Hello Future, Goodbye Past...

Is it goodbye? Does it have to be goodbye? I know that moving on to another thing i.e. university or college would mean leaving your high school and friends of 5 years (or more)... But then again, it signifies the beginning of what would probably be the journey to what you really want to do in life...

So, the great thing about the FUTURE is that you'll be taking the first step in the direction of your dreams but that would also mean walking away from your past...

Does there have to be a goodbye? It's hard to grasp the fact at first but when reality hits you so fast and hard that you can barely hold on, you stop thinking about everything else but the fact that you need to keep holding on... Only after when you have a little time to think about the past and reflect, do you come to feel a little regret...

Questions that you were so sure you could answer before suddenly become exceptionally hard and you keep telling yourself that you made the right choice but you just can't shake off that feeling that you made a mistake...

The simple explanation for that is that you don't really want to let go... I mean honestly, who would want to let go off the past... No one... It's not wrong to let it go but most people wouldn't... Myself included... Whenever I see pictures of my friends whom I used to be close to but have now drifted apart from, I can't help but wish that I followed in their direction and pursued the same thing that they did... But then I realized that if I were to do that, I may come to regret it in the future... So, yes... As we move forward in pursuit of our dreams, we would probably make friends along the way... A few who would stay with you and many who would just come and go... Those who actually stay are those worth keeping... They're the ones who have been there when you needed them the most and they'll probably keep being there for you no matter what... And the friends you make along the way, well, they'll be around too.... But there are just somethings that you would only share with your closest friends...

~The Synopsis for Spy Myungwol will continue.. So, no worries...~

Synopsis for Spy Myung Wol- Episode 3

EPISODE 3:

This episode begins by a short review of what had occurred in Episode 2 to show how we got there: Myung-wol is given three months to marry Kang-woo and another North Korean spy, Ok-soon has been put in charge of her 'lady training'. The thing is she’s so bad at using her feminine wiles that Ok-soon decides the best strategy is to go in with a direct assault: a declaration of love.

Myung-wol studies a variety of Hollywood romance movies and their K-drama counterparts, taking in Im Soo-jung’s anguished love declaration from MISA (I’m Sorry, I Love You).

Okay, so back to this episode. Hee-bok is seen walking into a building disguised as a repairman. He uses an escalator to get to the floor Kang-woo's on. Then, he plants a camera for spy surveillance in a flower pot on that very floor. Before sending Myung-wol in, Ok-soon gives her the advice that the key to Operation Seduce Kang-woo is “a quick progression and skinship.”

Myung-wol wears a wire (hearing device) and waits in place for Kang-woo. As soon as he walks out from his dressing room, she reaches out and grabs his wrist. He turns around and she repeats the words Ok-soon feeds her through her hearing device. She starts off by saying “I don’t expect anything from you — just let me be with you,” and pauses as Ok-soon tells her to. Meanwhile, Hee-bok, who is in the same room as Ok-soon, scoffs at her and says that her dialogue is too old-school — men don’t want a clingy declaration — and it doesn’t appear to be working on Kang-woo. Myung-wol hears the two spies bickering with one another over the hearing piece and pauses to wait for instructions from Ok-soon. It seemed clear to the two spies that Kang-woo was unaffected by Myung-wol's confession and thus, asks her retreat. However, she did not want to give up and decides to take a plunge and goes off script.

Myung-wol: I love you.

Kang-woo: You?? Me?? Love?

Before he could say anything else, he sees In-ah at the end of the corridor watching them with her arms crossed. He grabs Myung-wol and kisses her right before In-ah's eyes, all the while, staring at her. Both the spies gasps as they watch Kang-woo kissing Myung-wol, shocked at his action.

When he releases her, he finds her staring at him in surprise. However, the shock wears off almost immediately and she closes her hands around his neck and starts to strangle him. He asks her, “What, isn’t this what you wanted?”as he gasps for air. Ok-soon asks her to release him and to retreat rather than attempt explanation, so, Myung-wol releases her grip on his neck and just runs away.

Meanwhile, In-ah thinks that he's trying to make her jealous and tells Kang-woo to cut today’s shoot short because she is in no mood to film. He tells her to be a professional and not to let her true feelings get in the way of her acting or just give up and go home. He walks away leaving In-ah in his midst, filled with rage. She takes it out on her phone and throws it on the ground.

Ryu picks up the phone In-ah throws and hands it back to her. She recognizes him from Singapore and mentions it to him. He merely says they can attribute this meeting to “strange coincidence,” and leaves.

Kang-woo can’t shake Myung-wol’s declaration because he can’t figure her out and that intrigues him. He thinks back to all their encounters i.e the explosion on the set.

