On the Way to Airport - Episode 1 & 2 Summary

Kim Ha Nuel plays as a flight attendant of Air Asia with 12-years experience, Choi Soo Ah. She is married to Captain Park Jin Suk (played by Shin Sung Rok), pilot of the same airline with Seoul - Sydney as his main route. This couple has already had a daugther, Hyo Eun. Jin Suk plans to send his daugther abroad, to study in Malaysia as he’s taken care of Hyo Eun’s paperwork and homestay already. However, Soo Ah doesn't know about this plan and shocked when Jin Suk texted her to arrive at the airport by  tomorrow and help Hyo Eun packs for her things. Soo Ah asked her husband whether he has asked their daughther opinion regarding this matter but Jin Suk scoffs that she doesn’t have a choice.

When Soo Ah reached home, she finds her daugther is wiping the floor with a rag, who states that she's more useful at home. Hyo Eun is clearly a dramatic but bright kid, and she’s got lots to say about Dad’s decision—she rattles on about how she doesn’t care about global perspectives or learning English, and notes how irrational Dad is being about this.

Soo Ah agrees and tries to comfort her, noting how much Hyo Eun hated her school after her aunt got injured and she couldn’t go to New Zealand, but Hyo Eun groans that she only hated her school because it was embarrassing to have to go back right after going through all the tearful goodbyes. None of Soo Ah’s comforts succeed, and Hyo Eun tearily accuses her and Dad for being eager to send her off just so they can work. She sobs that she’s scared, but Soo Ah only sighs as if there’s nothing she can do. 

The next day, Jin Suk meets with his daugther. Hyo Eun thinks he’s being irrational and mean, while Jin Suk tells her to study hard—she’ll thank him someday. She glares at him, but when a pair of Air Asia hostesses greet him as the pass, he laughs heartily and pinches her cheek as if they’re a loving father-daughter pair. After that, Hyo Eun and Soo Ah arrive in Malaysia and head to Hyo Eun's new homestay. 

At Hyo Eun's homestay. the homestay Mom told Hyo Eun that she's very lucky to have a roommate who is the nicest unni in the world and her roomate even set up all the decorations around the house to welcome her. Hyo Eun roomate's name is Annie (Seo Eun Woo) who is the daugther of Seo Do Woo (played by Lee Sang Yoon) and his wife, Kim Hye Won (played by Jang Hee Jin). That day, Do Woo comes to Malaysia to visit his daugther who refuses to go back to Korea for her grandmother's birthday for a while. 

Do Woo explains that he’s only here for a short while for the art exhibition, where Annie’s uncle and grandmother will be showing off their traditional Korean ornaments. Annie pulls out a small spherical bead from her pocket to show Do Woo, telling him that Grandma gave it to her, and she carries it around everywhere she goes. When both of them cross the bridge overlooking a river in the middle of the city. Annie tells him it looks just like the Han River, and points out all the city landmarks that look just like Seoul. He reminds her that if she misses home so much, she’s free to come back with him right away, but she shakes her head: “Don’t you know how great it is to miss something? All you have to do is wait. It gives me hope.” Actually she really wants to come back but her Mom, Hye Won, prevents her from going to Korea. She told her over the phone to not come back to Korea? I do wonder as why she prevents her daugther to come back to Korea. Is she the step mom? And why Annie didn't say anything to her father about that?

Back to Seoul, Soo Ah just landed at Incheon Airport with her friend and col, Song Mi Jin (played by Choi  Yeo Jin), a charismatic flight attendant. On the moving walkway, they pass Jin Suk going the other direction with his own team, and both Jin Suk and Soo Ah look away while the other crew members greet each other. As soon as he’s out of earshot, the rookie crew members squeal about Jin Suk—he’s as cool as the rumors say. They note that his wife is rumored to be a flight attendant, but she’s average-looking and unimpressive. Soo Ah cringes as Mi Jin halts in place, and Soo Ah quickly excuses herself before Mi Jin can give them an earful. Mi Jin sighs that there’s no point in scolding them. 

