Panda and Hedgehog Episode 15 Recap

  We're almost done, and I have to admit, I'm getting sad anticipating having to let these characters go. I've decided they should make a mini-drama focused around Won Yi. They could use some of the footage from Panda and Hedgehog, and we could see her relationship with Host Club develop. Plus, we'd get to see how things are a bit further down the line for everyone else. 

  Won Il runs downstairs. Seung Ji chants his mantra and Panda asks if he's Min Woo. He sees that she has tears in her eyes and asks why she's crying. Won Il keeps running. (Apparently, Saint Honore is way bigger than it looks. Or it's a maze.) Seung Ji asks if Panda's joking with him. She keeps insisting that he's Min Woo, but he just doesn't get it. 

  Won Il finally makes it to the kitchen and starts to tell her, but she says she already knows. Seung Ji decides they're pulling a prank on him, but Won Il shows him the photos and asks if he recognizes himself. Seung Ji warns them to stop messing with him, or he'll get angry. Won Il retorts that they should be the angry ones, and why is he acting like a girl? (I don't understand what he means by that, but I'll let it pass, since it's my Won Il.)

  He yells at Seung Ji for being so flippant about an issue that is so important to them. He grabs Seung Ji's collar, but Panda interferes and explains his amnesia. Won Il tells Seung Ji that Step-dad is his father, and he gets fed up and heads out the door. Panda starts reciting the insect names, and he says she must have heard him earlier. Won Il continues, and Seung Ji continues to think they're messing with him. Won Il reveals that they taught it to him, and Panda says it's the code only the 3 of them would know. 

  Seung Ji storms out, and Panda goes to follow him, but Won Il holds her back, saying he wouldn't want her to see him cry, and he goes to find him.

  He finds Seung Ji outside, crouched against the wall, and has a flash of mini Seung Ji in his place. He approaches him and asks if he can give him a hug, since it's been 20 years. (Aww!) Seung Ji doesn't respond. (Ouch!) Won Il says he has something else to tell him, but Seung Ji says it's bad enough knowing he's the child of Step-dad. Won Il persists, saying it's more important than that, and tells him that Cherry Blossom is his mom and Grandpa is his real grandpa. They both tear up.

  Seung Ji begs Won Il not to tell Grandpa that he's his grandson, because he wants him to live with the hope that his grandson lived a happy and successful life. (Sad! He knows what kind of a person you are, Hedgehog, and I know that's good enough for him. Why you gotta be like that?) He says he doesn't want to make Grandpa cry, and begs him again. 

  Won Il flashes back again, to mini Seung Ji begging mini him to never tell Panda that Step-dad beats him every day. He says the same thing about wanting her to believe he's living well and he doesn't want to make his noona cry or suffer over him. Mini Won Il hugs him.

  Big Won Il yells at him "Why do you always have to ask me for these kinds of favors?! All our lives you've asked me the same things. Why do you live like that?" Hiding around the corner, Panda weeps silently to herself. 

  Grandpa is at home and Cherry Blossom wants him to eat some soup she made. They come out of their rooms, and she buttons her sweater. Grandpa notices that it's the same way Seung Ji buttons. He demands she do it again, then asks why she does it that way. She tells him that when Min Woo was little, he had a hard time with buttoning, so she taught him to button the bottom first and then the top, so they always lined up. And it became her habit. Grandpa asks if she taught him that buttoning nicely helps organize yourself as well, and she answers that she did. Struck by the realization that Seung Ji is Min Woo, Grandpa slumps to the floor, unable to answer Cherry Blossom's questions. 
  As Won Il drives her home, Panda asks what they should do next. She worries that Seung Ji will run away and wants to tell Grandpa, but Won Il says they need to do a DNA test first, just to make it official. 

  Grandpa looks at a picture of himself with Seung Ji and sobs over times that he was short-tempered with him. He apologizes for not recognizing him, and for not visiting when he was born, since he hated Step-dad, and for all the times he didn't treat him well and for never realizing he was his own grandson. Cherry Blossom cries outside his door, listening to him.

