Bridal Mask E22

Am I the only one who stopped breathing in the last few seconds? At first glance, someone might say the look on S’s face was anger, but I interpreted it as full on betrayal. Those weren’t tears of anger, but suppressed disbelief. It was the look you make when you hope and pray you are wrong – knowing all along that you are just deceiving yourself. You have to do what comes next, but every part of you wants to resist.Till that last second, I bet he was saying in his head repeatedly “please let me be wrong.” I can’t help it, but I felt sorry for him. I should be pitying the other guy, but the conflicted expression on S’s face just killed me. It’s the look I would make if I was faced with the worst decision of my life.

*Thanks to Semi-fly for torrents, Sparkskey for written translations, and Yanna for video links.

Ep23 preview When Gaksital who was supposed to help Dongjin’s advisor Reporter Song escape is late in contacting them, Mokdan worries that Gaksital is in danger and starts feeling uneasy

She is startled when Hongjoo comes to find her but hears something unexpected from her…

*poor JW had a cold when he filmed some of these scenes tonight. you can hear his voice very clearly that he was sick.

written before it aired. I just realized last night after Park died that originally this drama was going to end next week at 24. Now with the extension, they have six more episodes to tie up the story. Doesn’t that mean Gaksital has to start killing a lot more bad guys if he is ever going to get to the kishokai chairman. Any wagers on who might be next to meet the unpleasant end of that flute? I am really hoping for any of these to go next in this order– Yoshi, the chairman’s right hand man, Lee, Taro, and I don’t know why but I just can’t put S on this list. I keep hoping there is a redeeming factor somewhere deep inside him. Plus I don’t want K to have to kill his former best friend. Even though S has done some terrible things recently, I am not sure K has it in him to follow through. Since K has had to face a lot of demons so far, I want to spare him that last one where he has to live with himself after taking the life of his only friend.

E22

Starts from gaksital listing Park’s crimes and how he came to make Park pay. Then he kills park

K changes and goes back to the station and S is sitting there waiting. S stands up and they face each other. S walks over and K speaks first. He says sorry when I go home I come in like this. S: I should learn too. K: did everyone go somewhere. S says they went out on a call and asks for some ice coffee. K asks if he wants a lot of ice. S smiles and says yes that would be nice.

S goes back into his office and says in his head-  you think you can deceive me till the end. Just wait and see, I will take your mask off with my own hands.

K knocks and comes in with his coffee. S invites him to sit. S asks for some help -you be in charge of  gaksital’s case. K asks what S is going to do. wasnt gaksital you objective. S says I am going to die cuz of yesterday flag incident. everything is upside down. they are afraid of another rebel bombing so they want me to catch the ones in charge. K says make lackey do it but S says don’t you want to get your position back. Do you want any help -who should I put on the case with you. K says no just get lackey off my back. S:ok. Lackey comes in and says park was attacked by gaksital and killed him. S tells him that K is going to be in charge of gaksital’s case for the time being so you stay out of it. lackey asks why. K says I will go to the site first. S: do well. K leaves and watches lackey and S argue

K gets a call from D. she tells him to go now to the tailor and there will be a visitor he will be glad to meet. He says I will go now. K leaves and lackey calls the spy officer to follow K but S says no. it’s more important to catch K off his guard and make him feel secure

K goes there and meets with DS. They smile at each other and DS touches K’s arm. they go in together and the tailor is confused that DS took K inside. a woman welcomes K and says the teacher has been waiting. DS says the teacher wanted to meet K a lot.

When they go in Yang is writing something with a shaky hand. the woman gets his attention. Yang stands and smiles at K. K introduces himself. Please accept my formal bow. Yang stops him and says what bow. He hugs K and says thank you.

Over tea and boiled potatoes, Yang says how he was ordered by his mom that when yang meets K that yang should boil these and give it to K to eat.  it’s his mom’s potatoes that she grew so it will be delicious. The woman offers to peel it but Yang says I will do it. DS reminds her how much Yang wanted to do this all the way to the capitol. He feeds K. K cries as he eats thinking of the last time his mom brought potatoes for snacks for his hyung and K. back when K was drying his hyung’s shoes under his arm pits. How they shoved potatoes into each other’s mouths. He keeps crying more so yang gives him water. K drinks and eats more and keeps crying. (Yang treated K like a grandson and it’s been a while since K felt the warmth of family so I think that’s what made him so emotional -plus i bet K just misses his family a lot.)

