Fated To Love You: Episode 4

by HeadsNo2

Our unintentional couple faces a life-changing decision that takes them (and us) for one hell of a ride in a densely packed hour filled with so much heart it’s bursting at the seams. But never fear—even with all the heavy issues at play, we haven’t yet tripped and stumbled into a melodrama. One of Fated To Love You’s more endearing qualities is that it knows how to pack an emotional punch without skimping on the laughs.

Numbers-wise, balance is being restored to the ratings system now that Fated is continuing its steady upward trend, going from 6.6% for its premiere to 9.0% this episode. Since double digits are the new 20%, it’s almost there. Fighting!

SONG OF THE DAY

Baek Ah-yeon – “캐논의 아침 (Morning of Canon)” from the OST [ Download ]

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EPISODE 4 RECAP

Mi-young apologizes as Gun panics about being locked in the storeroom, and tries to look on the bright side—at least Mom gave them blankets. That’s something, right?

Wrong. Gun all but loses it when Mi-young says they have no choice but to sleep here, since nothing they say will get Mom to open the door. He tries every conceivable exit before trying a high-placed window, and when Mi-young innocently asks if he really thinks he can get out that way, Gun’s all, Should I dig a tunnel with a spoon?! Ahaha.

After freaking out when he trips, Gun manages to calm down only when Mi-young sits quietly next to him. He finally asks why she didn’t tell him about the baby—it’s not like she didn’t have the chance.

Mi-young just hangs her head as she offers her trademark apology: “I’m sorry. Once I actually found out… I couldn’t say it.” Their deep moment is interrupted by the sound of Gun’s stomach growling, so Mi-young helpfully offers him the only thing to eat in the storeroom—dried seaweed root weirdly shaped like a human ear.

Gun is grossed out by the look of it, and softens not only when Mi-young gives him the Snickers tagline (you’re not you when you’re hungry), but also because his stomach growls loudly again. So he decides to just be polite by taking the seaweed chip, only to be surprised when it’s not terrible.

Mi-young seems pleased as she notes that he’s not a picky eater like she’d expect most chaebols to be, but Gun just grumbles like a kid trying to protect his pride. At least he seems more amenable to the next mystery snack she gives him…

…Before throwing it out like a hot coal when he sees that it’s a dried fish eye. Hah. He can only stare agape as Mi-young chomps into the fish like she’s not in a Travel Channel special about weird food.

Meanwhile, Manager Tak gets nowhere with Mom as far as convincing her to give Gun some food or to let him stay in the storeroom with them. Mom grows suspicious that Manager Tak might like Mi-young, only for him to let it slip that he’d prefer Mi-sook, Mi-young’s oldest sister. Oh ho.

But Mom is surprisingly pragmatic as she sticks to her guns about making the two stay in the storeroom—after being forced together, they’ll be able to choose whether to stay together or part ways. Plus, Mom seems hopeful that Gun definitely doesn’t dislike Mi-young.

Back in the storeroom, Gun entertains himself by going through some of Mi-young’s old things. She only jumps up when he happens upon a ceramic jar she had labeled as a Wish Box.

Inside are pieces of folded paper from her childhood that couldn’t make her meek personality any plainer—her wishes were mostly requests for basic human courtesy.

Even Gun recognizes how pitiful her wishes are, but promises to read only one more: Mi-young’s wish that her dad went to heaven, complete with a heartbreaking drawing of her father with a halo over his head.

Gun’s voice softens as he asks when he father passed, and they share another bonding moment when he realizes that both of them lost their fathers at a young age—except in Gun’s case, he lost both his parents at once in a car accident.

Mi-young then carefully broaches the topic of going to the hospital to terminate her pregnancy tomorrow, because she’s thought carefully about it and knows that Gun has someone he wants to marry. Even if she were to raise the child alone, she worries that it would always weigh on Gun.

Her voice starts to crack as she acknowledges, “This baby will become a burden to you and your wife… I don’t want this baby to live a life without blessings.” This is heartbreaking. Poor Mi-young.

