Ha Seok-jin proposed a new beginning to Ahn Heeyeon and Yoon Ha-bin, foreshadowing a change in their relationships.
On the 13th, episode 16 of KBS 2TV weekend drama Love On The Menu (directed by Hong Seok-gu, written by Lee Kyung-hee) aired, in which Han Gyu-rim (played by Ahn Heeyeon) confessed to Kim Mu-jin (played by Ha Seok-jin) that she had miscarried, and she reconciled longstanding misunderstandings with her son Han-gyeol (played by Yoon Ha-bin), confirming each other's feelings. That broadcast recorded 17.3% (provided by Nielsen Korea, nationwide households standard), setting a new personal best rating, ranking No. 1 among all weekend broadcasts and continuing its hot popularity.
That day Kim Mu-jin finally asked Han Gyu-rim the question he had long buried in his heart: "Where is the child you gave birth to?" Han Gyu-rim forced back tears and confessed, "As soon as the child came into the world, they returned to heaven." Shocked by the unexpected truth, Kim Mu-jin was left speechless, and Han Gyu-rim turned away, leaving him behind. Watching the retreating figure of Han Gyu-rim, the redness around Kim Mu-jin's eyes conveyed the two people's painful time and left a heavy feeling.
After regaining his composure, Kim Mu-jin stayed by Han-gyeol's side. He carefully tended to Han-gyeol, even drying his wet hair himself, and Han-gyeol hugged him, saying, "I like you, mister." When Han-gyeol then asked, "How great would it be if you were our dad?" Kim Mu-jin could not hide his embarrassed expression. Although not a drop of blood was shared, the two became like family to each other, leaving a warm afterglow.
Meanwhile, conflict with Han Gyu-rim exploded when Han Gyu-young (played by Park Yoo-na) notified her by message that she had married. Han Gyu-rim demanded, "Was there no other way?" and Han Gyu-young answered with sharp words. Han Gyu-rim then urged her to honestly tell her in-laws everything and beg for forgiveness as a final request. Instead Han Gyu-young cruelly told her to go find Han-gyeol's biological parents, and ultimately Han Gyu-rim coldly shot back, "Get out right now," bringing their conflict to a climax.
Ko Yoon-hee (played by Yoon Yoo-sun), who had been circling Han Gyu-rim's surroundings, had an unexpected reunion with her ex-husband Han Seok-jung (played by Ryu Seung-soo). After learning that Park Soo-nam (played by Kang Ae-shim) demanded they leave the Han household, Ko Yoon-hee asked Han Seok-jung to go down to the provinces with the children, saying she would arrange a place for them to live. But when Han Seok-jung insisted on living in Seoul, Ko Yoon-hee clasped her hands and begged him to leave so that Han Gyu-rim would not be hurt any more. Her clinging to her ex-husband to protect her daughter was heartrending.
Another secret of Ko Yoon-hee also surfaced. She looked at her daughter Jang Seo-hyun (played by Lee Joo-yeon) with deep affection and revealed that Jang Hoon-tae's (played by Kwon Hae-hyo) lies were meant to protect her. She then confessed that Kim Mu-jin's former lover Han Gyu-rim was her biological daughter. Hearing this, Jang Seo-hyun let out a hollow laugh from betrayal and, unable to contain her anger, shouted, "Get out right now, Ko Yoon-hee," heightening the tension.
But the most touching moment of the broadcast was the reconciliation between Han Gyu-rim and Han-gyeol. After hearing that Han-gyeol missed his mother, Han Gyu-rim mustered her courage and went to find her son. She told Han-gyeol that in her hardest moments, when Han-gyeol held her, it felt as if the light in the world that had gone out was turned on again, and sincerely said, "I'm sorry I couldn't give birth to you."
Han-gyeol also expressed gratitude to Han Gyu-rim, who raised him, saying, "Now I will become a tiger that repays the favor." The two finally embraced, and the mother-and-son hug that melted away long-accumulated wounds and misunderstandings moved viewers' hearts.
At the end of the broadcast, Kim Mu-jin made a dramatic choice. After putting the reconciled Han Gyu-rim and Han-gyeol in the car, he drove off toward somewhere. He suggested to Han-gyeol, "Shall we go somewhere where neither mister nor mom are known and the three of us live together?" Unlike the embarrassed Han Gyu-rim, Kim Mu-jin, as if already determined, pressed the accelerator and moved forward.
With the three people facing past wounds and secrets one by one, attention is focused on whether they can create a new form of family. In particular, Kim Mu-jin's proposal of "a life for the three together" to Han Gyu-rim and Han-gyeol raised expectations for what changes it might bring in the next episode.
[Photo] KBS 2TV Love On The Menu broadcast capture
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