  Seung Ji hides the age-progressed photo in his sketchbook. He unpacks the dinner Panda brought for him and finds a note full of mothering requests (make sure you eat, get good sleep, etc.) and encouraging words. He closes his eyes and tries to recite his mantra, but stumbles over it. He asks Grandpa to give him strength, and asks if he's doing what Grandpa would want him to be doing. He says he wants to win fairly, so he can cast off his father. 

  Cherry Blossom visits Panda at the cafe and tells her she knows it's Seung Ji. She reassures Cherry Blossom that Seung Ji grew up well, which is a relief, since she always worried he'd be like his father. But Grandpa still doesn't know that Step-dad is the same man who married her. She asks if she should go see Seung Ji, but Panda says she doesn't think he wants to see anyone right now. She worries that he's feeling resentment towards her right now. Cherry Blossom reassures her.
  Da Na runs in to say that their uncle was beaten by his loan sharks and is in the hospital. 

  Won Il looks at his "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster. (P.S. Thanks Viki subbers for subbing the English into. . . English. Sometimes you guys crack me up, but I always really really appreciate your hard work.) Won Yi runs in with some dinner packed by Host Club. (Wait, they had a date, and we didn't get to see it? So rude, show!) She asks what he's doing with his poster, and he says he's going to give it to Seung Ji. She asks what's going on with Seung Ji that he needs so much encouragement.

  Won Il asks her if she's adult now. She answers that she's like a newborn, and if he doesn't give her her allowance, she's helpless like a little child. Haha! I love that it always comes back to money with her! He says that he has something important to tell her. "About dating?" Ha! He answers that it's about Seung Ji, which sobers her up.

  Next we see, they're each lost in their own thoughts, and Won Yi asks if she can vent a bit with him, since she feels like she'll suffocate if she holds it in longer. She says she feels dirty and like she's about to go crazy. She'd even like to drain Step-dad's blood from her body, and filter Mom's. Won Il puts his arm around her and says she's not Step-dad's daughter. Instead, think of it as being born to be Won Il's little sister. He never would have made it this far without her. 

  She says that because she was born, Hedgehog has to suffer his whole life. Won Il reassures her that Seung Ji doesn't think that, and she can face this like an adult. She picks up the poster and says that his father is helping her, too. (She said earlier that he's had the poster for 20 years, so I'm assuming it was one of the last things his father gave him.) She asks if she can call his dad her father as well, and he nods. She says she'll be an adult and live up to her obligations to Seung Ji. Won Il hugs her again. (Seriously, these two are such adorable siblings! I love them.)
  Seung Ji pulls up to the cafe, but only Lamesauce is around. The girls and Cherry Blossom went with Aunt to visit their uncle, who is in the ICU. Seung Ji asks how much it will cost, and Lamesauce says it will be very expensive. 

  He goes upstairs and finds a Missing Child flier in his room. He thinks back to when he promised himself that he would build Grandpa a patisserie like Saint Honore. This time, he apologizes for making Grandpa wait, but he needs the money he's saved for something else. He takes his bank book and seal.

  Grandpa shows up at Saint Honore, anxious and excited to see Seung Ji, but he's nowhere to be found. Instead, there are trays neatly lined up of the new product he created overnight (some kind of mini cakes in jars?), and a note telling Grandpa he's taking vacation time. 
  Won Il shows Glasses the age-progressed photo and Glasses realizes that when Grandpa finds out about Step-dad being boss, he'll want to leave immediately.

  Won Yi visits Step-dad in his gorgeous apartment. She says she needs money, and he promises to take care of her, reaching out to hug her. She shrinks away from his touch, but plays it off as having an injured shoulder. She goes to the bathroom and steals his toothbrush and some hairs for DNA analysis. She also finds a pair of earrings, and thinks that Mom must have betrayed them by visiting Step-dad. Before she leaves, he asks her to do some spying for him, by taking pictures of Grandpa's cakes. She's very uncomfortable with this request, and grabs his shoulder before saying goodbye. Her goodbye sounds very final, like she's saying it for the last time. He wonders at Won Il's influence, thinking it's why she's acting like that. 