In the following days, he sees Myung-wol everywhere — working at the cafe, posing as a stylist at the station — and naturally shakes it off, thinking he’s seeing things when in actual fact, Ok-soon had Myung-wol dress up as random people and to appear in various places in front of Kang-woo to have him think that he keeps seeing her (to make him think that he had indeed have some feelings for her.)

Ok-soon tells her that the plan is to make him doubt his own eyes because his interest will be stirred once he starts wondering why all the women around him suddenly resemble her. It's like they were trying to mess with him psychologically.

The kiss — and this mission — gets Myung-wol all confused, too, and she tells the stone-faced Ryu that she’d always known who her enemy was — till now. Ryu tells her to think simply of her orders and never forget them. Spoken like a true soldier automaton.

In-ah’s grandfather, hotelier Chairman Joo, background-checks the helpful stranger he’d met in Singapore and finds that Choi Ryu has quite the resumé with creds from Geneva University and such. Obviously his identity had been padded but seeing as Chairman Joo did not suspect that, he is reassured that Ryu is no danger to him.

Kang-woo meets with an elderly man in a teashop, a longtime acquaintance who is familiar with his quest for the lost ancient books. The man knows what he had been looking for in the past decade and advises him to give up the search now. Kang-woo says he has to find it, even though the only hard clue he has to go by is the name: Goblin.

The ajusshi passes along a contact but adds the caution that what he’s heard of this man’s legendary ability to find anybody is merely rumor. Which turns out to be Hee-bok’s investigative agency. (It's beginning to seem like such a small world.)

Ryu is brought in by Chairman Joo, who asks if he knows about the four ancient volumes known as the 'Tetra Codex' and what they mean. (As the story goes, one went missing before the four were even completed, so they’ve never occupied the same space together. Each volume is needed to unlock the other coded books, so one must possess all four to make meaning of the books.)

Chariman Joo explains that there aren’t many people able to tell apart the real artifacts from the fake implying that Ryu is one of them and asks Ryu to work for him. Ryu answers that he’s never seen the real one but he’s seen plenty of fakes to be able to spot one. Thus, accepting Chairman Joo's offer.

Kang-woo seeks out the agency recommended by his aquittance and asks Hee-bok to find him the person named Goblin. When Kang-woo visits Hee-bok the next time, Hee-bok gives him a really vague sketch of a man wearing sunglasses (who honestly looked a little like Kang-woo). When Kang-woo looked at the sketch in surprise, Hee-bok explained that there are many possible ways he could look because there could be many variety of eyes behind those sunglasses i.e narrow eyes, big eyes. Hee-bok's apparent incompetency makes Kang-woo a little impatient but he still gives Hee-bok some extra money to continue on the investigation when Hee-bok asks for it.

Here's where they put their plan into play. They start out by having Hee-bok call Kang-woo to tell him that he had a lead on the person named Goblin. Hee-bok supplies Kang-woo with an address in the mountains of Gangwon-do and when Kang-woo gets there, he finds the house empty. He settles down for a long wait, tired and thirsty, until finally someone arrives, calling for “Grandpa.”

Kang-woo starts at the sight of Myung-wol, who explains demurely that she’s here to drop off some potatoes for Grandma. Heeding Ok-soon’s words not to make the first move this time, she pretends she’s about to leave, making him call out to stop her. She looks back at him and he beckons for her to wait with him. He asks her what she was holding and she opened up the pot she had to show him the boiled potatoes inside.

Hearing his stomach grumble, she offers him some potatoes but he declines haughtily. After a while, she tells him that she'll leave the potatoes with him and leaves. When she goes, he steals glances at the pot ever so often. He’s just about to take one, pride be damned, when he hears eerie voices emanating from the house and jumps back when a hand reaches up from under the house to grab his potato, the one he dropped in shocked when he heard the eerie sounds.

Turns out these are three neighborhood kids out searching for snakes (a prospect that makes Kang-woo jump and look around wildly), and he actually bristles when they don’t recognize him. (Kang-woo, miffed: “Don’t you have a TV at home?” Kid: “Why would you care if we have a TV, ajusshi?” Kang-woo: “I guess not.”)

Meanwhile, Myung-wol overhears Kang-woo's obvious fear of snakes and it gives her an idea and she goes off into the woods looking for some — after scoffing, “What kind of man is scared of a snake?” (In fact, she’s gone on training missions where they’d been her source of food.)

Kang-woo finally helps himself to a potato (grumbling all the while, “This tastes horrible. Really horrible. Why am I eating this?”), but his attention fixates on the snake that slithers into the yard. He orders the kids to go get it (“Keep it away from me!”) and Myung-wol makes her reappearance. He’s so preoccupied with the snake that he only half-heeds their conversation, inching closer to her all the while.

