Episode 10
In Episode 10, Jeongwoo tells Haneul that she’s selfish.
Hanuel hears about Jeongwoo’s anxiety attack from Hongran and persuades Dr. Bin to let her join the next procedure. Jeongwoo successfully completes the procedure with her help, but he’s upset that she joined. Hanuel says that she just wanted to help. Jeongwoo says that’s what he wanted to do too, but she wouldn’t let him. For her to show up now–just to feel better about being able to help him–he says it only looks selfish. Hanuel is hurt, but she takes these words to heart and reflects on them.
Hongran gets a call from an old med school friend, asking if she heard the latest gossip about Kyungmin: Hanuel crashed his farewell party and poured a whole glass of beer over his head–but that’s because he stole credit for her research paper, got promoted to professorship through that work, and spread false rumors about her so that she wouldn’t be able to work again.
Jeongwoo overhears the conversation and pays Kyungmin a visit. Jeongwoo gives him a chance to explain himself, but Kyungmin lies and tells Jeongwoo to stay away from Haneul, saying that she’s “useless.” That’s when Jeongwoo can’t take it anymore and throws the first punch. The two go at it until some doctors nearby stop them.
Jeongwoo then goes to Hanuel’s house to talk things out. He explains why he was so upset: He wanted to show her his best, but ended up showing his trembling hands instead; how he was relieved to see her during surgery. He apologizes for speaking so harshly, and the two make up.
Their highschool homeroom teacher pays them a visit to get a lump removed. Jeongwoo is nervous, but decides to face his fears for Hanuel’s sake. They successfully complete the operation and talk things out again. This time, it’s Hanuel’s turn to explain. She describes how she saw a lot in common between her and Jeongwoo–to the point where she started to see them as the same person: If he got better, it was like she was getting better too, like they could get through their pain together. So she focused on trying to help him get better. But after some reflection, she realized that Jeongwoo never pressured her like that. He only helped her focus on today, on enjoying the present moment. Hanuel apologizes for the way she responded to news of his PTSD.
Loving Jeongwoo drew Hanuel out of her academic bubble and into the bigger world of relationships. She is learning to love and be loved. There are many people who are like Hanuel and struggle to receive love. For them, receiving help and sharing burdens is not natural; these are experiences that need to be shared with safe people. Lucky for Hanuel, Jeongwoo is a kind teacher. He respects Hanuel’s boundaries but also voices his own. He doesn’t hide his frustrations but explains where he’s coming from. And after it all, he apologizes when he hurts her feelings.
A simple pattern of communication, reflection, apology, and application helps Hanuel and Jeongwoo mature in their love for each other–even as they process their separate traumas.