Melting Me Softly- Episode 10 Recap
(December 21, 2021)
Mi-ran is in a cryosleep chamber. Her voiceover narrates, “People ask me if I regret participating in the experiment in 1999. But I don’t regret it at all.”
(Episode 10- No, I Do Not Regret)
At present, Mi-ran reads the article about her on her phone. Her temperature rises to 31.9°C. She notices Dong Chan reading the article intently. She sees everyone in the meeting room staring at her. She walks out of the room. She goes to the editing room and cries.
Dong Chan reads the article in disbelief. He looks up to see Mi-ran’s spot empty in the room. He rushes out to see that her desk is empty too. He runs to the editing room and finds her crying. He walks up to her and asks why she keeps making him look for her. He asks her why she is crying, as it is so unlike her.
Mi-ran says it is nothing to laugh about. Dong Chan says he will protect her. She asks him what he means by that. He says he was responsible for this. He says he will do whatever it takes to prevent her from getting hurt. He tells her not to worry and live her life doing what she wants. He says that is all she needs to do.
Mi-ran looks at him without a response. Dong Chan steps forward and she takes a step back. He pulls her towards him and hugs her. Mi-ran is wide-eyed in surprised as she stands in his embrace. Dong Chan says he is sorry as he holds her close to him.
Mi-ran tells him not to be sorry. He steps back and asks her if she doesn’t regret it. Dong Chan tells her to walk out of here with the same confidence she did 20 years back. He says she did nothing wrong and says he will deal with this in his own way. He says they should be themselves and face what comes in front of them. Mi-ran nods.
Mi-ran smiles as she goes outside the editing room.
Inside the editing room, Dong Chan smiles slightly.
Ha Young looks at the article on her laptop. Her assistant asks if they should do a cover on the news. She says she will think about it.
At the meeting room, the team discusses the article. They say there is no way out of it and wonder how Dong Chan will handle this. They go silent when Dong Chan walks in. He tries to continue the meeting. The writer interrupts him and asks if the article is true. Dong Chan says it is partly true. She asks if he took Mi-ran in as assistant director just because she participated in the experiment. Dong Chan says yes. She asks if he didn’t check her for competence or work experience.
Dong Chan says Mi-ran took part in every experiment on the show he directed 20 years ago. He says the biggest strength of a variety show director is to be able to challenge oneself and is a person who walks the path of no one else, dreams a dream that no one else dreams and does things that no one else dares to do.
Mi-ran walks towards the meeting room. She is about to go in but she hears Dong Chan talking inside. She stops and listens in.
Dong Chan asks the team as to who will have the courage to volunteer for a cryonics project if he asks. The team is quiet. Dong Chan says Mi-ran is a rare talent that is hard to come across in the broadcasting station. The writer rolls her eyes.
The writer says that is not the basis to hire a person. He says that is why Mi Ran is an intern. She says the person has to keep up with the trend. She asks how a person who has been frozen for 20 years can be on the show.
Dong Chan reminds the writer that she told him she accepted the show because of him. He says he was also frozen for 20 years. Dong Chan asks how she trusts him when he was in the capsule too. He says the reason he chose her as the writer is because he saw something in her. He says he is very picky with his team. He says he trusts the writer and asks her to trust him too. He tells her to raise the issue with him if it doesn’t work.
Dong Chan tells the rest of the team to not make faces. He says he will make them pay for it if he catches them badmouthing behind his back. He says he pretty good at talking down to others.
Park asks if Mi-ran is their junior or senior. Dong Chan says it doesn’t matter. He says she is 44 years old with no work experience. He says achievements and outcomes are more important. He tells Park to focus on what he has to do to not fall behind. Dong Chan continues with the meeting.
Mi-ran is at her desk. She finishes a call and finds Dong Chan in his seat watching her. She smiles slightly.
Hyung Gi rushes in and says he has to talk with her. She goes with him. He asks her what is her take on the issue as he has to hear her side before making the announcement. Mi-ran says she is 44-years-old and she can handle it by herself. She says she knows he is worried she would say things about him. She tells it is all right and she will handle it.
