A confession has been given! A love gauntlet has been thrown! Will Do-hee accept this relationship challenge? (I mean, the challenge would be to not accept it if you have Song Seung-heon standing in front of you with those pleading eyes, I’m just saying).

Even if she says no, he has agreed to be the doctor in this internet TV show which means ♫ LoTs oF foRceD pRoXimiTy♫. There is no “lets not meet for dinner mate anymore” and a lot more of “can you not come to work today?”

Caution: Be wary of typos

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Shorthand Character Chart: Dinner Mates Character Chart

How we do this: This live recap will be in two parts and we segment each post around every 10 minutes. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later depending on the scene. There will be typos which we have fantasies of fixing once the episode finishes airing. Also, if there is a preview then we will try and translate it. Look for that at the bottom or on a separate post!

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KOREAN DRAMA DINNER MATES RECAP EPISODE 17 & 18 – PART 1

——-dramamilk.com——-

/1/

Hae-kyung and Do-hee are standing on the rooftop terrace, looking at each other earnestly. 

HK – I said all the endings would be the same but you said one ending can be different. I will give that a try. I am being the most courageous in my life so….I like you Woo Do-hee.

He takes a step closer to her and another step and stops. He holds her hand and looks at her bandaid.

HK – Are you okay?

DH – *pulls her hand back lightly* Just a little scratch.

HK – Would you like to have dinner together?

He tries to smile but it looks corny and she looks at him cautiously but softly.

Downstairs, Sora and the rest of the team talk about the two of them.

SR – So they went upstairs?

JK – *nervous* Yes! He said, come to the rooftop! One on one (like a fight)

JW – *hops up* Why aren’t they coming down! Should I go up there?

The boss comes in and leans against a booth.

AY – Why dont you just let them be one-on-one?

All the other guys say okay but they still look concerned. The boss walks back to her room.

DINNER

Hae-kyung and Do-hee are already at dinner. They have their food in front of them.

HK – Do you not like it?

DH – Well….

HK – I will change the question, do you like it?

DH – Well….

HK – Why do you answer so ambiguous?

DH – I am in an ambiguous situation now.

HK – Hmm…*wipes mouth*….what is the problem, let me listen to it.

She thinks back to her breakup with Jeju person and then the phone hanging up on her and talking to Hae-kyung in his car about being abandoned or getting abandoned is the same thing. It is better not to start at all.

DH – I don’t think the end will be good with you.

HK – How can you draw that kind of conclusion and not even start?

DH – We don’t have secrets, I showed you all the way to the bottom of my pitiful love life. The reality is different, you know that.

HK – If this is not reality, then are we in virtual reality? *drinks his wine*

DH – Well, my answer is no.

HK – Okay.

DH – Why are you giving up so quickly!

HK – I am not giving up, I am just agreeing with what you said. Your answer is no but I interpret it as you not liking me.

DH – You just interpret it your own way.

HK – *smiles* I am just telling you what I see.

DH – Are you showing off that you are a psychiatrist? Why didn’t I know this?

HK – I am a good doctor.

DH – I know.

HK – So catch me.

DH – What? Catch you? I told you no.

HK – *chuckles* You don’t need to recruit a psychiatrist for your show? You wanted it so much but you don’t need it anymore?

DH – There are a lot of psychiatrists in the world.

HK – Yes, but I am the only Kim Hae-kyung.

DH – Wow~ I always felt this but how can you be so confident?

HK – I am not confident, I am just hanging it out there, until you say yes I will be with you and wait for the chance.

DH – *speechless*

Do-hee grabs a bread and starts to peel it. He sees that her bandaid is half off so he reaches across to lightly hold her hand and inspect it. He actually carries bandaids in his jacket pocket, so he takes out a cute on and puts it on her hand.

DH – A teddy bear? *sigh* Your taste….

HK – you should respect my preference. If it falls off then you can add a new one.

He slides over his box of bandaids and keeps eating. She takes it hesitantly and looks at him. He is very happy. He holds his glass up for a toast, she hesitantly toasts with him.

later on that evening, she thinks on her couch, sitting in front of her computer. He lays in bed thinking about her. Then he turns off his light and rolls over. She rolls her finger over her bandaid and then sits with the stuffed penguin to play with it. But mostly to ciddle with it.

Hae-kyung rolls back over and turns the light back on. He grabs his phone and watches Do-hee’s old spoof drunk TV show and laughs.

NO EUL

Noeul sits in a massage chair and posts an Instagram saying that she will recover and show them her healthy self. 