Soo Ah waits while Mi Jin gets ready to attend a celebration party for her friend’s business. She pushes Soo Ah to take one of her dresses and come drink at the party with her, but Soo Ah refuses, saying she’s waiting for a call from Hyo Eun. Mi Jin: “It’s because you hide that nice body of yours that there are rumors about you being average!”

Soo Ah is dragged to the celebration party but she can't stop worrying about Hyo Eun and she tells Mi Jin that she’s going to head out early. Mi Jin urges her to stay, introducing Ji Eun as the person who set up Hyo Eun’s homestay in Malaysia. Soo Ah is embarrassed that they’re meeting like this before she even got a chance to thank her properly, but Mi-jin doesn’t see the big deal: “Are ahjummas not allowed to have fun?” When Do Woo pulls up to the front of the restaurant, Mi Jin recognizes him right away as Seo Do Woo, Hyo Eun’s roommate’s father. Soo Ah, of course, is mortified at the thought of meeting yet another person in her tight dress, and refuses to introduce herself.

Do Woo isn’t interested in joining the party anyway, and only brings a drink upstairs to his office to get right back to work. But Mi Jin follows him up to say hi, asking if he remembers her—they met five years ago. It doesn’t seem to ring a bell, so she tries again: she was the one who asked about Annie’s homestay through their mutual friend, Ji Eun. Do Woo asks if Mi Jin is Hyo Eun’s mother, then, but Mi Jin assures him that she’s not: Hyo Eun’s mom is elsewhere, hiding in her dress.

So instead, he gets Soo Ah’s phone number from Mi Jin and calls, heading out to the roof. He catches sight of her walking home as he talks, introducing himself as Annie’s father and inviting her inside. She sighs and tells him it’s a little inconvenient at the moment, her awkwardness palpable through the phone. Do Woo finally breaks the long pause, hitting right what Soo Ah is concerned about: “It’s hard, isn’t it? Sending your kid abroad.” Soo Ah agrees, saying that she just feels so sorry that Hyo Eun is out there scared and alone, and Do Woo relates: “You even feel bad when she’s sick and you’re not.” He tells her that if it’s any comfort, his daughter seems to prefer it there, and rarely calls or visits Korea.

It does make Soo Ah feel a lot better, until she suddenly realizes that she forgot her suitcase inside. She hurries back to the restaurant to pick it up, and Do Woo follows, looking through the window to find her. Soo Ah notes a man speaking on a phone from across the room and bows, mistaking him for Do Woo; the man nods back and promptly hangs up. From outside, Do Woo watches the whole thing through the window, equally confused as to who she’s talking to.

Do Woo calls again as Soo Ah heads back outside, telling her that he just spoke with Annie and Hyo Eun’s host mom, Mary. Mary told him that Hyo Eun is adjusting very well and that she and Annie are getting along like longtime friends, so Soo Ah has nothing to be worried about.

Two months later. Soo Ah speaks to a much happier Hyo Eun through a video call—Hyo Eun just got an A on her report card! She’s clearly doing very well, and although Soo Ah is planning to arrive in Malaysia again soon. 

Soo Ah arrives in Malaysia to meet Hyo Eun at the Korean ornament gallery. The traditional knots catch Soo Ah’s eye, and Hyo Eun tells her that Annie’s uncle and grandmother made them. But Hyo Eun is in no state to appreciate the exhibits—she’s worried that Annie is going to return to Korea for her grandmother’s birthday today, and she has to stay nearby to say goodbye in case she does. She finally convinces Soo Ah to call Mary and ask whether Annie has decided to go. When Mary reports that she’s not going, Hyo Eun practically jumps with joy.

At Annie’s grandmother’s ornament store, Hye Won joins Grandma in working outside, expressing her regret that Annie won’t be here for Grandma’s birthday again this year. Surprisingly, however, Grandma tells her that Annie is coming—she just told her that she was at the airport a short while ago. Hye Won looks mighty displeased about that. At the airport, Annie tries to ignore the repeated phone calls from “Mom,” but finally gives in and picks up before she enters the gate. Through the phone, Hye Won tells her: “Don’t come. Do as you promised. Why do you think your dad sent you to me?”

