A Thousand Kisses Episode 11 Recap and Link

Episode 11: http://joonmedia.tv/videos/play/41237/5

Recap:
As Joo Young slowly and a bit unsteadily walks back into the emergency room, Woo Bin runs and envelops her in a bear hug. He thanks her for being alive and that he must have imagined the worst case scenario. Rebuking her lightly for how scared he was when their phone call was abruptly interrupted on a scream, he asks what happened. She briefly explains that a motorcyclist side-swiped her and that she’s all right. He then urges her to get some sleep and leaves when she says that she can’t while he’s there. (He’s so adorable how he’s so distracted yet willing to do anything she asks.)

Joo Mi leaves to go visit Woo Jin’s house to visit with his parents and answer some questions they have for her. Meanwhile, the grandmother opens a cardboard box and worriedly looks over her savings accounts to see if she’ll have enough to help pay for Joo Mi’s wedding.

Outside the hospital, Woo Bin answers a call from his employee and then apologizes for not calling him to explain that things with Joo Young are all right. When the older brother comments that from Woo Bin's reaction, he thought that she had gotten into a major accident. Woo Bin gets all huffy-puffy that the co-worker seems disappointed that she’s all right. (Gotta love his state of emotions right now. LOL)

Joo Mi meets with Woo Jin and his parents at their home and answers some questions about her parents. As she talks about her father who used to work as a professor at a university, Woo Jin’s mother looks startled and silently tells herself that what she suspects can’t be true since Joo Mi has a different name than her daughter. But she’s left reeling when Joo Mi talks about how her parents divorced when she was 3 and that she doesn’t know her mother’s face since her grandmother got rid of all the pictures (only the grandmother knows about the one remaining photo had the father had kept tucked inside one of his old books, perhaps an indication that he still cared for his ex-wife and wished he had forgiven her so many years ago.)

While doing dishes, Woo Jin’s mother asks Joo Mi about her sister. Joo Mi tells her that her older sister’s name is Joo Young and that her name used to be Joo Ah but that her grandmother changed her name to Joo Mi at age 6 so that she can get stronger (since she was such a sickly child). The mother is shaken to know that her younger daughter had been sick and asks if she was sick a lot. Joo Mi says yes and that that even now, she has a slight case of anemia but is all right. When the mother presses her to get treatment for the anemia, no matter how minor the case (love the motherly concern still), Joo Mi explains that she’s all right. The mother then asks what her father’s name was. When Joo Mi mentions her father’s name in the honorific form, the mere mention of her ex-husband’s name causes the mom to collapse and break a teacup. As she struggles to pick up the broken pieces, she cuts herself and excuses herself to go get it bandaged. Once safely inside her bedroom, she tries to calm her tumultuous feelings.

Woo Jin comes into the kitchen and tells Joo Mi that his aunt and uncle will be joining them for dinner. When she expresses anxiety, he tells her it’s probably better to just get the meeting of elders over with; otherwise, they have to meet them anyhow at a separate time. The mother’s surprised at the sudden invite since she wasn’t prepared for dinner guests. (dang, how like a man to spring surprise dinner guests on his wife at the last moment).

Meanwhile, Woo Bin’s mom, while getting ready to go to Woo Jin’s house, speculates on what type of girl has changed Woo Jin’s determination to not marry. The dad simply smiles and says that when a man falls in love, it’s only natural that he wants to marry. (LOL) Then Woo Bin’s father sternly warns his wife not to make things awkward by sticking her nose in the wedding by asking about a dowry, family background, etc. She gets miffed that her husband won’t let her ask anything. He then tells her to try to forget what happened with Woo Jin’s stepmother so long ago. He mentions that even Jesus says to forgive and forget. He asks her to please forget the past.

Joo Young returns home to the family’s surprise at her wound. She minimizes the event and says that she got into an accident. (No mention of the motorcycle or hospital so that no one worries needlessly).

Hye Bin and Yoo Kyung visit a shoe boutique and Yoo Kyung buys her one of her company’s shoes. Over drinks at a local coffee shop, Hye Bin asks why Yoo Kyung called her for drinks that one time. Yoo Kyung finally confesses in vague terms that Woo Bin misunderstood things between her and her old boyfriend. (I so dislike how she leaves out how Woo Bin caught her making out with her old boyfriend…how is that a misunderstanding?!)

Woo Jin’s family (minus Soo Ah) and Woo Bin’s parents gather for dinner and share pleasantries over dinner. Woo Bin’s dad says that since he’s going to be her “small father-in-law” (Korean term for the father-in-law’s younger brother), he’ll just call her Joo Mi rather than the polite term to call strangers. (This shows how they're really quick to accept her into the family.) They talk of wedding plans and arrange to have the meeting between the two families that weekend much to the mother's increasing concern.

