Crap! Crap! Crap! I cannot believe the editor committed a crime against us shippers like this. I have noticed that they tend to place scenes in the preview that don’t make it to the official broadcast episodes, but this inconsideration towards our hearts is a sin! We waited so long to have some tender moments and yet they chose to cut it down by 10 seconds? Why? WHY? Omgosh. I’m so angry I almost stopped watching this episode altogether. Luckily, I improvised.

Episode 26

“…Joon Young is your daughter!” Young Bum screams.

Doo Hee tenses at the announcement, and the siblings simultaneously widen their eyes in shock. Doo Hee takes a few seconds to process the nonsense her husband is spewing and tells him not to joke. He’s visibly shaking in anger as In Woo asks his mother to take a closer look, “Don’t we look alike?” She doesn’t believe them and looks to In Joo for a voice of reason.

In Joo bites down her tongue and lies through her teeth, “They’re fooling around. I’m Ha In Joo! Appa’s daughter and Oppa’s sister, I’M HA IN JOO!!” Doo Hee can’t distinguish between the truth and lies and opts to leave the scene before her head explodes. She pulls In Joo along with her.

With the secret finally out in the open, Young Bum inches to the table, and calms down his wrecked nerves by sipping down tea. In Woo is proud of his father’s truthful confession, “You did well, Appa. You did really well.” Dad turns to Joon Young and apologizes for the pain she has to endure during this process, while Joon Young is worried only about her mother.

Meanwhile, Baek Sul calls Jane to her office, hoping to form an alliance. They have a friendly exchange as Jane explains that she’s on vacation in Korea because Haemil has some personal business to attend. Jane then wonders why she’s called here, perhaps Baek Sul is planning to use money or violence, like the rich moms in Korean drama to get rid of their son’s girlfriends? Baek Sul says neither because Do Yoon has no feelings for Jane. Instead, she wants Jane to stay by Do Yoon’s side for now because there’s someone much more troublesome than she is. Jane happily complies, as long as she gets money for her shopping spree. ha!

On the phone with Do Yoon, Jane calls Baek Sul childish and reports that she’ll be using the credit card crazily today, so don’t wait up. Do Yoon hangs up but the phone rings again, it’s Joon Young, having something to tell him. He asks her to come to his place, making sure that he has enough time to clean up the house. I see this scenes so many times in other dramas but it still has the same effect. I’m smiling like a loon. I like how Joon Young wants to see him after the crazy confrontation she had with her mother. It’s telling, ain’t it?

He checks his fridge and puts on an apron. Aw. What did I say last time? Third time the charm! Wee ~

At the same time, In Joo calls Jae Ha, trying to locate her reckless brother In Woo. I don’t think it’s the best time to approach him. He’s at the bar, drinking.

She comes up to him and blames him for causing today’s mess, “Don’t you care about mom at all? How much shock she’ll be in?” In Woo sneers at In Joo’s nice daughter act, “Is it really for mom’s benefit that you acted so flawlessly today?” She doesn’t want to explain herself, knowing full well that he wouldn’t believe her anyway. He confirms that it’s true. How could he believe someone who took only a week to replace the role of his younger sister? Brimming with tears, In Joo says, “That was how much I wanted to be mom and dad’s daughter, and your little sister! It was how much I wanted to be a part of this family!”

In Woo doesn’t think so, he believes she wanted to be HA IN JOO, the young daughter of a well-off family! C’mon In Woo, give her the benefit of a 5-year old! He finds her dishonesty today cringe-worthy. Had she not intervened with their family, their family wouldn’t be this crazy. “If it weren’t for you, In Joo wouldn’t have a problem returning to us!” he spits out cruelly. But that’s not it, he continues to blame her, “Because of you, she couldn’t even call dad or mom! You took everything.”

Unbeknownst to them, Jae Ha has arrived a few minutes earlier and overhears their conversation. The intensity of In Woo’s voice escalates as he deals the final blow: “It’s all because of your greed. You..who is so creepy and repulsive. It’s all because of you. I, 22 years ago and now, still find you scary and despicable.” Those are some harsh words In Woo. You know it’s not her fault to begin with. But you’re lashing out at her because she’s the only person you can scream at now and it makes you feel better about your guilt and cowardice.

