Boys Before Flowers, episode 22
Woobin rocks his suit proper. Rejoice for Woobin screentime!
Recap of episode 22
Wedding hour presides before us. After Jandi refused to tell Jun Pyo not to get married or to go, her presence is requested by Jae Kyung. Jun Pyo stalls going down to the ceremony hall and the guests are antsy. Before long, he gets a text message from his mother with a picture of Jandi being held captive (once again) and this tugs at Jun Pyo’s big, bad heart so he relents and goes down.
Everybody is relieved at Jun Pyo’s arrival to the hall. After Jae Kyung arrives as well, the priest starts the ceremony. Marriage is foreva, these two people are destined, blah blah.
For those who object to the marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace.
Jae Kyung holds up her hand. She protests the marriage, saying that she can’t do it. Everybody is shocked out of their minds, but Jae Kyung turns to the guests and asks if there was anybody else who objected. Ji Hoo stands up and objects, followed by Woobin, followed by Yi Jung, and lastly, followed by Ga-eul.
Jae Kyung tells the audience that she can’t go through with this marriage, citing that the two are not a good match for each other. She tells her parents that she came to this decision all by herself, so she doesn’t want the JK / Shinhwa merger to be compromised. Jae Kyung turns to Madam Kang and Jun Pyo and apologizes to the both of them before asking for forgiveness. Madam Kang is unbelievably pissed and walks out, followed closely by Jae Kyung’s parents.
After the crowd disperses, Jun Pyo asks Jae Kyung what happened, and Jae Kyung just replies that she’s always been awesome. (Damn RIGHT.) Ga-eul rushes up to her and hugs her out of happiness.
Jun Pyo rushes the hell out of the hall and gets onto a boat, where he finds Jandi sitting. He grabs her into a hug and his face is filled with a shit eating grin. Jandi doesn’t really know what happened, but doesn’t question Jun Pyo’s affections. Jun Hee watches the boat from afar and smiles to herself.
Ga-eul and Yi Jung are driving along the roads and Yi Jung pulls over, asking when the hell Ga-eul’s going to stop crying, because people are gonna think that he was responsible. Turns out, Ga-eul’s crying out of sheer happiness because she is so moved by Jae Kyung’s act of self-sacrifice. Yi Jung gets out of his car and asks Ga-eul if she wants to know why he didn’t show up to Eun Jae on Valentine’s day.
Obligatory flashback. Yi Jung brings the girlz home to see Eun Jae working by herself. She’s surprised that he brings guests over and gets up to leave, but ends up knocking a vase over, breaking it, and cutting herself trying to pick up the pieces. Yi Jung rushes over to her and helps her bleeding stop, but not before irritatedly saying that she’s never careful. When she leaves, Yi Jung follows her and asks her if she was waiting because she had something to say. Eun Jae asks for a favor.
Ji Hoo goes horseback riding. In his alone time, he thinks to when he punched Jun Pyo and his confession after.
Jun Pyo: I can’t give up Jandi. I once thought that I’d be able to let her go to you. Even though I don’t even want to consider the possibility, but if things have to be that way, only you can be that person. Ji Hoo, if it’s not you, it won’t do. I’ve already thought about it.
Ji Hoo: Gu Jun Pyo…
Jun Pyo: But I still can’t let you have her.
Jae Kyung suddenly shows up.
Ji Hoo: Do you regret it?
Jae Kyung: How can I not? The moment I let Jun Pyo go, I regret it to death. You supported this too, so it’s too late for me to regret now. I’ve asked him before — if he had to choose between friendship and love, what would he choose? He said he wouldn’t give up either.
Jae Kyung goes on to say that love is created on the basis of wishes and desires, and that she knows Ji Hoo belongs to a group of non-believers. She also announces that she’s leaving for New York, so she gives Ji Hoo Jandi’s J ♥ J necklace. She says, “If only this JJ could represent Ji Hoo together with Jandi.” With that, Jae Kyung shakes Ji Hoo’s hand and bids him farewell. (Love this girl, she’s such a good sport.)