Everyone sends her messages that say to recover fast and that she is pretty. They ask if she will be on TV. One person asks about the debt problem which starts a back and forth with another person saying that she did not do it so why does she have to explain it? Then the messages turn into that.

Noeul turns on her massage chair and sighs. Another message tells everyone that she is having a hard time because of her mother.

Noeul has a flashback to Hae-kyung’s mother. she asked his mother why she hates her so much? Moon-jung says that she knew she would leave Hae-kyung. You are just like me.

Noeul tells her that she should be able to understand her then. The mother asks, who understands whom? I only think about me, you should be the same. Can you be excused? Noeul sees the mothers cancer books but does not say anything about it.

In the present, she checks her phone to call Moon-jung. Moon-young is leaving a building and has a sudden sharp pain. She bends over at the hip and grips her waste in agony.

—————–

/2/

OFFICE

BJ goes into Hae-kyung’s office and asks if he can sign some paperwork. Hae-kyung is looking at his phone so BJ asks, are you waiting for her to contact you? Your friend that you ate samgyupsal with?

Hae-kyung asks, who? And ignores him. BJ tells him that now is the time for him to yell ijashik at him. Right? Is it true, you really have a woman? He leans in closely to him.

Hae-kyung calls him ijashik and tells him to empty his schedule. BJ is still all in his ear asking what might happen today.

But they are interrupted by Noeul who is there at the door. BJ leaves. Hae-kyung asks her what is up. She tells him that his mother does not look well. He asks if she saw his mother? She says that he should contact her, I just wanted to tell you this, goodbye.

2N BOX

Do-he gets to work, everyone is already there. Jung-whan and Jin-kyu comes up to her with excitement in their eyes and ask what happened? Who won? You were one-on-one with Kim Hae-kyung.

But before Do-hee can respond, the boss tells her to come into her office. Jin-kyu thinks she lost. Jung-hwan thinks she shouldn’t have.

Inside Ah-yong’s office, Ah-young tells her that she told her not to come to work and to just rest, but you came out? Do-hee shrugs and says she should work.

AY – So you came out and had a one-on-one with Kim Hae-kyung?

DH – he will be on our show. He came and told me.

AY – What? He did? What the f? the old boyfriend, old girlfriend show, hmm, maybe it can be fun.

DH – *startled* Come on eunnie!

AY – What do you want to do?

DH – I don’t know

AY – If you don’t know then who knows?

DH – I don’t know!

AY – How dare you yell! As CEO, if you ruin our program with your personal life then I will kill you. *points dramatically* If you get hurt do to work then I will kill you also.

DH – So, what you are saying is I am dead anyway.

AY – Think about it carefully, what will make you hurt less.

DH – Eunnie….*dramatically leans* …. fried pork lunch?

AY – Call.

LUNCH

They go to the lunch place and record their lunch on video. They have ten minutes to eat it all so they have a timer set up and everything. They start the timer and start to chow down. 

Both finish it on time and sit back with their full bellies. They joke a bit about it and Do-hee goes into a fun eating memory with Jae-hyuk back when they were dating. She also ordered dongkasu (fried pork) with him. He told her that next time they can eat something really nice.

Do-hee tells Ah-young that back then they couldn’t eat this meal because they didn’t have one more dollar. Ah-young asks if she wants to eat one more serving? She calls to the ajumma. But Do-hee says it is okay. i am just telling you that we were like that back then.

They walk out happily and stuffed and joking about their food. But Jae-hyuk ruins the mood by showing up. Ah-young heads off. Do-hee asks if he is there to eat? He says no, I am here to see you. I came here just in case, but I did not expect you to be here.

he sees her hand and asks if it is okay? She tells him yes it is fine, just a scratch. She covers it and asks if he is okay? he tells her he is, if you come with me to the hospital then I will feel better. Can you come with me?

HOSPITAL

Meanwhile, Moon-jung is in the hospital. She is in a hospital bed reading a food book. Her stomach still hurts her. 

In the lobby area, Do-hee sits and waits for Jae-hyuk. 

Hae-kyung is also there looking for his mother. Byung-joon told him that he found her in the hospital.

In his meeting, the doctor tells Jae-hyuk that his arm is fine, you don’t need to come anymore.

In Hae-kyung’s meeting, the doctor tells him that Moon-young is in end stage stomach cancer. They can have surgery, but they can only say that they will do their best.

Hae-kyung asks, that means it can go bad. The doctor doesn’t respond. 

Hae-kyung walks to his mothers room and looks at her through the window. She is holding her stomach and reading the food book. He takes a deep breath and knocks. Then he goes inside and sits. He is still upset.

