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Episode 12 Queen of Tears BaekHong recap

Scene: Hae In ah!!! Hae In ah…

We could see that she was shocked to realise that she mistook YES as Baek Hyun Woo and she was devastated by the fact that she could EVER mistake that shibalsaekki as Baek Hyun Woo. This shibalsaekki is really a deviously good manipulator to turn the situation into his favour and Hae In took the bait easily, of course she needed that excuse to meet her grandfather but nevertheless YES manipulation works on her. She left Hyun Woo to follow YES without giving Hyun Woo time to process this information. He had just seen her disappear with YES right in front of his eyes without knowing whether she would be safe or not. He had to risk both of their lives while chasing YES car and crashed into the barrier in order to block them while having millions of thoughts in his mind. That relief on his face when he was finally able to see that she looked fine while shouting her name desperately.

Although he was worried and frantic, he never showed aggressiveness towards her. He is giving her time to process the situation and let her open the door on her own while waiting patiently. He only moves after she opens the door and was relieved when she said that she is fine. We knew that he feels uneasy to let her go with YES, his instinct is screaming at him to not let her follow YES. But, he had to let her go because she wanted that. He had to respect her decision even though he is sure something is wrong with her, even after she denied it. He could sense it.

Scene: Password 1031

Hae In was still confused with her perception and still saw both Hyun Woo and YES interchangeably. She couldn’t trust her own eyes to determine whether the person walking towards her is Hyun Woo or YES. She pushed his hand that was reaching for her the first time and flinched the second time because she still couldn’t believe her own eyes. She was finally at ease after Hyun Woo said the same dialogue he had mentioned previously to her. She can breathe now that this is her real Baek Hyun Woo. She can finally reach his hand and feel the familiarity in his warm hands.

I was very disappointed at the way PJE decided for them to talk about baby 1031. He knew her phone’s password, she knew his house’s password but they didn’t even address their painful memory until episode 16 (will describe this more when it comes up). Hae In was slightly taken aback when she saw his password but didn’t comment on it. She knew that like her, Hyun Woo always keeps a part of that memory alive. That scar will stay with them forever. She enters the apartment and comments about the house. It was just a simple curiosity at first but escalated into a playful banter with panicked Hyun Woo after he mentions that he can easily fall asleep anywhere. Hae In was definitely pleased when he said that he wasn’t comfortable at all because she was not there with him and he missed her when he imagined their married life together in his apartment. Hyun Woo and his sweet talking always makes her seem out of character. He has such a big effect on the mighty Queen Hae In. When she says that she is hungry, Hyun Woo immediately stands and makes dinner for her. She is relaxed now that she is back in her safe space (Baek Hyun Woo) so that’s why she is hungry even after having steak with YES (which was noticeably untouched even without the camera pans to it up close). Another point to notice about this shibalsaekki is that, how obnoxious and full of himself can he be to not notice that she didn’t even touch her food? He doesn’t even care for Hae In, he just wants her to be there even though her soul is not there with him. Hae In also only said that she's hungry with Hyun Woo (in Germany after she saw her brother & after the warehouse visit) while always lose her appetite whenever she's with YES (one of her meeting with him for Hercyna & everytime he ask her for dinner).

Our favourite (divorced) couple is happily and warmly having dinner prepared by the perfect Mr. Baek Hyun Woo. Hae In is back with her dark humour and Hyun Woo choked on his food. She discussed her death and after death like it’s a daily occurrence. She definitely couldn’t let go of this man even after her death, she would probably drown in anger and turn in her coffin the moment she feels someone is trying to date Baek Hyun Woo. He is so weak when Hae In starts to compliment him and couldn’t hide his happy shy smile. At this point, maybe we should be thankful that Hae In rarely compliments him; I don’t think he could handle it or us could handle seeing him being this cute and irresistibly charming.

It’s the next morning and Hae In wakes up first before Hyun Woo. She walked out of his bedroom and slowly approached a sleeping Hyun Woo in the couch while never breaking eye contact. She traced his facial features (he is sooooooo pretty!!) to carve it in her mind so that she will never confuse him ever again, especially with YES. They share small talks while Hyun Woo is half awake. He asks whether she wants to sleep some more but Hae In said no and then he just decides to grab her shoulder and make her lie with him on the couch together regardless of her opinion. Kyaaakkkkkkkkk, Baek Hyun Woo!!!!!!!!! Who taught you to be this smooth?

Scene: Beautiful sunset but a sad truth for divorce withdrawal rejection

Hyun Woo presented Hae In with a new ring to request for their divorce withdrawal. Hae In tried the ring on her finger and for a second, she wanted the same. But, she couldn’t accept it. Hyun Woo was asking softly to her to understand the reason for her withdrawal, because he knows that she wanted the same thing as him. He received a positive sign about their relationship and her feelings for him. Hae In is contemplating for a brief second before she decides to tell him the truth; she followed YES last night because she thought that it was Hyun Woo. Her symptoms have worsened till she cannot recognise the love of her life, and the realisation of it is eating her from the inside. With the revelation, Hyun Woo recalls yesterday’s event when she was so scared and confused when he got close to her. He was also already awake before he noticed his bedroom door opening and all of it makes sense to him now; she couldn’t recognise him. He wanted to console and say something to her but he stopped himself and let her retreat back to the car. He probably wanted to say that it’s okay and they can do this together, but he didn’t. He knows that she is much more frustrated at herself because of her illness and he just let her be. But, he couldn’t help the tears that fell down his cheek and he could hear her crying softly from inside the car. They both need time to really process her new symptoms and the impact of it on their relationship because she already told him in advance that she would not let him stay by her side when her symptoms worsen. This scene contrasted with their first heartbreak due to the miscarriage, instead of closing the door and mourning in silence they are now able to show their vulnerable side by being in the same place, together. But they are doing it separately, because there is nothing they can do about her worsening symptoms. There is no significant improvement in her treatment and Hae In especially has lost hope to recover from her illness.

Scene: Round brilliant cut diamond ring

Hae In sees the ring box in Hyun Woo’s room when she is returning his coat and she is tempted to put it on her finger again. She likes the ring but most of all she likes the man who bought the ring for her. But, of course Hyun Woo had to enter at the perfect timing before she was able to put the ring back into the box. Hyun Woo’s face is gloomy when he takes the ring box from the drawer and he was speaking in a very sad tone while telling her that he will return the ring back and that she shouldn’t concern herself about it again. Hae In is panicking inside with the ring still on her finger. When she turns around and puts the ring back into the box with a nonchalant expression, Hyun Woo is shocked to see that she wore the ring. Hae In started to give excuses and long explanations but this time Hyun Woo is reading her correctly (finally). His eyes were smiling when she was rationalising her action and he was finally able to smile when she was out of the room. He still has a chance to change her mind. Cutie pies…

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Episode 11 Queen of Tears BaekHong recap

Scene: Gwaenchana? Saranghae…

“This can’t happen, I haven’t told you yet…

That it’s okay, that I never resent you. I haven’t thanked you for being by my side all these years despite all the harsh words I uttered that I didn’t mean. I love you. You were the reason I wanted to live even more.

I thought I had more time…

I haven’t apologised to everyone yet… I’m sorry, I’m sorry for everything...”

Does she know how many people cried when she had this monologue? I had to pause this episode and bawl my eyes out when I saw Hyun Woo break down crying while watching Hae In enter the emergency ward. And how was it possible for a man to cry so beautifully like Kim Soo Hyun? I’m impressed again and again every time I see those eyes accumulating tears before it slowly flows down his cheek.

First, her confession; she did not just said that she loves him, she said that she loves him from the very first time they met until now. Second, she apologised and I think it was the first time Hae In ever apologised to Hyun Woo. We have been focusing on Hyun Woo’s betrayal to her that at certain point we forgot that Hyun Woo had his reason for the divorce. We were disappointed and angry at his behaviour after Hae In told him that she only had 3 months to leave, but without considering that he has a right to want a divorce. She had never apologised to him for all those years she left him alone with her family, for saying the harsh words that she didn’t mean. She admits that she had a feeling about him wanting to file for a divorce; she is smart of course she would have a hunch about it. Hyun Woo is a bit dumbfounded after hearing her confession. He knew his wife more than anyone in this world, and she is acting weird. There is a reason for her sudden emotional confession and he doesn’t like to hear it. He was slightly angry at her for having the thought of dying, because he is not ready for it and he won’t let her succumbs to her illness. He is making sure that she knows what will happen to him if she dies, he will give up on his life. He wouldn’t hear anything that involves her dying and he wouldn’t let her die.

Scene: Honey dripping eyes by Mr. Baek Hyun Woo

Hae In is definitely taking the opportunity to make Hyun Woo being exceptionally a dotted husband; honey dripping eyes and holding her close while walking together and also having the satisfaction of doing it in front of YES. Talking about that shibalsaekki, while Hyun Woo and Hae In’s family were worrying about her and losing sleep because of Hae In, that shibalsaekki didn’t even care and only focusing to handle the aftermath of Hae In’s statement. It doesn’t seem like he even worried for her, his words means nothing and had no sincerity. It’s like discussing weather for him. How can he said that he loves her when nothing he did was ever based off love. All he wanted was Hae In and not her love, he just loves the idea of having Hae In to himself.