Meanwhile, Jae Kyung has left instructions for Jandi and Jun Pyo to enjoy their stay at the resort where I’m guessing Jae Kyung/Jun Pyo were going to spend their wedding night. The two have a very datesy date — eating a candlelit meal and ending with Jun Pyo asking Jandi for a dance. While they dance, Jandi asks,
Why me? Beauty, status, wealth. I don’t have any of it. Why do you like me?
Jun Pyo: Status, wealth, looks. I have it all. I don’t need anything else. Geum Jandi. Just being Geum Jandi is enough for me.
Next, the two lovebirds star gaze. Apparently, Jun Pyo posseses a plethora of knowledge on astronomy. Jandi asks him offhandedly how he came to be interested in it, and Jun Pyo reveals that for his birthday one year, he got a telescope with a note from his dad telling him to learn his stars well because they could go and look at stars together in the future. Jun Pyo took this message to heart, but he never even got to stargaze with his father. A few years later on Christmas, he received another telescope. That was when he knew the presents were not from his father but from his secretary.
Jun Pyo: Do you know what my dream is?
Jandi: To go stargazing with your son in the future.
Jun Pyo: You’re so innocent. It’s to never make a promise I can’t keep. Jandi?
Jandi: Mm?
Jun Pyo: I’m sorry for breaking your heart.
Jandi: (smiles)
Jun Pyo: Jandi?
Jandi: Whaat?
Jun Pyo: I love you.
After that, more datey stuff. This time, F3 and Ga-eul join them and it’s SO nice to see the six of them together that doesn’t involve some sort of misunderstanding, ridiculous competition, or shouty madness.
When Jandi and Ji Hoo have a moment together, Ji Hoo hands her back the necklace Jae Kyung left with him. Jandi realizes that it must’ve been from Jae Kyung and asks Ji Hoo where she was, only to find that she’s leaving soon. She runs off and both her and Jun Pyo drive to the airport to look for her.
At the airport, just when Jae Kyung thinks nobody’s here to see her off, Jun Pyo and Jandi get there just in time. Jandi asks Jae Kyung tearfully how she can just leave without bidding her dongsaeng goodbye. Jae Kyung apologizes but she says she’s never been good with goodbyes. Jun Pyo, probably in a way he’s never done for any girl other than Jandi/Seo Hyun/his sister, warmly wishes Jae Kyung off, and thanks her. Jae Kyung tells the both of them that if they break up, all her work will be in vain. She also asks for a hug from Jandi before she goes. And with that, she runs into the terminal and leaves.
Once on the plane, Jae Kyung takes out a pair of shoes from her bag. It’s the pair of shoes she first met Jun Pyo over, and eventually picked up from the airport when Jun Pyo discarded them after his fight with Jandi and Ji Hoo. Jae Kyung thinks to herself, “I know these shoes were originally for Jandi. But this one thing, this one thing, just let me have it. Do I not deserve to have a precious memory to look back on?”
At home, Jun Pyo watches news of Shinhwa Group and JK’s merger. At the moment, news still hasn’t gotten back about the wedding not having taken place. When Jun Pyo finishes watching the news and tries to leave his room, he finds that his door has been locked and he’s been placed under house arrest. Again.
At the porridge shop, Jandi is once again looking for a place to stay. Ga-eul tells her that it’s no use, no matter where she goes, the witch will make life miserable, so why doesn’t she just stay at her place? Ga-eul suggests that Jandi go back and pack her stuff when Madam Kang’s voice rings through, saying that there’s no need for that. She storms in and goes into her usual tirade about how she can’t believe Jandi is that kind of person, she needs to be taught a lesson, yap yap yap. Thank god Ga-eul stands up for Jandi, telling M Kang that she’s done nothing wrong. At this, Madam Kang throws down a newspaper that announces the cancellation of the wedding and the possibility of a second crisis at Shinhwa Group.
