Melting Me Softly- Episode 9 Recap
Mi-ran’s temperature rises to 32.1°C when Dong Chan says he may end up liking her if she continues acting up. Her eyes widen in surprise and she stares at him. Dong Chan asks in an authoritative tone as to why she is staring at her senior. He starts walking and asks if she is going to come or not.
Later, Dong Chan buys ice cream. He gets vanilla ice cream for her and chocolate for himself. As they walk, he says he was worried if she was allergic to chocolate, strawberries or kiwi, so he bought vanilla flavour for her. Mi-ran says she isn’t allergic to any of those but says she doesn’t like vanilla.
Dong Chan takes her ice cream from her and starts eating her ice cream. After a few moments, Mi-ran asks for his chocolate ice cream. He says he can’t give her what he ate and says he will buy her a new one. She points out that he is eating what she already ate. Dong Chan goes silent and hands her his ice cream.
Later, Dong Chan asks if she is sober and she says she is. He threatens to fire her the next time she drinks during working hours. He says they have to get back to work as they have a lot to do.
Mi-ran says she has a question regarding Ha Young. Dong Chan stops walking and has a serious look. Mi-ran says she knows that the two of them used to date. She asks if he is still dating Ha-Young. Dong Chan asks if it wouldn’t spoil their current relationship if she asks that question now. He says he hopes she isn’t asking that question because of that. Mi-ran says she is curious. Dong Chan says they are not dating. Mi-ran smiles at this. Dong Chan tells her not to smile. He tells her not to do anything that would affect their current relationship.
Mi-ran asks why not and Dong Chan asks if she doesn’t know. Mi-ran says she doesn’t. He says they cannot get close to each other. Dong Chan takes a step closer and Mi-ran takes a step back. Dong Chan says they should maintain a distance of at least 0.5 meters from each other. He says it will be dangerous for both of them if they get any closer. As Dong Chan walks away, Mi-ran wonders why the distance should be 0.5 meters. She follows him.
(Between the Cold and the Passion)
Kim is in Ha Young’s office. He says he needs the news Bureau’s support. Kim says he is going to announce that he was in charge of the cryonics experiment and that he planned it 20 years back. Ha Young Points out that 20 years ago Kim covered it up and yet now he wants to say he was the one who planned it. Kim says it is his party’s political strategy.
Ha Young asks him if he knows why she came to the news bureau despite being criticized as an announcer. She says she became a reporter to do a cover on Dong Chan’s disappearance. She says she took a test behind Kim’s back to become a reporter. She says she couldn’t do anything past Kim as he was like a huge mountain and she was like a breeze. She asks him if he can now pretend if he wasn’t a big mountain.
Kim tells her that the mountain has become bigger now. He says he can still stop storms and breezes. She tells him that times have changed. Kim tells her that is why he has chosen the right time to step down. He tells her to become a bigger mountain. He tells her to become the first female president/CEO of a TV station.
Meanwhile, the team is taking printouts of the applications. They say there are so many applicants and it will be difficult for the writers to go through. They say the show is getting too much attention because it is Dong Chan’s show. The writer wonders where Mi-ran is.
Mi-ran and Dong Chan are in the station. She shows him the applications on her phone. Dong Chan says people are slaves to their phones. He says he should make a show where people go for a week without their phones. He says people’s relationships are feeble and will break if you take off their phones or computers. He says people are getting more stupid by the day. Mi-ran says she didn’t memorise Nam-Tae’s phone number. Dong Chan says the number out of memory. Mi-ran is impressed.
Dong Chan says he is not making a move towards her. He explains that he memorised her family members’ numbers in case he can’t get hold of Mi-ran. He tells her that memorising numbers come easily to him. He says it is just his smartness and walks away. Mi-ran wonders if he is overreacting or putting up a wall or if he is hitting on her.
