A Thousand Kisses Episode 12 Recap and Link

Episode 12: http://joonmedia.tv/videos/play/41274/5
Recap: (note: to avoid confusion, I call Joo Young and Joo Mi's biological mom "Woo Jin's mother" and I just realized that Yoon Hee is actually Joon Hee...I miswrote her name in the previous recap...sorry.)

The episode opens with Woo Jin’s mother calling the grandmother and asking her for a meeting to discuss Joo Mi’s situation. Meanwhile, Joo Mi and Woo Jin visit the traditional Korean restaurant to plan Saturday's dinner. Joo Mi's surprised by the price ($350/person) but Woo Jin calmly tells her that they need to first try the meal to see if it's tasty. Joo Mi replies that at that price, she knows it's going to be tasty. (LOL) She tells him that she's afraid her lips will bloat because the meal is so expensive. He reassures her that her lips won't. (LOL so cute how he's starting to joke with her.)

Grandmother and mother meet, and the grandmother assumes that the mother doesn’t want the wedding to happen either. She’s surprised then when the mother asks her for permission for the wedding to happen. Although her husband knows about her past, since Joo Mi thinks of her as dead, she asks the grandmother to please give her permission to the wedding; nothing can be gained from objecting but giving the couple heartache. The grandmother refuses, saying that a mother cannot be a mother-in-law. With tears welling in her eyes, the mother begs that since she’s already dead to her girls for abandoning them, she doesn’t want to add to that sin by becoming a mother who's blocked her daughter’s marriage and chance at happiness. She then explains that since Woo Jin lost his mother at such a young age, she’s rarely seen him smile. Joo Mi’s changed all that, and she doesn’t want to take that away from him. The grandmother refuses to budge in her objection to this marriage and tells the mother that she’s going to object, citing the extreme differences in their family background as a reason.

Leaving the meeting with her ex-daughter-in-law, the grandmother visits her son’s grave and tells him that she can’t allow this marriage to happen after what his ex-wife’s done: break up the family when she had an affair with one of his students.

Woo Jin's mother walks back and recalls the conversation and the past. The grandmother had told her to leave the house and never look back after what she did to the family; never contact them!

Joo Young and Chan Ho shop, and Joo Young buys Chan Ho a skateboard (rip board?) because he begs her for one (ah, children and their begging...). As she watches him learn to skate, she receives a phone call from Woo Bin, which she promptly ignores. He then sends her a text message telling her to answer his call. She ignores that one, too. He sends another one telling her that she won’t be able to avoid him. (good thing he's a good guy, or I'd be screaming, "Stalker!" right about now.)

At Tae Kyung’s house, Joon Hee brings in a wedding dress and tells the mother that she and Tae Kyung will be getting married. The mother promptly gets upset, wondering if her son is that reckless and a cad.

Joo Mi comes home and excitedly tells her two grandmothers about the restaurant for Saturday’s dinner meeting.

Meanwhile, Woo Jin’s mother returns home to an angry husband, who’s upset that his wife came home so late without any word; she didn't even bother to call. Startled, she tells him that she lost track of time while looking at wedding gifts and meeting with a friend. (She looks so anxious...sigh...what a sad life she leads) Soo Ah comes down and plays mediator between her parents and mentions that she didn’t know her mother had any friends (how sad…the mother doesn’t have any friends...wonder if she lost them all when she had the affair and then as penance just never made any new ones). The mother goes into the kitchen to prepare dinner since her husband had refused to eat earlier without his wife.

Tae Kyung comes home for the evening and is surprised to see a wedding dress hanging in his room. He reminds Joon Hee that he’s still not officially divorced and even then, he refuses to marry her. Joon Hee says they will. When he stalks out of his bedroom, she mutters, "We'll see..." (scary woman...what can she possible be planning...anyone else thinks she's lying about the baby and trying to trap Tae Kyung in a speedy marriage before she's found out?)

Woo Bin texts Joo Young good night, a text message that she ignores once again. (Got to hand it to the guy, though...he's persistent)

The next morning, Joo Mi prepares a lunch for Woo Jin. She asks her grandmother to taste test the rice ball and give her some points, but the grandmother refuses. Joo Mi, oblivious to her grandmother’s mood, then brightly says that she will prepare the meal without any help so that she can claim she made it all by herself. She then tells the grandmother that she would have been in despair if Woo Jin’s father had objected to the marriage. She’s so happy right now. She hopes nothing takes her happiness away. At Joo Mi's words, the grandmother worries, knowing that she's going to have to take her granddaughter's happiness away soon.

