A Thousand Kisses Episode 14 Recap and Link

Episode 14: http://joonmedia.tv/videos/play/41471/5

Recap: Thanks for all the kind words and your patience while waiting for this episode's recap. I hope the recap is deemed well worth the wait. :) I even tried to translate Woo Bin and Joo Young's dialogue in detail since some of you were dying to know what that conversation was all about...my way of making the wait sweeter, I suppose. :) On a side note, it turns out that the scandal with Woo Jin's stepmother involved Woo Bin's mother's younger brother, not sister as I originally wrote. Because the drama used the Korean work for younger sibling, which is gender neutral, I assumed it was a younger sister, not a younger brother. Now we know that the scandal involved Woo Bin's mother's younger brother who immigrated in the midst of his studies as a consequence of falling in love with his professor's wife. Anyhow, without further ado, here's the recap in all its "glory" LOL:


The episode resumes with the Woo family climbing up the stairs of the restaurant to meet the Jang family. As introductions are made, Woo Jin’s mother looks upon Joo Young with contained emotion while the grandmother sits stoically silent.

Meanwhile, the aunt grandmother vents and rants at home as she packs up her belongings to leave. Going into the kitchen, she drowns her sorrows with a bottle of soju (Korean hard liquor).

Back at the restaurant, the two families draw the meal to a close with dessert. As Woo Jin’s father asks whether they enjoyed the meal, Soo Ah says aloud that she didn’t particularly enjoy the traditional Korean meal. Joo Young and Joo Mi find her comment cute and smile together. As the elders continue in their talk, Soo Ah keeps speaking inappropriately, much to the amusement of Joo Mi and her sister, and Soo Ah apologies for her inappropriate comments. The grandmother then mentions that Joo Mi may not know much because she was raised by a grandmother but that she hopes the Jangs would teach Joo Mi what she doesn’t know. At this, Joo Mi waves her hands over her face to cool herself, whispering when Joo Young cautions her to behave, that this means she’s going to suffer as a new daughter-in-law. (LOL That would be interesting to see, Joo Mi suffering under the hands of her biological mother as a hard-driving mother-in-law) Soo Ah asks loudly what the two sisters are talking about. The father apologizes for Soo Ah's comments and says that Soo Ah is sometimes lacking in polite etiquette because she was born to them in their old age. He then asks how they should deal with the engagement. At this, the grandmother flinches a bit and then says that she’ll follow their lead. (She’s a bit concerned about expenses since in Korea, the bride’s side takes care of the engagement.)

The Woo family returns home to find the aunt grandmother drunk and still drinking. The grandmother tells the aunt grandmother that if she really wants, she can leave since she came here freely as well. The aunt grandmother tries to give her farewell bow to the grandmother but only manages to tumble down the stairs. She wails in her pain and suddenly says that she thinks she hears a creak and that she’s dying. (LOL…as much as this character annoys me at times, she does have her comedic moments.)

Woo Jin’s mother calls Woo Bin’s mother to let her know how the pre-wedding family meeting went. After hearing about the meeting, Woo Bin’s mother offers her help if Woo Jin’s mother needs assistance with anything. Woo Bin’s father comes in and asks his wife what they should give as a wedding gift, and the father thinks about paying for the honeymoon, something big since it’s the first wedding in the family.

Back at Woo Jin’s house, his father wonders what must still be bothering Joo Mi’s grandmother since she looked pensive and unhappy during the meal. Woo Jin’s mother tries to allay his concerns but looks worried herself once she leaves her husband’s presence. (Poor mom...she has to deal with the constant fear of her secret getting out and her former mother-in-law's disapproval.)

Woo Bin calls Joo Young to find out how Joo Mi’s pre-wedding family meeting went and then asks her out for a meal. When she refuses, he switches tactics and asks her to buy him a meal then. She still resists, saying that she has to help her grandmother with dinner. At her continued refusal, he asks her to speak to him kindly, no warmly, he modifies because he feels like she’s so distant with him. He then says that her refusal to meet him will give him a good reason to take his employees out for dinner. (Poor guy…gotta give him props for trying and still keeping a bright face about it.)

