On The Way To Airport - Episode 15 & 16 (Finale) Summary

As Soo Ah (played by Kim Ha Neul) and Do Woo (played by Lee Sang Yoon) reunite, Kevin hurries to meet with a very irritable Jin Suk (played by Shin Sung Rok) at his hotel. Jin Suk demands that they leave immediately to find Soo Ah, but Kevin politely refuses to take him tonight—he can wait until morning. Grandma is busy packing her luggage for New Zealand when she receives a call from Jin Suk asking for Hyo Eun’s address. She digs for Hyo Eun’s letter and finds their Jeju address printed at the bottom. 

Sitting in the gallery, Do Woo tells Soo Ah about how shocked he was to watch his wife become someone else. But now, he says, he sees her as simply “someone” in his life—not his wife nor a friend, but someone who exists. He’s made peace with the fact that all relationships form and end in different ways, and Soo Ah tells him she’s certain that Hye Won will be thankful to have that. 

Hyo Eun wakes up and calls out for Soo Ah, but receives no response. When she gets up, however, she’s confronted by Jin Suk at the door. Without a choice, she lets him in, forced to admit that she doesn’t know where her mother is. As he looks around the house, he notes the kitchen table, remembering that she’d chosen it with Do Woo. Gritting his teeth in anger, he sends Hyo Eun to her room. 

Hyo Eun tries calling her mom, but is interrupted by a loud noise outside. When she hurries out, she finds her father in the yard, furiously smashing the table with a rock. When that fails to break it, he picks up Hyo Eun’s potted plant and shatters it. Hyo Eun sinks to the ground in tears, sobbing that she’s sorry they lied to him. 

Do Woo offers to walk Soo Ah home, but she insists on going alone. Just as she reaches the house, she receives a text from Kevin, telling her Jin Suk is in Jeju, and that he’ll bring him to see her in the morning. But when she sees the overturned table in the yard and the empty house, Soo Ah knows he’s already been by. 

Panicked, Soo Ah calls a terrified Hyo Eun, who is sitting in the airport with a silent Jin Suk—she’s returning to Seoul with him. When Hyo Eun gives Jin Suk the phone with shaking hands, Soo Ah immediately demands that Jin Suk apologize to Hyo Eun for scaring her. She tells him she’s heading there right now, swearing that she doesn’t care what he does to her. Jin Suk turns to Hyo Eun, finally seeing how scared she is. He takes her hand in his, telling her it’s time to leave and not to worry about Soo Ah: “If we go to Seoul, your mom will come, too.” Pulling her into a hug, he promises to buy her a new flowerpot when they return to Seoul. 

By the time Soo Ah arrives at the airport and calls Hyo Eun again, there’s no answer. The next morning, Do Woo walks to Soo Ah’s house only to find the overturned table and shattered flowerpot. He calls Soo Ah, demanding to know where she is, and then heads straight to the airport to find her in the lobby. Leaning into his embrace, an exhausted Soo Ah tells him that she’s leaving on the next flight to Seoul. 

Meanwhile, Jin Suk carries a sleeping Hyo Eun to his mother’s house. He has a flight in the afternoon, and since Grandma is leaving for New Zealand, he tells her not to worry about leaving Hyo Eun at home—he knows Soo Ah will be there soon. Grandma agrees, but has one piece of advice: be nicer to Soo Ah. She tells him she had to deal with it from Jin Suk’s father her whole life, so she knows what it’s like. Jin Suk, however, tells him that none of this is his fault: “I’m not even a little bit guilty.” 

Back at Soo Ah’s house, Do Woo brings the damaged table back inside. He looks at the scratches in the surface as Soo Ah packs her things, and asks if Jin Suk has always had violent tendencies. When she denies it, he tells her that the biggest mistake he ever made was blindly believing whatever Annie told him; when he found out that Annie was lying, it was too late to help her. Still, Soo Ah promises that she can take care of Jin Suk. She tells him that this is a problem for her family, and she doesn’t want to involve Do Woo in that. At her words, Do Woo recalls thinking the exact same thing about his problems with Hye Won, when he swore not to let Soo Ah be at fault for his personal problems. Soo Ah tells him that she doesn’t know many of the details of the struggles he faced with Hye Won in Seoul, but that that’s the reason they can be together now. “Just wait for me for a few days,” she says. “I’ll be back soon.” Grimly, he gets up without a word. 

Sensing the tense mood, Soo Ah puts on a bright face and tells him she can head to the airport by herself. She still has some time before her flight though, so he brings her back to the gallery for a cup of tea. As they sit together, Do Woo tells her that what he feels right now is just how he felt when he met Jin Suk for the first time but was unable to say anything: helpless. At his words, Soo Ah recalls the same feeling from when she met Hye Won and got slapped. Do Woo: “It forced me to remember what you and I are to each other.” They fall silent for a long moment, and then Soo Ah smiles: “We’re fighting now, aren’t we? Is this our first fight?” Do Woo insists that this is nothing close to a fight, but Soo Ah just cutely revels in the feeling of doing something she’s never done before.

She says there’s one more thing that she wants to do for the first time, and at his questioning look, she leads him outside and points down the street: “I want to walk from here to there, holding hands, without caring who sees us.” Do Woo smiles and takes her hand, and they walk together down the street. As they walk, however, the realtor passes by and notes their clasped hands. Soo Ah tenses up, but Do Woo leads her away, wrapping his arm around her shoulder: “Without caring who sees us,” he reminds her. She nods, and they fall into a tight embrace. Do Woo sends Soo Ah off at the airport. She smiles brightly, but as she walks away from his grim figure, her smile fades away into worry. 

Hyo Eun and Grandma share cute hugs and near-teary goodbyes before Grandma drives off in her taxi. When she’s home alone, Hyo Eun flips through photos of Aunt in front of her big New Zealand house. A flashback shows us that Hyo Eun told Grandma that she promised her mother that she’d think hard about where she wants to live when she grows up. At the airport, Grandma texts Soo Ah to tell her that she’s leaving to live in New Zealand. She tells her that she and Hyo Eun are welcome any time, before she wishes her daughter-in-law a good life in the future. 

Soo Ah finally arrives back to her house in Seoul to find Hyo Eun nagging Je Ah for his poor cooking skills. Soo Ah takes over as Hyo Eun sets the table, and as she cooks up some kimchi fried rice, she pauses for a moment and wonders: “What is this? It feels so familiar.” As Hyo Eun and Je Ah dig in, Je Ah asks if Soo Ah is done with Jeju now, saying that Young-sook seems to be expecting them in New Zealand. Soo Ah says no, adding that she and Hyo Eun will return to Jeju soon, but Hyo Eun surprises her: “Jeju is a possibility. I’m thinking really hard about where I want to live in the future.” 

After dinner, Soo Ah sits Hyo Eun down for a talk, telling her that life is full of decisions, but all that matters is that Hyo Eun puts herself at the center of those decisions. “If you ignore your deepest desires, you’ll continue to ignore them forever,” she says. “Even if you regret your choices later, you can face those regrets when they come.” She promises to support Hyo Eun’s decision no matter what. 

Abroad, Jin Suk and Mi Jin drop into a bar and run into the rest of the flight crew having drinks. They start to leave, but Jin Suk asks to join them instead. Over cocktails, Jin Suk says that his and Soo Ah’s relationship was ideal—since their jobs put them both on the move, they shared only 51% of their lives with each other, allowing both freedom and privacy. One of his colleagues wonders if that means Jin Suk would leave Soo Ah to fool around, and Jin Suk coolly confirms that he would. Mi Jin just watches him with a knowing look, and sure enough, Jin Suk lies awake in bed that night: “I’ll kill them all,” he says to himself.

