Keeping your Enemies Close
Hwa-Young is finally aware of the truth which spells trouble for poor Cheong-Ah yet again as she is determined to get rid of her and Si-Wol. This latest plot development adds more urgency and of course more drama to the show. At the same time, Joon-Hwi is still determined to win Cheong-Ah over and both are getting closer to the truth as well. We start as Yu-Ra heads inside Si-Wol’s place. He asks her if she really can get his case re-tried and why her name was on the file. She replies that she was the first one to report the accident as she found the old lady on the floor. He’s surprised that she still wants to help him and goes on to tell her he reminds her of her son. After Yu-Ra leaves, Si-Wol calls Cheong-Ah to tell her all about his conversation. Cheong-Ah wonders just what happened as she knows Joon-Gyeom was the one who caused the accident. The next day, Hwa-Young and Jin-Woo argues about the upcoming shareholder meeting. His mum then mentions that it doesn’t really matter because after listening to Seol-Ah’s radio show, she can tell that they are in love. This upsets him and as he gets ready, he’s surprised to see Hae-Rang turning up in his dressing room. He quickly gets rid of her as he can’t look at her face anymore. Hwa-Young decides to meet with Yoo-Jin, the attorney, and asks him about Si-Wol’s case. After she offers him money, the lawyer admits that Yu-Ra wanted the trial to be closed quickly while the victim was alive and also that she came to see him a few days ago to take the file away and to make sure he stays quiet about it. Seol-Ah meets with her producer, Jin-Soo, who needs to ask her for a favour. Their show needs more adverts so she suggests that she asks Jin-Woo to get Intermarket to buy some spots. This doesn’t please Seol-Ah who tells her she can’t do it despite her producer asking her to think about it first. As Jin-Soo leaves the room, she comes face to face with Jin-Woo and asks him the same question. In the police station, the other policemen seem to avoid Cheong-Ah which makes her sad. She later has a conversation with Joon-Ik who tries to reassure her about a potential disciplinary hearing. He tells her that he doesn’t think she would be dismissed and thinks she was born to be a cop as she always thinks of others before herself. As she steps out, she is surprised to see Joon-Hwi waiting for her. He takes her for some lunch and, noticing her colleagues eating without her, Joon-Hwi realises that they are avoiding her. She tells him that her boss knows about the past so Joon-Hwi decides to take Cheong-Ah to their table to join them. He helps break the ice and Cheong-Ah apologises in advance if a disciplinary meeting arises. She will do her best to make sure they’re kept out of it but asks for them to treat her how they always have before. During dinner, Joon-Ik speaks to Hae-Rang and asks if she knew who bullied her in high school. She lies of course, while her father tells them about the suicide pack and what happened with Joon-Gyeom. He explains that the statue of limitation has expired but she may still lose her job because of it. Tae-Rang decides to call Seol-Ah and warns her about what he just found out. Seol-Ah becomes outraged as it’s unfair that her sister has to keep suffering. He tries to apologise but she rejects it, however he explains that it’s very difficult for him too as he has to avoid her and is not even allowed to love her. After wishing Hae-Rang wasn’t his sister, she apologises too. The next day, Hwa-Young finds an article revealing that Cheong-Ah had a suicide pack, prompting her to ask Hae-Rang to find out more about it. She agrees but acts very frazzled. Hwa-Young then realises that Joon-Gyeom didn’t die from saving her but committed suicide. Meanwhile, Si-Wol arrives at Yu-Ra’s house where she tells him she found an attorney for his re-trial. Joon-Hwi arrives and is surprised to see Si-Wol there. His mum explains that she is filing for a retrial and after dinner, both boys talk about the accident. Joon-Hwi asks about the victim so Si-Wol tells him to contact Woori hospital in Paju, as it’s where the lady stayed. After Si-Wol leaves, Joon-Hwi confronts his mum about the accident again. After asking more questions about what she was doing that night, she lies and tells him she doesn’t remember. He doesn’t really believe her though and hopes that the re-trial will clear all the doubts surrounding the case. Hwa-Young is getting close to the truth as she rushes to her sister, demanding to know if Joon-Gyeom killed himself and if it’s all connected with the hit and run, especially given she knows Yu-Ra has been covering the case. She insists that she’s on her side and to tell her the truth so they can destroy Cheong-Ah and put Si-Wol back in prison. Yu-Ra finally admits the truth so Hwa-Young insists on taking care of things by crushing Cheong-Ah first. In the station, Joon-Ik has managed to find Si-Wol’s file and gives it to Cheong-Ah. Leaving the building, Joon-Hwi waits to give her a lift. He follows her to a karate class where she gets knocked down by her instructor. Joon-Hwi lays beside her and after some sweet talking, the episode ends with the two sharing a kiss. While Cheong-Ah is trying hard to take herself away from the pain she has to endure when seeing Joon-Hwi, the latter is definitely doing his best to make sure Cheong-Ah doesn’t suffer anymore. I’m hoping she will open her heart to him again once the truth is out in the open for everyone. Unfortunately, she still has quite a few hurdles ahead to face with the disciplinary hearing at work, and also with Hwa-Young determined to crush her once and for all. Seol-Ah is still having trouble in her love triangle and I’m curious to see who she will end up with. Tae-Rang is obviously the better choice because Jin-Woo cheated on her but he’s the one she has the most chemistry and a long history with. Evidence also points towards Hae-Rang being the twin sister of Si-Wol, which again shows that everyone is connected in Beautiful Love. All these interwoven plot points definitely help this weekend drama remain consistent and engaging, even after 76 episodes!