Annie tears up and runs back outside out of the airport, running into Soo Ah, who's ready to flight back to Seoul for work, and dropping her grandmother’s bead. Soo Ah picks it up, but Annie doesn’t even notice in her hysteria. She runs blindly outside and into the street… and is hit by a car. Do Woo received a call and he is informed that Annie was in accident. He texted Hye Won to inform her that he's flying to Kuala Lumpur but Hye Won only reads the message and calmy return to her meeting with clients.

Back home, however, Hyo Eun calls Soo Ah, telling her that something’s weird—Annie isn’t home, and the police keep coming by. Soo Ah tells her not to worry and that she’ll figure it out. She calls Mi Jin for Annie’s parents’ phone number, but suddenly thinks of something: Seo Do Woo’s name is awfully similar to the no-show on her flight, Seo Eun Woo, who was recorded as a minor. Unable to shake the feeling that Eun Woo might be Annie, she turns straight around to buy the last direct ticket to Kuala Lumpur. In the booth next to her, Do Woo runs up and asks for the same flight, when he’s interrupted by a phone call. His face goes pale as he listens, and then: “She’s… dead?” He grips the side of the counter, trying to steady himself. Soo Ah gives up her ticket and asks for it to be transferred to Do Woo. He looks at her, but she turns away before he can see her.

No matter how many times she tries to call Do Woo or Mary, they won’t answer. 

Do Woo, meanwhile, has arrived at Annie’s homestay, where he stares at the iron his daughter bought to replace Mary’s ancient one and lays in Annie’s bed in mourning. When Soo Ah goes to video call Hyo Eun, she hears a glimpse of a man crying in her room before her computer runs out of battery.

Soo Ah finally can’t take it anymore and gets on the next flight to Malaysia. Mary is acting weird, however, avoiding giving any concrete answers to Soo Ah’s questions about Annie leaving for Korea and a man crying in their room. Soo Ah believes her and heads up to Hyo Eun’s room, where she finds a picture of Do Woo and calls him again. This time, he does pick up, but when Soo Ah presses him about Annie going to Korea, he tells her that he can’t really say it aloud right now—he’ll text her instead. Hyo Eun comes back from school in a cheerful mood and immediately asks about Annie. Soo Ah tells her that she just spoke to Do Woo, but trails off when his text arrives. Her face goes pale and she tells Hyo Eun to pack her bags immediately—they’re leaving.

Confused, Hyo Eun packs up and follows her mom out into the living room, where Mary is still maintaining her happy façade. Soo Ah demands how Mary could do such a thing: “How could you hide that Annie died?!” Startled, Hyo Eun bursts into tears at the sudden revelation, and Mary pulls her into her arms, angry at Soo Ah for upsetting her—she didn’t say anything yet because Hyo Eun wasn’t prepared. She tells Soo Ah that if she’s going to bring Hyo Eun home, she should take care of her like a proper parent rather than just call every so often to see if she’s studying.

That seems to hit Soo Ah hard, and she books an immediate flight to take Hyo Eun home. We finally see what Do Woo texted her: “If Hyo Eun ever feels uncomfortable, bring her straight home. Annie… is no longer in this world.” Do Woo sits in a church and calls Hye Won. He asks how she’s feeling, but Hye Won only begs him not to bring Annie back and to bury her in Malaysia instead—otherwise, she won’t be able to live with herself.

On the way back to Seoul, Soo Ah notices that the guy who sits in front of her is actually Seo Do Woo, Annie's father. She introduces herself as Hyo Eun's mother. Do Woo is floored to find out that Soo Ah is Hyo Eun’s mother, his eyes widening first with shock, and then understanding. He starts to ask about Hyo Eun, but Soo Ah has to maintain her professional composure when the passenger sitting next to Do Woo returns. Do Woo reads her apologetic expression and decides to keep his mouth shut for now.