Hye Bin calls a matchmaking company and then tells her mother that she’s decided to get married and get out of her mother’s hair. She just needs the money now. (LOL. I really don't know what to think about this irresponsible older sister...oh wait, I just did. LOL I-R-R-E-S-P-O-N-S-I-B-L-E. I wonder who the writers are going to use as her love match...Woo Bin's older assoicate?)

At the shoe company, the staff gather around to judge the submissions.

On the grounds of KJResort, Woo Jin is seen jogging toward Joo Mi in his suit. He is pleasantly surprised with a homemade (doshirak) lunch from her. Looking at her skeptically (love how he’s learning to tease her), he asks if she didn’t buy this from the store. She insists that she made it. With a bit of an anticipatory look, he opens the case. Fishing for a compliment, Joo Mi asks, “Doesn’t it look pretty?” He replies, “What’s important is the taste.” As he tastes, Joo Mi concludes by his look that it’s tasty. When he asks if she really made it all by herself and without any help from grandmother, she utters a shocked "It must be that good." He tells her to eat, too, or he’ll eat it all himself. She tells him that’s all right; she can make more when she gets home. He then gently places her chopsticks in her hands, and they share a tender look. Joo Mi savors the moment (so cute how she holds onto her chopsticks) and doesn’t eat. Woo Jin, seeing this, feeds her a riceball. (Looks like Joo Mi’s dreams of romance are slowing becoming a reality with the “Ice” man. LOL) They then talk a bit more about possibly living by themselves once they marry and then Joo Mi feeds Woo Jin a riceball to which he’s pleased. (a first for both of them...)

Joo Mi returns home happy from her date but quickly panics when her grandmother tells her that the grandmother can’t accept this marriage on the pretext that their family backgrounds are too different. Joo Mi asks her grandmother to explain a bit more clearly so that she can understand. Woo Jin’s family isn’t one to care about a wedding dowry. The aunt-grandmother doesn’t know what’s going on and Joo Mi desperately tries to find a solution, suggesting that if Woo Jin’s parents are all right with her bringing no dowry, then it will be all right. The grandmother insists on objecting and Joo Mi goes into her room to cry.

Joo Young walks home from the grocery store to find Chan Ho and Woo Bin playing soccer at the local playground. (He’s a man, all right. LOL. When the woman ignores him, he goes to her.) Sending Chan Ho home so that she can speak with Woo Bin alone, she tells him to please leave her alone and not come by anymore. Woo Bin asks, “Do you really not like me? Don’t you know I’m a pretty good catch?” (heh heh) He then tells her that he’ll keep coming. (Persistence, baby! that's how my friend's husband got my friend to marry her, too!) At his stubbornness, she lists all the reasons why she doesn’t understand his interest, specifically leaving out her motherhood and divorced status since he claims those don't matter: she’s short, not that pretty, not smart, etc. He agrees, which deflates her a bit. (LOL) Then taking her grocery bag, he runs to her house and gives the bag to her grandmother. He then drives Joo Young somewhere, telling her that he's forcing her to spend time with him; otherwise, she won’t give him the time of day. He then takes her to a dance club and leads her onto the dance floor. He meets a friend there, and when the friend asks about Joo Young, he simply replies that he’s in the process of wooing. (LOL). When the music changes to a ballad, Joo Young leaves him on the dance floor. Instead of accepting the rejection, Woo Bin sees the chance for an unprepared event. He gets on the microphone and confesses to the clubbers that he apologizes for the interruption but that he’s grabbing this chance, an unplanned event, to try to convince the woman he loves that he loves her. She doesn’t seem to believe him. Announcing to her over the microphone that he thinks he’s become addicted to her, Woo Bin starts to sing and play his guitar.

Driving her home later that night, he asks if he sang well. At her silence, he wonders aloud what he should do next if she doesn’t like his singing. Joo Young says that she knows he’s a great guy, but she can’t go to him and that she won’t change her mind. Woo Bin retorts that he won’t change his mind either. He’s decided not to calculate and rationalize. He knows all her shortcomings but still likes her, so he’s decided to stop trying to make sense of his feelings.