Hung Gi reports to Kim that Mi-ran doesn’t want to make money out of the situation. Kim is disappointed. Hyung Gi says they should come clean. Kim says they can’t tell everyone that they covered up the entire thing when two people went missing. He says they can’t say they took disciplinary action against those who objected, fired people, bribed the police etc.
Hwang goes to the lab. He finds a secret safe and opens it. He takes out a file and flips through the pages. He stops at a page, which says, 36.5°C recovery formula. Dr Jo calls out his name and Hwang is startled.
Dong Chan notes that the article on Mi-ran is dated 29th September 2019 12:32:45. Hyung Gi rushes in and says they have traced the IP address of the person who wrote the article. He says it is of a class 8 school girl. He says the child was in class and fast asleep when the article was uploaded. Dong Chan wonders if the IP was hacked.
Dong Chan says they know Mi-ran well. The person knows about the experiment, how she got into the station and even called her shameless. He says this is someone who hates her. He vows to catch the person. Hyung Gi asks where Mi-ran is now.
Suddenly one of the staff comes running and says their social media is on fire.
Mi-ran sits in the editing room. Her voiceover narrates Mi-ran’s social media post, “Hello, I’m Ko Mi-ran. 20 years ago, I agreed to a 24-hour experiment but I miraculously woke up after 20 years. I was a 24-year-old in a 44-year old body. I couldn’t get a job anywhere. The broadcasting station and I were looking for a solution. As a result, I began working in TBO as an intern. Although I didn’t have to go through any formalities, I didn’t think that was too much to receive for being frozen for 20 years. I admit I took it as fair compensation for the past 20 years that I lost. However, the most I received was a chance. I am not a full-time employee. I am an ordinary intern who needs to be acknowledged. Through this chance, I am going to work hard so that I can catch up for the past 20 years I have lost. Could you please give me a chance and watch me? 36.5°C. Your heartfelt support will cheer me up greatly. From Ko Mi-ran, a 31.5°C cryonics woman.
Everyone including Dong Chan, Hyung Gi, Kim, Ha Young, the team and Ji Hoon reads the article. The post gets a lot of likes from the public. Ji Hoon smiles as he reads it.
Kyun Ja and Young Sun are at the cafe. Kyun Ja cheers that Mi-ran is great at problem-solving. Young Sun seems disinterested when Kyun Ja says the person who wrote the article should be killed. Kyun Ja asks if Mi-ran and she made up. Young Sun says there was nothing to make up. She says she made up her mind not to divorce Byung Sim. Young Sun says Miran isn’t that pretty and wonders why everyone is that crazy over her. She says Ji Hoon has a crush on Mi-ran. She says she was scared to ask more into it. Kyun Ja chokes on her drink. Kyun Ja comments that both father and son have a crush on the same woman. Kyun Ja asks if Young Sun wrote the article. Young Sun asks if Kyun Ja takes her fury for a joke.
Byung Sim kneels before Mi-ran’s parents. He says he is Mi-ran’s first love. Mi-ran’s mother says he is talking nonsense and tells him off for moving in here while being a married man. Byung Sim says he isn’t truly a married man. He is preparing for a divorce. Mi-ran’s mother tries to kick Byung Sim but he moves away. Byung Sim says he wants to start over with Mi-ran after his divorce. Mi-ran’s mother kicks Byung Sim and he falls over. She says she will call the police. Mi-ran’s father stops her from kicking Byung Sim again.
Nam Tae comes running and says Mi-ran is all over the internet. He says everyone is encouraging her and she received 21,473 likes. Byung Sim overhears this.
Dong Chan and Kim are in Ha Young’s office. Her assistant gives her today’s headlines. She notices one of the headlines that reads Chairman Lee’s wife Park Hyo Woo died. She asks into it and her assistant says she passed away due to heart attack.
Ha Young says it is odd that the wife of the person whom Dong Chan asked her to check has suddenly died. Dong Chan is puzzled.