It’s even sadder when Gun’s face falls as he listens carefully to everything she says. “I’m sorry. Mi-young… I’m sorry.” At least he seems just as upset as she is, but also just as resigned. Even if he can’t take responsibility, he’s still going to the hospital with her: “I’m not going to let you go by yourself.”

Despite the circumstances, he treats her like she’s the most precious thing in the world as he lays out the blankets to make a bed and gives her his coat as a blanket. As he lies next to her, she comments on how interesting it is that they’ve only met four times, and have slept together for two of them. Aw.

As Mi-young and Gun flash back over their meetings, Mi-young says in voiceover, “The connection between people is really hard to understand.” Gun: “If we’d met under better circumstances… I guess we would’ve call it fate.” You guys are KILLING me.

Before Gun goes to sleep, he mouths “I’m sorry.”

He wakes up in the morning alone, finding out via a note Mi-young left that she’s gone alone to the hospital, despite him telling her over and over again that he would go with her.

Gun flies over to Mom’s restaurant to desperately ask where the hospital is, while also informing them about what’s going on. Mom is furious, and quickly rallies the family in the hopes that they’ll be able to stop Mi-young in time.

There’s just one problem: A boat is needed to get to the hospital, and Mi-young took it. Just when Gun and Mi-young’s family start to panic on the barren dock, President Park arrives with a boat to save the day.

Mi-young hesitates at the obstetrics and gynecology clinic entrance before letting out a deep sigh. “I made the right decision,” she tells herself as she crosses the threshold, only to see a collection of supportive couples inside who are more than ready to welcome their family’s new arrivals. Aww.

As fate would have it, Daniel is also at the clinic to meet his maybe-sister. He recognizes Mi-young, but Mi-young is too preoccupied to notice as she whispers to the receptionist that she’s here for “a surgery.”

Daniel interrupts good-naturedly to ask Mi-young if she remembers him. She does, except she calls him “Father” since she still thinks he’s a priest. Whoops.

After arriving on shore, Gun coordinates the family (plus the Soapsuds Duo) to break up into three groups so that they can search the three obstetrics hospitals available. Whoever finds Mi-young first has to immediately call and alert the others.

Mi-young confesses everything to “Father” Daniel, who obliges in lending her his ear. It’s cute that for once it’s Mi-young telling someone else to have confidence, since Daniel confides that he’s there to meet someone important and tried to look his best despite his nervousness.

Daniel’s only advice is for Mi-young to give her decision more thought, since an abortion is something she can’t undo even if she regrets it later. However, he’s taken aback when Mi-young sincerely asks him to pray with her, and seems right on the cusp of telling her that he’s not a priest…

But then he feels so bad at how hopeful she looks and decides not to. It’s funny how awkward he looks trying to act priestly, especially since he doesn’t even know the sign of the cross. Hahaha.

As Gun runs through the streets desperately calling her name, Mi-young’s prayer is heard: “Please have mercy on this baby who met a bad mother, and please let it go to a wonderful place. I’m so sorry… that I can’t protect this baby,” she says through her tears. “I’m sorry. Amen.”

Despite the pain she’s going through, Mi-young still tells Daniel not to be so nervous and to cheer up. “Be strong!” Aww.

Gun runs into the right clinic half out of his mind with worry. Manager Tak finally asks him why he wants to find Mi-young so badly—does he want the baby after all?

He doesn’t have a clear answer to that, only that he doesn’t think she should be alone. His already guilt-stricken expression is only made worse when he sees an ex-couple leaving the clinic, with the girl (who’s presumably had an abortion at her boyfriend’s request) crying as she calls her boyfriend a jerk.

When the secretary tells him that Mi-young is in consultation, Gun books it toward the exam rooms. We find Mi-young inside receiving a sonogram, and even though the fetus shows up tiny in the monitor, the doctor claims it’s large enough to recognize its parents’ voices.