When Joo Mi returns home, she tells her family of the weekend’s meeting. They are surprised that things are getting so rushed but then laugh when the aunt-grandmother mentions that the bachelor Woo Jin must really want to marry Joo Mi quickly.

In the quiet of her bedroom while her husband sleeps, Woo Jin’s stepmother looks over her only picture of her two daughters and sheds silent tears as she reflects upon the day’s events and her feelings. When her husband calls from the bed, asking if she’s not sleeping, she wipes her tears, tucks away the photo in a case and then inside her vanity drawer before retiring for the night.

Seated outside on their porch, Joo Mi and Joo Young talk about the upcoming wedding and how Joo Young has such a hard time believing that her little sister is getting married. Joo Mi comments that she can’t either, and Joo Young tells her that she must make sure to be happy. She teases Joo Mi about her childhood nickname: leech. Because she stuck to her like a leech, Joo Young was often late to school. Joo Mi wonders why she bothered her small older sister when she had her grandmother. Talk then turns to their mother, whom they haven’t seen since their childhood. Joo Mi wonders where their mother is and why grandmother won’t let them talk about her or ask about her. She asks if Joo Young still hates her mother. Joo Young answers that when she became a mother, she understood that a mother can’t abandon her child. She then reassures her younger sister that she’ll act as her mother and help her with the wedding plans.

Woo Jin’s mother lies in bed deep in thought.

The next morning, Woo Jin and Woo Bin meet over coffee. Woo Bin wonders who this woman is to have changed his older cousin’s mind so drastically. Woo Jin comments that she makes him laugh and smile while he mentally reminisces about her efforts to make him laugh. Woo Bin asks to see her today, but Woo Jin says that he has to go down to the resort so they’ll have to reschedule for another day. Woo Bin then asks him for advice on love; what does it mean that he thinks rationally one minute and then emotionally the next? Woo Jin tells him that that seems like a difficult question for him, at which Woo Bin concurs and rhetorically asks what he thought he could possibly learn from his older cousin who just recently changed his own mind about love. (LOL…it's so cute how the drama is showing more of their cousin relationship)

As Woo Bin returns to his office, he can’t seem to get Joo Young off his mind. His older employee/manager asks what the deal is with Joo Young because when Joo Young first broke the celadon vase, he was embarrassed by how stingy Woo Bin had acted and then yesterday, Woo Bin was acting like a crazy man. Woo Bin tells him to give it a rest since the guy already chewed him out over the phone yesterday. Then just a few minutes later, Woo Bin catches himself smiling like a lunatic again with thoughts of Joo Young so excuses himself to go exercise…(LOL. he's only been in the office a few minutes! Talk about distracted!) His office staff is left in shock over his erratic behavior.

Joo Young, while dressing her head wound, thinks back on yesterday’s events as well. With a resolved expression, she tries to remind herself not to think such wayward thoughts.

Meanwhile, Woo Bin tries to physically work out his thoughts and emotions out on the racquetball court.

Joo Mi and Woo Jin drive down to the resort, Joo Mi asks brightly what she’s to do at the resort. He tells her to play until he gets off work. She asks if she’s only keeping him company then so that he won’t be bored on his drive to and from work, and Woo Jin says that’s only in part. Then he smoothly turns on his CD, which has a radio DJ narrating a listener’s radio note to the station. Joo Mi thinks it's actually a radio program. Listening to the story, Joo Mi comments that this sounds just like their story. (Love the look on Woo Jin’s face when the radio announcer reads that the listener wondered what kind of weird woman would run backwards right into a man…as if to say that’s you! LOL. I love how his playful side is starting to slowly emerge.) She then gets an inkling that this is something Woo Jin sent and listens with excitement and emotion. The radio DJ continues to read that the guy “doesn’t know much about love but feels as though this woman can teach him about love. She’s a magician who’s cast a spell over his heart. She’s gotten him to think seriously about marriage. Joo Mi, will you marry me, Jang Woo Jin?” Squealing, Joo Mi reaches over and hugs Woo Jin while he’s driving. (Ack! So cute! Woo Jin's surprised expression is priceless!~) She then asks how he was able to think of such an unexpected and romantic event. Woo Jin truthfully answers that he didn’t send a note to the radio station. (Drat the man for his honesty!) Ejecting the CD and handing it to her, he tells her that he contacted an events company because he knew that she liked romance and events. They planned this for him. Joo Mi announces that she’s been duped. However, she quickly rebounds and says that she’s still touched by his gesture and reaches over to give him a quick peck on the cheek. (Yes, the man is definitely liking spending time with her and receiving "skinship" LOL)

Back at Woo Jin's home, his stepmother is sick with worry as she anticipates the upcoming family meeting this Saturday. She knows that she has to do something to prevent a major disaster with her ex-mother-in-law.

