A Stalker's Guide to Shin Ha Kyun
Episode 14
Recap
Though Shi On pleads with Do Han to perform a double surgery as before, complications in his current procedure leave him unable. He orders a protesting Shi On to handle things with Yoon Jung and, because she is in serious condition, there's little room for argument. As our hero goes across the hall for his first surgery, Doctor Hong is given permission to follow and assist.
Visibly nervous, Shi On takes scalpel in hand and proceeds to incise.
Another assistant rushes to Yoon Seo's operating room in search of another pair of hands. Woo Il Kyu breaks the news to our heroine and despite her surprise, she sends him right on over. Moments later, her own surgery wraps successfully.
Yoon Jung continues to bleed heavily as Shi On searches for the splenic blood vessel. Her blood pressure continues to drop as it becomes more and more apparent our hero must hurry. But in a frightening turn, he starts to choke. Despite Doctor Hong gently asking him not to get nervous, he does.
A second blood transfusion is given. Shi On begins to work on the spleen, but his insight remains blocked. At this admission, Woo Il Kyu rolls his eyes.
Suddenly, Shi On recounts the challenge issued to him by Do Han and the encouragement from Yoon Seo. With another moment taken to collect himself, his vision finally clears.
Hands now steadied, our hero moves deftly through the rest of the operation. Do Han finishes around this time also, rushing across the way to check up on things. When he arrives, he stands silently just in the doorway; Yoon Seo also attends, limiting herself to the observation window in the back.
The patient is saved! Suturing begins and Shi On turns to Do Han, who offers a smile hidden by his surgical mask.
His gaze meets with Yoon Seo's next, and they share an unspoken exchange.
Shi On: "I did it, Doctor. I did well."
Yoon Seo: "I'm so proud of you. Good job Shi On. I don't think you need me anymore."
Our hero performs the obligatory post-op denouement with the family. Because Yoon Jung has been saved, he is tearfully thanked by her parents.
"I will tell you now what I would have said in five years. Congratulations on your first surgery." Shi On processes these words, beginning to look pleased. Playfully irritated by this, Do Han continues, "If you boast around that you performed surgery, I will crush you. Do you understand?"
It's more playful than it looks, I swear.
At this moment, the residents flood in. They zone on Shi On, bending him over for another round of congratulatory back slaps. Both Do Han and Yoon Seo view the scene with smiles. But as our heroine makes eye contact with Shi On, she rushes out without a word.
Though Do Han notes her strange behavior, he goes on to announce a team celebration to those remaining. Even Woo Il Kyu joins in the general exuberance. Yay for free food and drink!
Elsewhere, another gathering continues -- this one much less joyous. Doctor Choi, Chairwoman Lee, Vice Director Kang, and his sneaky boss (identified as Chairman Jung) discuss the imminent battle for ownership of Sung Won. Due to the dire straits the hospital faces financially, it seems the bad guys hold all the cards. Chairwoman Lee and Doctor Choi only have outrage at their disposal, even when Jung asks for one to stay and the other to resign. He wants to replace the chairwoman with a younger candidate (and if they don't suspect Chae Kyung, it's time to give up on these two).
And wouldn't you believe it? The chairman is responsible for the death of Chae Kyung's father. Wonder what she'll do when she realizes she's working with the enemy.
On the rooftop, Yoon Seo contemplates her latest relationship-oriented exchange with Shi On. Do Han joins her, insistent that our heroine shares all her worries. With him. Now. He's busy, you know.
She admits making a mistake with Shi On. Despite the fact he is an adult, her preconceptions led Yoon Seo to treat him like a child. The professor ultimately absolves her, comforting her in that she chiefly bolstered Shi On and his recent improvements. Yoon Seo adopts uncharacteristic quiet, wistful at the looming independence Shi On faces.
Having spent the entire scene attempting to engage her, Do Han changes gears. He offers the choice of venue for the team dinner; she refuses to even attend, citing tiredness. Clearly surprised, Do Han watches her leave with the air of someone just turned down for a date.