They arrive back to Korea and the two exchange another polite look as Soo Ah sees Do Woo off the plane. She watches him as he shuffles the rest of the way down the jet bridge, lost in thought. Annie’s uncle, Min Suk, and he’s here to pick Do Woo up. As they drive back, Suk berates Do Woo for coming empty-handed and wonders if Hye Won is in her right mind in asking Do Woo to bury Annie in Malaysia. Or if Do Woo is in his right mind for actually listening to her.

Do Woo instructs him to just head to the hospital, but Suk says there’s no need. Hye Won isn’t there since she’s too busy with a big event at the ornaments shop, which she insisted on carrying on with. When they arrived, Hye Won really is keeping herself busy – she’s demonstrating how to tie one of the traditional knots, looking rather elegant and poised. From afar, Do Woo stares at his wife in concern as she smiles for the crowd.

Ji Eun (Do Woo and Mi Jin’s mutual friend) finds him and drags him off to talk in private. She too doesn’t understand Hye Won’s behavior since Annie’s death and she acts as if it’s nothing. Do Woo watches Hye Won excuse herself, and mere seconds later, he gets a call from her. When he answers, Hye Won quietly pleads with him not to look at her strangely. Do Woo insists it’s only because he’s worried about her. He knows how much she’s hurting after all. “Don’t say anything,” Hye Won cuts him off. She doesn’t want him mentioning whatever happened in Malaysia. She tries to change the subject to bringing Grandma out, but Do Woo won’t let her. Do Woo: “It may be hard, but our daughter is dead. Let’s accept that she’s gone.” Hye Won doesn’t reply, and the two both turn towards the front when the crowd starts clapping at Grandma’s entrance.

After the event ends, Hye Won hastily clears up a table, but when her intern tries to help her, she snaps that she’ll do it. Do Woo comes rushing towards her, and she pushes him away too. Hye Won spits out that she knows everyone thinks she’s crazy, but she’s going to keep working like this – it’s her only way to cope. “I’ll live as I always have, I’ll work, I’ll forget, and I’ll accept it,” she says, her voice rising, “I’ll accept that she’s not in this world anymore! So please, just watch over me.”

Jin Suk arrives in Seoul and he notices he has text from Soo Ah saying she and Hyo Eun have arrived too. His expression darkens and he whirls around, going back the way he came.

Soo Ah and Hyo Eun reunite happily, though their smiles fade when Jin Suk comes into view. He sits them down for a stern talk, never forgetting to smile pleasantly whenever a co-worker passes by. Hyo Eun tries to lighten the mood, but Jin Suk only gets more upset to learn that they didn’t even bring any kind of proof of enrollment from the international school. He urges Hyo Eun to just go back. They decide to go back, but Jin Suk still rambling about the school. Soo Ah calmly tries to convince him that it was best to get Hyo Eun out of there since a close friend of hers died. Jin Suk gets a little agitated and argues that Soo Ah shouldn’t be so emotional in raising their daughter. He says that with Soo Ah’s mother’s incident and the New Zealand incident, they keep dealing with the same thing over and over, and that the international school was the best option.

At home, Soo Ah suggests the three of them go out and have fun when all of their schedules are free. He tells her to take Hyo Eun back after one week. Soo Ah braces herself before saying quietly that Hyo Eun’s name has already been taken out of the school. Another fight ensues, with Soo Ah wanting to take in Hyo Eun’s opinions and Jin Suk wanting to do that when she’s older. Soo Ah doesn’t hold back this time and insists they need to work together to raise their child, but Jin Suk won’t budge. He walks away from the fight, leaving Soo Ah pounding her chest in frustration.

The next day, Do Woo comes back from a morning run and overhears Hye Won on the phone with the host mom, Mary. He hears her tell Mary that she’s not ready to see Annie’s belongings yet as it would be difficult for her. Do Woo leaves after hearing that, and we see that Hye Won knew he was standing there the whole time. Once he’s gone, she tells Mary to just get rid of all of Annie’s things. 