Madam Kang berates Jandi for having this sort of influence on the family and that she can’t take this anymore. She whips out the “an eye for an eye [,bitch!]” principle on Jandi.
At this, grandpa comes in. (YAY!) He demands to know how Madam Kang can speak like that to a child. Madam Kang is shocked the bejesus out of, asking grandpa why he’s here. Grandpa remarks that she’s changed a lot since the old days, but says that they’ll talk about their own affairs at another time. For the time being, she can’t treat Jandi like this because grandpa has already decided to take her in as a granddaughter-in-law. Both Jandi and Madam Kang are shocked to hear this, to which grandpa answers that he’s been checking up on her and has decided that the time has come. He states that he doesn’t want M Kang to be so impolite with Jandi in the future. With this, grandpa tells Jandi to follow him and to bring her luggage along.
Grandpa brings Jandi home and asks a surprised Ji Hoo to get a guest room ready for Jandi.
In the guest room, Jandi explains to Ji Hoo that she’ll stay the night, but tomorrow she’s going to be at Ga-eul’s. At this, grandpa comes in and scolds at Jandi, telling her that she better not plan on running away, because this is punishment for forcing grandpa to live at Ji Hoo’s in the first place.
Ji Hoo is sitting nervously when his grandpa joins him. Grandpa is well aware that despite Ji Hoo’s claims, he was the one nervous about Jandi’s presence, not the other way around. Grandpa says that he’s not one to meddle in the love affairs of youngin’s, but Jandi really has nowhere to go at the moment. However, he emphasizes that he would object to the two of them being together.
Ga-eul hangs around the outside of Yi Jung’s place. Flashback again to where Yi Jung last left off with his story. Eun Jae asks Yi Jung for a favor. Without asking her the reasoning, she wants him to go to the place indicated on the letter she’s given him. Once Yi Jung’s back inside, the letter is on his table and he gets a call from his mother, who is probably pleading with him about her husband. Yi Jung frustratedly tells her to give him up because it’s no use otherwise and goes back in. He’s so distracted that he spills tea all over the desk and grabs the stack of newspapers, which has the letter on top, to soak up the water before throwing the whole bundle of things away.
At school, Jandi is stopped by Secretary Jung. He has a favor to ask of her, and brings her to a room where an unconscious man is laying there, with life tubes sticking down his throat. Secretary Jung asks Jandi to come in every so often to take care of him, to talk to him. Jandi asks who the man is and all Secretary Jung replies is that he’s like a brother to him. When Jandi asks Secretary Jung why he wants her to do the job, he tells her that she’s the warmest person he knows.
Back at the Gu McMansion, Jun Pyo walks into the room where Jandi stayed. Her maid’s outfit is hung up, and Jun Pyo reminisces. Why he reminisces is beyond me because um, she’s actually his girlfriend now and he has no upcoming marriage, so why so emo?
Secretary Jung comes in and Jun Pyo asks if Jandi’s alright. He tells Jun Pyo that she’s currently staying with Ji Hoo and his grandpa. Jun Pyo asks Secretary Jung for his cellphone and sends Ji Hoo a text. At Ji Hoo’s place, while Ji Hoo is lingering outside of Jandi’s room, he gets a text saying that “Now that I know she’s at your place, I feel at rest.” Too bad Ji Hoo asks out loud to no one in particular that he’s not at rest.
Jandi tries to get in touch with Jun Pyo but that proves to be hard. She looks for him in the F4 classrooms but nobody is in sight. Then she comes across Woobin.
In some RARE Woobin/Jandi action, we come to see that Woobin is another no-stress-no-problems character. Yi Jung has family problems, Ji Hoo has emo problems, Jun Pyo has stress problems. He reassures Jandi that she’ll be okay and that these problems will soon tide over.
Jandi takes Secretary Jung’s request to heart. She visits the unconscious man — cleans him up, trims his nails, and reads to him. One particular passage she reads to him says,
The worst meetings are those between fish, because the closer they get, the heavier the smells. The most careful meetings are those between flowers, because after she blooms, you have to throw her away when she wilts. The most beautiful meetings are those between handkerchiefs, because in hard times, they wipe away sweat, and in heartbroken times, they wipe away tears.