As Soo Ah walks home, she calls Do Woo. She tells him she’ll return soon, but for the time being, something’s come up: Hyo Eun is trying to decide between New Zealand and Jeju. She mentions that Hyo Eun was originally supposed to go to New Zealand but went to Malaysia instead, and Do Woo smiles: “And that’s how she met Annie… and that’s where the story began.” Soo Ah tells him that Do Woo’s house in Jeju reminds her of her childhood and the happiness and warmth of being with family. Do Woo tells her to that if she misses something, she should run for it: “Live like that from now on.” Connected through the phone, they walk together. 

The next day, Soo Ah and Hyo Eun video chat with Grandma in New Zealand. Grandma gushes to Hyo Eun about all of the soccer fields there and wonders why they’re even hesitating over this decision, especially now that Jin Suk will be working there. Soo Ah is surprised to hear that, but Grandma confirms that he found a position in Auckland. 

After they hang up, Hyo Eun looks through photos of New Zealand, marveling at how pretty it is. Soo Ah starts to remind her that her friends in Jeju are planning a winter camping trip, but Hyo Eun just quietly closes her eyes and puts her hand over her heart. 

After a moment, she decides: “Mom, I want to go to New Zealand.” She smiles, excited about the prospect of their whole family living together again. Hyo Eun insists that she’s been thinking about it for a long time, and this is her final decision. Knowing she promised to respect Hyo Eun’s decision, Soo Ah just smiles, unable to say anything. 

Soo Ah receives another “manual” from Jin Suk, instructing her to board the flight to New Zealand with Hyo Eun, and that he and Je Ah will take care of the rest. She calls him but he doesn’t answer, and when she gets home, a realtor is already showing the house to a prospective buyer. As they pack their luggage, Soo Ah once again tells Hyo Eun that she doesn’t have to rush into any decisions, but Hyo Eun promises that this is what she really wants. 

Mi Jin is resting in her hotel room when Soo Ah calls, asking to talk to Jin Suk. Mi Jin hurries to Jin Suk’s room to give him the phone, but at that moment, the rest of the crew comes back just in time to see them. Wary of the attention, he tells Soo Ah that he’ll call back later and shuts himself back in his room. Still, it works in getting Jin Suk to call. Soo Ah tells him that she can’t go to New Zealand before they have a proper conversation first. He tells her to go ahead, but when she can’t articulate her words, he guesses her meaning: “You want to know why I’m being so nice? Because I’m trying to make this work.” He tells her he could do much more than yell at her and break her furniture, but he won’t, “Because we’re family.”

But Soo Ah laughs at the notion, telling him that she’s tried to deal with his fragmented idea of family all this time. She realizes now that family is a choice, and she was never okay with the “family” Jin Suk provided. Jin Suk scoffs that she should be apologizing and begging before saying any of this to him, and Soo Ah quickly agrees: “I’ll beg. I’ll do anything, so let’s meet.” Jin Suk quickly changes his tune, saying she doesn’t have to beg or apologize after all. He simply tells her to come to New Zealand, and they’ll have long conversations there. He hangs up before she can respond. To himself, he swears that Soo Ah’s real pain will start now. 

As Hyo Eun finishes packing, Soo Ah tells her she has something to say. She finally explains that she hasn’t made up her mind to leave Jeju yet, even though the place she wants to be most is right beside Hyo Eun. “Do you think I can be beside you even though we’re apart?” she asks. “Wherever I am, my heart is with you.” To Soo Ah’s surprise, Hyo Eun just smiles back, saying she understands. She pulls out a framed photo of Annie, saying that her friend once told her that she missed her parents, but that she knew they still loved her very much. “No matter what others say, I know you love me,” Hyo Eun tells her. “I can be strong.”

Soo Ah waits with Hyo Eun for her flight to New Zealand, looking worried and guilty. She tells Hyo Eun that if she ever feels uneasy, she can come right back, but Hyo Eun insists that she’s thought hard about her decision. She tells Soo Ah to let her know when she’s made up her mind: “I’ll respect your decision, too,” she promises. Soo Ah gives Hyo Eun one last hug before letting her go. Hyo Eun is well taken care of by Soo Ah’s former coworkers even on the flight, and she opens up her journal to write: “My flight with Mom.”

Soo Ah sits alone in the airport, repeating to herself: “Think only about myself. Think only about myself.” But it’s not long before the tears fall and Soo Ah sobs Hyo Eun’s name again and again. Soo Ah enters the apartment with a heavy heart, saddened to return without Hyo Eun. She lies in Hyo Eun’s bed and remains there for the rest of the day, all curled up. When night falls, she takes a walk around the neighborhood, much like she used to do in Jeju. Do Woo calls to ask what she’s up to, and upon hearing she’s walking around, he urges her to walk “to his house.” Soo Ah smiles and says that no matter how far she walks, his house won’t appear. 

Suddenly, a car parked in front of her flashes its lights – it’s Do Woo’s car. Soo Ah stares at him, completely stunned, while Do Woo merely gives her his signature warm smile. Do Woo takes Soo Ah away from the apartment, saying that he knew she’d be slumped down after sending Hyo Eun off to New Zealand. “Like when Hyo Eun’s mom and Annie’s dad first talked on the phone,” he clarifies. 

Though he’s not someone to remember people easily, Do Woo claims that he remembers everything about the first time he saw her. This is news to Soo Ah, who had no idea Do Woo even saw her there on the street way back when. She wonders how he could’ve seen her. 

Do Woo takes them to their special room at the old house so they can talk comfortably. Soo Ah even notes that the second she walked in, her heart felt a little more at ease. Do Woo suggests they make this room their home, though Soo Ah feels bad since she’d insisted on suffering alone. Do Woo reminds her that he went through it first, and while he knows that a divorce is hard, he knows it’s even harder now when feelings that had never appeared before are suddenly popping up. 

Soo Ah lets his words sink in. “You meet and you part,” she says. “It’s such a common thing. You meet, you live, and you part.” And it’s that middle – the living – that becomes hard, she says. Do Woo says that he should live at least one day with her then, and he jumps up to grab some blankets. He leaves again to find some beer in the fridge and comes back to find Soo Ah laughing while on the phone with Hyo Eun. He smiles to see her looking so happy again. 

After she hangs up, Soo Ah admits to Do Woo that she’d returned to Seoul with the plan to eventually return to Jeju Island with Hyo Eun, but she hadn’t been sure what she was going to do after that. And after Hyo Eun left for New Zealand, Soo Ah says she was more confused than ever. She lifts her eyes to look at Do Woo. “About returning to Jeju Island,” she starts. “I’m not so sure about that.” She thinks that there would be too many memories of Hyo Eun on the island, and she doesn’t have the courage to go there right now. Do Woo smiles with understanding, and then half-jokes that it’s too bad, since he was planning on hiding out on the island with her. 

The next morning, Soo Ah slowly opens her eyes to find Do Woo already up, watching her intently. He asks what they should do today, and then suggests they simply rest and shut themselves in. They silently agree and continue gazing at each other lovingly. Do Woo eventually comes out to greet Suk, who’s surprised to see he’s back in Seoul. He’s even more surprised when he notices Soo Ah trailing behind Do Woo. When Suk asks who she is, Soo Ah’s eyes widen with panic. Do Woo isn’t at all ashamed and happily introduces her as “Choi Soo Ah – someone like family.” 

