Woman With a Suitcase: Episode 7

by TeriYaki

Bok-geo and Suk-woo’s competition for their favorite paralegal’s attention heats up with gifts both great and small this episode, and though she might appreciate the gifts, she seems somewhat more uncomfortable with the attention. While their enemies reveal just how far they’re prepared to go to protect their own, Bok-geo keeps to his dogged search for the truth when it comes to Tomy Kim.

 
EPISODE 7: “Exactly One Secret”

Geum-joo tries to sit up, but Bok-geo holds her tightly. She wonders why he’s taking so long to think, and Bok-geo complains that her loud heartbeat is distracting him. Geum-joo asks him about what happened, and Bok-geo gets serious, instructing her to listen carefully as he explains that Geum-joo may be in danger… because he has a stalker.

Bok-geo continues to explain his run-in with his stalker to Geum-joo, thinking it understandable for something like that to happen to such a handsome man. Geum-joo can’t believe her ears and scoffs at his vanity.

Bok-geo cautions Geum-joo to be careful, but she can’t imagine why. He explains that the woman is jealous “because we were sticking to each other.” Geum-joo takes exception to Bok-geo’s use of the word “we.” He points out that they were involved in a scandal, and Geum-joo is quick to clarify that it was just a rumor. Cheekily, Bok-geo reminds Geum-joo that they were just embracing on the couch.

Bok-geo keeps the mood light while instructing Geum-joo to be careful and to call him if she should see someone suspicious. He asks her to let him know when she gets home safely as well. Feigning weakness from his injuries, Bok-geo tries to place his head on Geum-joo’s shoulder, but she pushes him off in frustration.

Suk-woo rides on the bus as the radio broadcasts the result of Kang Hyeon-ho’s malpractice case. Pleased to know that the truth was revealed, Suk-woo smiles as a song plays in the baseball player’s honor. Suk-woo texts Geum-joo, offering to bring her a snack. As he waits for her reply, he remembers Bok-geo’s words about taking responsibility for her. Suddenly uneasy, he tries calling her and gets off of the bus at the next stop.

About to leave Golden Tree, Geum-joo sees the many missed calls from Suk-woo. She calls him as Bok-geo throws an arm over her shoulders. She points to his arm, wondering what it’s doing there. While he claims that he is hurt, Geum-joo notes that it’s his other arm that’s injured. He quickly moves to Geum-joo’s other side, moaning for effect.

Geum-joo encourages Bok-geo to put medicine on his facial cut, prompting him to ask if she’s worried about his handsome face. That comment gets him a look just as Suk-woo arrives. He can only stare at Bok-geo’s arm draped across Geum-joo’s shoulder.

Suk-woo reminds Bok-geo that he told him to take care of Geum-joo and grabs her by the wrist. Bok-geo grabs her other wrist, and Geum-joo becomes a human wishbone. The men stop pulling at her protests, until Suk-woo notices smeared blood on Geum-joo’s hand.

Geum-joo explains that the blood is nothing as she shoots a withering look at a “certain handsome person.” The two men face-off as they argue over who will take Geum-joo home. She takes the opportunity to flee, causing Bok-geo to chase after her.

As Bok-geo drives Geum-joo home, she sees the injury on his hand and offers to drive instead. After some bickering, Geum-joo decides to just ask again about that evening’s attack, noting that he has many enemies. They arrive at Geum-joo’s dorm before she gets an answer.

Bok-geo walks Geum-joo to her building. She thinks he is waiting for a compliment, but he really wants to remind her to call him if anything happens. Geum-joo cuts him off with a goodbye and runs inside as Tomy Kim watches their exchange from his car.

At the hospital with Min-ah’s murderous nurse, Bok-geo’s young driver shows her a photo of Ji-ah as he asks if she was the one who ordered the assassination, which the nurse confirms. After explaining that she’ll be deported from the country for her own safety, Bok-geo’s employee flashes the police an NIS badge when they arrive.