At this, Jandi takes a pause and thinks about Ji Hoo wiping her face with his handkerchief the first time she got bullied by Shinhwa students, and the subsequent time in Macau when he rescued her from being mugged, beaten, whatever else. Jandi tells the unconscious man that she really likes the passage she read to him, and asks him what he thinks of it. Secretary Jung smiles as he looks in on the two.
At home, Jandi tries to trim her hair. OMG it ain’t rocket science, you don’t have to make it look like you possess only half a brain. Ji Hoo passes by and sees her struggle, and offers to cut it for her. He does an expert’s job and Jandi is happy happy. In turn, when Ji Hoo is washing his car, Jandi offers to help him in return for the haircut. All work no play at first, but eventually they loosen up and have a water fight. (OMG PD what are you trying to doooo? Stop baiting us with scenes from both ships that are equally convincing.)
When Ji Hoo and Jandi are sitting by the porch, Ji Hoo reads a passage from Jandi’s book while she’s asleep, “I’ve always wanted to say, I love you.”
Ga-eul, in the meantime, is hard at work looking for something. She traipses from building to building at night, and eventually, it takes a toll on her as she gets dizzy at work. Jandi asks her what she’s been doing, but Ga-eul reassures her that it’s almost over, she’s almost done.
Woobin and Jun Pyo set their plan in action. After some EMBARRASSING bro handshakes, the two push out of Jun Pyo’s door and announces to the guards that they’re going out. Whether or not they want to follow is their prerogative.
And of course they follow, but Woobin and Jun Pyo have other plans. As Woobin speeds along, he calls Secretary Jung to make sure all plans are in action and then speeds up. Secretary Jung’s cars blockade Jun Pyo’s guards and whee, lost ‘em!
A mother from grandpa’s clinic leaves her son in Jandi’s care for the day. Jandi promises to take the boy somewhere to play when she gets a phone call from Jun Pyo.
Jun Pyo waits by the zoo and when Jandi shows up with a little boy by her side, he’s more than agitated. But, Jandi doesn’t relent. Jun Pyo has to deal with a little snuffball hanging by his girl’s side all day, but soon enough, he gives in too. The three have a swell time at the zoo.
Annnnd scene.
Man, I was so bummed when Jae Kyung left. She was my staple of sanity! So ruthlessly taken away from me. Why, gods, why?!
In all seriousness, people who know the story should know that Jae Kyung never posed a real threat to the ship because she wasn’t meant to be with Jun Pyo anyway. While I don’t buy that she already had the whole marriage massacre planned when she told Jun Pyo harshly that they were going to get married no matter what, I still think the best of her. It really killed me to see her have to apologize to everyone at the hall because Jun Pyo can’t man the EFF up and do it himself. Goddamn. Jae Kyung is decisive and doesn’t flip-flop depending on the weather, which is something I really loathe about Jandi and Jun Pyo. Really sad to see her go. Hopefully I’ll catch Lee Min Jung in other projects in the future.
Hyunjoong was pretty good in this episode. Granted, he’s generally pretty decent when he doesn’t have to cry his heart out, but man, was he UBER attractive in this episode or WHAT?
Amy Reply:
March 24th, 2009 at 11:12 pm
When Jun Pyo first got on his knees, I was all “OMG WAE! WHY!” because it was a shock to my brain that Jun Pyo of all people was on his knees, asking for a favor. Which I guess is what the writers/PD going for — the “humble” Jun Pyo doing anything for his lady love.
BUT! Then I got harsher with him :P Because this was all his fault to begin with and he’s been a general bastard, he shouldn’t get the easy way out. He needs some humility. And I’m glad that of all people he had to get on his knees for, it was someone like Jae Kyung who wouldn’t use his act of humility against him. If it was up against someone like Jae Ha or his mother, it wouldn’t have been as pleasant to watch.
Maybe I’m just a sadist :P
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