The Heirs

Chapter 12

Won now has his guard up around Manager Yoon, not knowing what kind of things they can even talk about anymore. Manager Yoon doesn’t pretend to be on Won’s side, but tries to soften the blow when showing him the article that’s going to be published tomorrow, of Hyun-joo’s new position at Jeguk, courtesy of the lifetime commitment to charity on behalf of his family.

Won’s face hardens to realize this is why Manager Yoon was meeting with her, and then he basically implodes to find out it was all his father’s doing. Ah, so this is her equivalent of the envelope of money sliding across the table. She gets the big dream job in exchange for leaving Won.

He storms home and opens the door to Dad’s study, to find Hyun-joo sitting there waiting for him. Dad points out that this is all Won’s doing, and if he had taken care of his love life properly, Dad wouldn’t have to step in like this.

Chairman Dad says in no uncertain terms that Hyun-joo spat in the face of his generosity by daring to date his son, and Won does nothing while she says she understands and walks out. You deserve to lose her.

She leaves the house crying (Why is this the norm around here?) and runs into Tan. He stops to ask if she’s okay, and she recognizes him right away. She just asks that he holds his brother back, and leaves him wondering who she is.

Won steps out, and Tan tells hyung where the girl went and that he’s supposed to hold him back. He asks what’s going on, and of course Won doesn’t tell him, though he does add a tip that he should be careful because Dad’s hired people to spy on them. Nothing like scary invasive fathers to bring estranged brothers together, eh? This family.

After seeing Won zoom off with no intention of going after the girl, Tan feels compelled to go find her. He finds her at the bus stop and sits down next to her, and conveys the message that hyung isn’t coming.

He asks if she’s his brother’s girlfriend and how she recognized him earlier—does hyung ever talk about him? Hyun-joo says he did, and repeats Won’s words: “My little brother is affectionate, honest, he’s grown very tall, and his eyes are just like mine.” Aw, did he really say those things?

They sit there in silence, and Tan remains there long after Hyun-joo has gone.

Mom gets dressed to go meet Eun-sang, and tells Madam Han that she’ll work until the end of the month, after which she’ll have to hire new help. Madam Han is hilariously broken up about it but trying not to let it show, and freaks out when she thinks Mom is leaving the house right this instant.

I’m pretty sure she would’ve cried, but Mom says she’s just going out on an errand, and Madam Han calms down. How will you live without her?

Mom waits for Eun-sang outside the convenience store, where Young-do happens to plop down at the table next to hers. He calls Eun-sang for a date and gets rejected, only when she arrives to meet Mom, Young-do is there in plain sight.

Thinking quickly, she calls him back and agrees to eat with him, making him meet her elsewhere. She ducks out of sight until he’s gone and meets with Mom to tell her that she’s looking for a place and sleeping at a friend’s house.

She goes to meet Young-do, who notes that she’s coming from the direction of the convenience store, and then he sees the shopping bag in her hand that Mom had. A light bulb goes off in his head and he tells her to wait here and rides off. Uh-oh.

He waits at Tan’s front gate, and sure enough, Mom arrives home after meeting with Eun-sang. He’s suddenly all sweet and polite as he asks if Eun-sang is home and if she’s her mom, and after getting away with a nod here and there, Mom finally has to type a reply into her phone that Eun-sang is at work.