Fated To Love You: Episode 17

by gummimochi

As the line between what Gun says and what he actually means becomes more blurred in this hour, it’s no wonder that Mi-young and anyone else in this dramaverse has trouble understanding why he’s keeping the one most precious to him at arm’s length. It’s an hour that calls for more patience and waiting, but just when it feels like this show will continue to move at a snail’s pace until the finish line, there’s a light at the end of this tunnel that suggests the payoff might come sooner than later.

Joseon Gunman led the ratings pack at 10.8%, followed by Fated To Love You at 9.9%, and It’s Okay, It’s Love rounding out the line-up 9.1%.

SONG OF THE DAY

SPICA – “Painkiller” [ Download ]

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EPISODE 17 RECAP

At the revelation that Gun was the face behind Lee Young-ja, Mi-young asks how he could think of pulling such a mean prank on her. Does he know what it took for her to forget him after all these years?

A long, silent moment passes before Gun gives his answer, minimizing his intentions as mere curiosity about his now-successful ex-wife, and as interest in buying a painting he liked. It was Mi-young who made things complicated when she contacted him about it.

Although astounded by his audacity to blame her for this situation, Mi-young swallows back her tears as best she can to ask if he meant the comforting and supportive words he told her. Gun apologizes, laughing — that was all fake.

“Do you know who Young-ja was to me?” Mi-young returns, looking thoroughly hurt. “I thought, ‘I met someone who completely understands me,’ ‘I met someone who understands my paintings.’ How consoling that was… how thankful I was.”

But Gun says the only thing he has to apologize for is his fake identity. His laughter that follows spurs her to remark how he’s become the worst in these past three years, which he affirms in a whisper. “You’re quite pathetic, Kim Mi-young,” he continues with a heavy sigh. “How could you not have changed at all in the past three years? You’re deceived by others easily and trust them so well, like a fool. When will you correct that habit?”

Gah, those words sound so hurtful at face value, and yet the cadence in Gun’s voice also holds some genuine wonder of how Mi-young hasn’t changed in his eyes. Still, he points to that painting of his silhouette in heart-shaped lollipop as evidence of her lingering feelings for him.

He’ll give back the Keddongie painting before he goes, though: “I don’t know how precious or how much this painting means to you, but to me… it’s just one painting.”

And that’s the last straw for Mi-young, who snatches back her painting. She orders him to get out (in banmal, at that), and he obeys without another word. Her knees buckle under her after he leaves. She clutches the Keddongie painting tightly, then takes down the painting of Gun and turns it away.

Gun reflects upon Mi-young’s words on the staircase outside her studio, but little does he know that Daniel, who has come by to check in on Mi-young, sees him sitting there and leaving.

It rather seems like Gun isn’t paying attention during his company meeting, given how his eyes are closed during the PPL presentation. But it’s apparent that Gun hasn’t missed a word when he’s prompted for his opinion, and he approves of working with an online beauty site in China.

Daniel arrives at Mi-young’s studio the next day, surprised at seeing her packing up her things. She apologizes for not keeping her promise to stay in Korea until her art exhibition is over because she wants to return to France. She reveals that the buyer of that “le soupir” painting turned out to be none other than Gun.

Gun is well into his fourth bottle of sake at dinner with Se-ra, where he informs her how her mother recently came to see him. She apologizes for that, and he asks with a sigh, “It’s hard for you, isn’t it? Being friends with me?”

Se-ra denies it, but Gun gently says they should stop being friends, too. She should move on and be happy, words that clearly scare her. After downing another shot, Gun says drunkenly, “No matter how hard you try, no matter how much you kick and struggle, you can’t force something that just wasn’t meant to be.”

Mi-young’s line of handbags and other merchandise is a rousing success, though she’s sorry to be leaving so soon. She’s invited to attend a celebratory event at Gun’s company for their recent collaboration, which she agrees to consider.

Mi-young sits down with Ji-yeon when she pays a visit to the studio. It’s cute how happy Ji-yeon is about her friend’s success, and encourages Mi-young to become one of her match-making clients soon. She asks if it’s weird if she were to pair Mi-young up with Gun, because Grandma Wang keeps asking for girls who look just like her.

That’s news to Mi-young, since she believes Gun is with Se-ra. But her friend crosses out that notion—Gun’s been single for the past three years. She asks if Ji-yeon is certain that Gun is unattached.

Daniel finds Se-ra lingering outside of his apartment, and the two sit outside to share a beer together. She explains that she was dumped by Gun today, and now they’re not even friends anymore. Daniel considers the idea of cleanly cutting ties with one another as a good thing, and Se-ra sighs at how “they” are amazing.

She admits that she told lies in order to break Gun and Mi-young apart, but Gun’s feelings for Mi-young persisted, even though she was the one who was by his side and knew about his illness.