Lee’s son is getting drunk. He makes the girl pour more beer. He pulls another girl onto his lap. He says call the madam. I grew up without my own father telling me to go away. Waiter says how many days have you been doing this. Lee’s son says are you looking down on me too. I am cowardly so what are you going to do. Waiter says is that anything to brag about. Our madam is with an important visitor. Lee’s son repeats important visitor

Madam is talking to the new guy about the reporter song and his staff and how they were all caught yesterday. the guy worries that song wasnt able to pass on the letter to dong jin.  she asks what do we do if song didnt pass it on. the guy asks which police station song is being kept. she tells him and asks what are you going to do. Lee jr goes in and asks if she has a new boyfriend. Is that why you reacted so strongly. He asks who the guy is. what is your relationship with her. The guy knocks him out. the waiter comes in and the guy says see you again. Waiter says call me anytime you need my help. Take care of yourself. the guy leaves. madam tells the waiter to get rid of Lee jr

K tells Yang how Taro and them know that Yang is here. if you get caught you will be killed. why did you come here facing such danger. Yang says I came to meet dong jin. The woman says yang sent people to dong jin but before they could contact dong jin they got killed by the enemy and none came back. so yang didn’t want any more young people to die so Yang came himself. DS says when i came there were too many enemies so I couldnt meet dong jin. Yang says I have to find dong jin andcombine his strength and mine. we have something we must do together

The other guy comes in and says dong jin didn’t get the letter that yang wanted to meet cuz the guy who was supposed to pass it on  (Song)  was captured

The spy officer is whipping the reporter Song and S says stop. S says to him-you are a reporter so you should understand when people talk.  The reporter retorts – what is power do I have to understand I should just do as told. S brings up the flags he passed out and how it was all planned with the rebels to match the time the athlete passed. song laughs and asks is that what you think.  S makes the officer take Song’s clothes off. So Song is in his underwear. The officer finds a note in the lining of his clothes. S reads the letter. The grandpa is coming …that letter the madam read. S guesses the grandpa is yang and Jin ajussi is Dong jin. S laughs cuz he broke the code.

Taro repeats yang wants to meet dong jin – to do what when they meet. Yoshi cant believe yang and dong jin are still around. taro says how yang and dong jin would never back out. yoshi feels uneasy about those two meeting cuz yang terrorized overseas and dong jin stirred up rebel spirit here in korea. Taro tells S find either yang or dong jin quickly – no matter what you have to stop them from meeting. S says ok

K says he will try to talk to song and find out where dong jin is based. DS asks if he can cuz song thinks K is the enemy. Yang gives him a note to show song. that way song will know K is with yang cuz yang writes this for comrades he meets. song will remembers cuz he met yang. the other guy worries cuz yang’s handwriting is not the same as before. DS says if song doesnt believe it was written by yang then tell him it’s cuz of a bullet. The woman says how yang’s handwriting has changed cuz he got shot and they couldnt take the bullet out so his right hand shakes. K promises to find out wher dong jin is. yang: thank you I will trust you and wait

K goes to meet song using the cover that he needs to investigate for a short time but S calls him. he asks investigate what.  K comes up with a  lie-  about how he needs to investigate if gaksital is part of dong jin’s organization since Park died cuz of that report about dong jin.  S says I will look into it but K says you put me in charge of gaksital’s case.  should I just not follow my lead? S thinks in his head K is making up a story to meet dong jin’s group member. K says gaksital and dong jin might know each other. S says K might be following the wrong lead. cuz park was hated by many so it might not have been dong jin’s group. so K says I will look into another direction then.

S watches as K goes to the file room and read a file- it’s info about their suspects with photo. He looked up dong jin

S goes inside and looks at what K looked up. he says in his head how K said he would redirect his investigation but he looked up dong jin’s file. yang wants to meet dong jin so is K really on the same side as yang. Is K really gaksital.