Later that night, Joo Young meets Woo Bin outside her house and asks why he’s here out of the blue. Woo Bin asks her why she’s followed him all day long. (Really?!  Is he seriously using that old pick-up line? LOL I have to admit, though, that it sounds cute coming from him in that way) Without his permission, why is she running around freely in his head? He wants to hold/hug her. Startled, Joo Young asks him to not be like this. With tears welling up in her eyes, she reminds him that she’s Chan-Ho’s mom and an divorcee. Woo Bin demands what other reason she can give that he doesn’t know. Is the fact that she’s 3 years older than him an issue? He tells her to leave that out since he already knows that, too. He demands that she give him a reason he doesn't know. At his stubborness, She leaves and says she has nothing to say to a man who refuses to understand her.

Once inside the safety of her front yard, Joo Young leans against a wall trying to calm her racing heart. Woo Bin goes for a drink to deal with her stubborness and how he's going to convince her to date him.

The next morning, the aunt-grandmother goes to visit Tae Kyung’s mother and says that despite the situation with the kids, they’re still friends, so she came to visit. She then starts to brag about Joo Mi’s future husband and how he’s rich and better looking than even Jang Dong Gun (LOL…so she went to brag...and nah, Ryu Jin is more handsome!) While they talk, Yoon Hee comes in and claims that she’s the new daughter-in-law. When Tae Kyung’s mother denies it, Yoon Hee insists it's true since she’s bearing Tae Kyung’s child. The aunt-grandmother leaves in a huff, spitting on the floor to signify she's finished with the family. Yoon Hee then tells Tae Kyung's mother that despite their wish for Joo Young and Tae Kyung to reconcile, she is going to be the future daughter-in-law.

The aunt-grandmother goes home to vent about the unexpected development, leaving Joo Young with new thoughts to consider.

Yoon Hee visits Tae Kyung at his office and drags him out to see and select a wedding dress. Tae Kyung shouts that he’s not even officially divorced yet (they’re in the waiting period) and even if the divorce becomes official, he has no plans to ever remarry.

Joo Young does laundry out in her frontyard, and her grandmother comforts her to not be bothered by how many children he has. Joo Young tells her she's not bothered and then gets a phone from Woo Bin.

Meeting outside at their usual park bench, Woo Bin confesses that he doesn’t know why his emotions are like this or how they came to be like this, but he tells her to not avoid him since he’s going to be meeting her now as a man. (Appreciate that he's so direct and truthful with her) She tells him that she didn’t meet him as a man. She met him because he was a kind neighbor to her. Woo Bin tells her he’s not going to be meeting her that way anymore to which she replies that she won’t able to meet him then. Woo Bin asks her to give him a reason other than her being Chan-Ho’s mom or divorced. She get up to leave and tells him that she won’t have any reason to meet him in the future then. Frustrated, he can only watch as she walks swiftly from him.

While Joo Mi’s on her laptop working on an article, she receives a call from Woo Jin’s mother asking for a meeting. As they walk through a historical Korean site (love the painting on the hanok--traditional Korean--buildings), the mother asks Joo Mi questions about her family and whether her sister’s married. Joo Mi answers that her sister got married. The mother confirms and is sad that Joo Mi doesn’t have any memories of her mother. Sitting at a park bench later, the mother asks Joo Mi for her home phone number since she’ll have to contact Joo Mi's grandmother for the Saturday meeting and wedding plans. (So sad how the mother was barred from ever contacting her children and the phone number was changed to prevent any contact. And she has to use subterfuge on her daughter to contact the ex-mother-in-law) The mother then asks permission to touch Joo Mi’s hand (kill me softly…how heart-wrenching that the mother so gingerly yet oh-so-tenderly treasures her daughter’s hand. She's been through a lot over the past 23 years...how tragic that one event can so drastically alter a person's life...lesson learned!) Commenting on how beautiful Joo Mi’s hands are, the mother asks if Joo Mi “really likes, no loves, Woo Jin.” She reassures Joo Mi that she asks this without any hidden motives. She’s just concerned that things are happening so quickly; Joo Mi had acted as Woo Jin's fake girlfriend and now is making plans to marry him. Does she love him enough to weather any storms that may test her feelings for him? Joo Mi reassures her that her feelings won’t change even though she doesn’t know what the future holds for them. (I love how the mother is trying in her own way to confirm if her daughter is really happy and marrying for the right reasons.)

Driving Joo Mi back to the house, the mother takes in all the details of the small road leading up to Joo Mi’s house. When she returns home, she’s startled to find her husband home from work, indicating her frail state of mind right now. He tells her that reservations have been make to meet this Saturday at a well-known traditional Korean restaurant. Inside her bedroom, she debates whether to call and then makes the dreaded phone call to her ex-mother-in-law. When the mother-in-law tries to hang up, she urgently asks her not hang up; she’s calling about Joo Mi!