While Hyun Woo and Hae In were discussing their next step to take back the Queens Group, Hae In was shocked to find out that Queens employees are helping them to save the company. But Hyun Woo told her that the employees are doing it for the company, because they love their company and don’t want to see it crumble at the hands of MSH and YES. The people’s leader, Baek Hyun Woo everyone! We have seen how ruthless Hae In and her family handled their business but they weren’t able to see the foundation of their company; the employees. Hyun Woo is showing her that his method works without having to do things the same way as what her grandfather had taught her, and she saw it from his point of view now. She also got her answer as to why he is doing all of these and still stay with the Queens Group, just like the other employees, he is doing it for the sake of their company but it’s not because he loves the company; it was because he knew how much she loves this company (and he loves her).

Scene: Broken hair dryer

I liked this scene because Hae In is taking the initiative and actively seeking Hyun Woo to help her do mundane things without beating around the bush. She asks for his help to dry her hair because she couldn’t figure out the correct way to handle the broken hair dryer. It’s like they went back to their office romance era where Hyun Woo is helping her to fix the photocopier. Hyun Woo is ecstatic when she compliments him for his work and when she said that he can do it every day for her as a promise that he will be by her side just to dry her hair as an excuse. The atmosphere turns gloomy when Hae In shares about her new symptom to Hyun Woo; on top of her short term memory loss, she also has some sort of prosopagnosia where she failed to recognise face for a few seconds. She doesn’t want him to be by her side when her conditions worsen. It’s like she has prepared herself to expect the worst; dying. She knew the 3 months that the doctor gave her is almost over and her WBC count is only increasing slowly. On top of that, there is no guarantee that the lab in Germany will be able to cure her from the illness. Hyun Woo also knew that they were out of options, so it left him speechless and unable to promise her anything.

Scene: Hae In-ah!!!

The worst of the worse has come. She failed to recognise Hyun Woo, she mistakenly took shibalsaekki YES as Baek Hyun Woo (the love of her life). She wasn’t just unable to recognise faces, she actually has a problem with her perception overall. Hyun Woo and YES wear different clothes and cars, she failed to recognise that. It was probably because she cannot differentiate the details because this is the first time she ever experienced it alone and she didn’t expect it.

I know I’m just repeating the same thing that everyone already agreed; Kim Soo Hyun acting just bone-chilling, nerve-wracking and giving us goosebumps. The very slightly different gaze of fake Hyun Woo and his voice tone was especially more apparent during the chasing car scene with the real Hyun Woo. The lack of expression and cold expression was delicately crafted so that the viewers would slowly realise that this is fake Hyun Woo.

The moment when Hae In realised that the man beside her is YES through the reflection from the car window was just brilliant. We saw her expression shift each seconds connecting the dots and disbelief that she really just mistook YES as Baek Hyun Woo.

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Episode 10 Queen of Tears BaekHong recap

Scene: Unboxing champion boxer Baek Hyun Woo

We could’ve gotten another topless scene of Baek Hyun Woo in all of his glory but he stopped it. It is official that Hyun Woo is the party pooper in this series. He keeps being the one who blocked us from getting something worthy of humna, humna, humna… Hyun Woo thought that Hae In was angry at him for getting hurt because she raised her voice but she was only worried for him. He didn’t realise this until he saw that Hae In almost cried because of him. Only then he knew that Hae In was mad because she was worried about him. Hyun Woo was trying to brag to Hae In about his boxing skill and the fight he had with the broker but instead she is not impressed. She asks him to promise to run away if he ever encounters the same situation again but he can’t make a promise, he had a previous arrangement with himself about Hae In. But Hae In reminds him yet again that they have divorced and only a married couple is bound to make a promise for their partner. They divorced so that they don’t need to do that. Hyun Woo was saddened again by her statement and was rendered speechless.

Scene: Strawberry pops past, present and future

Hae In applied ointment and bandage on Hyun Woo’s scratched face and probably for once in a long time, he felt happy that Hae In blatantly cared for him. Previously, she did care for him but it was all done without his knowledge. It was that easy to show that she cared for him but because of their pride, they never had a chance or actually found the chance to do it for each other. They had a talk on the bench in front of Yongduri Supermarket and they probably remembered the last time they had a talk at the same place while eating the strawberry pops. At that time, Hyun Woo made a promise to always stay by her side even though she had a debt and that promise was the one that made her believe that he was the only one for her. So, it was significant for them to finally analyse what went wrong with them during their marriage.

Hyun Woo is regretting the way they never communicate properly throughout the marriage and how they let their wounds fester without making an effort to treat it. But Hae In thinks differently, she thinks that they were never a good match and they could’ve saved their energy and time without getting hurt if they broke up around the time she first ate the strawberry pops in Yongduri. In that way, they would be able to cherish their happy memories for a long time and they would never have a chance for wounds or scars to form. Hyun Woo would be able to marry someone that is warmer, kinder and better than her (he specifically clenched his fist when she said this sentence). Hyun Woo doesn’t agree with her and said that he will always regret it a lot if they broke up in the past, he knew that he won’t easily forget her. Hae In argues that if he knew what would happen in the future, he wouldn’t make the same choice and Hyun Woo assures her that even if he knew what will happen to them, he will still make the same decision (to marry her) instead he will treat her differently. He would have asked her and checked in on her more often. He regrets that he never makes an effort to understand and care for her more often. We saw that they actually care for each other but their timing is always off and they ended up seeing each other’s back.

Scene: Jealous Hyun Woo is back

Hyun Woo found out that YES came by Yongduri the previous night and was bothered by the fact that Hae In did not mention it to him. He asks Hae In about him and is getting annoyed after hearing about the content of their conversation, especially about living together in the Queens mansion. Hae In is slowly getting worked up by his reaction and argues that she and Hyun Woo are also not together and yet they still live in the same house. She thinks that everything he has done for them is more than enough, she feels uncomfortable with him going above and beyond for her. She tells him that she knew about him being accused of malpractice and waiting to be assigned. He tells her that it’s nothing and she is in no position to worry about him. Hae In said that she will manage her own problem and that she is uncomfortable with him having to suffer because of her, she doesn’t want him to do anything because of her and she will have her own solution to her problem.

Again? I thought they already agreed to communicate properly. They are protecting each other behind their backs again. As usual, Hyun Woo didn’t get her entire point. She just wants him to not get dragged into her family’s problem while he is exposed to danger. YES blackmailed her and she is scared that Hyun Woo will be put in danger and she doesn’t want that. She knows that Hyun Woo will do anything and everything for her, so she needs to stop him from doing that so that she can protects him.

Scene: Bong Ae is the best MIL

She confronted Hyun Woo when she overheard Hae In during a phone call. There is one part that is lost in the translation, but when Bong Ae refers to Hae In, she calls her as “your wife, Hae In-ie is sick right?” to Hyun Woo. YES should’ve heard this line so that his inside will boil with anger. Anyway… Hyun Woo was quite surprised when his mother confronted him with the question, but he decided that his mom needed to know because she will need someone to care for her when he is not at home. When his mom knew about the reason he was delaying the divorce process, she was disappointed in him and felt sorry for Hae In. Where in the world could we ever find someone as good as Bong Ae as a MIL. No wonder Hyun Woo has such a big and kind heart, it all came from his lovely mother. He accepts that he is the scumbag for doing that to Hae In and that is why he is always listening to Hae In and would follow whatever Hae In’s decision, because he doesn't deserve her or her forgiveness.

Scene: I’m Sorry, I Hate You, I Love You

Hae In comes to Queens Group to attend the press conference arranged by YES. Hae In is risking it all for Baek Hyun Woo. She only attends the press conference to save Hyun Woo from being falsely accused by YES and she wants to make sure that YES would have nothing against her that he could use as a weakness. A power move from our most powerful Hong Hae In. When she reveals the blackmail she receives from YES to her confession about her illness, she was solely doing it with Baek Hyun Woo in her mind. Finally, and finally Hyun Woo got the message. He finally got a glimpse of hope for them, Hae In is showing him something that she had never shown before to anyone, and he is the only one who gets to receive that. Hyun Woo had tears in his eyes and he looked at her with utmost love, admiration and sadness. He knew then that their heart belongs to each other, they are doing everything just to protect each other from harm.

Epilogue: Baek Hyun Woo’s special move, drunk in cuteness

Hyun Woo confides in his brother because he feels sad that Hae In said she doesn’t want him to do anything for her and that she is uncomfortable with his efforts for her. He is confused with Hae In’s real feelings as she keeps giving him mixed signals. At first she was worried for him and put a band-aid on him, but the next time she told him that he is making her uncomfortable. Although I want to say that Hyun Woo is too slow again, it's actually not. He is just not confident with himself, he could never imagine that Hae In would easily forgive him and wanted the same thing as him; to get back together again.