Kim says they have to go to the funeral. The assistant says it is a family-only funeral. He says the news was received through an unofficial source. He says it is odd that the police aren’t investigating. Dong Chan asks Ha Young to air the voice recording of the anonymous caller. Ha Young says the woman asked her to keep it confidential. Dong Chan says the investigation won’t happen if it isn’t aired. He says they must find out who the criminal is.
At the lab, Jo asks Hwang if he regained his memory. Hwang says he remembers only a snippet of it. Hwang passes the file to Jo and tells him to hold on to it in case something happens to him.
Hwang looks at Lee’s capsule and he remembers fragments of the incident. We see a montage of Lee in the hospital heavily bleeding, Hwang rushing out 2 hours before defrosting, his car exploding and him sneaking out of the burning car. He also remembers seeing Lee at Dong Chan’s mother’s restaurant the previous day.
Hwang tells Jo not to tell anyone that he is here. He tells Jo to inform Dong Chan that Hwang wants to tell him who tried to kill him that day. Jo tells Hwang that he got his memories back.
Meanwhile, CEO Lee Hyeong Du reads Mi-ran’s article. Later the person who followed Dong Chan, reports to him that Hwang is alive. He says Dong Chan requested Baek for police protection, which was for Hwang. He says Hwang, who is an American citizen doesn’t have a residence in Korea. He says he was hiding in Mi-ran’s house. Lee asks if it is the cryonic woman.
Mi-ran walks into her office and the entire team cheers for her. The writer hands her the list of contestants on the show. She says the assistant director is in charge of paying the fees and handling schedules. Mi-ran’s face lightens up. The writer walks away.
Mi-ran walks to her desk and notices that Dong Chan isn’t at his desk. She picks up the notepad. The note reads, “Ko Mi Ran, Good Job”. Mi Ran smiles as she sits to work. She checks the list and is shocked to see Byung Sim listed in the sheet as Psychological Consultant.
Dong Chan checks the editing room to see if Mi-ran is still there. He finds it empty. He receives a call saying they found the contact number and address of the person he had asked for. Dong Chan calls the number and walks away.
Just then, Mi-ran comes to the editing room. She is disappointed that Dong Chan isn’t there she turns around and runs into Ji Hoon.
Dong Chan comes back and he stops in tracks as he sees Mi-ran talking to Ji Hoon. He wonders who that punk is and why she is smiling at him. He wonders why she isn’t working. Just then, Hyung Gi comes and Dong Chan asks him who that person is. Hyung Gi says that Ji Hoon is one of the 10 interns who work under Dong Chan. He says Ji Hoon is smart and hardworking. Dong Chan starts cursing when he learns that Ji Hoon is 20 years old. Hyung Gi says Dong Chan’s personality has changed.
Hyung Gi says he tried calling that student whose IP address was used to post the article. He says that the girl used so many swear words and threatened to kill whoever used her IP. Dong Chan says at this rate that girl will find the hacker before Hyung Gi.
At the cafeteria, Ji Hoon says he likes Mi-ran because she wasn’t like other girls. He says he will help her. He says he doesn’t care whether she is 24 or 44. He says Mi-ran is friends with his mother. He mentions aunt Kyun Ja. Mi-ran asks if he is Young Sun’s son. He says he is. She realises he is Byung Sim’s son. He asks if she knew his father too.
Mi-ran is back at work. Hyung Gi calls her. He says he has to tell her something. He says he wants to share some pointers as Dong Chan’s assistant. He says you shouldn’t be honest with Dong Chan.
In a flashback 20 years ago, Dong Chan asks a tired Hyung Gi if he is tired. Hyung Gi says he is. Dong Chan says Hyung Gi didn’t do anything to be tired. Dong Chan says he is more tired than Hyung Gi. He continues to tell Hyung Gi off.
At present, Hyung Gi tells Mi-ran to never say that she is tired. He says the second thing is about ratings.
In another flashback, Dong Chan asks Hyung Gi how high he thinks the ratings would be. Hyung Gi says 15%. Dong Chan gets angry and says Hyung Gi’s target is too low. A long lecture follows.
At present, Hyung Gi tells her to give a high and unrealistic number if Dong Chan asks about ratings. He says she should keep avoiding confrontation and Dong Chan will be exhausted. He says Dong Chan’s questions are like riddles to which even he doesn’t know answers. She says she will keep it in mind. She asks Hyung Gi who cast Byung Sim to the list and why.