The words sink in and In Joo stands there, too numb to utter a word. Jae Ha can’t stand to watch this senseless blame game anymore and gives In Woo a wake-up punch, calling his weak character, “You have no rights to blame the Professor! You’re the most cowardly, you jerk! You knew everything from the beginning and yet you still ran away for 22 years! But now you act like you’re the only one hurting? You stupid jerk! We’re not talking about the adult In Joo now, but how much of an opponent was a five-year old girl? Do you know that?!” He needs some time alone and sends Jae Ha and In Joo away.

Dang Jae Ha, I’m cheering for you buddy! That was a good speech!

Meanwhile, Do Yoon is finished cooking and has arranged a romantic dinner, just as Joon Young rings the doorbell. She is surprised to see the table and he’s quick to deny cooking anything. He pushes her to eat dinner with him, even going as far as offering her digestive medicine if she needs to free her stomach. Oh gosh, I want a hubby who always wants to feed me too. Notice how their outfits match one another too.

She happily digs in, and after a few seconds, looks up at him to say how delicious the food is. He’s beyond happy and sits down across from her. This is when she says she wants to quit and Do Yoon is slightly disappointed, “But we haven’t found out about President Baek’s plan yet.” Joon Young smiles, after she has told Doo Hee about her real identity, she has decided it’s better to work together (with her mom) instead of fighting. Do Yoon takes a second to observe her expression before he mutters, “Congratulations” for their reunion, even though Doo Hee doesn’t recognize her.

Joon Young gradually grows somber as she recalls the intense moment today. It was more painful than she had originally imagined. She thought she was well-prepared for the pain, yet it still hurts a lot, “So I decided to reveal everything.” Tears begin to well up in her eyes and she downplays the crying by saying that his food is so delicious, enough to make her teary. He watches her with a pained expression, unable to say a word of comfort. Instead, he moves to her side, and on one knee, brushes the falling tears from her cheeks. He thinks to himself, “Don’t cry, you’re not alone. I’ll be here every step of the way…”

After they’re chased out of the bar, In Joo and Jae Ha head to their secret runaway-to river. Facing the beautiful nightlights, In Joo thinks back to In Woo’s words and agrees that she was a strange kids. On birthdays, other kids would declare their wish loud and clear, while she kept wishing in secret that mom’s memory would never return. Jae Ha tries to make sense of it for her, “You were young.” But In Joo insists she still has the same wish today. He doesn’t want to listen to her blame-game and tells her to stop, “You’re hurting yourself.” And yet, she continues to lower her self-worth in comparison to Joon Young, who she thinks is loved by everyone the moment she was born. That’s why she created another Ha In Joo and claimed the identity as her own, “It’s all mine.”

Young Bum comes home to his wife, who is lying on bed, pretending not to know he’s there. He tells her they need to talk, avoiding the issue now does not help any side, but she can’t make sense of the words coming out of his mouth. “What, are you calling me crazy?” Young Bum: “No, I’m the crazy one.” Doo Hee gets out of bed, and rushes outside the bedroom, again refusing to hear his explanation. I say, it’s no use. Her brain is not releasing the memories.

Next morning, Doo Hee comes into In Joo’s room and comforts her daughter, “Let’s have breakfast together, just the two of us.” In Joo can barely hold back tears over the simple gesture.

At work, Joon Young returns to her formal self and happily greets the kitchen crew as they walk past. They’re surprised she’s all smiley in the morning and assume that she’s planning to catch them off guard and fire them all.

She comes to the main hall and meets Doo Hee there. Doo Hee doesn’t want to talk about yesterday’s event and warns Joon Young to stay away from In Woo. Joon Young wants to meet her later, she has something to say.

Joon Young then receives a call from Baek Sul and arrives to Sanarae office. She notes that Baek Sul is unusually happy today and the old lady says “I’m always happy!” So why is Joon Young called here? Baek Sul: “Be gentle from now on. Doo Hee will fall apart starting now. You don’t need to exert yourself so hard anymore.” She then hands Joon Young the article about Doo Hee switching daughter and Joon Young’s eyes go into shock mode as her hands shake holding the article. Fortunately, the article hasn’t been published yet because Baek Sul is waiting to watch the show her son and disciple play at Arirang.