Joo Young returns home to a crying Joo Mi. She comforts her and tells her to not cry when nothing’s been finalized. The grandmother will relent once she hears from the elders on Woo Jin’s side.

The next day, Joo Mi meets Woo Jin and tells him the situation with the grandmother. He tells her not to worry and that he’ll explain everything, especially since his father had told him to relay the message that they don’t need to prepare a dowry. (Isn't it adorable how Woo Jin doesn't like her crying?)

Meeting the grandmother, Woo Jin explains the situation. The grandmother still refuses, saying that that’s Woo Jin's side. She still doesn’t want them to marry, but if they are determined, perhaps they should take some more time to get to know each other better.

Outside Joo Mi's house, as Woo Jin gets ready to leave, he asks Joo Mi if her grandmother will really insist on objecting to this marriage to the very end. He’s confused since his family’s not that rich. He wonders if the grandmother would cease her objections if his father resigned from his chairman position, which is unrealistic. At his ridiculous mutterings, Joo Mi tells him to go home. A bit put out, he asks her if she wants him to leave so early. Surprised by his questions, she bashfully looks at him and says no. At her reply, he smiles. (Ha! Their romance is so sweet.)

Back home, Woo Jin explains the situation to his parents, but his father suspects that there is another reason other than their family background. (smart man. There's a reason why he's the chairman.) However, he agrees to postpone the marriage meeting.

As Woo Jin’s mother’s about to sleep, she gets a call from the grandmother to meet the next day. At the meeting, the grandmother tells her that she can’t allow this wedding to happen, so the mother needs to do her part and reveal all. This way, Joo Mi and Woo Jin will finally accept her objections. No biological mother can be a mother-in-law. The mother begs her to allow this marriage since she’s a dead person to her girls. The grandmother demands how she can think of the mother as dead, refusing to forget what she’s done to her son, a woman who drove a stake through his heart. The mother begs, saying that she was only Joo Young’s age when she made that mistake. She was young and reckless, not knowing what was really important. She’s lived the past 20 years or so regretting. The grandmother leaves, reiterating that she can never accept this marriage.

Back at home, Joo Young tries to convince her grandmother not to object to Woo Jin; she thinks he’s a good guy and that she hopes her failed marriage doesn’t affect the grandmother’s stance regarding Joo Mi’s wedding. As they talk, Tae Kyung unexpectedly comes to visit with a wedding preparation gift for the grandmother. When Joo Young asked how he heard, he mentions that the aunt-grandmother came up. Not wanting to spend any more time with him than necessary, Joo Young shows him to the door.

The two grandmothers and Joo Young fix some side dishes in the kitchen when Joo Young gets a phone call from the shoe company telling her that she’s won the grand prize. The family celebrates.

At around the same time, Woo Bin is at his office, pouring over the results to the shoe contest. Abruptly getting out of his seat, he lifts his hands up in the air and announce “Grand prize! Grand prize!” (So cute! I know I love Woo Jin and Joo Mi couple, but Woo Bin’s slowly starting to worm his way into my heart with his cuteness towards Joo Young) Surprise, his employees ask what’s the grand prize. However without answering, Woo Bin tells his associate to take care of the afternoon schedules and leaves for the day.

After confirming that she’s the winner of the grand prize, Joo Young sits down for the awards ceremony. Meanwhile, Woo Bin grabs a bouquet of flowers and drives to the ceremony. Running into the building, (gotta love the way he takes the stairs 3 or 4 steps at a time…dang! The man has long legs!) he congratulates Joo Young with flowers and a bear hug, saying softly in her ears that he shouldn’t lose an opportunity. (LOL) Yoo Kyung, thinking that he’s there with flowers for her, is rudely surprised when Woo Bin congratulates, hugs, and drags Joo Young out. She’s so surprised and baffled that she follows them all the way to the elevator. (Is it just me, or is her character that unbelievable?)

Outside, Woo Bin ushers a reluctant Joo Young into his car while Tae Kyung, arriving late to congratulate his ex-wife with flowers, sees them leave in Woo Bin’s car. The episode ends with a frozen shot of his shocked face.