Mild flirtation attempt #1: Failed
Vice Director Kang links with Chae Kyung to deliver the good news. In a month or two, she will replace Chairwoman Lee.
Before he can fully settle, she shifts the conversation toward the attempt to drag Do Han into "this dirty affair". Kang defends his actions, since all that was offered to her (former?) fiancee was partnership. Chae Kyung earns herself points by further scolding the attempt to use Shi On as a marketing tool.
Despite justifying his reasons, the vice director points out they walk the same path. Time to get along to reach your goals, right?
Chae Kyung merely smiles. She undoubtedly plans to rid herself of Kang in the future.
On his way home, the vice director discusses hospitalization of someone named Joon Young over the phone. He instructs the protesting woman (probably his wife) to stay in the United States. She should also move Joon Young (probably their child) to a Boston area facility, where he will join them in a month.
Despite a cheerful atmosphere, the team dinner feels subdued. After the toast, a strangely animated Do Han congratulates and praises his residents. While they eat and drink, Jin Wook notes the absence of Yoon Seo with some disappointment. Why?
She's the life of the party! All the juniors call her "queen of team dinners."
Shi on expresses some confusion at that. He thought people called her the GGB. Deeply amused, Jin Wook encourages him not to explain the term. Do Han interjects: "God-given body."
A moment passes before he adds: "The important thing though, that isn't what others call her. She calls herself that."
Laughter erupts at the table. Another toast is shared.
At home, Yoon Seo sprays the place for mosquitoes. Because her ears are itchy, this is likely a cute reference to the old wives' tale (people are talking about her, after all). Notably, during this sequence, our heroine throws away the rose given to her by Shi On. She kneels next to the waste basket, clearly conflicted.
Do Han and Shi On share bottled drinks outside a convenience store. When asked whether he has visited his father, our hero answers in the negative. Yoon Seo and her worries fresh in his mind, the professor wonders whether Shi On dislikes the experience of hurt pride.
He goes on to explain the surest way to hurt one's own pride is to remain "forever afraid of something you've once feared." Do Han seems to advocate the eradication of fear, as opposed to pushing on despite it. Our hero adopts a contemplative look as he processes these words.
This paternal substitute looks great in suits and doesn't even kill rabbits.
Yoon Seo and Shi On cross paths at the sinks. Their conversation quickly fizzles, leaving her distressed.
Doctor Choi relates the sordid past between Chairman Jung and the hospital to Do Han. We learn this current takeover attempt is actually the second, with the first occurring fifteen years prior. The chairman was defeated in his machinations by Chae Kyung's father, who, in an unfortunate turn, developed fatal liver cancer. It's pretty harsh to say the chairman caused his death in that case, but I suppose stress doesn't help treatment.
The conversation turns to the replacement chairwoman. While Doctor Choi must have a broken light bulb, you can almost see one go off in Do Han. He asks whether Chae Kyung knows the truth about Chairman Jung (she doesn't).
After some consideration, Do Han confronts his (former?) fiancee.
He starts strong with scolding, incensed about her treatment of family. Chae Kyung declares she should be the one to determine who counts as family, clearly offended. Much of this exchange comprises of Do Han changing the subject, so he asks why she wants to work with someone like Chairman Jung.
It turns out he actually listened to her issues, even when no one else would. Not even Do Han. Everyone believed she would get over them, but Chae Kyung isn't sure she even can. She reveals her own weakness, sorrowful that her fiancee was never there. "All those times you spent alone.... It would have been good if you had spent some of that time with me."
Despite this admission, Do Han barrels on. "Listen carefully," he says. We next see Chae Kyung alone in her office, consumed by tears. She knows everything now.
A little section where Yoon Seo and Jin Wook chat briefly about Shi On breaks up these scenes. Despite his good advice, our heroine tells him to mind his own business.
Shi On visits with his patient, Yoon Jung. Because she worries about her father in her absence, she thanks our hero for a job well done. They get to chatting about fathers; when Yoon Jung learns Father is ill, she encourages Shi On to "love him more."