Do Woo and Soo Ah spend the rest of the day together strolling outside, enjoying drinks, and learning a little more about each other’s pasts. The two settle back down in their secret room, and the conversation turns a bit more serious. Do Woo reveals that when he was waiting for Soo Ah in Jeju, he would think of Annie and how she’d waited for her father. Hearing the guilt in his voice, Soo Ah says, “I think it was thanks to you that Annie was able to wait.” She reminds him that Annie had always insisted on bringing Do Woo along to the pottery house when she could’ve gone alone, and that having Do Woo there must’ve made Annie feel strong. “Just as I do now,” Soo Ah concludes. 

Do Woo’s face does light up at that, though it dims again when he asks if Jin Suk is arriving tomorrow. He tells her there is one thing she can do: drop everything and run away. Soo Ah says that anticipating nothing is the last of the three conditions they had for their relationship and thinks they should at least keep that, while Do Woo thinks they might as well break it now. They’re interrupted by Soo Ah’s phone ringing, and Soo Ah says that it’s Hyo Eun calling for their video chat. Do Woo gets up to leave, telling her to take as much time as she needs and to call him when she’s done. 

However, Soo Ah doesn’t call Do Woo when she’s done. She sits in the room contemplating what to do while Do Woo remains in his office, wanting to go back to her. They’re like that all night, until Soo Ah finally decides to leave that morning. As she rides the bus home, she narrates her apology to Do Woo, “Do Woo, I’m sorry to leave without saying goodbye. If I stayed another five minutes, I’d probably run away with you, just as you said. It’s still hard to know what’s best for me, but right now, I think what’s best is to live blamelessly. I’m going to close my eyes and pass through it. When I open my eyes again, I hope to be sitting by your side with a peaceful heart.” Soo Ah opens her eyes, only to heave a big sigh to see that she’s once again sitting in her apartment alone. 

Mi Jin spots Jin Suk in the airport and immediately texts Soo Ah to let her know that he’s back in Seoul. This irritates Jin Suk, but Mi Jin tells him it’s time to stop running away. She sincerely wishes for him to overcome this before bumping into a colleague who asks what she should do with Soo Ah’s nomination as an employee trainer. Mi Jin tells her to keep Soo Ah’s name on the list. Jin Suk takes a deep breath before coming into the apartment. But when he does come in, he walks past Soo Ah and straight into his room. When Jin Suk finally comes out to talk, he rambles on about Soo Ah’s flight to New Zealand, not letting her speak. He wants them to wait until they’re all in New Zealand before they talk about anything.

But Soo Ah doesn’t sit still this time, and demands that he get angry or at least ask her about it. Jin Suk argues that now that Soo Ah is back home, she should just face reality. Soo Ah’s frustration boils up and she has to pound her chest with a fist to keep herself from breaking. She fires back that she’s going to say what she needs to say, making Jin Suk stare at her and fall silent.

Soo Ah says that Hyo Eun is liking her new home, so it seems right for Jin Suk to transfer over there. But she is going to keep living in Seoul, and suggests they settle this once and for all and just part ways. Jin Suk questions who Soo Ah plans to live with then, and asks, “Seo Do Woo?” His words hit Soo Ah like a punch in the gut. Jin Suk continues that he doesn’t want her to beg for forgiveness just so she can feel better; he’d rather she just swallow whatever bad feelings she may have. But it looks like Soo Ah is already done. She stands up, telling him that she won’t say anymore, and that she won’t be going to New Zealand either. Jin Suk: “It’s a crisis. Overcome it.” Soo Ah: “It’s not a crisis. It’s already shattered.” Soo Ah leaves him there, and he’s too stunned to grab her or say anything else. Soo Ah tries to collect herself on the elevator ride down, chanting “It’s okay, it’s okay” to herself. You did well, Soo Ah. I’m proud of you. 

Back in his apartment, Jin Suk is still shaken from his argument with Soo Ah. His eyes land on the framed ornament of Grandma’s resting on the living room shelf, and the next thing we know, he’s leaving the building with the ornament in hand and determination in his stride. Soo Ah finds herself wandering over to Hyun Woo’s bar, and Hyun Woo smiles at her, saying that Do Woo has been wandering around the neighborhood as well ever since he spotted the picture on the wall. Soo Ah inspects the picture herself, remembering the first time she saw this view. She then climbs the stairs to the balcony on the second floor, surprised to see Do Woo walking down the street right below her. 

She calls him and he immediately picks up, asking how it went with Jin Suk. She’s glad to report that she got everything off her chest, but she’s not sure if Jin Suk will actually listen to her. Do Woo wants to see her and asks where she is, but she just tells him to guess. She gives him hints, saying that it’s a place she greatly missed somewhere Do Woo often comes and goes. Do Woo thinks that it’s Jeju Island, and Soo Ah muses that this place is a lot like Jeju. Do Woo then walks out of her line of sight and she says, “I can’t see you.” When he’s too confused to answer, Soo Ah explains that she now knows how he saw her the first time they talked on the phone. 

Do Woo finally understands and looks up, smiling to realize how close they are. He notes that even now, they always end up in the same place, whether that be on Jeju Island or merely walking around Seoul. He tells her to stay put and that he’ll be right up. However…Jin Suk pulls up to the bar, only seconds after Do Woo heads inside. 

Jin Suk goes straight to Hyun Woo and states that he’s here to see Do Woo, throwing the ornament onto a table. Do Woo stops in his tracks, looking torn over whether he should keep walking towards Soo Ah or turn around and face her husband. It only takes him a few seconds, though it feels like a hundred. Do Woo turns on his heel and reveals himself to Jin Suk. And with both aware that they know exactly who the other is, Do Woo wastes no time and gestures to a table where they can talk. 

As the two take their seats, Hyun Woo hurries up the stairs to find Soo Ah. He quickly informs her that he knows the new owner of the second floor, so she can go in there for the time being. Soo Ah asks about Do Woo, but poor Hyun Woo doesn’t seem to know what to tell her. 

Jin Suk begins by saying that he’s not one to get angry or throw a fit, and Do Woo agrees that he’s the same way. Once they have that settled, Jin Suk gets straight to the point: He knows that Do Woo helped Soo Ah a lot since they first sent Hyo Eun to Malyasia, and that Do Woo and Soo Ah coincidentally met again in Jeju. Jin Suk, of course, has his doubts about the coincidence part, but he says that he’s decided to overlook everything. 

He continues, saying that he knows men like them prefer to live freely, but that there’s a certain time when they should quit. Do Woo takes all of this in calmly, and then admits that all this time, he’d been dying to meet Jin Suk – he wanted to understand how he thinks. Jin Suk laughs dryly, but his expression grows dark as he asks if Do Woo’s wife knows about the affair. “I asked if your wife knows what I know!” he roars.

Jin Suk’s yelling drives the rest of Hyun Woo’s customers out the door. Still calm and collected, Do Woo reveals that he and his wife divorced not too long ago. Jin Suk interprets this as a plan that Do Woo and Soo Ah came up with. “Am I next?” Jin Suk asks. He seethes that it’s not going to go as they planned. 