Woo Jin returns from taking Joo Mi home, and the father asks about the engagement. Woo Jin comments that he thinks the hesitation on the grandmother's part might be due to the expenses since the bride’s side usual takes care of the engagement. The father then declares that they don’t need to have the engagement ceremony if it’s a burden for them.

Joo Mi washes her face at home and receives a phone call from Woo Jin’s mother who asks to meet with Joo Mi and Joo Young.

Meeting with the two girls, the mother drinks in the sight of her daughters, especially Joo Young. Suppressing her emotions, the mother offers up a silent prayer of thanksgiving that her girls were able to grow up so well without their mother. She then asks why Joo Young’s husband wasn’t there at the pre-wedding family meeting and is saddened to hear that her daughter is divorced. Recovering from the shock that her daughter had to deal with the hardship of a divorce, especially without a mother to comfort her, she asks after Joo Young and makes sure that Joo Young is doing well even on her own. Afterwards, the mother takes the girls for shopping, claiming that she wants to buy Joo Mi an outfit and then tells Joo Young to pick something out for herself, too. (How sad that she has to use subterfuge to buy her daughters pretty clothes.) As they shop, a salesclerk comes by and compliments them on what a pretty picture they make, a mother with her two daughters. The mother is inwardly pleased while Joo Young explains that she’s not their mother but her sister’s future mother-in-law. The clerk insists that they look like family.

The girls return home and show their aunt grandmother their new clothes. Inside the kitchen, the grandmother fumes as she hears their exclaims of what a good time they had and how nice Woo Jin’s mother was to them. The grandmother stalks into her bedroom and calls Woo Jin’s mother. She sternly warns her to not play the mother to the girls because she won’t have it and hangs up. Woo Jin’s mother reels in shock at the verbal attack and stumbles over to her husband to give him his shower, making a few mistakes with his bath in her shock. (I get the feeling the woman is in for a mental breakdown if this level of stress keeps up.)

Soo Ah calls for her brother to hurry up and then asks how much he’s going to give her for her efforts in coordinating his outfit. He asks how much he should give her. She retorts that she’s not an amateur, and he replies that she's not a professional either. (LOL). She says she’s semi-pro and helps to pay for her tuition. Taking him to the department store, she dresses him up in leather jacket, to his great embarrassment. He tells her that this outfit is too much. She then has him try something different—a letterman’s jacket style outfit—and he says that this is the same as the last one. Soo Ah gets confused with the Korean term Woo Jin uses and they discuss the term’s usage for a bit. Woo Jin laughs at his younger sister’s thinking (Is it safe to say that Soo Ah is lacking a bit in the intellectual compartment? Or am I being mean? LOL)

Woo Jin looks over his outfit as he waits for Joo Mi to come out. When she comes outside and sees him, she does a double-take at his outfit. (LOL...her reaction is hilarious) Helpless to do much but laugh, she tells him he looks fine. He tells her that Soo Ah helped him pick out the outfit because Soo Ah didn’t want him to be teased by Joo Mi's friends for being older. Joo Mi, laughing, tells him that people her age don’t dress like that. His unease higher now, he asks if he should change. She reassures him that he’s fine as he is. (Nice fiancé to try to put her sweetheart at ease, although I cringe at the reception he’s going to receive in that INSANE outfit. LOL)

Seated at the meeting place with Joo Mi’s friends, Woo Jin listens in as Joo Mi’s friends tease her about how this Woo Jin does not look at all like the ahjussi (old man) Woo Jin they heard about. They then ask him to pour them a glass of wine, hand them a slice of cheese, etc. Joo Mi good-heartedly threatens them to watch out because she’ll return them this favor in spades once they get engaged. Woo Jin tries to stay calm, wiping his forehead and adjusting his jacket. (Poor guy. I bet this is more unnerving than a Spanish inquisition.)

