Eps. 1
The dawn breaks. Inside a small house located at a small neighborhood at the outskirts of Seoul, steam rises from a bowl of rice and sea-plant soup placed on a small table. In front, a woman (Kim Ja-ok) is bowing and praying that her son will be appointed officially as a professor, which will allow him to give up his life as a part-time lecturer. Today, the university where Gern-wu (Kim Seong-su) is working will announce the person who will become its newest professor. Gern-wu has been lecturing from one college to another for several years now, and even though he pretends to be unaffected, he can’t help being nervous as he waits for the final decision by the Personnel Committee.
On the other hand, Gern-wu’s girlfriend, Seung-ju (Song Yun-a) has to go to the country because of a project her father (Cho Gyeong-hwan) is working on. Her father’s dream since his childhood has been to connect several islands in his hometown Aegean Sea, and develop the area into an international resort. His dream is now finally coming true. Called The Missing Island, the groundbreaking ceremony for this large-scale resort, which includes European-style hotels, bungalows, lodge, yacht club and spas, is taking place this very day. Su-a’s father (Cho Hyeong-ki) urges Seung-ju to hurry up and leave for the ceremony site since she has to fill in her deceased mother’s place. However, Seung-ju can only think about Gern-wu right now
Eps. 2
Seung-ju’s father (Cho Gyeong-hwan) hears from Su-a (Heo Yeong-lan) that Gern-wu (Kim Seong-su) had been rejected by the university as its new professor. Also hearing about his family situation, he goes to meet Gern-wu. Seung-ju’s father tells Gern-wu of his plans to leave his business to Seung-ju (Song Yun-a), and his hopes that she will marry later in life since marriage will be like breaking her wings. Understanding his intentions, Gern-wu firmly answers that he likes Seung-ju but he, also has no thoughts of marrying her, and that he doesn’t think of her as his bride-to-be.
On the other hand, receiving Gern-wu’s text message telling her he wants to break up with her, Seung-ju goes searching for his house. Unfortunately, after reaching Gern-wu’s neighborhood, she finds his mother (Kim Ja-ok) picking up things like the refrigerator and other things that a neighbor has left behind while moving to a new house. She also sees Gern-wu helping his mom put all those things away. Gern-wu doesn’t approve of his mother bring in other people’s throwaways, but helps anyway. At that moment, he feels someone staring at him, and turns around. Seung-ju quickly hides herself behind the neighbor’s tree, but he sees and finds her.
Eps. 3
Seeing the belt, the purse and the card that Gern-wu has received for his birthday, Gern-wu’s mother believes her son has a woman he wants to marry. At evening, when all the family has gathered, the four adults question him about the woman, happy and excited that he has finally found someone. However, pleading tiredness, Gern-wu leaves the gathering and flees to his room. Gern-sae tries on the belt and the purse his older brother received from Seung-ju, and jokingly tells him to try his best no matter how difficult it gets since the revival of the fallen Kim family lies in his hands. Gern-wu glares at him, but Gern-sae goes on asking if she isn’t some empty-headed fool who uses different cards to buy luxury goods, saying if things don’t go his way he should just knock her down on her back, and other unpleasant comments. Suddenly, Gern-wu grabs his brother by the collar.
After breaking up with Gern-wu, Seung-ju visits an agency that arranges overseas education, and asks them to find her a school where she can receive an admission as soon as possible. She tells them she doesn’t care whether the school is in the U.S. or Europe, as long as she can go there quickly. Seung-ju goes to the university to collect documents necessary for her application, and accidentally bumps into Gern-wu near the Academic Affairs Office. They look at each other from a distance, and their hearts fall.
Eps. 4
Discovering that Gern-wu has been unable to eat or sleep, and having a hard time because he broke up with his girlfriend, Gern-wu’s mother shows her sister-in-law (Yang Hee-gyeong) the address to Seung-ju’s house, and asks her to drive her there. Seung-ju, who was on her way out, sees a taxi blocking her way, and angrily orders Gern-wu’s aunt to move the car quickly. Gern-wu’s aunt laughs emptily wondering how could her nephew lose sleep over a girl like that, and Gern-wu’s mother asks her to look for possible brides.
Arriving at the overseas education agency, Seung-ju receives the airplane ticket and other documents from the staff. Looking down at her ticket, she can’t believe how fast everything was arranged, and it’s not easy for her to put her emotions in order.