“Planned?” Do Woo repeats. “There’s nothing going as planned. People meet and they part. How does that go as planned?” Jin Suk agrees with Do Woo there – he brings up Grandma and Annie, saying that there’s no way that could’ve been planned. And if it had been, Do Woo wouldn’t be human. Do Woo is shaking as he struggles to hold his tears and his clenched fists back. It looks like he’s about to snap, but Hyun Woo beats him to it. To Do Woo’s surprise, Hyun Woo grabs Jin Suk by the collar and furiously asks Jin Suk who he thinks he is to be acting this way here. Jin Suk yells right back in Hyun Woo’s face and shoves him off just in time for Soo Ah to walk in and see. 

Jin Suk freezes at the sight of her. “In the end, I get to see this,” he says, his voice defeated. Soo Ah tells him they need to talk, but Jin Suk wordlessly storms out. When Soo Ah turns to follow him, Do Woo grabs her arm in concern. Soo Ah assures him that it’s okay and goes after Jin Suk. But Jin Suk is already in his car, and he drives off without giving Soo Ah a second look. 

Mi Jin returns to her apartment only to have the bejeezus scared out of her when she finds Jin Suk huddled by her door. He struggles to get the word “Elevator” out, saying he couldn’t take it up to his room. Mi Jin tells him to take the stairs then, which causes Jin Suk to bang his head against the wall, breathing with difficulty. And that’s when Mi Jin realizes what’s happening. Mi Jin lets him inside so he can pull himself together, and says that while she knows Jin Suk developed claustrophobia because of how strict his father was, he hadn’t shown symptoms for the last twenty years. 

Jin Suk’s voice is shaky as he admits that he was wrong about his condition. He hadn’t been afraid of his father’s scolding – he was afraid of having what was most precious to him thrown out. Mi Jin still doesn’t understand, so Jin Suk has to say with finality that he saw Do Woo and Soo Ah together. He’d had hope that it wasn’t real since he hadn’t actually seen or heard any of it, but now that he’s seen Do Woo and Soo Ah right before him, he knows that it’s over. “I won’t see Soo Ah anymore,” he says. “Tell her that.” Mi Jin sighs that Jin Suk should’ve treated Soo Ah better if she was so precious to him. “Shut up,” he mutters, done with this conversation.

Mi Jin later calls Soo Ah and tells her about Jin Suk’s condition (even though Jin Suk told her not to), and how he may have trouble flying for now. Soo Ah is speechless, so Mi Jin tells her not to worry since Jin Suk will get plenty of rest in New Zealand. Soo Ah still seems to feel terrible, but she’s at least relieved to know that Jin Suk has Mi Jin. Mi Jin smiles at that and reveals that Jin Suk is now willing to part ways, and that Soo Ah was, in fact, very precious to him. 

Soo Ah calls Do Woo and tells him everything, and though he tells her that she did a good job, she’s not sure if she can say the same to herself. Now she realizes what Do Woo meant by divorce coming with a lot more emotions than just happiness. Do Woo can tell that something is weighing on her mind and urges her to let it out. Soo Ah starts to get choked up as she tells him that after sending her daughter off and making things harder for Jin Suk, she doesn’t know if she can let herself be happy and go to Do Woo. Crying now, she says that thinking only about herself in this kind of situation is even harder on her. She hangs up without another word. 

The next day, Soo Ah meets with Jin Suk at the airport before he flies out to New Zealand. She tells him that she’s already explained everything to Hyo Eun, and that they can all take their time figuring things out. Jin Suk tries to act a bit aloof, saying Soo Ah probably won’t worry about him, but he does sincerely say that she doesn’t need to worry about Hyo Eun either, since they’ll be in contact. Before Jin Suk leaves, Soo Ah tells him to call if there’s ever any good news. She wishes him a safe trip with a genuine smile, making Jin Suk’s expression soften ever so slightly. He nods, and they both go their separate ways. 

Soo Ah asks to see Do Woo one last time. Do Woo shows up to the meeting place half an hour early, and not too long after, he sees Soo Ah arrive early as well. However, Soo Ah doesn’t see him and sits at a different table, nervously wringing her hands. Instead of approaching her, Do Woo uses the time to gaze at her. Once the meeting time strikes, he walks up to her with a smile, which Soo Ah returns. She reminds him of the time he asked if they could welcome each other’s texts while remaining apart, because she’d like to do that now. 

Do Woo asks for how long, but Soo Ah doesn’t know just yet. She’s scared of Do Woo’s answer, but he readily agrees. “You won’t be able to come to me if you’re the only one happy,” he says. “That’s why I like you.” He says that for now, they’ll only text. And if Soo Ah continues feeling sorry about being the only one happy, they won’t meet. But if she eventually feels that she does want to be happy, they will meet. “You can do that for me?” she asks. 

Do Woo nods and reminds her of the time she’d asked what she meant to him, and how he’d told her he’d answer later. He gives her his answer now: She’s the one person he wants to spend the rest of his life with. Soo Ah is moved to tears, and she can’t help but smile at Do Woo’s earnest gaze. 

A few months later. We learn that Hye Won has quit her studies and moved all the way to Malaysia to help Mary with the homestay. We see her visit the same spot at the airport where Annie had died, and while it doesn’t seem like Hye Won has forgiven herself yet, it does seem like she’s found some sort of peace. 

Meanwhile, Mi Jin is still hanging out with Je Ah and Kevin, Soo Ah is back in her red uniform and working as a trainer at the airport, and Do Woo is hard at work with his new project alongside Ji Eun. And all the while, Soo Ah and Do Woo keep up with their texting. 

One day, Soo Ah finds one of Jin Suk’s old caps in the storage room and asks Hyo Eun how he’s doing these days. To her pleasant surprise, she learns that Jin Suk’s been perfectly fine, and that he’s even flying again. Later, Hyun Joo’s husband finds Soo Ah resting in the airport and finally gives her the letter from Hyo Eun that he’d forgotten to hand over before. Soo Ah opens the letter and reads that Hyo Eun had felt bad watching her mom work in the orchard, but she could also tell that Soo Ah was happy. Hyo Eun always looked up to her mom for working so diligently with a smile, and says that she plans to do just the same.

Do Woo sends Soo Ah pictures of the views from the airport and of the Han riverside. She smiles at the two sights, replying back that the two resemble each other with their desolateness. When Do Woo sends her a picture of another location, Soo Ah guesses that it’s Jeju Island. Do Woo tells her that it’s not Jeju, but it’s similar. As Soo Ah scrutinizes the photo, she thinks back to Do Woo’s promise that they can meet again once she’s ready to accept her happiness. 

Suddenly, she jumps up. She grabs her coat and bolts out the door, sending Do Woo a text saying that she’s breaking the last condition — she wants to visit the place in the picture with him. As soon as Do Woo reads that, he’s out the door just as fast. They both hurry to the airport for the next flight out and… Ah, this scene looks very familiar. Do Woo: “Where are you?” Soo Ah: “I’m already at the airport.” Soo Ah rides the escalator down, her eyes searching the terminal until she spots Do Woo waiting for her at the very bottom. It’s a long way down, but she and Do Woo are no longer in any rush. They smile at each other, ready to come together again. 

Personal Thought:

That was beautiful. I have to admit that I saw that ending coming and for the last few seconds, I was worried it was going to come across as used and cheesy. Many dramas have done the same thing with tying the ending scene with a memorable scene from the beginning.