  Host Club proudly brings out the new product, which is a big hit. Mom sees it and asks another waiter about it. He tells her that it's more popular than the macarons, and they're already getting large orders for the jars of cake. They're so popular because it's easy to take the leftovers home. People are saying that Saint Honore has finally made a product designed with the customers in mind. Mom is Not Pleased. She asks him to bring one to her office, but not for her to eat. Won Yi hears this part of the conversation. 

  Won Yi brings the DNA samples to her brother in his office. (Er, maybe I should say oldest brother, now.) Eun Bi asks who they're doing a DNA test on and freaks out when she realizes they're related to Seung Ji. Won Yi volunteers to get Seung Ji's DNA samples, since she wants to encourage him and talk to him. She calls and finds out he's in the hospital and says she'll meet him there.

  Grandpa presents some Cake-in-a-Jar to the rich customer and asks what she thinks. She says she can tell that Seung Ji is really Grandpa's disciple. Won Yi stops by to tell Grandpa where she's going, and the customer asks if he's close to the Saint Honore family. He tells her that he just knows the kids, and she asks him to help her with something.

  Creepy Spy shows up at the bakery, rifling through the baked goods. Beom Bo gets a call from Host Club, and repeats everything he's told. "Seung Ji is the long-lost son?! He's Cherry Blossom's son too?! His dad is Step-dad?!" That gets Spy's attention.

  Seung Ji meets Panda outside the hospital. Uncle's fine, but needs to stay a while. She realizes he stayed up all night and worries about causing him trouble. He admits that it's hard for him to face Grandpa, who doesn't know the truth about him, but it's impossible to face his mother, who does. (It's cute that he still calls her noonim.)

  They go to a cafe, and Panda hesitantly tells him that both Cherry Blossom and Grandpa know, and explains how. Seung Ji mournfully asks why Grandpa hasn't called, then, and Panda answers that he's probably trying to give Seung Ji the space he needs. She marvels at how amazing the father and daughter duo are—Cherry Blossom's busy comforting Aunt, and Grandpa called to tell them not to worry about the hospital bills. 

  Seung Ji pulls out two envelopes bulging with money and tells her to use them for the bills. She admits that she already used funds set aside for the cafe, and he tells her she did the right thing. But now she should use the money to pay off the debt, since the loan sharks are serious, and next time something could happen to Aunt. She reluctantly takes it, saying she really has nothing to say for herself.

  Won Yi shows up and screws up her courage (and good humor) before joining them, kneeling towards Seung Ji briefly. She cheerfully babbles, but he peevishly looks away. She asks if he's so disappointed that she's his little sister instead of his follower (I'd say adorable almost-pesky puppy, myself). He says that's not it, so she guesses that he's angry he had to call Won Il hyung all the time when they were kids.

  Panda just smiles to herself through this whole interaction, but finally asks why Won Yi is there. "To see hyung 2 and to do an errand for hyung 1. Hyung 2, say 'ahhh.'" (I love that her brothers are like Thing 1 and Thing 2 now. So cute!) She swabs his cheek and says they have to do things right. Panda congratulates her on her hard work, but she answers that it's sad if this counts as hard work. She is really happy to have another brother, though, especially since it's Seung Ji. She puts thing in perspective for him by asking if he's happy. Isn't he glad to know that the people he was waiting to find were Grandpa, Cherry Blossom, Won Il and Panda? This elicits the first smile from him since he heard the news.

  Creepy Spy reports to Step-dad, who starts guzzling whiskey. Mom calls to say that things are looking up for Saint Honore, meaning that Seung Ji is going to win. Step-dad insists that they wait and see, but she doesn't want to lose, even though it means Saint Honore will be raking in the dough. Haha!

  Cohort eavesdrops outside and runs to report to Won Il and Eun Bi. Eun Bi sends her away, then tells Won Il it's nothing they hadn't anticipated. She suggests they go meet with her dad, and he tells her he's glad she's there. Eun Bi pinches herself.
  Step-dad asks Spy how far he's willing to go for him. If he does this one thing, he'll set him up for life. 