Gun bursts into the room, and when the doctor asks who he is, there’s a long moment of hesitation before Gun finally admits to being the baby’s father. Even he seems surprised by his own admission.

But he’s soon distracted by an odd noise: It’s the sound of the baby’s heart beating through the sonogram.

The doctor goes over the details of the procedure with them, and asks each parent to agree—both verbally and on paper—to the abortion. I admit my heart sank when Gun, after a long moment of searching Mi-young’s impassive face, agrees.

Gun can only follow her as far as the operating room threshold, where the sound of cold metal objects clanging together and a scary gynecology exam table wait for Mi-young. He can’t seem to take his eyes off her, clearly torn but unable to voice it.

In the waiting room, Gun stares at the sonogram photo of the fetus, which is little more than a dot. He thinks back to Mi-young’s speech from the night before… and then gets up. Is he going to stop her? Go go go!!

He runs as if his life depends on it, and any attempt to be cool during his slo-mo navigation through the hospital’s obstacle course is thwarted when every elaborate move ends with him hurting himself.

He makes it to the room just seconds before the procedure is set to begin, hollering for them to stop NOW. The doctor is happy when Gun helps to carry Mi-young out of the room, figuring that Gun had a change of heart after he heard the baby’s heartbeat.

Once they’re outside the hospital, Mi-young asks what he was thinking, only for Gun to reply that he’s not sure himself. “But I don’t think this is right,” he adds.

Of course, when Mom and the rest of the family find them outside, they think the procedure’s already happened and fly into fits. Gun doesn’t get a chance to explain himself while taking Mom’s abuse, which is nothing compared to when Grandma finally shows up.

“You murderer!” Grandma cries as she joins in hitting her grandson. Finally, Gun quiets them by yelling that the baby’s fine. Cue collective sigh of relief.

In front of everyone, Gun turns to Mi-young to ask her something—only he can’t seem to find the words. “With me…” he stutters. “With me…” The family waits expectantly before he breathes: “We will have the baby.”

However, Mom is not happy to hear that while Gun wants to have the baby, he doesn’t want to marry Mi-young. She’s outraged that he thinks of Mi-young as just a surrogate mother, even though Gun promises that he’ll ensure a new start for Mi-young after the baby is born.

Again, NOT what Mom wants to hear. That’s when Grandma intervenes to say that in her eyes, Mom is now her in-law, Mi-young is her granddaughter-in-law, and the baby is her great-grandchild. “I will definitely get them married,” Grandma promises.

At least Mom finally thinks to ask Mi-young what she thinks, only to be floored when Mi-young says she wasn’t considering marriage. “We conceived this baby out of a mistake, not out of love. Marriage should be done out of love.”

Gun readily agrees, which is Mom’s last straw—she wants him gone. But as grandma tries to smooth things over, Mr. Choi and a group of the now-jobless soap factory workers arrive to ask Mi-young to save them: If she marries Gun, then he’ll have to cut their factory some slack.

President Park is the only one who realizes how ludicrous their request is as he tries to defend Mi-young from their incessant guilty pleading. Luckily, Mom finally makes a stand: “As you can see, my daughter isn’t pretty, nor does she have a great body! Was she smart? No! She did poorly in school as well!” Um…

Mom continues to list her daughter’s many shortcomings, but her point really does come from the heart as she asks the throng how they can dare pressure someone who can’t ever ignore someone’s feelings or deny anyone a request.

Gun’s brows furrow in sympathy as Mom’s voice cracks with emotion, before he takes some time to himself to think.

Meanwhile, Mi-young tries to argue the case against marriage to her family. Her pregnant unni Mi-ja points out all the reasons why choosing to have the baby alone would be bad for Mi-young, but Mi-young still doesn’t think marriage would be right.

Gun is going through too much already, she tells her family. “I don’t think it’s right to force him like this.” They go back and forth some more until Gun steals Mi-young for a talk.

