Bubblegum episode 13 recap

Episode Recap

After a series of near misses in the hospital, Ri Hwan (Lee Dong Wook) and Haeng Ah (Jung Ryeo Won) finally come face to face. Ri Hwan immediately walks away, with Haeng Ah following closely behind, but he’s brought up short when a bloody patient is wheeled by on stretcher. Ri Hwan covers Haeng Ah’s eyes to protect her from the sight, but Haeng Ah is fine; she’s more worried about him, in fact.

Their meeting turns out to be arranged by their doctor, Sang Gyoo (Park Sung Geun), who is eager for our two protagonists to have a conversation and get over Sun Young’s (Bae Jong Ok) now-moot objection to their relationship (FINALLY, the voice of reason). As an increasingly emotional Haeng Ah presents justifications and rationalizations for Sun Young’s behaviour, Sang Gyoo calmly replies with logic until Haeng Ah snaps, and finally admits that Sun Young was in the wrong.

Outside in the parking lot, Haeng Ah confronts Ri Hwan to tell him that she refuses to give up on him, even taking into account the likelihood of his developing Alzheimer’s. He insists that he’s happier not worrying about her, and Haeng Ah walks away, vowing to wait for him. Ri Hwan, meanwhile, returns to Sang Gyoo’s office to be tested for the PS1 gene, which increases his chances of developing Alzheimer’s. Haeng Ah, meanwhile, sits by the Han River drinking beer through a straw (has she been watching “Mask”?). When Tae Hee (Kim Ri Na) comes to meet her and figures out that Haeng Ah wants to stay with a possible Alzheimer’s sufferer, Ri Hwan, Tae Hee yells at her for trying to hide her troubles behind a smiling facade. Haeng Ah snaps for the second time in one day, and tells Tae Hee that she has no one to direct her anger at, neither the doctors, nor God. Tae Hee counsels her to be angry at everyone.

Back at the restaurant, bratty teenager, Dong Hwa (Ko Bo Gyeol) apologizes to a customer for Sun Young unknowingly taking a photo. The customer is hardly mollified when he learns that Sun Young is ill, prompting Dong Hwa to launch into a tirade about his ignorance. Eventually, Uncle Gangster throws the customer out as Sun Young watches from upstairs and cries, asking for Ri Hwan.

Ri Hwan picks up Sun Young from the restaurant and takes her for a walk in the park. He’s brought her flowers and this prompts a memory of her getting mad at Ri Hwan for bringing her flowers when he was in elementary school. Sun Young doesn’t dwell on her regrets, and when she tells Ri Hwan that she’s happy, even with her memory loss, Ri Hwan is flabbergasted; Sun Young has never said that she was happy before. Ri Hwan takes Sun Young home and puts her to bed, and thinks back to his conversation with Haeng Ah.

Back at her clinic, sad dentist Yi Seul (Park Hee Von) gets a visit from her older brother, Jung Woo (Kim Sa Kwon), and the two of them laugh over the antics of their mother, Seul Mo (Park Joon Geum). Jung Woo theorizes that Seul Mo is hard on Yi Seul because she’s throwing away something Seul Mo had to fight for, but Yi Seul is not so generous; she believes that Seul Mo is just bored. Jung Woo gets to the point: he’s heard about Yi Seul looking into an Alzheimer’s hospital for Sun Young, and has something to say to her about it.

We don’t get to hear it though as we go back to Ri Hwan moping around his house. He opens the fridge to find Sun Young’s notebook and flashes back to a conversation before her memory loss was complete, asking him to send her to the sanatorium. He opens the notebook to find Sun Young’s notes to herself, her last-ditch attempt to keep her pride.

Diva DJ, Se Young (Kim Jung Nan) dolls herself up at what looks like the salon from “My Love from the Stars” to film her CF. She’s disappointed to find that it’s for a dietary product and the advertisement plays on her bitchy reputation. Her younger colleague and boyfriend, Joon Soo (An Woo Yeon) is supportive, if somewhat amused. During her radio show, Se Young refuses to read a letter from a woman who wants to be congratulated on her impending marriage. In the background, Joon Soo looks conflicted.

At Ri Hwan’s traditional medicine clinic, he gets a visit from Jung Woo, who beats around the bush, but then finally offers Ri Hwan a bribe and entry into a first-class hospital for Sun Young, if Ri Hwan will go away, and let Yi Seul get over him. Ri Hwan has no response as Jung Woo leaves.