When he was plucking the leaves once again, I just immediately thought that he was finally asking the right question to his universe (Hong Hae In). That’s why he got the answer that he wanted this time and he was drunkenly happy with the thought that Hae In likes him. When he confesses to Hae In’s door unknowing that she is on the other side, he is overwhelmed with his own feelings. He is finally ready and admitting to his feelings, he loves her. He loves her to the point that it was so hard to contain it to himself anymore. He was back to when he first fell for her, but this time is different. Because now, he realises the weight of the word; love. He had forgotten about his feelings for her once and to hold the weight of their love again, he needs certainty from both of them so that they will be able to really stay together forever. He probably had saved that word ever since her love confession when she had lost her memory of Germany.

I was crying when I saw Hae In’s disbelief expression for the love confession. She could not believe that he said that he loves her. His sincerity was loud and clear without her having to see his face. She is certain that this time, his love is honest and comes from the bottom of his heart. That’s why she was able to make the decision to participate in the press conference. She believes in their love now. But of course, their fate will not be easy on them.

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Episode 9 Queen of Tears BaekHong recap

Scene: Yongduri-Pear-Tree-House-Youngest-Son-Baek.Hyun.Woo

Queen's Family is in Yonduri to hide from the media attention after being kicked out of their home by the evil MSH and YES. Hyun Woo coming as a knight in shining Mercedes van to save them from humiliation is making it clear that he very much still cares about Hae In and the (foolish) Queen’s Family. He wanted to protect them despite everything that he had gone through because of them. Why is he like this? They were the cause of his sufferings and he is very willingly helping them. I get that he wanted to protect Hae In and that her family is also part of the equation, but helping them to this extent is just too much (because I’m not kind like him). For the first time since their divorce, Hyun Woo is the one making a decision for her. But, Hae In won’t back down so easily. Why would he help them? She is also puzzled with his behaviour, she also doesn’t want him to get involved in the situation because he no longer has to burden himself with their problem. He has been slaving himself for her family for three years and she doesn't want him to do it again, especially when she divorced him because she felt sorry for how poorly he was treated by them. But in the end, Hae In lets him take the lead because to be honest, her family has no other choice. Most importantly, I think she felt Hyun Woo’s sincerity and knew that she wouldn't win this. Hyun Woo won’t let her go anywhere with their current situation. She is moved by his words; to at least be less miserable by staying together even though it won’t make them happier. He worried about her, especially with her current health condition, she needed peace of mind in order for her treatment to be effective and all of these problems will only make it hard for her to focus on her health.

Scene: Hyun Woo with his favourite tiger band-aid

Why is this divorced couple acting like a teenager in love, someone please enlighten me. They are finally on the same page but both are too cautious and scared to start anything again. But then, it is weird in itself to start anything when they just divorced for probably a month (?). Hae In found out that the MP3 actually belongs to her and was happy at the thought of Hyun Woo thinking the MP3 owner (herself) was very pretty for him to still keep in his possession. As usual Hae In is getting ahead of herself and was angry when Hyun Woo said he didn’t remember the owner of the MP3. Baek Hyun Woo being himself obviously trying to save himself from the wrath of his (ex) wife. He wouldn’t dare to admit that to Hae In with the big glaring eyes of her that scared the shit out of him.

Before going to the office the next morning, Hyun Woo checks on Hae In and notices that she didn’t close the window or draw the curtain the previous night. She probably did that just to despise him after being annoyed that he didn’t remember her. Why do we only get the romance after the divorce?

Scene: There are no exes like Baek Hyun Woo

He ran as fast as lightning (almost stumbling on the way) after hearing that Hae In fainted. It’s a short-lived moment when they both enter Hyun Woo’s room, they hold hands. I just need to scream at any chance they give us for BaekHong skinship because of how scarce it is in the series. They discussed Hyun Woo’s investigation behind YES scheme and he tells everything to Hae In but he asks Hae In to not concern herself about the matter and he will do everything for her. Hae In cuts him off and says that she needs to know and do everything that she can so that he will be able to leave her without worrying for her and finally live like a normal divorced couple. Her goal is to be able to part ways with him for good. Hyun Woo's heart dropped with her words and it’s like he was woken up from his dream to realise that they have actually divorced and it’s his fault. We could see the dynamic shift again to Hae In that holds the upper hand in the relationship. Hyun Woo respects her decision and lets her determine her own fate. But we saw in his face that he doesn’t want the same but he had promised to follow her decision and he don’t deserve to ask her to stay. But observing Hae In’s expression, it seems like part of her is hoping for Hyun Woo to ask her to change her mind and ask her to stay. They are suppressing their real feelings and desire to be with each other, probably fearing that this happiness is short-lived. Both of them are learning from their mistakes and want to make the decision where they will be able to keep their promise this time.

Summary:

Hyun Woo, your ideal type and destiny is right in front of you all along. Sometimes I really wonder why kdramas really love these childhood connection troops so much. PJE especially loves this kind of connection. I had a love-hate relationship for this kind of troops, while it could be sweet and tied the main characters as fated-lovers, some are just repetitive and stuck at the same premise. For this drama, I’d say it was less annoying because the focus of Hyun Woo and Hae In relationship is “miraculous love story”. It was also understandable because they need Hae In and Hyun Woo to meet before shibalsaekki YES. It was very much needed to tackle YES who lied that he saved Hae In when they were a child. It was quite disappointing that Hae In did not know that Hyun Woo was the one who saved her from drowning until the end of the drama though.

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Episode 8 Queen of Tears BaekHong recap

Scene: Baek Hyun Woo’s universe has been Hong Hae In all along

The flashback to when Hyun Woo proposed to Hae In proves once again that Hyun Woo is a FOOL. That is his MBTI for sure. I’ll just combine this with episode 15 of this drama. At first I understand that it didn’t occur to him that it was all possible due to Hae In playing her chaebol card and renting all those places for them to date. But how is it possible that it never occurred to him after he knew that she is the heir to Queens Group? Making the connection is not that hard isn’t it? Anyhow… Hyun Woo really loves the universe in making decisions, doesn't he? He proposed to Hae In, believing that the universe is on their side and it is the sign for him to finally pop the question. He is such a simple and unassuming man. I’d just said it here, I really love this simple wedding band (yeah right, Bvlgari) from Hyun Woo instead of the other ring. I just loved it on her finger. Back to his universe, yeah, since Hae In was playing the universe all along, no wonder he never got the answer that he wanted for their divorce from the tiny leaves. No one is on his side in this world because his universe belongs to Hong Hae In entirely he will only realise it in episode 15.

I love the transition from their flashback to their current situation and again when Hae In remembered their memory from Germany and when she is back to reality once again. It was very beautifully crafted by the team. Back to the scene, Hyun Woo is hoping that this moment will last forever and Hae In will never remember their fight and his betrayal. But he would never allow that to happen no matter how bad the situation will turn out for him. He would rather face the consequences of his past self instead of being a more horrible human being to Hae In. He would rather she resented him instead of losing her to herself. Hae In finally able to remember the event in Germany and the harsh words that were uttered by Baek Hyun Woo and she was again traumatised by his words. She felt horrible that he’d seen her like this, in a situation where she is defeated by her illness and being cheated by herself and showing vulnerable emotion to Baek Hyun Woo, the man that despised her whom also the one made her life miserable. She finally makes up her mind…and they divorce.

Scene: In a day of Baek Hyun Woo

Hae In was reminiscing about the sunset they saw together when they were dating. We are already halfway through the series and all their dating flashbacks were heavy on Hae In being the only one exploring Hyun Woo’s life. She knows everything about Hyun Woo; his family, his hometown, his routine, his daily life but we never got anything about her while they were dating. It was obviously because he assumed that she was poor and even when she tried to explain it to him, he didn’t believe her. So, basically their relationship foundation prior to getting married was not strong. It was built based on assumption from Hyun Woo about Hae In, while she fully understands him and his lifestyle. So, their marriage is bound to find its own destruction anyway. Hyun Woo should’ve known and understood her family dynamic first before making the decision to marry her after she reveals that she is a chaebol. Instead, they got married right after because they were madly in love. While actually, he was at the beginning of knowing the “real” Hong Hae In. Hae In already has the data about him during their dating period but all the data about Hae In was new for him.

Hae In follows Hyun Woo’s steps because let’s be honest here… she fcking loves him and she misses her (ex) husband. She somehow started to really understand his life while they were married. She looked around and felt sad(?) that he was running alone while others were working out in pairs. When she overheard Hyun Woo and Yang Gi’s conversation, she felt guilty for being oblivious about Hyun Woo’s suffering throughout their marriage and somehow got her answer as to why he was always spending time alone. She also got to know that despite all that had happened, Hyun Woo still wanted to stay by her side.

I just love her dialogue to YES to put him at his place, to stop crossing the line, “I married (him) because I liked Baek Hyun Woo that said he’d be by my side, and I divorced him because I’m sorry for what he had to go through to be by my side.” The point is that she won’t just marry anyone because she needs to do it, she married Baek Hyun Woo because she liked him. Her husband will always be Baek Hyun Woo and no one else. She had never needed a man that can bring her more wealth because she is capable of doing it independently. She chose Hyun Woo because of his promise and above all because she loved him and still is. Despite Hyun Woo’s betrayal, it doesn’t change the fact that he is a good man which is something that YES can ever be.

