Recap: The Heirs Episode 9

Written before live recap

What is a girl to do?

Our heroine has two lonely guys following her around, each reaching out to her in their own way. Tan has seen the worst of Eun Sang, living in his house as the maid’s daughter and being abandoned by her sister in the foreign country. He wants to protect her. He needs her in his loneliest moments. Young Do doesn’t know that much about Eun Sang right now; she is this mysterious and fascinating creature who sleeps in front of convenience stores, works many part-time jobs despite claiming to be rich, and seems to have caught his ex-best friend’s attention. Instinctively, he feels the same thing Tan feels, that Eun Sang is the warm hand you can hold in the coldest of nights. And when that hand is your only comfort, you’re going to fight for it fiercely.

The order will go like this. I can’t post updates while the drama is airing, unless the episode is moving slowly. I will be trying to capture as much as possible while I am watching the episode.  When the episode is over, I will go back to my notes, fix them up a bit and update part by part on each recap post while waiting for the torrents. If you can leave a link here, that would be great. When the full episode is available, I will fill in more blanks and screencaps, and continue to update. Finally, I will leave my comments.

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Character Index

 Kim Tan

 Cha Eun Sang

 Choi Young Do

 Kim Won, Kim Tan’s half-brother, President of Jeguk Group

 Lee Bo Na

 Yoo Ra Hael (Rachael Yoo)

 Yoon Chan Young

 Lee Hyo Shin

 Jo Myung Soo

 Kang Ye Seul

 Jun Hyun Joo

Han Ki Ae -Kim Tan’s birth mom

 Kim Nam Yoon- Kim Tan and Kim Won’s father, Jeguk Group CEO

 Park Hee Nam- Cha Eun Sang’s mom

 Yoon Jae Ho- Yoon Chan Young’s dad, Chief Secretary in Jeguk Group

 Jung Ji Sook- Kim Nam Yoon’s second wife, birth mom to neither Tan or Won.

 Esther Lee- Yoo Ra Hael’s mom, RS International CEO

 Choi Dong Wook- Choi Young Do’s dad, Zeus Hotel CEO

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Episode 9

ES cries on the roof, with Tan standing far behind her. Tan asks if she was hurt. ES replies no. Tan wants to check, but ES doesn’t want him to come. He’ll get dirty. Tan comes anyway and tells her to stay still. He is checking her hands when ES gets a call. It is from YD. ES is scared. Tan is about to take the phone from her, but ES tells him not too. She wants to pick up because ignoring YD doesn’t work. “He knows I am not rich. He knows everything!” Tan: “It’s okay even if he knows. Don’t answer.” ES: “How could it be okay? Choi Young Do knows everything.” Tan warns her again to not pick up. ES picks up the call and says, “hello,” but Tan stops her from saying more by kissing her. The kiss lasts a long time, and ES drops her phone, but YD is on the line.

YD asks, “Are you listening?” No one replies so he hangs up and calls again.

The kiss ends. Tan dares her to pick up the phone. “Answer the call I am telling you not to, if you want to see me go crazy. The kid that called will die. There is no middle.”

ES leaves, and Tan picks up ES’s phone. Tan wants to know where YD is, and YD wants to know why Tan is answering ES’s phone. YD sees ES come down so he hangs up.

YD tries to grab ES’s wrist as she passes him, by but she snaps his hand away. YD looks stunned. He is speechless as ES walks away. His gaze follows her. MS comes by and asks why ES’s uniform looks like that. YD says he knocked her down. MS asks why, YD has never bullied girls before. YD replies quietly it is not like that. “Everything else I have nothing to say to, but not this time.” MS: “What is it then?”  YD replies, “I was curious. I wanted to see how I feel after knocking down ES.” MS replies, making a lot of sense, “You think that is different? If you’re interested, confess. Don’t bother her. That’s why people call you a kid (elementary school kid).”

ES is in the bathroom trying to clean her clothes. BN comes, bringing ES clothes to change to. ES thanks her, but BN explains it’s because she doesn’t want CY to do it.

Tan looks for YD, pissed. He sees him in the lobby with MS.  Tan approaches and so does YD, not one to back down from a fight. Tan immediately kicks YD without warning, and the two fight. Kids gather, and R also sees.