“Do you have no intention of marrying me at all?” Gun asks her. She sighs as she admits that he’s a great person and that she has no doubt he’d be a great father—but he loves someone else. “I don’t want to go through with this marriage knowing it will make someone unhappy.”

Gun doesn’t deny that, but reasons that even though it was a mistake, that doesn’t change the fact that she’s carrying their child. He knows he’s been the bad guy between them, but he wants to be a good father to the baby.

He also admits that even though he only has Se-ra in his heart, he doesn’t know if, when, or how much his heart can open up to Mi-young. “But I will promise you this: At least to our baby, I want to be a great father. If you can accept that… then let’s get married.”

Mi-young: “I… also want to be a great mother to this baby.” Gun nods silently—the decision has been made.

The islanders are in a flurry as they prepare for the wedding, which adorably is taking place in a schoolyard. Mom and Grandma find Mi-young waiting in one of the classrooms decked out in a pretty wedding dress, and collectively shush her when she worries that this is all happening so fast.

Gun, also dressed in his wedding best, stares at the engagement ring he’d originally bought for Se-ra before finally giving her a call for the first time since she left for America.

He’s called to tell her the truth, but loses some steam when Se-ra immediately starts crying about how hard it was for her to wait for his call. As she keeps apologizing, you can literally see how Gun’s resolve instinctively disappears as he reverts back to being a fool in love.

His face lights up as he smiles and chats with her, eventually cheering her on for her upcoming performance. If he had plans to tell her he’s getting MARRIED, he loses the chance when she has to hang up.

Still, Gun keeps his promise and walks to the wedding altar. When it’s time for Mi-young to walk down the aisle, he looks even more troubled than before. Oh no.

When it’s time to give their vows, Mi-young does so with an earnest smile. Gun seems much more hesitant to make the promise of everlasting love, so when Grandma calls him out on being too quiet, he roars out: “YEEEEEEEEEES!!”

And awww, Mom gives Mi-young her father’s wedding ring to give to Gun. Gah, this music and all of this happening at once is making me reach for the tissue box. This is the third time already, Fated! Stop making me cry!

Once Gun puts the ring he’d bought for Se-ra on Mi-young’s finger, they officially become husband and wife, to have and to hold, till death do they part.

…Oooor at least until Gun has to head back to the mainland to deal with company matters on their wedding night . Mi-young will stay with Mom for a few more days before heading over herself, and Mom makes sure to pull Gun aside and threaten him with death if he wrongs Mi-young in any way.

President Park and Mr. Choi stop Gun before he goes to give him their secret to virility (considering how only one Jeonju Lee son is born every generation)—but why does Gun look so confused when Mr. Choi claims that it was because of that concoction that he and Mi-young are married today? He knew that already… right?

Manager Tak bids a sad farewell to Mi-sook, with whom he’s developed a romance, before he and Gun leave on the boat. Mi-young waves goodbye with a smile.

Daniel meets with the woman he hoped would be his sister (also coincidentally named Kim Mi-young), only for both of them to realize that they’re not each other’s long-lost relatives.

He’s disappointed, but he also can’t help but think of Mi-young’s earnest prayer outside the clinic.

At home, Gun and Manager Tak get wasted. Gun notes wryly that everyone is happy now, but pointedly leaves himself off the list. Thinking about it just makes him laugh.

But when Manager Tak asks Gun what attracted him to Mi-young, Gun reacts with a light slap and a smile that seems to teeter on the edge of a nervous breakdown. “What do you mean, attracted?” Gun asks, offended. “Attracted? It was a mistake!”

Manager Tak finally opens the Soapsuds Duo’s gift, surprised to find that it’s a sexual stimulant. Gun’s face falls as he puts the pieces together and realizes, just now, that they drugged him that night.

Oh no. Now he thinks he’s been fooled intentionally, and that Mi-young really was in on it the whole time to gain leniency for the factory workers. “I can’t forgive her!” Gun yells. “I can’t ever forgive her!”