So Shi On arranges a meeting with the oncologist in charge of his father. The progression of cancer leaves little to be done. Considering Do Han and his words about courage, our hero decides to finally confront his childhood demon.
When he enters the room, Father turns on Shi On instantly. It takes less than five sentences to trigger his old fear responses. Gripping his poor son by the collar, Father demands he be cured. If that can't be done, Shi On "should pay for everything." He's "the father who raised him", so he should be a filial son. Riiiight.
With these stipulations bullied out of our hero, Father manipulatively praises him. Mother arrives just outside the door in time to witness the frightful display.
Doctor Ko exits his office to the sound of parents squabbling over appointments with talented Kim Do Han. Jealousy bubbles to the surface, but he bites it down on his way to the vending machines. His luck doesn't improve; the machine eats his money!
At that moment, the vending machine fairy appears. This cute little girl offers up a canned beverage, visibly touching Doctor Ko. He pinches her cheek and, opening the can, goes in for a sip. Hilariously, she tugs at his lab coat and reaches for her apparent gift -- having just wanted it opened!
After this newest disaster, Doctor Ko walks outside. He notices a similarly depressed Shi On, joining him on the benches. Despite his assumed gruffness, our hero trusts him with talk of his father. Admitting that he only wants to share pride with his father, Shi On then quickly excuses himself.
In a moment which nearly has me sold on the Doctor formerly known as Dr. Acula, he stops our hero in mid-stride. Offering up several bills for Shi On to buy good food, Doctor Ko insists he take money from his elders. It's even a little cute how he takes back some of the money, because it's clearly too much.
Yoon Seo checks up with Cha Dong Jin, the member of the Troublemaker Quartet who looks slightly like Harry Potter. It appears he will be discharged within the week, an elating prospect for the boy. After all, what he wants most is to spend as much time as possible with his family from now on.
Inside the activity room, the other three children express playful jealousy toward Dong Jin. As they horse around, he unfortunately begins to gag. He excuses himself to the bathroom, where he expels green bile.
Shi On happens to be just outside the stall. When our hero asks the boy whether he vomited, he lies -- knowing the symptom may prevent him from going home.
Knowing something may wrong, Shi On peeks inside the stall. He takes the bile-smeared tissue he finds there, just in case.
On the way back from this excursion, Mother takes Shi On aside. She finally reveals her identity, eager to be forgiven for the short-lived subterfuge. They share a tender moment as she cups his face, apologizing repeatedly. Though Shi On touches her hand, visibly emotional, memories stir suddenly.
He recalls sobbing over her goodbye letter, just after she left him behind. Our hero rejects her touch, adamant that he "doesn't like his mother." She was bad, exactly like his father. Despite anything Mother might say to defend herself, Shi On insists he doesn't need her anymore. He leaves her to sob on the sidewalk without so much as a second look.
When her sister leaves the room, In Hye discovers "business cards" in her wallet. These display the correct cellphone number, but the name on them is "Na Hee Ra."
Mother asks Yoon Seo to track down her son, a task made simple by the fact that he isn't hiding. Our heroine finds him in the same little break corner. Shi On explains his reasons for not wanting to see his mother, refusing to hear her side. He asks Yoon Seo not to concern herself further.
Our hero retains his strong front until he finds a secluded spot. Once he is alone, Shi On sheds silent tears in the dark. Yoon Seo runs into him again on the way home. She tries to pry into his feelings regarding Mother: "If you're upset, you can tell me."
But Shi On will have none of it. "If something upsets me....I will talk to Professor Kim Do Han." With this and a polite bow, he leaves her standing. Once alone again, he considers Yoon Seo and her gentle rejection. Her explanation of platonic love leave him sighing.
Someone needs to explain to me how In Hye keeps sneaking out of the hospital. In this sequence, she arrives at Rose Bar in order to confirm her suspicions about In Young. With only a few steps into the establishment, they are confirmed. Our poor little cupid stands gaping, even as another hostess attempts to force her out.
The ruckus attracts attention from a shocked In Young. When the siblings finally confront one another outside, In Hye breaks down in a fit of emotion. If her sister has to work in such a place, she'd prefer not to get better.