Though we’d all been looking forward to Soo Ah and Do Woo making their relationship official, I was glad that Su-ah stuck to her guns and decided to wait until her happiness with Do-woo felt not only felt right, but earned. Su-ah has definitely grown into an admirable heroine, and it was extremely satisfying to see her finally raise her voice over Jin Suk’s — but I was also impressed that the show never changed who she was. She was a quiet, old soul who saw the beauty in everything, and who needed the time to figure her feelings out. That never changed about her, and in all honesty, it didn’t have to change. Especially since it makes sense for someone to need time to heal after a divorce.

But it was a real surprise for me to know that Soo Ah is someone so precious even to Jin Suk which is too bad because he takes her for granted. One thing I learn from this drama is to cherish everything, including time, people and feelings and never ever take them for granted. 

On The Way To Airport - Episode 13 & 14 Summary

Do Woo (played by Lee Sang Yoon) and Soo Ah (played by Kim Ha Neul) arrive at the ocean with no one around them but the wind and the water. He gets out to help her out of the back of the truck, and they stay like that for a long while. Soo Ah smiles, finally comfortable enough to say, “It’s good to see you, Do Woo.” Do Woo can’t tear his eyes away as he takes her hands in his: “It’s good to see you, Soo Ah.”

After Soo Ah tucks Hyo Eun into bed, she’s surprised to see Do Woo waiting outside her house on his bike. When she hurries outside, he tells her to come see him in the morning, and she agrees. The next morning, Do Woo twiddles his thumbs at Grandma’s gallery as he waits for Soo Ah’s visit. Soo Ah sees Hyo Eun off to school at the bus stop before walking to Do Woo’s, where he greets her outside with a smile.

Looking around the gallery at Grandma’s exhibited works, Soo Ah recalls her conversation with Grandma. She and Do Woo marvel together at the idea that they’re sitting here now, and Soo Ah says that she can’t imagine something more unbelievable. Do Woo warmly tells her that he’s certain that more unbelievable things are going to happen in the future.

Do Woo then asks if her husband is still seeing Mi Jin, but Soo Ah quickly tells him that it was just a misunderstanding—they’re just coworkers and neighbors who sometimes have meals together. Do Woo is clearly unconvinced, so Soo Ah changes the subject, questioning him about the gallery. Do Woo laughs as he asks how she managed to hold in so many questions, so she limits herself to one: “Did you come here alone?” Do Woo’s face falls, but he promises that he’ll be able to definitely answer that question in two days. 

At that moment, he gets a phone call from someone before he looks to Soo Ah: “Let’s go.” The realtor is waiting at Soo Ah’s house to officially close the purchase. Do Woo starts to take a look around, but Soo Ah stops him in embarrassment, telling him that the house is a mess. He watches as she struggles to close the broken door, recalling her mention it in the texts she “sent” him. 

Soo Ah has to work at the airport today, and Do Woo waits in the kitchen as she gets ready. He asks suddenly why she cried before when they ran into each other in the café in Seoul, and she hesitates before answering: “I thought it was the last time I’d see you.” Do Woo asks if the man she was with was her husband, and she tells him that it was, but she wishes he hadn’t seen him. To Soo Ah’s relief, Do Woo assures her that he didn’t see him that well. 

Do Woo and Soo Ah part ways in front of the house, and he tells her to look for changes about the house when she returns. As she leaves, he notes that she definitely was born and raised in Jeju—she seems to fit in perfectly. “In design, we have something called complements,” he says. “You and Jeju are perfect complements: You need Jeju, and Jeju needs you.” 

At his words, Soo Ah tells him she has a childish question: “What am I to you, Do Woo?” She recalls asking Jin Suk the same question and receiving his cold response that there was nothing left between them, and thus, he had nothing to say. In contrast, Do Woo thinks for a moment and tells her to ask him that question another time—he has so much to say, but he’d rather tell her at a time when she’s sad, so that his answer can cheer her up. Soo Ah is already happy enough with that answer, and she leaves with a smile on her face.

Do Woo calls Hye Won to tell her that he’s coming to Seoul tomorrow. Hye Won sadly notes how anxious he is to get their divorce over with, but he hangs up without a word. When Ji Eun arrives at the house for work, though, Hye Won is back to professional mode. 

At that moment, Hye Won receives a text from Ji Eun’s mom asking to meet. Ji Eun’s mom informs her that she did some investigating about Hye Won, and she now knows that she lied about raising Annie. She tells her that even though she wants to break all ties with Hye Won, she knows Do Woo would just come to her defense again. Hye Won apologizes for her lies, but Ji Eun’s mom tells her that her apology is worthless to her—neither Grandma nor Annie are here to hear it. “Do Woo is the only one left to apologize to,” she warns. “Take care of it.” Later, sitting in her office, Hye Won grimly books an immediate flight to Jeju. 

Grandma receives a handwritten letter from Hyo Eun and laughs at her advanced Korean vocabulary. Suddenly finding it strange, however, she calls Soo Ah and asks why an English-speaking international school would teach such words. Soo Ah finally spills the beans that Hyo Eun doesn’t attend international school, but quickly assures Grandma that Hyo Eun is much happier now at the local school. 

Grandma sighs in disappointment at Soo Ah’s lie, and asks outright if Soo Ah and Jin Suk are separating. Soo Ah answers: “No! …Not yet.” Soo Ah promises that she’ll tell Jin Suk the truth herself, and Grandma scoffs that there’s no way she’ll interfere in their fight. “But Soo Ah,” she adds seriously, “Lying like this and running away to Jeju-do won’t solve anything.” Refusing to get any more involved in other people’s problems, Grandma hangs up and tells her to figure it out themselves. 

Je Ah is at Mi Jin’s place for another home-cooked meal, complaining about his nosy mother. Mi Jin tells him she has a flight to catch, prompting Je Ah to ask if Jin Suk will be there, too. When he asks whether Mi Jin has apologized to Soo Ah yet, she snaps at him, demanding why she’s the one who has to apologize. Je Ah starts to agree, but then wonders why Mi Jin couldn’t just have told Soo Ah about their past relationship—they both know that Soo Ah probably would have accepted it anyway. Mi Jin has no response. 

When Soo Ah gets off her shift at the airport, Kevin tracks her down and hands her his phone, telling her obliviously that Mi Jin wants to talk to her about something. Mi Jin tells Soo Ah that she knows Do Woo is in Jeju with her, demanding to know what she’s doing there. Soo Ah ignores her questions and hands the phone back to Kevin, but Mi Jin is insistent that she talk to Soo Ah. 

At that moment, Do Woo arrives at the airport to pick her up, just in time to see Soo Ah take the phone. Both Kevin and Do Woo listen in on her conversation with Mi Jin as Soo Ah asks how she knew about Do Woo. Mi Jin simply tells her that word gets around, and Soo Ah agrees: “Just like word got around about you and Jin Suk spending the night together.” 

Mi Jin demands to know what is going on between Soo Ah and Do Woo, but Soo Ah coldly fires back the same question about Mi Jin and Jin Suk. Exasperated, Mi Jin finally clarifies that they just spent the night talking, and nothing else. She says she feels guilty about just one thing—that her feelings had wavered when Jin Suk suggested that he and Mi Jin should go where their hearts led them. “I’m sorry for that,” Mi Jin spits out. “I’m sorry for being that pathetic.” 

Soo Ah finds Mi Jin’s apology oddly sudden, and Mi Jin laughs, since everyone told her to apologize. She tells her that it’s time for Soo Ah to apologize too, and Soo Ah agrees that she’ll send a mass apology. Mi Jin scoffs that she doesn’t even know Soo Ah’s phone number anymore. 

