soap factory in Yeoul Island, once and for all. As he describes how it’s causing him quite the headache, we see Mi-young’s mother leading the protest against the men in suits, driving them away off the island.

Gun’s ears momentarily perk up at the name of a Kim Mi-young, only to see the face of a different employee with that same name. He’s then introduced to the lawyer in charge of his case: Lawyer Min, who staggers in shock in front of his potential client.

Gun can’t help but break into his characteristic hearty laugh, thoroughly enjoying this turn of events. He says he’ll think about it and excuses himself. He takes off after someone who he thinks might be Mi-young from behind, but once he loses her at the elevators, he shakes off the notion.

As for Mi-young, helping her friend out with a period emergency reminds her to check her own calendar. Oh, did she realize that her period’s late?

The Lee clan elders are none too pleased that Gun’s marriage plans have derailed and so have their Jangin stocks. Some of them believe it’s time to bring in Lee Yong, a name which has another member scowling that he’s a concubine’s son.

But the clan leader argues that he’s still considered blood, and then issues Grandma an ultimatum: If Gun cannot marry and produce an heir in one year’s time, Gun must basically hand over his birthright as the eldest grandson in the family.

So at home, LEE YONG (Choi Woo-shik) and his mother are met with a less-than-thrilled welcome by Gun and his grandmother. It looks like Grandma Wang could do without seeing these two longer than the two decades that they haven’t, and while Yong’s mother (and Gun’s stepmother) strikes me as the scheming type, Yong just looks crushed by his grandmother’s displeasure.

Mi-young is shell-shocked in the bathroom stall after checking off most, if not all, the symptoms of pregnancy on an app, to which I’d tell her that there are things as an actual pregnancy test. Still, I understand why she’d be unwilling to let herself believe that it could be true.

She shifts uncomfortably when Lawyer Min finds her alone and tries to strike up conversation about her and Gun. Her eyes grow wide when he asks if it was a one-night stand and offers to get in touch with Gun for her, and yunno, help his own career by scoring him a big-time client like Jangin Chemicals.

But Mi-young replies that Gun was just a stranger who helped her out, and then puts her foot down—this is one request she must refuse. Good for you.

Lawyer Min isn’t willing to take no as an answer from the Post-It Girl at the office. He knows she’s a pushover and maintains a firm grip on her. How did she, a simple and ordinary girl like herself, manage to seduce the Jangin CEO? Ugh, here’s your douche crown—you’ve earned it.

Mi-young tries to wrench herself away, but he pulls her back, asking if he can go around spreading the news about her seductress ways. But before Lawyer Min can spit out two more words, someone bends his wrist backwards: Gun, who asks, “Does it hurt?” Eeeeee!

He encourages Lawyer Min to go ahead and announce that no matter how much he came onto Mi-young, she didn’t accept his advances, so it’s driving him nuts. They’ve got quite the audience by now, and as Gun maintains his grip on Lawyer Min, he agrees to have this law firm be in charge of Jangin Chemicals’ expansion into China—on one condition: that Lawyer Min be fired. Booyah!

After leading Mi-young away to a cafe, Gun sighs over how Mi-young fell back to her meek ways after all his efforts to prettify her inside and out. He asks why she keeps touching her stomach and tries to lighten the mood by asking if she’s trying to hide a potbelly.

She takes that joke little too cheerily, and then a child’s voice cries out, “Daddy!” Is that sound coming from her uterus? But Gun has heard the sound, too, and runs over to her side to confirm that the fetus growing inside of her is his child.

He. Is. Ecstatic: “It’s mine, right? Am I going to be a father then?” And to the tune of angelic voices, Gun boldly declares that she must have this baby. Hahahaha, this has got to be her imagination, but it’s still freakin’ hilarious.

Sure enough, Gun snaps her back to reality and Mi-young collects herself to ask if he met his sweetheart Se-ra. He glosses over the subject, murmuring a yes.

Daniel retreats into a confessional stall while playing hide-and-seek with the orphans. Since the light is on, he gets mistaken for a priest when an unexpected visitor comes for her confession. It’s Mi-young, who says she doesn’t really know how this works and asks if it’s okay to confess even if she isn’t Catholic. Daniel honestly admits that he isn’t sure.