Eps. 5
Seung-ju decides to give up getting on the plane, and hurriedly goes to the scene. Seung-ju’s group arrive at the maritime police station, and hears from their father’s secretary that the naval patrol ship searched all over the sea, but could not find their father. Only their father’s wet jumper, lifejacket and fishing equipment lay in front of them. At that moment, through the wireless radio, they hear the patrol ship reporting that they will stop the search, and the maritime police decide to end the search since the missing person is presumed dead. Seung-ju’s group begs the police to continue the search insisting that their father couldn’t be dead.
Meanwhile, believing that Seung-ju has left the country, Gern-wu burns all her letters, cards, photos and other things, hoping to put his emotions in order. He also starts to delete the photos stored in his cell phone one by one. However, the memories he shared with Seung-ju torments him wherever he goes in his university campus.
Su-a conflicts about whether she should tell Gern-wu about the disappearance of Seung-ju’s father. She decides to lie to him and tell him that Seung-ju has arrived safely at the new school.
Eps. 6
Hearing that her father’s company is on the verge of bankruptcy, Seung-ju, together with Su-a’s father and a company executive, goes to visit the branch manager of a bank, who was supposed to have been close to her father, even on a personal level. However, on the pretext of being in a meeting for hours, the manager refuses to meet Seung-ju. Furious that the manager is keeping her waiting, she barges into his office and asks for his help. The manager tells her, that he is just a paid worker, and that since he has to follow bank’s regulations, he cannot loan her such a large amount when she has no secure collateral. Returning home, the three of them go through all sorts of documents and files, but they can’t find anything with monetary value.
Receiving a phone call from the loan shark, Seung-ju declares she will meet them personally, and heads for Myeong-dong. Thoroughly humiliated by the loan shark, Seung-ju walks out into the streets, feeling desolate. Then, suddenly, among the throng of people she sees Gern-wu. Gern-wu was in the area searching for the place where the humane studies seminar was being held. Like thunder, he also feels something grabbing his gaze.
Eps. 7
Seung-ju feels a deep rage at Su-a’s mother’s transformed manner. She tries to tell herself that Su-a’s mother was drunk and didn’t know what she was doing, but Su-a’s mother declares that she is going to live freely as she wants, and refused to do any housework. Disillusioned at Su-a’s mother, Seung-ju demands for the housekeeping register and the bankbook.
Seung-ju also tells Su-a that she can’t feel that same way about her mother, and asks her to tell her mother to leave the house.
Eps. 8
While searching for the cash bag that Seung-ju’s father used to carry around with him, Su-a’s parents discover the registration certificate of the house, whose ownership name had been changed to ‘Yoon Jang-son’. Holding the certificate in her hands, Su-a’s mother screams at Seung-ju that the house belongs to her, so if she doesn’t want to live with them, she should be the one to leave.
Openmouthed, Su-a’s father tells his wife, the heavens are looking down. But his wife insists that this is just her pay for having lived like a servant in this house for twenty years, and that the house is hers.
Meanwhile, Gern-wu meets Yeong-ju who tells him that Seung-ju has not gone overseas, or rather that she couldn’t.
Eps. 9
Gern-wu visits Seung-ju’s house, and asks her why she didn’t tell him about her father’s death, and why she didn’t contact him when she was still in Seoul. Seung-ju answers that they can no longer be friends, nor should they be. She also insists that her father is not dead. Gern-wu consoles Seung-ju telling her to take courage, and always to remember that he is on her side.
Meanwhile, Gern-sook finds a room near her parents’ house. When Pink says that she is hungry, she goes to her parents’ house. Going into the empty kitchen, she finds the cow tail soup that her mother was boiling for her grandfather, and she dips out a large amount without permission. When Gern-wu’s mother sees the soup reduced by half, she automatically thinks that it’s her sister-in-law’s doing.
Eps. 10
Yeong-ju wakes up in the middle of the night, and wails that his father is alive in some island. Su-a’s mother brings him cold water, and tells him to drink it and get a hold of himself. But Yeong-ju refuses to drink, asking how he can drink when he saw his father begging for water. In his dreams, Su-a’s father also sees Seung-ju’s father, who slaps him and calls him an ungrateful pig.
Seung-ju enters the employment market, and gives in her resume here and there, but she is turned down every time. She is disappointed at the reality that is much colder than she thought.