  Aunt shows up at the cafe to see Seung Ji. She envelops him in a giant hug and thanks him for coming back to them. She says it's a miracle he turned out so well, and that Panda's been praying for him all these years. One of the appeals of driving a taxi was the hope that one day she'd find Min Woo as a fare. She asks him what he thinks his mom and grandpa would feel, if even she has this strong of a reaction. She encourages him to let his doubts and the bad things of the past go and start calling Cherry Blossom mom.
  Panda notices Cherry Blossom by the door. Cherry Blossom hangs her head sadly. I thinks she feels responsible for abandoning her son and doesn't know how to proceed.

  Panda takes Aunt out and shows her the money Seung Ji brought. The top bill is for 1 million won, so it's really a lot of money. Aunt cries and says that Min Woo came back to save her. 

  Seung Ji and Cherry Blossom awkwardly sit over iced coffee. She finally breaks the ice by asking him to just act natural. They already have a good rapport, and instead of forcing a familial relationship, they should just let things develop on their own. He asks if that's enough for her, and she reassures him that it is. Also, she's positive Grandpa feels the same way. 
  She says "About president Choi. . ." and he cuts her off, saying they'll talk about it later. She apologizes to him for Step-dad, anyway, and says thank you and sorry. He repeats the last part back to her. They sit and look at one another, adjusting to this paradigm shift.

  Won Il meets with Eun Bi's LDC, and she brings one of the sexually harassed former employees. Spy calls Eun Bi and asks for Won Il's number, but she hands the phone to him. He reports that Step-dad asked him to get rid of Seung Ji. (Omo, permanently? Creepy!) 

  Seung Ji shows up at Saint Honore, where Grandpa is waiting for him outside. He gets out of the van slowly, then greets Grandpa, who asks where he was so late. Seung Ji asks why he wants to know, and he answers that he was worried about him, and he missed him. Soooo adorable, I'm almost crying.

  He holds out his hand and tells him to come, but Seung Ji hesitates and only takes one baby step forward. Grandpa asks why he's hesitant and says "It's me. Grandpa." Seung Ji calls him Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa, with tears filling his eyes. He finally runs into Grandpa's arms. They sob into each other's shoulders, and Grandpa says "You've suffered a lot."

  Step-dad creeps out from the corner and watches them. As he turns to leave, he recognizes Grandpa. 
  Comments: 

  I think my very favorite part of this episode was the whole sequence of everyone showing their love and acceptance of Seung Ji. I love that Panda and Won Il strove to respect his wishes by not telling everyone, but that everyone managed to find out anyway. I also appreciate that everyone overrode any awkwardness and just told him how grateful they are to have him in their lives. It's exactly what Seung Ji needed to hear and feel, and his big family did just what they should to express that, and to welcome this new aspect of who he is.
  And the best of all those scenes for me (apart from Grandpa's, because, super-emotional) was Won Yi's. Her utter excitement to welcome him as her brother, her kneeling to him as an apology and a welcome, and her putting things in perspective for him were just perfection. In a group of happy and cheerful people, she's a ray of sunshine that manages to make an already bright day exponentially lighter. I. Love. Her.
  But why didn't we get any cute interactions with her and Host Club this time? It's the one thing that I feel is missing from this amazing episode. I hope there's something good in the finale, show. 

  I'm also kinda glad that there's only one episode for Step-dad to really work his mischief. That means it can't really cause too many problems, because things have to wrap up nicely. It's just one more example of how this drama doesn't overstep itself, by delving into more angst and melodrama than called for. It has just enough to give some tension, but still holds on to its overarching sweetness. And that's what drives this drama forward. 

 

  On a completely unrelated note, isn't mini Won Il a dead ringer for Joo Won? Every time I see this kid, that's all I can think of. They definitely need to do a drama together, as the same character at different ages, or father/son, or brothers. Something. Make this happen, Dramaverse!
  Also, look what I made! Okay, just don't judge me by my limited photo editing skills.