Scene: Hae In to the rescue

Due to YES manipulation and Queens Family stupidity, Hyun Woo was being suspected as the whistle-blower and was denied access to the Queens Group intranet and building. My, my, my… there she is, his (ex) wife comes to his rescue. Who would believe that a divorced couple would protect each other like them? Who in their right mind would do that? Only them, Baek Hong couple supremacy! Anyway, it just occurred to me that this is actually the first time they talk to each other after the divorce. They seemed much more at ease after the divorce and silently doing their best to protect each other (fools!! Fools in love!) But, Hae In is angry and frustrated at Hyun Woo who was humiliated while he just silently enduring it. She was then perplexed by his response, “I’m doing this because I want to do it and still stay here where I wanted to”. Even in the middle of this, he still worried for her health. He will be ok as long as her condition is fine. See, this is why Hyun Woo is a good man. We knew it and even Hae In knew that he wanted to be by her side, but he never does anything to persuade her to accept him again. He is just there, waiting patiently and understanding her. A gentleman that respects her decision and silently protecting her.

Summary:

Like what he promised her in Germany, he will follow whatever decision she makes for their marriage and so far he is keeping it, much to our frustration of course. He accepted her decision to divorce, following her direction regarding the divorce settlement and respecting her space while still protecting her. He never made any effort to defend himself or make excuses to her, for he truly felt remorseful for his action. He only hopes for Hae In to continue her treatment and regain her health. His love for her is selfless. In the meantime,

Hae In wanted to live…

She also wanted to stay by his side… they wanted the same thing but what is stopping them? We knew that Hyun Woo is not gonna make a move until he knows that Hae In has really given him the forgiveness. The key is on Hae In but she knows her condition is not improving currently. Being together will only make them suffer and she doesn’t want that, especially for Hyun Woo I think. They just need some time to think and realise that they actually don’t have much time together to be wasting it by not being together.

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Episode 7 Queen of Tears BaekHong recap

Scene: Shattered four-leaf clovers, kebab and hearts

Hae In asking (pleading and hoping) if he really wrote the divorce paper and when. Hyun Woo admitted that he wrote the paper but was hesitant to answer when and Hae In immediately knew. She remembered the night she revealed her illness to him, he had something to say to her. Her heart shattered into pieces when Hyun Woo kept his head down and admitted to the atrocities that he made against her; to stay in the marriage since she is going to die in 3 months. She asked him why he couldn't continue lying when he did it easily before and he answered “I saw it on the way here, our lock is still there…” with a shaking voice and tears in his eyes. He couldn’t lie because he realised that he still loves her. He can lie before because he didn’t love her and it was no big deal, now he can’t because he would rather live with the consequences and the guilt than lying to her again.

Back in their hotel room, Hae In is packing her things and Hyun Woo asks her to stay and he’ll leave. Hae In is not ready to face him or hear any of his reasons, excuses or even lies. She saw their wedding ring on his finger and instead of being mad, she is heartbroken. They married because they loved each other and she believed him and held to his promise to stay beside her. No matter what the reason is, it will not change the fact that he wanted to divorce her. It doesn’t matter whether his feelings have changed, it’s the fact that he had the intention and every reason to divorce her in the beginning (episode 11 where she mentioned that she had a feeling that he wanted a divorce). She was reminded of the time where Hyun Woo was saying love to her, all the time he saved her life and was there when she was scared. She cried at the revelation of Hyun Woo’s cruel actions and lies. For the words of love that he uttered after knowing that she will die in 3 months. For the betrayal that she felt from him. She thinks that it is all lies and an act from Hyun Woo, his action of saving her now seems as a cruel attempt to keep her alive. She walked out of the elevator to realise that she was standing in the middle of a busy road with a truck heading towards her. Hyun Woo comes in at perfect timing and saves her. She looks at him with sad eyes and asks him to not save her next time… She lost her will to live. Hyun Woo was the only reason and has been her will to live but he lied to her, he wanted to leave her, no one will stay by her side and Baek Hyun Woo wanted her out of his life. These things were probably what her subconscious mind was thinking when she was standing in the middle of the road.

Hae In’s doctor told Hyun Woo that there is no significant difference in her WBC count and there is nothing they can do for her at the moment. He mentioned that it is important to make her feel that she has something to fight for. Hope, desire, love or even hatred. Out of the four emotions, Hyun Woo only has one choice; hatred. She can only stay alive and live by hating him. So, he chooses to tell her about what made him want to divorce her. It is a lie at the moment but was once the truth. Hae In probably knew that but I think that is also why Hyun Woo chose exactly those harsh truths. Because that is how Hae In will believe in him.

Scene: Lioness (peacock) awaken

Hae In is back in her element when she arrives in Korea, she is as fierce as she was before her illness. She stops her family from meddling with their divorce, she will personally kick Hyun Woo out of Queens Group once she finds any misconduct from him. In a way, she is making sure that no one can touch him and protect him from her family. She confronts him with the divorce paper and will decide when and how she will proceed with it. Hyun Woo just follows whatever decision or punishment that she decides but asks her to keep her distance from YES. He told her about his suspicions towards YES and the SD card incident. Although she looked conflicted and thought that Hyun Woo’s words had some truth, she refused to agree with him and told him that she is not easily fooled. Hyun Woo cuts her off and says that she was fooled by him once and he doesn’t want her to make the same mistake again. Hae In looked offended and definitely triggered with his statement and revenge is coming.

At the office, the audit team started to conduct an investigation against Hyun Woo and caused uproar among the staff. Baek Hong Battle has begun and disaster is guaranteed. Hae In decided to reject all the documents that she had approved from the legal team prior to their Germany trip, and thanks to that Hyun Woo had to work his ass off. Thanks to Hong Hae In again because we were served with the irresistible charm of Baek Hyun Woo in his working mode (I just couldn’t resist Sexy Dynamite Baek Hyun Woo). But Hyun Woo is delighted, because she is very feisty (that smirk when he said that) and that means she is living.

Scene: Moulin Rouge and funeral house

This is why she could never resent (based on eps 11) Baek Hyun Woo, he is a kind-hearted person. She could never see him in a negative light or as someone with ill-intention. That is why his betrayal cuts her deeper than anything could. During their whole marriage, Hyun Woo must have done the same to any of their staff during the funeral. He sent flowers and gave condolence money in Hae In’s name, unbeknownst to her. Hae In is a talented entrepreneur that can make brilliant plans and decisions for her company but she is not a people’s leader, Baek Hyun Woo is. While Hae In silently protects him from her family, Hyun Woo is doing good deeds in her name. He wouldn’t do it if he is not (unconsciously) in love with her. Because even in the times where he said that he hates her, he still did it in her name. Why did he need to do it on her behalf if he really hated her? Why the need of sending flower wreath and condolence money on Hae In’s name? Why would he care for his wife’s image when she herself did not? Probably it is true that the divorce paper he prepared was his last attempt at saving their marriage. He was probably trying to convey his sufferings to Hae In so that she can save him. Someone who was out of love wouldn’t care about doing good deeds in their partner’s name do they? Hae In’s words left Hyun Woo in total wreck. She swore that she will never forget his betrayal even when her memories are in shambles and she will resent him until her last dying breath. He will never get any chance to earn her forgiveness and she will make sure that he can only go when she decides that she wants him out of her life.

Scene: Hae In will always love Hyun Woo

Hyun Woo found Hae In crouching on the roadside and stopped his car. Hyun Woo noticed that she is acting weird as she looks distraught. Hae In smiles at him and he realises that Hae In’s symptom is back. She had a child-like expression while telling him the story from her POV about his umbrella and he looked at her with sad eyes. This time Hae In noticed that his right shoulder is wet from the umbrella and she brushed it off then held his hand that is holding the umbrella with both of her hands. She tells him about Yena’s accident story (again) and Hyun Woo starts to cry, she totally forgot about their Germany trip and their fight. He is sorry again, for having to see her like this. She is supposed to hate him but he was seeing her in her most raw and sincere side while losing a fragment of her memory. Hae In hugs him and she says that she loves him...

Summary:

It hurts… this episode hurts so bad at the ending. Her love for him is too pure and while it was forgotten by Hyun Woo, Hae In has always loved him all these years. That is why his betrayal shattered her into pieces. And I just wanted to mention Kim Soo Hyun’s top-tier acting while Hae In lost her memory, the micro expression on his face changes each second. He was confused when Hae In looked at him with a soft expression but was unable to read her, he was in disbelief when Hae In touched his shoulder and hand, and when the realisation fell on him, he broke down. For the Hae In that he lost due to the divorce paper, for the Hae In that has always loved him while he was not capable to do the same and for the Hae In that looked at him lovingly with no knowledge about his betrayal that shattered her soul.

This episode’s epilogue gives us a better understanding about them, Hyun Woo believed in whatever that Hae In said, be it a lie about a raccoon at the rooftop or Hae In’s promise to not make him cry. This premise or should we say character setting for Baek Hyun Woo is consistent till the end of the series to the point of unbelievable. While Hae In promised to not make him cry, Hyun Woo promised to stay by her side and they both broke their promises. He left her when they were mourning for the loss of their unborn child and she made him cry countless times during their marriage.