Woo Jin excuses himself to go to the restroom and is unexpectedly noticed by his uncle there (an interesting place for guys to meet, huh?). The uncle, barely believing his eyes at such an oddly dressed Woo Jin, sneaks up behind Woo Jin in glee and knees him in the butt as Woo Jin washes his hands. Surprised to find his uncle there of all places, especially while he's dressed like that, he greets the uncle and then endures his uncle’s teasings about how Woo Jin looks like a kpop idol. (LOL) Embarrassed, he follows the uncle out to greet his aunt as well. They ask if he goes around dressed like this, and he quickly says that this is the first time. The uncle then whips out his phone to snap a photo of Woo Jin, who grimaces yet poses with a peace sign for the camera. (LOL…his expression is PRICELESS! I’m seriously laughing out loud as I type. I don’t even think Woo Jin realizes right now who else is going to be seeing him dressed like this. After all, the uncle now has him on digital film and will probably show his kids. LOL) He tells them he’ll get Joo Mi so that she can say hi to them, too. They tell him to not bother her while she’s with friends since they’re about to leave anyway.

Woo Jin returns, glad that he’s no longer in such an awkward situation only to be thrown into a more embarrassing one. As he sits down, the friends ask him when their first kiss was. (LOL…seriously, his expressions are PRICELESS! You’ve got to check them out…Ryu Jin does this look so well. LOL heh heh) With his face red (especially since they haven't kissed yet), he assures Joo Mi that he’s all right when Joo Mi tells her friends to stop teasing him.

Returning to his house, the uncle shows Hye Bin and Woo Jin the photo of Woo Jin. (LOL) The entire family has a good chuckle over the usually serious and formally-attired Woo Jin dressed like that.

Outside Joo Mi’s house, Joo Mi and Woo Jin attempt to have their first kiss...make that also Woo Jin's first kiss ever, I'm thinking. Joo Mi simply closes her eyes and waits for the kiss, but Woo Jin keeps bumping noses. After two unsuccessful attempts, he finally tilts his head enough to kiss her without bumping noses but is still unable to kiss her because of a phone call; just as they are about to kiss, the phone rings, causing them to jump apart as though they’ve been caught doing something illicit (LOL…it’s hilarious how Woo Jin pats himself down to try to find his phone while Joo Mi tries to look normal.) Answering the phone, Woo Jin’s face hardens as he realizes it’s Woo Bin on the other line, calling to tease him about the outfit. Quietly in clenched teeth, Woo Jin warns Woo Bin to stop joking around. (LOL. LOVE their cousin relationship!). Exasperated at the situation and at the fact that they were foiled in their attempts to kiss for the first time, they merely smile and enjoy each other’s company, albeit a bit awkwardly. (LOL...so sweet!)

The next morning at work, Joo Young is asked to say the morning speech, a time when one employee shares his/her thoughts. Yoo Kyung walks in to join them during the meeting and listens with irritation as Joo Young wisely says that people often only focus on four-leaf clovers because they bring luck, but she wants to share the three-leaf clover with the staff because it brings happiness. The four-leave clover may have gotten her into the company, but she hopes the three-leaf clover will bring happiness as she works there with the staff. The staff applaud her wise words. A co-worker comments that Yoo Kyung is then Joo Young’s four-leaf clover since she selected Joo Young, causing Yoo Kyung to smile. However, Joo Young's friend clarifies that it’s really Joo Young’s skill that got her into the firm, causing Yoo Kyung’s smugness to turn to irritation. (LOL. I love how the friend is always trying to look out for Joo Young.)

Woo Bin and his co-worker discuss one of their player’s performance. Woo Bin then meets the player separately and asks him to be honest with him about his life since Woo Bin can’t help him unless Woo Bin knows what’s adversely affecting his performance.

Later that evening, Joo Young receives a call from Woo Bin as she works late. He asks her if she’s had dinner yet, and she tells him that she’ll eat at home. When he asks her to eat dinner with him then, she repeats that she’ll eat at home and hangs up. Woo Bin stares at the phone a bit and then soothes his heart as if to comfort it in its dejected state. (Poor Woo Bin…hang in there, WooB! She’ll come around.)