Park junior cries and says how his dad died without being able to close his eyes. he asks for UH to catch his father’s killer. if you catch gaksital I will pledge my life and serve you. UH asks if H heard that. H says sorry I didn’t know gaksital would kill park. I will catch him.  UH warns if another kishokai member dies then H has to put her neck out. meaning she has to die. UH gives park jr a membership into kishokai in his father’s place. park jr thanks him and says I will do my best. UH tells him to leave.  UH tells H to do better.

K walks by the interrogation room and no one is around. He goes downstairs. Song is missing.

S stops H when she walks by and tells Jun to get out of the way. I have something to dicuss with this woman. S drags her into a room and says: I am going to ask you for the last time. you know I can meet your dad right now when i leave this room. You know I am not the kind of person who will be lenient on you right. K is gaksital right. She says he lost his judgment cuz he is crazed over a girl. she says how gaksital got hurt and had scars on his right arm and thigh during the fight -since you suspected him I checked if he had scars. there wasnt anything there. it was clean. S doesn’t believe it.S: how did you confirm it? she says-why you think I am lying again. this is the level of your judgment.  she pushes him away. He yells again how did you confirm it. she says ask masako (that gisaeng)

S goes and asks her if Lala and K met before. She says how they drank not too long ago and K got drunk so H asked her to take care of him and left.

S goes and gets drunk and remembers H saying he is crazy over a girl and lost his sense of judgment

K tells baek how dong jin doesn’t have family cuz they were blown up. yesterday there was a Korean flag incident. Baek thinks that may be a way to meet dong jin. K says yang has to meet dong jin to do something so I have to do my best to make them meet

Lee and his wife meet with taro. Lee is upset cuz they are opposed to him being the president.  his wife asks what’s wrong with lee. taro says how he suggested that Lee take over the president position at the newspaper but it didnt go through. the wife says when did her husband ever say he wanted the position to make money -he just wants to do it as part of taking repsonsibility. taro says let’s not drag this talk out. ( lee’s wife is the same actress from AGD and I just now realized that.)

S tells lackey to call that circus girl (spy girl)

Spy girl is about to leave but she sees K coming so she hides

D, sunwha, and the man are doing laundry and sunwha talks about how they waved the Korean flag and how good it made her feel inside. D asks to see the flag again. Sunwha takes it out and shows her. D wonders how they made this. sunwha says dong jin organization made it. K comes in so the man hides the flag. K asks to see D. sunwha worries K saw the flag. D says don’t worry.

D and K meet in the room. They sit and he says what to do. I want to listen to yang’s request with my strength I want to help but there isnt a way to find out. she asks what yang asked. K says how yang came to meet dong jin. the two have to need and do something. she asks teacher dong jin? K: why do you know something? she says how sunwha met a man with dong jin’s group at the market so if they meet that man maybe we can find dong jin. K says we could find him then. even if we cant we have to try.  we have to find him somehow. D says I will find out so dont worry and go back. K: wont it be dangerous. She says what K is doing is way more dangerous (going to work at the station). they hold hands and smile at each other

S meets with the spy girl. He says D’s dad came to the capitol – have you not seen him. she says no. he says spy well – note who D is meeting. She says D stays at the motel these days and K visits often. S: what? often? she says I just saw K go in before i came. In his head he says K couldnt meet dong jin’s guy so K is going to D to find out info. S pays her more and says starting from now stick to D like a shadow and write down when K comes to meet D and when K leaves. what they talk about.

S puts his kishokai ring on

D and sunwha go to the market to look for Kim. Spy girl follows them. D asks if sunwha can remember that guy’s face. Sunwha says yes. They wonder how to find him. D spots the spy girl so D tells sunwah to wait here – I am going to meet a friend. D goes after the spy girl. Spy runs off. D catches her and asks why did you run away. The girl denies running away. D warns her how S could turn on her. is money more important than your life. D says what could have happened with the circus girls without gaksital’s help. Spy girls says I will take care of myself so you don’t worry about it

Kim finds sunwha and asks what her name is cuz I was curious. Sunwha calls for D. D says it’s good to meet you. are you from dong jin’s group. Kim says yes you are DS’s daughter aren’t you. he says don’t you remember me last time. she says yes.