Back at the radio station, former superstar news anchor, Suk Joon (Lee Jong Hyuk) nonchalantly wanders in to the building, much to the consternation of station manager, Dong Il (Park Won Sang), who warns him to leave before he’s noticed. Before Dong Il can drag him out, Se Young, Joon Soo, Tae Hee and Haeng Ah walk in to the lobby. It’s not long before Suk Joon convinces everyone to go out to dinner, with him buying. Haeng Ah is obviously his target, though, as he cuts up her food for her, then offers to take her house-hunting. Only Se Young and Joon Soo are oblivious to the awkwardness at the table, as Tae Hee stares at a terrified Dong Il, and Haeng Ah looks increasingly uncomfortable with Suk Joon’s attention, and her memories of their last conversation.

On her way home, Tae Hee calls Dong Il to meet up, and he agrees to see her. Instead, Dong Il calls up Tae Hee’s ex-boyfriend, Ji Heon (Lee Seung Joon), who initially refuses to go, but runs out the door regardless. Ji Hoon ends up in a café by himself, as Tae Hee goes to find Dong Il in the dorm room he sleeps in at the station. Rather than run away, Dong Il hands her his wallet, and explains that he doesn’t like Tae Hee enough to cover up the picture of his ex-wife and child in his wallet with her, and he’s not greedy enough to just be with her once. Looking at the picture, Tae Hee breaks down in tears. As she drives away from the station, Tae Hee goes past the café where Ji Hoon was waiting and spots him standing outside. When she stops to talk to him, he tells her that he only came to the café in case she got stood up and ended up waiting all night.

Dong Hwa drops off some food at Haeng Ah’s apartment, and starts bashing Ri Hwan as the two of them drink coffee. Haeng Ah defends him, and then, thinking back to their last conversation, comes to the realization that Ri Hwan is likely to run away, given his situation. Haeng Ah runs out the door, leaving a confused Dong Hwa in her wake.

Back home, over ramen, Ri Hwan tells Ji Hoon about the sanatorium, and that he feels guilty about everyone having to help him out with Sun Young, but that he wants to keep her with him. Ji Hoon points out that it’s a situation where everyone should help out, and adds that Ri Hwan should man up and carry on. Before they can go back to eating their ramen, the doorbell rings, and Ji Hoon goes to answer it.

The person at the door turns out to be Haeng Ah, who immediately questions whether Ri Hwan went and got tested for the PS1 gene. Ri Hwan attempts to leave, but Ji Hoon stops him as Haeng Ah questions him again. She tells Ri Hwan not to get the test done, but it’s not long before she figures out that he already has. Ji Hoon is visibly relieved when Ri Hwan denies knowing the results of the test.

Haeng Ah tells Ri Hwan that if she’d known ahead of time that her parents would die and her aunt would lose her memories, she wouldn’t have been able to go on. But she did go on, and she lived well, and she knows that she’ll continue to live well with Ri Hwan by her side.

After Haeng Ah leaves, Ji Hoon tells Ri Hwan to chase her, that he’s making the same mistake that Sun Young did, of hurting her to protect her. Meanwhile, Haeng Ah gets on the bus to go home, but it’s not long before Ri Hwan gets on, too. Haeng Ah breaks out into a smile as he sits down next to her, and the two of them clasp hands. Ri Hwan kisses Haeng Ah on the forehead, and the episode ends.

Comments

You know the series is headed towards the end when pacing goes out the window, and every other scene is a flashback. Thanks, live shoot schedule!

On the other hand, I’m glad Dong Il finally put an end to Tae Hee’s persistent crush, though, if she’s like everyone else on this show, rejection won’t deter her in the slightest. I have reached the point where I start feeling dread whenever either Suk Joon or Yi Seul appears on screen, because the persistence of both characters in the face of rejection is getting a little disturbing.

On the other other hand, at least our two leads have finally come to their senses and gotten together. It was nice to see them at the end, looking actually happy to be together. Though, I’m a little confused as to what Haeng Ah is telling Ri Hwan at the end. Is she implying that he shouldn’t get tested for the PS1 gene? Unless she’s saying that he shouldn’t run away if the results turn out positive, which seems like a better idea.

Since this episode had a lighter tone (Yi Seul even cracked a smile!), I’m going to assume that we’re going to spend the next three episodes watching our various characters do cute things together. Though, actually, I’ll even settle for Ri Hwan not belatedly taking up Jung Woo’s offer, and disappearing into the ether. That won’t happen, right? Right? RIGHT?

Bubblegum (풍선껌)

 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 || series review