Hyung Gi says Dong Chan thought Byung Sim would be a great addition to the show after he saw the video. Hyung Gi says a good variety show director casts peculiar organisms. She says it isn’t a good idea. Hyung receives a call and she isn’t able to finish her sentence.
Elsewhere, Dong Chan is waiting. A person walks in and Dong Chan calls him Kim Jin (floor director from Dong Chan’s show 20 years ago). Jin runs and hugs Dong Chan. Jin says he wanted to call Dong Chan but he promised Kim that he wouldn’t talk about the experiment. Dong Chan says Jin needn’t explain. Jin says it is because of Dong Chan’s teachings that Jin is now a great photographer.
Dong Chan says it was a confidential project and he couldn’t find a good cameraman. He said he included Jin because he trusted him. Dong Chan asks if Jin still has the recording from 20 years back.
Meanwhile, Mi-ran’s vision is hazy and she feels dizzy. She sees that her temperature is fine and wonders what is wrong. She walks out unsteadily.
Ha Young does a cover on Mi-ran’s cryonics story on the 9 o’clock news. She says the station kept her identity a secret to keep her safe from unknown threats.
The public watch in horror as the video of Jo’s car exploding is telecasted. Ha Young mentions that she was asked to keep it confidential but now they have to make the video public to ensure everyone’s safety. She also telecasts the audio recording of the informant (Lee’s wife) stating she knows who bombed Jo’s car. The woman asks Dong Chan to be present and asks to save her husband.
Ha Young says they have lost contact with the informant. She asks anyone who knows whose voice this is to contact TBO.
Dong Chan waits in the car looking at the telecast. He then calls Mi-ran but her phone isn’t reachable. He takes the elevator and Ha Young walks in. He thanks her for the telecast. She says he is talking to the News Bureau’s Chief. She asks him what might have happened to them if she had stopped him from doing the experiment. Dong Chan turns away saying there is no point talking about that.
Ha Young asks if they can’t talk about anything other than the news. She says the only thing she regrets is not stopping him from doing the experiment. She asks if he doesn’t regret it. Dong Chan tells her not to look back from now on. He asks her to live a life that makes her happy. He walks out of the elevator.
Dong Chan calls Mi-ran again.
Mi-ran is lying in bed in one of the sleeping rooms. She coughs as she sleeps and her temperature is 31.9°C.
Dong Chan searches all the rooms on the floor. He comes to his desk and checks the notepad. It reads, “I think I am coming down with the flu. I will rest for a bit.”
Dong Chan rushes to the room. He finds her sleeping on one of the cots. He sits beside her and watches her. He brings his hand to her forehead to check if she is warm but he takes it away.
Mi-ran opens her eyes. He is calm as he asks her if she is sure that it is the flu. He feels her forehead and asks in a low voice if she took the shot. She says she did. Dong Chan says he is relieved. He says it looks like they too catch the flu like everyone else. He says they can also die like everyone else. He says he told her not to get sick but she doesn’t listen.
Mi-ran says they should keep a distance of 50 cm. She says they are too close now. Dong Chan says he can’t be any farther from her. Tears well up in his eyes as he says they should try this. He says they shouldn’t feign ignorance. He says they should do this.
Mi-ran asks if she can like him. He asks if she will stop if he says no. She shakes her head. He asks why she does things first. He says she shouldn’t have said that first and asks what he should do now. She says he has to like her now as well. Dong Chan caresses her face and he notices his temperature going up to 32.3°C. She sees her temperature is now 30°C. He slowly removes his hand away and she looks at him. He sits there for a long time and they are lost in each other’s eyes.
Hwang is walking on the street late at night and he feels he is being followed. Hwang starts running and a man follows him. Hwang stops for breath and the man grabs Hwang.
Meanwhile, Ji Hoon asks Young Sun how Mi-ran knows his father. Young Sun says Mi-ran is Byung Sim’s first love. She says Byung Sim wants a divorce because of Mi-ran. Young Sun asks if Ji Hoon likes Mi-ran. Ji Hoon is quiet. Young Sun looks sorrowful as she asks how could he.