Mom – You came.

HK – Why didn’t you tell me?

Mom – I told you to come with me to the hospital.

HK – You should have told me that you were this sick! You have cancer! You could have told me before I asked around.

Mom – Well I am happy that you are angry. I feel like you worry about me.

HK – *pained* You are really really selfish.

Mom – I know.

He sees the book which is an easy cooking home meal book.

Mom – Before, I did not know why people read this. Now I know why moms always said to eat meals. More than 100 recipes in this book, but I do not know what you like.

Hae-kyung has a flashback of eating but his mother did not eat with him. She was in the living room working. So he ate alone at the table.

Mom – When I am discharged, let’s eat a meal together. I want to make you something before it gets too late.

He looks away.

HK – Lets think about getting discharged first and then talk about it.

He leaves. She is happier but he doesn’t look at her again. He goes outside and cries in the hallway alone. he looks back at his mothers door and covers his mouth and cries.

—————–

/3/

BUS STOP

Jae-hyuk tells Do-hee that he is hungry, do you want to eat with me? She tells him that she ate with Ah-young eunnie. He asks if she would like to go to a curry place close to their school? We haven’t been there in awhile.

She asks, why should we? And stands to walk away. He holds her hand and stands.

JH – Back then, my mother was sick. I was in a hurry and wasn’t good enough so I couldn’t do anything. It is true.

DH – Okay. You had to leave and it was about your mom. I understand.

Back in the hospital, Hae-kyung looks at her mother in her hospital bed. The doctor voices over that Moon-jung was worried that she would not be able to get a signature agreement from her son. This is good.

Hae-kyung tucks his mother in a bit more.

Outside, Do-hee tells Jae-hyuk that nothing changes, even if I know that. My heart has ended. He tells her not to say it is done. it is not done yet. Do-hee. Back then I did not have anything. i only lived because of you. Now I can really make you happy.

Do-hee tells him that she was happy with the him that did not have anything and now I am happy without you. Let me go.

She walks away and gets in her bus. She doesn’t look at him when it drives away. He looks at her leaving.

MOUNTAIN GRAVEYARD

Hae-kyung walks with a bouquet of flowers up a mountain to his fathers gravesite next to a tall tree.

HK – Abogi, I brought Lee Moon-jung’s writers book whom you love.

He sets the book down in front of the gravesite along with his flowers. Then he thinks back to siting with his father in the hospital. His father tried to eat something but it was hard. hae-kyung tells him that he will buy him anything he wants to eat.

The father says that Hae-kyungs mother never cooked. she made noodles sometimes. Don’t hate your mother so much. She just does not know. She will regret that she did not make guksu for you. Hae-kyung says he will not want to eat it.

The father apologizes to his son and says that he should have been a good mother and father for him. He lightly rubs his head.

In the present, Hae-kyung asks, how did you know that Umma would regret, abogi? What should I do now that she does regret things? Why didn’t you tell me that? He covers his face and starts to cry a bit more. He asks his father what he should do now.

CONVENIENCE STORE

That night, Ah-young walks up to Keanu in the convenience store. She asks him if he ate? Come eat mandu with me. he laughs in his big boisterous way and walks off with her.

They go to the mandu place. She asks why he looks so sad, I thought you liked mandu. Keanu tells Ah-young that his daughter liked mandu. Her taste buds were like mine.

She asks why it is the past tense? Do you not live with her? Where is she? He says she left and went far far away with my wife. She apologizes. He tells her that is not it, she really left. They left me alone.

Ah-young asks, how can she leave you with the family? Is that why you became homeless? Then why do you sit under the convenience store? Keanu tells her that he is waiting for someone.

She gives him one of her mandu, he chuckles and eats it. 

When he leaves, he sees a news message about a patient that overdosed with psychotic drugs and has now died. It looks like it triggers him. He remembers being a doctor and seeing a news report about a depressed patient committing suicide. He prescribed this medicine to them.

The police come in right then and arrest him. The news person is Jae-hyuk. 

BAR

Gun-woo asks Jae-hyuk why he studied abroad and quit his reporter job? Jae-hyuk says he wanted to be a better person. Gun-woo tells him that going to graduate school in America does not make you a better person.

JH – I wanted to come back proud of myself in front of her

GW – But you finally became a reporter

Jh – Can we just stop talking about it?

GW – *nods*

JH – What is the relationship between you and Hae-kyung and Noeul?

GW – Friends. How do you know Hae-kyung and Noeul?

JH – My love enemy and helper

END PART ONE

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Click here for part 2

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