Daniel asks what she means by an illness—what happened to Gun three years ago? How does that affect why Gun and Mi-young broke up? So Se-ra tells him of Gun’s noble idiocy act, of how he pushed Mi-young away so that she wouldn’t have to suffer because of his illness. Would Mi-young still stay with Daniel if she learns of this?

Gun looks over his will at home, the contents of which outlines the financial support to Mi-young and her family. Everything recorded there would, of course, remain a secret from Mi-young herself. He checks in with Keddongie, asking if he’s doing well with his mother.

Mi-young discovers a note from Gun/Young-ja tucked into a corner of the Keddongie painting. In it, Gun writes of how happy he was to think of the brightest and most precious time in his life thanks to this painting, and how he won’t forget her despite returning this work to her.

Comparing the chat log with Gun/Young-ja filled with words of encouragement and sympathy to the words Gun spoke to her in person, Mi-young wonders aloud: “How could all this be fake?”

Mi-young and Daniel take a break after a friendly race in the park, where she thanks him for the new sneakers. He says he regrets buying them for her, citing the superstition that giving shoes as a present means that one’s lover will leave them. They laugh over it, though Daniel looks concerned.

Gun intently listens to the audio recording of his will, his own voice dictating how he’d like Manager Tak to run Jangin Chemicals (and promote Yong) should he ever lose his memory in the future. His voice emphasizes that Mi-young should never, ever learn of his condition even if something tragic were to befall upon him.

He has another condition to add to his already extensive list of demands, asking if there’s a way to make sure Mi-young acquires the studio he bought for her in France. Lawyer Hong advises that Gun speak with Mi-young instead of preparing this will, to which Gun replies, “I don’t have that right.”

Mi-young is someone who will feel guilty rather than moved by the contents of this will, Lawyer Hong argues. “I think this isn’t for Kim Mi-young’s benefit.” And as if on cue, Gun is told that Mi-young is here to see him.

He asks what business she has to see him now, since their business relations are over. He laughs when she returns the money he paid for the Keddongie painting, saying that he has nothing but money to burn, but Mi-young says she added compensation since she’s also partly responsible. He throws the envelope of money aside.

She presents him with the folded note from him (as Young-ja) next, and asks if this note also holds no meaning to him because he wrote it as part of his act. He affirms it, not meeting her eyes.

He keeps his eyes averted as she tells him that she’s leaving for Paris tomorrow. It’s as if Mi-young is looking for more than the detached answers that he’s giving her, and then asks if what he said as Young-ja about being happy living under the same sky was disingenuous too.

Gun wonders why she’s asking so many pointless questions today, and Mi-young truthfully answers that she’s realized there were so many discrepancies after learning that Gun was Young-ja.

He claims to be too busy for this kind of senseless talk, so Mi-young rises from her seat. However, she hangs back to remark how strange it is that Gun looks so nervous to be around her even after his fake identity was blown wide open.

Lawyer Hong waits for Mi-young down in the lobby, having expected that her conversation with Gun would be short. The two continue their chat elsewhere, and Lawyer Hong is sad that she’ll be leaving earlier than originally planned. She’s grateful that her agency will be amending the conditions of her contract for her, and is thankful to her former boss for his help.

Lawyer Hong is happy to help, then carefully broaches the topic about Gun—does she have any intention to get back together with him? He wonders why they broke up when they seemed so good together, and Mi-young confesses that she doesn’t know the exact reason either.

Back then, things were so difficult that she didn’t think about why, though she’s growing more curious lately. Lawyer Hong reaches for something in his pocket before he thinks better of it, though he casts a look at Mi-young’s back. Oh boy, are you thinking of giving her that voice recorder?

Over at the hospital, Yong is happy to hear that his health is in tip-top shape. Still, Doctor Moon advises him to be careful since Yong is also susceptible to the Lee family’s genetic illness and could experience a flare-up like Gun. It takes about two seconds before Yong processes what he’s been told, and he looks thoroughly alarmed by the information.

It seems like Yong spoke to his mother because Mama Yong takes that news straight to the Lee head elder. Despite being aware of the family’s genetic illness, she never imagined that Gun would get it. The head elder agrees that they must keep this a secret from Grandma Wang, though that smirk isn’t very reassuring.

Bless her heart—Mi-young meets with Se-ra, who finally comes clean about how she fabricated that divorce agreement she gave Mi-young three years ago because she thought that doing so would bring Gun back to her.

Se-ra isn’t looking to be forgiven, but simply wanted to relieve the burden off of her chest. She brings up Gun’s name before catching herself, saying that this is as much as she can say. Man, even your semi-apology/explanation is awfully bitchy.

Mi-young attends the promotional event for the women’s brand as promised, where she meets a very familiar face. It turns out to be yet another identical sibling to the prenatal teacher and baby store owner, who proudly introduces herself as the eldest unni.