In Hyung Gi’s office, Park tells him that all interns want to work with Dong Chan. Hyun Gi says the intern doesn’t know that Dong Chan is a bully. Dong Chan walks in and tells Hyung Gi off for not finishing the budget yet. He then tells Hyung Gi to move his office next to his own and walks out.
Mi-ran is in the restroom. She wonders what Dong Chan meant by he might start liking her. She is determined to not to let him walk over her. Just then, Ha Young walks in. Both of them freeze and look at each other. Mi-ran greets her. Ha Young tells her not to get caught as no one should know Mi-ran’s story. She explains that she doesn’t want Dong Chan to get in trouble.
Later in the meeting, the show writer tells Mi-ran off for sending her a text message and not calling. Dong Chan tells Mi-ran he wants to talk to her in private. Outside, Mi-ran explains that she sent the writer a text because she thought calling would be rude. Dong Chan says she got on the writer’s wrong side now. He says Mi-ran will be bullied now. He tells her that the writer is very mean.
Mi-ran asks why he works with a woman like her. Dong Chan says it is because the writer writes great scripts, gets good guests and plans well. He says he is going to work with the writer and not date her. Mi-ran says she will get along with the writer and says she is good at moving people’s hearts. Dong Chan says he knows that.
Dong Chan tells her to study BTS as the writer is a huge fan of them. Mi-ran asks him who is BTS. Dong Chan says if she makes that face, the writer will beat her. He then says they will be working overtime and leaves. Mi-ran learns the names of the BTS members.
Later at the meeting, the writer talks about inviting celebrities. Mi-ran interrupts them and says they should call BTS. Everyone is shocked. Dong Chan looks at her in horror. The writer says BTS isn’t in Korea. Mi-ran continues to talk but Dong Chan stops her by holding her hand. Mi-ran goes silent as he puts his hand over hers.
Dong Chan says Mi-ran is enthusiastic about the show but says they should try to call BTS. Park says budget would be an issue but the team says they should give it a try.
Dong Chan removes his hand from Mi-ran’s hand. Mi-ran lets out her breath.
In her office, Ha Young looks through the documents about CEO Lee. She then receives a call from the anonymous woman, who says she will meet today. Ha Young says she will wait.
Meanwhile, the meeting goes on for a long time. Dong Chan and Mi-ran work overtime, long after everyone leaves. Dong Chan can’t help looking at Mi-ran as she fights sleep. Dong Chan shakes out of it.
After some time, Mi-ran catches him looking at her. Dong Chan yells at her to go home if she is sleepy. He chases her out of the room as he asks her to go home and sleep.
Mi-ran takes a cab home. She receives a text from Dong Chan with her cab number. The text mentions that he has memorised the number. He asks her to text him once she reaches home. Mi-ran wonders what is wrong with him as he keeps going back and forth.
Meanwhile, the caller calls up Ha Young and says she will be there in 30 minutes. She says Dong Chan should be there. Ha Young says she will notify the security to allow the woman up.
Ha Young informs Dong Chan and he comes to her office. As they wait, Ha-young shows him information about CEO Lee. She says Lee was born to the Chairman Lee Yang Gun out of wedlock. She says Lee Yang Gun died out of lung cancer and the company faltered when they figured out their successor. She says due to the construction of the water system in Libya, the financial world had its hierarchy shuffled. She says Lee Seok Du was added to the family register because the chairman’s wife didn’t have a son.
Dong Chan sees that Lee Seok Du was in Illinois, USA, leading a normal life and his wife is still in the USA. Ha Young says they are separated. Dong Chan notes that Seok Du was assaulted by a group of people in 1998 and he fell into a coma. He woke up after 50 months of hospitalisation.
Dong Chan remembers the person in the cryosleep chamber. He remembers the run date on that particular capsule as October 24th 1998.
Ha Young says Lee has been continuously donating large sums of money to the hospital that saved his life. She then asks Dong Chan why he needs the information. Dong Chan says there is a man inside a capsule at Hwang’s lab, who resembles Lee Seok Du. Ha Young says he must be a look-alike.