At K-Fact, Bok-geo and his team review Min-ah’s case. Editor Go suggests that the owner of Tomy Kim’s PageBook account might be Ji-ah. He then informs Bok-geo that Ji-ah can’t be located, and that he’s worried something may have happened to her.

Bok-geo’s employee/NIS agent shows up and informs him that Min-ah’s caretaker identified Ji-ah as the one who ordered her to kill Min-ah. Bok-geo sends a message to Ji-ah on Tomy Kim’s PageBook account, asking for a sign that she is alive. Tomy Kim comes up behind Ji-ah as she tearfully reads Bok-geo’s message.

It’s very late when Attorney Goo walks into the Golden Tree offices, and she gets quite a fright at seeing Suk-woo sitting in the dark. Suk-woo takes the opportunity to ask Attorney Goo whether Bok-geo is a good or bad man.

Suk-woo admits that he is confused about why Bok-geo quit his job as a prosecutor, opened a paparazzi company, and scouted Geum-joo. Attorney Goo explains that after Bok-geo quit, he couldn’t get hired by any law firms. He then opened K-Fact, and she thinks that he is using his money to finish what he started.

Attorney Goo admits that she was curious about Geum-joo as well, then asks Suk-woo if he’s noticed them flirting with one another. Asking if he agrees that the two look good together, Suk-woo sputters out that he doesn’t think so at all, prompting Attorney Goo to wonder if Suk-woo is interested in Geum-joo as well.

The next morning, Bok-geo is waiting outside for Geum-joo as she exits her dormitory. They end up at a car dealership, where Geum-joo protests about having to accompany him as he shops. It turns out that they are shopping for her, as Bok-geo claims that he is worried about his stalker. Suddenly, Geum-joo is very interested in the cars and selects one for herself, leaving Bok-geo amused.

Geum-joo has a meeting with a daughter-in-law of Oh Sung, Jo Hye-ryung, and her sister-in-law, who is married to MBS Press Director Kim Chang-hee. Jo Hye-ryung hands off a promised case file to Geum-joo and explains that her sister-in-law has something private she wants to discuss with Geum-joo.

Her sister-in-law tells Geum-joo that they will talk later, making a vague reference to her husband having problems at work. Hye-ryung glances uneasily at her sister-in-law as Geum-joo promises to treat the ladies. Hye-ryung then corrects the still formal Geum-joo, reminding her that they decided that they were friends.

The CEO of Oh Sung meets with Press Director KIM CHANG-HEE, who admits that his visit has to do with an anonymous tip that was sent to his office. He then shows the CEO a photo of two teenage girls drinking liquor with older men. One of the girls looks like Min-ah.

The CEO’s response is, “I feel so secure having one of our Oh Sung family members at the news desk.” Kim Chang-hee informs the CEO that there is a limit to what he can do, since he’s still a reporter. Laughing, the CEO mocks Kim Chang-hee, reminding him that he achieved his position with Oh Sung’s help — it’s too late to worry about ethics now.

The CEO leans forward and instructs the man, “Behave. The son-in-law of that family is the hardest position to hold in this world.”

Bok-geo meets privately with Reporter Baek in the K-Fact garden, and asks her to undertake a serious endeavor, telling her: “Min-ah is at my house.” Later, Reporter Baek tends to a visibly recovering Min-ah, braiding her hair.

At Golden Tree, An-na and Manager Hwang observe a serious-looking Suk-woo when Geum-joo breezes in, waving the new case she received from Hye-ryung. An-na and Manager Hwang congratulate her, but the team’s upbeat mood is disturbed by a big sigh that escapes from Suk-woo. He stands up and marches from the office, leaving a puzzled Geum-joo behind.

Bok-geo meets with Attorney Goo, who wonders if it is necessary to turn Geum-joo into a lawyer, expressing concern that taking the bar exam may be too much pressure for her. They’re interrupted by Suk-woo announcing that he has something to discuss with Bok-geo, which is Attorney Goo’s cue to leave.