Hearing about Seung-ju’s situation from Yeong-ju, Gern-wu meets Seung-ju and hands her his bankbook and his stamp. Her pride hurt, Seung-ju refuses him flat, declaring that she doesn’t need his pity. She tells him she thought he understood and respected her personality and pride, and that’s why she loved him. She goes on to ask whether the Seung-ju that he remembers could ever accept this money?
Eps. 11
Thanks to a college friend, Seung-ju finds work at a small beer house. When the youngest Yeong-ju sees his sister bringing chicken wrapped tin foil, he guesses that the place where his sister is working is not an art academy. Yeong-ju memorizes the name of the beer house written on the chicken wrapping, and later goes in search of the place. He finds Seung-ju working in a flurry wiping tables, emptying ashtrays and doing other odd jobs. Deeply shocked by what he sees Yeong-ju runs to Gern-wu, and asks him to help his sister. Gern-wu goes to the beer house in search of Seung-ju, and arrives just in time to see her being sexually harassed by a drunken middle-aged man.
Eps. 12
Worried about the registration certificate of the house that he has buried in the vegetable garden, Yeong-ju comes out of the house secretly at night to check on the papers. Reassured that the document is still in the plastic bag, he buries it back in the ground. But he turns around to see Su-a’s mother watching him from behind. When Su-a’s mother confirms what is in the plastic bag, she starts to beat Yeong-ju. Returning from work at the beer house, Seung-ju is startled to find Yeong-ju hiding behind the gate and crying. Seeing Yeong-ju’s swollen eyes and bruises, Seung-ju’s head reels with anger. When she finds out that Su-a’s mother is behind her brother’s injuries, she is furious but Su-a’s mother calls Yeong-ju a thief and screams for them to get out of her house. Feeling rage and sadness at the fact that “people can change this much”, Seung-ju laughs at her to her heart’s content, and leaves the house with Yeong-ju, just taking some clothes and personal items.
Eps. 13
Following Hyeok-ju, Seung-ju starts selling jeans at the market. Gern-sae, who is working as the security guard of the market place, is attracted by Seung-ju’s energetic and charming personality. Even when he lies down to sleep, he can’t help thinking about her, and the way she sold the jeans in Hyeok-ju’s place. Meanwhile, Gern-wu tells Seung-ju that he felt bad about the cheap necklace he had bought her when they had decided to split up, and places a new necklace around her neck, saying that it symbolizes a new start. Gern-wu takes Seung-ju to Green Frog Volunteer Work where Su-a waits for Gern-wu to arrive. When she finally sees him, her face lights up, but completely ignores Seung-ju who follows behind him. Seung-ju’s face also hardens when she discovers Su-a.
Eps. 14
Gern-wu rejoices at finding a part time job for Seung-ju, and runs to her house, only to hear from Su-a that they have moved to some other place. After meeting Yeong-ju, Gern-wu asks him where he is staying with his sister, and Yeong-ju takes Gern-wu to a motel. Gern-wu is shocked, and he is completely at a loss for words when he sees laundry and half-eaten biscuit bags all over the place. Feeling an urgent need to do something, Gern-wu asks his aunt to temporarily lend the backroom that she is not using to his friend who is going through hard times. He then brings Yeong-ju to the room. Back at the motel, Gern-wu waits for Seung-ju to return from work. When she arrives, Gern-wu tries to take her to his aunt’s place, but Seung-ju is taken back by his presence. Her strong pride hurt, she screams and asks what is his motive for coming and seeing her hit rock bottom like this. But Gern-wu becomes angry telling her not to talk like that, and reveals his emotions unlike his usual self. On the other hand, while cleaning out the study, Su-a’s mother feels a strange resonance from the wall on one side of the bookshelf…
Eps. 15
Suspicious of her mother’s actions, Su-a goes into the study and discovers a shopping bag full of cash. After questioning her mother, Su-a finds out the situation, and claims that taking this money is a clear case of embezzlement, and that it should be returned to Seung-ju. However, blind to anything else but money, Su-a’s mother becomes tearful and begs her daughter to look the other way. Her mind also weakening, Su-a then persuades her mother to return at least half of the money. Su-a goes in search for Yeong-ju with the intention of returning part of the cash to Seung-ju, but when she discovers that Seung-ju’s family is living under Gern-wu’s protection, she is overcome with jealousy. Meanwhile, searching for the electric mat that seems to have disappeared, Gern-wu’s mother finds out that Seung-ju and her brothers are living in the backroom of her sister-in-law’s house. She then goes to her sister-in-law and disparages her for not saying a word about this to her.