In bathroom, BN asks ES if ES has been found out by YD. YS runs in, saying a fight started. R comes in and grabs ES’s hair. BN tries to stop R.  Aww. R tells her what is going on. The girls run over.

ES sees Tan and YD. The fight has been stopped by other friends by now. JS comes, angry that the two are fighting again.

In her office, JS asks why they fought. YD says he learned never to talk without a lawyer, calling JS by a term that you call the mother of your friend.  Tan notices YD’s word choice. JS says she is acting right now as the director of the school, not Tan’s mom.  JS scolds Tan and YD, telling them she doesn’t care what happens outside of school, but this is her school. She will investigate what happened by checking the security cameras.

Outside, YD jabs that since JS is not Tan’s real mom; she cares more about the school. Tan retaliates with his own, saying at least he has a “mom” like that. YD threatens to let out that Tan is a bastard- “Aren’t you curious when and how I will use that against you?” Tan is not scared. He dares YD to do it. If he does, he won’t have anything to use against Tan anymore. “Do it after you are prepared to become a mess.”

At his hangout, MS looks at childhood pic of YD and Tan and wonders how they came to this. BN and YS come in. They all don’t know what happened between YD and Tan in the past. YS suspects that Tan likes ES. BN thinks the fight is just because YD was bullying ES.  BN and YS fight again about taking sides.

ES says to CY that she thinks YD knows her secret. CY tells her not worry ahead. “Don’t be scared. I will fight with you.” AWWWW.

CY asks, “Tan likes you, right?” He is more worried about people knowing Tan likes ES than ES’s secret. A lot of people at school want Tan to go down, and if they know about Tan’s feelings, they will attack her. He adds, “It seems YD already started.” CY looks at her with worried eyes.

Tan is waiting outside the door of his house for ES. He gives her back her phone, and lightheartedly whines that he got hurt and was scolded by JS, wanting her attention. But ES just looks worried. Still, without saying anything, she tries to go in, but Tan stops her. ES pleads, “Don’t hold me and don’t block me. Don’t wait for me from now on.” She tries to go in again, but Tan turns her back. ES pleads again. She doesn’t want to be recorded on the security cam. Tan: “That darn CCTV.” HAHAHAHA! ES reminds him that he is the one who  warned her about the camera. Tan yells, “What I do told you, what I warned you about…Did you ever really listen?”

Won appears and sees Tan and ES together, Tan holding onto ES. ES bows and hurriedly goes in. Won motions for Tan to move, not saying anything about what he just saw. Tan wants Won to come home now. Won asks if Tan wants to leave then. Tan repeats he has no desire to take anything really from Won. Won is exasperated; “Do I have to explain again? Your heart is not decided by you. If the Jeguk groups decides, then you had that intention. That is why to me, your existence alone is a misunderstanding, reason and source of trouble. That is what a bastard is.” Once again, Won walks coldly past Tan.

Tan, in his room, warns ES through text against going to the wine cellar because Won might be there. Unfortunately, it’s too late. ES is there to get wine for KA.  Won says it doesn’t matter if she takes all the other wine there, except the one she is holding now. It’s the wine that Won’s mom made for him. ES apologizes, and Won reassures her that he is not yelling at her. He hands her a different bottle. He asks about her, finding out that she lives here and goes to Jeguk High. “It’s nice to meet you,” Won adds. ES returns this greeting and scurries off. Won grabs a bottle of the wine his mom made in his name to take with him to the hotel.

HJ is waiting for Won at hotel,  but unfortunately, Won runs into R before he sees HJ, and R and Won go for some coffee.

Won and R talk about Won staying at the hotel, having run away from his home. R chides, saying it’s not like he is going through puberty. Won says he is- it’s not age but the situation that makes him like that. R responds  that if that is what puberty is, Tan seems to be going through that now too. She says that Tan fought because of a girl. “It seems Tan wants to date another girl.” Won remembers back to seeing ES and Tan together. And awww, R worries if Tan looks okay.

KA wants to know how Tan got hurt. Tan says he fell while playing ball. She doesn’t believe him, but Tan insists and pushes her out of his room.

Tan and ES think about each other in their respective rooms. YD sits in front of the convenience store thinking about ES.

Next day, Tan is up even earlier, ready to take ES to school. I notice he apologizes and thanks the driver. Awww. He waits and waits, but she isn’t coming out. The sun has risen but still no ES. Tan wonders what time ES went to school, thinking she went even earlier this time.