Baek Sul then slyly implants a warning into Joon Young’s head, “Mr. Han(is this the Assistant?) told me that you and Do Yoon are going to stab me in the back. That’s impossible. Even if you were disappointed, you wouldn’t use my son to attack me right? No mother would stand still watching someone use her son. I yelled Mr. Han already. I trust you.” Joon Young keeps up her strong image but the second she’s out of the office, her strength disappears, and she pants for breath.

Do Yoon comes to work with a bag of food. Joon Young isn’t there, so his face falls in curiosity.

Sitting by herself, In Joo receives a phone call from a friend. He wants her to join a cooking show, featuring Korea’s rising star chefs. She agrees to do it.

Jae Ha paces back and forth at work and finally decides to call up his grandma and schedule for a date with her. Since he addresses her as “Madame”, his assistant thinks he’s dating an older woman. Silly, you.

Over lunch, Jae Ha braces himself in preparation to deliver the shocking news to his Grandma. She’s ready to hear the full story but he’s a tangled nerve ball, and so she explains her theory, “I’ve a feeling that Joon Young is…Professor Ha’s illegitimate child.” haha Jae Ha almost chokes on his own breath while Grandma finds his reaction offensive to her reasonable hypothesis. When he finally gets the truth out, Grandma’s eyebrows arch up and down…as he tells her to help Doo Hee remember.

Cut to the kitchen crew as they dawdle away in the kitchen. Do Shik thinks they should shape up and Mi So begins their cheering game. Seriously, editor, you could have cut out this meaningless scene and insert that tear-wiping moment, and no ONE would complain. Ugh.

Outside, Joon Young stares at Arirang and remembers Baek Sul’s words, “For over a hundred years, they keep the same tools and ingredients. Let’s change everything.” She goes into the kitchen and finds everyone happily singing as they work. Um, they could be spitting in mah food, you know. She begins to utter instructions on how to change the way some dishes are made to cut out time-consuming methods and avoid wasting food with too much servings. Do Shik is offended and deals his card, “If you want to, you’ll have to fire me first.” She doesn’t want to go that far and insists that he cooperates with the new management. However, he stands his ground, “I will never follow your orders.” Joon Young: “Then, Head Chef Im Do Shik, effective 4.29.12. You’re now dismissed.” Everyone’s jaws drop.

Doo Hee tries to concentrate in her office but Young Bum’s words linger in her head, “Joon Young…is your daughter.” She snaps back to work when an employee delivers the bad news. She hastily moves outside and stops Joon Young in her tracks. She asks Joon Young to leave Arirang but Joon Young retorts that Doo Hee doesn’t have the authority. When she tries to walk past Doo Hee, lady amnesia grabs her arm and pulls her back. Doo Hee sees Joon Young’s teary eyes and is taken aback. She releases her grip.

Joon Young looks at Doo Hee’s face, and asks, “You really don’t remember? When I was younger, we used to play hide-and-seek here. Since this place is so huge, I cried when I couldn’t find out.” One by one, she lists off the things she did with her mother and Doo Hee readily flashes back to each scene despite her brain’s unwillingness. In Joo finds them and rushes to her Doo Hee’s side. Joon Young continues to talk, hoping to provoke the repressed memories of her mother. She knows she’s hitting the critical points and reaches out to hug Doo Hee again. Yet Doo Hee pushes her to the ground in desperation.

Doo Hee screams, “You, what are you?!!” before she faints. Joon Young wants to help her up but In Joo barks, “Stay away! Never come near my mother again.” Do Yoon steps up beside Joon Young, looking at her worriedly.

They return to the office and Joon Young tries to brush his hand away. She recalls Baek Sul’s words about using her son to attack her and Joon Young coldly tells him to stop following her around, “Don’t stay by my side.” He’s not a dumb cookie and guesses that she had met with Baek Sul and heard some unpleasant things. Joon Young shakes her head, saying that it’s her own decision.