Nothing much is said as In Hye arrives back at the hospital. Jin Wook starts to scold her, but receives a tongue lashing of his own for not telling her about things sooner.
The next day, Dong Jin finally collapses. Do Han helps to examine him, ordering all the required tests. When they return, we learn the issue is intestinal obstruction. It formed after the surgery for a pancreatic pseudocyst. Pain should have been present, but the boy never complained of any. In any case, surgery is the only way to go.
At the sinks, Yoon Seo expresses regret toward Do Han for the situation. He takes the apology in stride, assuring that the mistake was small and common.
The professor performs the surgery himself. An observer for this procedure, Shi On watches Yoon Seo intently.
While our heroine agonizes afterwards, Shi On meets with Dong Jin. The boy reveals why he hid the pain and vomit, asking not to be outed. His mother would be too angry.
And she really is. Mrs. Cha berates Yoon Seo, threatening to break news of the incident so as to protect other potential patients. Shi On watches it all unfold, unable to do anything. When he finally pulls away, our hero considers the tissue still balled up in his pocket.
Do Han attempts to soothe Yoon Seo, repeating that the mistake was too small to be considered malpractice. He promises to take care of any possible problem. Though this would normally be fine, Yoon Seo is crushed by guilt; her focus was shaken by personal issues, putting a child in danger.
Amusement spreads across the professor's face. "Your focus blurred? Chae Yoon Seo?"
Our heroine fails to respond in a spirited manner, only admitting such things happen even to her. Do Han watches her in worry, having failed a second time to engage her smile.
The face of a man who is genuinely worried + mild flirtation attempt #2: Failed
Nurses Nam and Jo make an appearance for this episode, noticing Shi On apologize profusely to Mrs. Cha. Han Jin Wook drops off an iced coffee in an attempt to cheer Yoon Seo.
Moments later, Mrs. Cha arrives with Shi On in tow, intent on seeing Do Han. She reveals that Shi On admitted to the mistake with Dong Jin, proving it with the tissue. Because our hero is a hardworker, Mrs. Cha prefers to let things slide.
Yoon Seo stares daggers into Shi On, anger barely veiled. She tries to stop him from protecting her, but he insists repeatedly the problem lies with him.
The atmosphere is tense once Mrs. Cha departs. Yoon Seo takes Shi On aside, harshly scolding him for his apparent sacrifice. But, like the concept "for the sake of," our hero doesn't understand.
Frustrated, Yoon Seo continues. She knows his actions are for her, which is upsetting. Our hero is suffering so much pain on his own, why must he have to think of others? Mistakes are fine for her part, but they're dangerous for him. "What you did today," she concludes, "wasn't good for either one of us."
Shi On returns to Do Han, who instructs him not to take on the burdens of others. But because he merely wanted to console her, our hero believes he did the right thing. How could it be right for him alone to receive the comfort and care of others?
Do Han chuckles, smiling. "I don't think Doctor Cha appreciated it much." He continues, advising Shi On to avoid grand displays of consolation. Sincerity, such as our hero has already received himself, is best.
After a stop at the medical theme bar, Yoon Seo returns home. She notes Shi On standing outside her place and rushes down to meet him. But why is he there?
Shi On: "I thought you might be upset. I'm standing around here because I'm worried...."
Our heroine displays clear discomfort and sorrow, but Shi On apologizes for angering her earlier. As he explains, nothing bothers him more than seeing her hurt. Not even his own pain is as bad.
Yoon Seo sighs that this only happens because he likes her. These feelings remain one-sided. "I can't do anything for you. Except for saying 'thank you'."
But even that much is fine, Shi On insists. All he wanted to do was console her sincerely, feelings or no. "I thought you might feel uneasy, that's why I stayed away. Just today, I couldn't do that."
As our heroine drops tears, Shi On assures her nothing was her fault. She interrupts him, begging him to stop doing things like this. It makes things even more difficult for her.
Without another word, he moves forward to enfold Yoon Seo in his arms.