At Tae Kyung’s house, Joon Hee comes in and asks him for a dish of pigs feet because the baby wants it and he should do his fatherly duty to the baby. (LOL. She’s such a schemer that I don’t know whether to hate her or applaud her for maximizing her opportunities. It’s so sad how she’s clinging so desperately to a man who has no interest in her now.) As Tae Kyung stomps out of the house to get her the pigs feet, Joon Hee tells Tae Kyung’s mom not to sleep yet since Tae Kyung is going to buy them a midnight snack.

Having finished her work for the evening, Joo Young walks out of the building to find Woo Bin waiting expectantly for her in the front. (Love the nod of his head when he sees her.) Okay, so for those of you who wanted to know in detail the conversation, I’ll translate (This makes the wait a bit more worthwhile, right? ;)

WB: I’m hungry so buy me dinner quickly. I had a drink, so I took a taxi here.

JY: I told you I was going to have dinner at home.

WB: Then you can change your mind.

JY: Why are you acting like a child? You should go home to eat dinner, too.

WB: I just told you I’m hungry. Don’t you pity me? (She keeps walking) Why are you becoming more distant with me?

JY: Why do you think I’m acting this way?

WB: (knowing the answer says as if he's speaking for Joo Young) Don’t try to get close. (Joo Young walks away and waits for the bus.) I had a drink, so I didn’t bring my car. (She ignores him.) I’m really hungry. (She continues to ignore him and climbs into the bus. He follows her onboard and sits behind her since Joo Young sits next to a woman to prevent him from sitting next to her. He tries to look sad and pathetic as he rests his arm on her chair. LOL) I’m so hungry.

When the woman leaves, Woo Bin gets up to sit next to her and then quickly puts his bag on the seat when it looks like another woman’s going to sit down. He then pulls out headphones and has her listen to music with him. He trails after her as she swiftly walks home and enters without a single word to him. He stops, startled that she would go inside without even wishing him a goodnight or speak to him. Joo Young stands out in her yard and tries to calm her tumultuous emotions while Woo Bin stands woodenly outside her house trying to comfort himself, too.

He returns home to find his mother crying over the death of her younger brother, who immigrated to the United States to get away from the scandal of having had an affair with his professor’s wife. He died in a car accident, survived by his wife and child. Woo Bin’s mother cries and blames Woo Jin’s mother for his death, claiming that he left for the states as if he were being chased out. The father tries to get her to quiet down for the sake of their children who can hear everything from outside.

The next morning, Woo Bin takes his mother to the airport and then reports for work.

Meanwhile, Joo Young continues to work on her shoe design, trying on shoes at a local department store to better gauge the fit of her shoes. She sketches a design to reflect her discoveries.

Out on a soccer field, Woo Bin plays soccer with one of his players in an attempt to alleviate the hurt from Joo Young’s continued rejection of his pursuit. In the process, he reinjures his weak knee from his professional days. The player runs to get medicine and sprays it on his knees. Woo Bin woodenly says that it hurts. Thinking he means his knee, the player sprays more medicine on the injury. Woo Bin clarifies that it’s his heart that hurts and can the player spray his heart as well. (Aw…poor WooB.) The player is confused and asks if Woo Bin has hurt his chest as well.

Joo Young receives a call from Tae Kyung, asking her to meet him at her café near her company. He gives her two tickets to the soccer game and tells her to take Chan Ho to the soccer game since he can’t. He then tells her that he’s sorry about the way he’s treated her and offers her child support for Chan Ho and then promises to pay her alimony as soon as he can.

Chan Ho dances for joy at the thought of a soccer game and then calls his father to thank him for the tickets. When Tae Kyung’s mother says that Tae Kyung should take Chan Ho to the soccer game, Tae Kyung smiles and says, with a mischievous laugh, that he has things to do. When Joon Hee tries to coerce Tae Kyung into going out for a drive with her, the mother rebukes her, much to Tae Kyung’s delight.