Then, Ha Young asks him why he didn’t come to her hotel room. Dong Chan says he still sees her as a woman but he has no intention of starting over with her. He says he didn’t go because she wanted to see him in a hotel room. Ha Young asks if he knows what it means when a woman tells a man her room number. Dong Chan says that is the reason he didn’t go and he knew how she felt. He says her feelings don’t align with his.
Meanwhile, Byung Sim is talking to Mi-ran’s mother. He runs into his room when Mi-ran walks into the house.
Mi-ran walks into the room. She recalls Dong Chan saying he might like her. She then recalls him holding her hand. Mi-ran holds her chest as her heart starts racing.
The anonymous caller is on the way to the station. An SUV overtakes her car and swerves to a stop in front of the car. Another car blocks their way from behind. The woman is startled and nervous. The woman’s driver (Mr Jung-) gets out of the car to check. A couple of thugs get out of the SUV and beat him up. One of them gets into the woman’s car and drives it away.
More than an hour passes and there is no sign of the woman. Dong Chan asks Ha Young why the woman wanted to meet him. Ha Young asks him if Hwang is really dead. Just then, she receives a call from the anonymous woman. Ha Young put it on speaker. The woman says, “Please save my husband. The cryonic capsule…” the line cuts before the woman can finish her sentence. Dong Chan and Ha Young are alarmed.
Elsewhere, the thug grabs the woman’s phone and brings her out of the car. He brings her to a man. The woman is shocked to see CEO Lee. He greets her and addresses her as sister-in-law. He asks how she got close to Jung and what she planned on doing at the station. The thug shows him the video of Jo’s car exploding.
We see a montage of Jung, filming the blast on his phone.
CEO Lee says she won’t be able to find Jung’s remains. He asks her where her husband is. She says she has no idea. She tells him that she wanted to ask Dong Chan about it. She pleads with Lee to let her husband come back alive. She says they will live quietly. Lee says she shouldn’t have allowed him to taste money and power. He says the chairman shouldn’t have made her husband Lee Seok Du the successor. He says he has no place to go if Seok Du comes back alive. She tells him to continue to live as Lee Seok Du. The man pushes her away saying she wouldn’t have gone to the broadcasting station if she wanted to do that. He leans down towards her saying; anyone who tries to wake Seok Du will get killed. He reminds her that he is Lee Seok Du and not Lee Hyeong Du. He says he will kill anyone who tries to prove otherwise.
At the station, Ha Young says she will call the cops but Dong Chan tells her not to do it yet. Dong Chan tells her not to agonise over it as it is his problem but to her, it is just a scoop. Ha Young says she cares about him. She says she is worried he might disappear again. Dong Chan says she should go home. As he leaves, she says she didn’t bring her car. Dong Chan says he will drop her home.
Young Sun is at home looking at her divorce papers. She goes to Ji Hoon’s room and tucks his blanket as he sleeps. Just then, his phone lights up and she is shocked as she sees the wallpaper on his phone. It is the photo of Mi-ran and him at Hongdae.
As Dong Chan drives Ha Young home, she reduces the temperature of the air-conditioner. She says she will adjust to any temperature he wants. As they reach her house, Dong Chan apologises for not being there for her in the past 20 years. He says 20 years felt just like a day to him but it really has been that long. He says he can’t do anything to compensate for the past 20 years she spent without him. He says they already lost their timing. Tears well up in Ha Young’s eyes as she hears this.
Dong Chan says his heart no longer flutters when he sees her. He is teary-eyed as he says he doesn’t love her. He says this is the end for them. Ha Young asks if he is ending it now because his heart belongs to someone else. Dong Chan doesn’t respond.
Later, Ha Young lies on her bed crying hard.
Dong Chan lies awake in his bed at night.
Mi-ran is unable to sleep and lies awake in her bed.