Later, Ji Hoon sits in his room wiping away tears. Young Sun sits in the couch crying.
Dong Chan drives Mi-ran home. She tries to unfasten the seat belt but it is stuck. Dong Chan asks if she is deliberately acting as if it is stuck. She says she isn’t that type and it is really stuck. He leans over to release the belt and Mi-ran looks fixatedly at him. Dong Chan says he doesn’t mind her looking at him like that during the day but he asks her to avoid doing it at night. He says he is much healthier than she thinks.
He moves away calling out her name as she smiles mischievously and turns towards him. Dong Chan looks away and says the face she looks in the mirror and the face he sees are different. He says she looks prettier right now and asks her to stop smiling. He gets out of the car.
Mi-ran smiles at him as she gets out of the car. Dong Chan returns her smile. He says he will pick her up in the morning to check the location. He asks her to sleep well and take the fever-reducing shot. She smiles as he waves to her and drives away. Mi-ran smiles saying he said she was pretty.
Dong Chan doesn’t notice a car that passes by with the thugs and a blindfolded Hwang. They drop him off and drive away after giving him a phone. Hwang removes the blindfold and is shivering.
Dong Chan is in his room. He smiles as he sees the selfie Mi-ran had sent him that day.
Mi-ran puts on a sheet mask and smiles at the mirror.
Ha- Young is drinking at a bar.
Hwang is in his bed and recalls what happened earlier.
In a flashback, Hwang is tied up in a warehouse blindfolded. Lee walks up to him and tells him to cut off the power supply to the capsules in the lab. He says they need to make the cryonics experiment a failed experiment. Hwang refuses. Lee threatens to kill him. He fires a shot in the air and places the gun at Hwang’s head. Lee says if Hwang doesn’t do it, he will do it by himself. Lee says Dong Chan and Mi-ran will also die.
At present, Hwang trembles in his bed.
The next morning Mi-ran is cheerful as she packs her case. She goes out and stops when she sees Dong Chan waiting beside his car. She watches him with a smile. Dong Chan turns around and looks at her. He smiles and walks up to her. He places his hand on her forehead and says she is fine.
As they are on the way, Mi-ran gets a call from the cultural communications professor. Mi-ran continues to talk and she says she will think about it. She says she will give a call back to this number and hangs up. Dong Chan asks if it is good news. She says she handed in an assignment. She says the professor called to say she wrote it well. Dong Chan asks if the professor just called to ask about the appointment. Mi-ran says the professor is going to print a book of essays and wanted to include Mi-ran’s writing in it. She had asked Mi-ran to write something. Mi-ran says she was always a good writer. Dong Chan asks what she has to write about. Mi-ran says she has to write about love.
Dong Chan says Mi-ran doesn’t know what love is. He says she hasn’t even kissed before. Mi-ran says to her that counts as a kiss. Dong Chan says for him it doesn’t.
Later, Mi-ran smiles as she looks at the view of the lake from her room. She hears the bell and answers the door. Dong Chan says he will be on the first floor and calls her down once she has settled in. She calls him inside and he swiftly says no. she looks puzzled. He asks if she is going to shower.
She gives him a weird look and he asks if she is going to shower before they go to the location. She says she will shower before going to bed. Dong Chan tells her not to look at him in a place like this even during the daytime.
Hwang is at the lab, looking at Lee’s capsule. Jo walks in and Hwang tells Jo that he is fired. Hwang says that he will control the lab from today.
Meanwhile, Ha Young receives a call from someone who says they know whose voice it is. She is shocked when she hears what the person says.
Dong Chan waits on the first floor. Miran walks up to him dressed in a yellow dress and a hat. He smiles and asks if she thinks they are going on a picnic. He asks if she packed a portable charger. Mi-ran nods and says she packed a camera and something to write notes on too. She says she is a well prepared assistant director. He says the hat ate up her face and walks away asking her to follow.