At school now, the teacher is giving a lecture about “The Great Gatsby.” Tan, CY, YD,  and R all notice that ES isn’t in class. HA!

ES is playing hooky. As soon as the class bell rings, Tan rushes out. CY, R, and YD all notice that too, seemingly knowing where to. Double Ha!

ES’s mom gets a call from school, but of course she can’t answer, and tries to communicate by tapping. The teacher has called about ES’s absence from school so mom finds out that ES is ditching school today.

Tan calls CY, wanting to know where ES might be. She isn’t picking up anyone’s call. CY says she might be at a theater she likes to go to because it’s free there. Tan runs off.

He finds ES in the theater. He silently sits behind her. The movie ends, but ES doesn’t get up. Tan  waits with her.

ES walks along the street, and Tan follows behind. ES stops in front of the dream catcher store. She remembers back to when she gave one to Tan. She smiles a little. She sees Tan’s reflection in the back and realizes he is here.

ES: “Why are you here?” Tan just asks, “Was the movie fun?” ES finds out that Tan was there at the theater too. Tan wants to know why ES ditched school. ES worries back about Tan not being in school. Tan tells her to worry about herself. “You’re going to die by my hands too.” He grabs her hand, and they walk together.

Holding hands but walking a little in back of him, ES says, “Because of me, things are becoming a mess for you.” Tan reassures her that it is not because of her, but ES doesn’t believe him. Tan responds, “I’m still not going to let go of your hand. I’m going to keep going like this. If I keep going, you’ll be at the end of the road, right?” Eun Sang replies, “No.” Tan stops and drops her hand. ES continues, “I’ve already run away and disappeared.” Tan: “It’s okay. I will find you.” ES begs him not to- “I have no where to go.” Tan starts to yell, “Then what do you want me to do? I like you! What do you want me to do?!”

Eun Sang tearfully replies, “I like you too. But what about it? Everything I wanted- quietly graduating and not being ashamed about living in your house- is all falling apart, so what does it matter that I like you? What meaning does that have?”

Tan remains silent and ES adds a final blow. “The other kids don’t know about your family’s complicated relationship, right? You can’t protect me. Just protect yourself.”

Tan can’t respond. He just walks away, and ES cries, watches him disappear.

YD has come to ES’s old house. He sees where she used to live and this confirms that she is not new money. The neighbor tells him that ES moved, but she doesn’t know exactly where, but it is Pyeong-Chang. Pyeong-chang is known as a rich neighborhood.

HS comes home. Mom is very cold. I do not want any of these rich kids’ parents. HJ quit tutoring. There is a new tutor, but she’s not very good. HS asks help from HJ through text. She replies with an answer really quickly. Such a smart girl! He also sends a message to HJ, asking why she quit without notice so suddenly.

HJ simply replies that he can contact her with questions in the future too. Yoon comes in. HS’s last text to HJ reads, “I’m a student to you till the end,” implying he is disappointed that that is all he is to her. Yoon had offered her a job to work for Jeguk. Yoon says she can refuse, but HJ replies, “I thought that too, but I know that with something like this, I really have no choice,” implying that she knows she can’t say no when Daddy Kim is involved. Yoon points out that Won doesn’t know. HJ asks him to not to tell Won for a while.

Home, Yoon and CY talk and make dinner together. Yoon worries about ES, affected by his meeting with HJ. Some cute father-son interaction here.

At the café, an annoying customer asks ES’s phone number and grabs her hands. She threatens to call the police. YD comes in, announcing, “The police is here.” He kicks the guy down. The boys run away once they recognize it is YD.

ES is not happy that YD is here, and when he asks for a thank you, ES tells him he is worse. She wants to know why YD is targeting her. Why is he bullying her? YD replies seriously, “‘I’m not bullying you. But if I say this, will it seem like I am?” He tells her that he went to her old house. He starts to list the facts he knows about ES, but ES cuts him off, confessing that she is not new money. “So what. Am I going to get kicked out of school now?” YD’s mischievous smile turns a bit serious.  “No, because I have come to like you. But you hate me, right?” Ah, YD looks nervous, a look we’ve never seen before.