Myung-wol picks it up with her bare hand and dangles it in his face, wondering what’s so scary about snakes. He shudders and tells her to get it away, so she tosses it over the roof (where Hee-bok gathers it up for future use). Myung-wol assures him that the snake has probably gone off and told all his snakey friends not to come ’round but Kang-woo is still worried, “What if one of them doesn’t listen?”

Just then, another one shows up. Leaping away in fear, Kang-woo lands right in a pile of cow dung. Ha!

Off to the stream it is, to wash his hand. Once there, Myung-wol wades in and enjoys the water, while the Old Spies observe. Ok-soon’s plan: There’s nothing quite as appealing as a woman soaked with water and this time they’ll make Kang-woo rescue Myung-wol, thereby making them seem like each other’s lifesavers. Little do they know that it looks like Kang-woo’s already halfway in love (or at least attraction) with Myung-wol, stealing glances at her ever so often, against his better judgment.

Plan initiated: Myung-wol fakes a leg cramp and goes splashing into the water, crying out for help. Kang-woo dives in after her…only to realize that somehow, the snake that the kids caught has slithered free and has become entangled with his hand.

His (apparently debilitating) fear of snakes makes him oblivious to all else and now it’s Kang-woo who flails in the water. Myung-wol is forced to be the savior once again and pulls him to safety.

He wakes up in the village hospital, where his agent, President Kyung, finds him. She’s in damage control mode because the internet has exploded with news of the set accident and rumors that Kang-woo kicked his savior girl to the curb without showing her any gratitude.

President Kyung finds it mighty curious that Myung-wol continues to bump into Kang-woo, although it’s a fortuitous coincidence this time since she was looking for her anyway. She wants Myung-wol to make a statement explaining that Kang-woo paid for her hospital bills and gave her a sizable reward and hands over an envelope of money to make that statement true.

The Spy Squad decides it’s time to change up their strategy and Ok-soon proposes that Myung-wol ask to be assigned as Kang-woo’s personal bodyguard. Whether he’ll accept that request is another matter.

Hee-bok’s employee Dae-kang bursts into the agency all torn up at being left out of the loop and being essentially fired. Hee-bok hilariously talks about his wife and daughter like they’re really his true family, saying that the Missus didn’t want to make a big fuss over the wedding. He gives Dae-kang a tearful hug, sorry to lose him as a partner who was in a way like a son to him.

Now for the introduction of yet another entity: The NSA, the South Korean agency safeguarding national security. In a briefing, they discuss Chairman Joo and his recent trips in search of certain national treasures. But according to their intel, while in Singapore, he also made contact with the North.

The meeting is presided over by Agent Yoo Jung-shik, who is told (with some anxiousness) that this report was prepared by Agent Yoo Da-hae.

Sure enough, agents Yoo and Yoo battle it out over a session of kendo (or geom-do), where we are tipped off to some clues about this contentious father-daughter relationship. Dad worries excessively for her safety and keeps her buried in paperwork, which Da-hae resents. She wins this round and earns the right to be included in this case against his better judgement.

Ryu’s new position takes him to the Joo Mansion, where he runs into In-ah. Who, naturally, presumes he must be stalking her. Her grandfather overhears her and tells In-ah that Ryu is his new employee.

Chairman Joo presents Ryu with photos of the ancient book and Ryu answers that he can’t judge its authenticity: “Although I might, if I could see the real thing in person.” However, instead of showing Ryu the book immediately, Chairman Joo told Ryu that he had to gain his confidence first.

Ryu finds Myung-wol brooding again and she confesses that she thinks she’s the wrong person for this job. She’s so unclear on how to succeed in this mission that she’s afraid she’ll fail her country.

Ryu asks why she applied for his special ops squad and she answers that she wanted to die for her country meaningfully, as her father had done. His squad is a place she could entrust her life, because, “I have no family. So, I want to enter in that one.” She promises to return to that family.

Hee-bok is totally enjoying his role as husband way too much, to Ok-soon’s irritation. Dae-kang walks in with new resolve, to their surprise, and declares that he can’t give up on his love over something so trifling as a salary. Initiate hilarious misunderstanding: Hee-bok: “You…loved me?” Ok-soon: Suspicious side-eye. Dae-kang: “No, not that!”

Dae-kang sidles up to Myung-wol outside, where her cat-like reflexes kick in; she grabs his hand and twists it before seeing that it’s harmless Dae-kang. He smiles up at the pretty noona and earnestly expresses his alarm over the mosquitoes that threaten her, “Since they’re bastards that attack you to steal your precious blood!”

Grasping her hands in his, he declares, “I knew at first sight that you were my fate!”

The news hits the media of Kang-woo’s superwoman savior and the girl formerly known as the high school student is explained in the reports as Kang-woo’s bodyguard.