Soo Ah asks why Mi Jin didn’t stop her from marrying Jin Suk. “You should have told me back then,” she cries. “You should have said that Park Jin Suk can’t live with a family, that he’ll hate me even for breathing and existing near him. You should have told me that he would cheat on me for the rest of my life. Why?! Why didn’t you tell me that?!” 

Mi Jin just laughs that Soo Ah was so crazy in love with Jin Suk that she wouldn’t have listened anyway. She demands to know if Soo Ah is living well in Jeju, and even though her tone sounds smug at first, it quickly devolves into raw, teary concern. “I’m worried about you,” Mi Jin cries. “I know you must be struggling there, too self-conscious of other people’s opinions.” She tells her that she needs to take care of herself first before Do Woo, Hyo Eun, and Jin Suk. At last, she apologizes for not warning Soo Ah so long ago. Soo Ah hangs up and hurries away to be alone without seeing Do Woo nearby, while Mi Jin cries to herself in her apartment. 

Do Woo texts Soo Ah to tell her that he’s going to Seoul to finish up his work. When Soo Ah comes home, she smiles to see that her door has been fixed, and there’s a new bed all set up in her room. She melts into the pillows to take a long rest, thanks to Do Woo. 

Jin Suk offers to drive Mi Jin to the airport, and she starts to refuse until he informs her that he just came back from Jeju. As they drive to the airport, he tells her that he managed to convince Soo Ah that he and Mi Jin were just meal buddies. Mi Jin pounds her chest in frustration, telling him that Soo Ah actually knows the truth about their relationship. Jin Suk is shocked, realizing how stupid he must have sounded lying to her. 

He pulls over and orders her to get out. He snaps that he hasn’t done anything wrong, and that he isn’t afraid of getting in trouble from the airport, either. And then he adds: “There’s no way I’m breaking up with Choi Soo Ah because of you, so don’t even dream of it!” As he drives off, he turns up the volume of the car radio to block out the sound of Mi Jin screaming after him. Mi Jin bites back tears, telling herself that she just needs to go to work—but then she calls her sunbae, begging for him to take her shift. 

Soo Ah finds a job at a clementine orchard and spends the day harvesting baskets of fruit. Afterward, she heads to Do Woo’s gallery with a small basket of clementines, using the spare key under a potted plant. She cleans some dishes and tidies up before she leaves, passing right by Hye Won, who has just arrived on the island. They don’t notice each other as they pass, but Soo Ah belatedly realizes that she accidentally brought the spare key with her and turns back to return it.

Hye Won is looking through the windows at Grandma’s works when she arrives. They don’t recognize each other, and when Hye Won comments that her favorites of Grandma’s works are inside, they smile warmly. Hye Won sighs to herself that the owner isn’t there, and Soo Ah mentions that he went to Seoul. Checking her text messages, she realizes that it’s true. Suddenly realizing who Soo Ah is, Hye Won says hesitantly: “Hyo Eun’s… mom?” 

Trembling, she says: “You still don’t know who I am? I’m Do Woo’s wife.” As the realization hits, Soo Ah looks away, asking shakily what she’s doing here. Hye Won tells her that she has every right to be here: this is her husband’s house, and her mother-in-law’s works are inside it. Unable to respond, Soo Ah starts to turn to run away again, but Hye Won stops her with a foreboding tone: “You can’t leave. Open the door for me. You have the key, don’t you?” 

Without a choice, Soo Ah obeys. Hye Won watches her unlock the door in fury, and slaps her across the cheek: “How dare you open this door?” she hisses. She screams at Soo Ah to leave, and Soo Ah runs, trembling. When she’s far enough away, Soo Ah calls Mi Jin. Voice shaking, Soo Ah tells her friend that she just met Do Woo’s wife. Mi Jin bolts upright, ordering her to take a deep breath. 

Soo Ah’s conversation with Mi Jin convinces her that if Mi Jin was brave enough to apologize, she has no excuse, either. She hurries back to Do Woo’s house and opens the door… Soo Ah calls Mi Jin again, and it turns out that Hye Won has disappeared without a trace. Mi Jin notes smugly that she’s the first person Soo Ah could think of in a crisis, and promises that she’ll find out what happened.

So Mi Jin calls Ji Eun, who tells her that Do Woo came to Seoul to divorce Hye Won, much to Mi Jin’s shock. Ji Eun tries to keep the details of Do Woo’s divorce a secret, but Mi Jin makes an offer she can’t refuse: information on Hye Won’s whereabouts for information about Do Woo’s divorce. Ji Eun calls Do Woo to tell him that Hye Won met Soo Ah in Jeju, but much to his chagrin, Hye Won still isn’t answering his calls.

The next day, Soo Ah continues her job search when Hyo Eun brings in an unexpected visitor: Mi Jin. The three of them go out for an expensive meal, and Mi Jin explains that she’s using all her saved-up sick days at once to have one amazing vacation. They talk about the old days, and although there’s still a tension between them, they at least can’t deny their past friendship. As they return home, Soo Ah admits that she doesn’t really regret marrying Jin Suk—after all, if they hadn’t married, Hyo Eun wouldn’t exist. Mi Jin rolls her eyes at Soo Ah’s bragging about her amazing daughter, and the three of them chase each other around the front yard, laughing. 

Suk suggests reporting Hye Won missing to the police, but Do Woo knows she’s fine. Instead, Do Woo sighs to himself that he feels less confident now that he’s home again, and it’ll be bad if Hye Won returns to Seoul as well. The next morning, Hye Won’s assistant receives a call and a package. She tells Do Woo that he’s been asked to deliver the package to the listed address. Suk is sure that it must be one of the craftsmen. When Do Woo arrives, however, he recognizes it as the apartment complex where he’d dropped Soo Ah off before. 

While waiting for the elevator, he finally receives a call from Hye Won. She tells him that the person upstairs is already waiting for him. When Do Woo asks who it is, she says simply: “He’s someone I’m thankful to. He’s the person who bought porridge for Grandma before she died.” He’s shocked at those words, and when he steps out of the elevator, that someone opens the door: Jin Suk. 

We rewind a bit to Jin Suk unwinding at home after work. He finds the framed ornament Grandma had gifted to Soo Ah and tosses it aside, not thinking much of it. After getting a call from Grandma, he goes over to her house for dinner. He eats in a hurry so he can get out of there, but Grandma wants to announce something: She’s planning her retirement and will be flying to New Zealand to live with Jin Suk’s sister. 

Grandma tells Jin Suk he can take her house along with Soo Ah and Hyo Eun, but Jin Suk would rather keep things as they are and live separately. She can see that convincing her son is hopeless, so Grandma finally breaks it to Jin Suk that Hyo Eun’s been attending a neighborhood school rather than an international one. Jin Suk comes back home, thinking back to Soo Ah’s words about moving to Jeju Island, and then Mi Jin’s words about Soo Ah knowing about them. He scoffs at the fact that Soo Ah would even use Mi Jin as an excuse to pull Hyo Eun out of school. 

Hye Won hides away in her car in Jin Suk’s parking lot, watching Do Woo head into the apartment building. She calls Jin Suk, introducing herself as Annie’s mom. She tells him she wants to give him her thanks since Soo Ah was with Grandma before her death, but that her husband will be coming in her place. She instructs him to open the door and hangs up. By the time Do Woo figures out what Hye Won has done, he’s already on Jin Suk’s floor, and Jin Suk is already opening the door. 