In the morning, Byung Sim is in the decorated attic room. He is startled when Nam Tae and Hwang walk in. Byung Sim comments that Nam-Tae has grown so much. Nam-Tae asks if Byung Sim knows him. Byung Sim says Nam-Tae ruined his first kiss. He then asks Hwang who he is. Nam-Tae says Hwang is staying here till he regains his memory.
Meanwhile, Mi-ran stacks books on her desk so that Dong Chan can’t look over to her side while they are working.
Ji Hoon receives a call saying he got the job at TBO. He asks to work with Director Ma Dong Chan. He is asked to come by tomorrow afternoon. Ji Hoon walks out to see Young Sun drinking early in the morning. She has the divorce papers in front of her. She says she is fine. He asks if she is really fine and he says he is. He tells her he got the work at TBO. She asks him if he knows Mi-ran. She says she saw the picture on his phone. He says she is his friend. She tells him to go to school and walks away.
Dong Chan walks into the office and sees Mi-ran busy with the other staff. He notices the books and stationery wall between their desks. He finds a letter pad on his desk. It says, “From now on, if you have something to tell me you can write it here.” Dong Chan writes something in the notepad and places it before her, leaving the room.
Mi-ran notices the pad and checks it. It reads, “Come to the editing room right now”.
Mi-ran goes to the editing room and sits across Dong Chan. He asks her if she wants to be a variety show director and she says she does. She says it is a bit late to have a dream but she wants to make this work. He says they should turn “Go Go 99” into a great project. He says she told him 20 years back that she wanted to make a living. She points out that he said the same thing to her. He smiles saying it seems like yesterday.
Mi-ran asks him why he wanted to be a variety show director. Dong Chan says that after we are born, we have to make the world a better place than when we came. He says he wants the people in this world to laugh more. He says he wants people to feel happier today than they were yesterday. He says they have to laugh a little more when they see his shows and there is nothing greater than that. He says he takes pride in knowing that what he does is better than making a country with guns and swords. He says she should make people happier than they are today. He tells her to start her dream with “Go Go 99” project. He tells her to do it right. He says it will be greater than simply making a living.
Mi-ran is awestruck hearing this. She sits in the editing room long after Dong Chan leaves.
Dong Shik and his mother are at the restaurant. Both Hwang and Dong Ju haven’t turned up. Dong Shik is worried and asks if Dong Ju got wasted and died somewhere. His mother says they should let her die because she doesn’t care anymore. He says he should call Dong Chan.
Dong Chan takes the project to Kim who says it is excellent. Dong-chan receives a call from Dong Shik, who tells him that Dong Ju hasn’t come home since yesterday. He says he informed Baek, but Baek is fed up of her and not bothered about her. Dong Chan suggests they should wait till night and says she will come back.
Dong Chan asks Hyung Gi what a woman in her fifties does. Hyung Gi says she must have hit menopause. He says she needs attention.
Kim asks Dong Chan the real reason why he is meeting him. Dong Chan asks if Lee Seok Du is sponsoring Kim’s political career. Kim says he is. Dong Chan asks to tag along the next time Kim meets Seok Du. Dong Chan says he wants Seok Du to sponsor their program. Kim is excited to hear this. Kim says Lee is extremely interested in Dong Chan and the cryonics experiment.
Dong Chan gets back to his desk and Mi-ran avoids eye contact. He sits down and asks her if anything will change if she builds a wall in between. He says he can still see parts of her face. She says he was the one who said they should maintain a distance of 0.5 meters. He says building a wall won’t increase the distance and asks if she was weak in maths.
Mi-ran says she thought he meant the distance between their hearts. Dong Chan says this won’t work and that only elementary children build walls. Mi-ran says she gets distracted easily. She says she can’t focus on work if he sits in front of her. Dong Chan asks why. She says she gets distracted. He says it is frustrating to have his vision blocked. She asks him to stop picking a fight and arranges the books. Dong Chan says this is what he wants and he pulls down all the books, breaking the wall. He throws everything away and sits in his seat. He looks at her and says it is not distracting at all. She looks away.