Suk-woo tells Bok-geo that he came to give him a warning: “Please don’t meet Cha Geum-joo personally.” Suk-woo assumes that Geum-joo is in danger because Bok-geo asked him to look after her before he was attacked at K-Fact. Bok-geo tells Suk-woo that he’s not qualified to make such a demand, but the young attorney argues that he is qualified because he likes Geum-joo.

Bok-geo smiles as he accepts Suk-woo’s confession, realizing that Geum-joo isn’t aware of Suk-woo’s feelings. Suk-woo promises that he will tell her soon, and reminds Bok-geo that she was already stabbed because of him — he doesn’t want her in danger again. Bok-geo is clearly bothered by this.

Without naming names, Attorney Goo describes two men to An-na and Manager Hwang – one description fits Bok-geo, the other Suk-woo. She wants to know who they like better, but An-na wonders if Attorney Goo is having an affair. Indignant, she assures them that she is not talking about herself.

Later that night, Suk-woo presents Geum-joo with a legal ruler that her bought for her. It seems that they are hard to come by, and Geum-joo regrets that she has nothing for him. Suk-woo admits that there is something that he wants from her as her grabs her hand, then points to the rubber grip that she wears on her thumb.

Bok-geo walks in on Geum-joo drawing a funny face on her thumb grip, which Suk-woo is now wearing. Bok-geo conceals his presence as Suk-woo invites Geum-joo to eat at his parent’s restaurant on Sunday. Bok-geo finally interrupts the cute encounter, telling Suk-woo and Geum-joo to go home instead of pretending to work, which earns him a sharp look from Geum-joo.

Before leaving, Bok-geo tells Geum-joo to be available on Sunday, making it impossible for her to join Suk-woo at his parents’ restaurant. Geum-joo protests, but Bok-geo insists that it is for something important. When Suk-woo asks what it is, Bok-geo claims that he can’t discuss it for security reasons.

Bok-geo sees Geum-joo’s new ruler and asks, “What is this itty-bitty thing?” She smiles at Suk-woo, prompting Bok-geo to ask how many he would have to buy to equal the price of the car he purchased for Geum-joo. Bok-geo points out that he didn’t receive a thank you for his gift, earning an awkward and belated “Thank you.”

Bok-geo reviews a copy of K-Fact’s gossip item for the day: “O” Group’s sex party, meant to maintain a network in politics and business. The item refers to “Y,” the real powerhouse behind “O” Group as its CEO. Bok-geo’s young employee identifies “O” as Oh Sung and “Y” as LEE DONG-SOO, Oh Sung’s CEO.

Bok-geo asks Editor Go if there has been any reaction from Oh Sung. He reports that CEO Lee resumed meetings with celebrities, getting Bok-geo’s attention just as his phone rings. It happens to be CEO Lee, extending an invitation to Bok-geo.

CEO Lee hosts a private luncheon, known as Food Talk, where he is asked about the gossip item. He cautions his guests to be mindful of what they say from now on. Before proceeding with lunch, CEO Lee announces that he is expecting a new member in the form of Bok-geo, who’s greeted by uneasy looks from the other guests. CEO Lee introduces Bok-geo, explaining, “He’s been my treasured hoobae since we were at the Prosecutor’s Office.”

CEO Lee boldly tells Bok-geo that he’s heard of his interest in their meeting. He invites Bok-geo to come to him directly if he is curious about anything in the future. Before eating, CEO Lee calls for a photo to commemorate the occasion. Bok-geo doesn’t turn around for the photo, instead looking at CEO Lee, who is clearly pleased with himself.

A scene from a week earlier shows Hye-ryung’s sister-in-law meeting with a younger man in her home. He wants to know why her divorce is taking so long, but when he threatens to go to the press, she stabs him and does her best to make it so it never happened.