A little later, Mi-young sits down for an interview about the “There lives a little girl in every woman’s heart” commercial. When asked about how she came up with the tagline, Mi-young searches for an answer and her eyes fall upon Gun, who happened to overhear the interview in the vicinity.

Her eyes fixed on Gun, Mi-young discloses that the tagline was inspired by a trustworthy unni she liked. She’s grateful to the unni who constantly encouraged her and gave her strength whenever she was going through a slump, but no, they don’t talk often, and truthfully their contact stopped not too long ago.

“But I’d like to tell that person that I’m thankful. I don’t know what it was like for her, but everything on my end was sincere,” Mi-young finishes.

Mom is half-upset that her daughter is leaving so soon, though she’s understanding to the idea that Mi-young feels more comfortable overseas. It’s about to get a lot less comfortable when Gun walks into the restaurant unannounced, perhaps seeking some comfort food tonight.

Needless to say, both Mi-young and Gun are surprised to see each other, and Mom whispers at him to get out in order to make things less awkward. Her attempt doesn’t go unnoticed and Gun pretends to receive a pressing work call, until Mi-young tells Mom to feed him. Hilariously, Gun barks into his (silent) phone that a man’s got to eat first.

After a most uncomfortable dinner, Gun rises first to leave. He tells Mom to relay to Mi-young that she needn’t worry because he won’t come here again. Two can play at this game, though, and Mi-young tells her mother to tell Gun that she was just about to say that.

It quickly turns into the kind of petty argument of using a third party as an excuse not to talk to each other even though they’re technically fighting with one another. It doesn’t take long for Mom to intervene and scold both of them for their bickering.

Gun then moseys over to Mi-young’s side to say goodbye to Mom, though the words themselves are for Mi-young: “Take care.”

Once he leaves, Mi-young tells her mother not to see Gun again because nothing good will come of it. Mom tells her daughter not to hate Gun so much and can’t shake off the notion that something is going on between them.

Mi-young then returns to the intersection where she lost Keddongie to say her farewell to her unborn child. “You’ll wait for Mommy until she becomes more confident and courageous, right?”

With tears in her eyes, Mi-young tells Keddongie that she misses him and loves him dearly. And just across the street, Gun looks on, wanting to go to Mi-young though willing himself not to. He has something to tell Keddongie too: “Your mother is leaving Korea again. I’m being punished because I was selfish.”

As Mi-young prepares to leave the next morning, she sees the voice recorder in her bag. The attached rolled-up note from Lawyer Hong stresses that this recording has nothing to do with her and urges her not to press play. Is that how you get around breaking any legal breaches?

But Mi-young does press play, and listens to Gun’s voice describing the conditions to be acted upon should he ever lose his memory again. It’s mostly a retread of what we’ve already heard, including how Mi-young should never learn of the contents of his will.

The recording also contains the earlier conversation between Gun and Lawyer Hong, of how Gun should tell Mi-young about the existence of such a testament, and also Gun’s reservations that he doesn’t have the right. Mi-young’s floored by everything she’s heard.

Daniel has overheard most of the recording, which Mi-young hastily turns off at his approach. On the way to the airport, Daniel says he feels like the most foolish person in this world. He keeps making the same mistake even though he knows he’ll regret it because he keeps wanting to see her smile.

With that, he turns the car around. He says that she’ll never be able to forget Gun if she leaves now, so he encourages her to confront Gun about what he’s hiding from her. He knows how silly it is for him to drop Mi-young off to see his rival, but he feels that it’s for her benefit.

Mi-young’s family worries when Mi-young doesn’t swing by the restaurant to say her farewells, but Mom assures them that she probably had something else to attend to first.

Meanwhile Gun adds a miniature portrait of Keddongie in his parents’ memorial, introducing them to their grandchild. Speaking to his mother, Gun says that he feels pretty lousy today. “The woman I love most after you says she’s leaving far away today. I couldn’t say goodbye and freely told her to leave. So I’m going to drop everything and leave here, too.” Wait, what?

Gun continues: “If I stay here, I’ll run into her some time. And if I do, I’ll be happily jumping up and down like a mutt even though I’m not supposed to. But why did Father do that? I can’t even handle one woman, and I don’t even have the courage to ask her to stay by my side and endure this tiresome genetic illness with me. But how could he have done that to two women? His shamelessness is a strength of his.”

He tells his mother to enjoy her time with Keddongie until he joins them. Er, do you mean in death? Even though your current health shows no prospect of that right now?

Daniel drops Mi-young off at Lee Manor with words of encouragement. Mi-young apologizes and thanks him, and he ushers her out. He stays long enough to see her go inside and tells himself that he did the right thing.