Manager Tak is the one to pick Mi-young up from the airport when she arrives in Seoul, and she hides her disappointment that Gun isn’t there. Manager Tak uses the excuse that Gun is just reeally busy.

The reality is that Gun has gone completely off his rocker, since we find him looking like death warmed over as he sees a doctor for help. “I thought it was my responsibility…” Gun murmurs. “I thought it was because of my mistake that I should take responsibility. But now… I feel like I’ve been cheated.”

He starts sounding more and more distressed as he gives voice to his inner monologue like a true lunatic, muttering nonsense about how Mi-young was on their team and helped to trick him.

As he explains how he hasn’t been able to sleep, we cut to the scenario he’s describing, where he’ll jolt awake and fight off his ring-bearing hand like he’s in a horror movie as one prevailing thought runs through his mind: “I. Got. MARRIED!” Hahaha. It’s not funny, except it is a little.

Gun then goes into a manic sort of detail when referring to Mi-young as a “snail”, which are somehow terrifying to him. As he describes how scarily they creep up on people while carrying their houses on their backs, we cut to Mi-young as she’s brought to the Lee Manor.

And slowly, snails start appearing in every frame as Gun insists that there’s no escaping their dreaded and fearsome presence. They’ll just inch closer… and closer… and closer…

HAHAHA. Okay, I might have snorted laughing when the snail popped up on his shoulder. Perfect comedic timing, as always, especially since Gun goes into his equally irrational fear of turtles. But they’re not as bad as snails—those are the real monsters.

However, the humor quickly fades as Gun falls back on his trademark hearty laugh—only this time, his guffaws are accompanied by tears.

 
COMMENTS

Okay, so, clearly Gun has some serious issues he needs to work out. I’m guessing that he threw turtles into the mix because both snails and turtles carry their house with them—and in his mind, that’s exactly what Mi-young is doing. Maybe what makes turtles only slightly less offensive to him is that they don’t possess the awesome power of suction, which again, is now his prevailing concern when it comes to his new wife. (Then again, why am I parsing out the misguided musings of a crazed insomniac?)

I was a little surprised at first when Gun didn’t know that he’d been drugged on That Fateful Night, even though it makes sense when looking back at the Macau trip as a whole—no one ever questioned how the lack of judgment came about. Likewise, I can only guess that the effects of the drug made them conveniently forget that they were both stumbling like drunkards back to their rooms. Whatever the case, the official story is that Gun had no idea before, but he sure has the wrong one now.

Up until this major misunderstanding, Gun was really winning in the character department. His emotional range was so unbelievably complex this episode, and we got to be there for every minute and every major decision. Both he and Mi-young went through an incredible journey in such a short span of time, and I loved seeing how their interactions would change based on each new bit of information they learned about one another.

The moment they shared in the storeroom after they’d both decided that abortion was the best option was especially bittersweet, and the best sort of catalyst for everything that followed. For being so meek, Mi-young came to some very grown-up decisions on her own and would’ve followed through with them had Gun not intervened. Watching his transformation as it happened, even before he knew what he was doing himself, helped make all of the decisions surrounding the baby feel so much more immediate and real.

It’s the side of Gun that promised to be a good father that keeps the faith alive, and hopefully that goodwill and general human decency we know he has will carry us through the storm sure to ensue. I want them to get past it not only for their sakes, but because the show raised so many thought-provoking issues with Gun and Mi-young’s true feelings going into the wedding that I’m just itching to see that minefield explored further.

Still, how gratifying was it that they came to a decision regarding the marriage on their own? Considering Grandma’s pressure on Gun’s side and the islanders’ pressure on Mi-young’s side, the idea that none of that factored into their choice means they went with their hearts, which goes so far in making them less like characters and more like people. Gun didn’t agree to help raise the baby to preserve his precious family line—he did it because it’s their baby, and they’re in this together. I just hope he remembers that before it’s too late.

 
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• Fated To Love You: Episode 2
• Fated To Love You: Episode 1
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• Fated To Love You’s romantic picnic teaser
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