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Episode 6 Queen of Tears BaekHong recap

Scene: Ramen and chill

After the emotional kiss they served to us, we finally saw a definite shift in their relationship. We can finally see them moving forward together, hand in hand. But Hyun Woo’s betrayal will be exposed, because YES found his divorce paper, we knew their happiness will be short and their suffering will continue. They are having ramen as a dinner and we saw that Hae In is already losing hope after being rejected by the cancer centre and she is already prepared to face her death. During her talk, if you look at Hyun Woo's expression it is exactly what I previously thought about him. He was not ready to face the reality, which is why he denies his feelings for her. He could no longer accept the fact that Hae In is dying, he knows now that he really can’t live without her. Before, he was hoping for her death, but now he is desperately hoping for a miracle to happen so that Hae In could live. He loves her. Hae In revealed to Hyun Woo about her will that she wrote before they got married. She wrote it because she wanted to marry him and her mother won’t give her blessings without the will. Once again, Hae In proves that she has always been sincere with her love for Hyun Woo, and Hyun Woo only realising it now. He probably felt stupid and pathetic for believing in Grace’s lie and doubting Hae In. He felt the weight of his previous actions and felt guilty for them, he makes her believe that he loves her when he was not and for making her trust him that he is the only one that will stay by her side and protect her. My heart just ached so much for them during this scene, because after the revelation of the divorce paper, all the things that he said to her during this moment were overshadowed by the effect of his divorce paper. Hae In will no longer remembers this moment after that because his betrayal left a big impact on her.

After so long, they are finally using the same bedroom again and this time they both wanted it. They are ready to mend their marriage life that has been overdue for too long. But, (sigh… why does things never work smoothly for these idiots) Hae In is hesitant and she feels that it is too awkward and early to take things further. So they start with small talk about everyday life. Hae In mentions Yena which was involved in a minor car accident a few days ago and her husband that insisted on her signing inheritance paper before anything happened. Hae In said to Hyun Woo that she is fortunate to have him as her husband and there is no other guy like him. Not knowing that Hyun Woo was plotting behind her back and now facing the guilt for lying to her and pretending to be worried for her.

He has finally FINALLY come back to his senses and our sweet Baek Hyun Woo has returned! He knows for sure now that no matter what happens in the future, he won’t leave her and he is sincerely praying that Hae In will be able to recover from her cancer. They are making small steps to mend their broken marriage by spending time together in Germany. Germany really holds the key to their marriage (and will also bring them misery). A very short recap to when Hyun Woo was meeting with the doctor, there is a very short moment where the scene shows Hyun Woo clasping his hands when the doctor agrees to try another procedure to increase Hae In’s white blood cells. While his face and voice did not even falter for a bit, it seems that it was probably the last resort to appeal to the doctor. He couldn't afford the doctor to reject them and when the doctor finally gave them the chance, he was relieved. A competent lawyer with a very good argument at that point was actually not confident and nervous. He was scared that there was nothing they could do for Hae In.

Scene: Strolling around Germany

Oblivious to the ruckus that happened back home, they spend their day exploring Germany just like how they did during their honeymoon. It started with them waiting for a train and Hyun Woo being the centre of attention again. That face card never declined apparently. Seeing them fight about petty things is the peak romcom we finally get from this series. Hae In’s jealousy of her perfect husband with a lot of admirers and Hyun Woo’ jealousy for Hae In’s first love (himself). The romcom is finally romcom-ing. They went to find their lock at the bridge but failed, walking around the day market aimlessly, just talking and eating together. When Hae In bought the four-leaf clover, it is obvious that she is holding onto any hopes that come her way. Hyun Woo noticed that and his expression darkened. He was not expecting Hae In to actually believe in the words that the salesman was saying, but he knows that she probably felt insecure and not confident to recover from her illness. They went back to the hospital for Hae In to receive her injection and she was baffled at the fact that her weight increased by 3kg. But this time, she looks brighter than the first time she arrived at the hospital alone. Because this time she has Baek Hyun Woo by her side. On her way to the treatment room, Hae In’s symptoms appear and this time she sees her dead older brother. Hyun Woo frantically ran outside when the nurse told him that she was seen leaving the hospital grounds from the CCTV. They share a deep talk about her disappearance and the reason behind her brother’s death. The talk made him understand her better and actually build a stronger foundation of his newfound love for her. They need to communicate more to understand each other and it won’t be until in later episode where they realise how bad they were at communicating to each other.

Scene: A big storm is coming

Hae In needed all the luck in this world and his husband is on the run to get them all for her. Can we just admire for a few seconds there, how fast he is running and how good he is at running. Man, so damn good looking at doing the most basic thing (but is anything ever basic when you’re THE Kim Soo Hyun). Back at home, everyone is furious due to his divorce paper and accusing Hyun Woo of whistle blowing. This family is so stupid no one can save them anymore. Once again we noticed how detailed-oriented Hyun Woo is. He is actually able to find their lock because he remembers the position of the cathedral when they put it there 3 years ago. Sad BGM is on, and we know our hearts will be crushed with them. They’re on the opposite side of the road when she switches on her phone (whyyyy) and finds out his divorce papers from her mom. Fuuuuuuuuuuuu…..

Summary:

Silence for the pain that they (we) need to endure for the upcoming episodes. Sigh… their happiness and our happiness is too short-lived. Baek-Hong war will start and it’s time for Hyun Woo to receive his karma for wishing for his wife’s death. He will pay for it and HARD at that.

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Episode 5 Queen of Tears BaekHong recap

Scene: Night at the Yongduri

It has been too long since they smiled and laughed together. Hyun Woo realised that this was probably the first time they were sitting and laughing together after their long period of cold war. His expression was bittersweet at the realisation, a guilty one. Hae In finally got a sense of having a family that actually cared. She was touched by his family's effort to find her. The kind of warmth that she had never received from her own family.

Hair dryer scene is melting me and obviously Hae In too. Why does a married couple look so awkward and careful while touching each other? They are making me pull off my hair with their push and pull. Hyun Woo was getting worked up when Hae In mentioned that the life line on her palm is too short. He is now rooting for her to live instead of dying; you are going in the right direction Hyun Woo, keep going. When Hae In asked Hyun Woo to accompany her to Germany in an unsure tone, now I believe that she really was unconfident about her relationship with Hyun Woo. When we go back to the second episode from Hae In’s POV, she was rejected by Hyun Woo when she asked him to go to the hospital, which probably stayed with her. So now, she can no longer be certain of Hyun Woo’s feelings towards her. But thankfully, Hyun Woo’s answer makes her relieved that they are still one team.

Almost kissed. They were swept in the moment with raw emotion after being able to slightly open up to each other, but of course Baek Hyun Woo had to ruin it. His conscience is back along with his denial. Just admit that you wanted to kiss her damn it! But the thing is, our Baek Hyun Woo knows for a fact that it won’t end with a kiss. That’s why he preferred to stay outside and clear his head. He can’t think straight at home because he can’t stand to sleep in the small bed with Hae In. But now, it has changed from the last time they had to share the same bed. The last time, he was scared if Hae In jumped on him, this time it was himself he was scared of. He can no longer remain level-headed with Hae In in the same room and he is not ready to face the reality while also making a mistake of kissing her when he does not fully understand where he currently stands in their relationship. Admitting it means that he has to admit all the sketchy things he did behind Hae In. He will need to face the consequences of his action and the reality of Hae In’s illness. He no longer has the confidence to continue with his divorce plan and hating Hae In (I believe it was a tear of regrets he shed in front of the supermarket), because he already saw past her strong woman façade when she broke down in front of him.

Our baby 1031 is their weakness and their key to happiness. First of all, Hae In really needs to take the blame for this; clearing up the baby’s nursery without talking to Hyun Woo first. Hyun Woo also needs to take the blame for this; moving out of their bedroom out of anger and also not talking things properly with Hae In. So many things could have changed if they take the time to communicate properly with each other. But both of them are grieving for their baby, and things happened. However, Hae In words hurt; it hurts so much for us and imagine the effect on Hyun Woo. He is much more sensitive than Hae In and he is someone who needs to grief in the open while Hae In is used to bottle up her feelings. The words that she chose to say at that moment were “get on my nerves” and “we don’t need it anymore”, while answering a business call. Hyun Woo was dumbfounded, disbelief, hurt and most importantly grieving for the fact that their baby was connected with those hurtful words by Hae In, but she continues to respond to the call instead of talking things properly with him. The tears that he almost shed were held back when he saw that Hae In no longer cared. He was sad for their baby when he made that drastic decision to use a separate room. They should be grieving for the loss together, but they did it separately. Hae In was not as cold as the word that she chose when we saw that she was deeply affected by the loss as well and believes that it is her fault for the miscarriage and doesn't deserve to be sad.