Kim Chang-hee’s wife, HAN EUN-GYO, is questioned by the police regarding a corpse that was discovered in a storage container at her home. She was the last person to speak with the victim before he disappeared. The detective asks her if they were lovers, but Hye-joo enters the room as Han Eun-gyo’s attorney, ending the interrogation.

Hye-joo calls CEO Lee to inform him about Han Eun-gyo’s arrest for murder, as she is the daughter of Oh Sung’s younger chairman. Bok-geo is present while CEO Lee instructs Hye-joo to protect Han Eun-gyo until he can join them at the station.

Han Eun-gyo meets with CEO Lee and Hye-joo. She explains that her husband confirmed her suspicions with photos that he shared with her, and admits that she’s not aware if anyone else knows. Han Eun-gyo asks about her husband as news of the murder hits the airwaves.

Geum-joo watches a broadcast presenting the theory that the victim was having an affair with Kim Chang-hee’s wife. Geum-joo wonders if that was what Han Eun-gyo wanted to tell her. Suk-woo brings her coffee as they sit and listen about the case together.

CEO Lee continues the interview with Han Eun-gyo, asking if she told her husband that she killed PARK SEO-JOONG. She admits that she hasn’t seen her husband. Hye-joo is thinking that they will argue voluntary manslaughter, citing the blackmail attempt.

CEO Lee takes charge and instructs them that they will claim that Han Eun-gyo did not kill Park Seo-joong — instead, they will insist that he was killed by Kim Chang-hee. A shocked Hye-joo tries to interrupt CEO Lee, but he plows ahead anyway.

CEO Lee explains that as long as the secret that Han Eun-gyo shared is never revealed, they can expect to win the case. CEO Lee calls Han Eun-gyo a victim, claiming that her husband’s deception led to the incident. Hye-joo asks for assurance that Kim Chang-hee will be found not guilty as well, but CEO Lee answers that will up to his attorney — Oh Sung is only concerned with a not guilty verdict for Han Eun-gyo.

CEO Lee orders Prosecutor Choi to have Kim Chang-hee arrested, explaining it is better to arrest an Oh Sung son-in-law over a daughter. Prosecutor Choi cites a lack of evidence, but CEO Lee asks, “What’s so important about who did the killing?”

Kim Chang-hee is arrested and questioned by Prosecutor Choi, but he sits silently. Finally, he speaks, and confesses to killing the victim due to jealousy.

Bok-geo reviews the case with the K-Fact team. Reporter Baek shares that there is no record of communication between the victim and Han Eun-gyo. Editor Go wonders if they should report on this case, even though K-Fact doesn’t usually report on extramarital affairs.

Bok-geo agrees that they will cover the case, but that Geum-joo will be conducting the research. Bok-geo calls her to his office and tells her that he has an important pro bono case for her.

When she arrives, Bok-geo informs her that Kim Chang-hee has refused an attorney. Geum-joo speculates about the reason Golden Tree is handling the case, but Bok-geo only tells her that she must win. Geum-joo points out that Kim Chang-hee already confessed, and then asks if Bok-geo has evidence that her client didn’t commit the murder. He urges her to question Kim Chang-hee, not him.

Geum-joo and Suk-woo try to meet with Kim Chang-hee, but he refuses to see them. Geum-joo has a thought and calls Hye-ryung. Next thing we know, Attorney Goo meets with Hye-ryung to ask what she knows, but Hae-ryung doesn’t think Kim Chang-hee is guilty. She hands a gym club membership card to Attorney Goo, telling her that Geum-joo asked her for it.

Hye-joo reviews the video of Kim Chang-hee’s confession when she gets a call from Bok-geo, asking to meet.

Later, as they sit down together, Bok-geo thanks Hye-joo for meeting him. She thinks they’re on a date, for which he apologizes, explaining that he needs to speak with her about something much more serious.