Woo Jin’s mother takes Joo Mi to visit Woo Jin’s biological mother’s resting place and introduces Joo Mi to the mother, telling Joo Mi that Woo Jin lost his mother at a young age of 15.

Joo Young and Chan Ho enter the soccer stadium, and Tae Kyung follows them in anticipation and glee. Sneaking up behind them, Tae Kyung calls out to Chan Ho and tells Joo Young that his meeting got canceled when she asks what he’s doing here. Woo Bin happens to walk by, and Chan Ho calls out for him. Tae Kyung asks who he is, and Chan Ho explains he’s the man who got him the autographed soccer jersey. Woo Bin walks over to say hi to Chan Ho and reluctantly greets Tae Kyung, who puts on a show of being with his family and how he's the husband and father of that family. As Woo Bin leaves, he looks back to see Joo Young look after him, but in his pain, he doesn’t register her gaze since Chan Ho yanks her to him just at that moment. He drives away, speeding up in his frustration.

Joo Mi and Woo Jin’s mother return to Woo Jin’s house, and Joo Mi looks longingly at Soo Ah’s relationship with the mother. As Joo Mi confesses that the word “mother” is awkward for her and that she longs for such a relationship, too, Woo Jin’s mother tenderly enfolds her in a hug and tells her that she’ll be a mother to Joo Mi, that she wants to be like a mother to Joo Mi. (*sigh* If only that can happen without anyone's interference. *sigh*)

Dropping Chan Ho and Joo Young off at their house, Tae Kyung cheerfully bids Chan Ho goodnight. Joo Young tells Tae Kyung sternly not to arrange another situation like today’s again. She doesn’t mind Tae Kyung spending time with Chan Ho, but she doesn’t want to have anything to do with him.

The next morning, Woo Bin’s mother returns from the funeral, and the father tries to console her by telling her the living must keep living and that he’s glad the funeral went smoothly. He apologizes that he couldn’t go with her because of work and that she should take care not to get sick.

Joo Young receives a phone call from Woo Bin. Debating whether to answer the phone call, she recalls what he once told her: “Why do you run freely through my mind without my permission? How are you standing here? At this time? At this resort? On this road? How are you standing here? I’ve never kept anyone waiting for one hour and 36 minutes. Do you have the confidence to not regret your decision? I’m Popeye. Make sure you win the grand prize. Woo Joo Young, fighting! I don’t know myself how my heart’s become like this, but don’t avoid me. Clearing her mind of thoughts of Woo Bin, she chooses to ignore his phone call. Waiting outside her house, Woo Bin becomes increasingly frustrated and angry at her continued silence. He charges inside her house and asks to see her when the grandmothers greet him as the young man who helped them on the road. Joo Young quickly runs out to the yard and tells him that she doesn’t have time to meet him today. Woo Bin apologizes to the grandmothers and then drags her outside for a talk.

Once outside at the playground, Woo Bin asks her if she has to act like this when he knows how she feels. He’s already frustrated and hurting after seeing the three of them (her with her ex-husband and Chan Ho as a family) yesterday at the soccer field. At his mention of the soccer outing, Joo Young tells him to stop pursuing her. She’s thinking of reconciling with Chan Ho’s father. (*sigh* Joo Young, must you fabricate lies now to try to get Woo Bin to stop his pursuit?) At this, Woo Bin bursts out, “Are you crazy?! Knowing what that man’s done to you?” Joo Young tells him to mind his business because this is her life and walks away. In shock and utter frustration, Woo Bin can only look at her retreat back.

Woo Bin’s mother meets with Woo Jin’s stepmother at a café. When Woo Jin’s mother asks why Woo Bin’s mother wanted to meet her outside, Woo Bin’s mother throws cold water on her sister-in-law’s face.

(Whew~done! Hope you enjoyed! Off I go to work now...too bad I can't blog for a living, huh?)