Meanwhile, Byung Sim and Nam-tae take Hwang for a haircut. They clap seeing his new look.
At the station, most of the staff leave. Dong Chan says he has to leave early and asks Mi-ran to go home too. She says she will go home by herself and asks him not to worry. He says he can’t stop worrying if someone tells him not to. He says he will drop her home.
Mi-ran is furious at this. She gets up and yells at him taking him by surprise. She says he is confusing her. He says he wants to keep a distance but says he is worried. She asks him how he really feels and calls him a jerk.
In reality, Mi-ran sits in her seat and tells him politely that she has some documents that she has to see. Dong Chan says she gave them to him already. Dong Chan is persistent and asks her to come along. Mi-ran gives up and goes with him.
As he drives down, Mi-ran looks at him when he isn’t looking. He tells her they are too close for her to steal sneak peeks of him. She says she didn’t. He asks why she turned away when their eyes met. She asks him if he is a player. He says no. she says he doesn’t realise it, but he is a player. She says he turns women into fools. He says she hasn’t seen players before and asks how she knew what one was like.
Just then, she receives a call from Ji Hoon. He says he got accepted into TBO and hopes they work together. She says she does too. Ji Hoon says he misses her and Mi-ran goes silent. She then says she misses him too. Dong Chan looks puzzled as she says into the phone that they can meet often. She hangs up saying they will meet tomorrow.
Dong Chan says he should ask who it is to make the situation go smoothly. She says he shouldn’t. Dong Chan asks if it is a man and if he is younger than she is. She says yes to both questions. He asks if the man is handsome and she says he absolutely is. He asks why a handsome man is calling her at this time. She asks why he shouldn’t call. Dong Chan says nowadays boys don’t invest time in girls unless they are serious. Dong Chan says she doesn’t like the man and yet the man is calling her. She asks why Dong Chan thinks she doesn’t like the boy.
Dong Chan gives her a look. She asks him to explain why he thinks she doesn’t like the boy. Dong Chan says it is because she likes someone else. Mi-ran goes silent. Dong Chan says she is easily distracted and asks how she can like two men with a single heart. She asks him who does he think she likes.
Dong Chan pulls over to the side. He looks at her and she seems tense. He says he says whatever comes to his mind and she is overreacting. He asks if she is hungry. She says she is. He tells her to go home and eat with her family while he goes home and eats with his. Mi-ran turns away with a frown.
After he drops her, Mi-ran starts to walk away. Dong Chan tells her he promised to have lunch with his family today. She says she didn’t say anything. Dong Chan says he knows she is mad at him because he didn’t eat with her. She says he is wrong. He says he is right.
Byung Sim, Nam-Tae and Hwang watch the two from far. Back home, Byung Sim asks Nam-tae to help him record a video. Byung Sim demonstrates his Nunchuck talents in the video. He tells Dong Chan to stay away from his woman. He suddenly loses grip over the nunchuck and it hits Hwang square on his head.
Later Byung Sim helps Hwang with an ice pack. He asks if Hwang regained his memory dramatically. Hwang says such a thing won’t happen. Byung Sim asks more into it but Hwang says it is confidential. Hwang asks why Byung Sim hates Dong Chan.
Later at dinner, Dong Chan says he is glad Dong Ju is all right. Dong Shik says he might know the man Dong Ju is dating. He says she met Mr Chu at the alcoholics’ centre. His mother asks if she is dating an alcoholic. Dong Shik says only an alcoholic would date Dong Ju. Dong Shik’s wife wonders what they will do if Dong Ju wants to get married again. Dong Chan asks how Dong Ju became like this.
Seo Yoon asks Dong Chan to take a picture if proof with her. She says her friends don’t believe that her uncle is the cryonic man. He asks if it is because she lies too much. She says it is because the kids are being lied to a lot. She walks over to him and he poses for the picture. He puts her on his lap and says he already knows what kind of an adult she would become. Seo Yoon asks what kind would she be.