Despite his initial surprise at Mi-young’s admission that she’s almost certain that she might be pregnant, he lends an understanding ear. “Truthfully, I’m scared,” she breathes. She’s scared at the prospect of having a child, but it saddens her to think not to deliver it.

She fears for how her family and colleagues will react to the news, and when asked if the baby’s father knows, Mi-young answers no—that man has someone else he loves. The news would only be burdensome for him, and he’s hurt enough because they slept together. “It’s enough that it’s hard for me, but I don’t want to make it hard for him, too.”

At that, Daniel suggests she go buy a pregnancy test to confirm and consult with the baby’s father on how to proceed. She meekly asks if she has to, and is told that she must because the baby’s father has a duty and responsibility, too. She agrees to do so.

At Daniel’s recommendations of what kind of pregnancy test she should buy, Mi-young abashedly acknowledges that he’s quite knowledgeable in this area for a priest. He’s all, This is common sense.

Regardless, she thanks him for listening to her, and he steps out to tell her in person to wish her luck. Aw. Mi-young clutches the pregnancy test at home, poring over the instructions before running off.

Gun walks into his office to find his half-brother Yong already at home. Reminded to address Gun properly at the workplace, Yong will be working his way up the company ladder starting from the lowest rung.

Yong isn’t expecting any special treatment just because he’s family, but Gun reminds him that he’s never once thought of them as siblings. Ouch, I’d understand Gun’s harshness if Yong was a complete jerk, but the poor boy looks like he’s permanently standing on a bed of coals.

As Gun unwraps a package sent from the Soapsuds Duo, Mi-young braces herself to find out her results. One line… then two. Guess who’s got a stork visit scheduled in about nine months.

What Gun finds on the USB drive sent to him is alarming: video evidence of the morning after with Mi-young he thought was destroyed. Only Mi-young’s face is blurred out, but it’s enough for Manager Tak to gape at the realization that this lady isn’t Se-ra.

Turns out President Park confiscated the memory card before the ruckus, hence the intact evidence. At Mom’s gruffness, the Soapsuds Duo decide that it’s best that Mom doesn’t find out that her daughter might be a hussy.

Perhaps I’ve been too sympathetic to Yong, what with his unassuming air thus far, because he’s practically gleeful upon seeing the video clip once Gun is away. He hurries to e-mail it to himself before Gun doubles back, having realized the USB is in the open.

Gun takes the video straight to Mi-young’s boss, Lawyer Hong, threatening to take any and all legal action against his blackmailers. He feigns ignorance about the alleged girl in the video, and takes a peek around the office, only to be told that Mi-young is out today. “Did I ask?” Gun snaps back.

It’s sweet how Gun tries to protect Mi-young’s identity and involvement, but then gets worked up to be told that in the age of the internet, Gun will end up having more to lose. Instead of pursuing a lawsuit, Gun is advised to try and settle this out of court. Which means he’ll have to go to Yeoul Island himself.

That’s where Mi-young is headed right now, contemplating whether to inform her family of her pregnancy on the boat. Her fortune-telling daisy says she has to, and Mi-young prepares herself for a likely beating from Mom.

Like any mother, Mom immediately starts to worry at the sound and sight of her daughter’s tears, but Mi-young tells her she’s just happy to see her. And Mom might be gruff at times, but she gives her daughter a big ol’ hug and feeds her a boatload of food. Aww.

As Mi-young eats, her two unnis remark on baby sister’s voracious appetite, which she claims is because Mom’s cooking is so good. Her eldest unni, MI-SOOK, asks if little sis met any cute guys in Macau whereas she’s stuck on this tiny island.

Mom snaps that Mi-sook spent a year living in Seoul married (hm, is she divorced now then?) and middle sister MI-JA (who’s also married to Mr. Choi, and also pregnant) rolls her eyes.

Apparently Gun spends his downtime in the boxing ring (and Manager Tak freeeaakks out when his boss gets a nosebleed, ha) and screens Se-ra’s calls. In her voicemail, Se-ra asks if he’s still mad and if he’s doing well. She knows that he is, but asks him not to be sad on his own because she can wait too, like he did. “But can’t I hear your voice just once? I’m sorry.”

Mi-young opts to sleep next to her overworked (and snoring) mother that night. She apologizes for being a pitiful daughter and causing trouble, and asks Mom not to be too shocked by her news.