Tan is waiting at his house for ES. She isn’t home yet so he checks the security camera monitor. He sees ES sitting outside the house. He is about to go down, but he sees ES’s mom going to her daughter.

ES’s mom and ES talk. ES asks didn’t the school call? She didn’t call to school. Mom replies yes so ES asks why mom isn’t scolding her? Mom replies, “You must have not gone because you are having a hard time. If I say something, you’ll have an even harder time.” She holds ES’s hands. *weeps* ES promises to go to school tomorrow.

Next day, ES is at school. She gets some stares. R seethes at seeing ES.

Tan and ES see each other in the hallway, but they just pass by each other.

KA is eating when ES’s mom bursts in. She is getting a phone call from Jeguk High. She wants KA to pick up the phone. It is probably about the parents’ meeting.

KA helps ES’s mom out, pretending to be ES’s mom on the phone. Teacher wants mom to come to the meeting. KA says they can’t go for a reason that really can’t be explained. The teacher hangs up, insisting that mom should come. I hate this teacher. 

KA is offended by the teacher’s abrupt manner and wants  to do something about it. ES’s mom warns her against it, saying her secret might be found out. KA says she is not going as Tan’s mom.

R approaches ES in the hallway. R wants to know how much money ES’s family has so they can set the hierarchy. ES calls this childish. R warns ES that she and Tan are engaged, and there is a lot of business and money involved. R: “You find this childish? You just came between this enormous promise. But this is childish to you? Answer now. I asked you in the US too. Who are you?” ES replies, “You’ll find out soon since YD knows.” YS overhears and is a little upset about this.

KA shows up at the parents’ meeting in style. Teacher, R’s mom (Esther), MS’s mom, and KA’s friend (YS’ mom) is also there. KA introduces herself as ES’s mom.

KA is looking over pamphlet for the school’s leadership camp. OMG, I see Kim Joo Won and other leading men there. ROFL.  The parents have a history of sponsoring this event. KA’s pride and foolishness rises, and she volunteers to take care of everything else for this year’s camp- YD’s dad is covering the accommodations. Esther looks at her strangely.

JS shows up at the meeting. She sees KA. They pretend not to know each other. KA is introduced as ES’s mom.

KA starts complimenting Tan, saying that ES talks about Tan a lot. Uh Oh.  Esther’s ears perk up at that.

KA goes to bathroom. JS follows. JS yells at her. KA is happy to just be at student parents meeting. JS says if she has time for his, then KA should pay more attention to her son. Tan got into a fight in school. KA also finds out the woman sitting in front of her was Esther-  her son’s fiance’s mother.

MS’s mom seems to be calling her son to find out about ES.

At school, YS and other girls try to find out more about ES, and YS shoves ES when ES doesn’t give them anything. Before Tan can speak up, YD does, telling YS not to touch ES. R takes note of that.

MS comes into class with the news that ES’s “mom” came to the meeting in the nicest car and dressed to the nines in expensive stuff. She also said that she would sponsor most of the leadership camp. Tan seems to suspect something. ES exclaims, “My mom SAID she would take care of everything???”

Esther is at her company’s photo shoot. R comes, she has been calling her mom. R asks about the conference, curious about ES’s mom. R says ES’s mom was carrying a very rare and expensive bag. R’s eyes grow wide.

At the hangout, BN finds it strange about this news about ES’s mom. YS whines about being embarrassed in front of YD. MS wants YD and Tan to make up, suggesting that they need to be locked together in a closet. BN warns against it- only one might be alive the next day.

YD and Tan have to clean the school for punishment. Neither want to do it. YD jabs again about Tan’s real mom- “Are you going home to see your birth mom?” Tan sighs and counters right back- “Did your mom go the meeting today? Oh, I forgot, your mom ran away.” YD gets angry, but Tans points out that YD started it- three years ago and now too.

ES is texting mom on her way home to find out what happened today.

Tan learns from KA what happened and gets angry. KA immediately apologizes, upset she made her son mad. She just wanted to know more about Tan and his school life. Tan feels bad now and calms down, asking mom to drink less. He’s worried.

The maid introduces a guest, Tan’s friend from school. YD saunters comes in, smiling. Really, maid, you couldn’t keep him waiting outside? You know KA needs to hide.  YD asks where Tan’s mom is; he should say hi to her. KA tries to quietly sneak out but YD stops her, calling her ahjumma and asking for water. KA is about to get the water, but Tan stops her and introduces her as his mom. YD feigns innocence- “I didn’t recognize her because she is different from the person I know. She must be your birth mom.” Tan calls YD out- “Before I kill you.”