Joon Young: “Because you are so nice to me, I forgot we are enemies. But not anymore. Kim Do Yoon, you’re President Baek’s son. The one who is tormenting my mother and me!”
Do Yoon: “I’m not her son.”
Joon Young: “You can’t deny she’s your mother!”

Do Yoon’s face grows gloomy…

Joon Young: “So don’t come close to me.”
Do Yoon: “Are you sincere?”
Joon Young: *nods meekly*
Do Yoon: “Why? Is it …really because I’m President Baek’s son?”
Joon Young: “It’s hard for me to be just with you. Because of you, I keep hurting. Therefore, at Arirang, and my life, stay out of it.”

He releases his hand, and she walks out. My eyes become teary when he bites down his lower lip, with pain written all over that face. That face who rarely smiles. That face who tries to ignore everyone’s words and just charges forward for this one girl. But now that said girl doesn’t want to see him… 🙁

Do Yoon immediately rushes to Sanarae, but he’s stopped right outside the office by Assistant Kim, who claims that President Baek’s in a meeting in Japan. And yet you’re here guarding an empty door? Okay. Do Yoon gets the drift so he speaks louder, “Tell her that she’ll regret it if she touches Go Joon Young.”

Meanwhile, In Joo sits by Doo Hee’s side and talks to her sleeping mother. Tomorrow, she’ll be on tv as star chef Ha In Joo.

The news of Joon Young’s outburst arrives to Jae Ha’s ears, so he beelines straight to her office. Joon Young wonders what would happen if the news of Doo Hee’s attempted suicide and missing daughter spread to the news outlet, how massive would the effect be? Jae Ha is confused and she explains that Baek Sul knows more than they gave her credits for. She hands over the article. He’s shocked and instantly calls Do Yoon out for another round of heart-stomping. But Do Yoon sounds off even on the phone. When asked where he is, he replies quietly, “I don’t know…”

Turns out he’s at the same bench where he cupped Joon Young’s ears. With his troubled expression, he overlooks the city as Jae Ha gets there, and rambles on about Baek Sul’s unpublished article, “Because of your mother, do you know how hard she is enduring?!” Do Yoon sounds defeated, “Do you want to hit me? I’d like to get hit right now. I need to get hit real hard.”

However, seeing how much pain he’s in, Jae Ha says to forget it, as long as he “Stay out of this problem. That’s what’s best for Joon Young.” Do Yoon thinks it’s his decision to make but Jae Ha retorts it’s already too late.

So our slowpoke comes home in a glum mood and ignores Jane’s question. We cut to brooding in the shower…except when the camera moves down, he’s still wearing his clothes. What the frack writer? You can’t give me abs to console my weakening spirit? You’re all sort of nonsense in this episode, you know? As the water hits him, he recalls what Joon Young said to him, that his face alone is bringing her pain… 🙁 Stress ~ I really want to enter my screen and tell him that he’s a precious, good person. People shouldn’t judge him because of his parentage.

Jae Ha returns to his workplace and orders his assistant to find all the inspection papers about Sanarae that took place last year. What’s he doing?

Young Bum visits Doo Hee, who is still in a deep sleep after the earlier encounter with Joon Young. Oh my gosh, this drama is driving me nuts. First she’s a workaholic wife, then mother amnesia, and now she’s Snow White, the sleeping beauty? Young Bum even brings pictures of the real In Joo as a kid to show her. Still, she lies there unresponsive.

As promised, In Joo goes on the cooking show for her friend. Since her supposed birthday is on Christmas Eve, she’ll be cooking her mom’s favorite snacks – the five colored rice cake and galbi tree. Watching In Joo on tv are none other than Young Bum and In Woo, the latter who sneers at his fake sister’s fake act.

Doo Hee jerks awake, memories overflowing her mind. She takes a look at the pictures left behind by Young Bum. Did she remember?