They tour the place and Mi-ran takes a lot of photos. She also clicks a photo of Dong Chan when he isn’t looking. Dong Chan receives a call from Ha Young. She says she got reports from three people regarding the owner of the voice and she says they all reported the same person. She says it is Lee’s wife’s voice. Dong Chan is shocked and he says he will be right there.
Dong Chan calls up Jo. He says he found something about the person in the capsule. Jo says Hwang got his memory back. Dong Chan hangs up.
He tells Mi-ran that he has to go back to Seoul. She asks if something has happened. He says a lot has happened and he will tell her when he is back. He asks her to stay in her room. She asks to go with him. He refuses asking her to stay in her room and not open the door to anyone. She says she will scout locations on her own. Dong Chan says she shouldn’t go out alone. He takes her back.
Dong Chan drives back and speaks on the phone with Ha Young. He tells Ha Young not to send the documents to the police, as he has to check something. He tells Ha Young that Hwang is alive. Dong Chan recalls Jo saying Hwang is acting weird and not allowing him near the lab. Dong Chan drives faster.
Hwang receives a call as he stands in the lab. Hwang pulls the plug on all the capsules. He stops as the emergency power kicks in and all the capsules switch on again. Hwang rushes to the control room and places his hand on the emergency power lever. He is about to pull the lever when Dong Chan calls out his name.
Dong Chan asks Hwang what he is doing. Hwang says the experiment is a failure and he has to destroy all the capsules. He says Dong Chan and Mi-ran will eventually die as well. He says they can’t live a normal life, as it is impossible. He says it is all over.
Dong Chan is teary-eyed as he pleads with the professor to save them. Hwang is silent. Tears streak down his eyes as he asks Hwang to help the two of them live a normal life. He says they just want to love each other and roll around in bed and sleep together. Dong Chan cries as he pleads with Hwang to help them.
Mi-ran waits in the hotel room and it is late. She paces impatiently when the bell sounds. She walks over asking who it is. She opens the door asking if it is Dong Chan.
Dong Chan stands there staring at her. He says he told her not to open the door to anyone. She asks if something happened. Dong Chan steps forward without a word and kisses her. The vital watch starts beeping and he breaks the kiss in frustration.
Dong Chan turns on the shower. He kisses Mi-ran under the shower as the water drenches the two of them. Mi-ran holds on to him as he deepens the kiss. He pulls back and looks at her before kissing her again.
Image Courtesy TVN
Review
The first part of the episode was interesting and a good watch. It was fine on the romantic side but there were some loopholes in the mystery side.
The plot took an unexpected turn towards the end. Hwang knew that his life was already in danger and that is why Dong Chan hid him away from the lab. Hwang’s behaviour seemed illogical as he changed after the threat. There are a million ways to keep Hwang safe while keeping the lab intact and I wonder how Hwang never thought about that. The scene seemed forced for the sake of moving the plot forward and creating a complication.
Lee, on the other hand, is waiting around for Hwang to turn off everything when pulling a plug can be done by anyone. I wonder why they chose to leave the Professor walking around loose after kidnapping him rather than trying to get the location of the lab from him.
Also, Hwang had already handed over the file to Jo and it looked like it had the solution to the hypothermia. I wonder why he is saying that Dong Chan and Mi-ran will die.
That said, the other half of the story was different and well made. Mi-ran’s social media post was well written. The pace that Dong Chan and Mi-ran’s relationship is taking is good and steady. The leads have great chemistry and it is good to watch them together. The scenes where they shared screen space were the best in this episode.
Ji Hoon and Young Sun are in an uncomfortable situation. It was pathetic to see the state Ji Hoon is in, as he is at no fault in this whole thing and yet he ended up hurt. I wonder how their tracks are going to progress.
I guess there might be more to the conversation that took place between Dong Chan and Hwang at the lab. Also, I am curious to see who wrote the article and the content of the recording that Dong Chan asked Kim Jin for.
The opening scene was with Mi-ran in a capsule on December 21st, 2021. It looks like she will be in the capsule again. I wonder what events lead to that. I hope the plot is strong enough to back it up and not too rushed.
-By Soul Sword-
The Writers Room 
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