Scene: Umbrella and wet shoulder

Hae In insisted that she didn’t wait for Hyun Woo the previous night and that it was because she just couldn’t sleep and it is definitely not because of him. Hyun Woo just accepts her words and believes it, he said he knew that Hae In would never wait for him. But, Hae In was offended by the statement where he is agreeing to her argument. We knew later in the series that she actually has always been waiting for Hyun Woo before going to bed, but Hyun Woo won’t know or notice it because he believes in whatever that Hae In said to him. Hae In doesn’t like to admit things and always wanted to be seen as nonchalant and that is exactly what Hyun Woo believes. HE IS SLOW. When Hae In notices his wet shoulder, she is again mad at him. For not holding the umbrella properly, the effect of this statement would only irritate Hyun Woo and make things harder for him to get her meaning. She needs to spell the word for him to make him understand her feelings because he is stooopid. If she could just be honest, she will spend less time getting angry at him for not understanding her double meaning. She didn’t understand that Hyun Woo was not observant and couldn’t understand cues or her opposite actions and words.

Scene: Alone in Germany

After a series of misunderstandings (manipulation by YES) and not COMMUNICATING, Hae In went to Germany alone. Baek Hyun Woo’s auto-pilot mode is switched on again. He did his old habit when Hae In was going outstation, celebrating with Yang Gi. He could have followed Hae In right after but I think he wasn’t capable of making that decision. He was not ready to accept that he catch feelings for Hong Hae In, the woman that he planned to divorce. Where does he go from there? After he finally saw Hae In’s honest feelings from the interview, he was finally able to make the right decision. All along the universe has been sending him signals, remember the leaves? They are telling him that divorcing Hae In is not a choice. But all that he needed was not the universe sign, he just needed one thing; Hae In’s honesty.

That is his only reason to go to Germany, which is to find her and be with her during this challenging time. Her honesty means the world to him; they could have reconciled faster had they been talking with honesty all along without hiding anything from the other. When he found her at Sanssouci Palace, he finally accepted defeat to his feelings for her. He still very much loves her. Somehow, his ideal type never changed. He likes someone that is soft and delicate that he needs to protect. He saw that when he started to like her when she first kicked the photocopier (because he worried about the photocopier at first and then worried about her), he was affected when SHE is the one that is getting in so much trouble during her internship and saw it again when she started falling sick from the terminal illness. I think it was the same when he saw her sitting alone on that stair while resting her feet. Something just breaks inside him to see her like that. Because behind the strong woman facade, she has always been the same Hae In that he fell in love with. He was just too blind and stupid to ever noticed that, because they were lost during his struggle with her family’s interference. They finally start to talk honestly with each other, having the catching up that has been overdue for 2 years. Hae In finally tells him that she always wanted him by his side and Hyun Woo finally knows that he had been wrong about her all these while. She had never wanted to be alone and was always waiting for him to come back to her again.

Summary:

We always knew the reason of their marriage going downhill, they fall apart because of their poor communication skills and their pride. But having to seen the glimpse of baby 1031, it made things clear for us. While Hae In was hiding behind her mask, Hyun Woo wasn’t willing/incapable to break past her mask and cause the misunderstanding to deepens. They are not trying to understand each other, instead they are taking out their frustration to each other. During the flashback, we saw Hae In talking to the phone yet again instead of talking about her real feelings about the miscarriage with Hyun Woo. And to know that all along, Hyun Woo only wanted honesty from her. He would stay by her side had he knew the honesty in Hae In. It was exactly the same situation that happened in the 1st episode when she choose to answer the call instead of arguing with him, and I imagine it was always like that throughout the marriage. In a way, I think that it is one of Hae In’s ways to avoid their issue or her coping mechanism when she is not ready to accept the reality and another way is that she just treats everything else as seconds after her career. We can see that Hyun Woo was not done talking to her yet in the flashback but Hae In is already getting back to the call and making it clear on her part that she is done talking. It is not up for discussion because she already made the decision, I know for a fact that Hyun Woo was retreating because he doesn’t want to argue with the decision because deep down he knows that Hae In is also sad and arguing would only make him say the words that he will regret. But her words lived with him throughout their marriage, that hurtful words is slowly making him believe her as someone she is not.

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Episode 4 Queen of Tears BaekHong recap

Scene: A glimpse of 1031

When Hae In kissed him and he looked at her phone’s screen, in the end did he close his eyes and just kiss? Or only for that second of realising he is dead when the screen locked. The scene cuts too fast to the next one and I can’t figure it out. Hyun Woo finds out her phone’s passcode and it was 1031. After he retreats to his bedroom, we were brought to his memory of their pregnancy news early in their marriage. They both looked so happy anticipating their unborn child with Hyun Woo shedding happy tears while Hae In looking more reserved in showing her emotion. They were excited with the news and already planning to give the best to the child with Hyun Woo sticking the glow in the dark smiley star on their baby’s nursery. But, they didn’t have a child and we speculate that they probably had a miscarriage. Nothing explained yet until the revelation in episode 5. But Hyun Woo’s sorrow was very much obvious when he stared at the sticker on the bedroom’s ceiling.

Scene: Pretty Hae In and Giddy Hyun Woo (jealousy reincarnate)

The morning comes and Hyun Woo is obviously affected by last night's event. Considering how slow he is to understand his feelings and Hae In, he was probably only able to process last night’s event when the morning came. Now, he doesn’t understand why Hae In looks pretty and was even more delighted after Hae In compliments that he looked handsome in his suit. We got to see a love-stricken Hyun Woo for a glimpse when he saw her smile. Something changes inside him and he is denying it with every cell in his body but he is just making excuses now, just to refute Yang Gi’s point. I mean his reflex is complimenting Hae In still pretty even if she didn’t wear high heels and he didn’t even realise that (I don’t know how many times I have used the words “realised” for Hyun Woo, he is so slowwwww). Like how dare you to just throw a compliment without batting an eyelash. And why are you making excuses and explaining Hae In’s behaviour to your secretary? Just admit it or just stfu. The only person that needed it is you, Hyun Woo.

Scene: Tipsy Hyun Woo with peanut bread

Hyun Woo picking up peanut bread for Hae In just peak marriage couple thing, buying random stuff for his wife after having a drink. Bro, it’s too obvious and you denying it is just plain idiot at this point. He was ahead of himself when Yang Gi assumed that the good news Hae In wanted to tell him is regarding the inheritance. So, imagine his despair when he found out that Hae In chance of surviving her cancer exceeded 50%. His imagination just runs wild and he dies a little bit inside thinking to survive 5o more years of marriage with Hong Hae In.

Scene: Hyun Woo to the rescue part 4

Hae In was not feeling well on her way home and has to be confronted by her mother (I really hate this mother), just to complaint that Hae In is causing YES (I just fed up to spell his name) not considering to invest in Soo Cheol’s project. Mommy is just plain annoying and evil, she didn’t even notice that Hae In is already pale and struggle to even stand there. Hae In almost fainted when Hyun Woo enter their house at the perfect timing. Nice save, Hyun Woo. Before he found out about Hae In’s illness, he never man up in front of her family but this is already the second time he defends her in front of her family. He probably thinks that Hae In doesn’t need any help from him previously to fight against her family, but seeing her vulnerable side after her falling sick only makes him see things differently. He never thought that Hae In would ever need him to fight her battle as she was already a strong and independent woman. He probably thought that she was not the same Hae In that needed his protection in the past. But now that he saw past that façade, the good ol’ Hyun Woo will make a comeback. He finally knew the real reason behind Hae In hiding her illness from her family. This also serves as a turning point for Hyun Woo regarding Hae In’s illness and death. He already had the guilt expression all over his face.

Scene: Queen Hae In in Yongduri

Hyun Woo started to worry when no one knew Hae In’s whereabouts. He only found her after it was already dark and he was tired, worried and frustrated. While Hae In felt lost and scared, she refused to show it to Hyun Woo. She probably felt that she needs to be seen as someone who is totally in control of her own body and illness, but sadly it’s not and while she knew that she refused to admit it even to Hyun Woo. She refused to be treated as a patient because admitting it also means that she acknowledges the gravity of her illness. But her walls broke down when she realised that Hyun Woo took so long to find her. The details of his sweat over his blazer and white shirt (I was deeply impressed with the details of direction of this particular scene, it makes so much sense why the lamps light up at Hyun Woo’s retreated steps) make her regret the words that she said to him. To the man who was worried about her, he deserves honesty and the truth behind her disappearance.

This scene also served as a revelation to Hyun Woo, the husband who was thankful that his wife would die in three months. The revelation that her illness is not something that should be celebrated and what kind of trash he had been. This is also the first time that he saw Hae In’s dishevelled appearance; the woman who was always in control of everything is not invincible anymore. She needs care and protection; his heart probably sank when he saw her appearance, trembling hands and her tears. The hug… I gasped when he hugged her.

Summary:

I remembered the first time I watched this series and realised that the MP3 was Hae In’s all along. That is just too cliché but still cute and we still loved it anyway. Fated lovers have been used by k-drama so much that sometimes I wish they could just stop doing it. But till the last episode, this drama's main focus was a miraculous love story, of luck and fated lovers that are born truly for each other. Those three are the key points that they are trying to sell to the viewers. They were born to love each other till their last breath.