Outside, Tan and YD talk. Tan: “I’m sorry I thought of you lightly. I didn’t know you’d be this much of a bastard. ” YD: “Now that you know, is all that is left you kneeling in front of me?” Tan: “Is that what you wanted? Then this not a good plan.” Uh Oh, YD sees ES walking up. YD: “I think I set a good plan.” ES also now sees YD and Tan. YD: “ES even comes to your house? I didn’t come for this, but…Jackpot.”

Preview for Episode 10

Tan: No more family in the fight between you and me.

YD: Then there is only one thing left for us. Poor Cha Eun Sang.

ES: Because the midterms are a day after tomorrow.

Tan: How did you get first place?

MS: Wow, daebak.

R: What do I need to do to break off the engagement between me and Tan?

Tan: What is it that you want to gain by doing this?

R: Whether you can exchange everything you have with ES.

YD: But you come out of Kim Tan’s house. At dawn. Who are you?

Tan: Let’s date. Starting today.

Comment:

Ah, Young Do experiencing that moment of rejection and reaction of “I hate you. I’m not going to put up with your b-s anymore.” That was a page-turning moment played out well by Kim Woo Bin and Park Shin Hye. At that instant, Young Do realizes that he likes Eun Sang; he doesn’t have to think about why he is thinking about Eun Sang anymore. He knows now exactly why. Unfortunately, it is also the moment Eun Sang rejects him, showing her utter distaste for him. So when he confesses to her later in the cafe, he adds what he already knows, “You hate me, right?”

There are so many people calling Young Do and Tan children because of their behavior- Young Do because he bullies people, and Tan because he is doing what he wants to by coming to Korea and chasing Eun Sang. What are these people’s concept of adulthood? Everyone is in a rush to make Tan and Young Do grow up without first giving them the proper nurture that a young kid needs to grow. Won and Rachel calling Tan a kid angers me because they are just as childish and selfish, sometimes even more. They’re jaded about life, which makes them believe that they are wiser and can judge others for their behavior. I’m not saying that Tan and Young Do aren’t childish and that they hold no responsibility for their actions. It just annoys me every time Won and Rachel say criticize Tan. In Young Do’s case, he clearly needs to grow up and stop bullying people, but first, someone needs to call child welfare and report his dad.

Young Do keeps jabbing at Tan about his real mom, and Tan has had enough, countering back with his own about Young Do’s mom leaving him. The weakest points about these two boys are their mothers, but while Tan seems ready to accept the fact that it won’t be a secret forever, Young Do is all nerves at the mention of his mom, the wound still stinging. This is what keeps Young Do and Tan apart. Tan gave Young Do a chance three years ago to take comfort in each other about their maternal problems, but Young Do rejected him.  Fear and embarrassment keep Young Do from accepting Tan’s friendship.

Those are the two things that also keep Eun Sang from accepting Tan’s love, plus her concern about Tan. She and Tan also have something in common about their mothers- Tan needs to keep his real mom a secret, and Eun Sang needs to keep her mother’s disability a secret.  So many mother issues in this drama. Eun Sang knows that Tan’s birth mom is a secret, and it worries her Tan might get hurt because of her. She asks Tan to just protect himself instead of her, and at that point, Tan seems to take this in. He doesn’t immediately reply, but I sense he understands that he needs to solve his own family issues first before he can protect ES.

That’s the thing. The secrets ES, Tan, and YD are trying to keep are all things that once they reveal, will free them to love each other without this need to protect each other. Yet, in this materialistic and cynical world, they hold on to these secrets, afraid of others’ eyes and judgement, and loss of status. They don’t want pity or those whispers behind their backs when people think they can’t hear.  Tan and Young Do hold on to these secrets because they have so much to lose when the secrets are out. ES already has nothing so she’s holding onto that one false pretense of normality a non-mute mother gives.

My heart goes out to KA and Eun Sang’s mom- both needing to hide for their children and can’t say or do anything for their children because that will just burden them more. On a related note, that was an interesting turn of events- KA pretending to be ES’s mom. This is a whole other layer on the already precarious house of cards.