Bok-geo asks Hye-joo if Oh Sung is planning on blaming Kim Chang-hee for the murder, believing that she knows who the real killer is. At her silence, he asks if he can offer her some advice, explaining that he thinks he should at least try once.

Using her borrowed gym membership, Geum-joo joins two women talking about Han Eun-gyo, and discovers that the woman told her family that she would kill herself if they ever made her divorce Kim Chang-hee. The women agree that there is a conspiracy to have them divorce.

Geum-joo walks through the lobby of the gym and hides when she sees Bok-geo and Hye-joo. He explains that Oh Sung is a place that an attorney can’t easily leave, and encourages Hye-joo to leave the firm while she still can.

Hye-joo asks Bok-geo if he knows something about Kim Chang-hee, and he hands over a computer tablet. As she views the tablet, Geum-joo crawls closer in time to hear that the video clip Hye-joo saw doesn’t prove that Kim Chang-hee is not the killer.

Bok-geo laughs, telling Hye-joo that her response was exactly as he expected. He then calls Geum-joo out, having known she was eavesdropping. Hye-joo jumps up, startled, wondering how Geum-joo got into such an exclusive club, and Geum-joo waves her membership card as her answer. Hye-joo thanks Bok-geo for the mojito and the advice and leaves without another word to Geum-joo.

Geum-joo asks what Bok-geo and Hye-joo talked about as he slips the tablet into a bag. He gets up to leave only to be stopped by Geum-joo, who suggests that they get a couple massage as thanks for her car.

Meanwhile, Suk-woo meets with a travel agent who confirms that Kim Chang-hee traveled to Spain every summer for eight years.

Inside the couple’s massage room, Geum-joo chatters nonstop. She moans so loudly during her massage that Bok-geo has to resort to listening to music with earbuds so that he can relax. When Geum-joo is sure that Bok-geo isn’t paying attention to her, she excuses herself early and retrieves the computer pad from Bok-geo’s bag.

Geum-joo gets away before Bok-geo catches on and sits in her new car to watch the video. It shows the now-deceased Park Seo-joong at a restaurant with Kim Chang-hee, who’s… dressed as a woman? She realizes that Park Seo-joong was in a relationship with Kim Chang-hee, not Han Eun-gyo.

She’s interrupted by Bok-geo when he comes knocking on her window, motioning for her to come out of her car. Instead, she locks the doors and drives away in the car that he bought for her.

An-na meets with Suk-woo, telling him that she matched the dates of Kim Chang-hee’s trips to Spain with posts made by Park Seo-joong at Sitges Beach, also in Spain. That gets a shocked reaction from Manager Hwang. An-na has proof that Han Eun-gyo never joined Kim Chang-hee for any of those trips, as she was present at her father’s birthday celebrations instead.

Manager Hwang’s intuition kicks in again and he shares the scandalous twenty-year-old story of a man who was murdered in a motel by a young man who checked in with him. When Manager Hwang hears about Sitges Beach, he remembers that the accused said that he wanted to go there some day. An-na looks up the “Nokbeon-dong murder case” to understand what Manager Hwang is talking about.

Hye-joo goes to CEO Lee’s office to ask him how he can use the law for Oh Sung’s sake. Hye-joo confesses the she is confused and angry, and is struggling with CEO Lee’s strategy for Han Eun-gyo’s trial. CEO Lee explains to her that they are dogs, not lawyers, tasked with protecting Oh Sung. He tells her that there is a law for the rich and another for the poor. CEO Lee tasks her to remember that Oh Sung is synonymous with not guilty, while everyone else is guilty.

At K-Fact, Bok-geo chides Geum-joo for stealing information, but she blames him for forcing her hand. She adds that Bok-geo gave her the case but met with the opponent’s attorney, bought her a mojito, and gave away the information. He asks her if she is jealous, and Geum-joo scoffs.