With that, Myung-wol is installed as the bodyguard; President Kyung was forced to accept that condition, since it was the only way Myung-wol would participate, thereby, stopping the rumors that Kang-woo was being ungrateful to his saviour.

President Kyung reminds her of the rules and Myung-wol recites them: she is not to speak of her work to the public, she is not to tarnish Kang-woo’s image, and she is not to cause any unsavory incidents to blow up into a scandal. Furthermore, President Kyung has just fired Kang-woo’s manager for being lazy, so, she asks Myung-wol to do basic manager duties, like running errands. Which would keep her glued to his side, day and night.

Kang-woo is frustrated with her request (and I can see why... Imagine having to look at someone who you have mixed feelings about everyday). He finds her constant hovering unsettling but she reminds him that she has orders not to let him out of her sight.

She does, perhaps, take her job a tad too seriously, practically terrorizing the dry cleaning deliveryman in her search for threats. A rogue staple merits a vicious patdown of the garments.

The next disturbance: a crowd of young men, demonstrating against Kang-woo outside his house. The hilarious part? Their tone is all serious as if it were a political-protest but their grievance is that Kang-woo despoiled the reputation of their favorite female star. (So, they were there to avenge her... Go, fanboys... xD)

They demand that Kang-woo restore Hayuri’s angelic image, ignoring Myung-wol’s orders to be quiet. She slowly approaches them and asks for the leader getting a reply from a boy who she could only presumed to be the one behind all this shenanigan.

Initially, the boys come on as brave and not knowing any better, willing to fight if it would result in regaining their idol's dignity. However, it is obvious that they are a little scared when she casually flicks her wrist and challenges them to go ahead and take her on.They take her up on her offer.

The result? A line of duck-walks around the yard with Myung-wol leading the recitation: “I will not interfere with other people’s business.” When they were done and she told them all to return home, they all look at her in admiration and asks her how someone as pretty as she could be such a tough cookie as well. She just smiles and advices them to go home.

She returns home where Kang-woo tells her to leave him alone. She promises not to bother him and stays by his side explaining that she was instructed to keep an eye on him at all times. While standing guard, she recalls Ok-soon’s advice that she’s to act the part of a woman “crazy in love.”

Taking a page from lovesick Dae-kang’s book, she approaches to touch Kang-woo’s cheek, explaining that a mosquito was about to bite him. There’s something about Kang-woo’s own swift reflexes — much like hers, though he’s less, uh, violent — that has me wondering what his true deal is… I’m not convinced he’s just an ordinary Hallyu star… (Well, as ordinary as a Hallyu star gets.)

Myung-wol starts to repeat Dae-kang’s words about how the mosquitoes were going after his precious blood, only Kang-woo’s now batting at the air and misses her comment.

Myung-wol cringes before repeating Dae-kang’s corny words about the bloodsuckers and mumbles in her embarrassment, “Kang-woo-sshi… blood… guys…” He totally kills the moment, though, by grilling her, military-style: “Blood? What did you say? What about mosquitoes?” All she can say is that she hates them and he gets up to leave in exasperation.

With her moment slipping away, Myung-wol goes off-script and bursts out, “I don’t care if this is a crazy love. I’ll stay by your side and protect you—”

But looking around, he’s gone. She’s disappointed, until he reappears to ask, “Do you know why I’m letting you stick around? Because you’re someone who risked your life for me. I feel like I ought to repay the one who saved my life.”

She’s touched and smiles with a few tears in her eyes. Until he adds, “I’ll make sure that you tire of that crazy love of yours, wait and see.”

Meanwhile, In-ah hears about the new wave of gossip spreading about Kang-woo’s hot bodyguard, replete with speculation of there being more to their relationship. So, she puts on an indifferent expression and arrives on set to find Myung-wol standing guard.

Myung-wol blocks In-ah from approaching Kang-woo, saying he’s to be left alone. In-ah pulls the “Do you know who I am?” card, saying she’s somebody who isn’t to be blocked and that she's an exception to the rule. She goes on by questioning Myung-wol about whether Kang-woo's previous manager told her anything about that. When Myung-wol says no, In-ah asks her to go check with him and tries once again to approach Kang-woo.

Myung-wol still refuses to let her through much to In-ah’s ire. She responds the only way she knew how. She raised her hand to Myung-wol only to get her arm twisted behind her by Myung-wol who manages to stop her in time. She raises her voice a little and says that Myung-wol is hurting her.

Kang-woo gets up to approach the two ladies and his intervention mollifies In-ah. He tells Myung-wol to let go, which gratifies In-ah to have him come to her aid.

Or so she thinks — because she makes a second attempt at a slap, only to be stopped by Kang-woo this time.

Eyes widen all around and Kang-woo glares at In-ah telling her, “Don’t mess with her.”