Dong Chan says there is a woman whom he knows well. He says Seo Yoon would turn out like her. Seo Yoon asks if she is pretty and he says she is. Seo Yoon says the woman may look pretty only to him. Dong Chan agrees saying she only needs to be pretty to him. He smiles saying she is very pretty.
Later at Mi-ran’s house, Nam Tae sits at the table with a book by Freud. Mi-ran asks into it and he quotes Freud. Her parents say they are glad they rented the attic to the professor. Mi-ran asks if the professor is from her school.
Mi-ran goes to the attic and is shocked to see Byung Sim there. She immediately calls up Young Sun and tells her that Byung Sim is here. She says he has moved in and Young Sun is furious. Mi-ran is waiting nervously as Young Sun storms in. She greets Mi-ran’s mother and borrows a pan from her kitchen.
Byung Sim yells as we hear a sound of a pan hit him.
At the station next morning, the team watches Byung Sim’s video telling Dong Chan to stay away from his woman. The team wonder how Dong Chan could date a married woman. Hyung Gi learns of this. He brings the video to Dong Chan asking whom he has been seeing. Dong Chan watches the video closely. Hyung Gi says Dong Chan shouldn’t mess with a married woman.
Mi-ran wonders what the team is talking about.
Meanwhile, Hwang goes to see Dong Chan’s mother at the restaurant. She smiles seeing that he has gotten his hair cut. He asks if it is cute and she says it is. He says he came to tell her he wants to return to his lab. He says it will help him regain his memory. She says Dong Chan brought him here because it is dangerous. Hwang says he wants to confront it so her son can live a normal life. Dong Chan’s mother pleads with him to make it happen.
Byung Sim is in his office. He is surprised when Dong Chan walks into his office. He is furious as he clenches his fists and runs towards Dong Chan. He says they should fight man to man.
Dong Chan ask if Byung Sim would like to appear on TV. Byung Sim is taken aback. Dong-chan tells him to unclench his fists so they can talk.
At the station, Mi-ran is annoyed when she sees the video.
Dong Chan walks into the station. Mi-ran holds him back and apologises for causing trouble. Dong Chan smiles.
Ha Young watches Dong Chan and Mi-ran talking from a distance. She recalls Dong Chan saying he doesn’t love her. She cries silently as she sees him holding Mi-ran’s hand casually as he talks.
Someone rushes into Kim’s office and says there is something he should see. Kim checks the article titled, “Truth about Ko Mi-ran, the intern at TBO”.
Hyung Gi rushes to Kim’s office as he hears there is a situation.
Everyone at the meeting room, including Mi-ran and Dong Chan receives the article through email. It says Mi-ran was a subject of a cryonics experiment. It states the station kept her identity as a secret. It says Mi-ran got in through connections and she shamelessly used the situation to her advantage.
Hyung Gi and Kim wonder who would have written the article.
Ha Young sips her coffee in her office with a determined look.
Young Sun is at home and she tears up the divorce papers.
The reporter who spoke to Dong Chan, in the beginning, reads the article with a smile.
Byung Sim checks his phone with a smile.
Ji Hoon reads the article with a grim expression.
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 there, 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.
Image Courtesy- TVN
Review
This episode was smoothly made and good to watch. It was good to see the plot coming together.
The awkwardness and the confusion that Mi-ran went through was well-made and hilarious.
It is interesting how characters like Ha Young, Byung Sim and Young Sun are persistent towards their lovers/ex-lovers. They are keeping at it despite their love being unrequited. Though the characters started on a lighter note at the beginning, it looks like they are becoming stronger now and it looks like they will have an impact on the main plot. I wonder if Ha Young agreed to become the President of TBO.
I wonder who tipped off Lee Hyeong Du’s men about the wife going to the station. Hwang, on the other hand, has decided to go back to the lab. It looks like he is on to something.
I hope the next episode is as good as its preview.
-By Soul Sword-
The Writers Room 
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