She finds her middle sister Mi-ja still awake, and she asks how unni knew that she was pregnant. A pregnancy test, maybe? Mi-young lights up to hear that those tests aren’t always accurate, and Mi-ja gives her sister a few tips… but why is she asking? Mi-young replies with the classic “It’s for my friend” excuse.

On the boat, Manager Tak enjoys the refreshing sea air whereas Gun is annoyed by the salt water. At Manager Tak’s recommendation that dropping a compliment about the island’s specialty (lettuce wrap with anchovies) will help the negotiation process, Gun barks back that he’ll do nothing of the sort. He declares that he’s here to take revenge… and then doubles over, seasick. Ha.

Following her sister’s advice, Mi-young takes another pregnancy test first thing in the morning. She’s a nervous wreck when it comes out positive, and tries to pretend nothing’s going on when Mom bursts into the bathroom. But Mom’s pretty sharp, and she wrenches the test away before Mi-young can explain.

Eldest unni Mi-sook saunters in moments later, takes one look, and says: “Huh, two lines. Means someone’s pregnant.” Mi-ja storms in at the noise, and immediately deduces that Mi-young’s the one who’s pregnant. Busted.

Mom demands to know the man who knocked her daughter up, even if she has to beat the answer out of her. So Mi-young lies, claiming that he’s dead, and tries to look to Mi-ja for help. But Mi-young’s outnumbered 3:1, and Mi-ja says it was that scoundrel she went to Macau with.

Mi-young swears it isn’t him, but a stranger. Oh honey, now you’re just digging your own grave. Aw, but at least you won’t give up Gun’s identity either. Her unnis can’t believe baby sis would sleep with a stranger, while Mom demands that that “one-night stand” dude be brought to her.

Finally Mi-young honestly says she accidentally went into the wrong room, but that just makes her sound dim out of context. She adds that he loves someone else, but Mi-ja says little sis holds the upper hand as the woman carrying his child.

Overwrought by her family’s wretched fate, Mom cries that they should just end their lives here, and that’s when Mr. Choi intervenes and claims to know the baby’s father.

Cut to: Gun informing the laid off soap factory protesters that after considerable thought, he realized that he could-maybe was probably doing things a weeeeee bit selfishly, and not at all because he’s scared after being threatened or punish those who did.

He’s here to open discussion (and at Manager Tak’s cue) says he loves lettuce wraps with anchovies. Nice touch.

Gun is led by the other islanders to their island’s best restaurant (Mom’s, I presume) where they call the owner “Mother.” Gun gains a few points by saying that with some vigor, and I’m already laughing because he has no idea what’s coming.

Gun & Co. arrive at the seaside restaurant just as Mom drags her daughter outside. Even with her face turned away, Mi-young can recognize Gun’s trademark guffaw, but finds herself whirled around and face-to-face with Gun.

He asks what she’s doing here, and Mr. Choi says Gun is the man Mom’s looking for. Mom immediately brandishes her paddle against him, and Mi-young jumps in between them. Gun has no idea why he’s getting a beating, but Mom just attacks him again.

Thinking that Mom’s upset about him sleeping with Mi-young, Gun says he knows and asks to talk about it. But that answer makes it worse, as Mom cries, “You knew?! And you’re acting like this?!”

Gun cries that it was a mistake, and Mi-young chimes in agreement before turning to her mother to say that man is innocent. Mom starts rattling off his crimes, but Mi-young stops her just in time before she drops the pregnancy bomb, arguing to his defense.

But Mom won’t hear a word of it, and Mi-young barely covers her mother’s mouth in time, saying that she’ll tell Gun the news herself. Even though they have an audience, Gun encourages her to say it, claiming to be prepared for anything she’ll say. You might wanna sit down for this.

She starts, “I… I…” And at Gun’s impatience, she finishes, “… am pregnant with your child.” Gun asks around for clarification (“It’s mine, right?”), and then faints when the truth finally hits.

As is her habit, Mi-young starts apologizing, much to her mother’s annoyance. Dazed, Gun mimics the cartoony rice cake pounding gestures with his hands. HA.

Mom slaps Mr. Choi aside, arguing that they can figure out negotiations later because Mi-young’s issues are far more pressing. It’s pretty funny how Gun is so thrown off by the news that he suddenly can’t talk straight, and then cries in agreement with Mom that they’ve got a lot to talk about.