Bok-geo reminds her that she is his servant and he is the owner, but she reminds him that she is an owner too — of the case, anyway. Geum-joo promises to protect her client, telling Bok-geo that what matters to her is that Kim Chang-hee is not the real killer. She believes that he decided to take the blame for the murder to protect his secret. Bok-geo tells her that she is acting like a lawyer now.

Back in her office, Geum-joo thinks about her responsibility to her client to keep his secret. Suk-woo comes in, asking if she discovered anything, and she quickly hides the tablet. Suk-woo tells her that Manager Hwang told him something and invites Geum-joo to accompany him somewhere.

Bok-geo meets with Hye-joo, who called for him. She’s been drinking, so he helps her into a cab, but she uses the opportunity to pull him close.

Suk-woo and Geum-joo look like they are in a gay club, and he pulls her close as well. She protests and steps back, so Suk-woo takes Geum-joo by the waist.

Hye-joo asks Bok-geo, “CEO. Can you please hold me steady?” While over at the club, Suk-woo kisses a surprised Geum-joo.

 
COMMENTS

It was interesting how the episode opened and ended with the triangle between Geum-joo, Bok-geo and Suk-woo. She has been trying to avoid the sexual tension that has been building between her and the two men, but by the episode’s end, Suk-woo made his intentions very clear. I honestly feel rather sorry for Geum-joo since she is still dealing with her recent divorce, and I’m not sure how ready she is for any romantic entanglements. Ready or not, she is definitely going to have to deal with Suk-woo’s feelings for her.

On the other side of this triangle, Bok-geo has likewise been dancing around Hye-joo’s obvious interest in him. He’s tried to help her without encouraging her interest. That girl is like a Mack truck and won’t be ignored. I’m pretty certain that Bok-geo won’t be enticed by her as I don’t think that he has ever been seriously interested in her. It makes more sense to me that his protective nature has emerged and that he is trying to help her before she gets hurt, professionally or bodily.

Geum-joo’s romantic triangle wasn’t the only one in this episode, as the current case centered on a husband, his wife and his alleged lover. Not only did Kim Chang-hee confess to murder to keep his secret, but I believe he also wanted to protect his wife, who committed murder trying to protect him. I bought into the original premise that the victim was in a relationship with Han Eun-gyo.

However, as the details came to light, it became obvious that Han Eun-gyo sincerely loves her husband. How unfortunate that she is a member of the Oh Sung family, where image is everything. She only agreed to accuse her husband of the murder when she believed that he would not be found guilty. Now that he has confessed to the murder that she committed, I’m not sure if she can live with seeing him go to prison. However, I’m sure that’s exactly where CEO Lee would like to see Kim Chang-hee.

How lucky for CEO Lee that the threat to expose his sex party enterprise was extinguished by the scandal that engulfed Kim Chang-hee. As long as he stays in prison, CEO Lee has nothing to worry about. Even so, it doesn’t seem like a very well-kept secret, and the cracks are beginning to show in his intricate network. Some of Bok-geo’s questionable behavior is beginning to make sense as he enters into CEO Lee’s inner circle. His insistence that Suk-woo draft a contract agreeing to termination if he lost the malpractice suit made sense because he doesn’t like him around Geum-joo. But then he presented that contract as evidence to CEO Lee, asking them to win the case so that he could be rid of Suk-woo, even as he worked to ensure that Golden Tree won. I was confused by the actions of a man who doesn’t believe in speaking out of both sides of his mouth. However, his invitation to join CEO Lee’s meetings proves that there is a method to his madness.

Bok-geo’s public persona is a bit goofy, but in private he can be incredibly intense and focused. He has managed to make inroads into CEO Lee’s network, but Tomy Kim has been keeping tabs on Bok-geo, so I’m not sure who is doing the hunting and who is being hunted. Bok-geo is very smart and connected, and I’m beginning to think there may be something to that NIS rumor going around about K-Fact. If so, CEO Lee may have finally met his match.

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