Eps. 16
Su-a goes and gives some fish to Seung-ju, telling her to cook it for Yeong-ju. When Seung-ju tells her that she doesn’t need it and to take it back, Su-a then takes the fish to Gern-wu’s mother saying she bought them for Gern-wu’s grandfather. Gern-wu’s mother is pleased to see Su-a, and holds her hand affectionately. While washing dishes with Gern-wu’s mother, Su-a criticizes Seung-ju describing her as being immature for her age, having no economic ability, and always interfering with Gern-wu’s future. On the other hand, Hyeok-ju feels pity and anger when he sees Yeong-ju eating instant cup ramen, and takes his kid brother to a Chinese restaurant and orders all sorts of expensive food. Hyeok-ju and Yeong-ju eat to their heart’s content, but faces big trouble because they have no money to pay for the food.
Eps. 17
After hearing about Gern-wu from Su-a, the Dean gives Gern-wu a warning. Feeling frustrated, he goes to the countryside with Seung-ju to get a fresh of air. Gern-wu calls home and lies to his mother that he has gone camping with other lecturers, and club members from the university. Seung-ju also tells Hyeok-ju that she will return home in the morning after spending the night at a steam house talking with her friends, . Meanwhile Su-a visits Gern-wu’s house bearing gifts with other lecturers, and Gern-wu’s mother finds out that her son has lied to her.
Eps. 18
The loan shark pays a visit to Su-a’s mother at her house, and threatens her. Su-a’s mother gives him money, saying this is half of all her wealth, and begs him to look the other way just once. Finding out that Yu-sun was raised in an orphanage, Gern-sae personally makes Songpyeon (small moon-shaped rice cakes filled with sesame seeds or chestnut paste) and takes them to her. Yu-sun is deeply moved by his gesture, and she goes to Gern-sae’s house to introduce herself to his family. Seung-ju, realizes more and more, that her father has really gone. She prepares a memorial service meal, and she and her brothers spend a happy Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving).
Eps. 19
With Gern-sae’s help, Hyeok-ju finds valet parking work, but bumps into his old friends. Ashamed, Hyeok-ju tries to hide his face under his cap, but his friends recognize him anyway. When one of them offers him a little cash, saying he didn’t realize Hyeok-ju was in such a bad state, Hyeok-ju accepts the money even though his pride is badly hurt. He later takes Yu-sun and Gern-sae out for drinks saying he has come upon some unexpected money. Hyeok-ju continues to down his drink one after the other, and suddenly kisses Gern-sae on the cheek saying he is most grateful to him. After getting quite drunk Hyeok-ju goes to the bathroom, and takes out the medicine he has bought beforehand. He swallows the whole bottle of pills in one go with the intention of killing himself.
Meanwhile, Su-a’s family moves into an apartment after selling off Seung-ju’s house. In the middle of the night, Su-a’s father wakes up to find the bed next to him empty, and gets up to search for his wife. Su-a’s mother who had been counting the money in the small room, looks around for a place to hide the money, and discovers her husband watching her. Su-a’s father shakes his wife roughly, demanding where she got all the money.
Eps. 20
At the request of Jin-a, Seung-ju goes back to being her private tutor. Jin-a’s grandmother tells Seung-ju that money is just money, nothing more and nothing less. She hands back the envelope of money that Seung-ju had left behind, telling her not to display this kind of foolish heroism ever again. She also asks Seung-ju to look after Jin-a like her own little sister since Jin-a has neither a mother nor any siblings. Gern-suk tells her father that Gern-wu is deeply in love with Seung-ju, and suggests that since Seung-ju seems to be a nice person, they should hasten the marriage between the two. Seriously thinking about what his daughter has said, Gern-wu’s father tells Gern-wu that if he is serious about marrying Seung-ju they should set the date as soon as possible. Gern-sae decides that it would be best for Gern-wu to marry Seung-ju for him to get his feelings about Seung-ju in order, and helps his older brother prepare to make his marriage proposal.
Meanwhile, Gern-wu’s father calls his sister and her husband to his house, and announces his plans to have Gern-wu get married. But Gern-wu’s mother runs out of the house demanding how her husband could make such a decision without even consulting her once.