In Woo can’t carry on watching In Joo spouting out nonsense any longer, so he leaves and bumps into Joon Young outside. After confirming that Doo Hee hasn’t remembered, In Woo suggests they go eat, he’s hungry. As Joon Young displays her cooking skills, In Woo marvels at the sight – every thing about her way of cooking resembles Doo Hee so much. She smiles and wonders how she was as a kid, and asks him multiple questions about his life and music career. He reminisces the old times: how she would listen to Jae Ha more than him, how she would cry and throw tantrums when things didn’t go her way, and finally how she would always join him when their mother punished him.

Afterwards, Joon Young walks up the hill and pauses at the bench area. She looks at it regretfully and sits down at the same spot. Lo and behold, Jae Ha appears and occupies the bench next to hers. Hey buddy, that’s Do Yoon’s spot! 😛

He hands her a box of chocolates. Oh gosh, fine, you can sit there for a few seconds. However, her face doesn’t light up and he wonders why. She still likes them…but she doesn’t want Jae Ha to do anything for her anymore. Jae Ha says fine, he’ll stop doing these little things when she gets her name and family back.

If anything, this scene is an indication of Joon Young’s feeling…the man in front of her is no longer Jae Ha. Still, it’s not enough to appease the devil in me. MOAR!

In his car, Do Yoon picks up Baek Sul’s call, who wastes no time to chide him, saying that a woman who manipulates a man’s feeling so he can stab his mom in the back is scary. She advises him to forget that kind of woman, and Do Yoon prods, “Are you really going to publish that article?” Maybe, but if he comes back to her side without any shady intention, she might rethink her decision.

After a long day of broadcast, In Joo comes home and is disappointed that her mother fell asleep already. Young Bum says he’s sorry but before he can go deeper into the topic, In Joo cuts him off on the excuse that she’s tired and wants to rest early.

Turns out Doo Hee is lying wide awake in bed, holding the pictures close to her heart. She’s deep in thought about something and decides to get dressed in her hanbok and heads to Arirang kitchen.

Assistant Kim drops Baek Sul off at her mansion, and Do Yoon greets her officially. As her son, Kim Do Yoon.

Just like an old habit, Doo Hee cooks when she’s stressed. As she chops the veggies, her mind becomes filled with Joon Young. Her head begins to throb, causing tears to slip down her distressed face. The more she sees their past interactions, the more her brain wrestles to get that piece of memory out. She struggles to stand straight and falls over the counter. When she looks up, Joon Young is standing right there, tears falling from her eyes, yet she does not move to help Doo Hee at all. Rather, Joon Young turns around and exits the room, which is when Doo Hee screams out, “In Joo! In Joo-ah!”

Alice: The last scene is interesting. Is it the real Joon Young? Or just a figment of Doo Hee’s imagination because she feels bad for mistreating her own daughter? I think the switch to Lady Amnesia’s brain has turned on, releasing the news she buried 22 years ago.

To be completely honest, I could barely finish recapping this episode. My brain partially checked out when the editor cut out the most anticipated scene ever! Will we get to see a flashback? I really doubt it, seeing how the past cut scenes haven’t been added anywhere. I’m telling you, if episode 31 & 32 are not about our beanie couple, I’m sending my guards to Korea and have them throw stink bombs at the writer’s house. I did not spend 32 hours watching this drama to have you cheat me out of my romance!

And Joon Young. Really, girl? Of all the things you could have said, you chose to say the most cruelest thing to Do Yoon? He’s not dumb, so if you had explained it to him, he would’ve gladly accepted the plan. Do you not know the dude? Let’s see, he gave you his love, heart, soul, and pride. What else do you need? Abs? I know Joon Young didn’t mean what she said but she delivered it in a way that hit him the hardest. And that’s mean to someone who has been there for her since the beginning. I’m tired of Do Yoon silently enduring all this pain. JOON YOUNG BETTER BE THE ONE TO CHASE HIM FROM NOW ON!!

Do Yoon and Baek Sul. This episode gives me headaches regarding these two. I thought their relationship improved to a certain level after the various interactions, pushed by her liking towards Joon Young. But now, she has allowed revenge to step in between them once again. I wanted Do Yoon to forgive and come back to her on his own will. So when he’s forced to side with her, it’s just fuzzy and painful to watch because the sadness behind his smile is as clear as the sky. Writer, make it right!