Daniel is updated on the search for his younger sister and plans to meet with the unknown woman (who has a high possibility of a match) in person tomorrow. Right now, he’s on his way to see Grandma Wang, who lights up when he presents her with a ceramic piece from her favorite artist.

It’s clear that Grandma Wang simply adores Daniel, but Yong wonders who the mysterious handsome man is. Yong’s mother is one step ahead of him—HA, his full name is Daniel Pitt? Like Brad Pitt? So. Awesome.

She rattles off the inside scoop: known as the next Philippe Starck, he’s an industrial designer who refrains from outside events and can revive any company. Oh, and he’s good friends with Grandma Wang, but we already knew that. She hands her son the copy of the video clip, telling him to keep it close.

Mom continues to grill Gun at home, and he says he’s never denied anything in his life; he just didn’t know about the pregnancy. She orders him to call up his family and tell them right now. Gun reaches for his phone, reluctant, and Manager Tak offers to deliver the news.

Mi-young apologizes for getting them into this mess, but Gun leans in and points out that that changes nothing right now. His voice sounds a little detached as he admits that he’s partly responsible too, and promises to take care of it.

Just as Gun starts to call, we cut away to Grandma’s jaw-dropped expression at seeing the incriminating video clip of Gun with her own eyes. Yong does the honors to identify the details of the mystery woman, and it almost looks like there’s a hint of recognition on Daniel’s face.

Grandma Wang screams at them to shut if off, and is barely calm enough to pick up Gun’s call. Mom rips the phone out of his hands to tell Grandma Wang everything herself—that her grandson impregnated her daughter.

“Pregnant?!” Grandma Wang cries. She asks for clarification—is she SURE that her daughter is pregnant with her grandson’s child? Grandma’s excited reaction isn’t exactly what Mom was banking on, and since the last boat of the day is gone, Grandma Wang can come to the island tomorrow.

Mom will be keeping her grandson hostage until then, and Grandma Wang agrees to be there first thing in the morning. Grandma Wang couldn’t be any more elated than she already is at the news that a baby’s coming.

That evening, Mom guides Gun and Mi-young to sleep in a smelly, cob-webbed storeroom tonight. Gun refuses, citing at how he’s technically a guest, but Mom says he’s stolen enough as it is, then shoves the blankets in his face and locks them both inside.

 
COMMENTS

Muhahahaha. Another delightfully adorable hour for a show that’s already captivated my heart. In fact, I’m surprised by how much I’m enjoying this series (and so early in its run, at that) because it feels like it’s been a long while since I’ve looked forward to watching the next episode as much as I do with Fated.

I’d previously written about my worries that our heroine in Mi-young was too naive, and that I trusted Jang Nara would make her wholesome and winning anyway. And indeed she did and continues to do, because my heart already breaks for her. I didn’t expect Mi-young to break her habit of being complaint towards other people after one whirlwind makeover (thanks to one very charming and chivalrous stranger, of course), but I was so proud to see her refuse someone for the first time in this show. I wasn’t surprised that it would backfire on her since those who hold power in any kind of relationship like Lawyer Min did aren’t exactly keen on giving that up easily, but the fact that Mi-young actually said no seems like a new and good beginning for her.

Her kindness is her virtue and vice—she sees the best in people, and yet she doesn’t see how trying to appease everyone causes frustration around her, especially among the people who truly care for her. Or maybe she does, but doesn’t know how to overcome her self-blame. Between her family, friends, and now even Gun at times, there are plenty of people rooting for her to stand up for herself and realize her inner confidence in her life, something I couldn’t be more grateful for. So I’m okay with where Mi-young is at right now, because we have plenty of episodes ahead of us to hopefully take her on a self-discovery character arc.

As much I love the zany humorous moments in Fated, I also love that the show carries heart in its characters as well. Gun and Mi-young’s building relationship is both fascinating and fun to watch, as two people who shared mutual heartache overseas become strangers again, and are now faced with a very new and unexpected pregnancy. The way they tried to protect the other person’s identity and involvement about their night together spoke volumes of not only themselves, but also how their brief camaraderie affected them. And now that the Jeonju Lee family line has avoided danger for now—and Grandma Wang has to hustle on that marriage and a baby deal—it sounds like we’ll be hearing wedding bells soon. If Grandma Wang gets her way, that is.

 
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