Although Gun isn’t at home, Grandma Wang is completely beside herself to see Mi-young anyway. She grants Mi-young’s request to wait in his room, adding that she could go ahead and live there if she wanted to.

The happy memories of her married life with Gun come flooding back to her as she surveys the room, which is painful for her (and us) to recall. She looks at the entrance to Gun’s man cave in curiosity. Ooh, are you going to head inside?

It looks like Gun has wasted no time to drop everything, because Manager Tak frantically calls Grandma Wang to inform her of an immediate press conference. The media has a field day with the announcement of Gun’s genetic illness, the headlines suggesting the high possibility that he may resign.

Mi-young enters the man cave and sees the nursery items inside, including the first outfit they made for Keddongie in the prenatal class. Shaken, Mi-young sits down and peruses the laptop left open. She clicks one of the video clips out of curiosity, which turns out to be video messages from Gun left to himself in the event he loses his memory again in the future.

He tells himself that what he’s about to say is very important: “You have a woman you love. Her name is Kim Mi-young and her hometown is Yeoul Island. Like a fool, she’s a kind woman who takes good care of someone who’s hurting. She’s a very lovable woman.”

Video Gun then shares the story of how they first met and how they became parents to a wonderful child named Keddongie. “But Keddongie isn’t here anymore. He went very far away.”

Tears fall from Mi-young’s eyes as past Gun explains that he never once forgot about Keddongie, who stayed by his father’s side until a little while ago. By now tears are streaming down past Gun’s face too, as he says he has to send “Dalpengie” away now.

Mi-young checks the most recent video log where past Gun is drinking on-camera. This message is from the night after they both had dinner at Mom’s restaurant, albeit separately. Drunken Gun contemplates whether he should forget Mi-young or not, then recounts how he sat at that table and practically choked on his food when he saw Mi-young’s face.

He really wanted to sit at that table, Drunken Gun confesses. “But I guess I can’t sit there for the rest of my life. But how can I tell her to stay with me. How can I tell her not to leave?! How can I tell her that?!” he roars.

Sobbing, Mi-young recalls how Gun had declined to stay by her side, and how she had accused him of giving up on Keddongie. Clutching her chest, she breaks down in tears.

 
COMMENTS

Oof. It was just last episode when I’d wondered how much longer Gun would continue pushing Mi-young away, masking his true feelings underneath, and denying her and himself of the truth. It’s frankly a rather frustrating experience for us on our end, even if we know the reasons behind why Gun did so. Because while we can go ahead and read between the lines of the words Gun has said in these past few episodes as well as this one, he allows Mi-young to take them at face value and let her think that he has become the worst kind of person.

Seeing as Mi-young’s tears grabs me every time, this instance is no different. For what seems like the longest time, we’ve seen Mi-young give Gun countless opportunities to speak to the intentions behind his actions both before and after his Young-ja character was revealed, though the confrontation in his office in his hour let him affirm that his Young-ja persona was an act rather than deny it and disclose the truth. Still, it says something about Mi-young that she speaks of Gun positively, giving him credit where credit is due. In those times, I feel like Gun who is in awe of just how the core of Mi-young’s kindheartedness has remained steadfast despite the obstacles she’s faced over the years.

It was a heartwrenching moment when Mi-young finally did see how Gun truly feels about her, even if it was in video form. Gun had a hard enough time as it was being honest to himself, but I appreciate that he’s left evidence (even if he intended to leave it for himself) to remember the memories that are most precious to him: how he loves Mi-young, how he can’t bring himself to ask her to stay with him, and that he hasn’t forgotten about Keddongie.

I have to give the show credit for hanging a lantern on how Mi-young doesn’t know why she and Gun broke up, though knowing that tidbit now seems like a small consolation prize. Then I would give Se-ra a few points to fessing up about drawing up her fake divorce agreement, if only her apology was less about getting that burden off her chest than sincerely apologizing to Mi-young about it. What’s important now, though, is that Mi-young does know about the fake divorce agreement, that Gun drew up a will with her in mind, and that he pushed her away because of his own fear of his genetic illness showing up and wrecking everything.

It’s the fear of the risk of another occurrence of Gun’s genetic illness that keeps Gun maintaining his distance from Mi-young. I understand the reasoning behind why Gun would want to avoid Mi-young having to endure the hardships that come with a neurodegenerative disease if another episode led down that path. And at the same time, within the context of this particular narrative, that same disease has been dormant for the past three years. So what I’m afraid of is that the same neurodegenerative disease will be handled as a plot device to drive a final conflict for the remainder of the series.

Now that Gun has gone public about his genetic illness, it seems like the show may head in that direction. But rather than waiting for a flare-up that may or may not happen, I’d rather watch Gun and Mi-young sit down at the same table with anchovy wraps and hash everything out. Even if it’s for Keddongie’s sake, and maybe a little for ours as well.

 
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