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Episode 3 Queen of Tears BaekHong recap

Scene: Strawberry ice cream, Hyun Woo’s grandma cardigan and promises

Hyun Woo flexing his “supermarket prince” title to Hae In (the 3rd generation chaebol) is so funny and cringe that I’d hate to be in his shoes. So this is the day that probably sealed the deal for Hae In (from her conversation with Eun Sung in episode 8). Hyun Woo promised to be by her side even if she had a lot of debt, he was ready to stay by her side through thick and thin and struggle with her. She was touched by that sweet word. Hae In was brought up in a family that does not give her the warmth that Hyun Woo provides. He loves her unconditionally and ready to struggle just for her, and that’s why his promise to be by her side forever really echoes within her. She needs that. Because she believes that no other person in her life even her family would be able to stay by her side forever. She has been fighting alone all her life.

Scene: Hyun Woo’s sexy arm muscle and shoot!

The scene changes back to the boar attack and it was actually Hae In’s memory. She remembers that fond memory where Hyun Woo promised to be by her side in the situation where she really desperately needs him by her side. This is also the turning point for Hae In to realise that her illness could really cost her lives. However, in this scene I could barely understand Hyun Woo’s feeling about it, he was really acting based on his instinct to save Hae In. Whether he IS that competent and confident to kill the boar with only one chance or he just gambled and did it to save Hae In at any cost.

Before anything else, let’s just appreciate this super ultra max finest specimen named BAEK HYUN WOO. I mean just so much perfection (with a pinch of foolishness and pathetic-ness) for Baek Hyun Woo character; SNU law school top graduate, served in the marine in a special guard team, boxing championship winner, so many other credentials that was not mentioned throughout the series . Okay! Let us get back to point of this character and couple analysis. So, he saves Hae In from the wild boar attack without even batting an eye. As what he explains with Yang Gi, he did it out of instinct and that is to protect Hae In. Yang Gi does need some slap from me for distracting Hyun Woo from realising his feelings sooner. He has only distracting Hyun Woo by denying his feelings for her to seem that he makes the right decision to fool Hae In by staying in the marriage.

It was very satisfying to see how the Queens family starts to look Hyun Woo in different light. Hae In’s father especially starting to treat him with much more respect after that. I think he would even consider changing Soobin’s surname to Baek after that lol.

Scene: Hae In with young Di Caprio (Korean version)

Hyun Woo was definitely terrified to use the same room with Hae In for reasons; he actually scared that Hae In would jump on him, he don’t want to make “mistake” with her, he just generally terrified of her. The way he flinched each time Hae In moves or said something that does not even mean anything. While Hae In is very much affected with the situation, I mean I understand her. She was attacked with broad shoulder and muscular body that shot wild boar with one bullet to save her after two years of no action and activity. I stand with you Hae In. But, their talk on the bed really makes me pity Hae In. She misses her husband!! Her husband that used to have full of love for her before their relationship strained. There was a time where their frequency and temperature match each other, they used to be deep in love where nothing can separate them. While she remembers all their good and happy memories, Hyun Woo has already forgotten about it and numb of all their happy memories totally. I feel bad for her. For someone that doesn’t wear her emotion on her sleeve, she was trying to convey her feeling to Hyun Woo which Hyun Woo ignores (I fully believe that he knows but he chose to ignore it). We can see her feeling never changed for Hyun Woo. I’d say it was easier for her to stay in love with him considering that she does not need to change her environment, while Hyun Woo has to make a lot of changes of his lifestyle to match her family. In a way, he does suffer more than Hae In and the fact that she knew about it makes it hard to understand her sometimes.

Scene: Drunk Hae In and jealous Hyun Woo with a mission

First of all, Hyun Woo is showing more of his jealous side that he didn’t even know except it was clear to us. He finally felt some sort of emotion (that he doesn’t want to admit) towards Hae In and Eun Sung. He only know and admit that he doesn’t like that guy, that’s it. We then saw Hae In vulnerable side when Hyun Woo hold her against the tree (again, she is being attack by the sexy dynamite Baek Hyun Woo). She wonders why she wasn’t confident when explaining about their love to Eun Sung. Personally at first, it didn’t felt like she wasn’t confident but it’s just Eun Sung manipulating her. Because for me she just reminiscing about their love story that transcends wealth and differences. But from another point, it could seem as such when we consider someone with her personality needed to explain the extent of their love to someone else. And sadly, she actually agrees with Eun Sung.

Summary:

I really wonder how bad was it for Hyun Woo to live with Hae In’s family until he forgotten all of their wonderful and happy memories together. To what extent was he badly treated in the family for him to totally lose their memories and promises? He was definitely happy with Hae In in her memories and their honeymoon. It’s a shame that the writer chose not to show Hyun Woo’s suffering with her family in a more serious manner instead of comedic release. It seems that Hyun Woo’ s decision to divorce was shallower due to the comedic release on his sufferings. Even after knowing what happened in episode 5, it still somehow lacking in a way although I know the event or words that really pushed Hyun Woo to make such decision.

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Episode 2 Queen of Tears BaekHong recap

Scene: Hae In reveals her terminal illness to Hyun Woo

Hae In threatened? Hyun Woo to die with her if he can’t live without her. Her expression just scared Hyun Woo out of his wit. And the fact that Hyun Woo almost believed her if she didn’t say otherwise. She definitely didn’t believe his over-acting and love declaration at this point.

Then we flashback to Hae In POV instead of Hyun Woo. It's fascinating to see how different they take in the information and expression of each other despite being in the same situation. We have seen in Hyun Woo POV of how demanding Hae In was when she asked him to go to the hospital, but in Hae In POV she was actually vulnerable and looked quite unsure of asking him to go with her. Their communication skills are so poor that I’m pulling my hair at this scene. The angst, the stupidity, the burst of emotion, the heartache. We now understand why Hae In forgets her meeting with Hyun Woo in the lobby. Now Hae In is in the denial stages of grief, while Hyun Woo is ready elated? And finally relieved of all his misery in life after hearing he can live instead of her dying.

While Hyun Woo is making sure that Hae In will die in three months, Hae In is defending him in front of her mother. Defending her husband in front of the mom that hates her and making sure that her mother will stop to torment her husband. She is very much in love with him instead of Hyun Woo who was already out of love (only he believes that). It was still as obvious that he just needed some realisation that he still loves her and the realisation will hit him like a truck. He just forgot about that after being so long in the misery of their married life.

Yang Gi is making thing worst for Hyun Woo by persuading him to be good to Hae In so that she will change her will and give her inheritance to him. So he started taking care of her to the point of suspicion from Hae In and everyone else. Although, Hae In almost believes in her husband’s shenanigans of being overly sweet to her after two years of silent treatment. Although she is smart and know that something is wrong but she still can’t escape from feeling a bit giddy and excited with the treatment she gets from Hyun Woo.

Scene: Dinner with Queens family

Sunhwa is trying to file a lawsuit against Hae In for building a department store on a part of her land. This move was definitely done as a protest after their altercation the other day where Hae In defended Hyun Woo. Hae In is definitely infuriated because the issue was resolved long before the construction even began. Sunhwa is just tormenting her the same way Hae In threatened to torment Soo Cheol. Hyun Woo realised that Hae In condition is not that good at that point and defended her in front of everyone which only makes Hae In more suspicious and angry at the same time. She knows now that Hyun Woo is only acting this way because she is sick, she doesn’t believe him anymore. Although, I believe that Hyun Woo was really starting to really feel worried for Hae In at that point. Somewhere in there, he is acting like that because he still wanted to protect her and be by her side. He just didn’t know that yet.

Scene: Hae In found Hyun Woo fell asleep on his desk.

While Hyun Woo was searching to make sure that Hae In will die in three months, Hae In thought that Hyun Woo is finding ways to save her and was touched by that. Hyun Woo is scared as shit when Hae In confronts him about his weird behaviour and tells him that she is very much suspicious of him and his weird behaviour lately. We can see that Hyun Woo is dying inside when Hae In decides that she will live for him.

Scene: Hercyna event

Hyun Woo swoops in with that handsome face of him to save Hae In after being pushed by random people in the event. Who wouldn’t fall in love again if their husband’s visual is Kim SooHyun? He did not only save her from falling but also saving her face from being humiliated by Yena after waiting for Hyun Woo for so long. The first meeting of Hyun Woo and Eun Sung is surprisingly funny. Hyun Woo who doesn’t care at all about Eun Sung when he said he used to like Hae In and Eun Sung who is trying to test the water with him. After being pointed out, Hyun Woo is feeling offended by Eun Sung but also has that hint of jealousy to him that very clear to everyone except him. He is just in denial of his emerging feeling to Hae In to realise it.

Scene: Hunting with the Queens

Only someone as capable as Baek Hyun Woo would not care about not being able to catch anything from the hunt. He is just there because he had to, not that he wants to. He also felt how different it is for him and for Yoon Eun Sung to blend into the family. Even after three years, he still felt like an outsider in the family and he sees how easy it is for Eun Sung to get along with the family. Could it be that he didn’t make any effort to be part of the family? Or was he just there where he was because he was fighting the battle alone? Not knowing that Hae In supported him in the dark. They could’ve been more honest to each other instead of letting the other left in the dark.