Jin Suk welcomes Do Woo inside, a friendly smile pasted on his face. Do Woo, on the other hand, doesn’t even bother to smile. Instead, his eyes land on the framed ornament resting on the couch. Jin Suk catches him staring at it and tosses it onto the table, saying it’s just something his wife had out. This clearly bothers Do Woo, but he politely thanks Jin Suk for Soo Ah’s kind actions. After getting a rather lackluster response from Jin Suk, Do Woo thinks back to Soo Ah’s heated conversation with Mi Jin. The thought makes him pick up the ornament and gently place it on a shelf, on full display.

“Isn’t it a bit strange?” Jin Suk says behind him. Do Woo turns around to face him. However, Jin Suk merely chuckles, referring to Do Woo coming here like Hye Won asked. He advises Do Woo not to do everything his wife says, otherwise there’s no end to it. Do Woo’s gaze is practically shooting daggers, but he somehow keeps it together to see himself out. As soon as he exits the building, Do Woo gets a call from Hye Won. She says she can see him, and his eyes search the area until he spots her across the parking lot. 

He marches straight to her, though he seems more hurt than angry. Hye Won asks if Do Woo feels like he might go crazy from having to hold his feelings in while in front of Jin Suk. “Why should you be like this?” Hye Won cries, “Why should the mighty Seo Do Woo live like this?” She tells him that she went to Jeju Island to give him the divorce he wanted, but… 

Jin Suk is witnessing the argument from his balcony. He’s amused with the sight until Hye Won’s face finally registers. Until the name “Do Woo” finally registers. Jin Suk suddenly remembers meeting Hye Won in Australia and all the little hints she’d been sending him, as well as all the hints everyone around him, including Soo Ah, has been sending him. “This doesn’t make sense,” he tries to tell himself. 

Do Woo and Hye Won continue their conversation in the car. Hye Won can barely hold her tears back as she tells Do Woo that he’s still her husband, and she can’t understand why he’s willing to be sneered and pointed at, all for Soo Ah. “Why must you do that? You think I’m giving you the divorce so you can do that?” Even now, Hye Won knows that Do Woo is sitting here worrying about Soo Ah, and how she must be suffering after coming across Hye Won. Hye Won isn’t bothered by that, but she hates thinking that Do Woo has to deal with the same thing. She begs him to come to his senses before she breaks down crying. Still unable to say anything, Do Woo puts a comforting hand on her shoulder. 

Once Hye Won is calmer, she sits Do Woo down at the house so she can tell him the whole story – how she fled to Jeju in a state of panic, how she ran into Soo Ah, and how she lashed out at her. And then Hye Won goes into the story of Annie’s birth, and how Annie truly was born out of love. But once Annie came into the world, Hye Won had been scared: “People say that when you have a baby, you forget about reality and only care about your baby. But I wasn’t like that. I thought it was the end.” She couldn’t tell her mother about the baby, and she ended up getting severe depression. Annie’s father had known Hye Won wasn’t happy, so he’d said he would raise Annie and that Hye Won could forget all about them and live her life. So Hye Won jumped at the opportunity. Hye Won dedicated her life to work and she soon erased Annie and the father out of her mind. So when Annie’s father was diagnosed with cancer and ultimately sent Annie to live with her, she claims, she was resentful. That is, until Annie’s arrival got Do Woo to finally talk to Hye Won. And when Do Woo had asked who Annie was, Hye Won had uttered the words she’d buried for all those years: “She’s my daughter.” Hye Won tells Do Woo that she regretted saying that all this time, and that she wished she’d just introduced Annie as some kid she knew. But now, she thinks calling Annie her daughter that day was the best thing she ever did. 

Like Do Woo said, Hye Won has been living full of fear and anxiety, and she’s tired of desperately clinging on. “That’s why I won’t hold onto you,” she says. And she means it. The next thing we know, Hye Won is handing Suk documents concerning the house and the exhibition. Lastly, she takes out the divorce papers, surprising Suk. Though she knows it may not mean much now, Hye Won thanks him for cherishing Annie. As Do Woo walks Hye Won out, the mood is somewhat lighter. He tells her to call if she ever has any trouble, and she smiles. He also gives her a bag, saying the contents were found in Annie’s treasure chest and he remembered the item initially belonging to Hye Won. He watches her drive off and then looks up at the night sky. “I’m sorry,” he says to Annie, “that your mom and dad ended up this way.” 

Hye Won opens the bag as soon as she returns to her office, finding the embroidered handkerchief she’d had out when she’d been in the café with Annie discussing their backstory. She then gets a text from Do Woo explaining that Annie had been trying to protect someone, and he found out who it was: Hye Won. Clutching onto the handkerchief, Hye Won is once again overcome with grief as she cries. Do Woo wanders over to Hyun Woo’s bar in a daze. His buddy tries to cheer him up with some beer, but Do Woo can only think of how splitting up with Hye Won was supposed to make him happy and make everything all better. He figured it would also be sad, but he never expected to feel like this. He wonders how he’ll ever tell Soo Ah about this feeling. 

Back in Jeju, Soo Ah and Mi Jin discuss Jin Suk after Hyo Eun’s in bed. Mi Jin explains that she’d been young and hopelessly in love, so she couldn’t let go of Jin Suk. It wasn’t until Soo Ah came along that she came to her senses, and she was grateful for that. But then she’d noticed that Soo Ah soon went through the same thing. Soo Ah admits that she did go through a similar process. There was even a time when she’d seen a picture of Jin Suk with another flight attendant, but she never brought it up because she was afraid he would leave. “Your song became mine,” Soo Ah says, making them both smile. 

Soo Ah and Mi Jin having a grand ole time singing karaoke. After some good laughs, Mi Jin asks if Do Woo’s going to divorce his wife. Soo Ah assumes that Hye Won would never even consider it after running into her. But Soo Ah does plan on splitting up with Jin Suk. She happily yells into her microphone that she’s going to live happily on the island with Hyo Eun. She and Mi Jin adorably celebrate her newfound independence with cheers and hugs. Soo Ah sends Mi Jin off, though not before attempting to set her up with Kevin, hee. Soon afterward, she answers a call from Do Woo, who mentions he’s at Hyun Woo’s bar. He asks if she remembers the time he’d comforted her at the bar, back when Soo Ah was stressing over Hyo Eun’s stay in Malaysia. Soo Ah smiles at the memory and tells him that that was the first time he’d ever consoled her. 

Do Woo notes that the weather in Seoul is different and that it’s entered a season of indecisiveness, so he tells Soo Ah not to come. Soo Ah guesses correctly that it must be chaotic over there, and she admits that she saw Hye Won. Do Woo takes a breath before saying he knows, and that he also saw Jin Suk, though he urges her not to worry about it. He wishes that Soo Ah could avoid all the pain and chaos he’s been experiencing. “I don’t know if this will comfort you,” he says, “but during this nasty November in Seoul, that’s all I can think about.” He promises they can discuss this further as soon as he returns to Jeju.

Jin Suk calls Grandma and tells her to go ahead and fly to New Zealand as quickly as possible. He intends to follow her, along with Soo Ah and Hyo Eun. Young-sook looks uncertain, but she agrees to do so anyway. Hyo Eun watches from afar as her mom works hard in the clementine orchard. During Soo Ah’s break, Hyo Eun voices sadly how exhausting it must be for Soo Ah, but Soo Ah insists she’s dealt with much more as a flight attendant. Either way, Hyo Eun thinks they should reconsider living here, which Soo Ah quickly shuts down by saying she’s perfectly fine. 