Soo Ah instructs Hyo Eun to study at home to please Dad before they decide on a school. Soo Ah turns to leave for work, but Hyo Eun calls her back to ask about Annie’s death, and if it would’ve hurt her friend as she went to Heaven. Soo Ah reassures her it couldn’t have hurt too much – maybe as much as a pinch. Soo Ah looks at her daughter lovingly and says she really likes it that they’re together now. “With you here, it feels like home,” she beams. Hyo Eun excitedly agrees and sends Soo Ah off with a big heart and an “I love you.” 

On her way to work, Soo Ah gets a text from Do Woo saying what he wanted to ask her on the plane before: Did she bring Hyo Eun back? Soo Ah replies that she did, and that it’s nice having her back. They continue texting each other, Soo Ah asking Do Woo about the paperwork needed to transfer Hyo Eun. She apologizes and thanks Do Woo for being such a big help. And later, when she receives a reply that Do Woo talked with Mary and that Mary already has it all taken care of, Soo Ah grins with relief.

Do Woo is also at the airport, on his way to Malaysia to retrieve Annie’s remains. He informs Suk of his plans and asks him to hide it from Hye Won. Soo Ah reaches Malaysia and goes straight to Hyo Eun’s homestay. She apologizes to Mary for her behavior before, and Mary just take that Korean parents are all the same, always checking in on their kids’ grades rather than the kids themselves. But she notes that Annie’s dad was different.

As Soo Ah packs up the rest of Hyo Eun’s stuff, Mary sighs that she has no idea what to do with Annie’s side of the room – the dad wants her to keep it while the mom wants her to toss it. Soo Ah recalls how heartbroken Do Woo was after Annie’s death and tells Mary that she’ll take everything and deliver it to Do Woo herself, including the iron Annie had bought.

At the same time, Do Woo retrieves Annie’s ashes, finally ready to bring her home.

He’s on the same flight as Soo Ah, of course, and they’re both pleasantly surprised to see each other again. She thanks him for helping out with Hyo Eun’s paperwork and tells him she’ll have something waiting for him when they land.

Once Soo Ah and Do Woo are in Korea as well, Do Woo waits patiently for Soo Ah’s call. After confirming her luggage will be coming in with the next flight, Soo Ah calls Do Woo and notifies him that she can have it mailed to his address. He’s about to give her the address but changes his mind upon learning it’s the iron. He texts her with a smile, saying he should accept it now. Do Woo: “Let’s wait for it together.”

They sit down together to wait for the luggage, and Soo Ah starts talking about Hyo Eun’s stay in Malaysia and how she immediately adjusted thanks to her friendship with Annie. Soo Ah stops herself when she realizes she probably shouldn’t have mentioned Annie, but Do Woo urges her on. “It’s okay,” he says, “It’s nice to hear. I can’t talk about Annie at home.”

Soo Ah is more than happy to comply and continues sharing the happy memories their daughters made together. Do Woo asks how Hyo Eun is doing, smiling to hear that she’s trying her best to prove she can be independent. Su-ah admits that she’s always feeling sorry towards her daughter. She thought the international school was the best option, but now she feels like she just took the easy route, letting someone else take care of her child when she was exhausted. She notes that a mother’s selfishness can really hurt her child.

Do Woo says that his wife probably feels the same way. And that Hye Won’s guilt over her selfishness is why she doesn’t like bringing up Annie. Soo Ah wishes she could offer words of comfort, but she doesn’t know what to say. Do Woo thinks for a moment. He says he’s fine, but she can offer comfort to Annie. “‘It’s good you came. You worked hard. Rest in peace. Thanks for what you did for Hyo Eun.’ Wouldn’t this offer comfort?” Soo Ah nods, and folds her hands to pray, but Do Woo motions to his backpack.

“Here,” he says, “She’s in here. I brought her back.” Soo Ah lets out a shaky sigh and places her hands on top of the bag, reciting Do Woo’s words in her head and thanking Annie sincerely. Do Woo watches her gratefully, seeming touched at Soo Ah’s teary-eyed prayer.