Summary:

Hyun Woo really needs to redeem himself after all those sketchy things he did behind Hae In’s back. Hae In totally believes that Hyun Woo cares about her and the only one whom she can rely on. He is very much unaware of how wrong his actions are and what are the consequences to those actions later in the series. He is just there trying to find any salvation that is left in this world for him. He is soooooo slow or is it just that Hae In too fast? But, their pace is not match and they need to find the middle tempo so that they can walk together hand in hand.

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Episode 1 Queen of Tears BaekHong recap

Scene: Hyun Woo & Hae In have different opinions during the meeting.

Hae In summoned Hyun Woo from his department meeting without any regards for him. We can see that he very much feels inferior to his own wife on top of her controlling family. We felt sorry for him for how he was treated in front of everyone during the meeting or even in the department store itself. His hatred to Hae In is not something that builds on a superficial level but was already on the verge of emotional collapse. When they were fighting inside the elevator, we can see that they both were very cold to each other and their main purpose was not to understand each other’s stand but to inflict pain as much as they received. Their fight has unresolved anger towards each other, it has been left too long and their situation within Hae In family does not allow communication between the couple. We can see that Hyun Woo is more emotional and sensitive as compared to Hae In. This dynamic also happens due to the environment that they were raised in.

Scene: Hae In summoning Hyun Woo to the family room after she forgets her meeting with Hyun Woo

At this point we didn’t know her illness yet, because the drama only showed his POV. But even after knowing it, Hyun Woo's action is still valid. He was waiting for Hae In while not knowing anything, and although she did come to the lounge much later after he left. She did not say anything or even make excuses for it. After waiting for so long, she just “instructed” him to go to the family room just to feel like an outsider again within her family. They just make decisions for him without any regards of his wants and Hae In is just there being Hae In. In her defense, she did warn him before marriage that she can’t always take his stance in front of her family but it was Hyun Woo who was ready to take the risk without understanding anything. Her family decides everything for them, children, surname, future plan for Hyun Woo and everything in between. Which brings us to their fight in front of her bedroom. While Hyun Woo is fighting with Hae In, it seems that Hae In is just there to watch the things that unfold in front of her. Her cold stance, disregarding their fight to answer calls which show the lack of importance of the talk she is having with Hyun Woo, disinterest about their “planned” pregnancy and doesn’t give any shit about what just happened in the family room. While Hyun Woo is already exhausted being the “servant” to her family not having any say about his life within the family.

Scene: Hyun Woo drunk with Yang Gi

The scene itself was conducted as funny but its sad undertone was very easy to detect. Although it seems that Hyun Woo whining is childish, there is a deep sadness within his dialogue. He regrets his marriage with Hae In while Yang Gi doesn’t understand how much he has changed after only 3 years. 3 years ago, Hyun Woo was very much in love with Hae In and he had that crazy look in his eyes which can only translate as true love by Yang Gi. Hyun Woo is saddened by the fact that no one in this world is with him, not even one tiny leaf. That is definitely the depression kicking in for him. Felt that no one or nothing in this world would ever work in his favor. He has been a mannequin for so long in the family that he no longer has a sense of belonging to the world.

Scene: Hae In and Hyun Woo standing in front of their bedroom

What they need to do is just push the door to realise that they both have been at the same place since the very beginning. Their love for each other is still very much alive within them without them knowing it. Just a slight push to know that they are waiting at the same place, only not realising the other. But they are doing the easier thing, to just avoid the confrontation and walk away. Because walking away does not take their energy, and being able to maintain their ego.

Scene: Hae In & Hyun Woo in front of the lift at the office.

Hae In informing Hyun Woo that they’re going somewhere just makes it worse in Hyun Woo POV. He had just known the secret of Hae In’s will from Grace, we didn’t believe that Hae In chose Hyun Woo to be the servant for her. Her love language for Hyun Woo and the way she defended Hyun Woo behind his back proves it. However, in Hyun Woo's mind she remains the cold-hearted and selfish person that does not care about anything in this world except herself.

Scene: Hyun Woo going back to Yongduri alone

We finally saw how relaxed and content he is when he is back hometown, eating his mom’s food, being able to see the sunset from the warmth of his childhood home. This sensitive person has been suppressed too long by the Queens family. He suffered alone without anyone on his side after believing Hae In promised to not make him cry and to only believe in her. He expressed his decision to divorce Hae In to his family and mother knows best. She always knows Hyun Woo, she felt it when she saw how happy he is to be able to eat homemade food. She knows something is not right about her son, she probably saw how her son is slowly dying inside. Hyun Woo's decision is made final due to the blow he got from Grace and with the way Hae In talked to him in front of the elevator just put the nail to the coffin.

Scene: Hyun Woo confronts Hae In to give the divorce paper.

He is definitely terrified of her, sometimes I just think that it doesn’t make sense for him to be terrified of her until this level. Hae In dropped the bomb on him, she is dying. With only three months to live. We can see Hyun Woo is thinking fast on how to tackle the situation. His defense mechanism is soo fucked up. He had tears in his eyes when he said that he was sorry for his past behaviour and he will treat her better after this. The worst thing is that he said that he loves her without any expression or feeling. The way she’s shocked and I don’t think that she fully believes him at this moment.

Summary:

Baek Hyun Woo!!! The way all my imagination and my heartbreak for him just shattered after his change of demeanor. Now, let’s put ourselves in his shoes. He was definitely scared as hell to give the divorce paper to her. He had seen first hand how the Queens family treated someone who betrayed them and the consequences they got and for sure he would be humiliated. He was the one who cleans up their messes. He is naive and I’d say quite innocent and most importantly he is terrified not only to his wife but also to her family as well. So when he saw an opportunity that he could get out of this marriage without having to divorce her, his instinct kicked in faster than lightning. At this point he does not realise the effect of Hae In’s death to him and he thinks that he just needs to get out of the family and her. He hates her to the point of not caring about the news that she will die in three months.

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I'm halfway through the show, Queen of Tears, and something that I've seen floating across is the anti Hyun Woo sentiment regarding how he treated Hae In initially and was just trying to do it all for the will.

Something to understand here is that in situations such as his, where he was emotionally empty and just a shell of himself who was just functioning, he didn't have the bandwidth to understand the gravity of situation that was Hae In's terminal illness.

In Hyun Woo's mind, he didn't have Hae In's support anywhere, be it against his in-Laws or in the company. She is silent against her family and hostile and argumentative in the company. He doesn't know what all she does for him on the sly or in backstage. He is not aware and Hae In never made the effort to change that situation.

All that pressure, anxiety, gear and emotional drain took its toll on Hyun Woo's emotional capacity. Stuck in a state of constant negativity, his initial reaction to Hae In's illness might be a form of self-preservation. He shuts down completely, unable to process the additional emotional burden of her mortality.

Something to remember is also the fact, that although he was thinking of it, the one thing that pushed him to draft the divorce papers were the talk of their child, whose entire identity and life was being decided by Hae In's family while she had no opinion on that and couldn't care less. This entire situation fueled the fire of resentment burning within Hyun Woo. Here was Hae In, seemingly indifferent to the future of their potential child, the very thing that initially distanced them. It felt like a repeat of their early struggles, where her family held all the cards and Hae In remained silent, leaving him to battle alone.

This perception, however flawed it might be, explains his impulsive decision to draft the divorce papers. Exhausted and emotionally hollowed out, he saw the child issue as the final straw, a symbol of their inability to stand together. He might have been grasping at a desperate solution, a way to force a change in their dynamic, a cry for her to finally fight for him and their future.

Of course, this doesn't paint Hyun Woo as a hero. His actions were undeniably hurtful, a clumsy and emotionally charged attempt to solve a complex situation. But by understanding the immense pressure he was under, the constant negativity seeping into his core, we can see a flicker of vulnerability beneath his anger. He craved Hae In's support, her voice alongside his in the face of adversity. Perhaps, the divorce papers were a twisted plea for her to finally break her silence, to acknowledge his pain and fight for their future together.

Here's where empathy becomes crucial. While his actions are undeniably hurtful, it's important to consider if they stem from malice or a desperate attempt to cope.

Think about it this way: Imagine a cup overflowing with negativity. Hyun Woo's daily struggles with his in-laws, the lack of support at work, and the constant emotional strain have already filled his cup to the brim. When Hae In's illness is revealed, it's simply too much for him to handle at that moment. He doesn't have the emotional space to understand the gravity of her situation, let alone offer support. in fact, it's easy for him to consider her death as an easy escape since his capacity for empathy or his love for her was essentially buried under all that negativity.

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I want to k*ll that shibalsaekki so bad. Such an opportunist and I just can’t accept that HyunWoo is played by him. While i know that he is occupied with Hae In but my man had to be on top of everything. I just can’t wait for that fcker to get his punishment and for BaekHong couple back again. I stopped halfway of episode 14 because i cannot stand to watch that fcker, and i will wait until all episodes come out so that i can bingewatch the whole thing. But obv i watch the spoiler clips because my BaekHong heart can stand it lol