D calls K and says sunwah found the guy in dong jin’s group. K says you did well. Where are those friends now. K hangs up

Leader jo cant believe K is helping them. D says if S bothers Jo then K wont leave that alone. Jo says we have a good back support.

S goes to meet UH. He kneels in front of him and asks is it ok if I kill your daughter. UH:what? S: UR knows for sure who gaksital is and she still wont reveal him. UH says I told you to catch Yang. S says Yang is connected with gaksital. if we just catch gaksital, we can catch yang and dong jin all together. UH: what you said about UR knowing who gaksital is, that isnt a lie right?  S: I would stake my life on it. Gaksital will for sure help Dong jin’s group member escape. this is the chance to catch the guy. UH: how can I help? S: I need your samurai (that bald guy)

The new guy offers to go cuz dong jin knows his face. K says I will go and make sure it’s safe. Yang says he wont know you but K says  he will know gaksital.

Gaksital rides through the woods and Kim waits for him. D told him that he will meet the person who needs to meet dong jin on this road. Gaksital rides up. kim asks are you the one who needs to meet dong jin. He hugs gakistal and says do you know how much I like you. thank you. gaksital says what about dong jin

There are men in black doing fight training. Kim rides up with gaksital. he gives dong jin the note from yang. Dong jin says he gets what Yang means. to do what Yang wants together, he has to help song escape. after he gets song out, then he will do what yang wants together.  but gaksital says I will help song escape. leave it up to me. Dong jin says no. he uses a metaphor about something that falls down if it’s divided but when it’s combined it stands. gaksital says you have something major to do with yang. Trust me and leave this up to me. They shake hands on it

*dong jin is played by that actor from baker king so he is good friends with joowon

K passes out papers for the meeting and abe thanks him. S coughs and acts like he has a cold. S asks if lackey brought song back. Lackey says yes we brought him back this morning- you take responsibilty and investigate more. S acts sick and calls off the meeting and says he is has to rest – I’m going to see the chief (yoshi).

S says  “I have to leave for the day and will report later after I come back.” yoshi asks if S found out anything about yang. S says if my plan succeeds today I can capture yang and his group. Yoshi asks are you saying you are not going to tell me what your plan is. S: please understand. yoshi says you are impudent. You better succeed no matter what.

K calls the new guy and about song being moved today so he says I will prepare. S comes downstairs and tells K I am going home early to rest so see you tm. He pretends to cough some more.

Lackey takes song and some officers onto a truck.

Gaksital stands in the road and blocks their path. He knocks out the driver and hits the lackey before he can shoot. The new guy jumps down and fights off the officers on the truck. He shoots the spy officer and frees Song. gaksital fights off the last officer as the new guy takes song away. But then UH’s samurai shows up and cuts gaksital. It’s like 5yrs ago all over again and K isnt any better against this guy. Gaksital is getting beat up pretty badly by this old bald guy. Gaksital finally limps away, but it’s like the samurai let him go.

Gaksital is bleeding and staggering down the empty street alley. He drops his flute and passes out. S walks over in a black suit. He looks at gaksital on the ground. S bends down and removes the mask and looks at his friend’s face.

end

no preview

When DS, his daughter, and H found out K was Gaksital, it was more of a relief. But the minute they showed S removing K’s mask, my heart jumped to my throat. Everything S has been doing up to now being obsessed about catching Gaksital was just a rehearsal for this moment. Knowing for sure his friend is gaksital is going to shake the foundation of who S is as a human being. the second he confirmed that K is Gaksital, he finally caught the rebel he wanted, but at the same time he lost his closest friend. I still say he doesn’t have the guts to kill his friend. Maybe I just want to believe that, but knowing his character, I think he will struggle with it some more before it comes to that. In the meantime, of course S will use Gaksital to lure Yang, Dong Jin, DS, and the rest of the rebels. But when it comes to that moment of execution, I don’t think K will die by S’s hands.