At last, the luggage comes in and Soo Ah gets Annie’s belongings into Do Woo’s hands. He offers to drive Soo Ah to her mother-in-law’s house, telling her it’s okay mooch off of him since she did give up her plane ticket that one time. 

At his mother’s house, Jin Suk searches for boarding schools online with no luck. His mother thinks it’s about time Soo Ah just quit her job, but Jin Suk absently reminds her that they can’t live on his salary alone. When Mom keeps pressing the topic, Jin Suk looks up from his laptop to defend his wife: “There are many flight attendants in their forties, and Soo Ah is a capable woman.”

By now, it’s pouring down rain, so Do Woo has Soo Ah wait by the entrance while he gets his car. When he comes back with the car, he peers through the rain to see Soo Ah clutching the backpack with Annie’s ashes tightly to her chest. Do Woo can’t take his eyes off of her.

He runs up to her with an umbrella, wanting to escort her to the car before he loads the luggage. He walks her through the rain, and smoothly closes the distance between them so she won’t get rained on. She looks up at him for a brief moment – flustered by the closeness?

They keep the conversation casual in the car, and when it gets silent again, Do Woo asks her if they can see each other again. Soo Ah hesitates before saying yes. Do Woo quickly adds that she should bring Hyo Eun too, making Soo Ah purse her lips as if she had expecting something else.

Soon, the rain slows to a stop and Soo Ah states that the sun should be rising soon. She reveals that she’s had plenty of special memories while being a flight attendant, like views of the night sky and the sunset from various places. Do Woo: “Are those places you miss?” Soo Ah: “It’s different from that. I would say that they’re my precious memories. Like my own secret assets that no one else knows about.”

When the car comes to a stop in front of Soo Ah’s mother-in-law’s place, they both turn towards the backseat for her bags, with their faces only inches away from each other. They pull back, and Do Woo suggests they get out first. He gets her bags out of the car and Soo Ah grabs them, saying a hasty farewell before hurrying away. Once out of sight, she lets out an exhausted sigh. Her phone rings, and it’s Jin Suk calling from his plane to ask where she is. She answers that she’s at his mother’s place to get Hyo Eun. Exasperated, Jin Suk says Hyo Eun was at his mom’s place, but now she’s at home.

Soo Ah immediately turns around to head back and notices that Do Woo still hasn’t left yet. He walks up to her, wondering if she needs another ride. Soo Ah insists she can just take a taxi, but Do Woo’s already got her bags in hand. “You can be five minutes late, right?” he asks.

Do Woo drives them to the Han River, just in time for the sunrise. As they look out at the horizon, Do Woo remembers his last happy memory with Annie by the river in Kuala Lumpur. He comes to a decision and exits the car, taking Annie’s urn out of his bag and scooping out a handful of the ashes.

He walks up to the water and opens his fist, letting the wind carry the ashes away. Knowing this is really his last goodbye to Annie, his eyes well up with tears. Soo Ah watches the entire scene from within the car, Do Woo’s shaking shoulders bringing tears to her own eyes. It takes him a moment before he’s ready to turn back, and when he does, his eyes go straight to Soo Ah. They stay like that for the longest time, just gazing at each other as the sky brightens around them.

Personal Thought:

I guess Kim Ha Neul depicts a weak wife but powerful career woman. She really has no words and power against her husband. Totally at lost when she found out her husband sent their daughter to study abroad. When she finds someone who would care for their child, she feels certain emphatic and feelings which she's been looking for from her spouse. 

It's a warm feeling for Do Woo when he found someone who never meets his daughter actually cares so much. I am not sure as to where they are going to bring the story towards, but it's a typically melodrama this time. Although the production team portrays beautiful scenes with warm tone and background, I am kinda afraid that this show will only be able to gain 8% for rating in average. It's been a long time already for a melodrama to hit it big. 

Let's us see how they turn out, it's too early to judge based on first few episodes.