Later, Soo Ah bids farewell to Mi Jin before she leaves the island. But Mi Jin stops and turns back to reveal that Do Woo is, in fact, getting a divorce. Since it was due to Hye Won’s lies, Mi Jin states that the couple was doomed to end even without Soo Ah. Mi Jin didn’t mention it earlier because she wanted to make sure Soo Ah wanted a divorce for herself, and not just so that she could see Do Woo. Now that she knows where Soo Ah stands, Mi Jin is on her side: “Choi Soo Ah, it starts now. Don’t be affected by anything else. Just think of yourself.” 

As Mi Jin walks away, her words remind Soo Ah of when she’d asked Do Woo if he came to Jeju alone, and he’d said he would tell her later. Now she understands what he’s been going through all this time. Kevin treats Mi Jin to a meal before she flies back, though he’s disappointed to hear she may not return since she used up all her vacation time on this one trip. Mi Jin sees where he’s going with this and tells him that he’s a nice guy, so he should find a nice girl. Kevin agrees – he likes nice girls who believe they’re nice. He tells Mi Jin to call him when she feels this way. 

Jin Suk lets himself into Mi Jin’s apartment, but she’s not there. He tries to call her, and when she doesn’t answer, he gets this look on his face that kind of scares me. Mi Jin is ignoring Jin Suk’s calls since she’s out eating with Je Ah. He asks what the occasion is, and she happily reports that she’s made up with Soo Ah.

Mi Jin comes home to find an annoyed Jin Suk, who’s wondering if Soo Ah is angry after finding out about them. Jin Suk figures that she must be, since Mi Jin was her best friend and this was more of a betrayal on Mi Jin’s part. Mi Jin angrily says that she is Soo Ah’s best friend, and that Jin Suk is merely an ex-lover she couldn’t care less about now. She tells him to leave. 

But Jin Suk’s not finished. He casually mentions that Do Woo came over to his apartment, confirming his suspicion with Mi Jin’s shocked reaction. “What I’ve been imagining these days is actually right?” he asks, his voice furious. He screams Do Woo’s name, wondering why he has to keep hearing the name of a guy he doesn’t even know. He demands that Mi Jin tell him everything, and Mi Jin retorts that Jin Suk doesn’t even care about Soo Ah. 

Just like that, Jin Suk’s anger subsides, though his voice is still shaking as he adds that as far he knows, his wife and daughter are living happily on Jeju Island. Nothing is certain until he sees it for himself. Mi Jin can’t believe that they’re actually arguing about this. She cries that she’s tired of fussing over a jerk like him, and that she’ll never make the same mistake again. “You’re making a mistake now,” Jin Suk seethes. “Everything you do is a mistake.” He storms out, and as soon as the door slams shut, Mi Jin lets her tears fall. 

Jin Suk arrive in Jeju and call the international school Soo Ah supposedly enrolled Hyo Eun in, confirming that Hyo Eun is not on the roster. He goes to Hyo Eun’s real school and confronts her about this, and she hilariously greets him in English as a final attempt to keep up the pretense. But he reveals that he already knows the truth. Hyo Eun tries to defend her mom, and it only seems to make Jin Suk angrier. He tells Hyo Eun to pack up and fly back to Seoul tomorrow. 

Hyo Eun warns Soo Ah of Jin Suk’s orders, and they tell each other to stay strong. Panicking, Soo Ah then tries to call Jin Suk, but he’s ignoring her calls now. He has Kevin pick him up and drive him to where Soo Ah is so he can see how she’s truly living. 

They drive all the way to the orchard, where Jin Suk watches Soo Ah from a distance as she works. He almost looks sad watching her, which Kevin takes note of. After a while, Kevin drives them back to the airport, and Jin Suk sighs that although Soo Ah may be acting strong, she’s actually very fragile and weak.

That night, Jin Suk returns Soo Ah’s call and listens to her apologize for lying about Hyo Eun’s school. He cuts her off, saying he knows she found out about him and Mi Jin. He decides to call it even – his past with Mi Jin against her lie about Hyo Eun. Jin Suk tells her that he’s being nice, and that he won’t tolerate any other mistakes. He then tells her to leave for Seoul tomorrow and hangs up before she can reply. He tells himself that for now, he just needs to get Soo Ah and Hyo Eun back home.

Soo Ah and Hyo Eun try to figure out what to do, and while Soo Ah is adamant about staying, Hyo Eun admits that she wants to go back – Jin Suk knows now, and she hates seeing her mom suffer. She calls Jin Suk to ask for a few more days to pack. Jin Suk begins to say he wants them back by tomorrow, until he spots Do Woo leaving the airport. Jin Suk gives Hyo Eun the answer she wants absently and hangs up so he can run after Do Woo. 

He barely catches sight of Do Woo leaving in his truck and quickly gets in a taxi to follow him. Do Woo arrives back at the gallery and calls Soo Ah, asking if they can meet up. Soo Ah tells him that her husband stopped by and ordered them to return to Seoul, so she thinks it’s best to stay at home tonight. They agree to talk again later after Soo Ah insists she plans to stay in Jeju. Do Woo: “Don’t go.” Soo Ah: “I won’t.” 

Do Woo enters the gallery, only to hear a car screech to a halt outside… Oh phew, it’s just someone dropping off Do Woo’s car from Seoul. 

Meanwhile, Hyo Eun finishes her homework and rests, also urging her mom to do the same. Soo Ah stares out the window, repeating Hyo Eun’s words to herself. Deciding to go after the “rest” she wants, she rushes out the door. It turns out that Jin Suk followed the wrong car all the way to a different house. When he discovers that the driver isn’t Do Woo, he screams at the top of lungs in frustration. “Seo Do Woo, why are you on Jeju Island? Why?!” he shouts. 

Do Woo sees Soo Ah running towards him, and he’s surprised to see her here. Once she’s in front of him, she asks if he’s okay, and then immediately feels flustered. “No matter what… No matter how hard I try…” she struggles to find the words. Do Woo finishes for her, saying that no matter how hard they try, they always end up here. That’s how it turns out for them. He leans in to hug her and she melts into his embrace. “I’m back,” he says. “Now it feels like I’m back home.” 

Personal Thought:

Jin Suk’s reaction to the affair was perplexing, to say the least. I expected him to be angry, but I didn’t expect him to look so hurt. I don’t know if it’s because of the show’s writing, but I just can’t figure this guy out. He’s been trying so hard to convince everyone that he doesn’t love Soo Ah, but then why is he so torn up over the idea of her cheating on him? To me, it doesn’t seem like it’s simply because he wants “control” over her. I keep thinking back to when he called Soo Ah weak and fragile and it makes me wonder if in some weird, twisted way, he does care about her. Does he feel the need to protect her? Is that why he’s so desperate to stay married to her? Or does he have something else on his agenda?

After learning about Hye Won’s deceitful past, I’m ready to switch over to Jin Suk and learn more about why exactly – after all the girls he fooled around with – he decided to settle down with Soo Ah. It seems as if Jin Suk has some personal problems in the past which Soo Ah has tried to help him to overcome that. I really hope his excuse for being a total jerk is a good one, because I’m not willing to pity him that easily. The show did a good job of gradually revealing Hye Won’s true colors and of making me feel sorry for her